Cyber Security and Government Fusion Centers

The Department of Homeland Security has recommended the creation of State, Regional, and Community Fusion Centers. These centers, run by state and local governments, are designed to take what may seem to be disparate pieces of information on a variety of subjects and "fuse " them together to be able to recognize indicators of potential terrorist attacks. These centers are generally staffed with personnel who have intelligence and law enforcement backgrounds. Unfortunately, very few have any concept of the cyber environment and do not know what constitutes indicators of potential cyber attacks. This paper discusses the need to develop a cyber capability in fusion centers and the importance of government involvement in coordinating a state's, community's, or region's cyber defense efforts.