-
TerrorismU.S. again names Iran as leading terrorism sponsor
The United States has once again named Iran as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, accusing it of fueling conflicts and undermining governments throughout the Middle East. An annual survey on global terrorism, released by the State Department on 19 September, said Iran and its proxies are responsible for intensifying multiple conflicts and undermining U.S. interests in the region.
-
-
BiodefenseWhite Houses unveils new National Biodefense Strategy
The Trump administration on Tuesday released a new National Biodefense Strategy, along with an order from President Donald Trump that directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take the coordinating lead and establishes a cabinet-level biodefense steering committee. Some experts are praising the broad scope of the strategy, new elements that it covers, and the high-level attention and oversight built into the plan.
-
style=”display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-9143520698308305”
data-ad-slot=”4086223553”> -
Coastal retreatClimate change: we need to start moving people away from some coastal areas, warns scientist
Climate change has forced a paradigm shift in the way coastal flooding and erosion risks are managed. In areas of lower risk, adaptation plans are being devised, often with provisions to make properties and infrastructure more resilient. Adaptation may involve requiring raised foundations in flood-prone areas or the installation of mitigating measures, such as sustainable drainage systems. Building codes may also be established to make structures more disaster-proof and to control the types of constructions within risk zones. But such adaptation options are often of limited use or unsuitable for high-risk areas. In such areas relocation is the only safe climate-proof response.
-
-
Extremism onlineIdentifying extremists online even before they post dangerous content
The number and size of online extremist groups using social networks to harass users, recruit new members, and incite violence is rapidly increasing. New research has found a way to identify extremists, such as those associated with the terrorist group ISIS, by monitoring their social media accounts, and can identify them even before they post threatening content.
-
-
Extremism onlineBroadcasting the reactionary right on YouTube
A new report presents data from approximately 65 political influencers across 81 channels to identify the “Alternative Influence Network (AIN)”; an alternative media system that adopts the techniques of brand influencers to build audiences and “sell” them political ideology.
-
-
Truth decayBeyond deep fakes: Automatically transforming video content into another video's style
Researchers have created a method that automatically transforms the content of one video into the style of another. For instance, Barack Obama’s style can be transformed into Donald Trump. Because the data-driven method does not require human intervention, it can rapidly transform large amounts of video, making it a boon to movie production, as well as to the conversion of black-and-white films to color and to the creation of content for virtual reality experiences.
-
-
Truth decayFacebook’s war on fake news is gaining ground
In the two years since fake news on the Internet became a full-blown crisis, Facebook has taken numerous steps to curb the flow of misinformation on its site. Under intense political pressure, it’s had to put up a fight: At the peak in late 2016, Facebook users shared, liked, or commented on an estimated 200 million false stories in a single month. A new study is shedding light on a key question: Are Facebook’s countermeasures making a difference?
-
-
Climate threatsParis climate targets may be exceeded sooner than expected
A new study has for the first time comprehensively accounted for permafrost carbon release when estimating emission budgets for climate targets. The results show that the world might be closer to exceeding the budget for the long-term target of the Paris climate agreement than previously thought.
-
-
Our picksThe algorithms of August; refugee resettlement; cybersecurity risk score for agencies, and more
· The algorithms of August
· Cybersecurity firm: More Iran hacks as US sanctions loomed
· America’s latest about-face: Refugee resettlement
· Deterrence or waste of time? Experts at odds over DOJ’s actions on North Korea
· DHS to roll out new cybersecurity risk score for agencies
· ISIS sees opportunity as Syria’s rebellion falls
· Does it matter that Trump is a liar?
· Barriers to effective insider threat monitoring
-
-
The Russia watchCollateral damage of Trump's extreme declassifications; squaring up to Russian propaganda; the most devastating cyberattack in history
· The collateral damage of Trump’s extreme declassifications
· ‘Carter Page is a very unlikely GOP hero’
· Russia is gearing up to misinform the U.S. public about Syria. Here’s our cheat sheet to identify Twitter trolls.
