IAC Homeland Protection SIG Blog

DHS to rebuild Project 28 fence

2008-04-24T11:16:00.001-04:00

The 28-mile mobile border surveillance system deployed as a prototype of SBInet in Arizona is coming down and will be replaced with an updated version with permanent towers, a spokesman said today. The changeover has been planned from the beginning and does not reflect any new performance concerns regarding Secure Border Initiative’s initial Project 28 segment, said Michael Friel, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Project 28 was a prototype,” Friel said. “It will continue to be developed and updated to meet our operational needs.”
(Washington Technology story)

TSA's Bi-coastal Launch of Millimeter Wave Imaging Technology

2008-04-23T15:01:00.000-04:00

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced April 17 that pilots of millimeter wave technology to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Millimeter wave is currently in use at Phoenix Sky-Harbor International Airport. Millimeter wave detects weapons, explosives and other threat items concealed under layers of clothing without any physical contact. It is a promising alternative to the physical pat-down.
“The use of whole body imaging is a significant step forward in checkpoint technology,” said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. “By expanding the use of millimeter wave, we are providing our officers with another tool to enhance security and protect the public from evolving threats.”
(TSA press release)

Progress Report on Data Fusion

2008-04-23T14:58:00.002-04:00

The drive to fuse law enforcement and intelligence data across jurisdictional stovepipes has sparked its share of polarized discussion. Proponents tout an ambitious vision of not only seamlessly integrated counter-terror information but a new era of collaborative intelligence. Critics fear the emergence of an unaccountable police state apparatus. In fact, as HSToday found last year in our feature The Fusion Revolution, the fusion center concept has remained a work in progress, less a unified national platform than a patchwork quilt of promising state and local initiatives. The challenge for the federal government and DHS in particular, our sources told us, was to supportively coordinate all these grass-roots efforts with existing legacy networks on the federal level.
(HSToday story)

Airlines would collect fingerprints for US-VISIT

2008-04-23T14:54:00.001-04:00

Homeland Security Department officials plan to require commercial airlines and cruise ship lines to collect biometric information from non-immigrant foreign travelers when they leave the United States by the beginning of next year.For years, DHS has been collecting biometric data from such travelers when they arrive in the United States as part of the department's U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program. However, DHS has had a hard time creating an exit system with similar capabilities because of logistical, technological and commercial problems. The exit program is a requirement of a major national security law Congress passed in 2007. After conducting a pilot program, DHS today announced the government’s plan to meet that obligation.
(Federal Computer Week story; Government Executive story)

DHS: Blogs give department a new voice

2008-04-16T14:49:00.002-04:00

The Homeland Security Department has launched its blogs partially because the agency wanted a dialog with the public. According to DHS Web Communications Director Gwynne Kostin, the agency’s Leadership Journal was born partly from the intense debate surrounding the now-defeated Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act. DHS officials found they also wanted to put out their own views on the immigration issue. DHS’ is one of about 30 ongoing blogs maintained by government agencies. The Leadership Journal is unusual because DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff contributes to it, making it one of two blogs cabinet officers contribute to. The other is run by Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, who launched his after HHS experimented with a temporary open-discussion blog about pandemic flu in May 2007.
Kostin said the blog has already paid off. An April 4 posting by Chertoff emphasized the importance of restricting hand-carried liquids onto commercial aircraft, referring to an ongoing trial of eight Britons who planned to blow up seven trans-Atlantic flights by using liquid explosives. DHS also allows people to comment anonymously on entries. Although the agency combs comments for offensive material, moderators allow sometimes-heated discussions to take place on the blog. Kostin said these discussions are a good way to engage the public on current issues, which is the blog’s primary function. "I really think social media and these tools are really a way to bring people closer to the government," she said.
(Federal Computer Week story; DHS Leadership Journal blog)

DHS establishes centers of excellence

2008-03-10T15:55:00.004-04:00

The Homeland Security Department has named five new centers of excellence in counterterrorism research. Each will receive a grant of as much as $2 million a year for four to six years, the department said. The centers are:

Border Security and Immigration: The University of Arizona at Tucson and University of Texas at El Paso.
Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response Northeastern University in Boston and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Maritime, Island and Port Security: The University of Hawaii in Honolulu and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J.
Natural Disasters, Coast Infrastructure and Emergency Management: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.
Transportation Security: Texas Southern University, in Houston, Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., and the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

DHS launches Northern Border pilot programs

2008-03-10T15:53:00.001-04:00

While the Homeland Security Department prepares a prototype solution for protecting the northern border, new technologies already are being tested in the field, states a new report from the department’s Customs and Border Protection directorate. The 20-page report said the federal government is in the process of implementing additions in border personnel, infrastructure improvements and technologies to protect the U.S.-Canadian border. The report was written and submitted to Congress under the requirements of the 9/11 Commission implementation law approved last year.
(Washington Technology story)

A tale of two borders

2008-03-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

The United States’ strategy for securing its border with Canada primarily will focus on using technology, while the Homeland Security Department’s strategy for securing the southern border also includes hundreds of miles of fencing, DHS’ top official said. Earlier this week DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff told senators on the Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, “We are going to have technology on the northern border, but it’s going to be a different array than what we have at the southern border," he said.
(Washington Technology story)

Chertoff celebrates DHS anniversary

2008-03-10T15:45:00.000-04:00

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Wednesday strongly defended border security projects undertaken by his department, asserting that virtual fencing in Arizona is working and that border-control efforts are not being delayed by three years. "I have read in the newspapers that there is a three-year delay and for the life of me I cannot figure out where that comes from," Chertoff said in an interview with reporters marking the five-year anniversary of the Homeland Security Department. "There's no doubt that the process of working out some of the kinks delayed this by five to six months, but to say it's three years, I don't know where that comes from." GAO testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Feb. 27 on the department's SBInet border security program, which includes the building of a virtual fence on 28 miles in southern Arizona, dubbed Project 28.
(Government Executive story)

New TSA blog takes off

2008-02-19T13:31:00.001-05:00

Transportation Security Administration officials say they hope their new Evolution of Security blog will become a forum for a lively, open discussion of TSA issues. It is the latest example of federal agencies using new Web technologies to connect with the public.But with its pat-downs and toiletry checks, TSA’s daily function is considerably more invasive and prominent in people’s lives than other agencies that have blogs, such as the General Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, most recently, the Navy.TSA’s blog launched Jan. 30 with a post from Administrator Kip Hawley, who billed the new initiative as a way to improve communication between TSA screeners and passengers -- or, as he put it, to “explain the ‘why’ of what we ask you to do at the checkpoint.”
(Federal Computer Week story; TSA's Evolution of Security blog)

Driver's licenses as border-crossing cards?

