July 2006
Mobilizing Information to Prevent Terrorism
In July 2006, the Task Force released its third report, Mobilizing Information to Prevent Terrorism: Accelerating Development of a Trusted Information Sharing Environment. This report focuses on how to translate the vision outlined in our previous reports into reality more effectively. It recommends new concepts that serve the twin goals of improving national security and protecting privacy.

The report offers a new "authorized use" standard for government handling of legally collected information that bases authorization to view information on how the information is going to be used, rather than on the nationality of the subject or the location of collection. The report also proposes a new risk management approach to sharing classified information that balances the risk of compromising classified information with the security risk that can come from failing to share information with those who need it to understand the threats to national security. Further, the report identifies examples of technology that can be used effectively to provide appropriate oversight and accountability.

February 2006
Implementing a Trusted Information Sharing Environment
Creating a trusted information sharing environment (ISE) as envisaged by the Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age requires that users and the public have confidence in the system. To establish and maintain trust, security, privacy and accountability, the ISE should incorporate Immutable Audit Logs (IALS) as part of its robust security and audit features. This paper explores the technical, policy, and security issues surrounding IALs as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of using immutable audit logs in the ISE. The paper explains how maintaining tamper-resistant logs of user activity on the network increases security, builds trust among users, ensures compliance with relevant policies and guidelines, improves transparency, and provides the ability to conduct oversight by appropriate stakeholders outside of the system.

December 2003
Creating a Trusted Information Network for Homeland Security
In December 2003, the Task Force released its second report, Creating A Trusted Information Network for Homeland Security. The report concluded that by using currently available technology, the government can set up a network that substantially improves our ability to prevent terrorist attacks and protect civil liberties. It provided details for the necessary elements of a proposed System-wide Homeland Analysis and Resource Exchange (SHARE) Network that would more effectively combat terrorism than our current system, while protecting privacy.

The public's trust in a governmental network that makes use of information about its own people can be achieved only if government-wide guidelines for information sharing and privacy protection are established after open public debates on the issue. The Task Force therefore proposed that the President set the goal of creating such a network, and issue clear government-wide policy guidelines for the collection and use of information about people in the U.S., including private sector information.

October 2002
Protecting America's Freedom in the Information Age
In October 2002, the Task Force issued its first report, Protecting America's Freedom in the Information Age, which identified the ability to share information as the most urgent task facing government in protecting the homeland. The report proposed a plan for a distributed IT network to share terrorism-related information among federal, state and local government agencies and the private sector so that threats could be identified and prevented. In addition, the report provided a framework for considering how the government might make most effective use of data residing in the private sector, while preserving liberties and avoiding the imposition of undue costs on businesses. It has had a significant impact on the debate about how to create a national security information system and was helpful to those involved in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.