Utilizing Terrorism Early Warning Groups to Meet the National Preparedness Goal
The Terrorism Early Warning Group concept fulfills the intelligence
requirements outlined in Homeland Security Directive 8: Interim
National Preparedness Goal. Existing and emerging TEWs can serve as a
foundation for a national intelligence sharing and analysis network
bringing critical information and capabilities to local jurisdictions.
This paper articulates a vision for expanding the Terrorism Early
Warning Group (TEW) network that meets the local and national
requirements as specified in, Homeland Security Presidential Directive
8: Interim National Preparedness Goal (HSPD-8). This paper contains two
core sections; the first of which demonstrates how the TEW concepts
meet the requirements of HSPD-8 specifically, those associated with the
Goal and in the heart of the Goal, the Target Capabilities List (TCL);
the second section describing the vision for utilizing TEW Groups to
enhance our national capabilities in this critical area. Download Concept Paper (PDF Format)
Dinner gala at the Dolmabahce Palace
A wonderful evening in Istanbul...
To hold an event like this at the Palace, requires the approval of the Prime Minister. The tables and open bars were actually set up outside the palace entrance, in a secured courtyard. Lights were set up to set the mood and live Turkish music was performed throughout the evening. We dined on wonderful Turkish food and due to the hospitality of our hosts, our drink glasses were never empty. For more information on the Palace, you can visit this site.
The MacTel Future
Apple computers are moving to Intel processors. Not sure what I think about that yet. As a shareholder, I worry about the transition over the next year. Who wants to buy a Mac when you know a entire new processor base is coming....
Schwartau goes Mac!
Break out the ice skates, we're playing pond hockey in hell. My good friend and colleague Winn Schwartau has switched to Mac. This is the same Winn Schwartau that has been ribbing me for two years about my switch to Mac. The same Winn, who when presenting together at a conference would look at my Mac and say "I thought you were bringing a computer!".
He finally got religion and is completely frustrated with WinTel and made the switch seamlessly. He'd like to claim that he came to the conclusion on his own, but we both know that it was a year of watching Betty operate effeciently on her Mac that brought him around.
He is running a 50 part series on his switch called Mad as Hell. Good luck Winn....you won't need it!
Mirror Image on CNN
To learn more about Mirror Image Training, please [click here].
CNN ran a 7 minute segment on TRC's Mirror Image training program. Overall, I thought the piece was very well done, so congratulations to all involved and to the CNN crew for producing such a great piece from a week's worth of footage. I've posted the transcript below, but to do it justice, you really have to see it.
Wireless AMBER Alerts
The AMBER alert system has been proven to be very valuable in the early stages of child abduction. Now, cell phone owners can subscribe to receive wireless AMBER alerts for the zip codes they live and work in. Messages are sent directly to your cell phone via SMS in real-time. Most carriers are waiving the incoming message fee, which means there really is no reason not to SUBSCRIBE
Surprise, surprise...
According to the recently released report:
"The Homeland Security Department’s $337 million network for sharing top-secret data does not meet the needs of its users, according to an April report by the department’s Acting Inspector General, Richard L. Skinner. Department officials developing the Homeland Secure Data Network hurried to finish the job in nine months because they believed they would be cut off from the Pentagon’s secure data network by a 31 December 2004 deadline. “The methods for collecting and documenting the functional and security needs of users during the requirements definition phase for the new network did not provide adequate assurance that user needs at the 600 sites will be met.” The 600 sites are DHS intelligence-gathering units and federal, state, and local agencies involved in homeland security. The inspector general recommends that all system users be involved in defining its requirements in the future and that completion of all testing be verified before deployment." (Full Report)
We (TRC) wrote a paper articulating an approach for evaluating user requirements in this area back in the year 2000. There have been many advocates of applying the approach utilized for this report , to establish a capability requirements defintion that is driven from the user perspective. Unfortunately, it appears the requirements definition is being left to the contractors building the network and not the actual users.
State of Fear
It is scenes like the one above at our nation's capital today that re-inforce just how effective terrorism is.
RFID Kills
Sometimes I want to just travel without being a radio station. This is interesting and I agree with the initial conclusions.
In a misguided attempt to make US passports more secure, the US
Department of State plans to put radio frequency identification (RFID)
chips in all new passports. This RFID chip will contain the same
information currently on our passports, including the passport holder's
name, date and place of birth, passport number and photograph.In a dangerous world where Americans are targeted by thieves,
kidnappers and terrorists, the RFID-chipped US passport will turn
tourists into targets, and American business travelers will transmit
their identities to kidnappers wherever they go, thanks to the US State
Department.Close up, the information broadcast from the RFID chip can be read
by anyone with an inexpensive electronic reader. Farther away, the
RFID chip can be activated enough to identify the passport holder as an
American. From identity theft to identity death, an RFID-chipped US passport means good news for the bad guys. More Information