2007-12-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

British Columbia has asked U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for permission to deploy driver’s licenses that also will serve as border-crossing cards for entry into the United States. The Canadian province wants the card to serve as an entry document in lieu of a passport. British Columbia applied in August to begin implementing the hybrid licenses starting in January 2008. The province’s ministry, along with other provincial governments believed to be interested in developing such hybrid licenses, is awaiting approvals from Chertoff to move forward, according to media reports in Canada.
(Federal Computer Week story)

House approves $34.9B for homeland security

2007-12-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

The omnibus spending bill approved by the House of Representatives on Dec. 19 includes $34.9 billion in baseline funding for the Homeland Security Department in fiscal 2008 and boosts major departmental information technology contracting efforts focused on US VISIT and the Real ID Act of 2005. The legislation contains funding not only for large business opportunities for IT contractors at the federal level, but also a wide variety of grants programs that offer additional opportunities. The legislation allocates an additional $2.7 billion for emergency spending for border security, of which $1.6 billion will pay for 370 miles of fencing and for portions of the Secure Border Initiative surveillance system being constructed along the U.S. borders.
(Washington Technology story)

DHS unveils Real ID grants

2007-12-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

The Homeland Security Department released grant guidelines this week to assist states in applying for $35 million to begin implementing Real ID requirements for handling personal information associated with driver’s licenses. “These funds will advance the ability of states to verify the legitimacy of documents that applicants present and to confirm that the applicants are who they say they are," said Secretary Michael Chertoff. Under the Real ID Act of 2005, states must meet new rules for collecting, verifying, storing and publishing personal information related to driver’s licenses, and they must share the personal information of license holders with other states.
(Washington Technology story; DHS press release; DHS REAL ID home page)

Chertoff sets priorities for 2008

2007-12-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff highlighted the department's 2007 achievements Dec. 12, also naming four key areas that he plans to focus on in the coming year: border security and immigration, secure identity, cybersecurity, and operations. Chertoff also said the department will spend the next year looking internally to improve the way it functions as a single, unified institution. He said one of the obstacles is excessive congressional oversight. While insisting that he believes monitoring is good for the department, he said DHS is dealing with "oversight run amok." In 2007, DHS officials testified before Congress 224 times. In the five-year history of the agency, officials have provided 7,800 written reports and answered 13,000 questions for the record.
(Government Executive story; DHS press release with Chertoff's complete remarks)

DHS accepts delivery of electronic fence

2007-12-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

Amid a strong warning from Congress, the Homeland Security Department conditionally accepted delivery of the first phase of a controversial electronic border fence from contractor Boeing Co., and awarded the company a $64 million contract to build the next phase. At a press conference held Dec. 7, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff accepted the delivery of the first phase of the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet), a high-tech surveillance system consisting of radars, cameras and ground sensors connected by a wireless satellite network along a 28-mile section in southern Arizona. Chertoff said he was "satisfied for now" with the work Boeing has done on the first phase of the contract, known as Project 28. But he added, DHS would continue to be a tough customer, which he said means "if we're not satisfied with something, we're going to tell them [Boeing] we're not satisfied with it... I told the head of Boeing some time back, 'Look, I'm not, you know, you don't have a lock on this entire border.'"
(Government Executive story; DHS SBI update; DHS SBI home page)

DHS, FBI to integrate fingerprint databases

2007-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Homeland Security Department began testing a fingerprint scanning application in certain airports so it can tap into an FBI database to identify more accurately whether visiting foreigners may be criminals, illegal immigrants or terrorists. Under a pilot project, foreigners landing in Dulles International Airport outside Washington have begun to have the fingerprint from each finger scanned when they enter the United States. Nine other major airports, including John F. Kennedy International in New York, will do the same starting in early 2008.
(Government Executive story)

Fusion centers report data access issues

2007-12-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Many state and local officials who work at fusion centers report problems logging onto federal networks and have difficulty handling the high volume of information they receive from federal authorities, according to a recent survey by government auditors. Nonfederal authorities started forming fusion centers to improve information sharing after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Since then the national authorities have become increasingly involved — particularly the Homeland Security Department and FBI, who have field agents assigned to some of the centers.
(Washington Technology story)

Visualization tools assist maritime security

2007-12-05T09:29:00.000-05:00

New visualization tools are helping the Coast Guard develop situational awareness at the Port of Miami, but more assistance is needed to track small boats and noncooperative vessels, according to congressional testimony given this week. The Homeland Security Department’s Directorate of Science and Technology is funding the Visualization Tools for Situational Awareness and Emergency Response program, also known as Viz Tools.
(Washington Technology story)

Staying On Track

2007-11-27T16:20:00.000-05:00

Asa Hutchinson likes to joke about the time he had 30 days to spend $350 million. It was the end of August 2003, and Hutchinson was the first undersecretary of Border and Transportation Security at the newly formed Homeland Security Department. His directorate's most pressing priority was meeting a congressional mandate to install by the end of the calendar year a system to track the entrance of foreign nationals through the nation's 115 international airports and cruise ship terminals at 14 seaports. The system was called US VISIT. And not only did DHS need to have US VISIT up and running by the end of the year, but it had to spend its 2003 appropriation for the program - which actually totaled about $362 million - by the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. "That was a tight deadline," recalls Hutchinson, now a partner at the Washington law firm Venable LLC and chief executive officer of the Little Rock, Ark.-based Hutchinson Group. "We had a lot of detractors who said it couldn't be done." (Government Executive story)

U.S. expands security rule for Canadians

2007-11-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

U.S. officials will start taking 10 fingerprints from Canadians entering the country on visas when they start expanding a four-year security program this month. Under US-VISIT, Canadians on visas have been required to scan their two index fingers and have a digital photograph taken. The biometrics are used to identify people by linking them to their visas or passports. Now, all fingers will be scanned, starting Nov. 30 at Washington Dulles International Airport and nine other major airports in early 2008.
(Canadian Press story)

First-responder network requirements issued

2007-11-27T14:59:00.000-05:00

A public safety communications umbrella group has published its recommendations for setting up and operating the 700 Mhz broadband network that the Federal Communications Commission is establishing for first responders. The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council, which represents more than a dozen organizations involved in first-responder communications, offered its vision of a 24/7-operating network available for critical public safety missions in its 53-page statement of requirements. Those requirements should include mission-critical availability, robustness, accessibility and hardened infrastructures, the council said.
(Washington Technology story; NSPTC statement of requirements)

Bush administration to fund fusion centers

2007-11-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

The Bush administration plans to provide the necessary funding and support to make state and local fusion centers the focal point for sharing terrorism-related intelligence with nonfederal authorities. Administration officials released a National Strategy for Information Sharing last week that calls for an integrated network of fusion centers where state, local and federal officials could work side by side to prevent terrorism. Congressional leaders said they welcomed the new strategy, which encourages the sharing of information about all hazards and all crimes that have national security implications.
(Washington Technology story)

SBInet demo planned for northern border

2007-11-27T14:56:00.000-05:00

The Homeland Security Department plans to showcase its SBInet border surveillance system in an upcoming Northern Border Demonstration in the Detroit and Great Lakes areas. Customs and Border Protection officials recently met with Canadian authorities, and separately with Michigan and Ohio law enforcement agents, to develop the plans for the first demonstration of the surveillance system along the Canadian border, DHS officials said. SBInet, which stands for Secure Border Initiative Network, is the department’s program to use radars, sensors, cameras and other technologies to create 24-hour networked surveillance system along the U.S. borders. Boeing Co., the prime contractor for SBInet, is installing the first 28-mile section along the Arizona-Mexico border.
(Washington Technology story)

