Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001?
In the middle of our mutual “Information Security” and data privacy dialogue over breakfast on the ground floor restaurant of the Reston Hyatt, we both suddenly over heard the peoples commotion and muddled cries.
In the adjacent bar area others were watching the morning television news and were witnessing the continuous replay of an airliner crashing itself into one of the New York City World Trade Center Twin Towers.
We jumped up to walk around the corner into the room and saw the growing shock on peoples faces, as they hurried out the door to pick up or go check on their loved ones.
Then we saw the 2nd plane hit.
Walking back into pay our bill a few minutes later, both of us looked at each other and realized what this meant. Or did we?
Like some other days across your life, this particular morning in America was full of confusion, emotion, tears and fears.
Soon thereafter, driving away from the Reston Town Center near Dulles (IAD), in the distance to the East as the morning sun was rising, you could now see the billowing black smoke rising from the Pentagon burning.
Over the next decade, much of our thinking on our true vulnerabilities as a nation would come before us to solve.
Before 9/11, there were few aviation engineers thinking about reinforced and secure cockpit doors on commercial airliners.
The evolution of “Homeland Security” over the next decade included new buildings and technologies up and down Chain Bridge Road in Northern Virginia.
Predictive Intelligence and Color-Coded warning levels was now focused more on peoples thinking and behavior, not just about flying objects over a country border.
Asymmetric Warfare would become a National focus.
Certain kinds of fertilizers such as "Ammonium Nitrate" would soon be taken off the shelf of local gardening centers and wholesalers in our farming communities and locked up.
Information Technology was now to become a force multiplier. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) was now a mandate. What if?
Operational Risk Management (ORM) was the new normal.
After 9/11, there were new travel innovations like TSA PreCheck. Where even to this day, only one photo ID is required to apply in pre-enrollment, as they take your fingerprints and your photo to match up with vast government databases.
In using another ID travel service years before, CLEAR, even a retina scan was taken in order to back up fingerprinting and two photo IDs.
As we approach our next 9/11 ceremonies around the United States this September 2024, take a few minutes yourself to “Never Forget”.
Acknowledge the vital missions of all those serving who are in uniforms, all those in semi-formal suits, ties and dresses sitting around the conference table and the tireless shifts of analysts and tech people behind the screens who are on continuous watch.
24x7.
Now just 23 years after that historic morning in New York, NY, Arlington, VA and Shanksville, PA, we shall all continue our next year of Citizen Vigilance, our National Resilience and our continuous Freedom as true Americans.
And on this Wednesday September 11, 2024, sitting outside on your own back deck or patio watching another sun set or the moon rise, think about how you too will achieve a more resilient journey into the Future…with those you love.
Godspeed!
