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The government's top intelligence officer called on the nation's business community Monday to build its capacity for information sharing domestically and abroad and to report suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies.

"Since Sept. 11, 2001, information sharing has been one of the imperatives driving intelligence reform," Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte told business leaders in Washington at a forum organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "I would suggest that you do what we are attempting to do domestically and internationally."

Negroponte said the U.S. intelligence community is concerned with threats from foreign countries and also "the activities of individuals, groups and networks that seek to harm us abroad and at home."

He said the top priorities for his office have been institution building and information sharing. He cited accomplishments in helping to establish a new national security branch within the FBI, creating the National Counterterrorism Center, and working to strengthen the Homeland Security Department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

"At the procedural level, providing better intelligence support for homeland security also means facilitating the multi-directional flow of information, particularly terrorism related information," he said.

He added that geographic distance "means very little" when it comes to terrorists intent on attacking physical or cyber systems, especially with the goal of causing financial harm.

Negroponte also asserted that the intelligence community's relationship with the private sector has been strained by leaks of national security information to the media. He did not cite specific examples, but said the intelligence community will work to protect the confidentiality of arrangements with private companies.

Negroponte also cited two new organizational aspects of the U.S. intelligence community. First, the community is establishing an information sharing environment that will define specific polices and procedures. He said a final implementation plan for the architecture of that environment is due this month.

Second, he said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Dale Meyerrose has been confirmed to be the nation's first chief information officer. "This is a major plus for the intelligence community," Negroponte said, adding that Meyerrose already has been successful at crushing barriers to information sharing and is developing standards for procuring information technology across intelligence agencies.

But Negroponte warned that cultural and institutional barriers remain a problem with sharing information. "We have to instill a new culture, if you will, of people who are willing to share and move information horizontally across the intelligence community," he said.

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