• Task force releases Secure Communities report amid internal discord

    Last week, a government task force created to offer recommendations on how to fix the controversial Secure Communities immigration program released its findings to a chorus of internal disagreement; the committee recommended that DHS restart Secure Communities and “reintroduce” the program due to its unpopularity among immigration advocates, local residents, as well as state and local officials; as an act of protest, five of the nineteen committee members resigned because they did not agree with the report’s conclusions

  • NNSA, AFRICOM in WMD workshop in East Africa

    The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) concluded a week-long border security workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of a joint effort to enhance security at ports and borders in the region

  • ASIS 2011 -- combating cyber extremists

    At this year’s ASIS International conference, security experts will explore the effect of the Internet on terrorism, how extremist organizations are using it, and what can be done to stop it; the web has largely proven to be a boon to society, but malicious actors like terrorists have used the Internet to disseminate their radical ideas, recruit new members, and share weapons and bomb building training manuals; terrorist websites have proven to be reliable sources for intelligence as well as dangerous meeting places, but shutting them down has proven to be more complicated than anticipated

  • Can citizens legally -- and secretly -- record police officers in action?

    Technological advances have raised questions concerning the constitutionality of new police methods (for example, attaching a GPS device to a suspect car without the police first obtaining a warrant to do so); there are legal issues on the other side of the equation — that is, whether or not citizens are constitutionally protected when doing video or audio recording of police officers in action

  • Secure mail service will soon be available in NYC

    The Millennium Group and SoBran, Inc. announced yesterday an advanced mail security service that the companies say will help keep Wall Street and New York metro area businesses safe from mail terrorism

  • FDA unveils new outbreak response network

    Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled its new streamlined approach for responding to foodborne illness outbreaks; under the “CORE” Network, the FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, the FDA will bring together multidisciplinary teams consisting of epidemiologists, veterinarians, microbiologists, environmental health specialists, emergency coordinators, and risk communications specialists

  • Michigan creates cyber and physical infrastructure protection department

    The state of Michigan is now merging responsibility for both physical and digital infrastructure protection under one organization

  • U.S. - Australia announce cyber defense treaty

    Last week, the United States and Australia announced a mutual defense treaty that declared a cyberattack on one would result in retaliation by both nations; this new agreement appears to be the first instance of a mutual defense treaty in the cyber realm outside of NATO

  • Expert questions DHS grants for rural communities following 9/11

    In the decade since 9/11, the U.S. government has poured more than $1.3 million into the rural community of Ross County, Ohio, which some argue is a waste of federal resources; the funds were ostensibly designed to prevent terrorism, but much of the money has been spent to bolster emergency response capabilities in the event of a major disaster whether it be natural or manmade

  • Libyan rebels attack last Gaddafi strongholds

    Anti-Gaddafi rebels have begun what they call an “all-out attack” on Moammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte meeting with fierce resistance; at the same time, rebels have mounted an offensive against Bani Walid, where their advance has been stalled; in the deep southern desert, rebels have captured and air force base and two nearby towns

  • St. Andrews University promoting its certificate in terrorism studies

    The University of St. Andrews is promoting a program leading to a certificate in it terrorism studies; the program was established in 2006 in is offered on-line

  • More than $2.1 billion in DHS preparedness grants announced

    DHS announced the final allocation for twelve preparedness grant programs totaling more than $2.1 billion in federal grants; DHS grants were reduced by $780 million for the FY 2010 enacted level, nearly a quarter of FY 2010 DHS grant funding

  • Two radiation generators help protect U.S.

    One aspect of a nuclear explosion— the electro-magnetic pulse, or EMP — was much discussed during the cold war: scientists argued that exploding a nuclear bomb in the skies high above the United States would create an EMP which would disrupt electronic equipment and paralyze the nation; two remarkable pulsed-power machines used to test the U.S. defenses against atomic weapons have surpassed milestones at Sandia National Laboratories

  • Budget cuts could hurt biodefense efforts

    With lawmakers struggling to reduce spending and cut the deficit, funding for government programs aimed at thwarting biological threats could face severe budget cuts; while the budget for overall civilian biodefense increased by 17 percent, that number is deceiving as federal agencies consolidated and combined several key programs under larger budget line item headings

  • NYPD remains on high-alert following 9/11

    Officials in New York remain on high-alert following the warning issued by DHS that terrorists might be plotting an attack on the city for the ten-year anniversary of 9/11; NYPD have pulled back the additional security measures put in place for the ten-year anniversary like checkpoints at ports of entry and bridges, but remain on vigilant for a potential bomb attack