The GSN 2015 Digital Yearbook of Awards

GSN 2015 DIGITAL YEARBOOK OF HOMELAND SECURITY
and
AIRPORT, SEAPORT, BORDER SECURITY AWARDS PROGRAMS
GSN INTERVIEW
Chuck Brooks, Distinguished Judge
GSN 2015 Homeland Security and
Airport, Seaport, Border Security Awards programs
GSN: What are your general thoughts on the
2015 awards?
CB: For me it was a real pleasure judging this year’s
annual Homeland Security and Airport, Seaport, Border
Security Awards programs. The submissions this year
were frankly quite amazing. The capabilities and technical
merits of the IT and Physical security products/solutions
of all the vendors made it especially difficult to judge. In
my opinion they were all winners because they are leading
technological contributors to the current and future
security of our nation. It is good to know that very talented
people in industry and government are continually
designing and upgrading security solutions to fill gaps as
adversaries are becoming more hostile and sophisticated.
GSN: You spent many years on Capitol Hill and
also at the Department of Homeland Security.
As we head into 2016, what do you envision as
homeland security spending priorities?
CB: Macro spending will increase across the board on
homeland security products and services In accordance
to the new threats we are especially facing from ISIS and
from other terrorist actors, and global instabilities. This
was reflected in the recent passage of the 2016 omnibus
spending Bill recently passed by Congress by Congress.
The bill provides DHS with $40.96 billion, which is an
increase of $1.33 billion over the fiscal year 2015 enacted
levels. It included increased funding levels for Customs
and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
and for DHS Cybersecurity programs in the DHS
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