HSAAC Meeting Announced – 10-22-14

DHS is publishing a notice in Monday’s Federal Register (79 FR 60179-60180; available on line today) announcing a public meeting of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council in Washington, DC on October 22^nd, 2014. Subcommittee reports will include a report by the Cybersecurity Subcommittee.

According to the HSAAC web site the Cybersecurity Subcommittee is mainly tasked to look at cyber-workforce issues. At their last meeting [.PDF Download] they made suggestions like:

• DHS should continue hosting monthly tours of DHS' National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) for secondary, post-secondary and veteran students involved in cybersecurity and other STEM disciplines;

• DHS should target outreach efforts at underserved communities to improve their pathways to cyber-related educational and career opportunities;

• DHS should identify and leverage existing college and university cyber boot camps for ROTC cadets as a model for student veterans; and

• DHS should foster the growth of the U.S . Coast Guard Academy's (CGA) cyber-related educational opportunities and programs;

The one area of non-workforce related focus of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee; better with individual campus information technology departments on the risks towards and attacks on computer systems and networks; did not receive any mention in the last HSAAC meeting.

BTW: There is no subcommittee that looks at hazardous chemical security issues. Given the perennial complaints from the schools that are forced to report Top Screen information for their chemical inventories and the smaller number that have CFATS covered facilities on campus you would think that this might be a focus. Silly me.