TSA's PortSTEP: Exercising Risk Mitigation in the Port Transportation Network

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, much concern has been expressed over the vulnerability of U.S. ports and the need for more focused efforts to secure them. In August 2002, Congress appropriated $20 million to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop and conduct port incident training exercises. TSA, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, has developed the port security training exercise program (PortSTEP) as a joint program to help meet the mandates of the 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act. This article provides an overview of PortSTEP, an industry-focused program designed to provide the transportation sector network nationwide with training exercises, evaluations, and accompanying information management products to help strengthen the nation's ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from a transportation security incident in a port environment.