The Secretary issued the following statement this afternoon on the tragic aircraft collision last night:

"My thoughts and prayers, along with those of the entire Department of Homeland Security, are with the men, women and families of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps today. We are providing every available resource to fully support the multi-agency search effort underway to locate survivors of this devastating accident. As we hope for the best, we are reminded of the danger and personal risk that the courageous men and women of the Department of Homeland Security and our Armed Forces confront everyday in order to ensure the safety, security and resilience of our great nation."

(File Photo) A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft, similar to the one involved in a collision with a Marine AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter, Oct. 30, 2009, is pictured in this Coast Guard file photo. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Cindy Beckert.

The lines between communications technology and information technology (IT) are getting blurrier every day. Chances are that the cell phone you carry around can do a lot more than just make a phone call. It almost certainly has the capability to send a text message; it probably surfs the web; and it can likely pinpoint your location via GPS to get you to the nearest Starbucks.

So as various communications and information technologies become more interdependent, so too does the infrastructure that supports those technologies. Telecommunications networks, cell phone towers, and control centers are just some of the cyber assets that are becoming more and more interwoven everyday.

It’s DHS’ responsibility to coordinate with the private sector, which in large part owns and operates these increasingly seamless networks and systems. We took a big step today toward making sure that we can fulfill our role of being a good partner in the event of a disaster – be it natural or manmade.

This morning, Secretary Napolitano cut the ribbon on the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center (NCCIC). The NCCIC (which we say N-Kick) is a new 24-hour watch and warning center that consolidates many of the Department’s cyber and communications operations centers that respond to emergency incidents.

The NCCIC co-locates the missions and functions of several of the Department’s most important cybersecurity facilities, such as the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), the National Coordinating Center (NCC) and the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) – and ultimately our private sector partners. This groundbreaking center is the result of collaboration of a Joint Industry-Government Tiger Team, the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, and the Government Accountability Office.

The result is one solution: a unified operations center. The NCCIC will help the department detect, prevent, respond, and mitigate disruptions of voice and cyber communications technologies.

That cell phone relies on more technology and networking than ever before. We’re working every day to keep it safe.

To learn more about the DHS’s cybersecurity efforts, visit www.dhs.gov/cyber.

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune, on the new disaster recovery web site:

Got a few thoughts on how to create a better national strategy for
long-term disaster recovery? The Obama administration's new Long-Term Disaster Recovery Working Group wants to hear them, and on Wednesday, the working group's leaders, Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, launched a new Web site to solicit suggestions from state and local partners and the public.

The site, DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov, adorned with photos of President Obama's Oct. 15 town hall at the University of New Orleans, provides a 16-part online questionnaire that begins: "How would you define a successful disaster recovery?"

It also includes such questions as: "What unmet needs are common to most disasters that do not seem to be adequately addressed under the current systems and programs?" and "What are best practices for integrating mitigation and resilience into recovery?"

The purpose of the questionnaire, according to a statement from Donovan's office, is to make it easy for people to "submit ideas for disaster recovery; articulate objectives for recovery assistance going forward; identify examples of best practices; raise challenges and obstacles to success; and share thoughts, experiences and lessons learned."

From AFP, on Secretary Napolitano's trip to Europe and the Middle East:

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel next week to Europe and the Middle East for talks with her counterparts on fighting terrorism and other global security concerns.

Napolitano, the top US official tasked with keeping America safe from terrorism and other domestic threats, will travel to Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom from November 2-8, on her third visit to Europe, according to a press release.

Napolitano will meet in Belgium with members of the European Parliament and with Belgian officials on combating crime and terrorism while protecting civil liberties. She also planned to meet with World Customs Organization Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya on international efforts to crack down on smuggling and strengthen cargo screening.

From the Detroit News, on the creation of a new task force to combat cross-border crime:

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unveiled today a 50-member task force comprised of federal, state, local and Canadian agencies designed to combat cross-border crimes.

The Border Enforcement Security Task Force, or BEST, will focus on national security and terrorist threats, human smuggling and trafficking, contraband smuggling, money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, transnational gang activities and other criminal acts. The team, which is the third along the northern border, covers 721 miles. The initiative will be housed in the federal building downtown.

"For those who are involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking or selling firearms, the international border really doesn't exist," said Terrence Berg, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan."They operate across the border bringing in drugs to the U.S. and importing firearms, and this is a continuing problem. It's very rare to have this kind of cooperation, especially at the international level to have all of these agencies working together."

Leadership Events:
10 AM EDT
Secretary Janet Napolitano will deliver remarks and participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the grand opening of the NCCIC
1110 N Glebe Road
Arlington, Va.

Public Events:
8:30 AM EDT
NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver remarks about National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the importance of cybersecurity as a shared responsibility at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce meetingU.S. Chamber of CommerceHerman Lay Room
1615 H Street, NW
Washington, D.C.

8:35 AM EDT
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alexander Garza will deliver remarks about national health security at the Institute of Medicine workshop entitled, “Preparedness Response Capabilities in the National Health Security Strategy”
National Academy of Sciences Main Building, Lecture Room
2101 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

President Obama signed an executive order earlier this month instructing all federal agencies to develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by year 2020. The Department of Homeland Security is already a leader in this area, thanks in part to our Efficiency Review that Secretary Napolitano launched in March to make the Department a leaner, smarter agency better equipped to protect the nation.

As part of the Efficiency Review, the Department is already taking important steps to build a green culture. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is configuring its computers to automatically shut down or stand by when they are not being used. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will use solar power to reduce energy usage at its new border patrol station in El Paso. And the new Coast Guard headquarters will be LEED-certified and incorporate a number of innovative, environmentally friendly design features.

There's no doubt there are many more ideas out there.

The President's GreenGov Challenge is a great way to help us find and implement them - at the Department of Homeland Security and across the federal government. Please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/GreenGov to submit your ideas or vote on the most promising submissions by this Saturday, October 31st. Your voice will make a major difference in creating a more efficient and sustainable federal government.

Chris Cummiskey
Chief of Staff, Management Directorate

Last week, the Secretary delivered remarks via webcast to talk with the American public about cybersecurity, and to answer the public’s questions on the topic. We received many more questions than the Secretary had time for that morning, but she wanted to make sure we answered as many possible.

So today, Secretary Napolitano sat down to do just that. Check out the Secretary's video below.

