Adfero Group HSPI

It is a critical development that organizations comprising DHS, especially FEMA, which are responsible for communicating with the public during periods of crisis, are succesfully adopting the modes of communications increasingly embraced by the public at large. There is no effectrive crisis response without effective crisis communications, and there can be no effective crisis communications without making use of these new tools. They are the reality of a rapidly changing media landscape.

There are three major areas of challenge for the Government and the Nation as we confront cyber security. All three of these challenges are acknowledged the 29 May report, and the President’s remarks. They constitute the crux of the cyber policy debate today. How has the Obama Administration chosen to address them? A quick review of the new policy provides the beginning look and where they want to go.

At a luncheon forum at the Aspen Institute this week, Secretary Napolitano outlined her priorities for DHS — focusing on improved intelligence, border security and emergency preparedness.

By Stephanie Rowe
TSA’s Secure Flight program began operations in January and continues to gain momentum. It will provide better security for the traveling public and a smoother boarding process for passengers that have names similar to those on the government watch lists.

In his forthcoming book former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff warns about the U.S. becoming complacent and returning to a September 10 mindset, but he is equally cautionary about going too far in the other direction.

Despite President Obama’s call for the government to embrace social media tools to create greater transparency and interaction with the public, he is finding that turning the vast federal bureaucracy around is a lot harder than getting a campaign team to follow his direction. Among too many, there’s still the mistaken belief that the government can Control The Message. Some even prophesy that if you lose that control, it could result in nuclear Armageddon. (No, seriously.)

This afternoon, FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate held a Bloggers Roundtable focused on preparedness. In a relaxed and candid give-and-take session, Fugate shared the tone he wants to set for America’s preparedness – and urged participants to “Call me Craig.”

An organization called EPIC is gaining traction by purposefully misleading the public about millimeter wave technology and posting images of backscatter on their website and calling it millimeter wave. Now there may even be Congressional action to get millimeter wave removed from the nation’s airports, which seems just crazy given that it is one of the first major improvements to checkpoint technology since the 1970s.

Last Friday, the President confirmed what has been an open secret for months: America is getting a Cyber Czar. Though all the right words were spoken and all the right reasons were given, the newly created position is missing the essential ingredient that makes the powers that be in Washington really pay attention: the power of the purse.

On 29 May 2009, President Obama released the results of his initial 60 Day review of Cyber Security policies. This long awaited release was accompanied by a Presidential address and a great deal of anticipation. We were all so excited that many saw the report’s release as having metaphorically crossed the finish line. In fact, it was only the sound of the starter’s gun.