What is terrorism? The FBI defines terrorism as an act or threat of violence intended to coerce or intimidate the public or the U.S. government. The FBI further distinguishes acts of terrorism by who is behind it. International acts of terrorism are conceived and committed by transnational groups or individuals, though international acts of terrorism may of course occur on U.S. soil. By contrast, domestic acts of terrorism are planned and carried out by Americans entirely in the U.S. The common thread among terrorists is a hatred of the U.S. government and its policies.

The unprecedented acts of terrorism on September 11, 2001, marked a watershed for the United States and its citizens, as well as for the FBI and its mission. Recognizing the profound new threat these attacks embodied, the President directed the FBI to make prevention of terrorist attacks its highest priority. The heightened emphasis on prevention and deterrence represents a change in the traditional manner of FBI investigative work. The FBI has since undergone dramatic changes which we believe will make our country safer. These changes include the deployment of vast new resources, program overhauls, new personnel, retraining of existing employees, and the development of even stronger partnerships with the military, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and diplomatic personnel. Major developments include the creation of the National Security Branch, which encompasses the FBI's counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and intelligence programs, as well as the establishment of Joint Terrorism Task Forces and Field Intelligence Groups in every FBI field office, including Norfolk.

On a local level, in December 2001, the Norfolk Office of the FBI created the Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force (TJTTF), which in addition to FBI Special Agents, is composed of law enforcement and intelligence officers from local, state, military and federal agencies. Though housed in and managed by the Norfolk FBI Office, it is a partnership designed to serve all participants, with the shared goal of making our Hampton Roads community and our country safer. The TJTTF addresses international and domestic terrorism matters and related concerns designed to prevent acts of terrorism. The clear benefits are the ease with which useful information and intelligence is shared among the participating agencies, the coordination of investigative efforts, and the unique investigative skills and contributions each participating agency brings. Note, too, the more recent creation of the Norfolk Field Intelligence Group.

One of the FBI's primary investigative programs, and one of the most critical in terms of national security, is the Counterintelligence Program. The large military presence in Hampton Roads, combined with hundreds of defense contractors handling classified information and contracts, necessitates extra vigilance on the part of Norfolk FBI Special Agents.

The FBI is responsible for counterintelligence in the United States (countering the efforts of agents of a foreign power in this country), and for investigating acts of espionage both here and in our U.S. missions abroad. The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 broadened the FBI's jurisdiction by creating a Federal felony, punishable by up to 15 years of imprisonment, for anyone who diverts or steals a trade secret on behalf of a foreign power.

Our citizens are the first line of defense. Hampton Roads citizens are urged to take notice and report anything unusual concerning these matters to the Norfolk Division. Our Special Agents regularly alert the public, particularly businesses, as to the nature of a threat through the ANSIR Program, which stands for Awareness of National Security Issues and Response. A Norfolk Agent will provide such information to businesses or groups in the Hampton Roads area as requested. Requests may be made by contacting the Norfolk Division.

In September 2003, Norfolk established the Field Intelligence Group, commonly referred to as the FIG. The FIG is a component of the FBI's Directorate of Intelligence and is composed of Intelligence Analysts, Special Agents and Reports Officers. It also includes the Human Intelligence Unit, which manages the intelligence provided by human sources. The purpose of the FIG is to provide support to all of Norfolk's ongoing investigations through intelligence collection and analysis. In addition, the FIG is charged with preparing and disseminating finished intelligence products in the form of Intelligence Bulletins, Intelligence Assessments, and Intelligence Information Reports to the intelligence community.

The goal of the Norfolk FIG is to implement both proactive and reactive measures to address the intelligence needs of the FBI as well as the intelligence community. To achieve this goal, the FIG identifies intelligence gaps in the Norfolk Division and develops a collection strategy to fill the gaps. In addition, the FIG routinely produces threat assessments concerning potential terrorism targets in the Hampton Roads region, to include military facilities, transportation facilities, tourism facilities, and critical infrastructure sites. The FIG remains responsive to national collection and analysis requirements, while maintaining liaisons with the regional intelligence community to address their requirements.

The FBI's Cyber Crime Program is responsible for the investigation of those federal violations in which the Internet, computer systems, or networks are exploited in some manner. In addition to common criminals, terrorist organizations or foreign government-sponsored intelligence operations may use the Internet, computer systems or networks as either targets or instruments for their actions. To address cyber crime matters, the FBI has formed public/private alliances along with enhanced education and training to improve counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and law enforcement cyber response capabilities. These partnerships have helped keep the FBI at the forefront of cyber investigations through awareness and exploitation of emerging technology.

