DHS News Releases Feed

Readout of Secretary Napolitano’s Visit to New York

ann.poritzky — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:11:13 +0000

Release Date:

June 14, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

NEW YORK—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to New York where she met with business community leaders to discuss the need for commonsense immigration reform, which is critical to our nation’s economic health and prosperity.

“Over the past few months, I have heard from many business leaders about how critical immigration is to businesses. We all recognize our current immigration system is broken—it isn’t working for businesses, workers, or our economy—and we all agree that it is time to fix it,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We need a 21st century immigration system—one that helps businesses continue to grow our economy.”

During the meeting with leaders from the business community, Secretary Napolitano discussed the need for critical changes to the legal immigration in order to help business grow our economy by providing the skilled workers this country needs.

Secretary Napolitano also highlighted this Administration’s dedication of historic levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border, noting that while challenges will always remain, every metric used to measure border security shows significant progress and improved quality of life in border communities. Commonsense immigration reform will build on this historic progress, enhancing border security, facilitating lawful trade and travel, reuniting families and promoting economic growth.

While in New York, Secretary Napolitano also joined Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to tour the ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts, in response to Hurricane Sandy.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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Review Date:

June 14, 2013

Written testimony of DHS OPA for a House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency hearing titled “Why Can't DHS Better Communicate with the American People?”

erik.bugler — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Release Date:

June 14, 2013

311 Cannon House Office Building

Introduction

Good Morning, Chairman Duncan and Members of the Subcommittee:

My name is Robert Jensen and I am the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Public Affairs. In this role I support the department’s efforts to communicate our policies and programs to the American people and our many partners across the public and private sectors, and I support senior leadership communication across DHS.

Prior to this position, I served as Acting Director of External Affairs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and also as its Deputy Director. I have held a variety of public affairs-related positions throughout my 29 years of federal service, including Director for Public Affairs and Communications at the National Security Council; Director for Communications Operations for Iraq and Afghanistan and Director of the Iraq Communications Desk at the Department of Defense; Director of National Media Outreach and Senior Communications Advisor for the Multi-National Force-Iraq; and Acting Spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

In addition to serving two years in Iraq, I also deployed to set-up and support U.S. government communications during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the Joint Information Center after the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, and I served as External Affairs Operations Director for more than 30 major disasters, including Hurricane Ike in 2009 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

DHS Office of Public Affairs

The DHS Office of Public Affairs is responsible for the oversight and management of all external and internal communications for the department, including communications during major incidents that range from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, mass casualty shootings, and other threats or hazards impacting the United States.

The Office of Public Affairs provides timely, accurate information to a wide range of stakeholders, including the American public, media, federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government partners, the private sector, and the Department’s more than 240,000 employees. We work directly with offices across the department to coordinate public affairs outreach and messaging, including the Office of the Secretary, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of Legislative Affairs, and the Private Sector Office.

In addition, the Office of Public Affairs provides strategic guidance and support to more than a dozen DHS component public affairs offices, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, and FEMA, among others. Through regular interaction with these offices, we ensure consistent, coordinated communications procedures and outreach.

We take our communications responsibilities very seriously. Communicating timely, accurate information to the public supports cooperation with security measures and keeps our constituencies informed of changes or requirements with departmental programs and policies. An engaged and vigilant public also remains critical to our efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The public is often the first to recognize an emerging threat in communities and notify the appropriate authorities.

Timely, accurate communications outreach also directly supports effective disaster preparedness and response activities. By providing information to the public on appropriate steps to take before, during, and after disasters, we can often lessen their impact, build more ready and resilient communities, and save lives. Effective communications also help maintain public confidence in the Department’s activities and promote transparency in how taxpayer resources are being put to use.

DHS Communications Tools

The Office of Public Affairs uses a variety of means to communicate the department’s programs, policies, and procedures to the American people and our partners.

The DHS Press Office is the primary point of contact for news media seeking information about DHS. The function of the office is proactive in pushing out stories and policies about DHS, and reactive in responding to media inquiries pertaining to activities of the department. The Press Office coordinates media relations and serves as the spokespersons for the Secretary, senior leadership, and the department. In addition, the office is responsible for identifying and executing strategic, proactive media opportunities. Press Office staff also coordinate TV, radio, print and new media (blogs, podcasts) opportunities for DHS principals and provide general communications counsel and support to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and other DHS leadership.

The DHS Office of Strategic Communications provides overall management for implementation of communications plans related to DHS programs and policies, rules and regulations – including branding initiatives – and complex domestic and international issues requiring outreach and public education. The Office of Strategic Communications also coordinates and supports public appearances by DHS officials, including the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and other senior leadership. Through the DHS Speaker’s bureau, we ensure departmental representatives with the appropriate level of subject matter expertise appear on the Department’s behalf at public events, conferences, and stakeholder engagement.

The DHS Office of Multimedia serves as the Department’s official point of contact for entertainment-oriented motion picture, television, advertising, video, and multimedia productions or enterprises. The Multimedia office ensures that DHS speaks with one voice in working with the industry and provides formal support to multimedia production sources to ensure that DHS missions, personnel, and services are truthfully and accurately represented.

DHS Web Communications streamlines access to DHS services online and executes a cohesive strategy for web-content management and web-hosting services for all DHS public-facing websites. The Department maintains a very active online presence, leveraging a variety of digital tools to reach our audiences. This includes the DHS website (www.dhs.gov) and extensive use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

In April 2013, the DHS website had more than 1.28 million visits and more than 1 million unique visitors. We currently have approximately 211,000 Twitter followers and more than 72,000 Facebook fans. We regularly leverage these outlets to promote DHS initiatives and programs, provide information regarding our mission and the missions of DHS components, and to communicate directly to the public during incidents. Information provided through DHS social media channels is often shared broadly by federal, state, and local government and law enforcement agencies, as well as ordinary citizens, further amplifying DHS outreach efforts.

The Office of Public Affairs also plays an active role in communicating with the Department’s employees. Our Internal Communications team coordinates, integrates, and synchronizes employee communications efforts, ensuring key policy, procedural, and operational information from DHS headquarters is disseminated to all 240,000 of the Department’s employees.

The Office of Public Affairs works closely with DHS component agencies and program offices to organize in-person or video teleconference employee town hall meetings, facilitates employee engagement with DHS leadership, and leads the department-wide Internal Communications Committee to promote a shared internal communication vision and develop products that can serve as tools for all internal communicators. The Office of Public Affairs also actively supports and updates the DHS intranet – DHS Connect – an internal web-based portal that provides a range of information and resources to DHS employees and enables them to access their respective component intranets.

Key Outreach Programs

“If You See Something, Say Something^™" Campaign

Homeland security begins with hometown security. An informed, alert public is vital to our efforts to protect our communities, and DHS has continued our nationwide expansion of the “If You See Something, Say Something^™” public awareness campaign, which encourages the American public to contact local law enforcement if they see something that is a potentially suspicious behavior or activity, such as an unattended backpack. The campaign was originally used by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which licensed the use of the slogan to DHS for terrorism and terrorism-related crime awareness efforts. “If You See Something, Say Something ^™” is a Department-wide initiative that is managed by the Office of Public Affairs.

To date, DHS has expanded the campaign to states, cities, 9,000 Federal buildings across the United States, transportation systems, universities and institutes of higher education, professional and amateur sports leagues and teams, entertainment venues, some of the Nation’s largest retailers, as well as local law enforcement. Most recently, DHS has partnered with sports leagues such as the National Football League, Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Hockey League, NASCAR, U.S. Golf, and the U.S. Tennis Association, to promote public awareness of potential indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime at sporting events. To this end, the “If You See Something, Say Something^™” campaign is now a regular fixture at the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star game, and other major sporting events.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs), including a Spanish language version, also have been distributed to television and radio stations across the country to promote the campaign’s messages. We will continue to expand the campaign in the coming months and years to additional partners.

Ready.Gov and National Preparedness Month

Launched in February 2003, Ready is a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to get the public involved and ultimately to increase the level of basic preparedness across our nation.

Ready and its Spanish language version, Listo, ask individuals, businesses, families, and children to do three key things: (1) build an emergency supply kit, (2) make a family emergency plan and (3) be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses.

The campaign’s messages have been distributed through television, radio, print, outdoor and Web (PSAs) developed and produced by The Advertising Council; brochures; the www.Ready.gov and www.Listo.gov Web sites; toll-free phone lines 1-800-BE-Ready and 1-888-SE-Listo; and partnerships with a wide variety of public and private sector organizations.

In addition to the Ready campaign, DHS also highlights emergency preparedness through National Preparedness Month (NPM), held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. In 2011, FEMA had a record number of nearly 9,000 NPM coalition members. By hosting events, promoting volunteer programs and sharing emergency preparedness information, coalition members help ensure that their communities are prepared for emergencies.

Stop.Think.Connect

The “Stop.Think.Connect. ^™” campaign is a national public awareness initiative designed to increase public understanding of cyber threats and how individual citizens can develop safer cyber habits that will protect themselves online and thus help make networks more secure. The campaign fulfills a key element of President Obama’s 2009 Cyberspace Policy Review, which tasked DHS with developing a public awareness campaign to inform Americans about ways to use technology safely.

“Stop.Think.Connect. ^™” includes cyber forums hosted in collaboration with the National Centers of Academic Excellence to bring together diverse groups of community, private and government participants for dialogues on cybersecurity issues; opportunities for members of the public to get involved by leading or hosting campaign activities; and a coalition for public and private sector organizations. As part of the campaign, DHS launched and maintains a “Stop.Think.Connect. ^™” website that provides a variety of free, downloadable resources and materials to help the public increase their safety and security online.

