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CTM Hosts Active Shooter Emergency Response Drill

Port Hueneme Police Department, Port of Hueneme, and Ventura County Fire Complete Active Shooter Emergency Response Drill
On Wednesday, June 14, 2017 between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, an Active Shooter Awareness Training Class and an Active Shooter Emergency Response Drill was held at the Port of Hueneme Headquarters Building located at 333 Ponoma Street in the City of Port Hueneme. The drill included a classroom training session followed by a simulated active shooter incident inside the port headquarters building. The Port of Hueneme, the City of Port Hueneme Police Department, and the Ventura County Fire Department were directly involved in the planning and conduct of this event, which was part of the annual Coastal Trident Regional Port and Maritime Security Exercise at and around the Port of Hueneme.

Oxnard Harbor District’s Commissioner Jason Hodge: “As President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners, I would like to thank our Port Hueneme Police Department for stepping up and providing this important training drill. In light of what’s happened at our Nation’s Capital yesterday this training seems ever more relevant and valuable. We believe that our strong relationship and cooperation with our local public safety agencies makes us and the entire community more secure.”

The Coastal Trident exercise is an annual event hosted by the Port of Hueneme and conducted by the Center for Threat Management along with more than 90 local, state, and federal emergency response agencies in an effort to increase port and maritime security, and to ensure the readiness of emergency response agencies and personnel in the region.

“The Coastal Trident training program provides an opportunity for multi-jurisdictional law enforcement partners to prevent, train, and prepare for acts of ill will and other threatening scenarios,” said Port CEO Kristin Decas, “I think we all learned something at today’s Active Shooter Training to the advantage of both our first responders and our employees. We are fortunate to enjoy such strong partnerships with our local PD, fire and rescue teams and appreciate their service and support of the Port of Hueneme.”

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ABCANZ Visits MAST 2017

Naval allies gather at technical meeting for surface warfare technology

PORT HUENEME, Calif.—Technical project officers (TPOs) from allied navies gathered at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) to collaborate on the future of surface warfare technology research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) and the data and information exchange agreements between the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (ABCANZ), May 23-25.
The meeting was the 18th annual ABCANZ technical project officers meeting, which coincides with Department of Defense (DoD) information exchange programs by and large.

During opening remarks, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) Major Program Manager for International Programs and Foreign Military Sales Capt. Trevor King articulated how ABCANZ was the embodiment of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson’s fourth foundational line-of-effort in “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,” which is to “expand and strengthen our network of partners.”

King stated this effort underscores a key objective to prioritize and strengthen international partnerships through information sharing, interoperability initiatives, and exploring new opportunities for combined operations.

“The purpose of ABCANZ is to facilitate the exchange of R&D information between our Navies within the area of surface warfare systems technology in order to increase interoperability,” said King.

“I am pleased to say that this year’s ABCANZ focus is on the specific capability topics that were requested by the TPOs at the conclusion of last year’s meeting…and it’s my sincere hope that this week’s discussion will result in more detailed follow-on exchanges between our respective engineers and scientists—the people who are developing our future capabilities and who will benefit more than us from direct engagements at R&D exchanges,” said King.

King encouraged participants to engage the possibilities of exchange opportunities during the discussions and for the group to create action items out of those opportunities.

“I hope we can formulate a way during this meeting and make it a more fruitful agreement,” said Royal New Zealand Cmdr. Nicholas Davey. “If you look at the information exchange agreement itself, the topics that it covers are extensive and we need to just work on a bit of the methods for getting that information out … I think that the benefits to the five nations would be really good.”

Topics during the week’s discussions included methodologies for reducing crew composition; condition-based maintenance; integration of unmanned vehicles; and sustainability of combat systems synchronization.

The groups also toured major facilities at NSWC PHD, including the Surface Warfare Engineering Facility, the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Package Support Facility and the Underway Replenishment site.

NSWC PHD has continuously served a crucial role in data and information exchange agreements under major programs for DoD and U.S. allies.

By J.W. Marcum, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division – June 5, 2017

http://www.doncio.navy.mil/chips/ArticleDetails.aspx?ID=9070

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CTM speaks at healthcare cybersecurity community meeting

Brendan Applegate, Deputy Director for Planning at GT2’s Center for Threat Management spoke on the topic of information superiority during a webinar conducted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The webinar was part of the Healthcare Cybersecurity Community’s monthly webinar series, which seeks to bring awareness about current events and critical issues in cybersecurity.

Mr. Applegate’s briefing focused on the use of information superiority as a tool to protect and increase the resilience of healthcare information and infrastructure against the evolving threat of cyber attack. Through effective collaboration in collection, analysis, and dissemination of threat information throughout the healthcare community, as well as concerted efforts to deny a cyber adversary the same abilities, healthcare organizations can maintain an edge over disruption of critical services, manipulation of and denial of access to information, and risks to life safety. Many of the insights provided were the result of previous programs conducted by the CTM team across the country in the areas of cyber threat awareness, consequence management, and information sharing.

