Security Information Sharing Among Transit Agencies

U.S. Government Accountability Office

About your Agency

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1.  Who is the primary person responsible for completing this questionnaire?
Enter letters or numbers in each box below.

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  Name:
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  Title:
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  Organization:
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  Phone:
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  Email:
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2.  What kind of transportation services does your agency provide? Click yes or no in each row. If you operate a trolley or streetcar service, please classify this as "light rail."
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Yes
No
  a. Heavy rail
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  b. Light rail
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  c. Commuter rail
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  d. Bus (including inner-city transit, local bus, and commuter bus)
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  e. Paratransit
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  f. Vanpool
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  g. Ferry
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  h. Other - Please describe in the box below
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  IF OTHER:
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3.  Does your transit agency have its own dedicated police department? (i.e., a police force that is part of your agency.)
1. (Click here to go to Question 4)
2.
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a. IF NO: What is the entity or entities that provide policing and security services for your transit agency? (Please list each entity.)
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4.  Do you or a designated official in your agency (who is responsible for receiving and acting on security-related information) have a secret or top secret security clearance in order to receive classified intelligence reports?

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2. (Click here to go to Question 6)
3. (Click here to go to Question 6)
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5.  In the last 12 months, have you received any classified intelligence products (e.g., classified reports or briefings) from the federal government?

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PT-ISAC

 

The following questions pertain to the Public Transportation Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or PT-ISAC. The PT-ISAC collects, analyzes, and distributes security and threat information from government and open sources to participating public transportation agencies through email alerts. It is a free service operated by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

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6.  Does your agency currently receive security-related information from the PT-ISAC?

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2. (Click here to go to Question 12)
3. (Click here to go to Question 13)
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7.  How satisfied are you with the following quality aspects of the security-related information you receive from the PT-ISAC?
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Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
No opinion / Don't know
  a. Relevance (i.e., is the information sufficiently relevant to be of value to your agency?)
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  b. Validity (i.e., is the information accurate?)
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  c. Timeliness (i.e., do you receive the information in a timely manner?)
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  d. Completeness (i.e., does the information contain all the necessary details?)
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  e. Actionability (i.e., would the information allow you to change your agency's security posture, if such a change was warranted?)
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  f. Access / Ease of Use (is information available through the PT-ISAC easy to obtain?)
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8.  How redundant (i.e., essentially the same or very similar) is the security-related information you receive through the PT-ISAC as compared to the security-related information you receive through other sources?

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9.  Overall, how satisfied are you with the security-related information you receive through the PT-ISAC?

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10.  Do you believe the PT-ISAC needs to be improved?

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2. (Click here to go to Question 13)
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11.  How could the PT-ISAC be improved?
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  IF YOU DO CURRENTLY RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE PT-ISAC:
Click here to skip to Question 13
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12.  Why does your agency choose not to receive security-related information from the PT-ISAC?
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Reason
Not a reason
  a. I've never heard of the PT-ISAC.
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  b. I get all the security-related information I need from other sources.
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  c. I used to receive security-related information from the PT-ISAC, but I didn't find the information useful.
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  d. I have no need for security-related information.
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  e. Other - Please describe in the box below.
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  IF OTHER:
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13.  Please use the space below to provide any additional comments about the PT-ISAC.
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HSIN

 

The next series of questions focuses on the Homeland Security Information Network, or HSIN. HSIN is web-based platform operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to facilitate Sensitive But Unclassified information sharing and collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector entities.

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14.  Does your agency currently have a log-in access to HSIN?

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2. (Click here to go to Question 23)
3. (Click here to go to Question 22)
4. (Click here to go to Question 23)
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15.  If so, to which of the following portal(s) does your agency have access? (Note: If you are not sure which portal your agency uses, please consult with other security officials at your agency. If you are still not sure, select the "Don't Know" response and continue to the next question).
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Yes
No
Don't know
  a. HSIN - Critical Sectors (CS)
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  b. HSIN - Emergency Management (EM)
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  c. HSIN - Mass Transit
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  h. Other - Please describe in the box below
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  IF OTHER:
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16.  How frequently does your agency access security-related information on HSIN?

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17.  How satisfied are you with the following quality aspects of the security-related information you obtain through HSIN?
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Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
No opinion/ Don't know
  a. Relevance (i.e., is the information sufficiently relevant to be of value to your agency?)
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  b. Validity (i.e., is the information accurate?)
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  c. Timeliness (i.e., do you receive the information in a timely manner?)
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  d. Completeness (i.e., does the information contain all the necessary details?)
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  e. Actionability (i.e., would the information allow you to change your agency's security posture, if such a change was warranted?)
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  f. Access / Ease of Use (is information available through HSIN easy to obtain?)
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18.  How redundant (i.e., essentially the same or very similar) is the security-related information you receive through HSIN as compared to the security-related information you receive through other sources?

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19.  Overall, how satisfied are you with the security-related information you receive through HSIN?

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20.  Do you believe HSIN needs to be improved?