Each October, DHS also actively supports National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a coordinated effort between the department, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and the National Cyber Security Alliance to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and help Americans establish smart cyber habits that will lead to increased protection online.

DHS Incident Communications

The Office of Public Affairs has significant responsibilities in the event of a major domestic incident or crisis. The Secretary of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping the public informed during incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response. DHS coordinates Federal incident communications efforts, as stipulated in HSPD 5, with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other interagency partners, and supports the directly affected State(s), depending on the type of incident.

The DHS strategy synchronizes processes and information between a wide range of entities in order to inform the public and provide updates on the situation or on-going threats, and, when applicable, response and recovery activities. In response to a terrorist threat or incident, DHS also coordinates public messaging with the Department of Justice, FBI, and other departments and agencies to ensure the accuracy of information and that the messaging appropriately safeguards on-going law enforcement activity.

Building on lessons learned from the 9/11 attacks and subsequent major national incidents, the Federal Government and DHS developed incident communications procedures within the National Response Plan (NRP) and its successor, the National Response Framework (NRF), to coordinate jointly and communicate with the American public.

This interagency communications effort involves synchronization of two key elements: process and information coordination.

During an incident requiring a coordinated Federal response, our communications priorities are:

Lifesaving and life-sustaining communications, in coordination with the State and local authorities;
Timely and frequent information updates and public recommendations from the Secretary, Cabinet-members, and security officials;
Employment of risk communications and transparency to gain and maintain public confidence and trust; and
Where necessary or appropriate, engagement and integration of non-governmental organizations, faith-based communities, private sector, media, other communications platforms to support public communications and allay concerns or potential bias against ethnic minorities in the United States.

Federal Incident Communications Processes and Messaging

Pre-arranged interagency processes, pre-scripted messaging, and Federal standard operating procedures help support public communications response effort.

In 2008, DHS developed the first Domestic Communications Strategy, or DCS, to provide senior Federal communicators with public communications options for use during a domestic attack, serious threat, or other major incident. DHS also created Emergency Support Function 15 (ESF 15) for coordination of Federal external affairs within the overall NRF. ESF 15 brings unity of effort for Federal communicators during an incident requiring a coordinated Federal response. Once activated, ESF-15 provides the oversight and coordination for all Federal external affairs activities supporting an incident response in the field.

As part of this effort, DHS has developed pre-arranged communications protocols for information sharing and coordination with our key communications stakeholders and counterparts. These protocols are networks that form the backbone of our coordination efforts, and have been instrumental in achieving unity of effort during major domestic incidents and events. They provide the simplified means to coordinate with the right communicators at the right time.

We have three primary counterpart networks that include approximately 1,300 key communicators across the nation. The networks are:

The National Incident Communications Conference Line, or NICCL, which is used to coordinate communications with, the Federal Executive Branch interagency, the Capitol Police and Supreme Court, and directly affected State and local communicators;
The State Incident Communications Conference Line, or SICCL, which is used to share information with state and local communications counterparts; and
The Private Sector Communications Conference Line, or PICCL, which is used to share information with communicators for critical infrastructure or key resources.

These networks can be activated within minutes, subject to notification about an incident and determining there is a need for a call. They are also used to develop and distribute updated public information during an incident. The calls also help to coordinate or de-conflict activities by determining the following:

Basic information on the incident and situation;
Lead communications roles and authority, e.g., Federal or state and local;
Communications plans and coordination actions in the hours and days following the incident; and
Communications and public information activities.

Since 2003, DHS has conducted nearly 450 NICCL calls with our federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to coordinate communications outreach in response to national incidents or events. The first use of the NICCL occurred in February 2003 – one month before DHS became fully operational – in response to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. This marked the first use of an incident communications conference line strategy by the department. Since that time, the NICCL has been activated for a range of incidents, including the 2006 aviation security threat involving liquid explosives, the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, the “miracle on the Hudson” aviation water landing, the Christmas Day bomb plot on Northwest Flight #253, the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the 2010 Times Square plot, other security incidents, and a host of floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

In addition to these communications networks, DHS has developed supporting capabilities and planning resources for use during major incidents. For example, in major incidents or when required by the volume of communications, DHS can activate the National Joint Information Center or NJIC, a capability located within DHS headquarters that includes participants physically present as well as those connected through virtual means, such as conference lines. The NJIC is a flexible resource that can incorporate any communicator to support an incident, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Through experience, we also know that communications activities in the first hours and follow-on phases of an attack or incident cannot be focused solely on the affected locations or attack sites. In security incidents or threats, we often say that “every incident can affect every state.” Therefore, authorities in other states and cities may need to take precautionary measures in another location. In such cases, the SICCL network and its ability to convey updates has proven extremely useful to our communications counterparts.

In addition, we fully recognize the significant effects of social media during a major incident. Twitter and other social media have the ability to widely communicate eyewitness accounts, accurate information, and rumors or misleading data. This will continue to present challenges and opportunities for communicators at all levels of government.

The Boston Marathon Attack

The attack in Boston on April 15, 2013 fully engaged the communications processes and capabilities DHS has put in place over the past ten years. Within minutes of notification of the attack, the Office of Public Affairs began mobilizing its resources and our Federal incident communications processes.

DHS activated the NJIC within minutes, convened a NICCL call shortly after 3 pm, and employed the DCS as our resource guide for communications options, including the sharing of key public information and updates.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, FBI Boston Field Office, Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office served as the lead on-scene communicators and participated in NICCL calls. These calls, which included the Federal interagency, provided participants with a coordinated communications path in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

From April 15 to 19, the Office of Public Affairs:

Conducted 3 NICCL calls with key Federal, state, and local communicators;
Distributed 19 communications and coordination advisories or updates to NICCL, SICCL, and PICCL counterparts; and
Conducted or supported approximately 80 percent of the options suggested in the Domestic Communications Strategy that applied to this particular situation.

Conclusion

Chairman Duncan and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Department’s public affairs activities. The DHS Office of Public Affairs is fully committed to communicating information to our many partners in a way that is timely, accurate, transparent, and helps maintain confidence in the Department’s work. I would be happy to answer your questions.

Review Date:

June 13, 2013

Written testimony of DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties for a House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency hearing titled “Why Can't DHS Better Communicate with the American People?”

erik.bugler — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Release Date:

June 14, 2013

311 Cannon House Office Building

Introduction

Chairman Duncan, Ranking Member Barber, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as the Acting Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) for the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At your request, my testimony will be about DHS’s engagement with diverse ethnic and religious communities.

Congress established the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, to, among other things, “assist the Secretary, directorates, and offices of the Department to develop, implement, and periodically review Department policies and procedures to ensure that the protection of civil rights and civil liberties is appropriately incorporated into Department programs and activities,” and to “review and assess information concerning abuses of civil rights, civil liberties, and profiling on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion, by employees and officials of the Department.” 6 U.S.C. § 345(a). Both of these functions are improved by—even depend upon—our engagement with diverse communities.

Engaging communities – soliciting their views, explaining our policies, and seeking to address any complaints or grievances they may have – is a basic part of good and responsible government and is vital to the Department’s mission.

Our community engagement efforts build crucial channels of communication, educating us about the concerns of communities affected by DHS activities and giving those communities reliable information about policies and procedures. The Department builds trust by facilitating resolution of legitimate grievances, while reinforcing a sense of shared American identity and community, and demonstrating the collective ownership of the homeland security project. I thank you for the opportunity to share with you our work in this area.

The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) carries out four key functions to integrate civil rights and civil liberties into Department activities:

Advising Department leadership, personnel, and partners about civil rights and civil liberties issues, ensuring respect for civil rights and civil liberties in policy decisions and implementation of those decisions.
Communicating with individuals and communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by Department activities, informing them about policies and avenues of redress, and promoting appropriate attention within the Department to their experiences and concerns.
Investigating and resolving civil rights and civil liberties complaints filed by the public.
Leading the Department's equal employment opportunity programs and promoting personnel diversity and merit system principles.

Community Engagement

CRCL devotes substantial effort to engage with diverse ethnic and religious communities including American Arab, Muslim, Sikh, Southeast Asian, Latino, Jewish, South Asian and other including interfaith communities helping to ensure that all communities in this country are active participants in the homeland security effort. Many other DHS offices also conduct outreach to these communities. For example, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has held Naturalization Information Sessions in these communities, and has published its guide “Welcome to the United States” in fourteen languages, officials from the Office of Policy and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs have met repeatedly with members of these communities as well. However, CRCL is the Office within DHS that conducts the most extensive regular community engagement effort involving the many diverse communities across the nation through several types of regular events or programs: community leader roundtables; youth roundtables; subject-specific community town halls; and a rapid response communication network. CRCL has developed sophisticated mechanisms for engagement including many best practices to ensure productive communication and dialogue both with the community and within the federal government.

Roundtables: Over the past eight years, CRCL has established or managed regular community engagement roundtable meetings for community and government leaders in thirteen metropolitan areas across the country: Houston, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Columbus (Ohio), Seattle, Atlanta, Central Florida (Tampa), Denver, New York City, and Washington, D.C. In addition, CRCL has developed relationships with Somali American leaders in San Diego, and Lewiston (Maine), and includes them in the regular roundtables where possible and in bi-monthly community conference calls. .

