The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is investing in the exploration of solutions to problems that have not yet reared their ugly heads. On its way to discovering countermeasures for the threats it foresees, the department also is using what it has learned to avert incidents that could have had much more disastrous results and cost U.S. workers hundreds of millions of dollars. And, on its way to creating future technologies to protect the homeland, the department is empowering the next generation of scientists to reach willingly for creative responses to the question “What if…?”

Mathematical research conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology could lead to the development of military radios capable of hopping frequencies up to 1,000 times faster than conventional systems. The research also could result in more energy-efficient, interference-resistant cellular telephones than are available today, as well as improvements in many other modern communications devices.

When scientists at the U.S. Army Research Office set out in 2003 to build a light-controlling synthetic material, they had no idea what the result would be—but they knew it would be big. A few years later, the research led them to ask if an invisibility cloak would be possible, and with each passing year, they get a little closer to making that science fiction fantasy a reality.

The decades-long dream of harnessing the sun’s power in orbit as a source of clean, renewable energy on Earth may lie just over the horizon. Yet, unlike traditional space efforts, this concept may come to fruition as a result of commercial—not government—commitment.

I hope everyone who attended the Fall Intelligence Symposium at the National Reconnaissance Office shares my view that even within the high standards set for these events over the years, this was something special. First of all, the audience heard from an extraordinary set of speakers, from the DNI through the Director and Deputy Director of the NRO, and on and on. Consistent with our tradition, our guests had the opportunity to speak candidly in a non-attribution environment, and it was apparent they enjoyed the freedom to do that. In addition, we had the privilege of honoring two distinguished intelligence professionals, the late Dennis Fitzgerald and Lawrence Gershwin, the longtime National Intelligence Officer for Science and Technology. Finally, we had the opportunity to do this within the context of helping the NRO celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was especially fitting that we could honor Dennis Fitzgerald at an important moment in the history of the organization he helped lead and build over many years.

The silver anniversary of the first PC virus is approaching in January, but even after 25 years, no victory celebration is on the horizon. Today, some experts contend we are moving from cyber mayhem to cyber missiles, as multifaceted software attacks are being used to target specific industries. The original computer worm that surfaced in 1979 was designed to scour a network for idle processors to enable more efficient computer use. Stuxnet, a worm discovered in July 2010, infects, spies on and modifies the control systems of industrial utilities, including nuclear systems. It is the most important malware yet seen, says Hypponen.

The Geospatial tradecraft has benefited from the development of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) that have played a major role in combating terrorism in the 21st century. These TTPs have improved the situational awareness of the operational environment, vital to understanding and mitigating threats to U.S. National Security. The cyber environment provides a new haven for those intending to act against U.S. National Security interests but that threat can also be reduced through the use of geospatial TTPs. A geospatial perspective of the cyber environment can create an increased situational awareness of computer network attacks and exploitations against Command & Control, Computers & Communications that drive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) in support of U.S. National Security interests. Geospatial TTPs will once again prove their value in helping to define and reduce the threat to critical infrastructure and operating systems that support C4ISR.

On our best day, we create a team target that is aligned horizontally and vertically throughout an organization. For instance, if I was targeting the Army Intelligence organizations (as a sales and BD professional), this could easily dictate which trade shows at which I would exhibit or attend, which magazines I would spend time perusing, which phone calls I may make, and which web sites I monitor. As anyone over 30 will attest, this is a lot harder than it seems. Yet, without this kind of focus, I may never get deep enough to see opportunities. Incidentally, this is the problem with following the news (at least a challenge I have...)... even news on the IC. Washington is famous for spilling ink and hosting conferences to do little more that jam five hundred folks into a ball room to talk about problems. (Another cyber conference... you've got to be kidding...?!?) My passion is with those who talk... and then act!

I just finished reading Obama's Wars while traveling to and from GEOINT 2011 (31 Oct-4Nov) in the middle of which the mid-term Congressional elections dramatically shifted power in the House of Representatives from the Democrats to the Republicans and made getting 60 votes in the Senate a near mathematical if not political long shot. Since returning from New Orleans we have also had the close call "printer cartridge" bomb plot and President Bush's book Decision Points released. All have important things to say about the state of and future intelligence, but so did Tish Long in her GEOINT Keynote Address.

Multinational Experiment 6 sends one concrete solution directly into Afghanistan and creates inroads into coalition collaboration concepts that are being integrated into individual nations' military and political doctrine.