DHS seeks synergy with DoD, private sector

The federal government's cybersecurity apparatus remains uncoordinated, fragmented, and full of turf battles and unresolved sensitive issues.

The Department of Homeland Security, for example, has jurisdiction on the domestic side for IT security, but still must work with the Pentagon, the intelligence agencies and the private sector.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledged last week at a cybersecurity conference in Washington, D.C., that DHS is still trying to figure all of this out and work in tandem with other governmental sectors to protect federal computer networks according to CongressDaily.

She said the Obama administration has not decided how DHS will interact with the Pentagon's new cyber command, and added that they are considering a joint committee or joint liaisons, where people located on each side can communicate and resolve issues.

But Napolitano said there are privacy concerns that have been created by having the military involved with civilian networks. She also mentioned other issues of concern. "First of all, we need to confront how we really engage our partners," she said. "More than just having a conference, what are our actual plans for working together? How are we going to share intelligence from the government to the private sector and back in real time so that it is useful?"

For more on Napolitano and DHS:
- see this CongressDaily article