Read the latest stories that cover the Chertoff Group and related areas of interest.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2, 2011
Adds Cloud Computing Software Capabilities for Data Fusion & Data Analytics
Deepens Presence with the Ft. Meade Intelligence and DOD Tactical ISR Customer Communities
MCLEAN, VA, December 2, 2011 – Sotera Defense Solutions (Sotera), a provider of mission-critical, technology-based systems, solutions and services for national security customers, announced that on December 1, 2011, the company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Potomac Fusion, Inc. Potomac Fusion develops data fusion, data analytics, cyber and visualization solutions for U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DOD) Tactical ISR mission systems operating in a cloud computing environment.
John Hillen, Sotera’s President & CEO, stated, “At Sotera our strategy is to strengthen, deepen and align our core capabilities to address the rapidly evolving requirements of our national security customers. With core values that closely match our own – commitment to the customer’s mission and strong emphasis on agility, ingenuity and innovation – Potomac Fusion is a natural addition to the Sotera team. Potomac Fusion’s significant expertise in cloud computing architectures, data fusion and data analytics solutions will bolster the broad range of support we can provide to our customers operating on the front lines of cyber warfare, intelligence, and tactical ISR.”
The Chantilly, Virginia-based company was founded in 2002 with a focus on developing software frameworks for data fusion and big data analytics for DOD customers. With the accelerated demand for cloud architectures and data analytics, Potomac Fusion has grown steadily and now has over 200 employees delivering leading-edge cloud architecture and software engineering solutions to the U.S. IC and DOD. The company is projecting revenues of $40 million for 2011.
Russell Richardson, CEO of Potomac Fusion commented, “We are pleased to take this next step in growing our business. Combining our operations with Sotera will enable us to further strengthen our support to our IC and DOD customers. Sotera’s mission focus, agility and spirit of innovation and ingenuity were the key elements that attracted us to the company.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed and Sotera expects the transaction to close in December 2011, subject to customary closing conditions.
Chertoff Capital, the investment banking affiliate of The Chertoff Group, is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Potomac Fusion. Chertoff Capital provides merger and acquisition advisory services in the defense, intelligence, cybersecurity, and homeland security markets.
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of The Chertoff Group, reviews the preparedness and response activities by all levels of government and the public during Hurricane Irene on CNN’s “American Morning, on Monday, August 29, 2011. During the interview, Mr. Sweet is encouraged by the increasing focus on preparedness for this recent emergency situation and the forward leaning strategy and lessons learned by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FE MA) to ensure resources and response assets are pre-staged and ready to respond as soon as the hurricane passed.
SAFRAN ACQUIRES L-1 IDENTITY SOLUTIONS
The Chertoff Group Served As Strategic Advisor to Safran
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Chertoff Group is pleased to announce its client, Safran, has completed its acquisition of L-1 Identity Solutions for a total cash amount of $1.09 billion. This successful combination of best-in-class biometric and secure credential technologies strengthens Safran’s position as a leading provider of enhanced identity management solutions within the fast-growing high-tech defense and homeland security market.
Safran previously announced a definitive agreement to acquire L-1’s Identity Solutions’ Biometrics and ID Management Solutions Businesses on September 20, 2010. Following a comprehensive review, this transaction also received approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) which identified no unresolved national security concerns.
Led by former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, The Chertoff Group provides merger and acquisition advisory services for clients in the security, defense and government services industries. During this recent transaction, The Chertoff Group provided expertise on emerging biometric technologies; subject matter analysis and due diligence on national security applications; and strategic advice on the CFIUS review process.
Members of The Chertoff Group deal team included: Michael Chertoff, Co-Founder and Managing Principal; Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal; Charles Allen, Principal; Larry Castro, Managing Director; J. Bennet Waters, PhD., Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer; and Richard Weiblinger, Senior Associate.
About The Chertoff Group
The Chertoff Group is a security and risk management advisory firm. Led by former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, the firm assists clients with addressing threats related to terrorism, fraud, cyber security, border protection and supply chain security, and also provides mergers and acquisitions advisory services for clients in the security, defense and government services industries. In the last 18 months, The Chertoff Group has acted as a strategic advisor on several M&A transactions totaling more than $2.7 billion in deal value. The firm is based in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, New York and San Francisco.
For more information about The Chertoff Group, visit www.chertoffgroup.com.
