DHS will establish consolidated intelligence portal

A bottom-up review of Homeland Security Department operations emphasizes the need for technology to improve information sharing, noting plans to consolidate departmentwide intelligence data into a single computer application that can identify threats more effectively.

According to the review, which DHS initiated in November 2009 to align programs and organizational structure with identified missions, the department must find ways to further centralize coordination to leverage operational, intelligence and strategic synergies.

"We talk about expanding joint operation capabilities, including domain awareness, and taking a more integrated approach to data collection and processing," said David Heyman, assistant secretary for policy at DHS. "This was front and center in terms of our considerations."

The report noted DHS' unique position to "fuse and analyze intelligence, law enforcement, screening and other information gathered through encounters with travelers and commercial entities in order to prevent terrorist travel, finance and operations." The department established the Threat Task Force as the first step to improve sharing of counterintelligence data, but "more work can be done to enhance DHS' ability to access information in near-real time and use it to identify people and goods posing high risk to the United States," the report stated.

Specifically, DHS will create an information sharing architecture to consolidate and streamline access to departmentwide intelligence, enabling the continuous vetting of individuals. As new information becomes available, department officials will be able to reassess whether an individual requires a change in immigration status, or poses a criminal or terrorist threat. According to the report, the architecture also will be capable of automatically flagging those participating in suspicious activity, based on collected intelligence.

The report did not specify the form the architecture would take, though the described capabilities hint at an online portal that could access information from a collection of database applications. More details about initiatives will be revealed after President Obama approves the fiscal 2012 budget, Heyman said.

Among the other initiatives noted in the report, DHS will expedite plans to transform the immigration services system from a paper-based to an electronic-based application process, and enhance and expand the E-Verify system used to confirm work eligibility "to improve the accuracy of the system, combat identity fraud, address employer misuse, ensure that employees understand their rights, and allow employees to correct government records."

The report also noted plans to integrate sensors to monitor borders from air, land and water for better situational awareness.

"This was a serious bureaucratic exercise, perhaps not fully appreciated outside Washington," Heyman said. "But in fact, this will transform the way the department is run, organized and performs."