Homeland Security Industry

Homeland Security and Defense Business Council Event for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 13, 2010

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. It is the kick off of a series of major town hall-style meetings around America, headed by the Department of Homeland Security. One can only hope it will jump start the effort to get the nation’s collective attention in a meaningful way. On Wednesday, October 13, the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council will host an afternoon executive event to put focus on this key issue, bringing together a group of senior officials from business and government to discuss ways to improve our cybersecurity posture.

Regulators: N.J. nuclear plant employee was an Islamic jihadist

Media Watch |

October 6, 2010

Regulators: N.J. nuclear plant employee was an Islamic jihadist – Homeland Security Newswire
A New Jersey man accused of joining al Qaeda in Yemen spoke openly of militant views while working at American nuclear plants, according to a report by the inspector general of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that proposes tightening personnel security rules.

Private Sector Preparedness Certification Can Impact the Bottom Line

Security Debrief |

October 6, 2010

My colleague Stewart Baker has written about Stuxnet, an impending cyber-threat to U.S. infrastructure. Some companies are starting to ask how they can prepare for this and related threats. That raises a broader question: what are the practical measures companies can take to prepare for emergencies? Surprisingly little attention has been given to DHS’s pragmatic private sector preparedness program (PS-Prep). Here are two ways PS-Prep can affect your bottom line.

Thad Allen Leaves Gulf, Heads for RAND

Security Debrief |

October 5, 2010

Having recently completed the president’s request to oversee the response and clean up for BP’s oil spill, former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen has joined the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow.

Judge Shannen Rossmiller: A True Cyber Warrior

Steven Bucci |

September 24, 2010

A few weeks ago, Security Debrief hosted a superb session with one of the most intriguing people I have ever met. A former judge, Ms. Shannen Rossmiller characterizes herself as a “cyber operative.” Her function can best be described as a nontraditional intel gatherer for cyber counter intelligence. She works over the Net on jihadi radicalization and recruitment issues, and she is a new cyber warrior on a new battlefield.

Do more layers of security make us any safer? Food Safety offers a few clues

Security Debrief |

September 23, 2010

By Doug Doan
Yesterday’s hearing on the salmonella outbreak that resulted in a huge recall of eggs offers important and disturbing insight into the government’s expanding role in food safety. If you ever thought that these hearings were called in an honest attempt to find out what happened, what went wrong, and what actions could be taken to prevent a similar problem and actually improve the safety of our food supply, think again. That is not how these hearings work. In fact, the hearing was really a prop for the FDA to push a favorite hobby horse of ever-expanding control, budgets, regulations and authorities.

Moving Our Nation toward Inclusive Emergency Preparedness for Everyone

Security Debrief |

September 22, 2010

By Brian Lake
Usually when National Preparedness Month rolls around in September, you’ll find me talking to emergency managers, first responders, disability service providers, my friends, my girlfriend and the guy I met in the park while walking my dog about inclusive emergency preparedness for disability communities. This year is no different. This year has had two very significant milestones: the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. One marks how far we have come; the other marks how far we still have to go.

Jeffrey Carr at BENS Cyber Roundtable, U.S. Already in a Cyber War

Steven Bucci |

September 22, 2010

Business Executives for National Security (BENS) hosted the first of a new series of round tables today that will cover Cyber Security and Cyber War. This first meeting was a discussion with Jeffery Carr, the author of “Inside Cyber Warfare,” and the discussion moved between the threats, the government responses to them and why the government is not doing too well. The bottom line was this: Carr believes we are presently involved in a cyber war.

‘Smart Containers’ the Intelligent Choice for DHS, Group Says

Media Watch |

September 22, 2010

CQ Homeland Security: ‘Smart Containers’ the Intelligent Choice for DHS, Group Says Agencies within the Department of Homeland Security often talk about building “public-private partnerships,” and cargo security is perhaps the most visible of areas in which the federal government and the commercial sector work side-by-side. Yet a group of companies working on “smart containers” […]

What I Hope Kevin Costner Says Before the House

Rich Cooper |

September 21, 2010

It’s not at all unusual for a Hollywood celebrity to make an appearance on Capitol Hill. Whether they are advocating for a particular cause or issue, their public visibility has the ability to shine a greater light on a particular subject matter than what might otherwise be offered. That’s why I greet the news that Oscar winner Kevin Costner is serving as a witness before the House Homeland Security Committee with some cautious enthusiasm. At the Wednesday hearing, Costner will be just one of several witnesses that hopefully will provide some lessons learned from what has been and continues to be the disaster with no end – the Gulf oil spill.

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