At the recent Eurosatory Arms Show outside Paris, everyone seemed to be in dark suits and sunglasses. If you want a weapon or defense system, the latest hardware, or the means to stop it, this is your place. Spying at such events has always happened, and behind those suits and dark glasses there is an atmosphere of mutual distrust. Today, the threat has expanded. Cyber spying is alive and well at this very lucrative target environment.
Security Debrief contributor Rich Cooper is in Colorado for the Aspen Security Forum. Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided the forum’s opening remarks. Here’s what Cooper told Government Security News after the Admiral’s talk.
The domestic market for homeland security products is quite different than for defense products. While the Department of Defense completely controls the latter, the homeland security market is very fragmented. Recognizing the fragmented nature of the market, DHS’s Commercialization Office created an innovative “commercialization process” to help the private sector develop and sell homeland security products. While not a panacea for every company, the commercialization process can play a critical role for some companies and products.
In what I can only call a solid piece of researched commentary, Dan Kaniewski of GWU’s Homeland Security Policy Institute and Jim Carafano of the Heritage Foundation have put together a great article, “Flooded with Help – But Still Flailing” on the forgotten and unlearned lessons of Hurricane Katrina and how they are impacting the on-going Gulf Oil Spill. Give it read and I guarantee you that you’ll shake your head in frustration. But it’s truth that must be faced if we are ever going to improve how we deal with disasters when international assistance is offered to us.
At day two of the AFCEA STRATCOM Cyber Security Symposium, I was a member of the Industry Panel. I took a breath and issued my challenge. Our moderator had asked each of the four panelists to make brief opening remarks on the state of industry in the cyber security issue space and to end with a “memorable” bumper sticker. It was my turn to make opening remarks. I went with my strong suit: directness, passion and leadership. I issued a challenge directly to Commanding General of StratCom with the bumper sticker “Make the Public-Private Partnership Real.”
By Bob Connors
The 9/11 Commission found that the Private Sector wasn’t adequately prepared to respond to or recover from a catastrophic disaster, and DHS officially launched the Private Sector Preparedness Program. There are many opinions about whether a voluntary private sector preparedness certification is necessary. The thought of business continuity/crisis management (private sector preparedness) being “regulated” through standards makes practitioners shudder, but it’s been my experience that many companies believe they have adequate preparedness programs in place, but truly aren’t ready for a significant incident (and may not even know it).
Leaders at every level of government continue to ignore the obvious, and dare I say, “inconvenient” truth about water: We need to raise rates. Either that or get used to being thirsty, stock up on Pepto-Bismol, and get ready for a mean tutorial on what Cholera feels like. U.S. water systems are the best in the world, but the fight to maintain water quality may be lost if utilities remain hamstrung by requirements to under charge for services.
A couple weeks ago, air cargo industry representatives came together in Washington, DC, to hold an informational roundtable on the upcoming Congressional deadline mandating that 100 percent of all cargo carried on passenger aircraft be screened for explosives. Talking with the aviation security leaders who participated in the roundtable, we delivered the message that time is of the essence, and over 10,000 people logged on to view the webcast. TSA has seen applications for CCSP quadruple over the last month, and industry participation will determine the viability of the voluntary CCSP. But if industry fails or refuses to participate, it can expect a boot on its throat in the not too distant future.
Better, Faster Biodetection Around the Corner, Official Says – CQ Homeland Security
Federal researchers are developing a revolutionary new method of biodetection that they say could identify nasty germs in a matter of hours, not weeks or months, and possibly save thousands of lives during a biological outbreak or attack.
After what can only be described as months (if not years) of delays, bureaucratic inertia, internal turf battles and outright bewilderment if the program would ever finally come to be, DHS formally released its selected standards for the voluntary private sector program. Whether because of bureaucratic exhaustion or because they couldn’t find another reason to delay it, the formal announcement about the standards has finally been made. It is long past due. While there is no surprise as to the selected standards, given they were identified more than a year ago, the fact that it has taken this long to formally issue them is a powerful message by itself.
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