These roundtable events include DHS components relevant to the issues placed on the agenda by our community partners, most often U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Government participation also includes U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state and local law enforcement, and other federal and local officials.

The roundtables cover a range of homeland security, civil rights, and other areas including rules governing remittances to foreign relatives; immigration and naturalization policies; access to information about basic government services in different languages; roles and responsibilities of law enforcement; detention of national security suspects; how government can work with communities to promote civic engagement; services for newly-arrived refugees; crime prevention; how communities can work with government to counter violent extremism; protection of civil rights in employment, voting, housing, and other areas; prosecution of hate crimes; and border searches among others.

The meetings provide opportunities for community leaders to set the agenda, learn about significant government policies, as well as to raise specific issues of concern in a format that emphasizes accountability for answers—the government participants will be back again the following quarter or communicate in the interim. For our engagement efforts to be sustainable, it is important that the grievances of these communities be heard by policy decision makers, so we collect inquiries and issues from the communities and encourage participation of senior Department leadership, and CRCL keeps them apprised of the impact of DHS policy and operations.

An example is our engagement efforts related to DHS immigration and border security policies. We hold quarterly meetings with a broad-based non-governmental organization (NGO) coalition of national civil rights and immigrant-rights organizations; have established an inter-agency Immigrant Worker Roundtable to bring together DHS components, other federal agencies, and NGOs; and facilitate an immigration Incident Coordination Call, which provides immigrant community leaders with vital information about CBP and ICE enforcement posture during emergencies. In the past it has been used only to prevent loss of life by encouraging immigrant communities to evacuate dangerous areas during hurricanes by alleviating undue fear of enforcement.

We also participate in engagement activities of other DHS components; over the past several months, for example, my staff served as the designated facilitators for subject-specific stakeholder meetings about CBP’s Language Assistance Policies with local law enforcement agencies in the Pacific Northwest and spearheaded Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Community Engagement training for local law enforcement and diverse communities.

Youth roundtables: CRCL has hosted four “Roundtables on Security and Liberty” in Washington, D.C.; Houston; and Los Angeles to connect with 150 young leaders ages 18-25 from American Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities. These events offer opportunities for youth to share their thoughts with senior DHS leadership and for government officials to learn from a population whose perspectives are invaluable to homeland security efforts. Additionally, CRCL has hosted three similar youth town halls with Somali youth groups in Minneapolis and Columbus; events attended by the US Attorneys and coordinated with other federal, state, and local law enforcement and other officials.

Incident Community Coordination Team: Government contact with diverse community leaders in the hours and days after an incident can be extraordinarily helpful, because community leaders can calm tensions, share information with their communities, and perhaps assist law enforcement. Accordingly, my office has established the Incident Community Coordination Team (ICCT). This conference call mechanism connects federal officials with key leaders in the event of a situation in which contact would be productive. DHS participant components and offices include TSA, ICE, CBP, USCIS, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of Intelligence & Analysis. We are also joined when relevant by the White House Office of Public Engagement, the DOJ Civil Rights Division, the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and the Department of State, among others. Community participants include representatives of national organizations, community leaders from key cities, and religious and cultural scholars.

Our ICCT has been used eleven times since we established it in 2006, and has been an effective device in several ways:

It allows participating agencies to get community leaders the information they need in the aftermath of an incident. The information shared—which is not classified or restricted—is valuable because of its reliability and timeliness.
It gives community leaders a channel to speak to federal officials in a timely and effective way. They can share reactions to governmental policies or enforcement actions, and provide information about hate crimes that should be investigated, about the mood of communities in the aftermath of a homeland security incident and, possibly, about how the government might improve its effectiveness in investigating the incident.
It facilitates development of a common understanding about the messages that government and community leaders will send to these communities, the country, and the world.

The ICCT has convened following: the London arrests in August 2006, the Ft. Dix and JFK arrests in June 2007, the London and Glasgow terror attacks in late June 2007, the release of the National Intelligence Estimate in July of 2007, the Fort Hood shootings in November of 2009, and the December 25, 2009 Northwest Airlines bombing attempt. In 2011, the ICCT was activated to address the death of Osama Bin Laden and the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. In 2012, it was activated in the aftermath of the attack on the Sikh Gurdwara (Temple) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In 2013, it was activated twice in one week following the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks.

During the most recent ICCT calls for the Boston bombings, approximately 180 community stakeholders representing various organizations, faith-based groups and community affinities participated. Most community participants were from the Boston area, but many joined the call from elsewhere in the country to hear timely information from the U.S. Government and to provide information back from their communities.

The US Attorney from Boston, Carmen Ortiz, and officials from DHS, including from CBP, TSA, ICE HSI, ICE ERO, joined the call. Other officials from the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center, and elsewhere in the Administration also joined the call.

All government partners updated community participants on the nature of the ongoing investigation and also provided resources such as community hotline information and points of contact in case community members wished to report instances of retaliation or backlash violence in the wake of the Boston attack.

Community stakeholders engaged in a robust Q&A session asking questions about DHS' various alert mechanisms and offered feedback on how government and law enforcement agencies could better manage public messaging as events continue to unfold. Terminology and messaging was also a focus of the discussion.

CRCL has since received specific follow ups on this issue from community stakeholders in a number of cities nationwide and will have this topic on the agenda at all upcoming community engagement roundtables and other follow up meetings.

Facilitating Local Engagement

There are millions of American Arab, Muslim, Sikh, Southeast Asian, Latino, Jewish, South Asian and other including interfaith communities, living in thousands of towns and cities across the nation. By necessity, governmental engagement with these and other diverse communities has to be local.

CRCL conducts training for law enforcement personnel on cultural competency relating to diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religious practices. This kind of training is a precondition for honest communication and trust between officers and the communities they serve and protect. Topics include: misconceptions and stereotypes of Arab and Muslim cultures; diversity within Arab and Muslim communities; effective policing without the use of ethnic or racial profiling; and a best practices approach to community interaction and outreach. Much of this training is provided live, usually on-site, to federal, state, and local law enforcement officials around the country.

It is worth noting, in addition, that it is our community partners—reliably informed by engagement activities about government policy and practices, and consistently empowered by those same engagement activities to highlight for policymakers their experiences, concerns, and grievances and to obtain reasonable responses—who bear the responsibility to counter violent extremist ideologies that subvert their values and may pave a path for young people towards violence. Extremist beliefs, after all, are protected by the Constitution. Our proper sphere of concern and intervention is violence, not extremism.

Civil Liberties Engagement

As particular topics warrant civil liberties considerations, CRCL reaches out to obtain the views of leading civil liberties advocates. In particular, when a new DHS program, activity or policy change leads to concerns from the public on civil liberties, CRCL makes an effort to engage with its civil liberties partners for feedback. For example, CRCL has discussed its training for fusion center personnel and its recently published civil liberties impact assessment on the DHS support to fusion centers with civil liberties organizations. We participated in a forum on fusion centers hosted by the Constitution Project and invited the ACLU and the Constitution Project to address all fusion center privacy officers at a DHS led conference. CRCL and the DHS Privacy Office have recently begun bi-weekly Cybersecurty Engagement Meetings to discuss the new Cybersecurity Executive Order. On other topics, ranging from Unmanned Aerial Systems to border searches of electronic devices, CRCL has maintained an open door policy for discussing the concerns of civil liberties specialists.

Conclusion

DHS envisions a homeland that is safe, secure and resilient against terrorism and other hazards, and where American interests, aspirations, and way of life can thrive. The American way of life prominently includes our cherished civil rights and civil liberties. Even so, our Department—and the federal government as a whole—cannot possibly do all that needs to be done in this area of endeavor. States and local governments are beginning to become active in this area, and some are doing terrific work. We must promote more local efforts, by modeling constructive engagement; providing in-person and scalable training and training materials; coordinating community-oriented activities; and promulgating community engagement best practices. We need to ensure that our state, local, and tribal partners have the knowledge, methods, skills, and resources to productively engage their communities.

Frequent, responsive, and thoughtful engagement with diverse communities is an imperative of effective government. Such engagement gathers and shares information, builds trust, informs policy, and enables prompt response to legitimate grievances and needs.

Thank you, again, for the opportunity to testify today. I welcome your questions.

Review Date:

June 13, 2013

Statement by Acting Press Secretary Peter Boogaard on Secretary Napolitano's Upcoming Visit to New York

webteam.admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:58:47 +0000

Release Date:

June 13, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

“On June 14, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will travel to New York to meet with business community leaders and state and local officials to discuss the need for commonsense immigration reform, which is critical to our nation’s economic health and prosperity.

While in New York, Secretary Napolitano will join Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to meet with state and local officials and view the ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts, in response to Hurricane Sandy.”

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Review Date:

June 13, 2013

Written testimony of Acting Deputy Secretary Rand Beers for a Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing titled “Cybersecurity: Preparing for and responding to the enduring threat”

erik.bugler — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Release Date:

June 12, 2013

G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Introduction

Cyberspace is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. According to recent estimates, globally interconnected communications and information networks that operate in this space encompass more than two billion people with at least 12 billion computers and devices, including global positioning systems, mobile phones, satellites, data routers, ordinary desktop computers, and industrial control computers that run power plants, water systems, and more.

