As the president and Congress work toward a consolidated approach to homeland security ? including a massive new federal agency to supervise and coordinate protection of American citizens and strategic national assets ? it has become abundantly clear that the government's success depends on the active participation of U.S. industry.
On Jan. 29, New York Gov. George Pataki unveiled a plan for a new communications network, enabling law enforcement officials to share counter-terrorism information with every one of the 543 police departments in the state. Designed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the first phase of the New York State Counter Terrorism Network was deployed just a month later by systems integrator IBM Corp.
Government and business leaders believe securing the homeland against potential terrorist threats could cost between $93 billion and $138 billion in 2003, according to new market research.
President Bush praised U.S. high-tech prowess in helping defend the homeland at a June 13 meeting with about 130 high-tech executives at the 21st Century High Tech forum at the White House. "Our high-tech gains have made an incredible difference" in the war on terrorism, Bush said in an afternoon address that followed closed sessions with the executives and administration executives, including Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. The sessions addressed homeland security, economic growth and education.
President Bush's proposed Homeland Security Department will rely heavily on data sharing and analysis to combat terrorist threats, and will require a systems infrastructure to support that mission -- a complex integration challenge that already has information technology companies scrambling for a piece of the action.
As part of a massive shake-up of the FBI, director Robert Mueller announced May 29 that a technology upgrade program is one of the agency's top ten priorities.
At the request of Homeland Security Office Chief Information Officer Steve Cooper, the National Association of State CIOs will create a working group to offer advice on framing a national homeland security strategy.
A request for proposals is expected in June for the Immigration and Naturalization Service's entry-exit system to track the comings and goings of noncitizens.
Titan Systems Corp. has won a five-year contract from the Department of Defense's National Cryptologic School to support technology-based training and employee development services.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has signed an agreement to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its homeland security efforts.
The federal government can increase the effectiveness of efforts to combat terrorism by taking an enterprise approach to information technology planning, according to the Information Technology Association of America.
Steve Zaidman sighs when asked why the Federal Aviation Administration continues to take heat over its plans for modernizing the country's air traffic management systems.
Mir Aimal Kasi didn't use a disguise or grow a beard to circumvent border security and enter the United States in late 1992. He simply added an "n" to his last name. Because there was no "Kansi" on the government watch lists, he was issued a visa.
Mir Aimal Kasi didn't use a disguise or grow a beard to circumvent border security and enter the United States in late 1992. He simply added an "n" to his last name. Because there was no "Kansi" on the government watch lists, he was issued a visa.
Senior government officials are putting a higher priority on electronic government than they did a year ago, but they are walking a tightrope to balance the twin tasks of developing e-government and beefing up the security of their IT systems, recent studies show.
Forty-one percent of Americans are opposed to a national database to identify citizens and visitors to the United States, according to the results of a Gartner survey.
The federal government is establishing an information technology program office within the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, which will be responsible for implementing federal information technology initiatives related to homeland security. The new office also will provide a communication framework for agencies across all levels of government, said Ron Miller, chief information officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
