Subject: [NEXTEL-1] HOMELAND SECURITY- Efforts to Improve Information Sharing Need to Be Strengthened

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 23:40:20 -0400

Report to the Secretary of Homeland Security United States General Accounting
Office

August 2003

HOMELAND SECURITY- Efforts to Improve Information Sharing Need to Be Strengthened
GAO-03-760

Since September 11, 2001, federal, state, and city governments have established
initiatives to improve the sharing of information to prevent terrorism. Many of
these initiatives were implemented by states and cities and not necessarily
coordinated with other sharing initiatives, including those by federal agencies.
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has initiatives under
way to enhance information sharing, including the development of a homeland
security blueprint, known as an “enterprise architecture,” to integrate sharing
between federal, state, and city authorities.

GAO surveyed federal, state, and city government officials on their perceptions of
the effectiveness of the current information-sharing process.

Numerous studies, testimonies, reports, and congressional commissions
substantiate our survey results. Overall, no level of government perceived
the process as effective, particularly when sharing information with federal
agencies. Information on threats, methods, and techniques of terrorists is
not routinely shared; and the information that is shared is not perceived
as timely, accurate, or relevant. Moreover, federal officials have not yet
established comprehensive processes and procedures to promote
sharing. Federal respondents cited the inability of state and city officials
to secure and protect classified information, the lack of federal security
clearances, and a lack of integrated databases as restricting their ability to
share information.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03760.pdf

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