Year: 2015

In late October, the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued the Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems to help U.S. communities better withstand and recover from natural disasters and other hazards.  The guide was developed by NIST with the help of specialists from multiple levels of community and government agencies, […]

On October 27, the Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 in a 74-to-21 vote. CISA was passed by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in March before moving to the Senate, and will now be reconciled with legislation passed by the House of Representatives. The bill creates additional incentives to increase voluntary sharing of […]

Last week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released their testimony on the progress made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. The testimony is based on previous GAO reports that were issued between 2012 and 2015, and audits the progress FEMA has made in national preparedness, disaster response and recovery, […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to expand on its Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program. The ECS program was launched in 2011, and involves cybersecurity organizations from across the federal government. The ECS, which was expanded in 2013, is a voluntary information sharing program that shares sensitive and classified cyber threat indicators from across […]

In September the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the updated National Preparedness Goal. The National Preparedness Goal defines what it means for the whole community to be prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies, including natural disasters, disease pandemics, chemical spills and other manmade hazards, terrorist attacks, and cyber attacks. The National Preparedness […]

The CGSC Foundation recently recognized former Simons Center director Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Ray Barrett at a farewell dinner on October 7. At the dinner, the Foundation board presented Barrett with a Foundation chair in appreciation for his retiring after 10 years of service as one of the Foundation’s founding trustees, its first Vice Chairman, and […]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report assessing the American Red Cross’s cooperation with U.S. government agencies when providing disaster relief services. The report addresses the nature and extent of the Red Cross’s disaster services, how the Red Cross coordinates with the federal government on disaster assistance, and what external oversight exists of […]

Lt. Col. Wong Shi Ming, CGSOC Class of 2015 (second from left in the photo) recently received the chair representing his receipt of the Birrer-Brookes Award for the best thesis submitted for the Masters of Military Arts and Sciences degree for his class. Wong was officially recognized for this award and several others during the […]

On September 28, President Obama addressed the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, where he urged a whole-of-government approach to international dilemmas. The president’s remarks touched on several international issues, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Iran Nuclear Pact, and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. President Obama stressed that military power is […]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Martin E. Dempsey recently conducted an interview in which he discussed the importance of a whole-of-government approach to issues facing the U.S. and the world. Dempsey has repeatedly pushed for solutions integrating economic, diplomatic, law enforcement, energy, and military instruments of power during his tenure as […]