Security Debrief

A Failure to Communicate – DHS Ignores Stakeholders with 2014 Budget

April 12, 2013

If you want to have a successful relationship in anything, communications are critical. I have to wonder if DHS really cares about its relationships with anyone. The department’s communications with just about everyone are lacking of late, and this is seen most clearly in the way DHS recently rolled out its newest budget submission. It seems like DHS has little-to-no interest in telling the public how they want to spend taxpayer dollars.

TSA's Pistole Resigns! DHS Denies Buying Bowcasters! Springsteen Sues FEMA! Really?!

Security Debrief |

April 1, 2013

In Security Debrief’s fourth annual April Fools coverage, we’ve collected some stories the rest of the media somehow missed.

Failing Infrastructure in America

Rich Cooper |

March 27, 2013

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released its latest report card on U.S. infrastructure, and the country again received poor marks across the board. Here is a piece I wrote for Defense Media Network about the continuing problems plaguing America’s infrastructure.

Lost in Translation in a Strange Cyber Land

Security Debrief |

March 26, 2013

When I attend various meetings around DC on cyber issues, I often see confusion and challenge – good people trying to resolve confusing issues, wrestling with individual – as well as the country’s – social and political demons. Cyber is a new kind of land. It has no physical dimension. There are no borders or boundaries, and everyone seems to be a part of something that no one can control. People in DC are bit lost right now, and there are some distinct cultural reasons why.

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Drunk Passenger and TSA's Carry-On Policy

Jeffrey Sural |

March 18, 2013

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) most recent decision regarding the prohibited items list has drawn the ire of some in the Congress, as well as the flying public. Critics argue any vulnerability is unacceptable, but from TSA’s risk-based perspective, there are other aviation stakeholders who shoulder the safety responsibility. Recognizing that most people, even those with knives, do not run around stabbing others, from whom does non-explosive threat largely stem? In short, drunks on planes.

The Al Qaeda Threat – Diminished Capacity or Deliberate Concealment?

David Olive |

March 14, 2013

National security scholar Dr. Joshua Sinai has just published a new analysis on the evolving threat to US interests by Al Qaeda and their associated adherents. The underlying premise is that the serious threat to U.S. interests from Al Qaeda has not diminished, but it has changed. Testimony provided Tuesday by ODNI director General James Clapper suggests the threat of the core al Qaeda is severely weakened, though associated groups remain an issue. Which viewpoint will prevail?

At 10 year mark, Time to "Say Something" Constructive about DHS

David Olive |

March 7, 2013

This past Monday, Politico hosted a Playbook breakfast conversation with the three individuals who have served as DHS Secretary since its inception – Tom Ridge, Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano. Former Governor Ridge who addressed why America needs a cabinet-level agency to address homeland security issues. While I am a firm believer that America needs a Department of Homeland Security, I am also a believer in continuous improvement, and in that respect, congressional oversight should rightfully be focused on asking questions about DHS as it starts its second decade.

The Cyber Elephant and How to Tame It

Security Debrief |

March 4, 2013

The Jainists of India have a parable. It is the story about the blind men feeling the elephant – each one feels something different. Watching the Federal government roll out a cyber “strategy” over the past couple of week has felt just that way. The cyber-elephant is a vast and ever-expanding body, and Washington is mucking around this way because of two basic problems. In its simplistic form, the first challenge is definitional and the second challenge is doctrinal.

DHS' 10th Anniversary – A Neverending Mission and the Threat Within It

Rich Cooper |

March 1, 2013

A lot can change in a decade, but as the Department of Homeland Security celebrates its 10th anniversary, its unchanging mission is something that should be applauded, but in other ways should be of even greater concern. Along the way there have been problems, but lessons have been public, have been learned, and have been applied, at some times better than at others. Tom Ridge’s original credo of “You cannot protect the country from inside the Beltway,” remains true today.

Why Sequestration Could be Good for Airport Passenger Screening

Justin Hienz |

March 1, 2013

The sequester has nearly arrived with little sign officials in Washington will reach an agreement to amend the billions in spending cuts. While both sides of the aisle have speculated on how these cuts will impact the U.S. economy, TSA Administrator John Pistole recently testified about how the sequester will impact airport security, echoing a warning from DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano that security lines at airports will grow longer post-sequester. Yet, the length of airport security lines are a result of TSA’s screening methodology, not its budget and staff.