Digital Agenda: Homeland Security

C-Net News presents a three part series examining homeland security in the United States. In Part One, “Throwing Money at Technology,” examining the concerns raised by officials in government, industry, academia, and taxpayer groups, the authors present a three-point agenda for homeland security: first, policy should change its focus on protecting targets; second, enforce stringent oversight on homeland security spending, especially secret spending; third, ensure interoperability of technology and communications at all levels of government. Throughout all its programs, government must address the privacy and constitutional rights concerns citizens have regarding surveillance, identification, and data analysis. In Part Two, “Companies Profiting from Fear,” the authors examine how government funding for homeland security has created a booming industry. Companies often have to deal with miscommunications and bureaucratic inefficiencies when contracting with government, and sometimes must work with unrealistic expectations of what technology can accomplish. Part Three, “A Global Assault on Anonymity,” examines privacy rights advocates’ battle against government demands for greater surveillance power, particularly in the field data-mining technology.Full Story