Selected Homeland Security References and Resources

The following article also appears in the January 2003 edition of 

Business Briefing: Exploration and Production
(published by World Markets Research Centre)

 Paula D. Gordon, Ph.D.

Since September 11, 2001, innumerable conferences, symposia, workshops, and courses have been held that have focused on homeland security and defense and preparedness and response concerns.  Ideally those involved in organizing and putting these programs on are knowledgeable concerning the abundance of useful and readily available resources and references.  Ideally those participating in such programs become better informed as a result of their participation.  This brief article is intended to introduce the reader to a highly select list that might serve as an introductory to a vast array of references and resources of potential interest to those in both the private and the public sectors.  A number of Web sites and portals to numerous other sources are also included.  These references and resources are offered in the hope that they may prove helpful to those engaged in efforts to address the incredibly daunting array of threats and challenges before us.

Web Sites Providing a Broad Base of Information and Resources

The Institute for Homeland Security Web site is an excellent information source.  The Web site includes an extensive compilation of references and resources, "Suggested Reading", a "Virtual Library", an online Journal of Homeland Security, a free weekly newsletter, and a listing of upcoming events. See www.homeland security.org. The weekly newsletter can be found at http://www.homelandsecurity.org/bulletin/current_bulletin.cfm.  For a listing of "upcoming events", also see www.homelandsecurity.org/upcoming.cfm.

The Oklahoma City Memorial Institute for Terrorism Prevention Web site is another excellent information source.  The Web site includes a listing of resources, references, reports, and upcoming events. See http://www.mipt.org. For a listing of upcoming events and conferences, see http://www.mipt.org/eventscalendar.asp.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) provides extensive information on resources.  Their Web site includes references, reports, research library, links, and news concerning nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, terrorism, and related issues.  A free daily newsletter is also available. See http://www.nti.org.

Claire B. Rubin maintains the following extremely useful list of references and resources at http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~cbrubin/ http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/guides/sciences/crisis.html.

The EMGT 232 Disaster Newsletter is an extensive newsletter put out by the Crisis and Emergency Management class at The George Washington University incorporating legislative developments, references and resources, articles on all aspects of emergency management and terrorism, and listings concerning upcoming conferences, workshops, and programs.  See http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~emse232/emse232con

Technical Information andTechnology Innovation

Extensive links relating to terrorism focusing on Federal departments and agencies, technical information resources, and international links can be found at http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/ct-exli.htm and on the webpage entitled the Preparedness and Response Links to the Internet at http://www.nrt.org  (the Web site of the National Response Team).  Also see www.ojp.usdoj.gov/terrorism/links.htm for an extensive and useful compilation of links. Especially see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/sciencetech/text/tcit.htm.

The Technology Support Working Group (TSWG) solicits proposals online concerning technological innovations that have applicability to the war on terrorism. For information concerning efforts of TSWG and the proposal solicitation process, see www.tswg.gov.

Task Groups, Partnerships, Consortia, and Councils

Under the PATRIOT Act, the Secret Service has established Electronic Crimes Task Forces in several major cities in the US.  For information see http://www.ectaskforce.org/Regional_Locations.htm. For a listing of helpful links relating to electronic crimes, see http://www.ectaskforce.org/Helpful_Links.htm.

InfraGard was established in 1996.  It is "an information sharing and analysis effort serving the interests and combining the knowledge base of a wide range of members...InfraGard is a cooperative undertaking between the U.S. Government (led by the FBI and the National Infrastructure Protection Center of the FBI) and an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants dedicated to increasing the security of United States critical infrastructures...All InfraGard participants are committed to the proposition that a robust exchange of information about threats to and actual attacks on these critical infrastructures is an important element for successful infrastructure protection efforts....The goal of InfraGard is to enable the flow of information so that the owners and operators of infrastructure assets can better protect themselves and so that the United States government can better discharge its law enforcement and national security responsibilities....."  For information about the InfraGard program and local InfraGard chapters, see http://www.infragard.net/ and http://www.infragard.net/about.htm.  For information about the National Infrastructure Protection Center, see the NIPC Web site or inquire via e-mail at nipc.watch@fbi.gov. Also see http://www.infragard.net/warnings.htm for NIPC warnings.

