The national defense initiatives to enhance logical and physical security since the events of September 11^th, 2001 are unprecedented. One of the most significant endeavors was the creation of The Department of Homeland Security to consolidate bits and pieces of information coming from disparate agencies in an effort to better protect the nation. This undertaking is the largest government reorganization since 1927, covering two dozen agencies and 180,000 federal employees with different missions and methods of operation. Adding to the complexities of this new initiative is the realization that government alone cannot protect the nation from today’s cyber and physical attacks. It requires a partnership with the private sector that owns and operates over 85% of the nation’s critical infrastructure assets.

A two-way flow of information and warnings between the public and private sectors is essential and not without challenges.

• Cultural—can we trust you with this information?
• Legal—what are the legal liabilities involved in sharing information? Who will see this information and how will it be used?
• Clarity—to whom should we direct information? What roles and responsibilities do we have?
• Cross-sector Environment—how do we share information when it involves multiple industries? How secure is it? How easy is it to use? Does the environment fit our business strategy for disseminating threat information?
• Private-sector Adoption: Is the threat still significant? What cost/benefit ratio should we expect? How will participating in a shared homeland security initiative enhance my business?

Effective response to cyber or physical threats can be achieved through relevant and reliable  crisis communication, collaboration and information-sharing across multiple sectors by empowering private industry with the technology tools necessary to share in the nation’s security initiatives. This paper explores the use of a centralized technology platform to facilitate education and awareness, threat response, and operational management as well as the cultural shift and private sector adoption necessary to achieve The Department of Homeland Security goals.

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