• Nigerian Islamist terrorists and U.S. security

    Boko Haram is an Islamist religious sect that formed in the northern part of Nigeria, Africa’s leading oil producer, in 2002. Its Hausa-language name means “Western education is sin.” The group’s continuing attacks on Western targets in Nigeria and a death toll reaching 330 people in 2011 have made U.S. lawmakers and security experts take notice.

  • CIA terror plot-tracking technology is intriguing, worrisome

    A program developed by Palantir Technologies for PayPal is now used by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. It allows the CIA to detect a terrorist plot in the making, and do so without subjecting the general public to intrusive measures.

  • Indiana sheriffs use video conferencing to reduce costs

    In an effort to reduce costs, officials in Tippecanoe County, Indiana have begun using video conferencing technology to hold court hearings without transporting the defendant to the courtroom

  • LAPD named best counterterrorism squad

    The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau (CTSOB) recently received Government Security News’ highest honor for a division of its kind

  • NYPD spying on Muslims leads to spiral of mistrust

    Following the revelation that the New York City police department was spying on the daily lives of ordinary Muslims, community activists have launched a campaign encouraging people to avoid directly reporting suspicious activity to the police

  • Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure reach U.S.

    Most of the U.S. critical infrastructure is run by computers which are connected to the Internet; this makes them susceptible to cyber attacks; a few days ago the control system of a water pump in Illinois was taken over by a hacker’s remote command, and then deliberately destroyed; what critical infrastructure facilities will hackers — nerdy teenagers, terrorists, or intelligence operatives of other nations — target next?

  • Terrorist attacks and the false specter of security

    With the recent passing of the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, the United States would benefit greatly from a candid discussion on the nature of terrorism and the current rhetoric surrounding it; the fact is, no wall, law, or interrogation technique will keep us 100 percent safe from violent terrorist acts; the sooner we acknowledge this morbid reality, the sooner we can begin focusing on a long under-emphasized aspect of counterterrorism: the psychological dimension of terrorism – an area where we are losing ground

  • Domestic terrorist on FBI wanted list may be in Massachusetts

    The FBI believes they may have found Daniel Andreas San Diego, the first domestic terrorist to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list, in Northampton, Massachusetts; San Diego is wanted for bombing two companies in 2003 that were related to a firm that engaged in animal testing and there is currently a $250,000 reward for information leading to his arrest

  • Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure reach U.S.

    Most of the U.S. critical infrastructure is run by computers which are connected to the Internet; this makes them susceptible to cyber attacks; a few days ago, the control system of a water pump in Illinois was taken over by a hacker’s remote command, and then deliberately destroyed; what critical infrastructure facilities will hackers – nerdy teenagers, terrorists, or intelligence operatives of other nations – target next?

  • U.S. investigates Illinois pump failure as cyber attack on infrastructure

    The U.S. government is looking into the possibility that a cyber attack may have been responsible for the failure of a water pump at a public water district in Illinois last week; such an attack would be worrisome because cyber attacks on businesses are commonplace, but attacks that invade industrial control systems and intentionally destroy equipment are unknown in the United States.

  • Senate reaches deal on custody over terrorism suspects

    On Tuesday several Senators from the Armed Services Committee reached an agreement on the controversial handling and prosecution of suspected terrorists; the agreement, struck by Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) would allow the military custody of all suspected terrorists except when the administration makes “a national security determination” to keep the detainee in civilian custody

  • Texas man convicted of terrorism charges

    On Wednesday a Texas man, who had been in contact with the radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki, was convicted of attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); Barry Walter Bujol Jr. was arrested when he boarded a ship at the Port of Houston, which he was led to believe was bound for Algeria where he would stay at an al Qaeda safe haven before heading to Yemen

  • DHS warns terrorists targeting buses

    In a recent Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security bulletin, officials warned state and local authorities that terrorists are increasingly targeting bus networks; John Pistole, the head of the TSA, explained that bus networks are attractive targets for attacks because of their “accessibility” and their “open architecture”

  • Good ratings for TV drama "Homeland"

    The first six episodes of “Homeland,” the Showtime series focusing on the U.S. fight against terrorism ten years after the 9/11 attacks, have been pulling very good ratings. The series is based on an Israeli drama called “Kidnapped.”

  • Training mission showcases Israeli counterterrorism techniques

    A group of U.S. law enforcement officials recently concluded a weeklong training seminar on the methods Israel uses to prevent and respond to terrorism