While this increased connectivity has led to significant transformations and advances across our country – and around the world – it also has increased the importance and complexity of our shared risk and requires a collaborative approach within government and between governments and the private sector. Our daily activities, economic vitality, and national security depend on the Nation’s ability to secure cyberspace. A vast array of interdependent information technology (IT) networks, systems, services, and resources are critical to communication, travel, powering our homes, running our economy, and obtaining government services. No country, industry, community or individual is immune to cyber risks. The word “cybersecurity” itself encompasses prevention, protection and resilience against a broad range of malicious activity from a variety of actors perpetrating denial of service attacks, targeting our financial system to steal millions of dollars, accessing valuable trade secrets, and intruding into government networks and systems that control our critical infrastructure.

Cyber attacks and intrusions can have very real consequences in the physical world. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the lead Federal civilian department responsible for coordinating the national protection, prevention, mitigation, and recovery from cyber incidents and works regularly with business owners and operators to take steps to strengthen their facilities and communities. The Department’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) works daily to enhance situational awareness among stakeholders, including those at the state and local level, as well as industrial control system owners and operators, by providing critical cyber threat, vulnerability, and mitigation data to a number of organizations including through Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, which are cybersecurity resources for critical infrastructure sectors. Last year DHS notified potential targets of a campaign of cyber intrusions that focused on natural gas and pipeline companies that was highly targeted, tightly focused and well crafted. With the assistance of our interagency partners, we responded to this campaign with a comprehensive effort that included outreach, technical assistance, and mitigation.

The U.S. Government has worked closely with the private sector during the recent series of denial-of-service incidents against the financial sector. Together with our interagency partners, we have provided classified cyber threat briefings and technical assistance to help banks improve their defensive capabilities. This includes identifying and releasing hundreds of thousands of distributed denial of service-related IP addresses and supporting information in order to help financial institutions and their IT security service providers improve their defenses. In addition to sharing with these private sector entities, DHS working with the Department of State (DOS) has provided this threat information to more than 120 international partners, many of whom have contributed to our mitigation efforts. These developments reinforce the need for greater information sharing and collaboration among government, industry, and individuals to reduce the ability for malicious actors to establish and maintain capabilities to carry out such efforts.

In addition to these attacks and intrusions, we also face a range of traditional crimes now perpetrated through cyber networks. These include child pornography and exploitation, as well as banking and financial fraud, all of which pose severe economic and human consequences. For example, in March 2012, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest nearly 20 individuals in its “Operation Open Market,” which seeks to combat transnational organized crime, including the buying and selling of stolen personal and financial information through online forums.

Additionally, in late May 2013, the Secret Service, in close coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Global Illicit Financial Team, arrested five individuals and seized bank accounts containing approximately $20 million located in eight countries. The investigation of Liberty Reserve, a transnational online payment processor and money transfer system, led to the seizure of an online domain owned and operated by the company. It is alleged that Liberty Reserve is used by criminal elements worldwide to launder money and distribute illegal proceeds globally. Liberty Reserve had approximately one million users worldwide with more than 200,000 users in the United States. It is estimated that Liberty Reserve processed more than 12 million financial transactions annually with a combined value of more than $1.4 billion. Overall, Liberty Reserve processed an estimated 55 million separate financial transactions and is believed to have laundered more than $6 billion in criminal proceeds. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting this case.

As Americans become more reliant on modern technology, we also become more vulnerable to cyber exploits such as corporate security breaches, social media fraud, and spear phishing, which targets employees through emails that appear to be from people they know, allowing cyber criminals to steal personal and business information.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and each of us has a role to play. Emerging cyber threats require engagement from government, the private sector, law enforcement, and members of the public. The success of our efforts to reduce cybersecurity risks depends on effective identification of cyber threats and vulnerabilities, analysis, and enhanced information sharing between departments and agencies from all levels of government, the private sector, international entities, and the American public.

DHS Mission in Protecting Government Networks and Critical Infrastructure

DHS is committed to ensuring cyberspace is supported by a secure and resilient infrastructure that enables open communication, innovation, and prosperity while protecting privacy, confidentiality, and civil rights and civil liberties by design. The Department is achieving its cybersecurity mission by helping to create a safe, secure, and resilient cyber environment while promoting cybersecurity knowledge and innovation.

DHS has operational responsibilities for securing unclassified federal civilian government networks and working with owners and operators of critical infrastructure to secure their networks through cyber threat analysis, risk assessment, mitigation, and incident response capabilities. The Department is also responsible for coordinating the Federal Government response to significant cyber or physical incidents affecting critical infrastructure consistent with Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21. In addition, the Department combats cyber crime by leveraging the skills and resources of the USSS and ICE and working in cooperation with partner organizations to investigate cyber criminals. In addition, pursuant to the President’s recent Executive Order 13636 on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity as well as Presidential Policy Directive 21 on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, we are working with our partners to strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure through an updated and overarching national framework that acknowledges the increased role of cybersecurity in securing physical assets.

Response to Cyber Events

The NCCIC is a key component of DHS’s ability to work with government, industry, and international partners to protect critical cyber and communications systems. To create shared situational awareness, the NCCIC integrates internal analysis and data, intelligence community and law enforcement reporting, and data shared by private sector and international partners into a comprehensive series of actionable information products, including joint products with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The NCCIC works closely with those Federal agencies most responsible for helping to enhance the cybersecurity of critical infrastructures, including the Departments of Treasury and Energy.

In addition to federal partners, the NCCIC also actively engages with the appropriate private sector entities; information sharing and analysis centers; state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, including the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC); and international partners. As integral parts of the cybersecurity and communications community, these groups work together to protect the portions of critical information technology that they interact with, operate, manage, or own. The NCCIC leverages the collective capabilities of its partners to provide joint incident response to assist with forensic investigations, malware analysis, review network data, and security posture assessment.

To further increase awareness of both cyber threat and resources available, the NCCIC and the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) have conducted approximately 50 threat briefings thus far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 as a part of our outreach effort to our Federal, SLTT, and private sector partners. Since 2009, the NCCIC has responded to nearly half a million incident reports and released more than 26,000 actionable cybersecurity alerts to the Department’s public and private sector partners. An integral player within the NCCIC, the US-CERT also provides response support and defense against cyber-attacks for Federal civilian agency networks as well as private sector partners upon request. US-CERT collaborates and shares information with state and local government, industry, and international partners, consistent with rigorous privacy, confidentiality, and civil liberties guidelines, to address cyber threats and develop effective security responses. In 2012, US-CERT processed approximately 190,000 cyber incidents involving Federal agencies, critical infrastructure, and the Department’s industry partners – a 68 percent increase from 2011. In addition, US-CERT issued over 20,411 actionable cyber-alerts over the past three years that were used by private sector and government agencies to protect their systems.

Similar growth has been seen for the Department’s Industrial Control Systems Computer Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) and National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications (NCC), whose outreach has resulted in providing access to cyber threat information to more than 980 and 300 entities, respectively. ICS-CERT also responded to 177 incidents last year while completing 89 site assistance visits and deploying 15 teams with US-CERT to assist with significant private sector cyber incidents. This rapid increase in production for ICS-CERT, including the dissemination of more than 800 products over the past three years, yielded them the award of Best Security Team by SC Magazine at the 2013 RSA Security Conference.

The effectiveness of DHS’s cyber protection, response, mitigation and recovery relies heavily on sharing information with the private sector. In 2011, DHS launched the Cyber Information Sharing and Collaboration Program (CISCP), which is specifically designed to elevate the cyber awareness of all critical infrastructure sectors through close and timely cyber threat information sharing and direct analytical exchange. The Department is constantly enhancing the CISCP. In an effort to ensure the program continues to evolve with the needs of industry, DHS has conducted numerous feedback sessions, monthly collaboration conference calls, and three face-to-face technical exchanges. It is also working to automate the program so that it can share information in real-time.

In addition to the CISCP, DHS, in close collaboration with interagency and private sector partners, is continuing to expand the Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program, which establishes a voluntary information sharing program that assists critical infrastructure owners and operators to improve protection of their systems from unauthorized access, exploitation, or data exfiltration. DHS works with cybersecurity organizations from across the U.S. Government to gain access to a broad range of cyber threat information. ECS consists of the operational processes and security oversight required to share sensitive and classified cyber threat information with qualified Commercial Service Providers (CSP). The ECS program develops threat “indicators” with this information and provides CSPs with those indications of active, malicious cybersecurity activity to better protect their critical-infrastructure customers.

In FY 2013, DHS has already shared more than 200,000 indicators via the ECS program and other Joint Indicator Bulletin products with partners for computer network defense. CSPs may use these threat indicators to provide approved cybersecurity services to critical infrastructure entities. ECS augments, but does not replace, entities’ existing cybersecurity capabilities. The program was also built with privacy and civil liberties protections in mind. Consistent with their commercial agreements with the protected entities, CSPs are not required to share with the Government, but may voluntarily do so. The incident information is anonymized, unless the protected entity consents to having its identity provided to DHS.

Combating Cyber Crime

DHS employs more law enforcement agents than any other Department in the Federal Government and has personnel stationed in every state and in more than 75 countries around the world. Since 2009, DHS has prevented $10 billion in potential losses through cyber crime investigations and arrested more than 5,000 individuals for their participation in cyber crime activities.

The Department leverages the 31 USSS Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTF), which combine the resources of academia, the private sector, and local, state and Federal law enforcement agencies to combat computer-based threats to our financial payment systems and critical infrastructure. A recently executed partnership between ICE Homeland Security Investigations and USSS demonstrates the Department’s commitment to leveraging capability and finding efficiencies. Both organizations will expand participation in the existing ECTFs. In addition to strengthening each agency’s cyber investigative capabilities, this partnership will produce benefits with respect to the procurement of computer forensic hardware, software licensing, and training that each agency requires. The Department is also a partner in the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, which serves as a collaborative entity that fosters information sharing across the interagency.

