Imagine yourself, after a long productive day, relaxing in front of the fire, sharing a glass of wine with a loved one. Your car is securely stowed from the elements inside the garage for the night. You feel safe. You are warm and comfortable as you enjoy the smiles, the laughter, and the conversation. The aroma of your favorite meal lingers throughout the house and your mouth begins to water as you anticipate tantalizing flavor rolling across your palate. You are looking forward to a pleasant evening, sitting down with your family to enjoy a magnificent meal; catching up on the highlights and the lowlights of their day.

All of the sudden, with no warning at all, it is utter chaos! You have no idea what just happened! You are stunned and disoriented. There is FIRE, and WIND, and a frightening CHILL everywhere! It is as if everything is happening in slow motion, yet at the same time, it is happening so fast!! The ear-piercing explosion sounds like a freight train! You feel like you’re dreaming, and then … Vicious reality sets in as you feel pain like you’ve never ever felt before! From a distance you hear violent screams and a desperate call for help! The voice you hear is that of a loved one.

It is so dark you feel lost in your own home. You must find your family! You know by the sound of their cry they are hurt badly and your instincts tell you – you don’t have much time! You must find help and you need it NOW!! Despite your efforts, nothing you reach for works! There is no electricity, no water, no phone, no cell service; even your car is dead. It seems that everything and everyone around you is hurt, unconscious or dead!

What just happened? “Everything” stopped working simultaneously; in concert!! How did this happen? Why did this happen? In an instant, you lost your ability to communicate with anyone beyond ear shot, you cannot travel beyond where your own feet can take you, you do not have access to your money, and the little bit of food you have will soon fall victim to spoilage. And worst of all, you and your loved ones need immediate medical attention. How can you find help, and/or how will they find you?

And now, the most important question….what are we doing to protect our critical infrastructure, and what can we do to prevent something like this from happening?

We will be answering questions like these, and more, at the AFCEA 2010 C4ISR Symposium! Our focus is “Tools and Technology for Protecting our Critical Infrastructure“. Topics will include Cyber Security, Disaster Preparedness, and Disaster Recovery. Technology Leaders from DoD, major utilities, public service, personal service firms, and large companies will share their plans and their priorities; how those priorities are being managed and protected today, and what they need from industry to help them manage and protect their priorities better and well into the future. Collaborative sessions will be formulated to discuss issues and panelists will share knowledge and information to spawn and develop new ideas and opportunities. This collaborative forum will also encourage teamwork to ensure effective coordination of responsibilities and capabilities, while providing a platform to stimulate and secure economic growth and enable a renewed sense of peace and security for our families and local community.

Was it really imaginary, or could the drama one day become reality? We as Americans, especially those who fit the category “upper middle class” have been very fortunate and we seldom find ourselves concerned with the potential reality of my last story. We have lived a life of freedom and fortune, where most people are willing to earn for themselves and do not have a desire to hurt others. However 9/11 and subsequent events have taught us that we must protect our borders and our critical infrastructure, and we must be prepared for rapid recovery.

C4ISR = Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance; how do we maintain command and control, keep our computers and networks up and running, communicate with the masses, and stay ahead of the game to ensure that if we did have a disaster (caused by man or nature) we would manage it well, survive, and recover quickly.

As individuals, and as employees of the US government or companies supporting the government, we all play a role in C4ISR. To maximize the benefits to you and our customers, this year’s format will be one of discovery; sharing, learning, and collaboration to become more aware of what exists today and expose potential weaknesses so we can identify needs and develop better solutions for the future. Collaborative panels of subject matter experts from National, Regional, and local Government and Industry will provide details on their existing programs and future plans, in an environment of open discussion, with other subject matter experts and the audience, to provoke thoughts and spawn new ideas to improve existing products, support, and services and develop better solutions for the future.

Our program will consist of two full day sessions and evening events on May 18th and 19th at Balboa Park’s Hall of Champions, with a 3rd day classified (SECRET NOFORN) session to be held the morning of 20 May at SSC Pacific. This classified session will focus on the real world threat to our Critical Infrastructure as well as discussing needed capabilities, technologies, and techniques for protecting our DoD and National systems.