Critical Releases in Homeland Security: March 10, 2010

This United States Department of Justice report is an investigative summary regarding the fall 2001 anthrax letter attacks. The report, released pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), gives an overview of the investigation, including the elimination of Dr. Steven J. Hatfill as a suspect, the investigation of Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, and a summary of evidence from the investigation implicating Dr. Ivins. In the attacks, 35 postal facilities and mailrooms, along with seven buildings on Capitol Hill, were contaminated. During the FBI's seven year investigation, "the Amerithrax Task Force expended over 600,000 investigator work hours, involving in excess of 10,000 witness interviews conducted on six continents, the execution of 80 searches, and the recovery of over 6,000 items of potential evidence. The case involved the issuance of over 5,750 federal grand jury subpoenas and the collection of 5,730 environmental samples from 60 site locations."

"A terrorist's use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or improvised nuclear device (IND) to release radioactive materials into the environment could have devastating consequences. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine (1) the extent to which the federal government is planning to fulfill its responsibilities to help cities and their states clean up contaminated areas from RDD and IND incidents, (2) what is known about the federal government's capability to effectively clean up these contaminated areas, and (3) suggestions for improving federal preparedness to help cities and states recover from these incidents. The report also discusses recovery activities in the United Kingdom. GAO reviewed federal laws and guidance; interviewed officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and surveyed emergency management officials from 13 cities at high risk of attack, their 10 states, and FEMA and EPA regional offices."

"President Obama has identified cybersecurity as one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation, but one that we as a government or as a country are not adequately prepared to counter. Last year the President accepted recommendations of the resulting Cyberspace Policy Review which was built on the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI), the success of which will largely depend on the strategic foundational capabilities within the Government (including funding within the federal law enforcement, intelligence, and defense communities to enhance key functions such as criminal investigation, and intelligence gathering, processing, and analysis). Enhanced information sharing is the cornerstone of this new initiative that carves out extensive provisions to address the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. It is this administration's goal to improve public understanding of Federal efforts, and in this vein the Cybersecurity Coordinator has released a summary description of the CNCI."

"In response to the ongoing threats to federal systems and operations posed by cyber attacks, President Bush established the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) in 2008. This initiative consists of a set of projects aimed at reducing vulnerabilities, protecting against intrusions, and anticipating future threats. GAO was asked to determine (1) what actions have been taken to develop interagency mechanisms to plan and coordinate CNCI activities and (2) what challenges CNCI faces in achieving its objectives related to securing federal information systems. To do this, GAO reviewed CNCI plans, policies, and other documentation and interviewed officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), among other agencies. GAO also reviewed studies examining aspects of federal cybersecurity and interviewed recognized cybersecurity experts."