Corporate, Government and Academic Leaders Unite to Fight Cyber Crime, Identity Theft and other Identity Management Challenges

Business Wire, Oct 7, 2008

Indiana University, U.S. Secret Service, LexisNexis, IBM, Cogent Systems, Visa and Intersections Collaborate to form Center for Applied Identity Management Research

WASHINGTON -- An unprecedented coalition of leading corporate, government and academic institutions today announced the formation of the Center for Applied Identity Management Research (CAIMR). CAIMR is focused on developing research and solutions for society's most daunting identity management challenges such as cyber crime, terrorism, financial crimes, identity theft and fraud, weapons of mass destruction, and narcotics and human trafficking. The Center is the first of its kind to bring cross-disciplinary experts in criminal justice, financial crime, biometrics, cyber crime and cyber defense, data protection, homeland security and national defense to address identity management challenges that impact individuals, public safety, commerce, government programs and national security.

CAIMR's founding members represent an extraordinary alliance of non-profit, public sector and corporate institutions including: Indiana University, U.S. Secret Service, LexisNexis, IBM, Cogent Systems, Visa and Intersections. Dr. Gary R. Gordon, a nationally recognized expert in economic crime and a Senior Scholar in Identity Management at Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington will serve as Executive Director of the Center. Under their guidance the Center will undertake applied research projects concentrating on the identity management aspects of the following:

* Public Safety: Identity theft, cyber crime, computer crime, organized criminal groups, document fraud and sexual predator detection

* National Security: Cyber security and cyber defense, human trafficking and illegal immigration, terrorist tracking and financing

* Financial and Corporate Fraud: Mortgage fraud and other financial crimes, data breaches, e-commerce fraud, insider threats and health care fraud.

* Individual Protection: Identity theft and fraud

CAIMR will identify the key challenges, the gaps in knowledge and the research needed to provide solutions to these challenges. Additional members include, Fair Isaac, University of Texas at Austin, Wells Fargo & Company, U.S. Marshals Service, Dragnet Solutions, ID Experts, Identity Theft Assistance Corporation (ITAC), Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

"CAIMR is a trusted public private partnership of organizations focused on solving some of the nation's most challenging identity management problems," said Gary R. Gordon, Ed.D. Executive Director, CAIMR. "As a non-profit organization governed by its partners with a strong affiliation with its host academic institution, Indiana University, CAIMR is uniquely positioned to foster a collaborative applied research environment that brings together the multi-disciplinary talent, resources, data sources, and analytical capabilities to take up this challenge."

"In spite of our recent successful investigations both domestically and internationally, cybercrime remains a substantial threat that continues to evolve and attack our financial systems," said Michael P. Merritt, Assistant Director, Office of Investigations, United States Secret Service. "Successfully combating emerging identity crimes requires that the Secret Service and law enforcement forge and enhance partnerships with industry, academic and research organizations. The Secret Service has always credited our accomplishments to the vital partnerships we enjoy and we look forward to working with and being a part of the Center (CAIMR) to address the ever changing landscape of transnational identity crimes."

"CAIMR brings together the key thought leaders in industry, government, and academe to focus on some of the most pressing and complex identity management issues society faces today," said Norman A. Willox Jr., Chairman, CAIMR Board of Directors and Chief Business Officer, LexisNexis. "A collaborative, multi-disciplinary applied research approach is required to provide pragmatic solutions to diverse areas such as cyber crime."

"LexisNexis takes its role in thought leadership for the risk market very seriously. The CAIMR initiative is uniquely qualified to deal with the critical identity management issues many of our customers and society in general faces today. The partnership with CAIMR will generate research leading to new ways of combating many of society's biggest challenges, threats and risks," said James Peck, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Information Analytics Group.

"Indiana University is delighted to not only be a part of CAIMR, but to serve as its academic home as well," said Michael A. McRobbie, President, Indiana University. "As a National Center of Academic Excellence in both Information Assurance Education and Information Assurance Research, IU is committed to enhancing the science and the practice of identity management. CAIMR's collaborative approach to these issues, and the partnership it reflects among key stakeholders in government, industry, and academia, will be invaluable to achieving that vital goal."