SSP Questions Manual Changes Identified

As I noted in a blog posting yesterday DHS has published a new version of their CSAT SSP Questions manual. I did a detailed review and found only a relatively minor yet necessary change. In the questions for RBPS 13 ISCD has changed the question headings to reflect the recent change from old color-coded Homeland Security Alert System (HSAS) to the new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS).

As I suggested in an earlier blog this was essentially a cut and past operation making the following word substitutions:

• ‘National Terrorism Advisory System’ for ‘Homeland Security Alert System’

• ‘NTAS’ for ‘HSAS’

• ‘Elevated Threat Alert’ for ‘Orange Level’

• ‘Imminent Threat Alert’ for ‘Red Level’

No other changes in the questions and responses were necessary to effect this transition. I suppose that the folks at ISCD will still have to get around to changing the Risk-Based Performance Standards Guidance document, but this should take care of the people actually completing the SSPs for submission.

CFATS FAQ Update 06-30-11

Earlier today the folks that take care of the CFATS Knowledge Center web site updated one of the frequently asked questions listed on that site. It was a minor change to the response to FAQ # 1445 that was last updated in May, 2009. The change corrected a typo, substituting ‘DHS’ for ‘SHA’. This type of attention to detail reflects positively on the folks that take care of this valuable web site.

A similar attention to detail resulted in the link to the SSP Questions Manual found in the ‘Documents’ section of the CFATS Knowledge Center taking a surfer to the new manual even though there is no mention of the new manual in the ‘News’ section of that page. The updated link is attention to detail while the lack of a mention or explanation about the release of the new manual is either a questionable editorial decision or a communications oversight on the part of management.

ISCD Updates SSP Questions Manual

Yesterday DHS updated the web page for the CSAT Site Security Plan. They provided a link to a new CSAT SSP Questions manual. I’ve briefly checked the new manual and there is no management of change notice in the front of the manual (SHAME) that describes what has changed. It is listed as Version 2.0 so this should be a major re-write of the manual. I’ll check it out and let you know what I find.