From Homeland Security Today, on the construction of the new DHS headquarters:

Upwards of 1,000 people descended on the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Monday to get a first glimpse of the government‘s plans to transform the 157-year old St. Elizabeth‘s mental institution into the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters.

Officials hope the vast new complex will infuse the neighboring Congress Heights area with much-needed economic vitality, while finally consolidating DHS‘s 22 member agencies and departments (about 14,000 employees), which are now flung across 48 locations and in some 100 different buildings.

"We‘re scattered to the four winds. We are trying to harness this, trying to make it a single focus," said Donald Bathurst, DHS‘s Chief Administrative Officer. "It‘s a tremendous opportunity for us to have a campus that will help us focus on our mission."

From the Associated Press, on checkmate for Customs and Border Protection at the Philadelphia airport:

A calculated move to inspect a heavy chessboard paid off for customs officers at Philadelphia International Airport. Federal officials seized more than two pounds of hashish and more than half an ounce of marijuana hidden inside the wooden game board.

Agency spokesman Steve Sapp says the hash was shipped from Tanzania but he declined to say where it was headed. Officials estimated the drugs' street value at about $30,000.

From Federal Computer Week, on the construction of a new cybersecurity center outside Salt Lake City:

The federal government will spend an estimated $1.5 billion to build a new data center in Utah to support intelligence and defense agencies' cybersecurity programs, according to state and federal officials.The National Security Agency will run the center that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said would cost $1.5 billion to build and employ 4,000 to 5,000 people statewide.

The facility will be built at the Utah National Guard's Camp Williams, near Salt Lake City. Glenn Gaffney, deputy director of national intelligence for collection, announced the project Oct. 23 in Utah and he was joined by elected officials from the state.

"The new data center we are announcing today will support the intelligence community's mission in providing foreign intelligence about cybersecurity threats," Gaffney said.

Leadership Events:
2:30 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about cybersecurity at the Meridian Conference.
The Fairfax Hotel
2100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

Public Events:
9:45 AM EDT
NPPD Under Secretary Rand Beers will deliver opening remarks about collaborative global government cybersecurity efforts at the Meridian Conference.
The Fairfax Hotel
2100 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

11:30 AM EDT
CBP Chief Patrol Agent Randy Hill will speak about interagency collaboration on the Southwest border at the IDGA Fifth Annual Border Management Summit.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

11 AM CDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas will participate in a media availability about his vision for the agency and current initiatives.
USCIS District Office
101 West Congress Parkway
Chicago, Ill.

12 PM EDT
CBP Chief Patrol Agent Mike Fisher will speak about U.S. Border Patrol challenges and requirements at the IDGA Fifth Annual Border Management Summit.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

1 PM EDT
NPPD National Cybersecurity Division Acting Director Dr. Peter Fonash will deliver remarks about the shared responsibility of secure cyber practices at the Washtenaw County Internet Safety Awareness Month Event.
1300 Campus Parkway
Saline, Mich.

1:45 PM EDT
CBP Chief Patrol Agents Joseph Mellia and Randy Gallegos will participate in a panel discussion about U.S. Border Patrol challenges and requirements at the Northern border at the IDGA Fifth Annual Border Management Summit.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

2 PM EDT
NPPD Regional Communications Coordinator Joanne Sechrest will deliver remarks at the New Jersey Health Care Association Conference.
Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel.
Atlantic City, N.J.

Cross-posted from The White House Blog.

During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month I have discussed the types of cyber threats that we face and some of the basic steps that all computer users can take to better protect themselves. This week, I’d like to address another important dimension of this shared responsibility – the role of America’s small businesses.

As the President said in his remarks for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the cyber threat has become one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. America’s competitiveness and our economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on effective cybersecurity. This is especially true for the millions of small businesses that form the backbone of our economy. For this reason, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce recently released a guidebook, Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals, on cybersecurity fundamentals for small business owners. A video related to the guidebook is provided below.

View the video

As the guidebook states, “in the United States, the number of small businesses totals to over 95% of all businesses. The small business community produces around 50% of our nation’s Gross National Product (GNP) and creates around 50% of all new jobs in our country. Small businesses, therefore, are a very important part of our nation’s economy.”

However, these small businesses often do not have sufficient resources to effectively secure their cyber infrastructure. Criminals recognize this, and small businesses are more and more often becoming targets of cyber crime. The NIST guidebook helps to mitigate these risks by providing small business owners with detailed (but easy-to-understand) instructions on how to improve their cybersecurity posture.

The guidebook is divided into three sections: absolutely necessary cybersecurity practices, highly recommended practices, and other planning considerations. It includes instructions on topics such as activating and installing firewalls, securing wireless access points, and conducting online banking more securely. I recommend all business owners read this guidebook. Home users may also find many of the cybersecurity instructions useful.

To learn more about cybersecurity tips please also visit www.onguardonline.gov and www.dhs.gov/cyber.

John Brennan is Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

From the Brownsville Herald, on the seizure of $52k of marijuana:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested an Arizona man accused of attempting to drive into Mexico an automobile with more than $52,000 in marijuana, said an agency press release.

James Edward Williams, 22, was arrested Sunday afternoon by CBP at Veteran's International Bridge and later charged with possession of marijuana by Cameron County Sheriff's Department because the seizure didn't meet the threshold for federal prosecution, court documents show.

The arrest took place when Williams drove a white Ford Taurus through the bridge's southbound lane and was referred to a secondary inspection area, CBP said. A drug detecting canine was used by CBP officers to confirm the presence of narcotics in a duffel bag stored in the car's trunk; after an inspection, officers found five packages weighing more than 52 pounds of marijuana, documents show.

From the New York Times, on HINI vaccinations:

New York City's health commissioner said on Monday that the city was going ahead with the first stage of its plan to vaccinate schoolchildren. School nurses will begin giving free vaccinations on Wednesday at 125 small public elementary schools, all with fewer than 400 students, said the commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley.

"We have 40,000 doses set aside for the first wave of schools, which we feel should be adequate," Dr. Farley said.

Leadership Events:
8:30 AM PDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks via live remote feed highlighting National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the importance of cybersecurity as a shared responsibility with the National Defense Industrial Association-San Diego (NDIA-SD) Cyber Symposium
Bahia Hotel and Resort.
998 West Mission Bay Drive
San Diego, Calif.

