The new Center will drive an aggressive research agenda focused on critical issues in identity management, information sharing policy, and data protection.
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 (http://www.cimip.org/ ). The Center also will sponsor symposia to share the research findings with key decision makers in corporate, government, and academic organizations.
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.
"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. "
