House bill would provide $749 million for DHS cybersecurity
May 8th, 2012 | 2013 Budget Congress Cybersecurity Homeland Security Information Technology | Posted by Nicole Johnson
Cybersecurity funding at the Department of Homeland Security would increase 63 percent from $459 million to $749 million under a proposed 2013 spending bill by the House Appropriations Committee.
The increase would fund new initiatives to improve federal network security and defend against foreign espionage, according to a committee press release. The House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee will mark up the bill on Wednesday.
Cyber funding would be $20 million below the president’s $769 million request. Both the administration and some members of the Senate are backing legislation that would give DHS new authorities to regulate cybersecurity. The 2012 Cybersecurity Act, S 2105, would authorize the DHS to regulate security standards for certain privately owned critical networks, such as those affecting the power grid and other systems that, if attacked, would cause death, severe economic damage or national security risks.
Skeptics of DHS’ ability to regulate industry point to the department’s troubled chemical facility security program, or CFATS. Congress in 2007 directed DHS to beef up the physical security and cybersecurity of chemical facilities. But that program suffered from unstable leadership, inadequate training and poor hiring decisions.
The spending bill would provide $45 million for CFATS, $29 million below what was requested and $47 million below current spending levels. “This reduction is due to significant managerial problems, program delays and poor budget execution,” the new release said.
Tags: CFATS
Senator MacCaskill’s grandsons ham it up for the camera.
March 29th, 2012 | Congress Defense Government reform Homeland Security Procurement Uncategorized | Posted by Blair Tomlinson
Spring Break fever was in the air today on Capitol Hill. Legislators have officially fled Washington D.C. and there will be no hearings until April 16th.
But before the final votes ensued, the Senate subcommittee on contracting oversight held a hearing where Senators McCaskill, Portman and Tester grilled witnesses from the Army, The Office of Personnel and Management and The Department of Homeland Security over contractor spending.
Meanwhile, Chairwoman McCaskill’s grandsons were in attendance. My guess is they are on their own Spring Break. They sat graciously through the hearing; only occasionally trying sneak into my shot. I’m sure they were absolutely enthralled with the subject of Contractors: How Much Are They Costing the Government.
When Grandma adjourned the hearing she let the boys smack the gavel to officially call the hearing to a close – then they really spotted me. And as kids do, they hammed it up for the camera. So, cute.
Senator McCaskill speaks with OPM Chief Operating Officer, Chuck Grimes, while her grandchildren ham it up for the camera, March 29, 2012.
FEMA partners with AmeriCorps to create FEMA Corps
March 14th, 2012 | Homeland Security | Posted by Andy Medici
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has joined forces with the Corporation for National And Community service to create a new program that takes 18 to 24 year old volunteers and trains them to be the next generation of FEMA managers, according to the agency.
The program would draw upon 1,600 members of AmeriCorps who will spend a minimum of 1,700 hours working directly in disaster response.
The first members will begin serving in this August and the program will reach its full capacity within 18 months, according to FEMA.
FEMA says the program will “enhance the federal government’s disaster capabilities, increase the reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce, promote an ethos of service, and expand education and economic opportunity for young people.”
Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, remarked:
…[FEMA Corps], helps communities recover, it trains young people, helps them pay for college, and it doesn’t cost taxpayers an additional dime. Whether you’re a young person looking for work, a member of the community that’s been hit by a flood or a tornado or just a citizen who wants your tax dollars to be spent as wisely as possible, this is a program you can be proud of. This is really government at its best.
And it’s part of the president’s larger vision for an America built to last. Today, so many of our young people have shown that they’re willing to do their part to work hard, act responsibly and contribute to their communities. But in tough economic times, it’s up to all of us to make sure that their hard work and responsibility still pays off.We have to preserve what President Obama has called the basic promise of America, that no matter who you are, where you come from, you can make it if you try, if you fulfill your responsibilities and you make a contribution.
To learn more about the new program, visit the AmeriCorps website or our FEMA Corps page.
Tags: AmeriCorps, FEMA
Cyber bill calls for regulation of the nation’s critical systems
February 14th, 2012 | Cybersecurity Homeland Security | Posted by Nicole Johnson
Cybersecurity legislation introduced by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., on Tuesday empowers the Department of Homeland Security to regulate cyber standards for the nation’s critical infrartucture systems.
