What role does the private sector play in DHS research projects?
Sachs: Homeland Security gets its requirements from several places. To satisfy those requirements, we have to partner with the general public, with industries, with academia and many others. There are a number of companies that Homeland has funded. We work directly with these companies. They bring to us great insight because these are real life companies–these are not just little start-ups. They’re out there making money and struggling just like everyone else is. They are our forward observer eyes–those organizations that are way out in front and can bring back some good intelligence tell us what’s really happening in the business world and can tell us what the real requirements are, not necessarily what the bureaucrats might see. How does the private sector benefit from the research being done by DHS? Sachs: It’s imperative that those who work in the computer security world know that this research is not just about doing science and technology just for computer science’s purpose. It
