2020 Chemical Security Summit Registration Open

Sometime this week (CISA still is no dating their web page updates) CISA updated their Chemical Security Summit web page to provide a link to a registration page for the December 2020 on-line Summit. 

As I have noted in earlier posts (most recently here) CISA had to cancel the annual summit that was scheduled to be held in Atlanta, GA in July due to COVID-19. In its place, CISA will be hosting a three-day on-line even on consecutive Wednesday’s in December. The format looks to be generally following the format that has been used in previous summits with the exception that there will not be concurrent presentations being made. Oh, and of course, no meet-and-greats, hand shaking, card exchanging or general socializing.

I have submitted my registration.

DHS Announces 2017 CSSS Registration

Earlier this week DHS announced the opening of registration for the 2017 Chemical Sector Security Summit (CSSS) that will be held in Houston, TX on July 19-21, 2017. As with the 2016 CSSS, you can register to attend the actual Summit in Houston, or you can watch the live webcasts of most of the presentations.

Last year’s CSSS was the first time that DHS provided webcasts of some of the presentations and they look like they are expanding the webcast coverage. Instead of trying to list all of the webcast presentations (listed here) I will provide a list of those that are not being webcast.

• An Evolving World: Analyzing Threats to the Chemical Sector, Thursday, 0900-1000;

• DHS Tools and Resources Exchange, various times;

• How Vulnerable Are You?: Effective Strategies for Assessing Cybersecurity Risk, Thursday, 1330-1430;

• DHS and Chemical Innovations: S&T Research and Development, Thursday, 1330-1340;

• Digital Intruders: Blinkey Demo, Thursday, 1455-1605;

• Run, Hide, Fight: Preparing Your Facility for an Active Shooter, Thursday, 1455-1605;

• How Digital Devices Communicate: Understanding the Internet of Things, Thursday, 1620-1730;

• Global Partnerships: International Chemical Security Efforts, Thursday, 1620-1730;

You will notice that the last six are pairs of presentations being conducted at the same time. There are actually three ‘breakout’ periods being conducted on Thursday with three presentations being give during each period. It looks like DHS attempted to select the three (probably) most popular presentations to be webcast. Those are:

• Left of Boom: Bombing Prevention Awareness Program Update

• What to Expect during a CFATS Inspection

• When Disaster Strikes: Security Roles During a Disaster

Personally, I would have preferred to see the cybersecurity risk assessment strategy talk instead of the bomb prevention talk, but I have some hands on experience with explosives (conventional and improvised), so my preferences may be skewed.

As usual this looks like it will be an interesting meeting. If you can attend the ‘no-cost’ (no cost for the actual meetings; DHS cannot do anything about travel and lodging costs) conference you probably should. The chance to talk to folks from DHS and other CFATS covered facilities should be well worth the trip.

2015 CSSS Agenda and Registration Info

Yesterday DHS updated the 2015 Chemical Sector Security Summit (CSSS) web page to include a link to registration and agenda information. As I mentioned in an earlier post the CSSS will be held on July 21^st thru 23^rd in Alexandria, VA. It will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center and for the first time portions of the CSSS will be webcast for those not able to attend in person.

The preliminary agenda shows a host of potentially interesting topics. They include:

∙ Cybersecurity and Industrial Control Systems;

∙ Port Security – U.S. Coast Guard;

∙ What to Expect During a CFATS Inspection;

∙ Alternative Security Programs (ASPs) and Expedited Approval Program (EAP) Site Security Plan (SSP);

∙ Site Security Plans (SSP) and Compliance Inspections Trends; and

∙ Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Legal Background and Enforcement

Two sessions will be webcast over the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). Registration is required, but no special vetting or secure connections are required. The two sessions currently planned to be available will both be webcast on Wednesday:

∙ Keynote Address; and

∙ Infrastructure Security Compliance Division (ISCD) Regulatory Update

I would have like to have seen more sessions broadcast, but the second one will be one of the more important sessions of the Summit so I can’t really complain too much. Maybe if there is an extensive early sign up, NPPD will consider adding more sessions. I have already signed up for the web cast. Unless of course, someone wants to sponsor my attendance in Alexandria.

More CSSS Update

Well, over the evening hours it seems that DHS-NPPD did get part of their web presence related to the 2013 Chemical Sector Security Summit changed. The CSSS web page was updated to include links to the page I described last night (which still has the same registration link problem) and a link to a color-glossy flyer for the 2013 CSSS; no new information in the flyer.

Oh, and the last thing on the page? It was last ‘reviewed/modified 7 May, 2013’. Maybe this is why NPPD went away from putting ‘update’ information on their pages; it looked silly when they forgot to change it.

BTW: Don’t waste your time clicking on the registration link on the ‘preliminary agenda’. It just takes you to a Cvent web page. They are the organization that is managing the registration for the CSSS. A nice page, but you have to use their search tool to get to the actual registration page. Just use the SOCMA provided link.

