Our picksWhole-of-Society Approach to Counterterrorism | The Third Revolution in Warfare | Airline Cybersecurity, and more

Adopting a Whole-of-Society Approach to Terrorism and Counterterrorism  (Nicholas Rasmussen, Just Security)
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, there is a genuine responsibility to assess anew the terrorism and extremism environment within which we in the United States currently find ourselves. Beyond that, we need also to consider with an open mind whether the strategy and policy approaches we have been relying on in the past two decades are well-suited to the evolving challenges we face.
As we approach that 20-year anniversary, my answer to the latter question is a clear “no.” Particularly with the growing threat to public safety and security posed by domestic violent extremism, it is essential that we move beyond the post-9/11 counterterrorism strategy paradigm that placed government at the center of most counterterrorism work.

Cybersecurity Seen as Rising Risk for Airlines after 9/11  (Juliette Michel, AFP / Techexplore)
After remaking their security procedures following the 9/11 attacks to stop airline hijackings, carriers are now faced with rising threats targeting computers and electronic equipment critical to their operations and safety.
Since the tragedy 20 years ago on Saturday, airlines and airports have fortified cockpits, barred sharp objects in carry-on luggage and improved technology to detect explosives.

CDC Finds Unvaccinated 11 Times More Likely to Die of COVID  (Lauran Neergaard, AP / Medicalexpress)
New U.S. studies released Friday show the COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against hospitalizations and death even as the extra-contagious delta variant swept the country.
One study tracked over 600,000 COVID-19 cases in 13 states from April through mid-July. As delta surged in early summer, those who were unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FBI Releases Declassified Document on 9/11 Attacks  (Rebecca Falconer, Axios)
The FBI released late Saturday a newly declassified document related to its investigation into the planning of the 9/11 attacks and the alleged role of Saudi Arabia’s government.
The FBI’s publishing of the document on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks is expected to be the first of several such records to be released, following President Biden’s executive order last week directing details to be declassified after calls from victims’ families.

How Equipment Left in Afghanistan Will Expose U.S. Secrets  (Patrick Tucker, Defense One)
Even rendered inoperable, equipment now in the hands of the Taliban will yield troves of information about how the U.S. builds weapons and uses them.

Has the War on Terrorism Failed?  (Bobby Ghosh, Washington Post)
We went [into Afghanistan] because al-Qaeda attacked us and the Taliban refused to surrender the leadership of al-Qaeda.
But at the end of 2002 we came to a crossroads in Afghanistan. At the time, the Taliban and al-Qaeda were successfully regrouping in some areas, especially down south in the Helmand Province and other locations. The Haqqani network was also still operational in the Afghani/Pakistani border.
This is a time when the U.S. military was getting orders to leave Afghanistan in order to prepare for the Iraq war. It was such an important time for us to be there and to protect this new society that was flourishing after we got rid of the Taliban. Unfortunately, we took a path that eventually led us to the disastrous exit from Afghanistan couple of weeks ago.

The Third Revolution in Warfare  (Kai-Fu Lee, The Atlantic)
First there was gunpowder. Then nuclear weapons. Next: artificially intelligent weapons.

Fostering a Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce  (Natalie Alms, FCW)
The range of backgrounds and experiences among the workforce directly impacts the mission in cybersecurity, experts said during an event focused on the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Tech Policy Hub and Aspen Digital on Sept. 9.

We Can Do More to Protect Our Supply Chain and Critical Infrastructure  (Michael Chertoff, HSToday)
It is more important than ever that organizations map their investments to their greatest risks, ensuring that they can achieve the greatest security gains for their dollar.