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Jayson Ahern, Principal at The Chertoff Group discusses the drug cartels as it relates to violence in Mexico. To watch his FOX interview click here
Our salt risks draining into cyberspace
Financial Times
By John Reid, Principal at The Chertoff Group
The news was dominated on Wednesday by reports of the arrest of a suspected British teenage computer hacker, in connection with a range of security breaches including attacks on the website of the CIA and the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency. We can expect many more such events as our security agencies struggle to address the challenges of cyberspace.
In a matter of days we have seen a huge data theft from the International Monetary Fund, reports that the Pentagon is reclassifying cyberattacks as “acts of war”, and Liang Guanglie, China’s defence minister, saying his country and the US must work together to deal with the cyber “problem.” In Britain, there has been a flurry of announcements about cybersecurity, just as there has been in the US. William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, is hosting an international cyberconference in the autumn, and Nick Harvey, the defence minister, has announced a new cyberdefence group.
To the extent that these initiatives focus attention on the need for renewed effort on cybersecurity, they are to be welcomed. But they fail to answer an urgent question: How coherent are the doctrines that underpin strategies both of nation-states and other organisations?
Individual fixes will be scant defence against future crises. Rather, there needs to be a broader cyberdoctrine, linking the efforts and initiatives of industry, universities and government, as the only durable approach for effective cybersecurity.
Cyberspace cannot be controlled any more than the sea. Joseph Conrad said the seaman with an undue sense of security “becomes at once worth hardly half his salt”. I am afraid that when Mr Harvey says “existing international frameworks can be applied to cyberspace too”, I feel our salt draining away.
The limits of existing civil law in England were demonstrated recently by the furore over gossip on Twitter. Similarly, the United Nations Charter definition of “armed attack” is limited in cyberspace. We have no transnational law for cyberspace. Old frameworks and political structures will not be able to legislate by custom, treaty or domestic statute at the pace cyberthreats evolve.
Part of the problem lies in the hidebound conventions of the public sector. When I was Britain’s home secretary I found data systems for immigration and asylum 10 years out of date, and incapable of providing information on which coherent policy judgments could be based. At the Ministry of Defence, outdated procurement processes and contracts that were re-specified with every major technical advance caused perpetual delays.
The government urgently needs to recruit an elite cadre of innovators able to lead a workforce with a different, entrepreneurial ethos – including hackers – as solvers of puzzles. Rather than developing security measures in bunkers or silos, we should be bold and emulate the “small world clusters” that brought together the world’s best health laboratories to defeat the Sars epidemic in weeks, not years. The US now admits to a “human capital crisis in cybersecurity,” with estimates that up to 30,000 cybersecurity professionals are needed against the 1,000 it has. The answer could lie in online self-managing collaborative ventures of the kind that created the free open-source pc operating system, Linux. That is the future of cybersecurity, open networks collaborating against mutual threats.
Critically, innovation must not fall victim to budget constraints in the current climate of austerity. The US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has described the economic crisis and recession as the greatest challenge to national security. In the US, cybersecurity co-ordinator Howard Schmidt forms strategic links with economic policy through the office of management and budget in the White House. The UK National Security Council appears to distance itself from economic matters, regardless of the security risks in a sluggish recovery. Britain needs to learn from the US and ask whether enough cyberspending is allocated to education, research and development. Strategies have to evolve fast. It is not yet too late.
The writer is a former British cabinet minister and co-author of ‘Cyber Doctrine’ published later this month
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of The Chertoff Group, discusses the importance of timely intelligence gathering after the death of Osama Bin Laden as well as the state of the U.S. – Pakistan relationship on CNN’s “American Morning.”
“There is a window of opportunity in any disruption like this,” said Chad Sweet.
To watch the full [...]
Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and former CIA Director General Michael Hayden, both Principals of The Chertoff Group, discuss the death of Osama Bin Laden and what this means for our nation’s security on NBC’s Sunday Show “Meet the Press.” How much of Al Qaeda’s strategy was driven by Osama Bin Laden personally? What type of Al [...]
