Progress Lacking on DHS Network Operations Center
June 26, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. James R. Langevin (D-RI), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the status of the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to establish an integrated operations center to plan for and monitor disruptions on voice and data networks. In September 2007, a DHS-commissioned expert task force made three recommendations towards establishing a center.
GAO found that while DHS has taken the important step of co-locating the National Communication System’s center for voice networks with the National Cyber Security Division’s center for data networks, it has yet to implement the remaining recommendations from the task force.
Specifically, although called for in the task force’s recommendations, the Department has not organizationally merged the two centers or invited key private sector critical infrastructure officials to participate in the planning, monitoring, and other activities of the proposed joint operations center. According to GAO, a key factor contributing to DHS’s lack of progress is that completing the integration has not been a top priority. Instead, DHS officials stated that their efforts have been focused on other initiatives, most notably the President’s recently announced Cyber Initiative. GAO found that DHS officials have been in the process of drafting a strategic plan to provide overall direction for the activities of the National Communications System and the National Cyber Security Division since mid-2007, and could not provide a date for when it would be finalized. GAO believes that without a strategic plan or related guidance that provides overall direction, specific tasks, and milestones DHS risks not being able to efficiently plan for and respond to voice and data network disruptions, increasing the probability that communications will be unavailable or limited in times of need.
Chairman Langevin released the following statement with the release of the report:
“The lack of progress found by the GAO regarding the integration of the National Communications System and the National Cyber Security Division is unacceptable,” said Langevin. “Realistic and time-sensitive recommendations were provided to DHS, and I am greatly frustrated to learn now that those have not been met, or in some cases even attempted. We must make the security of these networks a top priority, and it is clear that this has not been the case up to now.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Langevin: Joy Fox at (401) 732-9400
Committee: Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978.