Such a partnership was established locally in January 2003 when the Norfolk Division created the Cyber Crime Working Group (CCWG) to address cyber crime in the Hampton Roads Area. The CCWG is comprised of representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies including the Virginia State Police, Norfolk Police Department, Virginia Beach Police Department, Hampton Police Division, Newport News Police Department, Chesapeake Police Department, US Attorney's Office, US Secret Service, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and NASA-OIG. It is a reflection of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller's heightened emphasis on the investigation of cyber crime, now the Director's third priority, behind only terrorism and foreign counterintelligence investigations. The mission of this local initiative is to share information regarding cyber crime investigations, conduct joint investigations when appropriate, share investigative resources, and provide training opportunities.

The FBI believes the cyber threat to the U.S. is rapidly expanding. The number of actors with the ability to use computers for illegal, harmful, and possibly devastating purposes continues to rise. There are two broad cyber crime threats. The first is cyber threats affecting national security that emerged with Internet technology. This category includes cyber terrorism, foreign computer intrusions, and cyber theft of sensitive data. The second category is traditional criminal activity facilitated by computers and the Internet, such as theft of intellectual property, online sexual exploitation of children, and Internet fraud. Working through groups such as the CCWG above, the FBI is effectively combating cyber crime on all fronts.

InfraGard, a partnership between private industry and the U.S. government (represented by the FBI), was an initiative developed to encourage the exchange of information by the government and the private sector members, focusing on the protection infrastructures critical to United States economic and national security. Infrastructures critical to United States economic and

national security include banking and finance, emergency services, government operations, transportation, electrical energy, gas and oil storage and delivery, telecommunications, and water supply systems.

InfraGard Chapters are geographically linked with FBI Field Office territories, with each chapter having an FBI Special Agent Coordinator assigned to it. The FBI Coordinator works closely with Supervisory Special Agent Program Managers in the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Infragard Virginia Chapter combines the Norfolk and Richmond FBI Field Office territories. For more information, visit the Infragard and InfraGard Virginia websites.

Agents assigned to the Norfolk FBI's White-Collar Crime Program actively investigate health care fraud, fraud against the government, public corruption, financial institution fraud, environmental crimes, intellectual property rights, computer crimes, election law violations, and economic crimes such as bankruptcy fraud, telemarketing fraud, insurance fraud, securities/commodities fraud, and other fraudulent schemes.

Norfolk Agents work closely with local law enforcement, members of the banking and health care industry, other federal, state and local agencies, and prosecutors in conducting their investigations. The Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group, Health Care Fraud Working Group, and Environmental Crimes Working Group are three such partnerships. In addition, Norfolk Agents are members of the Virginia Bank Security Association and the International Association of Special Investigations Units in the insurance industry.

Fraud schemes and scams, which are investigated by Agents assigned to the White Collar Crime Squad, continue to proliferate. Victims come from every walk of life, but senior citizens are all too often targeted. Those committing fraud use every form of communication - the internet, telephone calls, door-to-door pitches and mailing - to identify victims and execute their fraudulent schemes. Too many people from Hampton Roads have fallen victims to fraudulent schemes. Remember, your first level of protection is education. To learn more about how to prevent fraud from happening, visit the Be Crime Smart and Common Fraud Schemes features on the FBI's website. But, if you become a victim, report it to the police or the FBI .

Norfolk FBI Agents working in the Civil Rights Program investigate violations involving racial discrimination, color of law (e.g. police brutality, deprivation of constitutional rights by a person holding an official position), discrimination in housing, hate crimes, Institutionalized Persons Act matters, and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The Norfolk FBI, working closely with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, aggressively pursues credible allegations of Civil Rights violations.

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the FBI in general, and the Norfolk FBI Office in particular, have restructured and realigned limited resources in a way to best address serious traditional criminal activity. One outgrowth of this effort is to direct the unique resources and talents of the FBI, often in partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies, against criminal enterprises. The effort to focus on criminal enterprises has been and continues to be used in illegal drug and organized crime matters, and violent street gang activity, to name a few. The partnering effort also has precedent. In 1995, the Norfolk FBI Office and Portsmouth Police Department joined forces to combat rising crime rates under the federal government's Safe Streets Initiative. The results of the Safe Street's Violent Crimes Task Force's zero-tolerance enforcement approach contributed to a dramatic drop in Portsmouth's violent crime rate. The Safe Streets Violent Crimes Task Force investigations have resulted in the indictment and conviction of more than 45 individuals. This task force has expanded to include the Chesapeake Police Department. More recently, in 2003, the Norfolk FBI Office and the Newport News Police Department combined forces to address violent street gang activity in the east end of Newport News.

The primary mission of the criminal enterprise investigative approach against the scourge of illegal drugs and organized crime, along with their attendant violence, is to dismantle and disrupt the most significant international, national and regional drug trafficking enterprises operating in Hampton Roads. To achieve this objective, Agents work closely with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate major drug trafficking organizations conducting business in the Hampton Roads area.