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“Cross Blog” — The Oregon Red Cross’ Innovative Online Presence
One of the important goals of the American Red Cross’ Social Media Unit I just visited in Washington is drawing from (and spreading) creative preparedness 2.0 work being done in their chapters around the country.
Homeland Security Today - news and analysis - Total Ship Cargo Scanning Impractical, CBP Says
A congressional mandate to scan 100 percent of all shipping containers coming into US ports for nuclear or other harmful material is simply unrealistic and “not a wise investment of taxpayer dollars.” The technology doesn’t yet exist to sufficiently scan all [...]
FederalTimes.com
The most successful Web 2.0 initiatives are going to be those tied to the agency’s mission, said Michael Wertheimer, assistant deputy director and chief technology officer for analysis at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ODNI’s Intellipedia is among the first in government to break down the internal barriers between management and workers [...]
Last week the Science and Technology Directorate held another session in its series of Stakeholders’ Conference here in Washington DC. The attendance appeared to be down from last year’s event, although there was a lot of “meat” to digest by those who attended the conference. One of the most significant things to come out of the conference is the new S&T High Priority Technology Needs booklet.
We see the “100 Percent” debate playing itself out between DHS and Democrats on the Hill — in the areas of employee screening at our nation’s airports, the screening of air cargo, and the screening of shipping containers coming from overseas. In all these instances, Democrats have passed legislative mandates requiring DHS to implement the costly solution of 100% scanning. DHS has been correct to push back, and they should do so more forcefully.
Criminal threats have evolved over the years. New responsibilities in a post-9/11 environment challenge law enforcement at the local, state and federal level. Emergency response capabilities are increasingly part of any street cop’s job. But the resource most critical for so many of these challenges—the patrol car—has never evolved to keep pace.
The 2004 Madrid subway attacks and the 2005 London subway and bus attacks demonstrate that the terrorists consider passenger rail and mass transit as preferred targets. The rising fuel costs for automobiles and congested air travel could logically push more passengers to rail throughout the course of the year and beyond. This is where DHS and DOT should place their emphasis.
One of the great things about the Internet is that anyone with anything on their mind can say anything they want, regardless of how informed and insightful they might be. To illustrate this point I present Exhibit A – David Axe of Wired Magazine’s latest posting, “It’s a Major Prize,” attacking Admiral Allen and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Recent news stories chronicle efforts by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement a nationwide emergency alert system that notifies users of an emergency via text messages to cell phones and other electronic devices. The FCC and others are to be applauded for putting forward such a system. It certainly complements the work of the post-Katrina Report that came out in June 2006, but part of me feels that the train has already left the station on this issue.
The government’s new counter-cyber attack program may involve the data-mining of Internet browser search queries as part of an effort to find indications of an impending cyber-attack. HSToday.us first reported in Jan. 2006 that the search engine giant Google was cooperating with the CIA and NSA as part of an alleged program to determine whether [...]
To those who believe that DHS and TSA are simply fighting yesterday’s war, I point to the trial of the liquid explosive plotters (from August 2006) currently taking place in London. The details emerging from the trial are a reminder to all that terrorists remain interested in attacking the global iconic air transportation system.
Aviation Daily on Airports: Now Taking Off - TSA’s Airport Security Checkpoint of the Future
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) unveiled a pilot program at Washington National that will test features for the airport security checkpoint of the future, which I covered in the April 1 issue (subscribers only) of Aviation Daily.
The benefits afforded by the SAFETY Act protect not only the enterprise, the “Seller” but also the Seller’s suppliers, contractors, and “downstream users” (i.e., customers). This creates a valuable market advantage over competitors that do not have SAFETY Act protections. As of early 2008, there were more than 200 products and services that had received SAFETY Act protections.
With the Space Shuttle era soon coming to an end and NASA transitioning to another launch system (Constellation), the US will be dependent on our former Communist rival to allow us access the International Space Station and any other place we might want to go in low-Earth orbit for several years.
It seems somehow fitting that the state that launched the Civil War is once again leading the charge to defy the federal government — though in this case the stakes are far less deadly. Rather than bullets flying, you can expect a lot of curses. And even then only at airport terminals.
Next week, the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) will sponsor its second large-scale national cyber exercise, Cyber Storm II. During my time at DHS, my involvement with the first Cyber Storm, along with other training programs, taught me how important these exercises are to enhance preparedness. In particular, Cyber Storm II has added importance and will help raise the consciousness of government and business leaders to serve as a vivid reminder that along with its many benefits, the global IT revolution carries a new generation of risk.
Earlier this week, representatives of the chemical industry expressed concerns at a hearing by the House Homeland Security Committee to make the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulation - that went into effect in June 2007 and is set to sunset in October 2009 - permanent. The debate shows that Congress needs more education about the nuances of the chemical legislation.
A recently issued Congressional Research Service report expresses concern over the operation of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate, including the ability of businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs to access S&T leaders and the effectiveness of the Directorate’s relationships with others. The report seems to overlook many of S&T’s initiatives - if there is any component of DHS that is readily open, accessible and clear on its priorities and the others identified in the CRS Report, it’s the Department’s S&T shop.