Breaking down data silos

After 9/11, the U.S. federal government created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to combine all or part of 22 different federal departments and agencies into a unified, more effective and integrated body, creating a strengthened U.S. security enterprise with a mission, stated in part, “to ensure a safe, secure, and prosperous Homeland.” (See dhs.gov.) The DHS founders recognized that gaining access to multiple data sources provides better, more insightful information for more effective decision-making. Likewise, in cybersecurity, organizations and government agencies often collaborate in data-sharing consortiums to share intelligence with many different stakeholders and generate the right level of situational awareness for organizations to defend themselves against cyber threats.