GAO: DHS ops centers need better synergy
- By Alice Lipowicz
- Oct 23, 2006
The Homeland Security Department's four multi-agency operations centers that work around the clock every day are not sharing enough information, according to a new Government Accountability Office
report.
The report examined collaboration among four multi-agency national operations centers:
- Operations Directorate's National Operations Center Interagency Watch
- Customs and Border Protection's Air Marine and Operations Center
- Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center
- Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Security Operations Center.
In addition to personnel and management issues, GAO said the centers are not fully using the Homeland Security Information Network, an information-sharing network.
"DHS had not provided the standards, policies and procedures for the use of its Homeland Security Information Network, its primary information-sharing tool," GAO wrote. Without them, users were not sure "of how to use the network and, therefore, did not maximize the operation centers' capacity for sharing security-related information."
About the Author
Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer covering government 2.0, homeland security and other IT policies for Federal Computer Week.