Leading Corporate, Government and Academic Institutions to Form First-of-Kind Identity Management Center; Secret Service, FBI, LexisNexis, IBM Partnering with Utica College.

WASHINGTON -- Senator Clinton says it will put the "right focus on issues that need to be discussed at all levels of government."

To combat the threat that identity fraud and theft pose to personal and national security, an unprecedented alliance of leading corporate, government, and academic institutions has announced the establishment of the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection, a first of its kind institution that will be based at Utica College in New York. The founding corporate partners are LexisNexis and IBM. Government partners include the United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute's CERT/CC, Indiana University's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, and Syracuse University's CASE Center join Utica College (Utica, N.Y.) as academic partners.

The new Center will drive an aggressive research agenda focused on critical issues in identity management, information sharing policy, and data protection. The research will focus on:

--The causes, early detection, and prevention of identity fraud and theft.

--The evolving threat from cyber criminals, insiders, and organized crime groups.

--The impact and role of policy decisions, legislation, and regulatory actions.

--The improvement of identity authentication systems to reduce fraud and improper payments, and protect national security.

--The role of enabling technologies to protect information, facilitate privacy, and share information.

The Center will be headed by Dr. Gary R. Gordon, a nationally recognized expert in economic crime, including cyber crime and identity fraud, and professor of Economic Crime Management at Utica College, which offers the nation's premier undergraduate and graduate degree programs in economic crime. The research agenda of the Center will be guided by the Board of Advisors of the college's Economic Crime Institute (ECI) and a Research Steering Committee comprised of the Center's partners.

The Center will provide cutting edge identity management and information protection resources to corporations, law enforcement, government agencies, academe, and the public through its publications and website (www.cimip.org). The Center also will sponsor symposia to share the research findings with key decision makers in corporate, government, and academic organizations.

"Identity theft has become rampant in our society and to better combat the problem we need bold, new and innovative solutions," said Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Chairman of the House Science Committee. "That is why I am so excited about today's announcement. The new Center for Identity Management and Information Protection at Utica College brings together top minds from academia, business and law enforcement to help protect personal data through a coordinated research and education effort. As Chairman of the House Science Committee, I know that knowledge is power and I am confident that this new national center will give us better, more powerful tools to combat the pernicious threat of ID theft."

In an initial research project, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, will work in partnership with Utica College's CIMIP to examine current and emerging criminal groups that perpetrate identity fraud and theft, with a focus on their methods of operation. The outcome of this project will help law enforcement to respond in a proactive manner, provide cutting edge content for federal, state, and local law enforcement training, and help corporations develop prevention and detection strategies.

The establishment of the Center follows a series of ECI/LexisNexis white papers and conferences focused on the subject. Utica College's President Todd Hutton said, "The formation of the Center is an important step in focusing a national research agenda and providing the intense scrutiny that identity fraud, cyber crime, and terrorism demand."

"LexisNexis is committed to working with our government customers as well as thought leaders in the academic and corporate world to address the continuing threats to economic and national security posed by identity fraud and cyber crime," said James Peck, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Management. "Together, we can pool our collective knowledge and experience to help shape the development of effective policies and best practices to combat these critical threats."

"IBM is an industry leader in the delivery of groundbreaking analytics and identity management solutions that give businesses and organizations the tools they need to detect and respond to threat and fraud in real time," said John Slitz, VP IBM Entity Analytics. "We are committed to working with the Center to support the industry in addressing information management, data protection and identity theft and other challenges."

"It is critically important that law enforcement, the private sector and academia share information in order to successfully combat identity theft," said United States Secret Service Deputy Director Brian Nagel. "The Secret Service continues to be proactive in the education, investigation and prosecution of electronic crimes and we are pleased to partner with the Center for Identity Management and Information. Partnering is imperative to effectively address emerging identity crimes."

"Information technology has changed our lives tremendously, and for the better. But right now, many Americans are rightly confused and frightened about identity theft. The challenge we face is how to take advantage of the benefits achieved through the advances of technology without compromising our basic right to privacy," said Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who just recently announced that she would introduce a Privacy Bill of Rights in the U.S. Senate. "The Center for Identity Management and Information Protection will put the right focus on the issues that need to be discussed at all levels of government and the private sector in order to ensure that as technology continues to advance, it is coupled with the strong safeguards and effective policies to prevent identity theft and protect our personal data. This center will also further enhance the region's reputation as a center for forward-thinking technology and innovation."

Added James H. Burrus, Acting Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation: "Identity theft is a growing problem with significant negative effects on American businesses and individual citizens and potentially disastrous effects on U.S. national security. From this threat, the CIMIP was born. This logical partnership of government, industry, and academia will utilize the resources and talent of each partner, and everyone, including the American public will benefit. The FBI looks forward to the opportunity to apply CIMIP research to more effective law enforcement and protection against threats to national security."

Press Conference:   A press conference addressing this will be held.
                    Details are below.
                    June 28, 2006 at 10 a.m., EDT
                    National Press Club
                    Holeman Lounge, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor
                    Washington, DC 20045
                    [phone]

About Utica College - Founded in 1946, Utica College is a comprehensive private institution that grants the Syracuse University baccalaureate degree and the Utica College master's and doctoral degrees. The College, located in central New York, currently enrolls approximately 2,650 undergraduate and graduate students in 31 undergraduate majors, 12 master's and two doctoral degree programs.