(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) – The United States Secret Service has announced the formation of a
new Electronic Crimes Task Force (ECTF), a successful public-private partnership aimed
at fighting high-tech computer-based crimes. The new task force is located in Memphis,
Tennessee, and joins an existing network of 28 other nationwide and overseas operations.
“One of the top priorities for the Secret Service continues to be combating the computer
related crimes perpetrated by domestic and international criminals that target the U.S.
financial infrastructure,” said Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. “The Secret
Service, in conjunction with its many law enforcement partners across the United States
and around the world, continues to successfully combat these crimes by working closely
with experts from all affected sectors to constantly refresh and adapt our investigative
methodologies.”
The ECTF approach developed by the Secret Service has generated unprecedented
partnerships among law enforcement at the local, state, federal and international level, the
private sector and academia. The types of investigations handled by the Electronic
Crimes Task Forces encompass a wide range of computer-based criminal activity,
including network intrusions, hacking cases, identity theft, and other computer related
crimes affecting financial and other critical infrastructures.
As testament to the success of the ECTF model, last summer, the Secret Service
announced the creation of four new ECTFs, including the first European Electronic
Crimes Task Force, based in Rome, Italy, as well as in St. Louis, Kansas City and New
Orleans.
The Secret Service has a rich history of working collaboratively with other law
enforcement agencies and believes in partnerships versus membership, where there is a
strong emphasis on prevention and education, in addition to traditional law enforcement
measures. The Electronic Crimes Task Force model provides a productive framework
and collaborative crime-fighting environment in which the resources of its participants
can be combined to effectively and efficiently make a significant impact on cybercrime.
Other law enforcement agencies bring additional criminal enforcement jurisdiction and
resources to the task force, while representatives from private industry and academia
bring a wealth of technical expertise and research capabilities.
About the United States Secret Service
Well known for protecting the nation’s leaders, the U.S. Secret Service is also responsible
for protecting America’s financial infrastructure. The Secret Service has taken a lead role
in mitigating the threat of financial crimes since the agency’s inception in 1865. As
technology has evolved, the scope of the U.S. Secret Service’s mission has expanded
from its original counterfeit currency investigations to also include emerging financial
crimes. As a component agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the
U.S. Secret Service has established successful partnerships in both the law enforcement
and business communities – across the country and around the world – in order to
effectively combat financial crimes.