In FY 2012, the Secret Service arrested 1,378 individuals for cyber-crime violations while maintaining a 99.6% conviction rate; these criminals were responsible for over $335 million in fraud losses and could have potentially caused over $1.2 billion in fraud loss based on financial account information in their possession at the time of their arrest. As part of its protective duties, the Secret Service has developed a Critical Systems Protection Program, which assesses and mitigates the risks to critical infrastructure that could impact Secret Service protectees or National Special Security Events (NSSEs). This program applies risk management practices developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help critical infrastructure owners and operators secure their systems from cyber threats. From October 2009 to May 2013 this program has conducted over 560 advances and secured 8 NSSEs.

In the course of investigating cyber crimes over the last 30 years, the Secret Service has developed a number of cybersecurity capabilities to support its mission. The backbone of the ECTFs is its Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP), which is comprised of nearly 1,400 Secret Service special agents who have received at least one of three levels of computer crimes-related training. These agents are deployed in more than 98 Secret Service offices throughout the world and have received training in forensic identification, preservation and retrieval of electronically stored evidence. ECSAP-trained agents are computer investigative specialists, qualified to conduct examinations on all types of electronic evidence. These special agents are equipped to investigate the continually evolving arena of electronic and cyber crimes and have proven invaluable in the successful prosecution of criminal groups involved in computer fraud, bank fraud, identity theft, access device fraud and various other electronic and cyber crimes targeting our financial institutions and private sector. USSS also supports state and local law enforcement, in addition to other Federal agencies, by making these capabilities available to support their operations.¹ They include computer forensics specialists, mobile wireless investigation teams, and advanced research support.

To expand its collaborative efforts, the Secret Service provides its ECSAP training to investigators at the ICE Computer Crimes Center as well as via the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), which is a result of a partnership between the National Protection and Programs Directorate, the Secret Service, the State of Alabama, the City of Hoover, Shelby County, the Alabama District Attorney’s Association, and the Alabama Securities Commission, established to provide computer forensic training and tools to state and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges. Investigators are trained to respond to network intrusion incidents and conduct electronic and cyber crimes investigations. This training also has the benefit of providing state and local law enforcement with the skills and tools to combat a myriad of crimes in their community. Further, the NCFI has supported training for DHS Fusion Centers and the FBI’s National Domestic Communications Assistance Center. Responding to the growth of cyber crimes and the level of sophistication these criminals employ requires training, resources and greater collaboration among law enforcement and its public and private sector partners. Since opening in May 2008, NCFI has trained more than 2,050 state and local officials, including more than 1,360 police investigators, 525 prosecutors and 165 judges from all 50 states and three U.S. territories.

In addition to these activities, ICE HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) delivers computer-based technical services to support domestic and international investigations into cross-border crime. C3 is made up of the Cyber Crimes Unit, the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit and the Computer Forensics Unit. This state-of-the-art center offers cyber crime support and training to federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies. C3 also operates a fully equipped computer forensics laboratory, which specializes in digital evidence recovery, and offers training in computer investigative and forensic skills.

¹ Included are the following:

Computer forensics specialists, which in FY 2012 conducted over 7,000 digital forensics exams, totaling over 1,100 terabytes of data;
Cell Phone Forensics Facility at University of Tulsa, which since opening in 2008 has supported 6,135 exams, and 305 advanced exams at the University of Tulsa;
22 Mobile Wireless Investigations Teams, which in FY 2012 conducted nearly 1,140 investigations, supporting primarily state and local law enforcement with this advanced capability and directly contributing to solving homicide cases and locating missing persons;
Advanced research support at Carnegie Mellon and development of advanced tools for use by law enforcement partners; and
Support of landmark research studies, like the Insider Threat Report, Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, and the Trust wave Global Security Report, which are an effective way to share law enforcement information, while protecting victim privacy, to develop national understanding of cyber risks.

Cooperation Across the Federal Government

Successful response to dynamic cyber threats requires leveraging homeland security, law enforcement, national defense, and intelligence authorities and capabilities, which respectively promote domestic preparedness, criminal deterrence and investigation, and national defense. DHS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Defense (DOD) each play a key role in responding to cybersecurity incidents that pose a risk to the United States. To achieve a whole of government response to specific cyber incidents, DHS, DOJ, and DOD synchronize their operations. The leaders of DHS, DOJ, and DOD have held a series of meetings to clarify the lanes in the road in cyber jurisdiction. The group agreed that DHS’ primary role is to protect critical infrastructure and networks, coordinate mitigation and recovery, disseminate threat information across various sectors and investigate cybercrimes under DHS’s jurisdiction. DOJ is the lead for investigation, enforcement, and prosecution of those responsible for cyber intrusions affecting the United States. As part of DOJ, the FBI conducts domestic national security operations; investigates, attributes, and disrupts cybercrimes; and collects, analyzes, and disseminates domestic cyber intelligence. DOD’s role is to defend the nation, gather intelligence on foreign cyber threats, and to protect national security systems. DHS supports our partners in many ways. For example, the United States Coast Guard as an Armed Force has partnered with U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Strategic Command to prepare for military cyberspace operations as directed. In coordination with DOS, DHS also works with international partners in strategic and operational engagements.

While each agency operates within the parameters of its authorities, the U.S. Government’s response to cyber incidents of consequence is coordinated among these three agencies such that “a call to one is a call to all.” Synchronization among DHS, DOJ, and DOD not only ensures that whole of government capabilities are brought to bear against cyber threats, but also improves government’s ability to share timely and actionable cybersecurity information among a variety of partners, including the private sector.

Presidential Policy Directive 21 and Cyber Executive Order 13636

America’s national security and economic prosperity are increasingly dependent upon the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. With today’s physical and cyber infrastructure growing more inextricably linked, critical infrastructure and emergency response functions are inseparable from the information technology systems that support them. The government’s role in this effort is to share information and encourage enhanced security and resilience, while identifying and addressing gaps not filled by the marketplace. The Federal Government’s role in this effort is to share information and to encourage enhanced security and resilience, while also identifying gaps not filled by the marketplace. As mentioned previously, the enhanced information sharing programs supported by Executive Order 13636 and PPD-21 help secure critical infrastructure and increase its resilience against cyber and physical attacks, as well as natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

To complement PPD-21, EO 13636 promotes more efficient sharing of cyber threat information with the private sector and directs the establishment of a cybersecurity framework to identify and implement better security practices among critical infrastructure sectors. Through partnerships between the Government and private sector, the critical infrastructure cyber systems upon which much of our economic well-being, national security, and daily lives depend are being better protected. PPD-21 and EO 13636 reinforce holistic thinking and action in the realms of security and risk management and the issuance of these important documents allows us to build upon and enhance our existing partnership model with our key private sector and SLTT partners. Implementation of EO 13636 and PPD-21 will also drive action toward system and network security and resilience. The Department is well positioned to make advances in the space defined by the cyber-physical security nexus that PPD-21 and EO 13636 address.

Budget Priorities

The FY 2014 Budget supports initiatives to secure our Nation’s information and financial systems and to defend against cyber threats to private-sector and Federal systems, the Nation’s critical infrastructure, and the U.S. economy. Taken together, the Administration’s initiatives strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure against evolving threats through an updated and overarching national framework that acknowledges the linkage between cybersecurity and securing physical assets.

Included in the FY 2014 Budget are enhancements to the National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS) to prevent and detect intrusions on government computer systems and to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to protect against and respond to cybersecurity threats. The Budget also leverages the new operational partnership between ICE and USSS through the established network of USSS ECTFs to safeguard the Nation’s financial payment systems, combat cybercrimes, target transnational child exploitation including large-scale producers and distributors of child pornography, and prevent attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure.

Federal Network Security: $200 million is included for Federal Network Security, which manages activities designed to enable Federal agencies to secure their IT networks. The Budget provides funding to further reduce risk in the Federal cyber domain by enabling continuous monitoring and diagnostics of networks in support of mitigation activities designed to strengthen the operational security posture of Federal civilian networks. DHS will directly support Federal civilian departments and agencies in developing capabilities to improve their cybersecurity posture and to better thwart advanced, persistent cyber threats that are emerging in a dynamic threat environment.
NCPS: $406 million is included for Network Security Deployment, which manages NCPS, operationally known as EINSTEIN. NCPS is an integrated intrusion detection, analytics, information-sharing, and intrusion-prevention system that supports DHS responsibilities to defend Federal civilian networks.
US-CERT: $102 million is included for operations of US-CERT, which leads and coordinates efforts to improve the Nation’s cybersecurity posture, promotes cyber information sharing, and manages cyber risks to the Nation. US-CERT encompasses the activities that provide immediate customer support and incident response, including 24-hour support in the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. As more Federal network traffic is covered by NCPS, additional US-CERT analysts are required to ensure cyber threats are detected and the Federal response is effective.
SLTT Engagement: In FY 2014, DHS will expand its support to the MS-ISAC to assist in providing coverage for all 50 states and 6 U.S. territories in its managed security services program. MS-ISAC is a central entity through which SLTT governments can strengthen their security posture through network defense services and receive early warnings of cyber threats. In addition, the MS-ISAC shares cybersecurity incident information, trends, and other analysis for security planning.
Cybersecurity Research and Development: The FY 2014 Budget includes $70 million for the Science and Technology Directorate’s research and development focused on strengthening the Nation’s cybersecurity capabilities.
Cyber Investigations: The FY 2014 Budget continues to support ICE and USSS to strategically investigate domestic and international criminal activities, including computer fraud, network intrusions, financial crimes, access device fraud, bank fraud, identity crimes and telecommunications fraud, benefits fraud, arms and strategic technology, money laundering, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, child pornography, and human trafficking occurring on or through the Internet. The Budget continues to enable these DHS law enforcement agencies to provide computer forensics support and training for law enforcement partners to enable them to effectively investigate cyber crime and conduct other highly-technical investigations. ICE projects an FY 2014 expenditure of $13.8 million for the Cyber Crimes Center supporting investigations to identify, disrupt, and dismantle domestic and transnational criminal organizations engaged in crimes facilitated by use of computers and cyberspace. In addition, ICE expects to spend $96.5 million on investigations of cyber crime/child exploitation. Other investigations of illicit trade, travel and finance all make use of cyber investigative techniques including computer forensic analysis. The Secret Service’s ECTFs will also continue to focus on the prevention of cyber attacks against U.S. financial payment systems and critical infrastructure through aggressive investigation and information sharing.
Cyber Protection: The FY 2014 budget includes $13.5 million to enhance the Secret Service’s ability to secure protective venues, National Special Security Events and associated Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources from cyber attacks.