The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 calls on the DHS secretary to work with the private sector in identifying systems that pose the greatest risk and could cause death, severe economic damage or national security risks if attacked. DHS and the private sector would be responsible for creating performance standards for owners and operators of power grids and other systems if none exist.
Industry would have to decide how best to meet the performance standards in addition to doing annual self-reporting to DHS. Those that submit annual reports and meet performance standards would receive liability protection from punitive damages in the event of a cyber attack.
Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., cosponsored the bill.
State’s chief security official to head DHS cyber division
January 13th, 2012 | Cybersecurity Homeland Security Information Technology State | Posted by Nicole Johnson
The State Department’s top security chief is leaving his post to oversee a newly created cybersecurity division at the Department of Homeland Security.
John Streufert will replace Nicole Dean as director of DHS’ National Cyber Security Division on Jan. 17, where he will be tasked to build and maintain an “effective cyberspace response system” and implement a program for protecting critical infrastructure, DHS’ Roberta Stempfley said in an email Friday to employees within the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications. Streufert will also work to strengthen DHS’ partnerships with the private sector and international organizations.
“Although Nicole is leaving rather large shoes to fill, there is no doubt that John’s range of experience will also bring vast knowledge and innovation to the NCSD organization,” Stempfley said in the email.
The move comes as the administration works to strengthen DHS’ role in cybersecurity. Under the White House cybersecurity proposal, DHS would have the lead in protecting dot-gov domains and be a key liaison with the private sector. The proposal would also require critical infrastructure firms to adhere to cybersecurity guidelines created by industry and approved by DHS.
DHS will also play a major role in the administration’s Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) by coordinating automated continuous monitoring of industry cloud solutions.
Streufert’s success in improving cybersecurity at State makes him an ideal candidate for the director position. He has served as the department’s chief information security officer and deputy chief information officer for information assurance since 2006. He reduced security vulnerabilities on the department’s personal computers and servers by about 90 percent between 2008 and 2009 by using continuous monitoring software.
Layoffs may hit Toon Town: Senators go after DHS mascots
October 25th, 2011 | Congress Homeland Security Uncategorized | Posted by Andy Medici
You know things are getting bad when even fictional jobs are no longer safe.
Congress was given until Oct. 14 to make recommendations to the Super Committee tasked with finding at least 1.2 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. What Congress sent their way was a veritable cornucopia of suggestions ranging from cuts to the federal workforce to opening up federal land to oil drilling.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia offered a wide array of possible spending cuts – including a cartoon mountain lion family.
The mountain lions are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s effort to reach out to kids through its Ready.Gov/kids website and are supposed to teach children about disaster preparedness. Here they are, in all their mountain lion-y greatness. (Which can be found at www.fema.gov/ready)
Rex the dad is an explorer who loves taking his family on adventures. Purrcilla is the energetic and wise mom. And Rory is the strong-willed daughter who loves helping her parents plan for the family's many adventures.
Johnson said consolidating all the mascots and child outreach programs under one roof would save $2.6 million over 10 years in development costs. It also marks Herman the Crab, the “Disaster Twins,” and the U.S. Fire Administration’s Marty and his turtle friend Jett for elimination.
This isn’t the first time these mascots have been targeted. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., first proposed the cut in July.
However, a perusal of the FEMA site shows no mention of the Disaster Twins, who have apparently starred in several comic books but have apparently vanished from the “What to do in a hurricane” genre.
And FEMA’s response to all this? According to a spokesman, the website ready.gov/kids was launched in 2006 and “since that time minimal resources have been expended to maintain each effort. ” But that the agency is consolidating all of its kids web-based content because “there is value in saving and reducing the duplication of effort.”
So there may be some mascots looking for work in the near future. Maybe all of you can figure out a better mascot than the mountain lion family or what the out of work mascots can do once they are out of a job…
DHS fills high-level cybersecurity position
October 20th, 2011 | Cybersecurity Homeland Security | Posted by Nicole Johnson
The Department of Homeland Security has named Mark Weatherford its new deputy under secretary for cybersecurity at the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD).
