Secretary's Action Directives: Protection

Critical infrastructure protection. This core mission of the Department of Homeland Security entails a broad mandate to reduce the vulnerability of key systems and structures to natural and manmade threats. The Department oversees the national critical infrastructure list and manages 18 infrastructure sectors established under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7, with primary responsibility for information technology, telecommunications, chemical, transportation, emergency services, and postal and shipping. This entails extensive dealings with other federal agencies, states, and the private sector, involving collaboration, data collection, risk analysis, and sharing of best practices. What is the current status of the critical infrastructure list, relations with the 18 sector security councils and the other departments that have critical infrastructure protection roles? What are the plans to enhance protection? How do we enhance private sector participation? An oral report is due Jan. 28.

Risk analysis. Given the extensive number of vulnerabilities to manmade and natural disasters and the limitations on resources, determining national priorities and the judicious distribution of resources are a major element of the Department's mission. What is the status of risk analysis metrics and what is the plan and time frame for setting up a full-blown system to govern the establishment of critical infrastructure programs, the priorities among national planning scenarios, and the distribution of grants to state, local, and tribal entities? More broadly, how can the Department enhance risk management as the basis of decision making? An oral report is due Jan. 28.

State and local intelligence sharing. Core to the Department's ability to successfully carry out its mission is sharing information within the Department, and between the Department and other federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector entities. Across the Department there are currently multiple operational, technological, programmatic, and policy-related activities underway to focus on improved information sharing.

• Given the importance of this mission, please provide a complete inventory of all operational, programmatic, technology, and policy related activities currently underway.
• Provide an evaluation of which activities hold the most promise for achieving the smooth flow of information on a real time basis.
  • The inventory and evaluation should take into account the voices of all stakeholders, especially state, local and tribal entities.
  • The evaluation should also consider the private sector's perspective and its relationship to these stakeholders.
• The inventory and evaluation should focus on ensuring that the Department's information sharing efforts are closely linked to government-wide efforts to establish the Information Sharing Environment as called for the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
• Department of Homeland Security Intelligence & Analysis should evaluate whether the Department is meeting all of its information sharing missions as described in Section 201(d) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107-296, especially Section 201(d)(1).

An oral report is due Jan. 28.

Transportation security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is directed to provide a review to the Secretary of the current strategies, plans and programs for security of the air, surface, and maritime transportation sector, to include a side by side comparison of the threat environment, resources and personnel devoted to each transportation sector. TSA shall coordinate, as necessary, with all pertinent components and offices in the Department, as well as with all relevant outside bodies and advisory councils. An oral report is due Jan. 28.

State, local and tribal integration. To promote policies to more fully integrate American state, local, and tribal governments in the development of policies and programs to protect our nation and help it recover from natural and manmade disasters consistent with the homeland security interests of the United States, the Department Office of Intergovernmental Affairs shall:

• Immediately contact every relevant governmental association, e.g. the National Governors Association, National Association of Counties, League of Cities and Towns, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, National Emergency Management Association, and the National Congress of American Indians, announcing that the Department intends to revitalize its relationship with state, local, and tribal governments effective immediately with the intent of creating a working partnership.
• Immediately plan for an accelerated process of soliciting and collecting input from our state, local and tribal partners on how to improve the programs and processes of the Department.
• This input should include, but not be limited to, the following topics:
  1. Critical infrastructure
  2. Grant making
  3. Interoperability
  4. Intelligence collection and dissemination
  5. Emergency services

A preliminary written report is due Feb. 10.

Cybersecurity. Given the increasingly sophisticated number of threats to all areas of national cyberspace and considering the authorities provided by the Homeland Security Act, the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23/National Security Presidential Directive 54, what are the authorities and responsibilities of the Department for the protection of the government and private sector domains, what are the relationships with other government agencies, especially the Departments of Defense, Treasury, and Energy, and the National Security Agency, and what are the programs and timeframes to achieve the Department's responsibilities and objectives? An oral report is due by Feb. 3, with a final report due Feb. 17.

Northern Border Strategy. The northern border of the United States has become, since 9/11, important to our national security. As we have designed programs to afford greater protection against unlawful entry, members of Congress and homeland security experts have called for increased attention to the Canadian border. What are the current vulnerabilities, the overall strategy for reducing those vulnerabilities, the requirements, the programs, the budget, and the timeframe for improving security along this border and what level of risk will remain once the programs are completed? An oral report is due by Feb. 10, with a final report due Feb. 17.