$3B border security amendment dropped

2007-11-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

The Defense Appropriations bill that passed Congress on Nov. 8 did not include a popular amendment to provide $3 billion for border security that included funds for fencing, unmanned aerial vehicles and ground sensors. The border security amendment, sponsored by Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) was approved by the Senate in a 95-1 vote on Oct. 3. When House and Senate leaders negotiated the final terms of the bill in recent weeks, they removed the border security provision and its funding. Under Graham’s amendment, there would have been funding for 700 miles of fencing, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground sensors, vehicle barriers and other technology with the goal of reaching operational control of the borders. In addition, there would be money for enforcement and detention of illegal aliens.
(Washington Technology story)

Homeland Security’s high-tech gamble

2007-11-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

Imagine that instead of anthrax-laced letters targeted at members of Congress the next bioterrorist attack to hit Washington is a wide-scale release of a toxin in the transit system. But rather than trusting a haphazard series of stationary air sensors installed at likely release points on platforms and waiting areas, first responders minimize the assault using thousands of mobile biodetectors embedded in a standard tool in every commuter’s arsenal: the cell phone. According to such a plan, a portion of the phone-toting population would voluntarily use devices that included minuscule bio, radiation or chemical sensors that could detect dangers in real time. If terrorists released a toxin, cell-phone sensors would detect the substances and signal the threat to District of Columbia police via the Global Positioning System network.
(Federal Computer Week story)

DHS tries to coordinate anti-bomb efforts

2007-11-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when he hears the telephone, Charlie Payne has a scary thought. "Every time my phone rings at an odd time, I wonder if it's started," he says. Payne, chief of the Office for Bombing Prevention at the Homeland Security Department, is referring to terrorist bombings in the United States. For all the attention on potential dirty bombs, biological agents and chemical weapons, the tactic government leaders most expect terrorists to use in this country is the conventional explosive. "The attack weapon of choice still is the IED," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said at a Sept. 10 hearing before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
(Government Executive story)

Chertoff in Iraq for Veterans Day

2007-11-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spent Nov. 11 in Iraq, where he participated in a ceremony for 178 foreign-born service members to become U.S. citizens. "I can't think of people who are more deserving of citizenship than those who are fighting to defend the country even before they are citizens," Chertoff said. "They understand that freedoms don't come free and they are willing to make sacrifices even before they reap the benefits of citizenship."
The ceremony took place at Camp Anaconda, some 50 miles north of Baghdad.
(Michael Chertoff bio)

Technology, integration fuel secure border opps

2007-11-06T10:27:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff launched the Secure Border Initiative and its technology component, SBInet, two years ago with the goal of gaining operational control of the country’s southern and northern land borders by November 2010. The initiative has cost more than $2 billion to date and included the hiring of thousands of border patrol agents. It has also sparked a boom in information technology tools that facilitate surveillance and information sharing. The prospect of monitoring 6,000 miles of land borders and 6,000 miles of coastline in the continental United States is daunting and, some say, unrealistic.
(Washington Technology cover story)

New technology for IDs?

2007-11-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

As governments go digital, the demand for contactless chips for use in electronic documents is expected to grow in the next five years to as much as $1 billion annually, and Texas Instruments (TI) wants a piece of that market. The Dallas company said last month that it is developing a new smart, integrated-circuit design that features a memory technology optimized for radio frequency readers. The State Department began issuing e-passports with embedded contactless chips in August 2006 and switched completely to the new format in May. The passports contain not only traditional printed information but also electronic data than can be accessed with RF readers. TI is eyeing the next generation of passports for its chips.
(Government Computer News story)

New York DMV, DHS tout Real ID

2007-11-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

State officials show us how they will make driver's licenses more secure, but opponents say it does nothing to change their minds about the controversial plan to give licenses to illegal immigrants. DMV commissioner David Swarts and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Balboni were on hand for a demonstration of photo comparison and document scanning technology. They say that technology will make sure that the right people get access to a license -- and only one license.
(WXXA Albany report; DHS Real ID proposed guidelines)

DHS shows success in senior-level hiring

2007-11-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Homeland Security Department hired above and beyond its projected targets for fiscal 2007 and increased its leadership capacity by 17 percent, the agency's top personnel official said Nov. 2. Marta Brito Perez, chief human capital officer for DHS, said in an interview with Government Executive that the department added more than 70 senior executive positions in fiscal 2007, bringing its total number of authorized high-level positions to 722. Of those, all but 73 are filled, and those are under active recruitment, she said.
(Government Executive story)

ID card industry pushes for DHS work

2007-10-29T10:32:00.000-04:00

Executives at identification card companies are intensifying their push for alternative technologies for the Homeland Security Department’s upcoming requirements for border crossing cards and drivers’ licenses. Representatives of the laser card and “smart card” industries told lawmakers on Oct. 18 that their products offer unique benefits and avoid shortcomings of the formats proposed by DHS for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative border-crossing card and the Real ID Act of 2005 driver’s license standard. For the WHTI border crossing card, also known as the Pass card, DHS officials have said they intend to use long-distance radio frequency identification tags that can be read at 20 feet. A similar RFID tag is to be used in the hybrid WHTI-Real ID act identification card to be issued in three border states.
(Washington Technology story)

Chertoff's steps to discourage attacks

2007-10-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Oct. 19 warned the United States faces a "heightened threat of terrorist attack for the foreseeable future" but said his department was doing more than ever to counter it. As one new anti-terrorism initiative, he cited a plan to screen and inspect small boats for bombs. "Are there going to be some squawks? Absolutely," Chertoff said at a conference held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the potential for improvised explosive device attacks in this country. As evidence of the increased terrorist threat, he pointed to the summer's National Intelligence Estimate finding that al-Qaida had reconstituted its training camps in the rugged tribal areas of northwestern Pakistan after being chased out of Afghanistan by U.S. forces in the fall 2001. He said al-Qaida knew how to "pick itself up" after a defeat, but that the "good news is that we are doing the same thing."
(Government Executive story)

Schneider fill-in DHS deputy secretary

2007-10-29T10:18:00.000-04:00

President Bush on Oct. 18 tapped the Homeland Security Department's management chief to act as deputy secretary after Michael Jackson vacates the job next week. Paul Schneider, a former acquisition executive at the National Security Agency, has been Homeland Security's undersecretary for management since January. He will assume the acting position when Jackson departs Oct. 26. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff issued a statement saying he was "enormously pleased" by the selection of Schneider. "Paul has exhibited tremendous leadership and dedication as the undersecretary for management," Chertoff said. "He has the respect and admiration of staff and my full support."
(Government Executive story; DHS press release with Chertoff's statement)

USDA approves two animal ID systems

2007-10-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Oct. 11 announced the approval of two new animal identification devices: a visual tag with radio frequency identification (RFID) from Leader Products and the first approved injectable transponder from Digital Angel. The devices carry an official animal identification number (AIN), which is used to identify individual animals as part of USDA’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS). USDA is technology neutral and supports a range of NAIS-compliant identification methods. All NAIS-compliant RFID devices are ISO-compliant and therefore, an ISO-compliant reader would read any of them.
(USDA press release; USDA NAIS homepage)

