Opinion: September 2008 Archives

The Space Foundation has published a white paper "ITAR and the U.S. Space Industry." The paper examines the effect of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which govern the export of space technology, click here...

Why does this matter to SF Bay InfraGard?  The bay area continues to be one of the major developers of both commercial and military space technology.  The ITAR regulations directly impact the operations of not only companies like Lockheed Martin and Loral but many of the large and small high tech companies in the region who have dual-use technologies.

Wired article reports that fear of a terrorism could create a mass outbreak of a psychosomatic illness -- even in the absence of any real attack -- -- creating a fake epidemic that could overwhelm hospitals attempting to treat real victims.  To read more, click here...

The Homeland Security Department has been designated to lead the largely classified government wide Comprehensive Cybersecurity Initiative, signed into law by President Bush in January 2008.

To read more, click here...

Other opinions ... 

Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency says DHS should not oversee cybersecurity, click here...

Analysis: An end to DHS' cyber role?  Click here...

GAO Report - DHS Needs to Better Address Its Cybersecurity Responsibilities / Testimony
Before the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives / September 16, 2008

The Department of Justice is "harmonizing" several sets of Attorney General guidelines to produce a consolidated set of guidelines governing domestic FBI operations that is transparent and as consistent as possible between criminal and national security investigations and foreign intelligence collection.

To read the US DOJ background briefing transcript on the "Consolidated Attorney General Guidelines", click here...

Proposed new FBI rules draw civil liberties worries ... to read this article on Reuters on-line, click here...

This recent report from the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) concludes that a large number of organizations lack effective preparedness programs to respond to and recovery from a crisis.

The authors argue that there is direct relationship between population and hazards such that as population increases, the number of hazards proportionately increases. "Consequently, the crises ahead are increasing both in complexity and frequency; yet, levels of crises readiness among organizations remains low and poorly understood."

To read this report, click here...

How lessons from the US governments response to pirates in the early 1800's can help the next President of the United States improve information security.  To read this article, click here...