100 Retail Company Executives Recruited To Share Information with Department of Homeland Security

Retailers are among the industry groups being invited to join a recent incarnation of the federal Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) specifically intended for critical infrastructure owners and operators and designed to help share unclassified information to guard against terrorist attacks.

The National Retail Federation has recruited executives from nearly 100 retail companies to participate in the network, called HSIN-CL, the trade group said in a press release. In addition, Joseph LaRocca, the federation’s vice president of loss prevention, was selected by a senior group within the Homeland Security Department to serve on the network’s governance board.

“HSIN is a terrific tool for retailers to use to help protect the safety of their companies through the additional communication vehicle to and from the Department of Homeland Security,” LaRocca said in a press release.

“In today’s political climate it is important for the public and private sectors to work together in protecting the United States from terrorism,” Art F. Fierro, special assistant to the director of DHS’ Homeland Security Operations Center, which operates the network, said in a statement distributed by the retail group.

The information network is a composite of several regional networks that share information among law enforcement, fire departments, local government agencies and businesses.

The network sends real-time information to its members, according to the retail federation release. Participants also may use the system “to discuss day-to-day security issues” and “to share information on suspicious activities with federal authorities.”

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Another insidious partnership coasts by under the radar as runaway brides & celebrity scandals are over-inflated like balloons by networks to blow long streams of hot air at the fickle & tragically duped. With the detection & apprehension of terrorist sleeper cells and rogue al-qaeda operatives within US borders a rare occurence these days one has to wonder about all these new private corporation-government alliances and what collected data they interpret as 'suspicious activity' to be shared amongst each other. With the PATRIOT ACT currently being considered for an extension & expansion of it's intrusive surveillance powers, this HSIN-CL sure gives me the impression it is the US citizen and their online behaviors & purchasing habits being increasingly profiled, collected, pigeonholed & shared in exclusive databases, even possibly used for boardroom presentations. Corporate access to a new formidibly accurate marketing/advertisement tool of nation-wide consumer buying patterns/trends & refined demographic indicators for big business while a source of extra sensitive data(purchases) & real-time locators(receipts) of citizens for government all under the guise of thwarting domestic terrorist activities. IMO, increased profits, not increased security is the NRF's inspiration here. To those purchasing weapons, rent-a-cars, garden fertilizer, anti-freeze, medications, prescription drugs, Victoria Secret, Playboy, stocks - Caveat emptor for REAL.






Related ATS threads:
Paul Rosenzweig Appointed Chairman of DHS Privacy Board
House votes to RESTRICT Patriot Act

[edit on 6/25/2005 by Amorymeltzer]