Chertoff to speak at IdentEvent

2007-10-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

Secretary of the DHS Michael Chertoff will give a special keynote speech at IdentEvent 2007 on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. IdentEvent is a one-day conference to bring together industry executives, policy and security experts, government officials, analysts, the media and more in a highly-focused, higly-effective airing of identity management issues and viewpoints. Event topics include: Credentialing & Access Management; Enhanced Driver's Licenses; Federal Identity Credentialing Strategies; The Future of ID Management; Real ID: Will it Happen?; Congressional Outlook; Overview of Government ID Management Market.
(ITAA Web site with registration information)

DHS sets consolidation course

2007-09-25T15:49:00.000-04:00

The Homeland Security Department is emphasizing consolidation in its information technology infrastructure with contracts to merge an array of data centers into one $800 million location and select a lead software service provider for the Transportation Security Administration at a cost of about $400 million to $500 million. EDS is set to build the new data center, likely in Clarksville, Va., during the next eight years. IBM Global Business Services is leading a team of partners, most prominently Deloitte, in a five-year project to provide a consolidated source of IT services to the TSA. Those two infrastructure contracts had the effect of consolidating dozens of the sprawling department’s IT projects.
(Government Computer News report: DHS Consolidation; DHS seeks brainiacs; DHS quiet on data center location)

TSA approves four screening products

2007-09-25T15:43:00.000-04:00

Three years after being directed to establish a “qualified products list” for airport screening programs, the Transportation Security Administration has named the first products to qualify. Of seven products that vendors submitted for testing, four were approved for the list. Two of them — Bioscrypt’s V-Station and Cogent Systems’ ID-Gate — combine keypads, fingerprint scanners and smart-card scanners. Two fingerprint sensors from Lumidigm also won approval. Rick Lazarick, chief scientist at Computer Sciences Corp.’s Identity Labs and a consultant to TSA, said the testing was run directly by TSA, although it was performed by International Biometric Group, a private company based in New York and London.
(Government Computer News story)

Senators praise ICE head Myers

2007-09-13T08:28:00.000-04:00

At a Sept. 12 hearing on the nomination of Julie Myers to continue has head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the senators who opposed her in 2005 on the grounds she lacked experience said they were impressed by her track record since President Bush gave her a recess appointment at the beginning of 2006. "You've done a terrific job," said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, one of Myers' harshest critics two years ago, at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. "I'm grateful for it, and I'm grateful that you want to stick around. A lot of people are out circulating their resumes, and you want to stick with this thing." In particular, Voinovich praised Myers' financial management of ICE, and said he hoped her efforts could provide a model for other agencies. Myers moved quickly after her recess appointment to tap ICE's first permanent chief financial officer and to centralize contracting practices.
(Government Executive story; ICE Web site bio on Julie Myers)

GAO releases report on US VISIT

2007-09-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released an Aug. 31 report that looks at the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. The report cited issues with the program's strategic plan and program management, but also found that program has met cost and scheduling expectations. In response to the report, DHS officials framed past work on the exit component as pilot efforts intended to be valuable learning experiences rather than fully operational systems. Officials said the testing showed that the exit systems worked but the procedures did not, because, unlike with entry systems, there is no existing, exit infrastructure to which a biometric-based system can be added. DHS plans to incorporate the exit component of US VISIT into the airline check-in process, program director Robert Mocny said in a June 28 hearing before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism. Mocny said DHS plans to publish a notice of proposed rule-making by the end of the year, and a final rule by June 2008.
(Government Executive story; GAO report in .pdf format)

Maritime Radiation Detection Project Announced

2007-09-06T09:10:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) announced Sept. 5 that the West Coast Maritime pilot program that will provide maritime radiation detection capabilities for State and local authorities in Washington’s Puget Sound and California’s San Diego areas. The three-year pilot program involves the development of a radiation detection architecture that reduces the risk of radiological and nuclear threats that could be illegally transported on recreational or small commercial vessels. The pilot will be conducted in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection. DNDO anticipates investing roughly $10 million in the pilot program. The Puget Sound region and San Diego, with DNDO assistance, will leverage existing federal grant funding to support small vessel radiation detection programs and the procurement of recommended equipment.
(DHS press release; DHS DNDO homepage)

Thousands a part of National Preparedness Month

2007-09-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Aug. 31 that more than 1,700 national, regional, state, and local organizations will support the department by participating in National Preparedness Month 2007. This campaign occurs annually in September, and encourages Americans to prepare for all types of emergencies in their homes, businesses, schools, and communities. DHS promotes individual emergency preparedness through the Ready Campaign and the department’s Citizen Corps Program throughout the year. “Too many individuals remain in a state of denial when it comes to personal preparedness,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Able-bodied Americans need to be prepared to take care of themselves and their families after an emergency, so that first responders can focus on those who need assistance most. With the help of our coalition members, we encourage Americans to get an emergency supply kit, make a family communications plan, and be informed about the different types of emergencies that may affect them.”
(DHS Web site)

Travel Accommodation nearing end

2007-09-05T14:55:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding air carriers and the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt will end as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens who departed the country under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of State official proof of passport application receipt and government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.
(DHS Web site; U.S. State Department travel Web site)

Building a Culture of Security

2007-08-16T12:35:00.000-04:00

The commander of national cybersecurity has issued a call to arms to both private-sector and government organizations in the battle against cunning adversaries bent on wreaking havoc on U.S. critical infrastructures. During the past year, many sector-specific government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, have been working hand-in-glove with their industry counterparts to draft specific battle plans. Among the top priorities in the telecommunications and information technology sectors is conducting a national vulnerability assessment of all infrastructure. Similar plans also were designed for the other 15 component sectors covered by the department’s National Infrastructure Protection Plan. (AFCEA Signal story; DHS Web site's NIPP homepage)

Lack of Real ID funding stymies states

2007-08-15T17:06:00.000-04:00

Two years after enactment of the Real ID Act to create national driver’s license standards, the long ride toward implementation has been slow and bumpy, and the road ahead still has some potholes to dodge. Recent developments suggest that deployment of the controversial Real ID national identification program still faces significant obstacles related to its $11 billion cost and its privacy and security risks. Legislatures in 17 states have taken action opposing the act, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. What’s more, the Senate recently took a stand against funding it. An amendment submitted by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to provide $300 million toward Real ID implementation costs failed July 26. (Washington Technology story)

Sounding the alarm

2007-08-15T16:29:00.000-04:00

The tragic shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in April was only the most recent, but perhaps most poignant, proof of the need to communicate emergency alerts and instructions to thousands of people simultaneously. In the aftermath, government agencies have been taking a hard look at emergency notification systems that automate the process. Mass notification and alerting has other critical uses. The Air Force Reserve Command, for example, will use AtHoc’s IWSAlerts to recall, within four hours, 30,000 reserve personnel when orders come down, using automated, text-to-speech voice mail. It replaces a phone-tree system that is a manual process. Other government and vendor sources say many agencies still use phone trees to alert first responders.
(Government Computer News special report: Emergency notification systems come in variety of forms; Emergency notification products and vendors; RFP checklist for emergency notification systems)

Justice advances identity tools

2007-08-15T16:27:00.000-04:00

Law enforcement agencies are likely to see improved methods for sharing information and managing identity if new technology advances being shepherded by the Justice Department live up to expectations. The release of Version 2.0 of the National Information Exchange Model is “imminent — due out in a matter of weeks,” Jeremy Warren, DOJ chief technology officer, said last week at an AFCEA conference on law enforcement technology in Bethesda, Md. NIEM 2.0 will include a justice domain, which will be called the Global Justice Extensible Markup Language data model.
(Government Computer News story; NIEM Web site)

