DHS sets consolidation course

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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

Homeland Protection SIG Survey

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)