Critical Infrastructure

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Watchdog recommends more enhancements to passenger rail security

April 7, 2010

Watchdog recommends more enhancements to passenger rail security – GovExec
Moscow, Madrid, London, Mumbai — the datelines change but the story remains the same: terrorists target passenger rail systems with deadly effectiveness. report Friday by Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner found that the Transportation Security Administration must improve the way it assesses emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Steven Bucci |

April 7, 2010

I was privileged to attend a super event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday. They hosted Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, Commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet (both Navy cyber organizations). It was in the main a normal “command brief,” but McCullough’s forthrightness made it much more. McCullough opened his remarks by telling the industry audience that after several months, he is beginning to understand the problem set. He emphasized that anyone who thinks there is a quick technological fix to our cyber challenges is dreaming.

Steven Bucci |

April 5, 2010

At a cyber conference last week, one of the panelists raised an intriguing idea – treat cyber criminals and hackers like pirates. When I write “pirates,” I do not mean like swashbuckling rouge heroes, which is a modern conception given to us by Hollywood and literature. I mean the low-life criminals of despicable character to whom the only thing we owe is a quick hanging. This could be administered by the government (law enforcement or military), or by honest merchants, if the malefactor were caught. OK, I don’t think we should break into houses and physically hang every hacker out there, but we could take a cue from our predecessors.

Unions vie for TSA hearts and minds

Media Watch |

April 5, 2010

Unions vie for TSA hearts and minds – GovExec
On the administration’s list of priorities, the Transportation Security Administration hasn’t exactly come out on top. It took until September 2009 for President Obama to nominate an administrator for the embattled agency, Erroll G. Southers, only to see him withdraw in January. And recently, the president’s second nominee for the post, former Maj. Gen. Robert Harding, withdrew his name for consideration.

Rich Cooper |

April 2, 2010

I’m seething. For my regular Security Debrief readers that may be nothing new, but after reading today’s front page Washington Post story, “National disaster exercises, called too costly and scripted, may be scaled back,” I’m really torqued. For all of the Administration’s talking points we have heard about the need for enhanced national preparedness and exercises, the prospect of scaling them back because of unrealistic scenarios – they are too big, costly and so forth – gives echo to the word, hypocrisy.

Rich Cooper |

April 2, 2010

Following my March 29 blog, “Sunk by Snoring: The Robert Harding Withdrawal Debacle,” about the major general’s withdrawal from nomination for TSA Administrator, TIME Magazine called me for additional comment. Here are some excerpts from the article.

Debating QDR Recommendations for Northern Command

admin |

April 2, 2010

Inside the Pentagon reports there is an important debate taking place over the Pentagon’s plan to downsize U.S. Northern Command forces that are ready to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attack on American soil. Rather than prepare brigade-sized CBRNE Consequence Management Response Forces, the Quadrennial Defense Review recommends a larger CCMRF while also moving personnel to ten smaller Homeland Response Forces. Critics argue that full-sized CCMRFs are necessary for a potential WMD event.

Security Debrief |

April 1, 2010

Think you’ve heard it all? We beg to differ. For this special April Fools edition, we’ve collected recent news reports that the rest of the media somehow missed.

Steven Bucci |

March 31, 2010

In the same way we looked for people in the past who were proficient in cross cultural communications, or in other managerial skills (think of the success of Lean Six Sigma), cyber is a growing leadership essential. Individuals who have shown they have a command of the key concepts, challenges and solutions for cyber are being sought for leadership jobs in the DC area. What is happening is a realization that cyber understanding and knowledge is now a critical leadership skill.

Cybersecurity legislation clears Senate committee

Media Watch |

March 31, 2010

Cybersecurity legislation clears Senate committee – NextGov
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday passed legislation that would raise the profile of cybersecurity in the federal government and expand public-private partnerships against cyber threats.

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