Chertoff vows to move forward with ID law

2007-08-15T12:40:00.000-04:00

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a group of state lawmakers gathered here on Wednesday that he would not retreat from a plan to impose nationwide standards for driver's licenses. Chertoff acknowledged at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures that it will be a challenge for states to implement the so-called REAL ID Act, especially if they are not given more federal funding to do so. But he said he would not support legislative efforts to repeal the controversial law and insisted that insecure travel documents in the hands of terrorists are dangerous. The Homeland Security Department still has not issued final compliance regulations, but it has estimated that it will cost states about $23 billion to implement the mandate.
(Government Executive story; H.R.418 Bill via Library of Congress Web site)

DHS to require passenger info before takeoff

2007-08-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

The Homeland Security Department on Aug. 9 released a proposed rule that will require that incoming and outgoing international flights send their passenger information list to the department before taking off. Current policy requires that airlines' data be sent afterward. "This information will better identify individuals who may pose a known or suspected threat to aviation or national security," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "These programs will improve the passenger experience by establishing a more consistent vetting process and better resolution for misidentified passengers."
(Government Executive story)

Managing Technology Spiraling Into Control

2007-08-13T13:45:00.000-04:00

When firefighters rush into a burning building, their chief manages the incident from outside. Chiefs would love to have a tool pinpointing the precise location of their crews inside a building at any moment, in case the fire changes direction or part of the building collapses. But metal and steel can interfere with the signal from, say, a Global Positioning System. And most GPSs would not be able to distinguish between parallel spaces on different floors. The Homeland Security Department is working on a device to solve the problem as part of a new first responder technology development program called TechSolutions. Housed in the Science and Technology Directorate, DHS' research and development arm, the program aims to take capability gaps identified by police, firefighters, emergency medical teams and bomb squads and develop a prototype solution quickly and cheaply.
(Government Executive story)

Border Agents Tread Fine Line

2007-08-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

I am standing in government offices about 30 feet above the dense northbound traffic at the Mexico border in San Ysidro, Calif., when word comes that officers have fingered a suspected smuggler and confiscated his vehicle for closer inspection. Together with ranking Customs and Border Protection officials in the San Diego sector, I rush downstairs to see an old gray car stripped down, its seats uprooted to reveal bales of marijuana carefully encased in transparent plastic wrapping. This small moment of drama unfolds just after I've arrived at the busiest border crossing in the world, where U.S. agents process 50,000 vehicles a day with an average of 2.5 passengers each, and 20,000 to 30,000 pedestrians. Smugglers routinely are part of the mix. Back upstairs a few minutes later, we're told there's another bust, probably a load of undocumented immigrants. We descend again to witness in quick succession no fewer than four nondescript cars - a Chevy Impala, a Chevy Malibu, an old Dodge sedan and a small Acura - as they're driven into CBP's secondary inspection facility.
(Government Executive story)

Additional $3B for border security funds

2007-08-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed on July 26 to add $3 billion in technology and resources to the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security spending bill for border security and to crack down on illegal immigrants. But the extra funding is also likely to complicate conference proceedings and put Congress on a path toward a showdown with the White House. President Bush had already threatened to veto the legislation over its total level of spending before the additional funding was added. In approving the extra funding, Democrats and Republicans declared that gaining control of the nation's borders and going after illegal immigrants constitutes a national emergency. "If there was ever a legitimate emergency in this country I think this would be one of those times because we've lost control of our border," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
(Government Executive story)

DHS signs Name Record Agreement with EU

2007-07-26T15:15:00.000-04:00

The Department of Homeland Security announced on July 26 that it had signed an agreement with the European Union that will allow the continued use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data as a screening tool for detecting potentialy dangerous transatlantic travelers. "PNR data is a proven resource for connecting the dots associated with terrorist activity and serious transnational crime," Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement. "Our frontline personnel did not have this tool on September 11th. Investigations after the attacks showed that PNR data would have, within a matter of moments, helped to identify many of the 19 hijackers by linking their methods of payment, phone numbers and seat assignments. I commend my European counterparts for their leadership and dedication to reaching an agreement that will protect our respective citizens and safeguard their privacy for the next seven years."
(Chertoff's complete statement; PNR Agreement in .pdf format)

Chertoff Speaks on Port Security

2007-07-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, presented a speech outlining Port Security in the 21st Century on July 20 in Los Angeles. Chertoff spoke at the University of Southern California's Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), which was the first DHS Center of Excellence established after 9/11. Speech topics included: the Three Principles of Port Security; Managing Risk Overseas; Strategy for Securing the International Suppply Chain; and Security Measures for Small Boats.
(Chertoff's complete prepared remarks; USC CREATE Web site)

NASCIO provides disaster recovery checklist

2007-07-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) urges state CIOs to engage in disaster recovery planning, execution, and testing to reduce the risk of system and service unavailability. IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Tool-kit: Planning for the Next Disaster includes checklists to use before, during, and after a disaster and brainstorming worksheets to help cope with an IT crisis and help make the business case for disaster recovery and business continuity activities.

The six checklists are:

Strategic and Business Planning Responsibilities
Top Steps States Need to Take to Solidify Public/Private Partnerships Ahead of Crises
How do you make the Business Case on the Need for Redundancy?
General IT Infrastructure and Services
Tactical Role of CIOs for Recovery During a Disaster
Tactical Role of CIOs for Recovery After a Disaster Occurs

(NASCIO toolkit in .pdf format; NASCIO Web site)

Homeland Protection SIG Survey

2007-07-26T08:52:00.000-04:00

In effort to serve its members as effectively as possible, the Homeland Protection SIG invites you to complete this survey and share your thoughts on its activities and initiatives.
(IAC Homeland Protection SIG survey)

Talks continue on massive security bill

2007-07-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

House and Senate lawmakers and their aides will continue behind-the-scenes negotiations this week on legislation implementing unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, after failing to wrap up work last week during a public conference. Lawmakers still need to resolve a handful of outstanding issues, such as which federal agency will manage grants for transportation security, how to help local governments buy interoperable communications equipment, and whether a provision will be included that gives people immunity if they are sued for reporting on suspicious activity around transportation networks.
(Government Executive story; U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Web site)

FRAC card featured at Summer Breeze

2007-07-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

The departments of Defense and Homeland Security are making sure first responders are never again stopped a mile from the Pentagon and forced to walk to a disaster. That is what happened to one key federal anti-terrorism official after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. A Virginia State trooper stopped the official as he was trying to fulfill on-site responsibilities at the Pentagon. “He had to walk the rest of the way,” Craig Wilson, a smartcard expert with the Department of Homeland Security, said on July 20. Officials are hoping to minimize such difficulties through the use of a First Responder Authentication Credentials (FRAC) identification card, which was a key component in the July 19 Summer Breeze Exercise. The FRAC card is encoded with critical data that lets commanders at the scene authenticate the responder’s credentials using a wireless handheld device.
(Federal Computer Week story; DHS FRAC Web site)

Prevention and Protection Committee Meeting July 23rd

2007-07-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

Dear Homeland Protection SIG Members,

You are invited to attend the next Prevention and Protection Committee Meeting. The Prevention and Protection Committee is under the Homeland Protection SIG. The meeting details and agenda are below.