Public Events:
8:30 AM EDT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine Assistant Commissioner Major General (Ret) Michael Kostelnik will deliver remarks about the use of “Predator B” unmanned aerial vehicles in maritime surveillance strategies at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) Maritime Surveillance Latin American Summit.
Hyatt Regency
400 2nd Avenue SE
Miami, Fla.

8:45 AM LOCAL
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Control Systems Security Program Director Sean McGurk will deliver remarks about control systems and threats to control systems at the 2009 European Community Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Process Control Summit.
Hilton Stockholm
Slussen Guldgränd 8
Stockholm, Sweden

9:20 AM EDT
CBP Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Program Office Director Colleen Manaher will speak about the successful implementation of WHTI at the IDGA Fifth Annual Border Management Summit.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) National Preparedness Directorate Deputy Administrator Tim Manning will testify about measuring the impact of FEMA preparedness grants before the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response.
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

1:15 PM LOCAL
NPPD Control Systems Security Program Director Marty Edwards will deliver remarks about controls systems at test beds and assessment of vendor vulnerabilities at the 2009 European Community SCADA and Process Control Summit.
Hilton Stockholm
Slussen Guldgränd 8
Stockholm, Sweden

2 PM EDT
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alexander Garza, FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center Director Marcy Forman will testify about the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology.
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

2 PM EDT
Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Acting Under Secretary Brad Buswell will testify about developing research priorities at S&T before the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.
2321 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

3 PM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Under Secretary Rand Beers will participate in a question and answer session about the U.S. government’s response to cybersecurity threats at the Madison Policy Forum on Cybersecurity.
The Waldorf Astoria Duke of Windsor
Room 100 East 50th Street
New York, N.Y.

We're all used to the blue bins, the green bins – you know the ones with holes exactly as big as a soda can, encouraging you to recycle rather than tossing it into the local landfill, where it would spend the next 200-500 years ever-so-slowly decomposing.

We hear it all the time: Everyone can do their part to make their homes and offices more sustainable. So recycle that can, think of the environment before printing an email, and turn your computer and lights off when you leave the office – trust me, it doesn’t make your boss think you’re still there – or finish up in the kitchen at night.

There's a bigger question here, though. What can government do? How do we make enterprise-wide changes that will conserve energy, recycle goods, and make our facilities and resources more sustainable as we plan for the future? Well, we can start by setting an example.

Last week, the President signed an Executive Order on federal sustainability. The order commits the federal government and its employees to "lead by example" - furthering a culture of sustainability by:

• establishing real greenhouse gas emission reduction targets;
• increasing energy efficiency;
• reducing vehicle fleet gas consumption;
• conserving water and reducing waste;
• and leveraging the government's purchasing power to promote more environmentally-conscience products and technologies.

So where do we begin? This week, The White House launched the GreenGov Challenge - a call to action for federal employees to get involved and submit their best ideas to make our government more sustainable. Employees can submit ideas online and vote on others. The challenge began on October 19th, and continues through the end of the month; employees can head over to the White House's site to get started. Now, while only federal employees may submit ideas, the American public is welcome to log on to view and monitor all the contributions as they are submitted.

So if you're a federal employee, get involved. We need every good idea to make this a success. Those green and blue bins are just a start.

From Federal Computer Week, about Secretary Napolitano’s speech on Cybersecurity Month:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has gone online to urge private persons to help bolster the country's cybersecurity.

During a speech broadcast on the Homeland Security Department's Web site Oct. 20, Napolitano described computer security as a major scientific and technical challenge with great economic and national security implications. She said everyday people - not just the government - share the responsibility for cybersecurity.

"It's an opportunity for you as an individual to personally to contribute to our national security," Napolitano said. "Securing your home computer helps you and your family - it also helps your nation in some very important ways."

Napolitano said people should:

Install and activate firewalls for their computers and Internet connection.

Ensure that anti-virus and anti-spyware is installed and up-to-date.

Check computer settings to make sure operating systems and applications are automatically patched.

Avoid suspect Web sites, downloading suspicious documents or attachments, or opening e-mail messages from unknown persons.

Perform regular back ups.

Use strong passwords.

Educate children.

From the Washington Times, on the H1N1 vaccine:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Wednesday morning acknowledged a delay in the distribution of H1N1 vaccine but said the program should be back on schedule around December.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wanted to have 40 million doses shipped by the end of October, but will have roughly 28 million to 30 million.

Ms. Napolitano told CNN before testifying on Capitol Hill that the problem was a manufacturing delay, not a shortage.

"There will be a vaccine for everybody who wants it," she said.

From SC Magazine, on Philip Reitinger's attendance at the RSA Conference in England:

International collaboration and recruitment of experienced people is needed to win the battle against cybercrime.

Speaking at the RSA Conference Europe, the US department of homeland security(DHS) deputy undersecretary of the national protection and programs directorate Philip Reitinger, claimed that the right people are working on battling cybercrime but it needs to be vastly increased.

Reitinger said: “We need developers who work through university who learn to write code. We need to have ethically sound people, people who have a mind for the criminal, make sure that people are used to people's business but have to have the public's interest at heart.

“They need to have a blackhat perspective, and need to do threat modelling. Understanding weaknesses to do a good job of security systems. I think we are trying to invest in the right way.”

From KXO-AM El Centro, CA,on a drug seizure at the Andrade port of entry:

More than 29 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $1 million was seized Tuesday night at the Andrade port of entry.

A drug detection dog assigned to the Yuma Sector Border Patrol alerted to a California registered SUV as it attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Andrade port of entry. Further inspection of the vehicle led to the discovery of a compartment below the floorboards. 29.7 pounds of cocaine was found found hidden in the compartment. The vehicle , drugs and 26-year old woman driver of the SUV were all turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations Deputy Assistant Director Janice Ayala and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Cargo and Conveyance Security Executive Director Todd Owen will testify about cargo threats at land ports of entry before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

From SC Magazine, on the Secretary's cyber address:

In a live web address Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among consumers, the private sector and government, but a cabinet-level position dedicated to technology and cybersecurity is not needed.

During her speech, Napolitano reiterated statements made by President Obama in May, that the nation's digital networks are a strategic asset and that "cyberspace is real and so are the risks that come with it."

Addressing and mitigating cyberthreats is an urgent national security priority, she said. But cybersecurity is not the responsibility of one person or group since no one person is in charge of the internet. Cybersecurity, rather, is a responsibility that everyone must take on.

