Adfero Group HSPI

The Department of Homeland Security today launched a new blog called “The Blog @ Homeland Security.” For those of you who follow the Department’s current blog, Leadership Journal, you will be pleased to hear that this blog will offer a different perspective, tone and content base than Leadership Journal.

Members of the National Association of Emergency Managers (NEMA) received a bittersweet email this afternoon. Kristin Robinson who has served as NEMA’s lead for Government Relations for the past several years is leaving the Association to take a political appointment as an Advisor to FEMA Administrator, Craig Fugate. What is NEMA’s loss is FEMA’s and the Nation’s gain.

DSD Bill Lynn addresses a large group at CSIS on “Protecting the Domain: Cybersecurity as a Defense Priority”. The group was disappointed by the lack of any “new” news from the DSD. He emphasized the importance of Cyber, and that DoD did not want to militarize the internet, but only wanted to protect the “.mil” domain. All this is old news.

Let’s return to Sunday school and recall that long ago, all problems were thought to originate from one of the seven deadly sins. Using that theme, I have looked at particular problem areas within DHS. I have already discussed the sin of pride, greed, and sloth (don’t worry Lust is on the list, so let’s be a bit patient here). This week focuses on the 4th Deadly Sin: Wrath.

During Congressional testimony on Wed 10 June, LTG Keith Alexander, Director of NSA and Cdr of the JFCC-NW, called for a robust response to any cyber intrusion. He said quite plainly that we needed a “Monroe Doctrine” for cyber. This is quite a statement.

Like thousands of commuters, I pass the Holocaust Museum twice a day coming into and out of DC. At any hour of the day it is not unusual to see a number of security guards outside, as well as inside the building doing their jobs. Stephen Johns was there yesterday doing his and paid the ultimate price in serving the Museum, its mission and its visitors.

This morning’s confirmation hearing for Dr. Tara O’Toole to become the next Under Secretary for Science and Technology went smoothly. However, if confirmed, there are some potential traps that lie in Dr. O’Toole’s pathway to success that need to be clarified – and quickly.

DHS is launching a significant change in its immigration worksite enforcement policies, and employers would be wise to understand how these changes could impact them. Here’s a primer on what you need to know.

While the American public’s attention has moved on to focus on the opening days of summer and vacation planning, researchers have begun to assess the lessons learned from the recent H1N1 Flu outbreak.

In today’s world of Internet interconnectedness, guarding your privacy can become a full-time job. Whether you are worried about your personal privacy, government interference, national security, identity theft, or the laws and policies surrounding privacy, these blogs will help you stay vigilant against any breaches in your privacy rights.

Craig Fugate made one of his first journeys to Capitol Hill today as FEMA Administrator to present and defend his Agency’s FY10 budget request. The 80 or so minutes of the hearing were free of fireworks and some of the previous finger pointing questioning that is often standard practice at FEMA hearings, but that does not mean that tough questions weren’t still asked of Fugate.

The State Secrets Privilege is a doctrine that allows the executive branch to withhold information requested during litigation if disclosure threatens national security. While an aggressive approach to national security matters is critical for our nation, it is just as essential that there be oversight and checks on the power of the executive branch in national security when the use of such power impacts every day citizens.

Ted Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations offers an excellent analysis of what’s wrong with our immigration process – or at least, one of the things that is wrong with our broken immigration process. In a nutshell, his is an argument – a desperate plea really – for a return to risk-based security procedures that use intelligence and information to prioritize threats rather than the hopelessly ineffective but increasingly popular notion on Capitol Hill that we can prevent 100 percent of all threats we may face.

Security Debrief awarded a “Communicator Award” from the International Academy of the Visual Arts for excellence in blog content and design.

In an interview with the Associated Press, former DEA Chief and DHS Border Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson notes the oddity of the Administration announcing a new push to take on the drug cartels and the smuggling of narcotics and guns along the Southwest Border while there still hasn’t even been nominations for the heads of key border security agencies — DEA, ATF and CBP.

First started in Fiscal Year 2005 when Congress appropriated $25 million to DHS to award to non-profits in 18 high-risk jurisdictions, the federal homeland security grant program for non-profits organizations serves little purpose and wastes finite resources without any evidence of terrorist threats against the recipients of the federal largesse.

Pittsburgh will host the G20 Summit in September; only by realizing that policing, reporting and protesting itself is not a zero-sum game can the City of Pittsburgh realise the opportunities the G20 presents. If the police understand the participants and media and work with them, then the protests and reporting can be effective, while those who have ill-intent can be targeted and punished.

The long awaited release of the President’s Cyber Policy Review on 29 May has been and will continue to be studied by all who are concerned with the issue of Cyber Security. If one wants to dive straight to the heart of the report, it is best to go directly to Chapter VI: Action Plans

Yesterday the House passed HR 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Reauthorization Act. Several floor amendments were offered with one particularly troubling amendment noticeable above all the others. The amendment targets Whole Body Imagers (WBI) and sets restrictions on their use.

E-Verify is a critical tool for employers who want to prevent hiring unauthorized workers. And yet, employers who voluntarily sign up for E-Verify often wonder what happens to the information that they provide to the E-Verify system, and whether their activities are subject to additional scrutiny because of their participation.