Date: Monday, July 23rd 3:30pm

Location: Advanced Technology Systems
7915 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22102

Call-in #: 1-877-760-2043 Pass code: 942123

Contact for Meeting: Bob Mahoney
Director, Business Development
(703) 506-8229 x-7226 (Office)
(301) 461-7322 (Cell)
bmahoney@atsva.com

Register: http://actgov.org/eventsregistration

Agenda

Introductions
S&T Directorate Update
Report on Blog/Wiki Activity and View Blog
Committee direction
Mission Statement - Updates?
Port Security
Suggestions - New Work products
Government speakers for future meetings
Speaker Series?
General Discussions
Bob Mahoney – Chair
Kandy Nardini – Co-Chair

Gutierrez, Chertoff Announce Nearly $1B in First Responder Communications Grants Funds

2007-07-19T12:18:00.000-04:00

Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Allocations
Fact Sheet: Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff announced today $968 million Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grants to help state and local first responders improve public safety communications and coordination during a natural or man-made disaster.
The PSIC grant program will assist public safety agencies in the acquisition, deployment, and training of interoperable communications systems to enhance interoperable communications of voice, data, and/or video signals. Also, released today are the grant guidance and application kits. Applications are due in 30 days, and grants will be awarded by September 30, 2007, as required by the Call Home Act of 2006. The U.S. Congress authorized $1 billion to establish the PSIC program as a one-time, formula-based, matching grant program in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The program will fast track awards to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
“When disaster strikes, first responders must have the tools to communicate,” said Secretary Gutierrez. “Under this streamlined program, states will be given grants to use technology that will make our cities and states safer.”
“Achieving interoperable communications is a major priority for our department and should be a priority for every community across our nation,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “These grants will help states and cities purchase equipment, conduct training and exercises, and develop effective interoperable communications plans to get this important job done.”
(DHS press release; DHS PSIC Funding allocation list; DOC PSIC Web site; DHS Grants by State; Washington Post story; Washington Technology story)

Interoperability Continuum

2007-07-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

The Interoperability Continuum serves as a framework for local, tribal, state, and Federal emergency response agencies as they plan and implement interoperability solutions. The Continuum depicts the five critical elements necessary to implement a sophisticated interoperability solution. These elements include governance, standard operating procedures, technology, training and exercises, and usage of interoperable communications. To download a copy of this tool, visit http://www.safecomprogram.gov/.

Lawmakers question SBInet delays

2007-07-18T14:49:00.000-04:00

The first nine towers of the Homeland Security Department’s Secure Border Initiative Network surveillance system missed a June 13 deadline for initiating operation due to a radar problem, according to House lawmakers monitoring the high-profile project.Live operation of the first 28-mile section in Arizona, dubbed Project 28, also is expected to be delayed beyond a second deadline of June 20 due to problems with electronically integrating the nine towers, Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter today to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. The towers are equipped with radar, cameras and communication networks that must be linked to function as a system.
(Federal Computer Week story; DHS SBI Web site)

States move warily on Real ID

2007-07-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Having aired their concerns about cost and policy implications, many state officials now seem resigned to the Real ID Act, which requires states to issue driver’s licenses that conform to new federal standards. Many states are preparing for the new requirements and hiring systems integrators rather than waiting for the Homeland Security Department to release final technical standards. Even as Real ID looms, most states are focused on upgrading their DMV systems and are only beginning to think about interoperability with other states, said Gregg Kreizman, research director for security issues at Gartner. Some states might opt to go beyond the requirements and add encryption, biometrics or radio frequency identification technology. Many experts say DHS has missed an opportunity to push for adoption of those technologies.
(Federal Computer Week story; DHS Real ID Proposed Guidelines)

Biometrics enter DHS exit system

2007-07-18T14:12:00.000-04:00

The Homeland Security Department, under pressure from lawmakers, will proceed immediately with a plan to use biometric screening procedures at airports to verify the identities of foreign visitors leaving the United States. After telling Congress in March that a biometric exit program was not feasible, DHS announced May 7 that it would require foreigners exiting the country from airports to verify their identities via 10-fingerprint scans. DHS will work with commercial air carriers to establish the program. DHS’ U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program, which manages entry and exit security, has conducted an experimental biometric exit program at 14 major airports during the past three years.
(Federal Computer Week story; DHS US VISIT Web site)

DICE rolls out joint interoperability exercises

2007-07-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

For the modern Army, setting up a local computer network in a forward area is just as important as pitching tents and hauling in supplies. With that in mind, Defense Department Interoperability Communications Exercises (DICE) are conducted to certify systems for joint interoperability. Starting in 2008, the Joint Interoperability Test Command will hold the exercises three times a year to accommodate the growing need for joint interoperability certifications, assessments and training.
(Washington Technology story; DICE Web site)

Residents protest SBInet towers

2007-07-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

The new 98-foot tower installed in the first section of the Homeland Security Department’s SBInet surveillance system is not on the border: It is 11 miles north, just outside Arivaca, Ariz. Residents of the small high-desert community — Arivaca is not an incorporated town — demanded at a May 15 meeting with DHS and Boeing Co. to know why they were asked to host the tower. Arivaca is one of the first communities in which residents are protesting the border system, but it is not likely to be the only one. The aggressive schedule to build the surveillance system on the southern U.S. border is beginning to cause friction with homeowners in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
(Washington Technology story; DHS SBI Web site)

First responders line up for grants

2007-07-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

This summer, Florida’s first responders might get better networking capabilities, Virginia’s might buy extra police and fire radios, and California’s might obtain six more incident command communications vehicles. State and local officials nationwide are preparing their wish lists for spending a new $1 billion federal grant fund to be made available within weeks for public safety emergency communications needs. Under terms Congress set last year, all of the money must be awarded by Sept. 30.
(Washington Technology story; CapWIN public safety grants Web site)

Emergency alert system triple play

2007-07-17T14:36:00.000-04:00

The public address system for the 4077th unit on TV’s “M*A*S*H” was enough to alert all personnel that wounded soldiers were arriving. In the real world, a more far-reaching system is needed to alert people in an emergency. Some situations require that officials notify thousands of people quickly using computers, handheld devices, phones or loudspeakers. However, combining the three alerting capabilities — PA system, network and phones — can present a challenge.
(Washington Technology story; Air Force Air Education and Training Command Web site)

DHS information-sharing in a rut?