SOCMA Announces CSSS Registration Open

The SOCMA web site today announced that the registration for the 2013 Chemical Sector Security Summit (July 10-11, 2013) is now open. They have provided a link to the 2013 CSSS site which, in turn, has a link to the registration page. Registration is still free, but only pre-registered personnel will be allowed into the CSSS. The block of rooms at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore will only be held open until June 10^th, so you need to register early.

There is not currently any information on the DHS 2013 CSSS web page reflecting this information.\

2011 Chemical Sector Security Summit Registration

Today the folks at DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection update the web site for the 2011 Chemical Sector Security Summit (2011 CSSS). Actually, it was updated from a web page to a web site. Two main changes were made to the site; a registration page was added to the site as was an outline of the preliminary agenda. If readers had taken advantage of the sign-up link on top of the landing page, they would have received an email this morning informing them of the change on the web site.

2011 CSSS Page

The landing page has been completely re-worked with only the 2011 CSSS Poster remaining on the page. It provides some overview information on the registration, a link to the Hilton Baltimore, and some additional information on the pre- and post-summit programs that have been added this year.

If you have any questions about the usefulness of the information that will be presented, just look under ‘Related Resources’ in the box on the right side of the page to find links to some of the presentations from the 2008, 2009 and 2019 Summits.

The Pre-Summit Demonstrations on July 5th provide attendees with exposure to three different on-line tools of use to the chemical security community. They are:

● Web-Based Chemical Security Awareness Training;

● Voluntary Chemical Assessment Tool Demonstration; and

● Navigating the Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT) Help Desk and Web Site

The Post-Summit Workshops on July 8th will provide training on areas of particular interest to the chemical security community. The three workshops are:

● Chemical Sector Explosive Threat Awareness Training;

● Tabletop Exercise Workshop; and

● Control Systems Security Workshop

Registration for any of these extra-Summit presentations may be done on the CSSS Registration page.

Registration

Two major changes to the registration process this year. First DHS has farmed out the responsibility for the registration process to CVent; they have the expertise, might as well let them do that job and free up DHS folks for regulatory work. The second is that this year DHS is limiting registration to two people from “each organization, company, and agency” instead of the three people allowed last year.

Again DHS is trying to ensure that the widest possible audience is allowed to attend. I hope that this year they consider adding an on-line component providing the vast bulk of the chemical security community a chance to have complete access to the presentations. DHS will undoubtedly provide copies of the slide presentations after the Summit is over, but the slides do not contain all of the information provided in the live presentations.

Preliminary Agenda

I’m not going to waste your time with a listing of the complete preliminary agenda, just go to the web site if you’re interested in perusing the entire agenda. I would like to highlight some areas that I think make this Summit worth attending. They include:

● Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) and Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Update

● Potential Threat Actors’ Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures

● Inspections Process Lessons Learned (available in each ‘breakout’ period on July 6th)

● Update on Chemical Security in the Agriculture and Food Chain

● Personnel Surety Panel

Networking

As with any show like this it is the opportunity to meet others in the chemical security community that is probably the most valuable part of the CSSS. The chance to talk to chemical security professionals from other facilities provides a learning opportunity about what has worked and not worked for other facilities. A very smart man once told me that a smart man learns from his own mistakes, but a brilliant man learns from the mistakes of others.

One Nit to Pick: The date on the bottom of these pages would tend to make one think that this change took place on Monday. These web pages were updated after 8:00 am EDT today.

DHS CSAT FAQ Page Update – 07-10-09

This last week DHS updated five questions on their extensive CSAT FAQ web page. Actually they added three questions/answers and reviewed/updated another two. The five questions were (the last three are new): 1392: When would I have the ability to transfer my account or reassign my user role? 1472: How do I fix a typo in the user registration information I submitted? 1641: In RMP*Comp, what value do I use for the Quantity Released? 1642: I am already a CVI Authorized User. Do I need to take the CVI training again to maintain my CVI Authorized User status? 1643: How will DHS protect the data it collects? Changing Registration Information Two of the questions deal with changing user registration information; transferring accounts or changing information. The procedure is fairly straight forward when one is transferring user roles to someone else in the organization that is already registered. It becomes slightly more complicated when someone new is added because it requires the authorizer to sign and mail in a new registration document. Changing information is more difficult because of the need to make sure that only appropriate people are making changes. Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information The two questions dealing CVI do not provide new information, but should probably be read by everyone involved in the CFATS process at high-risk chemical facilities. The first one deals with why old-authorized users (people who completed CVI training before October of last year) should go back and re-do their training. The second provides a decent overview of how DHS is required to treat CVI. RMP*Comp The question on the use of the EPA tool, RMP*Comp, explains that the Preparer should use the Total Onsite Quantity of toxic release COI as the ‘release quantity’ in this tool. Non-CFATS users of this tool typically use the amount in the largest storage tank for the EPA ‘worst case scenario’ calculation of the potential exposure area. DHS uses the total quantity because it must be expected that a ‘successful’ terrorist attack would target all storage containers for a nearly simultaneous release whereas an accidental release would be unlikely to affect all storage containers.