Weatherford served as vice president and chief security officer for the nonprofit organization North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and as a former Naval cryptologic officer, according to a DHS blog post.
At DHS, Weatherford will be the first to work in the new under secretary position. Starting next month, he will be responsible for “ensuring robust cybersecurity operations and communications resilience” at DHS.
Greg Schaffer has served as acting deputy under secretary for cybersecurity for the past five months. Schaffer will resume his position as assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, and Bobbie Stempfley will return to her post as the office’s deputy assistant secretary. Click here for a NPPD organizational chart.
Weatherford isn’t the only new addition to the NPPD. Suzanne Spaulding recently replaced Philip Reitinger as deputy under secretary. Reitinger, who left DHS this summer, has since been named chief information security officer at Sony.
MSPB won’t reconsider air marshal whistleblower’s firing
September 12th, 2011 | Homeland Security | Posted by Stephen Losey
The Merit Systems Protection Board will not rethink its 2009 decision upholding a whistleblower’s firing, even though the Office of Special Counsel said it poses “a substantial risk of chilling would-be whistleblowers.”
Former Air Marshal Robert MacLean in 2003 told the press that the Federal Air Marshals Service was pulling marshals from cross-country flights (because it couldn’t afford hotel rooms), at a time when the nation was on alert for hijackings. The Transportation Security Administration fired him in 2006, and MacLean says they retroactively designated the information he revealed as sensitive security information to justify his firing.
MSPB in 2009 upheld a court decision that backed TSA, but last month the Office of Special Counsel asked MSPB to reconsider. MacLean told Federal Times that MSPB called his attorney Sept. 6 and said it would not overturn its decision. MSPB confirmed to Federal Times it would not reopen the MacLean case, and said it sent his attorney a letter Aug. 31 that said its regulations don’t allow it to reconsider its rulings.
Despite this setback — the latest in a string of them — MacLean said he’s not giving up. He plans to file an appeal with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals by Sept. 23.
UPDATE: MSPB points out that to be precise, it has decided not to review its July 2011 decision, which denied MacLean’s petition to review its previous 2009 decision that upheld his firing. Which still effectively means MSPB isn’t going to revisit the 2009 decision. MSPB also says it hasn’t issued a formal response to the OSC’s motion in this case.
Tags: MSPB, Office of Special Counsel, Robert MacLean, whistleblowers
New agreement intended to foster more cooperation on customs corruption probes
August 15th, 2011 | Homeland Security | Posted by Sean Reilly
This just in: The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have worked out an agreement aimed at fostering more teamwork in corruption probes.
Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding, CBP internal affairs investigators will be detailed to work with the inspector general’s office on investigations of customs employees. The arrangement will give the IG more resources, while Customs and Border Patrol managers will use the information gleaned by its investigators for “immediate oversight” of the employees under scrutiny, according to a Monday news release from the inspector general’s office.
Turf tensions between the two agencies within the Homeland Security Department have been a source of concern on Capitol Hill, leading Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., to touch on the subject in a June hearing. A Pryor spokeswoman could not be reached for comment on the new agreement this afternoon. A decision on whether to release the actual memorandum has not yet been made, a IG spokeswoman said.
Tags: Customs and Border Patrol. Mark Pryor, Homeland Security inspector general
Federal Protective Service having trouble with its move to NPPD
August 15th, 2011 | Homeland Security Transition | Posted by Andy Medici
The Federal Protective Service is having problems moving all of its services from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to its new home at the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite an original deadline of Oct. 2010, FPS has only transferred 13 of 18 support services, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Aug. 15.
As the report details:
For example, while functions such as human capital and budget formulation have been transferred, information technology (IT) services, business continuity and emergency preparedness, facilities, personnel security, and equal employment opportunity have not…DHS also developed a detailed schedule to manage the transfer of IT services, as called for in the transition plan. However, GAO’s analysis of the schedule found that it did not reflect GAO’s best practices for scheduling such as capturing, sequencing, and assigning resources to all activities necessary to accomplish the work.
The GAO said DHS had estimated it would cost $6.2 million to complete the IT transition, but that the estimate was based on incomplete data and not on best practices. GAO recommended better cost-estimation practices and more complete and accurate data about the ongoing transfer to NPPD.