Cyber Legislative Priorities

It is important to note that the Executive Order directs Federal agencies to work within current authorities and increase voluntary cooperation with the private sector to provide better protection for computer systems critical to our national and economic security. It does not grant new regulatory authority or establish additional incentives for participation in a voluntary program. We continue to believe that a suite of legislation is necessary to implement the full range of steps needed to build a strong public-private partnership, and we will continue to work with Congress to achieve this.

To help us achieve our mission, we have created a number of competitive scholarship, fellowship, and internship programs to attract top talent. We are growing our world-class cybersecurity workforce by creating and implementing standards of performance, building and leveraging a cybersecurity talent pipeline with secondary and post-secondary institutions nationwide, and institutionalizing an effective, ongoing capability for strategic management of the Department’s cybersecurity workforce. Congress can support this effort by pursuing legislation that provides DHS with the hiring and pay flexibilities we need to secure Federal civilian networks, protect critical infrastructure, respond to cyber threats, and combat cybercrime.

Conclusion

The American people expect us to secure the country from the growing danger of cyber threats and ensure the nation’s critical infrastructure is protected. The threats to our cybersecurity are real, they are serious, and they are urgent. I appreciate this Committee’s guidance and support as, together, we work to keep our Nation safe.

Review Date:

June 10, 2013

Readout of Secretary Napolitano’s Call with Southwest Border Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

stacey.hawkins — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:28:57 +0000

Release Date:

June 10, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

WASHINGTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today hosted a conference call with Southwest Border Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to discuss the need for commonsense reform to strengthen border security, building upon the Department’s historic gains achieved over the past four years.

“The administration has made increasing border security a clear priority, and the most important thing we can do to build on this historic progress is to pass commonsense immigration reform,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Under this administration, we’ve put more boots on the border than any time in history, and deployed historic levels of technology. There is more we can do, and the bill under discussion in the Senate would invest billions of additional dollars into this already unprecedented effort, and assist in our efforts focus enforcement resources on individuals who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety and other enforcement priorities.”

During the call, Secretary Napolitano underscored the importance of addressing our broken immigration system to sustain the progress DHS, and its state and local partners, have made in the past four years. The bill being debated in the Senate will strengthen security at our borders by investing in additional manpower, infrastructure, aviation assets, and it funds the procurement of proven, effective surveillance technology along the Southwest border.

In January, President Obama announced key principles for commonsense immigration reform that would invest in the ports of entry, and help officers and agents focus on public safety threats; make it harder for transnational criminal organizations to operate, while encouraging immigrants to pursue a pathway to earned citizenship; hold employers accountable and strengthen the integrity of the immigration system overall.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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Review Date:

June 10, 2013

Secretary Napolitano and CBP Acting Commissioner Winkowski Participate in Global Entry Enrollment Center and Gallery Ribbon Cutting

jennifer.miller — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:36:20 +0000

Release Date:

June 6, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Thomas Winkowski today participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Global Entry enrollment center and gallery at CBP Headquarters to mark the fifth anniversary of Global Entry. Beginning June 10, applicants will be able to complete their Global Entry interview at the new Washington, D.C. enrollment center.

“We take seriously our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of passengers coming to and traveling throughout the United States, while at the same time, helping facilitate lawful travel, trade and tourism,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Global Entry is a key part of this administration’s efforts to promote travel and tourism, and to make the travel experience more efficient and more secure.”

“I commend the commitment and efforts of CBP and our government and industry partners who have made Global Entry the success that it is today,” said Acting Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski. “This summer, thousands of international air travelers will be afforded a quick entry into the United States through the speed and convenience of using their Global Entry benefits.”

With nearly 50,000 new applicants each month, an enrollment center in the nation’s capital will allow the thousands of travelers living in and transiting through the area to complete their Global Entry interview and finalize their membership. In addition to the new enrollment center opening in Washington, D.C., centers are opening today in Tampa, Fla. and Albuquerque, N.M.

Upon arrival in the United States from abroad, Global Entry members are able to bypass the traditional CBP inspection lines and use an automated kiosk. Travelers scan their passport and fingerprints, answer the customs declaration questions using the kiosk’s touch screen and proceed with a receipt to the exit— the whole process taking only about a minute.

Launched on June 6, 2008 as a pilot at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and John F. Kennedy Airport, Global Entry is now a permanent program and has 44 locations at airports, serving 98 percent of incoming travelers to the United States. The additional locations improve CBP’s ability to facilitate travelers’ enrollment into Global Entry as efficiently as possible.

In addition to being an enrollment center, the exterior gallery provides both a waiting area for the enrollment center and an educational experience for the general public. The CBP Gallery will highlight aspects of CBP’s mission and help the public understand how border security, trade and travel are interrelated.

For more information, visit www.cbp.gov/globalentry.

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Review Date:

June 6, 2013

Written testimony of U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp for a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing titled “Pending Legislation Regarding Sexual Assaults in the Military”

erik.bugler — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Release Date:

June 4, 2013

216 Hart Senate Office Building

Introduction

Good afternoon Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Inhofe, and distinguished members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before this Committee about the Coast Guard’s commitment to eliminate sexual assault from our service.

The violent crime of sexual assault plagues our society; it is unacceptable in any place. However in the military it is especially repugnant because it breaks the sacred bond of trust between service members that is vital to readiness and our nation’s security. We will not tolerate the crime of sexual assault in the Coast Guard.

To execute our missions, all Coast Guard personnel must be bound by trust and mutual respect for one another. The crime of sexual assault not only damages the victim, it undermines morale, degrades readiness and damages mission performance. It is a deliberate act that violates law, policy and our Core Values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty.

We have made progress in improving our ability to prevent and respond to sexual assaults in the Coast Guard. New policies, enhanced training, improved access to victim support services, and greater communications provide us with important tools to achieve our goal of eliminating sexual assault from the Coast Guard. Despite some progress, we must and will do more to combat sexual assault.

As I told Coast Guard men and women worldwide a little over a year ago: “We will intervene to prevent or halt these acts when they are occurring. We will investigate and discipline those who have violated law and service policy. We will insist that all of our Shipmates live by our Core Values. And let me be clear, there are no bystanders in the Coast Guard. Respect for our Shipmates demands that each of us have the courage to take immediate action to prevent or stop these incidents.”

Sexual assault prevention and response encompasses more than policy statements and more than check-the-box training – it must be an extension of each service member’s ethos, inculcated into our everyday planning, training, and operations. An operating environment free from threat of sexual assault must be part of our culture.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Policies and Programs

The Coast Guard has strengthened policies and tools to combat sexual assault over the past several years. We will continue to improve our programs and services. The Coast Guard has previously provided a summation to this Committee on our Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program initiatives. To recap the program:

As early as 2002, Coast Guard policy required commands to report any allegations of rape or sexual assault to the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) for investigation. In 2006, the Coast Guard Investigative Service formally established a distinct CGIS Sex Crimes Program and hired a Senior Special Agent to oversee the stand-up of the program.

In 2007, the Coast Guard SAPR instruction was significantly amended to include the addition of the restricted reporting option for victims, which aligned the Coast Guard’s reporting options with the two options offered by the Department of Defense (DoD) (restricted and unrestricted). Restricted reporting is the process used to disclose to specific individuals on a confidential basis that he or she is the victim of a sexual assault. Unrestricted reporting is the process used to disclose a sexual assault to the chain of command and law enforcement authorities. The official policy and guidance was issued in December of that same year.

In 2008, a dedicated Sexual Assault Prevention Program Manager was hired to implement and oversee the day-to-day administration of the USCG SAPR Program.

In March 2011, CGIS established a cadre of specially trained and credentialed CGIS special agents – known as Family and Sexual Violence Investigators (FSVIs). In addition to their standard investigatory training, these agents attend advanced courses and seminars on sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. CGIS has credentialed twenty-two FSVI special agents to date.

In April 2011, the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard chartered a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Task Force to examine holistically the Coast Guard’s posture toward sexual assault in five discipline areas: Education /Training; Policy/Doctrine; Investigation/Prosecution; Communications; and Climate/Culture. Subject matter experts from each of these five disciplines met for over a year to provide input to the Vice Commandant on ways to improve our SAPR Program. The Vice Commandant approved the thirty nine recommendations from the Working Groups on January 31, 2013.