Mr. Applegate is a recognized subject matter expert in the planning and conduct of operational research programs to evaluate asymmetric threats and the complex interdisciplinary strategies implemented to manage them. Mr. Applegate leverages more than fifteen years of work with the U.S. Navy in the areas of systems engineering, test and evaluation, and field experimentation to communicate the concept of information superiority and the ways it might be leveraged as a strategy to address the cyber threat.

For more information on the HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Community, please visit their website at: http://www.himss.org/get-involved/community/cybersecurity

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Port of Hueneme shows off technology during open house

Anne Kallas of the Ventura County Star covers the third-annual Maritime Advanced Systems and Technology (MAST) Open House and Technology Exposition, the result of a continuing partnership between the Center for Threat Management (CTM) and the Port of Hueneme.

http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/port-hueneme/2016/11/03/port-hueneme-shows-off-technology-during-open-house/93120942/

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CTM conducts MAST Open House and kicks off planning for Coastal Trident 2017

On November 3, the Center for Threat Management and Port of Hueneme hosted more than 150 partners in port operations and maritime security during the third annual Maritime Advanced Systems and Technology Laboratory’s Open House and Technology Exposition. The event was conducted to kick off the planning process for the 2017 Coastal Trident Regional Port and Maritime Security Program and to facilitate alignment of regional efforts to develop and test relevant technologies with communicated operational needs.

Christina Birdsey, Director of Operations and Security at the Port of Hueneme, MC’d the event and guided participants through an ambitious agenda, which sought to raise awareness about developing and transitional technology efforts throughout Southern California and promote collaboration and innovation between the public and private sectors:

  • Kristin Decas, CEO and Port Director at the Port of Hueneme, kicked off the day’s program with personal greeting and an introduction of distinguished visitors from the offices of local and state government representatives.
  • Brendan Applegate, Deputy Director for Planning at CTM, provided an overview of the Coastal Trident Regional Port and Maritime Security Program and its alignment with technology experimentation conducted under the Port’s MAST laboratory concept and local efforts to support STEM education programs.
  • Scott Brewer, Deputy Director for Operations at CTM, led an Operational Requirements Panel designed to communicate panelists vision for technology and identify potential shortfalls in access to and capabilities of technologies supporting the operations of their organizations. Participants in the panel discussion included Steve Smock (Long Beach Police Department Dive Team), Stan Ziegler (Ventura County Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team), Kevin McGowan (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services), Darrin Smith (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Technical Surveillance Unit), David Fukutomi (California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services), Raquel Cano (Chiquita), Peter Freiberg (Port Hueneme Police Department), John Demers (Port of Hueneme), and Matt Tarabour (FBI Counter-IED Unit).
  • An Open House period concluded the morning session, providing participants with opportunities to view static and dynamic displays of port operations and maritime security technologies, as well as discuss opportunities for collaboration and field experimentation efforts to be conducted under MAST or Coastal Trident. Students participating as part of the STEM integration were provided with the opportunity to discuss projects that they would be proposing to conduct throughout the school year with technologists and operational partners.
  • The afternoon session of the event was split into several focused working groups. Operational agencies participating in Coastal Trident 2017 participated in the Concept Development Meeting for the program, communicating to the planning team their priorities and objectives for education, experimentation ,and exercise activities. The rest of the participants participated in breakout discussions intended to focus their ideas for how technology might support the operational requirements communicated during the morning’s panel discussion. These technologists were divided into groups based on their focus area – Remotely Operated and Autonomous Systems, Visualization and Decision Support Tools, and Sensors and Data Links.
  • To wrap up the Open House, Brendan Applegate and Scott Brewer facilitated a debrief by the facilitators of the breakout sessions to summarize the discussions and identify the way ahead for MAST and Coastal Trident 2017.

According to the event’s organizers and several enthusiastic participants, the event was a resounding success, providing a unique venue to facilitate collaboration in technology and operations to meet the needs of port operations and maritime security organizations. It also provided a significant springboard for planning and coordination of the Coastal Trident 2017 Regional Port and Maritime Security Program, which will be focused on the multi-dimensional threat of aircraft, surface and underwater vessels, and cyber attacks to maritime commerce, port and maritime operations, and critical infrastructure.

For more information about the MAST Open House and Technology Exposition, please visit the Port of Hueneme’s website: http://www.portofhueneme.org/business/mast-2016/

For details about the Coastal Trident Regional Port and Maritime Security Program, please contact CTM at ctm@gt2.org or (657) 229-5776.

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CTM speaks at San Diego-area cyber security conference

Brendan Applegate, Deputy Director for Planning at GT2’s Center for Threat Management participated as a panel speaker at Cyberfest 2016, a cyber security conference held at the Hilton La Jolla-Torrey Pines hotel in San Diego, California on October 27. Cyberfest 2016 was the fourth annual cyber security conference produced by the Securing Our eCity Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating a safe and secure digital neighborhood.