· Russian propaganda? Moscow releases audio blaming Ukraine for downing of MH17 flight that killed almost 300
· Russia’s been meddling with a US ally in Europe, and Mattis isn’t happy
· British broadcasters told to square up to Russian propaganda
· Trump-proof aspects of Manafort deal rankle lawyers
· Ruminations on the most devastating cyberattack in history
· How Mnuchin’s blunder led to sanctions against Putin oligarch Oleg Deripaska
-
-
Hurricane Florence32 dead, 500,000 homes without power, Wilmington virtually cut off
Emergency crews have been busy Monday and today in many cities across the Carolinas as both residents and the authorities were trying to cope with the aftermath of a record rainfall. The water damaged tens of thousands of homes, and floodwaters may not recede for days. Even as the remnants of Hurricane Florence pulled away, it was clear that the turmoil had only begun.
-
-
The Russia connectionSwiss confirm Russians tried to hack lab analyzing Skripal samples
The Swiss government has confirmed reports that Dutch authorities had arrested and expelled two suspected Russian spies earlier this year after the two allegedly tried to hack a Swiss laboratory that conducts chemical weapons tests. The alleged target was the Spiez Laboratory, which analyzed samples from the March poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.
-
-
The Russia connectionBerlin hospital says “highly plausible” Russian activist was poisoned
German doctors treating Pyotr Verzilov have said that the anti-Kremlin activist was probably poisoned, and a Moscow newspaper reports a possible connection with the killing of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) in July. The developments on September 18 deepened the mystery surrounding the sudden illness of Verzilov, a member of the punk protest band Pussy Riot and the dissident art troupe Voina who was flown to Berlin for treatment three days earlier.
-
-
African securityU.S.-provided security sector assistance in Africa largely failed
The United States has sought to combat security threats in Africa – whether terrorism or, in a previous era, communism – principally by providing security sector assistance (SSA) to partner governments on the continent. Two new studies suggest that U.S.-provided SSA in Africa has largely failed to achieve its goals.
-
-
CybersecurityS&T awards $11.6 million to defend against network, internet disruptions
Five research organizations were awarded separate contracts totaling $11,511,565 to develop new methods to identify and attribute Network/Internet-scale Disruptive Events (NIDEs), the DHS S&T announced last week.
-
-
CyberinsureanceCyber insurance market to double by 2020: Munich Re
Cyber risks are one of the biggest threats to the digital and networked economy. The most important thing for companies is to ensure they have the best possible technical prevention. Munich Re says it is developing insurance products and services that offer policyholders the greatest possible protection.
-
-
Building evacuationAn elevator tech that could save lives in a high-rise fire
When there’s a fire in a high-rise building, safety rules dictate that you don’t take the elevator. You head for the stairs instead. But what if using the elevator could actually be the fastest – and safest – way to evacuate a building on fire? Seventeen years after 9/11, an Israeli startup is testing its solution to turn the elevator into a traveling ‘safe room’ that can facilitate rescue operations.
-
-
SuperbugsNew FDA plan focuses on antibiotic development, stewardship
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced a multipronged strategy to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that emphasizes new measures to spur development of antibiotics and alternative therapies, promote antibiotic stewardship in animal health, advance antibiotic resistance surveillance, and enhance regulatory science.
-
-
Mitigating climate threatsEither cover 89 percent of the U.S. with trees, or go solar
How many fields of switchgrass and forests of trees would be needed to offset the energy produced by burning coal? A lot, it turns out. While demand for energy isn’t dropping, alarms raised by burning fossil fuels in order to get that energy are getting louder.