USA TODAY
Op-Ed
May 3, 2011
By Michael Chertoff
With the World Trade Center still smoldering, America promised to bring Osama bin Laden to justice or justice to him. President Obama’s announcement that bin Laden has been killed brings a tremendous amount of gratification for all those who have fought for years to achieve this result as well as great comfort to those who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001. There is no doubt, this is a great moment for America. This victory is a tribute to the years of work done by our brave servicemen and women as well as those in the national security and intelligence community, particularly those who carried out this incredible mission over the past few days. Bin Laden’s elimination has real symbolic and psychological significance. For Americans, and others who lost loved ones on 9/11, bin Laden’s death is just punishment. For the world, the impressive accomplishment of our military and intelligence operators is proof that the United States will be unyielding and intrepid in waging war against those who attack us. Bin Laden’s unceremonious demise and burial also deal a blow to those who lionized his diabolical leadership. While we celebrate, however, we must remember that al-Qaeda still remains a threat to all those who cherish freedom. Al-Qaeda is a network, not a hierarchy. The network’s determination to kill and harm Americans and our allies around the world does not stop. This network is not isolated to one specific location, and as of today, is not under the control of one leader. Instead, it is distributed within some of the most loosely governed parts of the world, particularly Yemen and North Africa. For the near term, the United States and the world must be on guard for spontaneous attacks or efforts at retaliation. Terrorist plots in the planning stage may be accelerated, especially as we approach the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11. While we have made it much harder for al-Qaeda to conduct large-scale attacks in the United States due to our hardened infrastructure and comprehensive layers of security, al-Qaeda’s desire to demonstrate its strength in the absence of Osama bin Laden should not be taken lightly. As we take into account where the al-Qaeda threat has spread today, we cannot forget that bin Laden wascaptured and killed in Pakistan and one of the nation’s strategic military installations, there are legitimate questions about whether elements of the country’s political and military establishment may have some sympathy toward al-Qaeda and its supporters. As we look around the world to where the threats are developing, we must not shift focus from Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the terrorist threat has continued to nurture its roots. Michael Chertoff served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2005-2009 and is now co-founder and managing principal of the Chertoff Group, a global risk management and security consulting firm.
Click here to view the full FOX News discussion
Former Secretary Michael Chertoff and General Michael Hayden write in the Washington Post about the commitment the United States is prepared to make should Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi be removed.
What Happens After Gaddafi is Removed?
By Michael Chertoff and Michael Hayden
The Washington Post
Libyan rebels have made it clear that any proposal to cease fighting and end their [...]
Michael Chertoff joins General Dale Meyerrose of the Harris Corporation and Larry Clinton of the Internet Security Alliance at the National Press Club for an important discussion on how to better secure our nation’s cyber supply chain and the integrity of the elements that make up this important infrastructure. Click here to watch a webcast of the [...]
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of The Chertoff Group, discusses Mexico’s most violent known drug cartel called “Los Zetas” and the danger they pose in Mexico and to the United States. Watch his complete interview on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom.”
Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff provides comment on the need to enhance cyber security when it comes to our nation’s most critical infrastructure, most of which is largely owned and operated by private sector companies. During an interview with Fox News, Secretary Chertoff states “The real concern, particularly in a tough economic period, that until there is some really bad event, many people will delay or avoid investing in cyber security.”
Watch his complete interview on Fox News Channel
To watch the two part interview click here and here.
During his recent interview with CNN, General Hayden discusses the current NATO and US operations in Libya as well as other areas in the Middle East experiencing unrest, including Yemen and Syria.
To view the full interview click here
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of The Chertoff Group, discusses the situation and security in Mexico.
To watch the full interview, click here.
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Charlie Allen, a principal at The Chertoff Group and former CIA official, joins William Bratton, former Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Police, and Peter Clarke, former Head of New Scotland Yard’s Counterterrorism Command as part of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Symposium titled “UK and U.S. Approaches in Countering Radicalization: Intelligence, Communities, and the Internet.” During this event, these panelists compared and contrasted the linkages between law enforcement and intelligence in the United States and the United Kingdom, in addition to discussing how violent extremism has changed the business of intelligence.
“Our cooperation on dealing with inbound threats of al-Qaida or working with our closest allies abroad on al-Qaida threats, extremist threats, [and] affiliated networks …we’ve had a dramatic effect on both al-Qaida central, al-Qaida affiliated networks, and some of them have literally disappeared from the landscape.” – Charles Allen at Council on Foreign Relations Symposium on April 1, 2011.