Mr. Applegate participated in a panel discussion entitled “Surviving a Cyber Disaster,” which focused on mitigation of a cyber attack’s ability to cripple a business. Panelists discussed topics including ways in which the cyber threat is unique with respect to disaster preparedness, the importance of cyber incident response plans, resources for small and medium-sized businesses to begin planning and preparation to survive a large-scale cyber attack, and the ever-present human factor in implementation of effective cyber security. Many of these insights were the result of a 2013 cyber threat awareness, response, and recovery program conducted by the CTM team in San Diego, in partnership with Securing Our eCity and the City of San Diego.

Mr. Applegate is a recognized subject matter expert in the planning and conduct of operational research programs to evaluate asymmetric threats and the complex interdisciplinary strategies implemented to manage them. Mr. Applegate leverages more than fifteen years of work with the U.S. Navy in the areas of systems engineering, test and evaluation, and field experimentation to communicate the nature of the cyber threat and effective measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of an attack.

For more information about CyberFest 2016, please visit the SOeC website: https://securingourecity.org/cyberfest-2016#scd

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CTM speaks at Los Angeles-area pastors conference

Scott Brewer, Deputy Director for Operations at GT2’s Center for Threat Management addressed a group of more than 500 pastors and clergy at the “Impact 16” Pastors Conference, held at Azusa Pacific University on October 11. Impact 16 was the fifth annual pastors conference sponsored by KKLA, a faith-based radio station owned and operated by the Salem Media Group serving the greater Los Angeles area.

Mr. Brewer gave a brief introduction outlining the current threat landscape as it applied to faith-based organizations and led a more detailed breakout discussion focusing on safety, security, and planning considerations. The breakout included topics such as physical security, cyber security, threat assessment emergency planning, and specialized responses to incidents such as an active shooter.

Mr. Brewer is a recognized subject matter expert in the areas of emergency planning, response, and management and a leader in advocating for increased security and preparedness resources at faith-based institutions nationwide. Mr. Brewer leverages his extensive experience and lessons learned during more than two decades of work on U.S. Navy, state and local government, and private sector security assessment, planning, and exercise programs to communicate the most effective strategies to manage risk based on complex threats to safety and security.

For more information about the Impact 16 Pastors Conference, please visit the KKLA website: http://www.kkla.com/impact-2016

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Navy’s Center for Asymmetric Warfare transitions to GT2

As many of our friends and colleagues are aware, we have been hard at work effecting the transition of our team at the Center for Asymmetric Warfare from the federal government to the private sector. The motivation for this transition is two-fold: (1) the Naval Postgraduate School is working under guidance from the Navy to re-prioritize research efforts toward its core mission of academics and (2) the programs conducted by CAW have become increasingly focused on a “whole of society” approach to asymmetric threat response that has outgrown the research mission of the Department of Defense.

Effective October 1, 2016, CAW will be realigning and reconstituting as the Center for Threat Management, a research initiative of Global Trade & Technology. GT2 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that works to increase the competitiveness of U.S. products and services in the global marketplace. As CTM, we will be complementing this charter by conducting operational research that assists in the implementation of strategies to counter threats to commerce, critical infrastructure, and national security – the complex system upon which global trade relies.

As a non-profit organization, our team continues to serve the public benefit. Many of our partners won’t notice a difference at all in the programs we conduct. Others may notice more flexibility to leverage the resources of both the government and private sector to advance the state of the art in threat management capabilities. What is most important is that our realignment will allow us to continue to conduct the research about which we are passionate.

In the longer term, we are also pursuing partnerships with government and academia in order to support establishment of a Federally-funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) or University-affiliated Research Center (UARC). While this is a much longer process than our initial transition, it is the operational model we hope to ultimately achieve.

We look forward to continuing to work with you, our valued partners, and invite you to reach out to us to learn more about what we’re up to.

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CTM Aerial Missions Unit supports environmental survey efforts by Naval Base Ventura County

During September and October, CTM’s Aerial Missions Unit provided support to natural resources specialists from Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Naval Base Ventura County evaluating the potential use of small unmanned aircraft to collect mandated field data for threatened and endangered species. Operating 3DRobotics Iris and Aero aircraft systems over the beaches at Naval Base Ventura County-Point Mugu, AMU demonstrated the capabilities of multi-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft to substitute for personnel on foot to survey nesting sites of local California Least Tern and Snowy Plover populations.

Proposed benefits of employing unmanned aircraft in field surveys include improved data quality, increased cost-effectiveness and personnel safety, reduced resource disturbance and damage, enhanced management of threatened and endangered species, and support to the mission of through prevention of mission and operations impediments.

For more information about the Navy’s environmental survey efforts, please visit the NAVFAC Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center’s website at: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/navfac_worldwide/specialty_centers/exwc.html

For more information about CTM’s Aerial Missions Unit, please contact CTM at mailto:ctm@gt2.orgor (657) 229-5776.