2. Homeland Security funds - Laserfiche WebLink

Crossing Wires federal government. For this proj- ect, the governments are not focus- ing on getting radios to talk to one another. Instead, they are using a Web browser that first responders will have on their mobile comput- ers, personal digital assistants or data-enabled mobile phones. Those with existing mobile data systems will go through an electronic bridge to get connected to other systems they couldn't communicate with before. (Those without mobile computers, such as the Maryland State Police, will be getting them.) The Alexandria, Virginia, po- lice department, for instance, has a good mobile data system for its force. But it can't connect with neighboring jurisdictions. In a few months, if all goes well, the Alexandria system will be able to communicate with the rest of the systems in the region, via a set of computers housed in Greenbelt, Maryland. Essentially what's happening is that equipment in Greenbelt is being used as a gateway to "translate French into German," says George Ake, the project coordinator. That is, Alexandria-speak is being translated into other neighboring government-speak without any of those governments having to buy new systems. The software is off the shelf and standards based. "People can't afford to buy new sys- Ability of public safety officials to communicate by radio across different wireless systems on demand and in real time, 2003. This assessment found a 41 percent increase in national wireless interoperability scores since 2001. ~ Developing Source: Public Safely Wireless Network Program ~ Established tems," AEe says. "if they already spent millions for a new system, they're not going to be really happy throwing it out and starting all over again." When there is a disaster that requires the cooperation of police, fire and medical units, first responders will be able to sit in their various vehicles or offices and log on to a computer chat room to discuss who should do what next. Or they can use instant messaging. They will get informa- tion from the FBI or a transportation department or a criminal database. The first governments had been expected to start using the system in March but that was delayed and they anticipate having the system ready for use within the next few weeks. DOUBLE WHAMMY While homeland security may be a new term that will foster a new thinking process, the equip- ment that is purchased and the partnerships formed can serve a dual purpose, and "regular" invest- ments can do double duty for homeland security. Virginia area fire fighters and emergency med- ical technicians, for instance, might tap into the CapWIN wire- less interoperability system when a truck with hazardous materials tums over on the Capital Beltway. Cook County, Illinois, is doing an aerial flyover for its GIS system that will provide location information that can be used for crime, natural disasters or terrorism- related incidents. While interoperability is useful, the ability to communicate from system to sys- tem presents a fundamental challenge for any technology environment. The tools exist to connect up those who want to be connected, but connectivity can mean the opposite of security. A connected system becomes only as strong as its weakest link. The more hands and eyes on data, from various departments with different levels of management and differing policies on protecting data, the more the risk level rises. The result, says Kirk Bailey, Seattle's CIO, is a "never ending litany of poten- tial liability." Most operating systems were developed without security in mind, so enabling them to speak to one another creates additional risks. And that problem, Bai- ley suggests, is almost unsolvable. That doesn't mean that governments should back off from their goal of sharing information. What's needed is a business and technology evaluation on how much risk to take, and that's not a new concept. Federal regulations for the banking indus- try and health regulations under HIPAA the health care privacy law that mandates electronic transfer of informa- tion-speak to standards and rules on pri- vacy and security. At the same time, state and local agencies are looking for the most affordable, best bang for the buck option. "The information age has wrought upon us a unique challenge," Bailey says. "It's very hard to do." [] Governing.corn