2007-07-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

The Homeland Security Department’s chief information-sharing network is stuck in a rut. But it still might succeed if the department can strengthen it as a unique platform for intelligence and cooperation, according to experts reviewing the programs. In the future, that might best be done if DHS focuses on building the strong points of its faltering Homeland Security Information Network by offering robust private-sector critical infrastructure intelligence, delivering unique information and capabilities related to the national incident management system and the national common operating picture and providing fresh intelligence from DHS’ agents, experts said.
(Washington Technology story; DHS Information Sharing & Analysis Web site)

ID programs at fork in the road

2007-07-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

The State and Homeland Security departments are poised to take major steps forward on biometric identification card technology, but the paths ahead for each of two concurrent programs appear dramatically different. State now is awaiting proposals from vendors to provide equipment to manufacture the People Access Security Service card, sometimes referred to as passport-lite. The technology issues surrounding the PASS card have proven to be no less contentious than the underlying policy requirement that citizens returning to the country show secure biometric identification, such as a passport or PASS card. DHS’ Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued a statement of objectives that sets out its requirements as part of its acquisition process for a broad overhaul of the agency’s technology for manufacturing various kinds of credentials — most of them used as visas and identification at borders and to prove eligibility for employment.
(Government Computer News story; DHS Citizenship and Immigrations Services Web site)

Information exchange model at the next level

2007-07-17T11:37:00.000-04:00

The National Information Exchange Model has gotten its first upgrade. Version 2 should be released by the end of this month, and the final beta is available on the NIEM site. “There are literally thousands of changes. It’s a major extension,” said Paul Wormeli, executive director of the Integrated Justice Information Systems Institute, a Justice Department-funded nonprofit that supports the NIEM program management office. “We’ve gone through a beta stage where we got a lot of good comments from people, and we’re feeling now that this is [a] pretty solid release.” The large Extensible Markup Language schema, overseen by the Homeland Security and Justice departments, provides a common language for federal, state and local agencies to share information on natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other crises. Each piece of agency data is tagged by a particular NIEM name so it can easily be identified by systems outside the one where it originated.
(Government Computer News story; NIEM Web site; Value of NIEM in .pdf format)

TSA rolls dice on risk model

2007-07-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, useful homeland security information technology can arise in unexpected places. For example, the Transportation Security Administration is looking to a computer-dependent design method used in airframe manufacturing as a template for evaluating air travel risks. TSA, a Homeland Security Department agency, has recently announced plans to enter into a no-fee agreement with Boeing, under which the company would build a Risk Management Assessment Tool, or RMAT, for the commercial aviation system using what’s known as the Monte Carlo model.
(Government Computer News story; TSA Web site)

CRS report: Fusion centers off track

2007-07-17T11:23:00.000-04:00

Anti-terrorism information-sharing and analysis is taking a back seat to criminal intelligence at the more than 40 state intelligence fusion centers, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. State governors created the centers, and the Homeland Security Department provides part of the funding. Their purpose is to fuse federal, state and local intelligence against terrorism, but CRS found the fusion centers have gravitated more toward collecting and analyzing criminal intelligence and all-hazards intelligence. The service found few indications that the centers have been making efforts to become aware of terrorist plans and foil attacks. “While many of the centers have prevention of attacks as a high priority, little ‘true fusion,’ or analysis of disparate data sources, identification of intelligence gaps and pro-active collection of intelligence against those gaps, which could contribute to prevention, is occurring,” wrote CRS researchers in the report, “Fusion Centers: Issues and Options for Congress.”
(Government Computer News story; Congressional Research Service Web site; Complete document in .pdf format)

DHS endures Capitol Hill hearings

2007-07-17T11:21:00.000-04:00

If there is an upside to the grilling Homeland Security Department Chief Information Officer Scott Charbo endured from lawmakers at a House hearing a couple weeks ago, hopefully it will be a growing realization on Capitol Hill that it’s going to take more than a raft of policies to keep up with the mounting risk of cyberattacks on government networks. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Subcommittee, took Charbo to task for the “systemic and pervasive” problems found in DHS’ approach to information technology security, based on a recent Government Accountability Office investigation. It is hard to not share the congressman’s “shock and disappointment” to learn that DHS, the agency charged with defending the country against cyberattacks, reported 844 cybersecurity failures in its systems in fiscal 2005 and 2006. Charbo’s explanations — that the incidents didn’t mean systems were compromised, ongoing consolidation and upgrade projects are addressing many of the vulnerabilities, and IT security spending remains on par with industry standards — offered little reassurance.
(Government Computer News story)

Pragmatism at DHS

2007-07-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

Few of the information technology challenges facing the Homeland Security Department are more important to its goal of streamlining systems and sharing information than developing a rational set of technical standards for its vast array of systems. More than four years after the department’s creation, DHS is still playing catch-up. But there is an emerging recognition at DHS of flexible and complex approaches to standards as a viable alternative to widespread consolidation.
(Government Computer News Special Report: DHS still playing catch-up; Standards key to making cross-agency programs work; No standard way to develop a standard; Getting first responders on the same wavelength; IT challenges meet at the border; The Credential Conundrum)

DHS wants its network to network

2007-07-17T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Homeland Security Department is planning a technical makeover to get its Homeland Security Information Network into the data-sharing game. HSIN took shape about four years ago but has drawn criticism for its disconnected relationship with similar systems. Department officials plan to pursue the HSIN technology shake-up in tandem with policy and organizational changes designed to harmonize their network’s technological development with its users’ needs. The revamp is intended to mesh DHS’ homegrown network with other law enforcement and intelligence information-sharing systems, parts of which HSIN duplicates.
(Government Computer News Story; HSIN timeline; DHS HSIN Web site)

July 6, 2007: Larry Martines is resigning as the Nevada Homeland Security Adviser after six months in the job

2007-07-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

According to the Sun: Martines has not released a reason for his resignation. One homeland security official would say only that Martines is leaving for personal reasons. Additionally, there has been a division between Gov. Jim Gibbons and law enforcement officials about the best site for the state's primary intelligence operation. Martines has been the state's Homeland Security Director since January, 2007.

Radar delays Project 28 launch

2007-07-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

Live operation of the first 28-mile section in Arizona, dubbed Project 28, also is expected to be delayed beyond a second deadline of June 20 due to problems with electronically integrating the nine towers, Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter today to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. The towers are strung with radars, cameras and communication networks that must be linked to function as a system.

Thompson, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, and Sanchez, chair of the Border, Maritime and Global Counterrorism Subcommittee, said they should have been warned of the anticipated delays in the SBInet system going live prior to a June 7 congressional hearing on the project.

“It is difficult to believe that with problems of this magnitude, delays were not foreseeable at the June 7 hearing, which occurred less than a week prior to the date Project 28 was scheduled to be operational,” their letter to Chertoff states.

“The Department’s failure to be forthcoming and the repeatedly slipping project deadlines not only impede Congress’ ability to provide appropriate oversight of the SBInet program, but also undermine the Department's credibility with respect to this initiative,” Thompson and Sanchez wrote.

Representatives of DHS, SBInet prime contractor Boeing Co. and SBInet program directors testified at the June 7 hearing on progress with Project 28. However, no mention was made of potential delays with Project 28 at that time, Thompson and Sanchez contend.

Thompson said he was informed of the pending delay by a phone call from a DHS official on June 8. Thompson and Sanchez said it is unacceptable that the information was disclosed after the hearing.

The House Homeland Security Committee was informed of the second likely delay in SBInet’s first nine towers on June 15, the letter states.

HLP SIG Prevention & Protection Committee Meeting Scheduled - July 23rd

2007-06-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

Dear Homeland Security SIG Members,

You are invited to come and participate in the next Prevention and Protection Committee Meeting taking place July 23rd. The Prevention and Protection Committee is a committee under the Homeland Protection SIG. The details for the meeting are below. We look forward to your participation in the committee.

