Homeland Security Dpt

PRIVATE SECTOR UPDATE — DHS Presents State of America’s Homeland Security

January 29, 2012 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of DHS

PS-Prep strategy planning groups, along with all business continuity and risk management members of teams in organizations of all sizes should be interested in listening to Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS), as she delivers the second annual State of America’s Homeland Security address, on Monday, January 30 2012 at 1:00 PM EST.

Increasing our nation’s security and resilience remains a goal achieved through strong connections between DHS and our nation’s private sector.

Click here to watch Janet Napolitano’s presentation LIVE on Monday, January 30 2012 at 1:00 PM EST.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Organizational Resiliency, PS-Prep Program, Risk Management Tagged With: Business Continuity, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, private sector, PS-Prep, PS-Prep strategy, resilience, risk management, Security

Business Continuity and Emergency Management Plan Testing — Need Help Pitching the Need?

January 28, 2012 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of blog.abn.org.au

Many of the readers of this website belong to emergency management and business continuity planning teams. And, hopefully, those disaster preparedness focused teams are testing their emergency, continuity and disaster recovery plans regularly.

But if not, or if those risk management centered groups are looking for some useful information to assist the testing of those BC/DR plans, then, an article written by Jim Satterfield is a valuable resource to turn to when you need content and reasons to convince your fellow BC/DR team members – or even upper management — that funding and support is justified to test your plans.

As Satterfield says, “Everyone has a role in a crisis. Some are strategic, some are tactical. How decisions are made in a crisis is critical to the outcome. Because of this, the following holds true:

Practicing emergency response helps assure that the response can proceed predictably during a crisis or disaster;
Participation in exercises familiarizes everyone with the vulnerabilities, impacts, plans, mitigation strategies, incident management and crisis communications;
Testing allows problems or weaknesses to be identified and used to stimulate necessary and appropriate changes; and
Errors committed and experience gained during testing will provide valuable insights and lessons learned that can be factored into the planning/updating process.”

The full posting by Satterfield is in two parts, so be sure to read the entire posting, and, if applicable, pass this info on to those associates in your organization or even those disaster recovery and first responder teams in your community’s Emergency and Crisis Management Response areas. And if your organization is in the private sector, please get this info to in-house team members of the PS-Prep strategy planning leaders.

Click here to read Part 1 and Click here to read Part 2 of Satterfield’s postings.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Organizational Resiliency, PS-Prep Program, Risk Management Tagged With: BC/DR, Business Continuity, business continuity planning, continuity, crisis, crisis communication, crisis management, crisis management response, disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, emergency, emergency management, first responder, incident management, mitigation strategies, private sector, PS-Prep, PS-Prep strategy, test your plans

National Preparedness Goal Document Released

September 30, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

Business continuity planning teams know that the best risk mitigation effort against any threat to their organization works best when top management plays a leadership role in directing a balanced representation from the total organization to develop and implement appropriate defense strategies against any potential threats or disruptive events from happening to their organization.

In a similar fashion, our government has instituted the Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) system of communication and leadership so as to direct and guide our Nation in its efforts to be prepared to address those risks and threats facing our Nation.

That PPD Directive calls for development and maintenance of a National Preparedness Goal defining the core capabilities necessary to prepare for the specific types of incidents posing the greatest risk to the security of the Nation.

DHS/FEMA just announced the release of the first edition of The National Preparedness Goal — which also happens to be the first deliverable called for by Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8. The document was signed by the Secretary of Homeland Security on September 23, 2011.

Click here to download The National Preparedness Goal document, and share it with your family members, your community and your fellow workers.

If you want to read more about the Presidential Policy Directive program, click here.

In particular, this document should be added to the reading resource libraries of risk management and business continuity team leaders in your organization as well as those members of your PS-Prep strategy planning team.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Personal Preparedness, PS-Prep, PS-Prep Program Tagged With: Business Continuity, Presidential Policy Directive-8, PS-Prep, PS-Prep Strategy planning team, risk management

ASIS 2011 – Wealth of Info for Cybersecurity and Physical Security Experts

September 20, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance 1 Comment

ASIS International 2011 is the world’s leading organization for security professionals and this year more than 20,000 people from around the world are expected to attend its conference. Many of those visitors are readers of this website.

One of the major areas of concern for both many of our readers as well as probably the majority of those visitors to the ASIS 2011 Conference involves cyber security and cybercrime.

