got geoint?

Welcome to our weekly Monday Morning News Kick Off post. As always, we hope you had a restful weekend and are ready to take on the world. What was that? Oh, you are not feeling quite ready to jump into the work week? Worry not dear got geoint? readers. We have compiled the most actionable news stories you need to jumps start your work week. As we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on.

A Hidden World, Growing Beyond Control
The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work. These are some of the findings of a two-year investigation by The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine. Read the full Washington Post investigative article here.

And Now for the ODNI’s Response to The Washington Post Article
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, which instantly transformed the U.S. threat environment, the nation turned to the Intelligence Community with a massive and urgent tasking: to secure the homeland. In 2004, Congress and the Administration, in the midst of two wars, mandated structural Intelligence Community reforms and created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to mobilize a new, integrated Intelligence Community (IC) workforce and eliminate barriers to information sharing. Many of those reforms are less than five years old. While we have made significant progress, much work remains. Read the full ODNI response here.

Report: U.S. Intelligence Community Inefficient, Unmanageable
The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has created an intelligence community that has become so large and unwieldy that it’s unmanageable, inefficient and no one knows how much money it costs, according to a two-year-long investigation by the Washington Post. Ahead of the publication, many in the intelligence community were anxious — fearful that the stories would disclose too much information about contractors and the classified tasks they handle. Read more from CNN here.

Iranian Nuclear Scientist Mystery: CIA Intelligence Group Weighs In
The Iranian nuclear scientist who claimed to have been abducted by the CIA before departing for his homeland Wednesday was paid more than $5 million by the agency to provide intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. officials said Elizabeth Bancroft, executive director of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, was online Thursday, July 15, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the case. Shahram Amiri is not obligated to return the money but might be unable to access it after breaking off what U.S. officials described as significant cooperation with the CIA and abruptly returning to Iran. Officials said he might have left out of concern that the Tehran government would harm his family. Read the full Washington Post story.

Cyberwarrior Shortage Threatens U.S. Security
There may be no country on the planet more vulnerable to a massive cyberattack than the United States, where financial, transportation, telecommunications and even military operations are now deeply dependent on data networking. What’s worse: U.S. security officials say the country’s cyberdefenses are not up to the challenge. In part, it’s due to a severe shortage of computer security specialists and engineers with the skills and knowledge necessary to do battle against would-be adversaries. The protection of U.S. computer systems essentially requires an army of cyberwarriors, but the recruitment of that force is suffering. Read the full NPR story here.

Apple Buys Poly9 for Google Earth Rival
Apple has purchased Web mapping software startup Poly9, which could mean the secretive company is looking to offer its own version of Google Earth. Poly9 makes Poly9 Globe, which it advertises here as a cross-browser, cross-platform 3D globe that does not require any download. Google Earth provides similar mapping technology, but requires users to download a plug-in to access it. Skype, LinkedIn and NORAD have all used Poly9’s mapping APIs for their existing products. Users may still roam the earth on Skype’s Nomad here, and view Norad’s Santa Tracker here. Read the full eWeek story here.

Growing Number of Mobile Users Worried About Geolocation Privacy
The security message about mobile users broadcasting their location using geo-location tags on social networking sites is getting through, as research just published claims to show that 55% of those surveyed are worried about their loss of privacy through geo-location tools. The survey, carried out by IT security vendor Webroot, took in responses from more than 1500 social networking system users who own geo-location-ready mobile devices, and found that, although 39% use geolocation on their mobile devices, many expressed concerns over security and privacy. Read the full InfoSecurity Magazine article here.

Tags: 9/11, Apple Buys Poly9, GEOINT, geospatial intelligence, got geoint?, Intelligence Community, Intelligence Community Spending, September 11, Shahram Amiri, Spy Community, USGIF