InfraGard Members Alliance Houston

Hazmat Fusion Center

The National Hazardous Materials Fusion Center (NHMFC) provides responders, throughout the U.S., an information sharing capability previously not available to first responders.

The NHMFC Website (www.hazmatfc.com) was demonstrated during the EPA, Region 6, HotZone Conference in Houston, Texas. The internet portal not only provides responders an opportunity to report information on HazMat incidents, but also provides a number of easy to use resources.

http://scienceray.com/physics/hazmat-fusion-center

http://www.hazmatfc.com/Pages/Home.aspx

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Response and Restoration software and information

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) protects coastal and marine resources, mitigates threats, reduces harm, and restores ecological function. The Office provides comprehensive solutions to environmental hazards caused by oil, chemicals, and marine debris.

CAMEO Chemicals is a database of hazardous chemicals that emergency responders and planners can use to get response recommendations and predict hazards.

Get a standalone version of CAMEO Chemicals that you can run from your Windows computer.

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.php

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Iran's Nuclear Chiefs Battle Cyber Attack

"This computer worm (STUXNET) is designed to transfer data about production lines from our industrial plants to (locations) outside of the country."

The Stuxnet worm is described by experts as the most complex piece of malware ever designed.

Technology security provider Symantec told the Financial Times it would have taken a team of 10 specialised programmers about six months of full-time work to design Stuxnet.

"Government organisations across the world need to think carefully about how they are protecting their power stations, water plants and industrial units, from malicious attack," Mr Bentley added.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/Irans-Atomic-Energy-Organisation-Meets-To-Discuss-Response-To-Stuxnet-Worm-Over-Nuclear-Plant-Fears/Article/201009415743426?lpos=Technology_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15743426_Irans_Atom

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Surveillance Detection Awareness on the Job - Virtual Roundtable event on HSIN

The Office of Infrastructure Protection’s (IP) Sector-Specific Agency Executive Management Office (SSA EMO) and Partnership and Outreach Division (POD), with assistance from the Surveillance Detection workgroup, developed a 90-minute, highly interactive and visual, virtual roundtable, designed to raise the awareness of suspicious activities and behaviors that might indicate potential surveillance activities. An invitation to the roundtable is attached. 

The target audience for this roundtable will be a full-range of employees working at critical infrastructure facilities, government agencies, governmental organizations, and private-sector owners and operators, including front-line supervisors such as security managers, facilities managers, human resource managers, compliance managers, and IT managers.

More information: http://www.infragardhouston.org/pdfs/SDA%20Virtual%20Roundtable%209-9-10%20Invite.pdf

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

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

When Does Electronic Espionage or a Cyber Attack become an “Act of War”

How  much pain should nations endure before declaring cybercrime  or electronic espionage an “act of war”?

In a recent article entitled, “U.S. Would Lose Cyber War,” retired Vice Admiral and former Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell told the Senate Commerce Committee, “the United States [is] the most vulnerable target for a massive, crippling cyber attack, primarily because the country is also the most connected to the Web.”

Conclusion

So, where does this leave us? Will we ever get to the point where nations engage in a true cyberwar? We should certainly hope not. The ramifications could be catastrophic, equivalent to nuclear attacks but instead creating mutually assured economic destruction. Any cyberwar would not be limited to the networks and financial markets of the warring nations but affect markets globally.

https://www.issa.org/Members/Journal/

Search for: willson-espionage.

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

WISER - a Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders

WISER is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents.
WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

WISER is available as a standalone application on Windows Mobile devices, Palm OS PDAs, and Microsoft Windows PCs. Download for free!  Visit the training page to download materials that aid with training on the usage of WISER.

WebWISER

When an Internet connection is available, use your web browser to access the same functionality of the standalone applications. WebWISER supports both PC- and PDA-based browsers, including BlackBerry and iPhone.

http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/index.html

Contributed by: E. Charles Sterling

TxWARN is becoming a valuable asset to the State of Texas

National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC), a division of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)

TxWARN is becoming a valuable asset to the State of Texas. It’s only March, but it has already been a busy year for TxWARN Members.

The Texas based National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC) has developed a 4-hr workshop on EPA's Emergency Response Toolbox for local officials. This course was presented during the Texas Homeland Security Conference. This course and other water security courses developed by NERRTC can be presented in your community free of charge. Information on scheduling NERRTC courses and other water sector presentations during the Texas Homeland Security Conference.

http://www.teex.com/nerrtc

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/

https://hseep.dhs.gov/pages/1001_HSEEP7.aspx

Contributed by: E. Charles Sterling