The Future of SBInet – HSToday
The Secure Border Initiative-Network (SBInet), the controversial effort to build a “virtual fence” across the southwest border, will add another chapter to its long saga this year when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano receives an analysis of the security options for the entire southwest border. That analysis could be delivered as early as March.
The Transportation Security Administration now holds a monopoly on airport security screening. If you want to fly, you must pass through TSA. Thing is, not many people were aware there was an alternative. There was, but no longer. A program that replaced government security screeners at airports with private screeners has been stopped. Decisions like these had better be made on the basis of safety and security, but something stinks of non-security related influence.
In what was billed as the first State of Homeland Security address, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano talked about the maturing of the Department that she leads and the “shared responsibility” that is homeland security. As important as her words might be, they unfortunately do not speak to the state of the homeland security industry – “resigned frustration” best describes the relationship between Congress, DHS and the private sector. Despite these conditions, there remain enormous opportunities for companies and individuals, and it is important to understand how a race to protect U.S. citizens, infrastructure and interests has devolved into a frustrating enterprise.
White House Supports Airwaves for Public Safety – Wall Street Journal
The White House endorsed a plan Thursday to give a chunk of airwaves worth an estimated $3 billion to public-safety groups for a new national wireless public-safety network that could cost as much as $15 billion to build, if Congress approves.
TSA Ends Private Screening Program – HSToday
The head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided to prevent any more US airports from opting out of the use of federal screening officers in favor of private companies. TSA Administrator John Pistole started a review of the initiative that allowed airports to hire private contractors as screeners last year and determined that it does more harm than good.
Homeland Security Today: USCIS to Examine Name Mismatches to Improve E-Verify Immigration services at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should advise employees of the importance of consistently providing the proper spelling of their names in order to cut down on errors in the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system, congressional investigators recommended Tuesday.
The Cyber Market writ large is well over $15 billion. Despite the seemingly well-informed and well-intentioned efforts of the Obama Administration, the large contracts (or lots of medium sized ones) most of the experts thought would begin to flow in 2010 quite simply did not happen. I expect this to break lose this year.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is informing industry that the requirement to screen 100 percent of cargo on passenger planes inbound to the United States will be met by December 31, 2011. Did I miss something? What has happened over the last six months that makes TSA think inbound cargo will be 100 percent screened by the end of the year? There’s aggressive action and then there’s unrealistic optimism.
GAO recommends, among other things, that USCIS disseminate information to employees on the importance of consistently recording their names, DHS components develop procedures to help employees correct inaccurate personal information, USCIS develop reliable cost estimates for E-Verify, and SSA assess risks associated with its E-Verify workload costs.
Disagreements over Virtual Fence Decision – HSToday
In the wake of news that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allowed its virtual fence contract with The Boeing Co. to expire, more border security experts have weighed in on the decision.
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