-
-
Our picksFEMA cuts fund detention centers; protecting campaign websites; coping with hurricanes, and more
· Symantec becomes latest firm offering free security testing for campaign websites
· Trump transferred $9.75 million from FEMA to ICE to cover the cost of immigrant detention centers
· FEMA’s testing a new “presidential alerts” system that sends messages to your phone
· Families are getting better at preparing for hurricanes
· Facial-recognition scanners at airports raise privacy concerns
· Congress subpoenas ‘uncooperative’ DHS official amid accusations of punishing whistleblowers
· The next harmful move against H-1B visas
· Retired Marine four-star patents jet-killing drone boat
· What feds can do to guard against DDoS attacks and the botnet threat
· General’s secret weapon to keep Trump in Afghanistan: Fox News
-
-
The Russia watchTrump’s Soviet approach to intelligence; Russian bots & U.S. public health; rewriting Soviet past, and more
· The Watergate “Road Map” and the coming Mueller report
· Trump’s Soviet approach to intelligence
· ‘Bada bing bada boom’: Paul Manafort’s attempt to smear a jailed Ukrainian politician
· Paul Manafort is the first Trump Tower meeting attendee to flip
· “The government believes that Manafort has evidence”: Is Paulie about to nuke Don Jr.?
· Manafort’s surrender shows Mueller probe’s overwhelming force
· Skripal poisoning suspect’s passport data shows link to security services
· The Russian hacking of 2016 was just a taste. Here’s what we could be in for.
· Russian bots are taking aim at U.S. public health
· AP news agency bows to Russian pressure over Moscow’s WWII pact with Nazi Germany
· U.S. spies rush to protect Russian defectors after Sergei Skripal poisoning
-
-
Election securitySecuring Americans’ votes
To protect the integrity and security of U.S. elections, all local, state, and federal elections should be conducted using human-readable paper ballots by the 2020 presidential election, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences. In addition, every effort should be made to use paper ballots in the 2018 federal election. Ballots that have been marked by voters should not be returned over the Internet or any network connected to it, because no current technology can guarantee their secrecy, security, and verifiability, the report says.
-
More headlines
style=”display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-9143520698308305”
data-ad-slot=”5491499090”>
The long view
TerrorismExperts: Int’l community must target terrorists who use human shields
Because terrorists use human shields to protect themselves or cause civilian casualties “without facing consequences,” it is imperative that “terrorists and their sponsoring regimes must be held accountable for their brutal practice of using civilians as human shields,” argued two experts.
The Russian connectionRussian spy software in U.S. home and office routers
The Russian government hackers known as APT 28 or Fancy Bear – the operatives who were behind information attacks against the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton Campaign, among others – have infiltrated hundreds of thousands of home and office routers worldwide. The presence of Russian malware on the routers could enable the Kremlin to steal individuals’ data or enlist their devices in a massive attack intended to disrupt global economic activity or target institutions.
Considered opinion: Election securityHow the U.S. has failed to protect the 2018 election--and four ways to protect 2020
If the weak response of the Obama White House indicated to America’s adversaries that the U.S. government would not respond forcefully, then the subsequent actions of House Republicans and President Trump have signaled that our adversaries can expect powerful elected officials to help a hostile foreign power cover up attacks against their domestic opposition. The bizarre behavior of the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Devin Nunes, has destroyed that body’s ability to come to any credible consensus, and the relative comity of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has not yet produced the detailed analysis and recommendations our country needs. Republican efforts to downplay Russia’s role constitute a dangerous gamble: It is highly unlikely that future election meddling will continue to have such an unbalanced and positive impact for the GOP.
FloodsCatastrophic floods may trigger human resettlement away from rivers
Flooding is one of the most damaging natural hazards, and its negative impacts have markedly increased in many regions of the world in recent decades. In the period 1980-2014, floods generated economic losses exceeding $1 trillion and caused more than 226,000 casualties. The increasing trend of global flood losses has mainly been attributed to the increasing exposure of people and assets due to rising populations in flood-prone areas.
ExtremismInteractive map pinpointing extremism and hate across U.S.
Last week, in advance of the first anniversary of the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released the ADL H.E.A.T.(Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism) Map — an interactive map detailing extremist and anti-Semitic incidents in the United States. The map is a visual reflection of select proprietary datasets developed by ADL experts in its Center on Extremism.
PoliceMilitarization of police fails to enhance safety, may damage police reputation
This month marks the four-year anniversary of protests over the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, an incident met with a heavily armed police response that stoked widespread concern. While proponents say militarized police units enhance officer safety and prevent violence, critics argue these tactics are targeted at racial minorities, and diminish trust between citizens and law enforcement.
