Indy FBI Cyber Squad fighting one of biggest threats to U.S.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A very real and very grave threat is on America's doorstep, and officials say many of us have no idea how serious it is. But, behind a guarded gate in Indianapolis, a highly specialized team works tirelessly to fight the crime.

In 1931, America's most famous bank robber, Willie Sutton, was hunted by the FBI and arrested. Legend goes when asked why he robbed banks he shot back, "that's where the money is.'"

The money is now contained in computers so criminals are increasing their cyber skills; so is the FBI.

"Where before the target was right in front of us, now it could be anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Kevin Lyons.

Lyons is now part of the team that oversees the Indianapolis FBI Cyber squad. Their mission is monstrous.

"The hackers are good. The criminals are good. We've got to be better," said Supervisory Special Agent, Jim Watson.

With a few keystrokes, from the comfort of a home, thieves can strip major financial institutions out of billions of dollars or steal classified government information.

"Some of the information, that's leaving this country, I think has the potential to be very detrimental," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Danny Barkley.

Realizing the threat, the FBI has re-focused and rearranged. Next Generation Cyber is a new initiative to tackle the peril that is constantly on America's door step. The squad is a new wave of crime-fighters in one of the most top-secret buildings in Indianapolis. Instead of capes, they wear suits and ties. Instead of guns, they use keyboards and instead of special powers, well, special powers.

"A number of agents on my squad, they're full blown hackers. They've got those skills of white hat hackers, the good guys," said Watson.

Through constant monitoring and investigations, they're charged with protecting military secrets, trade secrets and perhaps most importantly defending against economic espionage.

Recent cyber attacks have been linked to foreign governments, Iran and most recently China, targeting American companies and our government. It's the equivalent of long range missiles hitting the heart of our nation.

"We base ourselves as an economic powerhouse and military powerhouse in the world and if we lose that, we lose the security of this country," said Lyons.

Officials say this crime has the potential to cripple our nation. It can also easily cripple your life. Cyber identity theft is becoming so common that if a thief obtains your credit card information, full name and date of birth and sells it online in a criminal forum, they'll only get two to three dollars for that information because it's so prevalent online.

Cyber crime is now a part of almost every other crime. Mafias used illegal online gambling, terrorists use online forums to share ideas and buy security information.

It makes for a seemingly overwhelming task, one much different than the gangster era of the FBI.

"It's going to be up to us to try to keep up with not only technology but criminal's use of technology," said Watson.

Another big task of the cyber squad is child pornography.  One of the nation's largest child porn busts happened right here in central Indiana with the arrest of 23-year-old David Ryan Bostic of Bloomington.

FBI agents say child pornography is such a big problem online they could arrest someone every day of the week.