Our picksNo Evidence of Aliens | How Was the Coronavirus Created? | Improving DHS’ Cybersecurity Posture, and more
· U.S. Finds No Evidence of Alien Technology in Flying Objects, but Can’t Rule It Out, Either
· Origin Story: How Was the Coronavirus Created?
· The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins
· How Israel Targeted Hamas Underground (and What It Could Do Next)
· IG: CISA-Run Monitoring Program Has Not Improved DHS’ Cybersecurity Posture
· GAO: Transformation Needed at DHS OIG to Address Myriad Weaknesses
U.S. Finds No Evidence of Alien Technology in Flying Objects, but Can’t Rule It Out, Either (Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper, New York Times)
A new report concedes that much about the observed phenomena remains difficult to explain, including their acceleration, as well as ability to change direction and submerge.
Origin Story: How Was the Coronavirus Created? (Daniel M. Gerstein, National Interest)
Investigate the origins of the virus, sure, but prepare for no easy answers.
The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins (Katheine Eban, Vanity Fair)
Throughout 2020, the notion that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab was off-limits. Those who dared to push for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark.
How Israel Targeted Hamas Underground (and What It Could Do Next) (Seth J. Frantzman, National Interest)
The importance of demolishing the Metro system was to prevent Hamas from being able to easily move rockets around underground and set up the mass barrages that can be coordinated and linked to centralized command and control.
IG: CISA-Run Monitoring Program Has Not Improved DHS’ Cybersecurity Posture (Miriam Baksh, Nextgov)
The department’s inspector general also found vulnerabilities in the department’s technology due to poorly defined patch management roles and configuration settings.
GAO: Transformation Needed at DHS OIG to Address Myriad Weaknesses (Kylie Bielby, HSToday)
The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS OIG) has faced a number of long-standing management and operational challenges that have affected its ability to carry out its oversight mission effectively.
Consequently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has carried out a review of DHS OIG’s management and operations and found that it is not well positioned to fulfill its oversight mission.
GAO found that since fiscal year 2015, DHS OIG has not adhered to a number of professional standards for federal OIGs and key practices for effective management. According to GAO, “frequent leadership turnover and associated shifts in leadership priorities have contributed to DHS OIG’s long-standing management and operational weaknesses and impeded efforts to address them”.