Hate crimesBlack Americans are still victims of hate crimes more than any other group
James Byrd Jr., who was dragged to death in Texas 20 years ago, became one of the namesakes for a 2009 federal law expanding hate crime legislation. But just 100 hate crimes have been pursued by federal prosecutors between January 2010 and July 2018.
PoliceDisproportionate killing of black men by police
Bad policing, bad law, not “bad apples”: Killings of unarmed black men by white police officers across the nation have garnered massive media attention in recent years, raising the question: Do white law enforcement officers target minority suspects? An extensive, new national study reveals some surprising answers. Analysis of every use of deadly force by police officers across the United States indicates that the killing of black suspects is a police problem, not a white police problem, and the killing of unarmed suspects of any race is extremely rare.
Urban violenceViolence in U.S. cities: Mixed, but optimistic, picture
Violence has fallen in nearly all major U.S. cities since 1991, but recent fluctuations in violence in selected cities point to temporary disruptions in this 17-year decline. “American cities are much safer than they were in the early 1990s,” says one researcher. “While violence rose in many cities from 2014 to 2017, the most recent data indicate that, overall, cities have turned a corner and this recent rise in violence may have come to an end.”
Border securityUsing data analytics to target human smugglers
Human smuggling is big business. The financial cost can be as high as a few thousand dollars to cross the border from Mexico to the United States, while immigrants from China might pay tens of thousands for their cross-Pacific journey. Some estimates put illegal crossings at 350,000 per year—and that’s just coming over the U.S.-Mexican border. DHS S&T’s Igloo data analytics software program is currently in use by select units of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
WildfiresNew laser solution could slow spread of forest fires
Aggressive wildfires are rampaging through many countries this summer, bringing death and destruction in their wake. In California alone, firefighters are scrambling to control 18 separate blazes. Texas, Oregon, Florida, New Jersey, as well as Canada, Greece, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. are among other areas battling massive forest fires, a phenomenon experts expect will only increase due to climate change. Israeli company Fighting Treetop Fire is developing a system of removing combustible foliage with algorithm-controlled laser beams controlled via helicopter or truck.
GridWanted: Smart ideas for grid modernization
A consortium of national labs and nonprofit organizations has announced a call for concepts to engage the smart grid community in demonstrating visionary interoperability capabilities on how facilities with distributed energy resources, or DERs, integrate and interact with the utility grid.
Climate litigationStrategies in U.S. climate litigation
The courts have played a central role in climate change policy, starting with a landmark Supreme Court case that led to the mandatory regulation of greenhouse gases in the United States. How do the courts address climate cases today? Who wins, who loses and what kinds of strategies make a difference in the courtroom? Pro-regulatory litigants more likely to win renewable energy and energy efficiency cases than those involving coal-fired power plants.
Disaster planningDisaster planning saves lives
There are a lot of scary threats in the world—extreme weather, terrorist attacks, deadly infectious diseases, mass shootings—but if health care organizations plan ahead for such disasters, lives can be saved. The first step for health care organizations preparing for emergencies is to accurately assess the kinds of hazards they may face, such as flooding, power outages, or violence, says an expert.
GeoengineeringBlocking sunlight to cool Earth won't reduce crop damage from global warming
Injecting particles into the atmosphere to cool the planet and counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to a new analysis. “Shading the planet keeps things cooler, which helps crops grow better. But plants also need sunlight to grow, so blocking sunlight can affect growth. For agriculture, the unintended impacts of solar geoengineering are equal in magnitude to the benefits,” said the study’s lead author.
Climate threatsPlanet at risk of heading towards “Hothouse Earth” state
An international team of scientists has published a study showing that keeping global warming to within 1.5-2°C may be more difficult than previously assessed, and that even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met, there is a risk of Earth entering what the scientists call “Hothouse Earth” conditions. A “Hothouse Earth” climate will in the long term stabilize at a global average of 4-5°C higher than pre-industrial temperatures with sea level 10-60 m higher than today, the paper says.