The Partnership for Critical Infrastructure (PCIS) is headed by Kenneth Watson.  See http://www.pcis.org/about.cfm.  The PCIS "supports the information security, protection, and assurance interests of the critical infrastructures of the United States as defined in Presidential Decision Directive-63 (PDD-63) and the October 16, 2001 Executive Order on Critical Infrastructure Protection. Key infrastructure sectors include: Electricity, Emergency Services, Financial Services, Government Services, Health Services, Information Technology, Oil and Gas, Telecommunications, Transportation, and Water....The PCIS is a forum for cross-sector and public-private dialog on reducing vulnerabilities, mitigating risks, identifying strategic objectives, and sharing sound information security practices.... (T)he PCIS is open to all interested businesses as well as public sector participation. It offers a unique opportunity for participants to network with information security leaders from other industries and government agencies and to plug into the latest developments on security issues that affect both the public and private sectors... (It) is a public-private partnership that is also a non-profit organization run by companies and private sector associations representing each of the critical infrastructure industries. The Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office provides support for the Partnership and government officials are invited to participate in Partnership meetings on a collaborative basis...The mission of the PCIS is to 'coordinate cross-sector initiatives and complement government and industry efforts to promote the assurance of reliable provision of critical infrastructure services in the face of emerging risks to economic and national security.' "

The Open Group is headed by Allen Brown. See www.opengroup.org and www.opengroup.org/overview/index.htm. The Open Group is "an international vendor and technology-neutral consortium that is committed to delivering greater business efficiency by bringing together buyers and suppliers of information technology to lower the time, cost and risk associated with integrating new technology across the enterprise...The Open Group allows for almost any size of organization to join and influence the future of the IT world, and the introduction of membership for individuals is currently being considered...(M)embers.. include some of the largest and most influential organizations in the world and buy-side members have combined budgets of over $50 billion per annum. The e-mail address for Allen Brown is a.brown@opengroup.org.

The Council of Security and Strategic Technology Organizations was established in 2002.  According to its Web site, "it is a private organization for professionals in the Corporate, City, State & Local Government, Military, Intelligence & International Sectors, with the purpose of accelerating the development and application of safety and security technologies.  It is intended that the Council be an international organization, with open membership."  The first general meeting of Council members was held in Arlington, VA October 14 - 17, 2002.  For information see www.costo.info.

Terrorism-Related References and Resources

The Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC) was founded in 1996.  It is "an independent institute dedicated to the research of terrorism, information warfare, critical infrastructure protection and other issues of low-intensity political violence and gray-area phenomena...The TRC maintains a network of terrorism and information warfare specialists drawn from industry, government, and academia in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Argentina, France, and Australia...The TRC has produced a number of independent studies, including a comprehensive overview of US policy, strategy, programs, and budget to combat terrorism, produced for a US industry customer. The TRC qualifies as a Small Business Concern under SIC Codes 8711, 8742, and 8748...The TRC staff represents expertise in terrorism, information warfare, low-intensity political violence, computer security, cryptography, law enforcement, national security, and defense policy."  For further information, see http://www.terrorism.com/about/about.shtml.

America Responds to Terrorism: List of references and links. This Web site is maintained by the Office of FirstGov at GSA in Washington, DC. See http://www.firstgov.gov/featured/usgresponse.html.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment is a new book edited by Russell D. Howard, Colonel, USA and Reid L. Sawyer, Captain, USA.  See http://www.mhhe.com/terrorism/contents.html.

For The Brookings Institution Update on Terrorism, see http://www.brookings.edu/terrorism.

Homeland Security and Defense-Related Programs and Proceedings

The Proceedings of the 2002 Eisenhower National Security Conference held September 26 - 27 in Washington, DC can be found at http://www.eisenhowerseries.com.

For transcripts of briefings given at the September 19-20, 2002 Symposium on "Homeland Security: The Civil/Military Dimensions" at Ft.McNair, see http://www.ndu.edu/inss/symposia/jointops02/agenda.html. This symposium was co-sponsored by the National Defense University and the University of Maryland.

For information concerning conferences and workshops of the MIS Training Institute, including InfoWarCon 2003, see http://www.misti.com.

For information concerning E-Gov Conferences, including the conference scheduled for December 9-10, 2002 in Washington, DC on Establishing a Culture of Cooperation, see www.e-gov.com and www.e-gov.com/events/2002/his2/.

The Federal Biodefense Research FY 2003 conference held December 3-4, 2002 in Washington, D.C. was sponsored by American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research America and The Scientist.  For information concerning future conferences of current interest to business, biodefense and other topics relating to homeland security and defense, see www.infocastinc.com.