NLE 2012: Will This Years Drill Go Live and Result in a False Flag Cyber Attack?
Shepard Ambellas and Alex Thomas
The Intelhub
The Intelhub
The summer of 2012 is fast approaching. As it inches closer, we will start to see a major increase in US and foreign troop movements as well as military equipment movements throughout the CONUS (Continental United States).
While many of the upcoming sightings may well be normal operations as the military does like to do training in the summer, the fact is that parts of our own military, along with foreign and UN troops, are actively planning to take on the American people.
National Level Exercise drills have been in effect for years now and have been covered by many alternative news sources, including The Intel Hub through our yearly Operation Overwatch which we use to gain intel and tips from the public in order to relay them to our readers.
Over the years many people have worried about the numerous National Level Preparedness drills and, in most cases, for good reason.
In 2011, the NLE focused around an earthquake on the New Madrid Fault Zone and the year before resulted in 70 thousand people being evacuated from a Texas city after a fertilizer fire.
Interestingly enough, this years FEMA national preparedness drill is focusing on the threat of a major cyber attack on America’s infrastructure.
The last year has seen dozens of cyber attacks on government websites as well as government propagandists pushing the fear of a cyber attack on the populace. Now we have the Department of Homeland Security making cyber security the main component of their annual preparedness drill.
Although only a small amount of information has been released on NLE2012, we can see from FEMA’s own website what it primary consists of.
FEMA’s website released the following PDF;
National Level Exercise (NLE) 2012ContinentalMajor Exercises
Opportunities for Participation in NLE 2012
Learn More about Cyber Security
Contact Information
National Level Exercise (NLE) 2012 is part of a series of congressionally mandated preparedness exercises designed to educate and prepare participants for potential catastrophic events.
The NLE 2012 process will examine the nation’s ability to coordinate and implement prevention, preparedness, response and recovery plans and capabilities pertaining to a significant cyber event or a series of events.
NLE 2012 will examine national response plans and procedures, including the National Response Framework (NRF), NRF Cyber Incident Annex, Interim National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) and the International Strategy for Cyberspace.
Unique to NLE 2012 will be an emphasis on the shared responsibility among all levels of government, the private sector and the international community to secure cyberspace and respond together to a significant cyber incident.
Obsidian Analysis, the company heading up NLE12 for the private sector, states on their website:
NLE 2012 will comprise four major exercises, including a capstone event. These exercises will share common scenario elements, planning efforts and governance structure.
Participation in each exercise will be determined respectively, but the NLE 2012 process includes the Executive Office of the President; federal, state, local, tribal and territorial department and agency officials and emergency operations elements, nongovernmental and private sector organizations and international partners. These four major exercises include:
Information Exchange: This discussion-based exercise is designed to evaluate the sharing of cyber related information among the intelligence community, law enforcement, federal, state, tribal and local governments, the private sector and international partners, as appropriate
Cyber Incident Management/Virtual Effects: This exercise will examine the coordination and communication processes between public and private stakeholders in response to a significant cyber incident. This will include examining challenges related to managing a cyber event with national security implications.
NLE Capstone/Cyber Physical Effects: This functional exercise will examine challenges related to managing a cyber event with physical consequences and national security implications. This will include addressing cyber and physical interdependencies and impacts while coordinating a Whole Community level cyber and physical response.
Continuity Exercise/Eagle Horizon: This operations-based exercise will evaluate the continuity capability of federal departments and agencies. A component will include a nationwide exercise examining communications capability of the homeland security enterprise under conditions in which critical systems have been degraded or lost.
In addition to the major exercises, the NLE 2012 process will include senior level exercises, building-block events (i.e., seminars, tabletop exercises, and training) and routine exercise planning conferences.
