Defense & Intelligence Policy, Business and Technology

Authorities Are Mum on Information Sharing During Boston Bombings

Nextgov: Homeland Security and FBI officials declined to say whether they’ve been using a controversial communications network in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing designed to share classified information across federal, state and local jurisdictions.

A March 2012 Homeland Security directive deemed the Homeland Secure Data Network, or HSDN, "the U.S. government's primary non-defense, secret level classified information network.” That directive was required under an executive order President Obama issued in August 2010 to address shortcomings in classified information sharing. But former federal officials say the system hasn’t lived up to its promises and they weren’t sure if the $365 million system was even being used.

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