AG Jim Hood Makes History with First Cyber Crime Center in the Nation

Jackson, MS–Attorney General Jim Hood, along with representatives of the Cyber Crime Task Force, officially opened the Mississippi Cyber Crime Fusion Center (MCCFC) today. The event kicked off with a formal ceremony and ribbon cutting and the Cyber Crime Center was open for the public to tour.

“We are the first Attorney General’s Office in the nation where state, federal and local authorities are housed in one location to fight Cyber Crime,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “There is strength in numbers, so perverts beware.”

The MCCFC is a coalition of investigators, examiners, prosecutors and educators led by the Cyber Crimes Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. Cyber Crime Task Force partners include the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Attorneys Office, Mississippi State University/Center for Computer Research, University of Mississippi National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law, Jackson State University, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspectors, Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department.

“Mississippi State University and its Forensics Training Center are pleased to be a supporting partner of the Cyber Crime Fusion Center and a participant in its operation,” said Dr. Ray Vaughn, Director of the Center for Computer Security Research at Mississippi State University (MSU). “We are proud to have been one of the charter organizations that assisted in making the MCCFC a unique prototype organization nationally and one that has Federal, State and local law enforcement participation.”

“The FBI Jackson Division congratulates the State of Mississippi on the opening of the Cyber Fusion Center,” said William V. Jenkins, Assistant Special Agent In-Charge, FBI, Jackson Division. “We are looking forward to leveraging the investigative capabilities of our Cyber Task Force with the investigative resources of the Cyber Fusion Center. This cooperative effort between local, state and federal officials should serve notice to those individuals who use technology to victimize the citizens and businesses of our great state.” “The Postal Inspection Service is proud to be a part of the Mississippi Cyber Crime Task Force and has been an active member of this group long before we had office space and a recognizable name,” said Dwane Martin, Postal Inspector for the United States Postal Inspection Service. “The Inspection Service is committed to protecting the citizens of Mississippi from computer related crimes and we believe the Cyber Crime Task Force will be instrumental in meeting that goal.”

“Office space in the new center has been designated for the use of the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator while working jointly on projects with state investigators,” said U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. “We are hopeful that the cooperation between local, state and federal officials in Mississippi can serve as an example for all of us in working together within Project Safe Childhood.”

The MCCFC is funded through the Attorney General’s Office and a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ grant # 2005-DD-BX-K035) and Mississippi State University. More details about the MCCFC can be found at the official Mississippi Attorney General’s website.

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