Critical Infrastructure

An Addendum to FEMA Private Sector Post – I forgot someone…

October 19, 2010

Whenever you write a post like the one I posted yesterday on Security Debrief, heralding the dramatic improvements that FEMA has made in its engagement of the private sector, there is always the risk of forgetting or not mentioning someone who helped make that success possible. I was remiss in not mentioning a name of someone else who deserves recognition for helping make the FEMA private sector engagement turnaround possible. That name is Cindy Taylor.

Cyber czar: Threat protection is a shared responsibility

Media Watch |

October 18, 2010

Cyber czar: Threat protection is a shared responsibility – NextGov
The government, individual users and the private sector all play critical roles in protecting the nation against cyber threats, a senior White House official said Friday.

A Shocking Place for Private Sector Engagement – FEMA

Rich Cooper |

October 18, 2010

The center of gravity for private sector engagement at DHS is at FEMA. Five years ago, if you had told me I would say those words, given all of my experiences at DHS and especially after my deployment during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I would have told you that you were nuts. To say FEMA has become a far more welcoming place for the private sector to interact with would be an understatement. But how did this happen? How did FEMA turn around the hostile cultural and operational attitude towards the private sector?

Security Experts Say No Nuclear Option for Al Qaeda

Media Watch |

October 13, 2010

Security Experts Say No Nuclear Option for Al Qaeda – CQ Homeland Security
The nightmare scenario that keeps homeland security officials awake at night — the detonation of a nuclear bomb on U.S. soil — is unlikely enough to be safely relegated to the land of dreams, a pair of prominent security experts said Tuesday at a Capitol Hill forum.

The End of the Other Gulf Disaster: Administration Lifts Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling

Rich Cooper |

October 13, 2010

The consequences of this year’s biggest catastrophe – BP’s oil spill – will be with the region and the country for a considerable time, but it’s not the only man-made catastrophe that should give us reason for concern. The other man-made disaster as many in the Gulf Coast would call it was the Obama Administration’s moratorium on deep-water drilling. That highly prescriptive action unleashed a set of economic dominoes that many people I spoke with during my recent visit to the Gulf thought caused more economic damage than the oil spill itself. As my friend George Swift, the President and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Partnership for Economic Development (SWLA Partnership), shared with me in late August, “You don’t shut down the whole airline industry because one plane crashes.”

Homeland Security and Defense Business Council Event for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Steven Bucci |

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.

Serious as a Brain Attack

Media Watch |

September 29, 2010

Serious as a Brain Attack – DOD Energy Blog
Recent government and news reports have highlighted the vulnerability associated with our increasingly interconnected world. Hackers have been around since the dawn of Donkey Kong, but the sophistication of today’s complex information technology systems and the vital organisms they control have escalated their importance and the difficulty of protecting them.

Fifth Generation Warfare – A Growing Concept

Steven Bucci |

September 29, 2010

A new and very interesting concept is growing among a community of dedicated national security professionals. Diplomats, soldiers, law enforcement officers, intelligence operatives, cyber warriors and development specialists are being aided by sociologists, psychologists, and policy academicians. Their unifying concept is that 21st century warfare in the post-9/11 world requires a different viewpoint than what we have applied in the past. This new integrated concept is called Fifth Generation Warfare.

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