States Can Access Defense Network

Local authorities rejoice: Select regional fusion centers that collect and share regional information on terrorist threats and activities will soon have access to sensitive terrorism-related data housed in the Defense Department's classified network.

Defense and the Homeland Security Department announced an initiative on Monday to grant some fusion center personnel that have federal security clearances access to specific terrorism-related information on Defense's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet). The information will be routed to authorized individuals via DHS' Homeland Security Data Network.

The initiative will "further improve the ability of fusion centers to prevent, detect, deter, and respond to terrorist attacks, and advance the combined missions of DHS and DoD to protect the nation's security," the DHS announcement said.

Access to federal information is something that state and local authorities have demanded for some time, though not in isolation. They also argue for the formation of a national information network that would allow centers nationwide to collaborate to identify trends or to plan a more comprehensive response to far-reaching threats. That has yet to happen.