"Just as with our nation's preparedness for natural disasters or terrorist attacks, our nation's cybersecurity is a shared responsibility," Napolitano said.

During a short question-and-answer session during her web address, Napolitano was asked whether she thinks technology and cybersecurity should have a place in the president's cabinet.

From GovInfoSecurity, on the Secretary's remarks regarding the department's new hiring authority:

Sounding a lot like Uncle Sam recruiting soldiers for the Army, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in a webcast Tuesday pitched a career as a cyber professional at DHS, with the call "your nation needs you."

Napolitano, the highest ranking and most visible champion of cybersecurity in the Obama administration, reminded her web audience that DHS has been given expedited hiring authority to bring aboard 1,000 skilled IT security experts over the next three years. "And here is our message to those professionals and future-professionals: Not only does DHS want you, your nation needs you. We need our best and brightest, our finest computer scientists and engineers, mathematicians and innovative thinkers."

From the Corpus Christi Caller Times, on Texas-size pot bust:

More than 11,700 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $9.3 million was seized by border patrol in eight unrelated cases.

The most significant was Saturday morning at the checkpoint south of Falfurrias, where agents discovered 366 bundles of marijuana weighing 8,451 pounds hidden inside a vacuum tanker.Thursday, agents found 117 bundles, with a total weight of 2,972 pounds, inside moving boxes in a tractor-trailer.

Leadership Events
9:30 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will testify about monitoring the nation’s response to H1N1 before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

4 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about her broad agenda and major responsibilities for DHS
The George Washington University Law School
Room LL101
2000 H Street NW
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
8 AM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks about the importance of social media for effective governance at the Military Communications Conference 2009
Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center
1 Seaport Lane
Boston Mass.

11 AM Local
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver keynote remarks at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Conference
RUSI
Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET

12:45 PM EDT
NPPD Under Secretary Rand Beers will deliver the keynote address at the Homeland Security Investor Conference
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
1150 22nd Street NW
Washington, D.C.

Earlier today, I addressed a live web audience to talk about our nation’s shared responsibility for our cybersecurity. President Obama has been speaking regularly on this important issue, and has described the growing number of attacks on our networks as “one of the most serious economic and national security threats our nation faces.”

My remarks today were a chance to speak clearly and candidly about what cybersecurity really means for our nation, and to expand on the shared responsibility we all have for online security. You can view the remarks below.







The full transcript is also available.

As I mention in my remarks, you can read more about our Department’s cyber efforts, and find cyber security job opportunities at DHS.Gov/Cyber. We plan to host more online events like this in the future, and will in the coming days post answers to many of the excellent questions that viewers submitted during the address.

Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano

UPDATE: Oct. 23rd, 11:15 a.m. The full video of the live stream has been posted on our Leadership Journal.

UPDATE: 1 :30 p.m. We will be posting the taped video of the Secretary's remarks later today. Thanks to everyone for your participation and for the terrific questions.
________

Head over to our LIVE page now to watch Secretary Napolitano deliver remarks on cybersecurity.

You can also submit questions for the Secretary during her address.

From the Boston Globe, about the appointment of the deputy administrator of FEMA:

Richard Serino, the longtime chief of Boston Emergency Medical Services, was officially sworn in yesterday as deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the agency's number two post.

Serino, 55, was nominated to the position in July by President Obama and will serve during a critical time for the country's homeland security operations. In his new role, he will help design emergency response plans for major cities across the country and manage responses to disasters, ranging from hurricanes to terrorist attacks.

From the Miami Herald, about the first doses of the H1N1 vaccine in Florida:

Eight-year-old Bryan Lechuga was unimpressed when the nurse pushed the syringe up his nose to deliver one of South Florida's first doses of vaccine against H1N1 swine flu on Monday.

Did the dose, delivered as a mist,
hurt?'

'No.''

Did it tickle?`

'No.''

Does he know what swine flu is?'

'No.''

His mom knew, however, as did the moms of more than 50 students who showed up at Broadmoor Elementary in Miami-Dade County and at six public schools in Broward on Monday for the first day of vaccinations of the newly arrived H1N1 vaccine.

School-age children will get most of the first shipment of vaccines in South Florida, and remaining doses will go to private physicians and federal and county health clinics for those who are most at risk: pregnant women; caretakers of infants under 5 months of age; young people 2 to 24; people 25 to 64 who have chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes; and healthcare workers, emergency personnel and other first responders.

Secretary's Events
11 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver a special Web-only address about cybersecurity via live streaming video at www.dhs.gov

Public Events
2 PM EDT
FEMA National Preparedness Directorate Deputy Administrator Timothy Manning will testify about caring for the elderly, children and individuals with special needs before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC

So here's a first...

Tune in tomorrow to dhs.gov at 11:00 AM EDT for an exclusive live address from Secretary Napolitano on cybersecurity. We will broadcast her remarks at dhs.gov, and you can submit a question for the Secretary to answer during her address.

The Secretary will talk about our shared responsibility for staying safe online, and the department's leadership role in cybersecurity.

Check it out tomorrow at 11:00 AM EDT.

From PC World, on a message from President Obama on cybersecurity:

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Americans to help guard against cyberattacks in a first-of-its-kind video published on the White House Web site.

"Our digital networks are critical to our national security, our military superiority and public safety. But that dependence also makes us vulnerable to cyberattack from those who would do us harm," Obama said in the video.

He called the threat of cyberattacks one of the most serious economic and national security challenges faced by the U.S., and urged businesses and individuals to take greater care online.

Obama said he will "soon" appoint a cybersecurity coordinator to lead a new government office responsible for making sure that defending the country's networks becomes a national security priority.

From the Long Beach Press-Telegram, on a big marijuana seizure in Mission Viejo:

More than $500,000 worth of marijuana was seized on Interstate 5 in Mission Viejo and a driver from Mexico was arrested, the U.S. Border Patrol announced today.

The 839.52 pounds of marijuana affected the way the 2002 Toyota Sequoia sport utility vehicle was handling, drawing the attention of Border Patrol agents, an agency official said.

Agents first spotted the vehicle northbound on the freeway near San Clemente, the official said.

The agents stopped the vehicle about 2 p.m. in Mission Viejo near the Oso Parkway exit. The agents could see large bundles of marijuana as they approached the car, the official said.

From the Associated Press, on a new cyber-crime task force in Missouri:

The Secret Service launched a new task force Friday aimed at bolstering efforts to stop cyber-crime in St. Louis and eastern Missouri.