One of the most significant recommendations, the establishment of a Flag level Sexual Assault Prevention Council (SAP-C), has already been implemented, with the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support hosting the inaugural meeting on February 27, 2013. The SAP-C is a standing body chaired by a Vice Admiral and comprised of subject matter specialists designed to oversee the implementation of the Task Force recommendations; consider & discuss SAPR policy generally; direct empirical studies and trends (root cause analyses) based on accurate and reliable data; and order immediate and actionable course corrections to Coast Guard SAPR policy as needed. Since this initial meeting, the SAP-C has formed three working groups, assigning the implementation of the Task Force’s recommendations to each on an aggressive schedule.

Other recommendations from the Task Force include providing Victim Advocates to improve access to our widely dispersed population, improving annual SAPR mandated training and leadership course training segments, implementing various bystander strategies, and continuing SAPR messaging year-round. Some of these recommendations are already in the implementation stage, such as the bystander intervention initiative titled the “Sexual Assault Prevention Workshop”.

In April 2012, the Coast Guard issued a new and comprehensive SAPR policy that clearly defines roles and responsibility, mandates significant education and training, defines reporting processes and response procedures, and ensures greater victim safety. The policy also clarifies that commands must immediately notify not only CGIS, but also work-life and victim advocacy specialists, as well as the servicing legal office, upon receipt of an unrestricted report of sexual assault. This helps ensure that a comprehensive inter-disciplinary approach toward managing the victim’s safety and support is in place, and that the investigation begins immediately.

Also noteworthy within the last year was the creation and roll-out of the Coast Guard’s bystander intervention training program known as the “Sexual Assault Prevention Workshop”. The workshop is presented live by CGIS special agents, Judge Advocates and Coast Guard Work-Life specialists, who, in addition to providing the necessary information about the SAPR program in plenary session, then engage in gender specific break-out sessions to have a frank dialogue about sexual assault and SAPR. Since its inception in 2012, the workshop has provided training to forty-eight units and approximately 7,500 personnel. This training initiative received the Department of Homeland Security Office of General Counsel Award for Excellence in Training on January 11, 2013, and many Coast Guardsmen have reported that this training is the most meaningful and effective training they have ever received.

In addition to Sexual Assault Prevention Workshops, SAPR training sessions are being incorporated into all command & leadership courses in the Coast Guard, and we have significantly expanded the number of trained Victim Advocates across the Coast Guard, resulting in approximately 800 new Victim Advocates in the last few years.

In April 2013, in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), I directed all Commanders, Commanding Officers, Officers-in-Charge, Deputy and Assistant Commandants, and Chiefs of Headquarters staff elements to conduct a unit all-hands SAAM discussion. A standardized training toolkit was developed and featured videos from the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard and me offering personal messages on the imperative to focus efforts on preventing sexual assault. Additionally, the toolkit provided a training film and a script to facilitate open, frank, and productive unit-level discussion about sexual assault prevention and response.

In May 2013, a SAPR Military Campaign Office was created under the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support to orchestrate execution of the SAPR Strategic Plan and to manage strategic communications. A Captain (O-6) has been assigned as the full-time lead and a support staff has also been assigned, including a Commander (O-5) as a Coast Guard Liaison to DoD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. This will optimize alignment between DoD and the Coast Guard with Strategic Plan implementation.

Most recently, I issued my Commander’s Intent launching a service wide “Campaign to Eliminate Sexual Assault from Our Coast Guard” on May 26, 2013. In this mandate, I make clear to everyone in the Coast Guard, including active, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary, my expectation to create a culture intolerant of sexual assault. This includes stopping sexual assault by recognizing indicators of predicate behavior and ensuring all personnel know they are empowered to intervene. We will also improve the availability and quality of response resources; improve reporting, investigative, and military justice processes; and enhance victim aftercare.

In addition to specific SAPR programs and policy, the Coast Guard has worked to continually improve the administration of military justice and build our special victims’ advocacy capability. In coordination with the Joint Service Committee on Military Justice, we are examining methods to incorporate the rights afforded to victims through the Crime Victims’ Rights Act into military justice practice. We are also developing a Special Victim Counsel program to ensure that victims of sexual assault are provided the advice and assistance they need to understand their rights and feel empowered in the military justice system.

Reporting Options and Processing of Sexual Assault Crimes

Turning to the military justice system, I would like to discuss the process of how an allegation of sexual assault is reported, investigated, preferred (charged), and tried within the Coast Guard.

A victim of sexual assault in the Coast Guard can elect to make a restricted or unrestricted report. Once any urgent medical treatment for the victim is provided, the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Victim Advocate, Health Care Provider, or Family Advocacy Specialist will advise the victim of the two reporting options, explaining the benefits and limitations of each, and document the reporting option the victim selects.

Ultimately, the decision to make a restricted or unrestricted report is the victim’s choice. The victim’s decision on which report to make affects the processing of the case.

Under the restricted reporting option, the victim notifies only certain authorized individuals, including a Victim Advocate, Family Advocacy Specialist, or Health Care Provider, about the incident. The report is “restricted” because the allegation is not to be reported to the chain of command and the victim’s identity and all information about the allegation is protected. The victim receives advocacy, medical treatment, and counseling but a formal investigation is not triggered. The authorized individual who receives the restricted report will notify the appropriate Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

SARCs are strategically located in each Coast Guard District and the Coast Guard Academy. The SARC will assign a victim advocate if requested by the victim, and will track the case. Any evidence collected by the victim or victim advocate is sent to CGIS, but it is not processed and no attempt is made by CGIS to identify the victim. If forensic evidence is collected as part of a restricted report, current policy requires that it be retained for at least one year. If the victim chooses at any time to make an unrestricted report, CGIS will then process the evidence and begin an investigation. The chain of command is not notified of the restricted report, and will not be notified unless the victim ultimately decides to make an unrestricted report.

Chaplains are also permitted to receive restricted reports. However, unlike other personnel authorized to receive a restricted report, a Chaplain is not obligated to notify the SARC or track the reports made. The chaplain may facilitate contact between the victim and any necessary advocacy services.

Under the unrestricted reporting option, the victim makes an unrestricted report when he or she notifies his or her command, CGIS, or any service member who is not authorized to receive restricted reports about the incident. The victim may notify his or her supervisor or commanding officer; however, the victim does not have to notify his or her chain of command directly. The victim may notify a SARC, Victim Advocate, CGIS, Chaplain, local law enforcement, or an attorney in the legal office. These entities will then notify the victim’s unit commander, the alleged offender’s unit commander, or another appropriate authority in the chains of command. The SARCs and the Victim Advocates receive training on what to do with an unrestricted report if the victim identifies the unit commander as the alleged perpetrator.

After the unit commander has received a report, he or she will notify CGIS and the SARC, if they have not already been informed. Upon notification of an alleged sexual assault, CGIS prepares a notice of case initiation (NOCI) report, detailing the allegations made, location of the incident, status and identification of the victim and perpetrator, units assigned, and known or potential witnesses. This NOCI report is transmitted to CGIS Headquarters, where a case dossier is created for investigative tracking, data collection, and for use in notifying senior Coast Guard leaders. It serves as notice within CGIS that an alleged sexual offense has been committed and that a formal criminal investigation has been initiated. Only personnel within CGIS have access to the information contained in the NOCI report. CGIS will notify the appropriate command cadre of both the victim and the perpetrator upon initiation of an investigation to ensure that no action is taken by the command without CGIS visibility and concurrence.

Only CGIS is authorized to conduct a formal criminal investigation. Command cadre and other parties are prohibited from conducting any investigative activity into allegations of sexual assault. There are no longer any command-level investigations into allegations of sexual offenses. CGIS will notify the servicing legal office that an investigation into a sexual offense has been initiated. CGIS and the legal office work closely to ensure the various elements of the offense under investigation are thoroughly addressed and that all victim and witness rights are preserved. CGIS investigative efforts include, to the extent possible within the application of the military justice system and the rules of evidence, an interview of the victim, alleged offender, and all necessary witnesses; collection of physical and documentary evidence; collection of testimonial evidence; and forensic analysis of the evidence collected. The command does not have an active role in the investigation, except to make witnesses available for interview by CGIS agents and to provide any additional support requested by CGIS.

Although the command does not play an active role in the investigation, it does play a critical role in providing care to the victim. The victim’s unit commander is responsible for, among other things, ensuring the physical safety of the victim, advising the victim of his or her options for medical assistance, ensuring the victim understands the availability and benefits of victim advocacy, determining whether the victim needs to request a military protective order, and facilitating the need for temporary or permanent reassignment to another unit, duty location, or living quarters. A full list of the unit commander’s obligations is located in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program Instruction (COMDTINST M1754.10D).

The alleged offender’s unit commander also has obligations during the investigation. He or she must ensure that CGIS has been notified, limit the dissemination of pertinent information to only those personnel with a need to know, ensure procedures are in place to inform the alleged offender about the investigative and legal processes, provide for counseling for the alleged offender, and monitor the general well-being of the alleged offender, especially for any indications of suicide ideation. Unit commanders also have an obligation to emphasize that the alleged offender is presumed innocent until proven guilty, advise those with knowledge to fully cooperate with the investigation, and determine whether additional counseling or training is required for the unit.

