Business and Industry: Partners in Our Cyber Mission 

The FBI’s cyber mission is to impose costs on our cyber adversaries through our unique authorities and world-class investigative capabilities.

The success of that mission depends on partnerships—those we have with law enforcement and intelligence agencies worldwide and those we have and continue to build with the private sector. Our private sector partners play an integral role in defending against a cyber threat that no agency can face alone.

Cyber risk is business risk, and cybersecurity is national security. Together, we can defend America’s values, ingenuity, critical infrastructure, and business through robust and enduring partnerships.

What businesses should know  

Protect your business

A network intrusion can cause lasting harm to your organization and its stakeholders. It can also affect your reputation, your people, and even your community. No single entity can address the range of cyber threats alone, which is why partnering with your local FBI field office should be one of your business priorities.

The FBI’s Operation Winter SHIELD provides industry with a practical roadmap to better secure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments. Learn more about actions organizations can take to improve resilience against cyber intrusions at fbi.gov/wintershield.

Understand common risks and crimes

  • Ransomware can disrupt business operations and cost millions.
  • Data breaches can reveal trade secrets, proprietary material, and customer data.
  • Third party systems can be a vector for malware.
  • Business email compromise takes advantage of the way we do business today and can result in huge financial losses.
  • Spoofing and phishing schemes are one of the most common ways individuals within an organization are tricked into providing sensitive information, downloading damaging code, or allowing criminals access to their systems.
  • Keep up to date with our industry alerts on ic3.gov and by following FBI Cyber on LinkedIn and X.

Why partnerships matter  

Partnering with the FBI can help your company better understand the current risk environment and enhance our response in the event of a cyber-attack.

At the FBI, we take proactive steps to ensure our partners have the information they need. When the FBI is engaged before an incident, we can equip your organizations with the best FBI point of contact to form a response plan. If an incident occurs, the FBI serves as a force multiplier, enhancing and amplifying cyber initiatives. We can also simplify recovery efforts by functioning as a gateway to a rich network of resources for additional support.

When the FBI is called to support entities that are victim to a cyber attack, it is our promise to treat those entities with dignity and respect; protect their privacy and data; and rigorously adhere to the U.S. constitution, applicable laws, regulations, and policies. We will focus on the matter at hand, without wavering, and seek the specific evidence we need for prosecution and justice.

Rapid reporting to the FBI also helps us make a greater impact on the threat landscape. It improves our ability to gather the intelligence and evidence we need to investigate cyber criminals. Your work with us helps us impose costs and prevent future attacks on your organization and others.

Profiles in partnership 

Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, introduces Operation Winter SHIELD, a cyber resilience campaign that positions industry as critical allies alongside the FBI and our partners in detecting, confronting, and dismantling cyber threats.

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FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman hosts a roundtable discussion on Operation Winter SHIELD and the FBI's efforts to protect the homeland.

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Matthew DeSarno, special agent in charge of FBI Dallas, and Ross Perot, Jr., chairman of the Perot Companies and Hillwood, discuss how they work together to defend the country's critical infrastructure.

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