More than 100 people, mostly law enforcement officials, attended a meeting to launch the Gateway Electronic Crimes Task Force.

The Secret Service office in St. Louis will oversee the task force, one of nearly 30 around the country.

John Large of the Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division said cyber-crime has grown far beyond the days when teenage hackers would break into a system just to see if they could do it. Today, organized criminal groups are breaking into financial systems. And many of the criminals are based overseas.

Public Events
10:30 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will swear in Richard Serino as FEMA Deputy Administrator
The Great Hall
2nd Floor, Faneuil Hall
Congress Street at North Street
Boston, Mass.

11:00 AM CDT
Acting Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Bart R. Johnson will participate in a panel discussion about information and intelligence sharing at the GEOINT 2009 Symposium
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Ballroom A
200 East Market Street
San Antonio, Texas

3:30 PM CDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a public meeting of the Ocean Policy Task Force
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas & Entergy IMAX Theater
1 Canal Street
New Orleans, La.

The redesigned site provides easier access to and expanded information about current disasters, preparedness, and a Spanish-language version of FEMA’s National Emergency Family Registry and Locator systems at www.disasterassistance.gov/espanol – a site to help family members locate each other during a crisis.

We spent September talking about what to do before something happens. Now we need to ask the question, “¿Estan Preparados?”

Check out the new site, and tell your friends and loved ones.

From the Los Angeles Times, on Secretary Napolitano’s visit to the Cyber Crimes Center:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano got a firsthand look Tuesday at how her agency, which defends the nation's physical borders, also guards a volatile virtual frontier: cyberspace.

Napolitano visited the Cyber Crimes Center, which is operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a discreet office building in suburban Virginia. Known as C3, the 12-year-old unit has a staff of 35 who use their computer expertise to assist investigations of complex international crimes, especially those that victimize children.

"Cyber can be awfully abstract, but the Internet has become the new medium by which crimes are committed -- child pornography, sex tourism, exploitation," Napolitano said.

The visit was part of Napolitano's effort to promote her department's designation of October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The Homeland Security Department has been working to boost resources and expertise in response to a surge in Internet crime.

From the Brownsville Herald, on Customs and Border Protection on a CBP seizure at the border:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a man and a woman from Matamoros after they tried to drive a car with more than $400,000 in cocaine hidden inside, officials said.

Jesus Antonio Orozco, 22, and Gabriela Nazareth Montalvo, 18, were arrested Monday afternoon at B&M International Bridge, said A CBP press release.

On Tuesday morning, Orozco and Montalvo went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio, who ordered they be held without bond and remanded them to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The arrests took place after a white 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Orozco was sent to a secondary inspection area, records show.

CBP officers noted discrepancies on the walls of the vehicle and five packages containing 13 pounds of cocaine were hidden inside, the release said.

Public Events

10 AM EDT
Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will join FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Transportation Security Administration Acting Assistant Secretary Gale Rossides, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief David Aguilar and U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan to testify about diversity at DHS before the House Committee on Homeland Security
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
NPPD Director for Software Assurance Joe Jarzombek will deliver remarks about secure coding at the SC World Congress and Expo
Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
811 7th Avenue
New York, N.Y.

10 AM CDT
CBP Associate Chief Alan Langford, Sector Chief Randy Hill and Patrol Agent in Charge David Lamascus will participate in a media availability to officially unveil Uvalde Border Patrol Station’s new all-weather checkpoint
Uvalde Checkpoint
U.S. Highway 90, 9 miles west of Uvalde
Uvalde, Texas

9 AM PDT
NPPD Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications Gregory Schaffer will deliver remarks highlighting National Cybersecurity Awareness Month at the “Cyber Security West: Our Shared Responsibility” conference
Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel1230 J StreetCamellia/Gardenia RoomSacramento, Calif.

Secretary Napolitano appeared on ABC’s The View and the Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart yesterday, where she discussed H1N1, preparedness, and a number of other topics.

Cross-posted from the White House Blog

In my last blog post, I linked to President Obama’s proclamation announcing the start of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This week, I would like to discuss in more detail the cyber threats that we are facing as a Nation and as individuals. A key theme for this month is that cybersecurity is "our shared responsibility." Each one of us must take the time to increase our awareness of the cyber risks that are present every time we turn on our computers.

Just the other day, the media was breaking a story about the latest generation of malicious software designed to steal money from bank accounts. This "bank Trojan," called URLzone provides a sophisticated interface for managing theft from numerous accounts and deceives the account owner with false statements.

For years, research institutions have noted a steady increase in number of malicious programs that are being used to exploit the vulnerabilities of our computers. A vast percentage of all e-mail is spam, which tries to lure us into downloading software, visiting an infected website or social networking account, or even making a phone call in order to get us to reveal information useful for identity theft or to steal money. Many of these malicious actors are now sending out fake emails from the Internal Revenue Service.

Sophisticated cyber criminals are bypassing individual computer users and are attacking financial institutions. To them, the motivation is simple. Why steal one bank account record when you can steal millions? Fortunately, our law enforcement agencies have had some remarkable successes against key groups responsible for cyber attacks. Just last week, nearly 100 people were arrested in the United States and Egypt on charges of computer fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identify theft. Last month the U.S. Government convicted the individual responsible for the theft and sale of more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers from numerous U.S. retailers with losses of more than $21 billion. You can learn more about federal law enforcement efforts in combating cyber crime here, here, and here.

And then there are the botnets, which are large numbers of compromised computers that are controlled remotely by criminals or other malicious actors. Some computer experts have estimated that one quarter of all personal computers are part of a botnet. The Conficker worm has been around for about a year and has managed to spread into millions of machines through network connections and portable media such as thumb drives. These botnets appear to be used primarily for supporting criminal activities such as spam, but we worry that such large botnets could be used to launch unprecedented denial-of-service attacks against banking, government, or other important websites.

As you can see, the cyber threat is quite real. Every day dozens of Federal departments and agencies work with their industry partners to help mitigate these threats. And while we have made great strides thwarting the efforts of cyber criminals, more needs to be done. Next week, I will write more about the basic cybersecurity tips that every computer user should know and adopt.

John Brennan is Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

From NPR, on an interview with ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton:

The way this country detains illegal immigrants is about to change dramatically - at least if the Obama administration follows through on a proposed overhaul unveiled this week. The man responsible for making it happen: John Morton, the assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security. He tells host Guy Raz that the system has exploded in size and become too dependent on private contractors.

