-
NSA, other spy agencies enlisted in effort to address cyber vulnerability
Prepare for another heated NSA-domestic spying debate: The Bush administration issues secret directive on 8 January — informally known as the “cyber initiative” — expanding the intelligence community’s role in monitoring Internet traffic; the goal is to protect against a rising number of attacks on federal agencies’ computer systems
-
-
U.S. school bus system vulnerable to attack
Billions of dollars have been invested in shoring up security for ports, railways, motor coaches, and air travel — but practically nothing has been done to improve security of buses carrying millions of children every day to and from school; President Bush gave TSA a year to develop a national assessment of school bus security, but TSA has yet to develop such a plan
-
-
GAO critical of DOE's handling of Russian nuclear scientists program
In 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP) program to engage former Soviet weapons scientists in nonmilitary work in the short term and create private sector jobs for these scientists in the long term; GAO finds problems in how the program was managed, and questions accuracy of reported achievements
-
-
OMB wants privacy review details in FISMA reports
U.S. government agencies will have to provide more details about the privacy reviews they conduct as part of annual reporting in compliance with FISMA
-
-
FBI takes biometrics database proposal to U.K.
FBI, U.K. National Policing Improvement Agency in talks over the U.K. joining the FBI’s ambitious Server in the Sky database project; new database, in which the FBI plans to invest some $1 billion, will track down the world’s most wanted criminals and terrorists
-
-
New York City wants feds to install more bioterror sensors
New York City wants more bioterror sensors installed on city streets; DHS, which funds 90 percent of the program, says it is willing to install a few of the units now, at a cost of $100,000 each, but that it would rather wait for new, improved sensors before paying for a city-wide roll out
-
-
Intensifying search for solutions to food safety problem
Solutions to the food safety problem fall into two broad categories: government-mandated reforms and reforms generated by the food industry itself; the three major recommendations for government action: Creating a food-supervision superagency; giving the FDA mandatory food recall authority; and tightening supervision of imported food
-
-
Global patent explosion threatens patent regulatory system
Global hunger for inventions and new technologies sparks an explosion in patent applications, threatening to swamp the system responsible for dealing with them; another problem: Massive, systematic Chinese campaign, encouraged by the Chinese government, to steal Western trade secrets and violate intellectual property rules
-
-
Generation ID: Worries about kiddyprinting
There is Generation X and Generation Y; now there is Generation ID: Thousands of children across the U.K. have had their fingerprints and DNA taken without explicit informed parental consent; children — and privacy — advocates say this is dangerous
-
-
FBI asks U.K., other countries to participate in U.S. terror database
The FBI’s Server in the Sky project would allow countries to search and swap biometric data on some of the world’s most wanted criminals; project is similar to the EU’s Prüm Treaty
-
-
FBI in a $1 billion effort to build world's largest biometric database
FBI servers occupy an underground facility the size of two football fields; the organization’s database now contains 55 million digital prints; the plan is not only to increase this number, but also add palm patterns, iris patterns, face shapes, scars, and data on people’s voices and walking patterns
-
-
Top 10 overseas security trends for the U.S. private sector in 2007
Advisory group says theft of trade secrets (did somebody say China?), cyber attacks, and home-grown radicalism were among the major 2007 threats to U.S. businesses operating abroad — and that 2008 will see intensification of these threats
-
-
U.S., U.K., China, and Russia are "endemic surveillance societies"
Respected annual report ranking countries on privacy protection gave the four nations the lowest possible rating; concern over terrorism, immigration, and border control continue to erode privacy and increase surveillance
-
-
Energy bill to save U.S. more than $400 billion between now and 2030
The energy efficiency portions of the energy bill which passed the Senate save U.S. consumers and businesses more than $400 billion between now and 2030; this is triple the savings from legislation passed by Congress in 2005
-
-
Budget cuts threaten Fermilab's viability
Fermilab’s 2008 budget will be 17 percent smaller than the 2007 budget; 200 of its 1,900 scientists will be laid off next month; NOνA’s neutrino experiment, Tevatron collider, other programs to be halted; one scientist says: “Effectively, Fermilab is put on a glide-path to shut down after 2011”
-
More headlines
The long view
Preventing Another 'Jan. 6' Starts by Changing How Elections Are Certified, Experts Say
The 2024 presidential election may be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, but preventing a repeat of Jan. 6, 2021 — when false claims of a stolen election promoted by Donald Trump and his allies led to an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol —will be top of mind this election year. Research finds broad support among public for nonpartisan certification commissions.
States Rush to Combat AI Threat to Elections
This year’s presidential election will be the first since generative AI became widely available. That’s raising fears that millions of voters could be deceived by a barrage of political deepfakes. Congress has done little to address the issue, but states are moving aggressively to respond — though questions remain about how effective any new measures to combat AI-created disinformation will be.
Chinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
European Arms Imports Nearly Double, U.S. and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply
States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.
Don’t Buy Moscow’s Shameless Campaign Tying Biden to Its Terrorist Attack
Russia has offered many different explanations to the ISIS-K’s 22 March 2024 terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, but the most recent explanation offered by Russia is the most audacious yet: Russia now charges that the Ukrainian energy company Burisma financed the attack. Burisma is at the center of an effort by a congressional committee to impeach President Biden, but the case has all but collapsed. Hunter Stoll writes that Russia’s disinformation and propaganda apparatus appears to be searching for ways to keep Burisma in the news ahead of the U.S. presidential election.