After CGIS has pursued all logical leads, the agents prepare a final report detailing the investigative effort and results. CGIS does not “substantiate” or “un-substantiate” the allegations. Instead, CGIS mandate is to develop investigatory facts. A copy of the report is provided to the command responsible for determining any adjudicative action and to the servicing legal office. In accordance with my service-wide order issued in June 2012, only those officers who have special court-martial convening authority, have achieved the grade of at least O-6 (Captain), and have a dedicated staff judge advocate assigned may dispose of allegations of sexual misconduct, which includes any allegation of rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, forcible sodomy, and attempts to commit such offenses. Because of the current organizational structure of the Coast Guard, in most cases the initial disposition decision is made by a Flag Officer. Only these commanders may make the decision to refer the case to court-martial, to impose non-judicial punishment, to take adverse administrative action, or to take no further action in the case. The commander must consult with the assigned staff judge advocate before making any decision in the case, including the decision to take no action. If no action is taken, the commander must document that decision in writing after consultation with his or her staff judge advocate.

If charges are preferred, the case data is entered into the Coast Guard Law Manager system, where it can be tracked by the local legal servicing office and the Office of the Judge Advocate General. Trial Counsel (prosecutor) and Defense Counsel are then assigned. Only experienced trial attorneys are assigned as lead counsel in sexual assault cases.

Under this process, a victim of sexual assault has options. They can make a restricted or an unrestricted report. They can decide to whom they want to report. And most significantly, the victim has options other than reporting a sexual assault directly to the command. However, once reported, a commander has a critical role not only in the safety and in well-being of the victim, but also a central role in the administration of justice.

Military Justice Process and Legislative Improvements

The administration of justice within the military has been subjected to increased scrutiny in the last few years, in particular the role of the commander. That criticism is not entirely unjustified, and the military has not ignored those critiques. As an institution, the Armed Forces have continuously strived to improve its system of justice. History has shown that the modern military justice system has evolved in efforts to make constructive changes. From the enactment of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950, to the Military Justice Acts of 1968 and 1983, to the implementation of rules of procedure and evidence, the military justice system has not remained a static legal regime. Moreover, the services themselves have helped shape changes to the UCMJ and Manual for Courts-Martial through the Joint Service Committee on Military Justice. The Coast Guard has embraced those changes.

The modern military justice system apparatus – with specific rules of procedure, evidentiary court rules, professionalized practitioners, and independent judicial bodies – has more in common with the federal civilian courts than differences. The United States military justice system today is arguably one of the best, most fair, and just systems in the world. However, the argument for the status quo should not be because it is the status quo. While the system works well, it is not perfect. There should be, and there is, a never-ending quest to improve it. Our current system of military justice is worthy of robust examination and debate. It is important that serious thought go into what in the UCMJ should be changed and how that change should be accomplished. As Service Chief, I am committed to changing our organizational culture. I am concerned that dramatically changing our system of justice at the same time could impede those cultural changes.

With that said, a core tenet of the military justice system is the central role commanders play in the administration of military justice. Military justice, unlike the civilian criminal system, has a dual role of seeking justice and enforcing discipline. This reflects the notion that commanders are in charge of their units, not lawyers or other officials. Any changes to the military justice system should not needlessly undermine commanders’ ability to maintain good order and discipline. While the Coast Guard shares the goal of improving the system of justice within the military, it generally opposes legislation that would fundamentally alter the role of commanders in a piece-meal fashion without a full appreciation for the second and third order effects on the unit discipline and command authority.

With these two aims in mind, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 creates two independent panels – the Response System Panel and the Judicial Proceedings Panel – that will provide an empirical, data-driven study to assess criminal justice systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving adult sexual assault and related offenses. Congress legislated a clear mandate that these panels assess “legislative initiatives to modify the current role of commanders in the administration of military justice and the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of adult sexual assault crimes.” This deliberate and thoughtful study is an appropriate method to consider possible changes to the UCMJ.

Closing

Since 1790, the Coast Guard has been standing the watch and protecting America’s national interests against all manner of maritime threats. The success of our operations has always depended on both Prevention and Response. However, our first priority is always to prevent an incident from occurring. Whether it’s a vessel casualty, a pollution incident, disruption of traffic into our ports, or the flow of illegal drugs and migrants, we have always believed it is better to prevent an incident from occurring than respond to it afterwards.

However, should an incident occur, no one is better at responding than Coast Guard men and women. We rescue those in distress, enforce the laws, and fight for our nation and our people. It is what we do.

The same must be true of our efforts to eliminate sexual assault from our service.

As the President has said, there is “no silver bullet” to solving the blight of sexual assault within our ranks. But we will continue our efforts until every victim feels confident in the ability to report sexual assault; every service member feels a duty to intervene and protect; every leader is focused on a command climate intolerant of sexual assault; and every crime is vigorously investigated and prosecuted, and justice is done. We will continue until sexual predators are driven from our service.

Our goal is simple – to eliminate the crime of sexual assault from our service and ensure that no Coast Guard man or woman ever needs to fear the crime of sexual assault from a Shipmate.

Review Date:

June 4, 2013

The United States and Canada Announce First-Ever Binational Border Infrastructure Investment Plan

jennifer.miller — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:16:20 +0000

Release Date:

May 30, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, along with Ray LaHood, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety today released the first-ever joint United States-Canada Border Infrastructure Investment Plan (BIIP). The development and release of this initiative fulfills a commitment made under the 2011 United States-Canada Beyond the Border Action Plan.

“An integrated, bilateral approach to border investment is critical to both the U.S. and Canadian economies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The Border Infrastructure Investment Plan offers enhanced security along our shared U.S.-Canadian border, while reducing wait times at major border crossings—increasing the flow of traffic across the border while ensuring safe and secure trade and travel.”

Secretary LaHood said, “This first, joint U.S.-Canada binational plan shows that our collaborative approach to border planning, which includes feedback from our local partners, will serve both of our countries well and ensures that we are working together on our common interests.”

“Modern border crossings are essential to trade, which is why the Border Infrastructure Investment Plan and the collaborative relationship with our American neighbors are so important,” said Minister Lebel. “Our government is investing in border crossings, ports and gateways to reduce wait times, increase trade and create jobs.”

The BIIP is an interagency and binational planning mechanism developed to establish a mutual understanding of recent, ongoing, and potential border infrastructure investments. It outlines the approach that the United States and Canada will take to coordinate plans for physical infrastructure upgrades at small and remote ports of entry. This initiative will be updated and disseminated annually.

“Our government, in collaboration with the United States, is committed to enhancing our security and economic prosperity through significant investments at key crossings,” said Minister Toews. “These investments will reduce border delays, speed up trade across our shared border and will allow the Canada Border Services Agency to focus on facilitating the flow of low risk people and goods while keeping the border open to legitimate trade and travel.”

The BIIP, along with other initiatives under Beyond the Border: A Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, is designed to benefit the integrated economies of the United States and Canada, which depend on the fluid movement of commercial and non-commercial traffic across our border. Its release follows recent announcements by the Government of Canada of significant investments at four initial priority land ports of entry identified by Canada in the Beyond the Border Action Plan: Lacolle, Quebec; Lansdowne, Ontario (Thousand Islands Bridge); Emerson, Manitoba; and North Portal, Saskatchewan. Modernization of major border crossings will reduce wait times, increase reliability of just-in-time shipments, and decrease fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. and Canada enjoy the world’s largest trading partnership – with two-way merchandise trade totaling $570 billion in 2012.

In addition, the Government of Canada announced, in July 2012, the installation of technology to measure and report border wait times at the Peace and Queenston-Lewiston Bridges. The $1.7 million project was completed in partnership with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the Canada Border Services Agencies.

The Border Infrastructure Investment Plan is available at www.dhs.gov/beyond-the-border and www.borderactionplan.gc.ca

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Review Date:

May 30, 2013

Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Massachusetts

jennifer.miller — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:13:11 +0000

Release Date:

May 24, 2013

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

BOSTON— Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to Boston where she met with Senator Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Representatives Ed Markey, John Tierney, and Michael Capuano, Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security Andrea Cabral, Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Colonel Timothy Alben, Massachusetts Undersecretary for Public Safety and Emergency Management Kurt Schwartz, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, and other state and local officials, as well as law enforcement and first responders, to reiterate the Department’s on-going support and collaboration on issues including training and preparedness, and the need for continued information sharing at all levels of government to enhance public safety.

“In the face of tragedy, the Boston community came together in a very special way, showing not just America – but the world – how a great city responds quickly, effectively, and comprehensively to an act of terrorism,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “As always, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains firmly committed to working with our partners here in Boston and across the Commonwealth to further enhance emergency response capabilities.”

In Boston, Secretary Napolitano delivered remarks at the Stephen M. Lawlor Medical Intelligence Center (MIC) and DelValle Institute for Emergency Preparedness Anniversary, underscoring the importance of a unified and coordinated incident response built upon teamwork, and sharing of resources and expertise. The MIC is a state-of-the-art communications and information sharing facility supported by DHS grant programs that brings together partners from across the public health community to support the response to large-scale incidents.

Secretary Napolitano then toured the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) and met with federal, state and local law enforcement officials. Over the past several years, DHS has greatly enhanced and expanded its collaboration with state and local officials as well as first responders to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and other threats while supporting efforts across the homeland security enterprise to build nationwide capabilities.

Secretary Napolitano also visited the memorial for the victims of the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon in Copley Square, and met with DHS employees in the region, including employees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, National Protection and Programs Directorate and U.S. Coast Guard.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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Review Date:

May 24, 2013