GUY RAZ, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Guy Raz. This hour, stories of immigrants and the debate over how those who come in illegally are treated when they're caught.

This week, the Obama administration announced its intention to overhaul the way illegal immigrants are detained in our nation's prison system. About 400,000 people are detained each year for violating immigration law; many of them nonviolent offenders. The Department of Homeland Security released a report this week that describes a costly and wasteful penal system filled with people who pose little or no risk to the general population.

Well, the man charged with fixing that system is John Morton. He is assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security.

Secretary Morton, welcome.

From the Los Angeles Times, on a visit to the Transportation Security Laboratory:

Eight years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the front line in America's war on terrorism runs through a little-known federal laboratory where engineer Nelson

Carey holds what appears to be a bratwurst in a bun.

"This is a Semtex sausage," said Carey, as he pinched the pink plastic explosive long favored by terrorist groups.

On his table lies a green Teletubby doll stuffed with C-4 military explosives, a leather sandal with a high-explosive shoe insert, an Entenmann's cake covered in an explosive compound that looks like white frosting, and other deadly devices Carey and his colleagues have built. None have detonators, so they are safe.

"We let our imaginations go wild," Carey said. "The types of improvised explosive devices are endless."So are possible solutions, at least in theory. That's where the Transportation Security Laboratory comes in. Scientists here dream up ways an enemy might slip a weapon or a bomb onto a plane, and then try to build defenses to detect or counter the danger.

The work is part cutting-edge science, part Maxwell Smart.

Staffers have experimented by exploding more than 200 bombs on junked jetliners. They also have filled a warehouse with nearly 10,000 lost or abandoned suitcases and other packed luggage.

From the Los Angeles Times, on the challenges faced by the Coast Guard in the arctic:

Most days in Nome, you're not likely to run into anybody you didn't see at the Breakers Bar on Friday night. More than 500 roadless miles from Anchorage, rugged tundra and frigid Bering Sea waters have a way of discouraging visitors.

So it was a big deal when the World, a 644-foot residential cruise ship with condos costing several million dollars apiece, dropped anchor during the summer for a two-day look-see.

"We never had a ship anywhere near this size before," Chamber of Commerce director Mitch Erickson said. "My guess is they've probably been everywhere else in the world, and now they're going to the places most people haven't seen yet."

That's about to change.

The record shrinking of the polar ice cap is turning the forbidding waters at the top of the world into important new shipping routes.

Four other cruise ships also docked in Nome recently. The Coast Guard deployed its first small Arctic patrol vessels last year. Fleets of research vessels steamed north all summer, while ships surveying the vast oil and gas deposits under the Arctic seabed have talked of using Nome as a base.

Public Events
1:30 PM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) National Communications System Regional Communications Coordinator Stephen Weinert will deliver remarks at the Michigan Emergency Management Conference
100 Grand Traverse Village Boulevard
Acme, Mich.

From the New York Times, on vaccinations for H1N1:

The age group most likely to become infected with swine flu - students from elementary and high school - is the group that did the worst in having seasonal flu shots last year, according to data released Thursday by federal health
officials.

Only about 21 percent of children ages 5 to 17 received flu shots last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 41 percent of infants, 32 percent of adults at risk of complications and 67 percent of the elderly.

From the Seattle Post Intelligencer, on a drug seizure at the Seattle-Tacoma airport:

Authorities at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport seized 24 pounds of cocaine and arrested three suspects late last week, according to the Port of Seattle, which called the bust the airport's largest drug seizure ever.

In a statement, a port spokesman said Transportation Security Administration workers found an 11-pound bag of cocaine in the checked luggage of a passenger bound for Alaska. After finding the bag's owner at a departure gate, port police determined that he was traveling with two companions and, assisted by police canine Lilly, found two other checked bags with more cocaine, the port said.

Public Events
12:15 PM CDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas will participate in a media availability about his vision for the agency and current initiatives
USCIS District Office
2424 Edenborn Ave.
Metairie, La.

From the Brownsville Herald, on a thwarted smuggling attempt:

U. S Border Patrol agents have arrested a man and a juvenile accused of smuggling a group of 12 undocumented immigrants across the Rio Grande.

Antonio Davila Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested early Sunday morning near the levee by Impala Road in the Southmost area, court records show.

On Monday morning Davila went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan, who set his bond at $25,000 cash and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The arrest took place after Border Patrol camera operators alerted field agents to a group of 14 individuals crossing the river in an area near Veteran's International Bridge, records show.

Agents responded to the area and caught up with the group north of the river levee a few yards from Impala Road, USBP said.

From WBOY-TV, on a DHS effort to coordinate training at the local level:

In this scenerio, a terror suspect has anthrax that could be released at the Charleston Civic Center during an event. Charleston Police and the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department are working together to get rid of the threat. These types of exercises are a sobering reminder that thousands of lives hang in the balance during terrorist acts.

"Even our first day of training this week it was a wake-up call for a lot of us. We know without a doubt if something happens here, even our life ur lives are going to be on the line," says Lieutenant Sean Crosier of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.

"It's a scary thing, but it's something we have to deal with to protect the public," says Lieutenant Preston Hickman of the Charleston Police Department.Organizers hope the training keeps law enforcement on their toes at all times regarding potential terrorist threats, because they point out it could happen anywhere and at any time.

"When people don't see something like that on a regular scale, you tend to get complacent and don't think it's going to come," says Christian Fernley, the training coordinator fo the Department of Homeland Security.

No public events scheduled today

From the Los Angeles Times, on yesterday's detention reforms announcement:

Nonviolent immigrant detainees could be held in converted hotels, nursing homes or placed in electronic ankle bracelets for monitoring as part of a series of reforms planned for the nation's detention system, Department of Homeland Security officials said Tuesday.

The moves would help overhaul a system that houses an average of 32,000 detainees every day across the country and has been criticized as having unsafe and inhumane conditions. Some of the detainees include women and children.

"This is a system that encompasses many different types of detainees, not all of whom need to be held in prison-like circumstances or jail-like circumstances, which not only may be unnecessary but more expensive," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

The department plans to build two detention centers, including one in California. Napolitano said some detainees had violent pasts and needed to be securely detained, but others were asylum-seekers with no records and should be held at facilities "commensurate with the risks that they present."

