[Infowarrior] - DOD announces new IS access to Help Fusion Centers Combat Terrorism

[Richard Forno]

DoD Announces New Information-Sharing Access to Help Fusion Centers  
Combat Terrorism

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12974

The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) today  
announced an initiative to grant select state and major urban area  
fusion center personnel access to classified terrorism-related  
information residing in DoD’s classified network.

Under this initiative, select fusion center personnel with a federal  
security clearance will be able to access specific terrorism-related  
information resident on the DoD Secret Internet Protocol Router  
Network (SIPRNet)—a secure network used to send classified data. This  
classified data will be accessed via DHS’ Homeland Security Data  
Network (HSDN). DHS will be responsible for ensuring that proper  
security procedures are followed.

“With this action, DoD continues its work in supporting states and  
localities who are leading our efforts to secure the nation from  
domestic terrorism attacks, said Assistant Secretary of Defense for  
Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs Paul N. Stockton. “We  
look forward to exploring other opportunities where DoD can help our  
state and local partners effectively defeat terrorism.”

                 “This initiative reflects the federal government’s  
strong commitment to improve information sharing with our state,  
local, and tribal partners,” said DHS Acting Under Secretary for  
Intelligence and Analysis Bart R. Johnson. “Fusion centers are a  
critical part of our national security enterprise, and this new tool  
enables federal agencies to share information with these partners  
while utilizing our advanced technical capabilities for secure  
information sharing.”

This joint initiative will promote collaboration between DHS, DoD and  
other federal departments and agencies, enabling the trusted and  
secure exchange of terrorism-related information in order to detect,  
deter, prevent and respond to homeland security threats.

                 State and major urban area fusion centers provide  
critical links for information sharing between and across all levels  
of government, and help fulfill key recommendations of the 9/11  
Commission. This initiative will serve as a valuable resource to  
enhance situational awaeness and support more timely and complete  
analysis of national security threats.

Increasing the breadth of law enforcement that have access to  
terrorism-related data will further improve the ability of fusion  
centers to prevent, detect, deter, and respond to terrorist attacks,  
and advance the combined missions of DHS and DoD to protect the  
nation’s security.

DHS and DoD remain committed to protecting privacy and civil liberties  
as well as data and networks in an increasingly vulnerable cyber  
environment.