At this year’s ASIS 2011, security experts will explore the effect of the Internet on terrorism, how extremist organizations are using it, and what can be done to stop it … for those readers particularly interested in combating cyber extremists, a very informative story has been written and posted on the Homeland Security newswire website ….read more.

If applicable, please pass this information along to those information security, risk management, disaster preparedness and cybersecurity management team members in your organization.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Information Security, Physical Security, Risk Management Tagged With: ASIS 2011, combating cybercrime, cyber extremists, cyber security, cybercrime, cybersecurity, cybersecurity management, Department of Homeland Security, disaster preparedness, Information Security, risk management, security professionals, terrorism

National Preparedness Month 2011 and DHS Releases 9/11 Commission Recommendations Progress Report

July 23, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

National Preparedness Month (“NPM”) is a month-long awareness and activism campaign occurring every September in the U.S. to improve the preparedness of our nation.

The terrorist attacks of September 11^th highlighted the need to increase preparedness activities across the nation and improve the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from disasters.

As a result, FEMA, the Ready Campaign, and Citizen Corps founded NPM in 2004 as a way to work with organizations across the country to increase preparedness.

In recognition of the 10^th anniversary of the attacks of September 11^th, this year’s NPM 2011 slogan is “A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare”. This year NPM 2011 is a call to action urging our nation’s communities to remember the disasters of our past while preparing for the disasters of the future.

And, although that original September 11^th disaster is a prominent part of National Preparedness Month 2011, it is very important to also stress that preparedness is needed for ALL hazards, both natural and man-made.

Over the next few weeks, this website will be posting related articles and information related to NPM 2011, how coalition members of NPM 2011 can support NPM goals, and finally progress reports on implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations, along with PS-Prep program related stories.

For more detailed information about NPM 2011 as well as where and how to become a coalition member of NPM 2011, Click Here

For a more complete listing of what has been done since that September 11^th disaster, in support of NPM 2011, and, seven years after the release of the 9/11 Commission report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently released a report highlighting the progress that DHS, along with its many partners, have made in fulfilling specific recommendations made by the Commission to build a country that is stronger, safer and more resilient.

To view the DHS’ full report entitled “Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations — Progress Report 2011” as well as related materials Click Here

If applicable, please pass this information along to those PS-Prep strategy, business continuity and disaster preparedness planning team members in your organization and community.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, PS-Prep, PS-Prep Program Tagged With: Business Continuity, Citizen Corps, DHS, disaster preparedness, featured, FEMA, NPM 2011, preparedness, PS-Prep, PS-Prep Program, PS-Prep strategy planning, Ready Campaign

Emergency Preparedness Plan (PPD-8) Issued by White House

April 8, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

Please join the Homeland Security Policy Institute for a discussion about Presidential Policy Directive – 8: National Preparedness, featuring Brian Kamoie, Senior Director for Preparedness Policy on the White House National Security Staff. President Barack Obama signed a new Presidential Policy Directive on National Preparedness last week and the Directive will be publicly released at this event. The new policy outlines the President’s vision for strengthening the security and resilience of the United States through systematic preparation for threats to the security of the Nation, including acts of terrorism, pandemics, significant accidents, and catastrophic natural disasters. The Directive follows a comprehensive review of national preparedness policy and replaces Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) (2003) and HSPD-8 Annex I (2007).

Click here to view this webcast explaining the Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-8.

Filed Under: Homeland Security Dpt, PS-Prep Program Tagged With: Department of Homeland Security, emergency preparedness, National Preparedness, PPD-8

Disaster Preparedness Webinars Offered to SMB's by SBA

February 3, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance 1 Comment

Business continuity planning tips and disaster preparedness strategies and ideas are now freely available to all small and mid-sized businesses from the cooperation between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Agility Recovery Solutions organization.

SBA Administrator Karen Mills states, “These free disaster preparedness webinars are an opportunity for business owners to learn how to become proactive and practical about analyzing risks and making a plan to recover. This is about not only protecting the business before disaster strikes, but having a plan in place so the business rebuilds quickly and thrives.”

Dates and topics for upcoming free webinars are as follows:

Feb. 15 –           “Disaster Recovery Year in Review”
March 15 –       “SBA Disaster Assistance”
April 19 –         “Leading with resiliency during a disaster”
May 17 –          “Crisis Communications Planning”
June 21 –         “Hurricane Season preparation”
July 19 –          “Disaster recovery best practices”
Aug. 16 –           “Social media and disaster recovery”

To register for upcoming webinars and to learn more about these informative offerings, click here.

