Homeland Security Industry

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A New Chance to Rethink DHS Acquisition

November 4, 2008

Late last week, the Coast Guard announced that DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had rescinded the service’s acquisition authority, per the DHS 2009 appropriations bill. The removal of such authority from one DHS component, combined with the upcoming transition to a new Administration, provides an interesting opportunity to think through whether DHS components (the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Secret Service) could benefit from more centralized acquisition.

The Expansive Regulation of Private Aviation

admin |

October 28, 2008

Earlier this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) unveiled its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the regulation of general aviation (GA) aircraft in the U.S. While TSA and DHS have been talking about the need for increased security measures for GA for several years, the reality of the NPRM is hitting the GA community hard (and it should be). To date, TSA regulates but a small portion of the GA community – roughly 650 operators. TSA’s proposed NPRM would increase the regulated community to roughly 10,000 operators. A 65% increase in regulated parties is obviously significant.

Security Debrief |

October 23, 2008

Last week in a speech to the Wharton School, Secretary Chertoff made the business case for the Department of Homeland Security’s approach to risk management that focuses on helping the private sector help itself. From my perspective, it is the only sustainable approach, and its success depends on the investment community’s appreciation of the value of security.

Security Debrief |

October 14, 2008

I see a country suffering from homeland security spending fatigue. I see people who are wondering whether what we go through at airports is really doing anything and whether our efforts at border security will actually work. It’s time to change the paradigm. We’ve thought about the threat of Islamic terrorism and failed to prioritize the vulnerabilities that we have. Spending to reduce the identified vulnerabilities to our cyber system, our infrastructure, our borders and our national iconic emblems in the National Capital Region is more justified because it is quantifiable.

David Olive |

October 2, 2008

I see from yesterday morning’s press reports that House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson has written another letter to DHS asking about the status of the cargo screening mandate Congress has shoved down the throat of the aviation and maritime industries.

Security Debrief |

September 26, 2008

There haven’t been many “insider” books about how DHS has functioned but a good one has appeared. The Closing of the American Border was published last week by Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations and formerly with the Financial Times. It’s a detailed look at the policies and programs deployed after 9/11 to deter and detect terrorists hoping to use our transportation systems against us.

Security Debrief |

September 25, 2008

Cool video of the world’s first car designed by law enforcement for law enforcement.

So, What’s the Plan?

admin |

September 17, 2008

The constant threat of another terrorist attack, organizing the more than 87,000 governmental organizations who share the responsibility of homeland security, and facing the upcoming questions regarding FEMA, the Patriot Act, and border security are among the issues facing the next President.

DHS's Role in a Post 9/11 World

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September 11, 2008

As designed, the Department of Defense has taken the lead role on foreign soil in the fight against the terrorist elements in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, in one of the US’ first steps in this same fight, the Department of Homeland Security was created.

David Olive |

September 8, 2008

Last week, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff delivered the fourth in a series of talks he has planned following the 5th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. This one focused on critical infrastructure protection. While there did not appear to be much of anything new, it gave Chertoff an opportunity to provide a high-level discussion of DHS’s approach to CI/KR protection and an opportunity for him to chide Congress for its approach to cargo security. In the course of his talk Chertoff did something very few Cabinet Secretaries do – he committed candor. It was refreshing.

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