What the TSA needs now is a good makeover; hopefully Major General (retired) Robert Harding is going to be the one to bring in the new broom. TSA has languished for years under a cloud of mistakes, errors and just plain carelessness with respect to their public image and their overall effectiveness. Generals lead by implementing policies set down by their civilian leadership. It is long past time we let the professionals do their jobs and expect the politicos to do theirs.

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I thought you might be interested in the story below regarding new security tactics being deployed at certain airports -- random hand swabs to check for explosive residue.

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Some travelers displeased about TSA body scanners - Government Executive The Electronic Privacy Information Center on Tuesday released a list of more than 40 complaints filed by air travelers about the use of whole-body imaging machines.

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In what was one of his typically colorful appearances, ret. US Army LTG Russel Honore, the famed “Ragin Cajun” of Hurricane Katrina fame did not disappoint the assembled audience of the 4th Annual DHS University Network Summit. Before a packed hotel ballroom of PhDs, graduate students, DHS S&T leaders, industry reps and more, Honore dropped one-liners and candid, colorful observations that literally had the audience roaring in laughter. Amidst the laughter though were some very frank observations about our nation’s preparedness and overall resilience posture.

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We often talk about cyber threats in different ways. Some speak of them based on who the bad guys are: hackers, terrorists, cyber criminals or nation states. Others use the bad guys’ technical approach as a means to define them: SQL injection, Memory Scrappers, DDoS Attacks, etc. A third way, one based on distance from targets, was used by Steven Chabinsky of the FBI recently in several venues. I think it adds to the depth of our analysis, and bring to the fore some key areas that are often overlooked.

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Contest to organize airport screeners heats up - Government Executive The American Federation of Government Employees on Tuesday announced progress on its petition to hold a unionization election at the Transportation Security Administration. But the rival National Treasury Employees Union remains close behind AFGE in the race to represent airport screeners exclusively, according to its leader.

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Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced that he will nominate Retired Army General Robert Harding to be the TSA Administrator. Harding is a well-known and highly respected military and intelligence officer, and under normal circumstances, his nomination should sail through the Senate. But these are not normal times in the Senate.

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There is a comforting feeling in attending a meeting with the National Emergency Managers Association (NEMA). You are literally surrounded by some of the world’s best and brightest emergency managers in the public and private sectors. Probably no where else in the world could you assemble the talent, experience, and character in one room and fulfill the Allstate marketing adage of “you’re in good hands.” Such was my experience last weekend at NEMA’s annual mid-year conference in Alexandria, VA.

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The Washington Times reported on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Secure Border Initiative (SBI), designed to stem illegal immigration and secure U.S. borders, is far behind schedule, despite the $672 million spent thus far. This is not breaking news, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been reporting to Congress since September that the project is in trouble.

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In one of her first appearances on Capitol Hill since becoming DHS’ Under Secretary for Science & Technology, Tara O’Toole showed herself to be in complete comfort with the issues and challenges that face her. Her demeanor and candor at a FY2011 Budget Hearing before the House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cyber Security and Science & Technology, also exhibited calm, cool and collected confidence in the programs she has inherited. This is just the reassurance that many from industry were looking for.

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The Heritage Foundation sponsored a special event for Homeland Security Related Bloggers on March 3. They invited DHS Undersecretary for National Protection and Programs, the Honorable Rand Beers, to have a candid on-the-record chat with non-traditional “news” folks. I was honored to be included. He next joked that his title (National Protection & Programs) was not always helpful, as he invariably had to explain what it was he did before he could begin to act. Basically, this man is in charge of the resilience (through prevention and mitigation) of the cyber and other critical infrastructure of our nation. It is a daunting task indeed.

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Following his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee where he testified about chemical security, DHS Under Secretary Rand Beers met with national security bloggers for an "on the record" session hosted by the Heritage Foundation. It was a remarkably refreshing session – not only because Beers acknowledged the importance of reaching out to a wide range of critical thinkers (which occasionally includes bloggers), but also because he was characteristically candid. Would that other DHS officials followed his lead.

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California Issues Telework Policy to Curb Cyber-Security Risks - Government Technology To bolster security and create consistency in California's IT infrastructure, the Office of the State Chief Information Officer (OCIO) issued a new policy Tuesday, March 2, that includes telework and remote access security standards as well as a compliance form that state agencies must submit by July 1.

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Obama's Nuclear Posture Review - NationalSecurity.org As President Barack Obama prepares to release his Nuclear Option Review, many are wondering how different his strategy will be from the Bush administration's and whether it will effectively deter proliferation and keep the U.S. and our allies safe.

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By Julie Myers Wood and Dawn Lurie A recent report conducted on behalf of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by Westat highlighted what some employers using E-Verify know all too well – when unauthorized workers roll the dice and try to get a job, far too often the E-Verify system lets them win. The report estimates that the inaccuracy rate for unauthorized workers on E-Verify is 54 percent. 54 percent! Those are incredibly tempting odds for those seeking employment. Considering all of the improvements made to the E-Verify system over the past two years, this report is disappointing but will surely serve as a motivator for the government to place additional focus on the number of false positives passing through the system.

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Kerry Frustrated By Pace Of Smart Grid - Tech Daily Dose Senate Commerce Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., expressed "frustration" Tuesday that the Obama administration has not moved fast enough to build out the country's electricity infrastructure.

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U.K. shipper complies with "known shipper" requirements by installing Avigilon surveillance system - Homeland Security Newswire By August this year, 100 percent of cargo on U.S. passenger planes will have to be screened. Most of the screening — and the safe warehousing and delivery of the screened goods — will be handled not by the government, but by private shippers who, if they comply with government regulations, will be certified as “safe shipper” (or “known shippers,” as they are called in some countries). The goods delivered to airports by these safe shippers will be subjected to less rigorous — and, hence, speedier — security checks.

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Burning Question: Will full-body scanners get TSA in hot water with the Pope? - Government Executive The Associated Press has reported that the first of 150 full-body scanners slated to be deployed by the Transportation Security Administration at U.S. airports will be installed next week. The scanners have attracted their share of criticism on privacy grounds--and the latest has come from the Vatican.

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Will the Pentagon Finally Get Web 2.0? - Wired On Friday, the Pentagon announced a new social media policy that will the troops to use Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites, within limits. True to form, Pentagon social media czar Price Floyd announced the policy change in a Twitter update.

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U.S. to Reveal Rules on Internet Security - NY Times The Obama administration on Tuesday plans to declassify portions of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, created during the Bush administration as a secret effort to harness the nation’s defensive and offensive strategies for protecting commercial and government networks.

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