Folks, The CRIME group has been around now for over 10 years. Our wonderful sponsors (first Verizon and now Structured) and I, have consciously kept it as informal as possible. Arguably, that's why it has lasted this long, and has become more than your average dues-paying, office-holding, rez-building association. Background: Richard Clarke, back in the days when he was just the Cyber Security Czar and not an author :), saw CRIME as a prime example of a true grass-roots, no-frills get-the-job-done networking group that successfully spanned infrastructure boundaries, deemed critical in the post-911 environment. He appreciated that this mixing of 'oil and water' - law enforcement, hackers, academia, and the private sectors, rarely produces a useful vinaigrette. It is so rare in fact, that this is the reason why CRIME was invited onto the dais, in place of much heavier hitters, to speak at the June 2002 Town Hall meeting on Securing Cyberspace, hosted my Mr. Clarke and PSU. Clarke was so impressed with the group, and your attendance and participation in the meeting, that he asked me if he could link our CRIME URL to his web site. The Problem: That being said, I see that we are at a crossroads. Other orgs, such as Infra-Gard and ISSA, are now an established part of the local landscape-among many others. They have structure, are dues-funded, and therefore, have the "legs" to last. As for CRIME, I don't want to go the dues or chapter-affiliation route. We tried that early on, and it was a fiasco. The national affiliate had major problems that set chapters in turmoil. We seceded and morphed into CRIME. I believe that our greatest fundamental strength has been that we are a distributed, informal entity. There is a point in all endeavors however, where drag can overcome thrust, and you're not flying anymore. To continue the metaphor, I have reached the point in pilot lingo where I've run out of "airspeed, altitude, and ideas, all at the same time." We lost this month's speaker in the 11th hour and thus had to cancel the meeting. I am at the bottom of my rolodex to find quality speakers. I don't want to let down Structured Inc, our current sponsor, who pays no small fees for the conference room and coffee at the Zoo. A Possible Solution: I have asked CRIME member Richard Busby to step into the position of arranging the monthly topics and speakers. He has agreed to do so. However, it is unfair to him to hand over this obligation if indeed the org is at the end of its practical lifespan. All of you out there are the collective energies that have driven the remarkable resilience and success of CRIME, as Richard Clarke observed at the Town Hall meeting. I believe there's viability in this organization, and that the soul of it lies not only in the meetings, but also in the threads of this list-warts, flames, diatribes, and all :)! From my perspective, the value of all this has far exceeded either my expectations or hopes. You folks rule! Summary: Richard Busby and I will try to press ahead with the meetings, subject to the tolerance and good graces of our sponsor. We will see how it goes over the next few months, then re-evaluate. What we request of you members within range is-please mark your calendars for 2nd Tuesdays-and attend the meetings when you can. Geo
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