Date: Monday, July 23rd - 3:30

Location:
Advanced Technology Systems
7915 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22102

Contact for Meeting:
Bob Mahoney
Director, Business Development
(703) 506-8229 x-7226 (Office)
(301) 461-7322 (Cell)

Committee Chairs:
Bob Mahoney bmahoney@atsva.com
Kandy Nardini knardini@carrollpub.com

Department of Homeland Security Joins Network Centric Operations Industy Consortium

2007-06-29T00:12:00.000-04:00

Kim GibbonsCiscoPhone: 408-525-4909Email Kim Gibbons
Gareth JonesThalesPhone: +33 6 07 33 92 90Email Gareth Jones
For release: 14 May 2007

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Joins Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium
Washington, DC – May 14, 2007 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has joined the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC™) as a member. NCOIC is working to enable network-centric operations within and between all levels of governments and civil agencies by creating and advocating tools that will enhance development of network centric capabilities and enabling systems. As events such as September 11, 2001, and Katrina have proven, the ability for first responders to access and share essential information is critical for saving lives and property. DHS will be working with other members of the NCOIC on issues hampering first responders from developing a shared operational picture in an emergency situation. “Interoperability is critical to the ability of our Nation’s emergency responders to successfully respond to day-to-day incidents and large-scale emergencies. Ineffective communications risks the lives of responders in the field, and can mean the difference between life and death for those awaiting help,” says Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary for DHS’s Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. “First responders must be able to quickly and easily access the information they need from government agencies, other response organizations and the private sector when and where they need it,” states Lt. Gen Harry D. Raduege, Jr., USAF (Ret) of Deloitte &amp; Touche LLP and NCOIC Chairman. “Common standards for voice and data communications are critical to developing such capabilities. The addition of DHS as a member of NCOIC further validates the importance of industry and government working in concert to develop a common framework for network centric operations.”NCOIC is establishing the technical approaches that will support interoperability across all levels of government departments, from first responders and local authorities to regional- and national-level military services. Earlier this year, the Consortium announced its next set of network-centric operations interoperability deliverables – its first Protocol Functional Collection (PFC) and its Mobile Emergency Communications Interoperability (MECI) report. The NCOIC’s approach complements major international government and industry architectural and reference model initiatives. The PFC and MECI report are available at www.NCOIC.org. These new products complement the Network Centric Interoperability Framework (NIF) and the Network Centric Analysis Tool (NCAT) delivered last year. About DHSEstablished in 2003, DHS is working to secure the Nation by preventing and deterring terrorist attacks; protecting against and responding to threats and hazards to the Nation; and ensuring and securing borders. In support of this mission, the Department’s S&T Directorate provides local, tribal, state, and Federal agencies with the technologies and resources needed to fulfill their mission-critical duties. Specifically, the S&T Directorate’s Office for Interoperability and Compatibility is working with emergency responders and Federal partners to advance interoperability for emergency response agencies across all levels of government. For more information about DHS interoperability initiatives, visit www.safecomprogram.gov. About NCOICThe Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC) is a not-for-profit multinational corporation committed to integrating existing and emerging open standards into a common evolving global framework, employing a common set of principles and processes, to assist with rapid global deployment of network-centric applications. Established in 2004, NCOIC consists of representatives from defense companies, large-scale systems integrators, information technology providers, government agencies and academia working in concert with advisory bodies consisting of government officials, standards groups and other stakeholders. For more information, visit www.NCOIC.org

EIC Partners with Department of Homeland Security

2007-06-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

The Emergency Interoperability Consortium (EIC) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to promote the development and proliferation of data sharing standards for emergency response. Thought to be the first of its kind between DHS and a non-government entity, the agreement establishes an alliance between the organizations to jointly promote the design, development, release, and use of XML standards to help solve data sharing problems commonly encountered during emergency operations. The initial term of the agreement is three years.
"This DHS/EIC alliance is an important step towards realizing the potential of a public/private partnership to rapidly develop and proliferate valid and commercially sustainable interoperability standards," commented Matt Walton, EIC chairman and vice chairman and founder of E Team, Inc., a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of crisis management software. "Removal of the barriers that currently hinder data sharing in emergencies will benefit everyone involved - from the government agencies that work to secure our nation against potential threats to first responders in the field and the people they assist."
Initial collaborative efforts between DHS and EIC have already borne fruit in the release in 2004 of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), the first data standard for sharing alert information between dissimilar systems. The next generation of data sharing standards, being developed with the leadership of emergency response organizations, is called Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL). It goes beyond alerting to address the routing and substance of a wide variety of interagency emergency messaging. The first of these, a common "header" for routing emergency messages, has been passed from EIC with DHS concurrence to the OASIS formal standards development organization. This EDXL routing tool was first trialed passing messages among ten different emergency communications products in a demonstration at George Washington University sponsored by EIC, DHS, and others late in 2004. Steve Cooper, the DHS Chief Information Officer and signatory on the MOA with EIC, was the keynote speaker at the demonstration.
Barry West, the CIO of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), also signed the MOA "The Department of Homeland Security is pleased to have established an alliance with EIC to promote the rapid development of both valid and commercially sustainable standards to share data between all levels of the emergency response community," said Gordon Fullerton, executive sponsor of the Disaster Management Initiative.
Return to Top

United States Coast Guard New CIO, Rear Admiral David T. Glenn

2007-06-28T23:24:00.000-04:00

Rear Admiral David Glenn
Assistant Commandant for C4 and
Information Technology
Chief Information Officer

RDML David T. Glenn is currently serving as the Assistant
Commandant for Command, Control, Communications, Computers
and Information Technology (CG-6) and is also the Coast Guard’s
Chief Information Officer. His previous assignment was Chief of
Staff, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, Juneau AK. Other
assignments include Chief of Operations, Seventeenth Coast Guard
District; Office Chief, Office of Command & Control Architecture
(CG-37RCC), in the Response Directorate, Coast Guard
Headquarters; Commanding Officer, Communications Area Master
Station Pacific, Point Reyes Station, California; Communication
System 2000 (COMMSYS 2000) Project Manager, Office of
Telecommunications (CG-62), Coast Guard Headquarters;
Executive Officer, Communications Area Master Station Atlantic, Chesapeake, Virginia; Branch
Chief, Secure Communications, Maintenance & Logistics Command Atlantic; His afloat
assignments included Commanding Officer, USCGC HAMILTON (WHEC 715), homeported in
San Diego, CA; Commanding Officer, TAHOMA (WMEC 907), homeported in New Bedford,
MA, during his tour USCGC TAHOMA performed NATO and Partnership for Peace initiatives
during BALTIC OPERATIONS 98 (BALTOPS 98); Executive Officer, USCGC BEAR (901),
homeported in Portsmouth, VA; Operations Officer, USCGC VIGILANT (WMEC 617),
homeported in New Bedford, MA; First Lieutenant, USCGC VENTUROUS (WMEC 625)
homeported in Long Beach, CA.
RDML Glenn, a native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Management from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1977. He completed a Master of
Science Degree in Telecommunication Systems Management conferred by the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
RDML Glenn has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast
Guard Commendation Medal, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the National Defense
Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal,
and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal among other service medals and awards.