From Bloomberg News, on the President's remarks yesterday at the National Counterterrorism Center:

President Barack Obama said the U.S. is making "real progress" in the battle against al-Qaeda and other extremists as he addressed workers at the National Counterterrorism Center today in suburban Washington.

"Few Americans know about the work you do, and this is how it should be," Obama said at the center in McLean, Virginia. "Today I want every American to know about the difference you've made."

Obama said counterintelligence efforts by the center helped lead to the arrest of Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan man who lived in New York and Denver and is charged with plotting to detonate explosives in the U.S. He received bomb-making instructions while in Pakistan, where he attended an al-Qaeda training camp, according to a federal indictment.

Al-Qaeda continues to target the U.S. from Pakistan, Africa and Southeast Asia, Obama said. The coordination of anti- terrorism efforts at the center is critical to blunting that threat, he said.

"Every agency, every department, every branch, every level - one team, one mission, that's how we're going to prevail in this fight and that's how were going to protect this country that we all love," Obama said.

From the Chicago Daily Herald, on a new baggage system for O'Hare International Airport:

O'Hare International Airport has been awarded a $13.6 million grant by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for security improvements.

The funding will be dedicated to the construction of a new inline baggage handling system designed to strengthen security at the bustling airport.

"Bringing in new equipment will help improve the safety and efficiency of traveling through our nation's airports," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, said in announcing the funding.

According to DHS, inline baggage handling systems use state-of-the-art technology to screen baggage for explosives quickly while streamlining the ticketing and boarding process.

Public Events
9 AM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate Control Systems Security Program Director Sean McGurk will deliver remarks about security issues facing critical infrastructure control systems at the International Society of Automation Expo
Reliant Center
One Reliant Park
Houston, Texas

2 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Kevin Cook and Captain David Stalfort will testify about the National Maritime Center and maritime credentialing before the House Committee on Transportation, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

From the New York Times, on an interview with the Secretary about detention reforms:

The Obama administration is looking to convert hotels and nursing homes into immigration detention centers and to build two model detention centers from scratch as it tries to transform the way the government holds people it is seeking to deport.

These and other initiatives, described in an interview on Monday by Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, are part of the administration's effort to revamp the much-criticized detention system, even as it expands the enforcement programs that send most people accused of immigration violations to jails and private prisons. The cost, she said, would be covered by greater efficiencies in the detention and removal system, which costs $2.4 billion annually to operate and holds about 380,000 people a year.

"The paradigm was wrong," Ms. Napolitano said of the nation's patchwork of rented jail space, which has more than tripled in size since 1995, largely through Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts for cells more restrictive, and expensive, than required for a population that is largely not dangerous. Among those in detention on Sept. 1, 51 percent were considered felons, and of those, 11 percent had committed violent crimes.

"Serious felons deserve to be in the prison model," Ms. Napolitano said, "but there are others. There are women. There are children."

These and other nonviolent people should be sorted and detained or supervised in ways appropriate to their level of danger or flight risk, she said. Her goal, she said, is "to make immigration detention more cohesive, accountable and relevant to the entire spectrum of detainees we are dealing with."

From KUSA-TV, on a new terrorism prevention video:

A new video released Monday teaches Coloradans how to recognize eight signs of terrorism, including suspects testing security, acquiring supplies and rehearsing terrorism plots.

The video was co-produced by the nonprofit Center for Empowered Living and Learning (the CELL) in Denver and the Governor's Office of Homeland Security.

They created it over the last four months using a $30,000 federal grant.

It is narrated by former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and 9NEWS Anchor Kim Christiansen.

"Eight years after 9/11, it's important to remember that the United States is not immune from terror attacks," Governor Bill Ritter said.

"The video will help empower citizens with the knowledge they need to protect our communities, our state, our nation."

Ritter and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano released the new video after touring the CELL Monday afternoon.

"Unfortunately, the world we live in today, everyone has to assume the threat of terrorism is anywhere," Napolitano said. "It's New York City, it could also be Denver."

Napolitano says attacks across the world show the battle against terrorism is a shared responsibility.

From KNXV-TV, on the Deputy Secretary's meeting with Mexican officials on H1N1:

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute joined her Mexican and Canadian counterparts in Mexico City Monday to discuss continued coordination in dealing with the spread of the H1N1 flu.

According to a DHS press release issued Monday, the meetings focused on the further development of efforts to inform and educate the public in preparation for the fall H1N1 season.

"The shared responsibility to respond to the H1N1 pandemic requires close coordination with our Mexican and Canadian allies," said Deputy Secretary Lute.

The Mexican delegation was led by Health Ministry Deputy Secretary of Prevention and Promotion of Health Mauricio Hern?ndez, while Canada's delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Health Morris Rosenberg.

Leadership Events
Secretary Napolitano and ICE Assistant Secretary Morton will announce new immigration detention reforms and participate in a media availability
ICE Headquarters
Myers Conference Room
500 12th Street SW
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton will testify about human rights violators before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law
226 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

So yes, September is over. And as the leaves change and the pumpkin patches are stocked up, you'd probably expect us to stop talking about National Preparedness Month. I mean, after all, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, right?

Well, preparedness is a subject that we at the department care a lot about. The Secretary has outlined it as one of the department's five responsibilities, and we've even got an entire month on the calendar devoted to it.

So, as we ask you to stand up and ask "What's Our Plan?", the Secretary thought it important to lead by example. The Secretary and her senior staff participated in a Red Cross preparedness training a while back, and we've got some video from that day to share with you. As Americans, we must count on each other to be ready for whatever comes our way. It's our shared responsibility, and the American way of life depends on each of us doing our part to be ready for a hurricane, a tornado, an earthquake, or something man made. Take a look at the video below, and you can visit the American Red Cross for more information on setting up a training for your school, church, or place of business.

From the Associated Press, on cybersecurity:

When swine flu broke out, the government revved up a massive information campaign centered on three words: Wash your hands. The Obama administration now wants to convey similarly clear and concise guidance about one of the biggest national security threats in your home and office - the computer.

Think before you click. Know who's on the other side of that instant message. What you say or do in cyberspace stays in cyberspace - for many to see, steal and use against you or your government.

The Internet, said former national intelligence director Michael McConnell, "is the soft underbelly" of the U.S. today. Speaking at a new cybersecurity exhibit at the International Spy Museum in Washington, McConnell said the Internet has "introduced a level of vulnerability that is unprecedented."

