Four Key Questions Greet Dhs In 2006
The future of many IT programs in 2006 will be affected by four major policy questions: How strong a border do we want, how much information sharing is necessary and worthwhile, how big can a database be before it becomes Big Brother, and who is in charge of protecting critical infrastructure?
Information sharing is one of the main goals for The Department of Homeland Security, but it has been one of the hardest goals to reach. The Homeland Security Information Network has been functioning for several months now, but there are some concerns that communications are not really beneficial for all parties.
Many law enforcement information-sharing networks have members who say they are not actively using the links with DHS, which may suggest more focused goals in information sharing are needed for the new year.
DHS issued its copy of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan in November 2005, detailing a framework for 17 critical infrastructure sectors, including power, water, food, financial services and IT, to evaluate their vulnerabilities and to implement protections against terrorists.
It has been four years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but it is unknown who will pay for and who will control protection of resources such as food, water, power, and computer systems.
“No risk and vulnerability assessments [have been] actually made; no national priorities established; no recommendations made on allocation of scarce resources,” according to the Public Discourse Project report of December 2005. “All key decisions are at least a year away. It is time that we stop talking about setting priorities, and actually set some.”
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Washington Technology (01/16/06) Vol. 21, No. 1, P. 16; Lipowicz, Alice .