InfraGard Members Alliance Houston

Houston Police Dept. gets 737 airliner as training tool

Houston police now have an old jet airliner to use as a training tool that could make them the envy of big-city law enforcement agencies around the nation.

Top police brass cut a ceremonial ribbon Monday on a retired Boeing 737 that had been used as an Air Force trainer in San Antonio. It was set to be decommissioned and destined for an airplane graveyard in the Arizona desert.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/19/2344848/houston-pd-gets-737-airliner-as.html#ixzz0uKSm6Dlf

DHS issues Private Sector Resources Catalog

In order to face the new threats and evolving hazards of today's security environment, we must develop and maintain critical homeland security capabilities at all layers of our society. We all share the responsibility to build all-hazards preparedness and resiliency into our way of life. As outlined in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report released earlier this year, this enterprise approach is composed of multiple partners whose roles and responsibilities are distributed and shared among a broad-based community with a common interest in the public safety and well-being of America and American society.

The Private Sector Resources Catalog facilitates your organization's access to the resources you need to participate in the homeland security enterprise and help keep our country secure. The first to be targeted specifically towards private sector partners and encompassing the entire Department, this document collects the training, publications, guidance, alerts, newsletters, programs, and services available to the private sector across the Department. Recognizing the breadth and diversity of the available resources as well as the Department's continually evolving work, this catalog will be updated regularly to publicize new resources and increase private sector awareness.

Available at: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/private_sector_resource_catalog.pdf

Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep) Resource Center

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the adoption of the final standards for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep)—a major milestone in DHS' implementation of a program recommended by the 9/11 Commission to improve private sector preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

"Private organizations across the country—from businesses to universities to non-profit organizations—have a vital role to play in bolstering our disaster preparedness and response capabilities," said Secretary Napolitano. "These new standards will provide our private sector partners with the tools they need to enhance the readiness and resiliency of our nation."

http://www.fema.gov/privatesector/preparedness/index.htm

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Ten Alleged Secret Agents Arrested in the United States Multi-year FBI Investigation Uncovers Network in the United States Tasked with Recruiting Sources and Collecting Information for Russia

The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

This case is the result of a multi-year investigation conducted by the FBI; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Counterespionage Section and the Office of Intelligence within the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/nyfo062810a.htm

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Houston InfraGard Chapter collaborating with DHS to gather assessment data after tropical storms

The Houston InfraGard Chapter is collaborating with the local Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office to provide critical infrastructure damage assessment after any regional disaster.  The DHS will monitor the Houston InfraGard Twitter account IMAHoustonSR for in the field updates.  The Twitter account is only available for Houston InfraGard Chapter members and vetted agencies.  All members and critical infrastructure partners are encouraged to "request to follow" the Twitter account well in advance of any incident.

Additional users will not be added 48 hours before any landfalling storm.

Please refer to our web page at: http://www.infragardhouston.org/infragardhouston/member-resources.html

Widgets, Twitter to fuel FEMA emergency alerts

Federal Emergency Management Agency wants to deliver broadcast, social media assistance from disaster sites

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced a new widget for disaster preparedness on its  Facebook page page as part of a series of releases to publicize its social media and Gov 2.0 tools for emergency readiness and response.

Full article: http://gcn.com/articles/2010/06/23/fema-pushes-widgets-twitter-for-disaster-preparedness.aspx

Contributed by: Bob Janusaitis

White House preparing national Internet identity authentication plan

The White House plans to reveal June 25 a strategy for verifying the online identity of Internet users, said cyber czar Howard Schmidt, speaking June 22 during a Washington, D.C. conference.

"I want to make sure that the computer on the other end knows that it's me that's interacting with it," he told audience members of the Symantec Government Symposium 2010.  To that end, the White House will unveil a strategy for public comment called the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. The strategy will not limit itself to creating authenticated identities for federal employees.

"We need to figure out how we get those things to work at the national level," Schmidt said.  National identity authentication will be voluntary and must take into consideration privacy concerns, Schmidt also said.

http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/white-house-preparing-national-internet-identity-authentication-plan/2010-06-23?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Special Interest Groups (SIG's) gaining momentum

We've have had a great response to our Special Interest Group (SIG) program.  Additional SIG's are being considered as we roll out the program.

Currently the following SIG's and Sector Chiefs have been established:

Sector Chiefs by Special Interest Group (SIG)

Banking and Finance        William Gemza

Electric                             Dirk Suter

Information Technology      Mark Stingley

Oil & Gas                         Johnny Lockett

If you complete the registration form and do not see your sector listed, but have an interest in establishing a SIG please add a note to the comments section on the form.  A list of the defined sectors are included on the SIG web page, as well as additional information on the program:

http://www.infragardhouston.org/infragardhouston/sectors.html

We are in the process of validating membership.  You will be contacted by a Sector Chief over the next two weeks

InfraGard Houston President testifies at TX House of Representatives Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness about the ER-ITN system

Public hearings were held at the George R. Brown Convention Center today for lawmakers to gain insight into the preparedness of the Greater Houston area.  A number of local emergency management officials provided the committee with specific details on readiness.

Bob Janusaitis from the Houston Chapter provided testimony in support of the ER-ITN system which is a collaborative effort of InfraGard, the National Sheriff's Association, and the Pegasus Program.  Bob was accompanied by Subject Matter Expert - Daniel Renaud of the Pegasus Program.  The Committee was encouraged to support state wide adoption of the system which facilitates the re-entry of critical infrastructure personnel after a crisis.

 
Seated  right table:

Bob Janusaitis - InfraGard Houston, Daniel Renaud - Pegasus Program

ER-ITN has been successfully tested in Houston/Galveston area and is in active use in the Gulf Coast States involved in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

See article at KPRC

Texas House Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness Blog

Additional ER-ITN information

Announcing Special Interest Group (SIG's) to enhance collaboration among Houston Chapter Members

The Houston InfraGard Chapter is pleased to announce the roll out of its Special Interest Group (SIG)/Sector Chief Program.  The initial sectors to be implemented are: Electric, Healthcare & Public Health, Information Technology, and Oil & Gas.  The program has been designed to facilitate focused collaboration between the FBI and the individual sectors within the Houston Chapter.  The purpose of the program is to permit regular communication within the SIG to further enhance protection of the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources in the Houston area.

The SIG's may be based upon sector or cross-sector issues, they are essentially work-groups with a common area of interest.  Each SIG is encouraged to:

• Communicate/Collaborate with its peers
• Provide sector membership with public source information relative to each sector via the chapter blog
• Provide input to the chapter board on topics and speakers for quarterly meetings
• Provide Subject Matter Expertise as required by critical infrastructure partners
  

Each member may participate in up to two SIG's.  An example would be Information Technology and Electric, or Information Technology and Oil & Gas, or you may select only Information Technology.  Individuals that may be involved in multiple sectors have at at large sector to participate.

Sector membership registration is now available at: Special Interest Group Registration