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2. (Click here to go to Question 23)
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21.  How could HSIN be improved?
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  IF YOU DO CURRENTLY HAVE A LOG-IN ACCESS TO HSIN:
Click here to skip to Question 23
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22.  Why does your agency choose not to use HISN?
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Reason
Not a reason
  a. I've never heard of HISN.
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  b. I get all the security-related information I need from other sources.
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  c. I used to have access to HISN, but I didn't find the security-related information useful.
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  d. I have no need for security-related information.
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  e. Other - Please describe in the box below.
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  IF OTHER:
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23.  Please use the space below to provide any additional comments about HSIN.
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Other Mechanisms

 

The next question will ask you about other information sharing mechanisms you might use. For each mechanism, please indicate whether you use it to receive security-related information. If you do use a particular mechanism, click the corresponding link to open a short set of questions about it. If you are not sure whether your agency uses the mechanism, please consult with other security officials at your agency. If you are still not sure, select the "Don't Know" response and skip to the next mechanism. You will be asked about 16 mechanisms in all.

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24.  Does your agency use any of the following mechanisms to receive security-related information?

For mechanisms you use, also click the link to the right to open a second series of questions about your opinions of each mechanism.
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Information sharing mechanism
Do you use this?
If "Yes" -- click link to open additional questions.
24a.  Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) (JTTFs are small cells of investigators, analysts, and other specialists from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They are designed to combine the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24b.  Fusion Center(s) (A fusion center is a collaborative effort of two or more agencies that provide resources, expertise, and information to the center to improve the ability to detect, prevent, and respond to criminal and terrorist activity.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24c.  Transportation Security Operations Center (TSOC) (The TSOC is TSA's operational center for managing all types of transportation security incidents.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24d.  DHS/FTA Transit Safety & Security Roundtables (bi-annual meetings that are typically attended by officials representing TSA, FTA, FEMA, and the largest 50 public transit agencies nationwide)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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Information sharing mechanism
Do you use this?
If "Yes" -- click link to open additional questions.
24e.  Other public transportation systems
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24f.  FTA email alerts (i.e., emails from Tony Tisdale)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24g.  TSA email alerts (i.e., emails from Tom Farmer or other TSA officials)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24h.  Industry association (e.g., the American Public Transportation Association)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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Information sharing mechanism
Do you use this?
If "Yes" -- click link to open additional questions.
24i.  Regional/state/local information sharing system Please specify in the box below:
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24j.  Regional/state/local emergency operations center Please specify in the box below:
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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Information sharing mechanism
Do you use this?
If "Yes" -- click link to open additional questions.
24k.  Law Enforcement Online (LEO) system (LEO is a Department of Justice information sharing system that allows users to access FBI law enforcement sensitive information.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24l.  DHS Protective Security Advisors (PSAs) (PSAs are infrastructure and vulnerability assessment specialists who provide a communications channel between critical infrastructure owners/operators and DHS)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24m.  National Open Source Center (www.opensource.gov. The National Open Source Center provides translations, reporting, and analysis on foreign policy and national security issues. Information is obtained from publications, television and radio stations, and Internet sources worldwide.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24n.  Federal Protective Service (FPS) Secure Portal (The FPS Secure Portal enables law enforcement entities to share information in a protected environment over the internet. It also allows access to federal, state and local agency reporting.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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Information sharing mechanism
Do you use this?
If "Yes" -- click link to open additional questions.
24o.  FBI's Regional Information Sharing Systems - Automated Trusted Information Exchange (RISS-ATIX) (RISS ATIX helps state and local jurisdictions share information in support of their homeland security missions. It is available to law enforcement entities as well as governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations that have public safety responsibilities.)
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24p.  Transportation Information Sharing System (TISS) (TISS receives, assesses, and distributes intelligence information related to transportation security to Federal Air Marshals and other federal, state, and local law enforcement entities.)

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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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24q.  Other mechanism Please specify in the box below:
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  DB: ptisac2, URL: ptisac2
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Other Sectors

 

The next three questions will ask you about security information that directly pertains to other sectors (e.g., aviation, energy, water), but that also potentially may be relevant to your agency.

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25.  How important is it for your agency to receive security-related information about other sectors that also may be relevant to your agency? (e.g., information about bridges or tunnels, airports, waterways, power plants, water treatment facilities, or other critical infrastructure that is geographically proximate or otherwise relevant to public transit.)

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26.  How would you characterize the amount of security-related information you receive about other sectors that also may be relevant to your agency?

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27.  How satisfied is your agency with the security-related information you receive about other sectors that also may be relevant to your agency?

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Overall Assessment

 

The last questions relate to the state of security-related information sharing as a whole. When responding to these questions, please consider all the security-related information you receive as well as all of the mechanisms you use to receive it.

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28.  Over the last 2 years, do you believe that federal efforts to share security-related information with public transit agencies have improved or worsened?

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29.  Considering all of the security-related information you receive, as a whole, how satisfied is your agency with this information?

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30.  Considering all of the security-related information you receive and all of the mechanisms you use to receive it, how (if at all) could the value of this information and/or the mechanisms through which it is provided be improved?
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31.  Please use the space below to provide any any further comments your agency may have on any of the questions above, or related issues.
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Finished?

32.  Have you finished this questionnaire?
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Questionnaire Programming Language - Version 6.0
U.S. Government Accountability Office

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