By Ryan Singel

The government's new cyber-security "Manhattan Project" is so secretive that a key Senate oversight panel has been reduced to writing a letter to beg for answers to the most basic questions, such as what's going on, what's the point and what about privacy laws.

The Senate Homeland Security committee wants to know, for example, what is the goal of Homeland Security's new National Cyber Security Center. They also want to know why it is that in March, DHS announced that Silicon Valley evangelist and security novice Rod Beckstrom would direct the center, when up to that point DHS said the mere existence of the center was classified.

Those are just two sub-questions out of a list of 17 multi-part questions centrist Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) sent to DHS in a letter Friday.

On April 16, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2008-2013. The new plan supports DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff’s goal of improving both national preparedness and emergency response.

Within this plan are five goals for FEMA:

1. Lead an integrated approach that strengthens the nation's ability to address disasters, emergencies, and terrorist events
2. Deliver easily accessible and coordinated assistance for all programs
3. Provide reliable information at the right time for all users
4. FEMA invests in people and people invest in FEMA to ensure mission success
5. Build public trust and confidence through performance and stewardship

Federal regulators have approved a plan to create a nationwide text message emergency alert system that could be used to alert affected populations during natural disasters and other emergencies, the Associated Press has reported.

A 2006 federal law that requires the Federal Communications Commission to upgrade emergency alert systems and develop ways to better alert the public about emergencies led to the development of this project, which should be in effect by 2010.

Cell phone carriers’ participation is voluntary, but the plan is receiving strong support from the industry, according to the AP. Customers may not be charged for receiving alerts and will have the option to opt out of the program. Additionally, the emergency alerts would be delivered with a unique audio tone to distinguish them from normal messages.

by Carl Weinschenk

An address to the RSA Conference this week by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is at best underwhelming, and at worst downright frightening.

Chertoff has called for a Manhattan Project for cyber security. He wants Silicon Valley to offer its “best and brightest.”

The 2009 budget — which the story notes likely will be changed by the incoming president — now has billions of dollars on tap to improve the safety of networks used by the government.

Grant Fundamentals
by William Fletcher

There are three AFG priorities that the peer and technical review panelists will be looking for once an application reaches the second stage of the grant review process this year:

• Regional projects that allow organizations and jurisdictions to address "new risks"
  
• Interoperable communications projects that meet both state and federal interoperability communications plans
  
• Projects that enhance the capabilities of first responders to manage incidents involving CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosives) materials or respond to incidents involving natural or technological disasters and protect elements of the community’s critical infrastructure