Click here to Charlie Allen’s remarks as well as the full symposium.
National Journal Live Monday presented a discussion with Senior Correspondent James Kitfield and David Aguilar, deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, followed by a panel discussion with homeland security experts at the National Journal Policy Summit.
Click here to watch the full discussion.
General Michael Hayden spoke about the U.S. mission in Libya and removing Moammar Gadhafi from power on CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley.
Click here ( part 1 ) Click here ( part 2) to watch the full interview or read the transcript of General Hayden’s interview on CNN.
Interview Excerpt
CROWLEY: Joining me now here in Washington, retired General Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA; and Stephen Hadley, former national security adviser. OK. It seems to me, after talking to Senator Levin, and after listening to the secretaries of state and defense, that we’re in this until Gadhafi leaves. Do you see any scenario under which this no-fly zone can stop being enforced and the coalition can leave and leave Gadhafi in place?
HAYDEN: Personally, I think when we took the first military action, that was kind of the informal contract that we signed. That we’re in this until he goes away. He’s loving this. He is loving the international attention. So frankly, his going away will have to be involuntarily.
CROWLEY: Do you agree?
HADLEY: I think that’s right. I think the killing of civilians doesn’t stop until he leaves. So if that’s our objective, he has got to go.
But also, that’s what the president of the United States has said, that Gadhafi needs to go. And the dilemma they’ve got is they’ve got an objective up here which is the president needs — Gadhafi needs to go. And authorization from the U.N. that talks about protecting civilians, and a question of what is the military force we’re going to apply to those goals.
And I think the challenge for the administration is to square all that up. And that’s the challenge for the president Monday night.
On Monday, March 21, 2011, General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA and NSA and now a principal at The Chertoff Group, appeared on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” to discuss the air campaign in Libya and its broader political and strategic context.
View the complete interview transcript at “Piers Morgan Tonight”
Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff appeared on ABC’s “This Week with Christiane Amanpour” to discuss the potential threat to the United States following recent military engagement in Libya as well as the state of U.S. preparedness for dealing with a national emergency similar to the earthquake and tsunami that impacted Japan on March 11, 2011.
Secretary [...]
On Sunday, March 20, 2011, General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA and NSA and now a principal at The Chertoff Group, appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” to discuss the recent decision by the United States to support a No Fly Zone over Libya.
View the complete interview transcript at “Meet the Press.”
Richard Falkenrath, a principal with The Chertoff Group, discusses the impact of possible military action in Libya and what it may mean for western businesses operating in this region, oil production, and market prices for crude oil.
Click here to watch Richard Falkenrath’s interview on Bloomberg TV.
General Michael Hayden, a principal with The Chertoff Group, discusses the unrest in the Middle East and Libya during a recent interview on “Brian Kilmeade & Friends.”
Listen here to the entire interview of General Hayden on “Brian Kilmeade & Friends”
In the Spring 2011 edition of Strategic Studies Quarterly, General Michael Hayden discusses the lack of clarity and agreement found among government officials and the private sector on how to create a more secure cyber space. He poses several important questions such as whether cyber is really a domain? What constitutes a reasonable expectation of privacy? What we should expect from the private sector? And is defense possible? While there are many other tough questions out there, General Hayden states that until these and others like them are answered, “we could be forced to live in the worst of all possible cyber worlds – routinely vulnerable to attack and self-restrained from bringing our own power to bear.”
General Michael Hayden, a principal at The Chertoff Group and former Director of the CIA and NSA, discusses a wide range of national security issues including the latest developments from Libya, Iran, cyber security and others during a March 8, 2011 appearance on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” program. Click here to watch the full interview.
Jay Ahern, a principal with The Chertoff Group, discusses the recent shooting in Mexico which killed one U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and wounded another. During the course of this interview, Mr. Ahern discusses this recent incident as well as the law enforcement coordination between the U.S. and Mexico and overall efforts to ensure this violent activity doesn’t cross into the U.S.
For the complete interview on MSNBC, click here.
For the complete interview on FOX, click here.
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of The Chertoff Group, discusses the violent activity taking place along Mexico’s northern border and the potential security concerns on whether this violence may spill over into the United States. During this interview, Mr. Sweet answers questions about the actions and policies taken by both Mexico and the United States to provide our citizens with safety and security while combatting the spread of violence from the drug cartels in this region.