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The GSN 2015 Digital Yearbook of Awards

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<strong>GSN</strong> <strong>2015</strong> DIGITAL YEARBOOK OF HOMELAND SECURITY<br />

and<br />

AIRPORT, SEAPORT, BORDER SECURITY AWARDS PROGRAMS<br />

<strong>GSN</strong> INTERVIEW<br />

Chuck Brooks, Distinguished Judge<br />

<strong>GSN</strong> <strong>2015</strong> Homeland Security and<br />

Airport, Seaport, Border Security <strong>Awards</strong> programs<br />

<strong>GSN</strong>: What are your general thoughts on the<br />

<strong>2015</strong> awards?<br />

CB: For me it was a real pleasure judging this year’s<br />

annual Homeland Security and Airport, Seaport, Border<br />

Security <strong>Awards</strong> programs. <strong>The</strong> submissions this year<br />

were frankly quite amazing. <strong>The</strong> capabilities and technical<br />

merits <strong>of</strong> the IT and Physical security products/solutions<br />

<strong>of</strong> all the vendors made it especially difficult to judge. In<br />

my opinion they were all winners because they are leading<br />

technological contributors to the current and future<br />

security <strong>of</strong> our nation. It is good to know that very talented<br />

people in industry and government are continually<br />

designing and upgrading security solutions to fill gaps as<br />

adversaries are becoming more hostile and sophisticated.<br />

<strong>GSN</strong>: You spent many years on Capitol Hill and<br />

also at the Department <strong>of</strong> Homeland Security.<br />

As we head into 2016, what do you envision as<br />

homeland security spending priorities?<br />

CB: Macro spending will increase across the board on<br />

homeland security products and services In accordance<br />

to the new threats we are especially facing from ISIS and<br />

from other terrorist actors, and global instabilities. This<br />

was reflected in the recent passage <strong>of</strong> the 2016 omnibus<br />

spending Bill recently passed by Congress by Congress.<br />

<strong>The</strong> bill provides DHS with $40.96 billion, which is an<br />

increase <strong>of</strong> $1.33 billion over the fiscal year <strong>2015</strong> enacted<br />

levels. It included increased funding levels for Customs<br />

and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement<br />

and for DHS Cybersecurity programs in the DHS<br />

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