If applicable, please pass this information along to those business continuity, disaster preparedness, crisis management, PS-Prep planning or first responder team members in your organization.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, PS-Prep Program, Uncategorized Tagged With: Business Continuity, business continuity planning, crisis communication planning, crisis management, disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, first responders, hurricane season preparation, PS-Prep planning, Resiliency, SBA, SBA Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration

Global Supply Chain Management Partnership Announced Between DHS and WCO

January 17, 2011 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

Global supply chain management dynamics will remain a growing concern for risk management and business continuity professionals in 2011. With so many companies today having to rely on successful global supply chain performance(s) to both assemble and deliver end product(s) to their customers, it quickly becomes apparent that this critical “engine of commerce” must be secure — not only today but certainly even more so in the future.

It is no surprise then to read that Secretary of the Department of Homeland (DHS) Security Janet Napolitano recently announced a new partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO). This new partnership will enlist other nations, international bodies and the private sector in increasing the security of the global supply chain, and, hopefully making the system stronger, smarter and more resilient.

“Securing the global supply chain is part and parcel of securing both the lives of people around the world, and the stability of the global economy,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The United States is committed to working with our international partners and the private sector to keep this powerful engine of commerce, jobs, and prosperity from being attacked or disrupted.”

During remarks made today to shipping and cargo stakeholders, security experts and government officials at the European Policy Centre, Secretary Napolitano discussed the three main elements of this international effort to strengthen the security of the global supply chain:

Preventing terrorists from exploiting the global supply chain to plan and execute attacks;
Protecting the most critical elements of the supply chain system, such as transportation hubs and related critical infrastructure, from attacks and disruptions; and
Building the resilience of the global supply chain to ensure that if something does happen, the supply chain can recover quickly.

Click here to read more about this recent event as posted in the Domestic Preparedness website.

From past internal staff discussions and related articles previously posted on this website, it appears that the task of managing such a global supply chain remains a daunting task at best…please share your thoughts and comments on this critical global dynamic and how it relates to the ongoing successful growth of your organization.

If you found this information applicable, please share this with the global logistical risk management, organizational resiliency or supply chain preparedness team members in your organization.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Security Tagged With: business continuity professionals, DHS, engine of commerce, European Policy Centre, global economy, global risk management, global supply chain, Organizational Resiliency, resilient, risk management, Security Janet Napolitano, supply chain preparedness, supply chain system, WCO, World Customs Organization

Critical Infrastructure Protection Month of December 2010

December 1, 2010 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, proclaims December 2010 as Critical Infrastructure Protection Month.

The proclamation calls upon the people of the United States to recognize the importance of protecting our Nation’s resources and to observe this month with appropriate events and training to enhance our national security and resilience.

Click here to read the full Presidential Proclamation.

Please pass this information along to those business continuity, organizational resilience and risk management team members in your organization.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, Organizational Resiliency Tagged With: Business Continuity, Critical Infrastructure Resiliency, Department of Homeland Security, national security, organizational resilience, resilience, risk management

Disaster Preparedness Teams Directed to The Blog@HomelandSecurity

October 29, 2010 By Continuity_Compliance Leave a Comment

It was recently brought to the attention of our staff, that perhaps some of our readers were not aware of yet another of FEMA’s resources available to keep everyone current and allow input for additional postings regarding steps it is taking to help safeguard our nation against disruptive events. Our reference here is to FEMA’s new Blog website.

As we already know, and as stated on FEMA’s government websites…”FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards”

The objective purpose of this website which strives to meet that FEMA objective is stated on the blog as —“The website provides an inside-out view of what we do every day at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Blog lets us talk about how we secure our nation, strengthen our programs, and unite the Department behind our common mission and principles. It also lets us hear from you.”

CLICK HERE to visit this FEMA blog website.

Please add this resource to the libraries of your business continuity, PS-Prep, crisis management, first responders, cyber security, disaster preparedness and risk management team members in your organization.

Filed Under: Business Continuity Info, Homeland Security Dpt, PS-Prep Program Tagged With: Business Continuity, crisis management, cyber security, disaster preparedness, FEMA, first responders, PS-Prep, risk management