The Pentagon's computer systems are probed 360 million times a day, and one prominent power company has acknowledged that its networks see up to 70,000 scans a day, according to cybersecurity expert James Lewis.

From CNN, on continued relief and recovery efforts in American Samoa:

Five days after a deadly earthquake and tsunami slammed into the Samoan Islands, burying parts of the islands under a sea of mud and debris, U.S. agencies continued Saturday helping residents dig out and providing relief to disaster victims.

About 300 responders are on the ground in American Samoa, including personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American

Red Cross, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to those agencies. The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy are continuing transport of supplies to the territory, including meals, water, blankets, tents and medical supplies.

"In addition to our efforts in support of the governor of American Samoa, we recognize the significant impact of current disasters in other Pacific regions, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in a press release Saturday from FEMA's Washington headquarters.

More than 165 people were killed in the powerful 8.0-magnitude quake and deadly tsunami that struck the Samoan Islands -- including the independent nation of Samoa and the U.S. territory of American Samoa -- on Tuesday. The death toll in American Samoa stood at 22.

From Bloomberg News, on the H1N1 vaccine:

The first doses of swine flu vaccine will reach U.S. doctors next week as the country's biggest influenza prevention program seeks to curb the earliest flu season in at least four decades.

About 600,000 tubes of AstraZeneca Plc's nasal spray vaccine will arrive Oct. 6, with shots coming later in the week totaling 6 to 7 million doses, said Bill Hall, spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department, in an interview yesterday. About 40 to 50 million vaccines will be ready to ship in the following week.

The yearly flu season officially starts tomorrow, though the new pandemic virus already is spreading widely in most U.S. states, according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first vaccines will be aimed at health-care workers, children, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions that put them at risk for complications. Most adults, including the elderly, should wait until additional supplies arrive, the CDC said.

Leadership Events
10:30 AM MDT
Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Mueller will each deliver remarks
International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver, Colo.

Public Events
11:15 AM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks about streamlining management in a crisis at the Excellence in Government Conference
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Atrium Hall
1300 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.

12:30 PM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate will join National Commission on Children and Disasters Chairman and Save the Children Vice President Mark K. Shriver to preview a report to President Barack Obama and Congress that proposes new strategies to meet the unique needs of children affected by disasters
National Press Club
529 14th Street NW
Washington, D.C.

We began the third and final national dialogue for the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review this week. This dialogue is the culmination of an extensive stakeholder outreach effort that began in June with Secretary Napolitano’s outreach to homeland security stakeholder associations and two previous national dialogues.

During the previous two dialogues, we asked stakeholders to review, rate, and discuss the concepts, ideas, and draft recommendations developed by our six study groups. In the second national dialogue, over 11,000 stakeholders viewed study group proposals, and offered more than 400 unique ideas, over 2,000 comments, and over 4,000 ratings. These stakeholders came from across the entire homeland security enterprise, all 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, and more than 2,000 U.S. Cities. Stakeholders have offered insightful comments about critical concepts such as resiliency, achieving balance between security and the facilitation of trade and legal immigration, individual, community, and family preparedness, and the need to develop working relationships and partnerships. This extensive stakeholder feedback, along with insights from our DHS study group members, interagency partners and key Association stakeholders, has continued to inform the work of our study groups.

The third dialogue, which ends on October 4, presents the final study group proposals, including the vision, goals, objectives, and key strategic outcomes from the mission studies as well as the path forward for the Homeland Security National Risk Assessment Study Group. We are seeking your input on the strategic approaches proposed by the study groups, the implications of these proposed strategic approaches, and the proposed strategic outcomes.

Your input will help inform the final review and decision-making on the QHSR study group proposals. Join the conversation at www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org.

Alan

Alan D. Cohn is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (Strategic Plans)

From the Associated Press, on the department’s new authority to hire more cybersecurity experts :

The Obama administration has given a green light to the Homeland Security Department to be more competitive and choosey as it hires up to 1,000 new cyber experts over the next three years, the first major personnel move to fulfill its vow to bolster security of the nation's computer networks.

The announcement follows a wave of cyber attacks on federal agencies, including a July assault that knocked government Web sites off the Internet and earlier intrusions into the country's electrical grid.Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who made the announcement on Thursday, said the hiring plan reflects the Obama administration's commitment to improving cyber security. The move gives DHS officials far greater flexibility to hire whom they want, outside of more stringent federal guidelines. And it will also allow more latitude in pay.

As a result, Napolitano told an audience of cyber industry professionals, the new rules "will allow us to be competitive with you all" in luring quality applicants.

From USA Today, on the H1N1 vaccine:

Vaccine for the H1N1 flu will begin arriving in the nation's hospitals, clinics and schools as early as Tuesday, the start of an effort to protect Americans against a swine flu virus that emerged this past spring and quickly circled the globe.

Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the effort ushers in a "challenging few weeks" for health officials.

That's an understatement.

In a task worthy of a deadly serious video game, state health departments have to organize thousands of workers at 90,000 sites nationwide to administer as many as 250 million doses in three to four months, making sure the people at greatest risk from swine flu - such as pregnant women, young children and health care workers - are first in line.

On top of the logistics, health officials have to convince a somewhat skeptical public that swine flu vaccinations are necessary.

And they've got it do it in the midst of vaccinating the public for seasonal flu, which by itself claims 36,000 lives across the USA each year.

"We're looking at vaccinating as many people as we can in as short a period as we can," Frieden says. "There are enormous logistical challenges."

From AFP, on US aid teams to American Samoa:

US disaster assistance teams helping in the recovery effort on tsunami-devastated American Samoa were providing critically needed aid including emergency power and medical supplies, a top aid official said Thursday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Craig Fugate said two disaster recovery teams arrived Wednesday and that initial assistance carried on through the night into Thursday on the small South Pacific island.

"We have over 140 people on the ground... coordinating and supporting the government's emergency response," including members of the US Coast Guard, the Hawaii National Guard and FEMA, Fugate told reporters on a conference call.

He said the US agencies had begun distributing food and water, power generators, medical supplies and other emergency aid.

Public Events
10:15 AM EDT
NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver remarks about cyber security threats at the launch of the "Weapons of Mass Disruption Gallery Exhibit"
International Spy MuseumUltra Room – 2nd Floor of Museum Complex
800 F Street NW
Washington, D.C.