• FCC Revokes China’s Telecom Rights to Operate in U.S.

    The FCC on Tuesday revoked China’s Telecom rights to operate and provide services in the United States, and gave the company sixty days to terminate its operations. “Promoting national security is an integral part of the Commission’s responsibility to advance the public interest, and [Tuesday’s] action carries out that mission to safeguard the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure from potential security threats,” the FCC said. 

  • U.S. Tightens Export Controls on Items Used in Surveillance of Private Citizens, other Malicious Cyber Activities

    The Commerce Department has released an interim final rule, establishing controls on the export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) of certain items that can be used for surveillance of private citizens or other malicious cyber activities. 

  • Piracy, Armed Robbery Incidents on the High Seas Decline, but Threats Remain

    The first nine months of 2021 saw the lowest numbers of piracy and armed robbery incidents on the high seas since 1994. While the reduction of reported incidents is a welcome, the International Maritime Bureau warns that seafarers must remain vigilant as violence against crew remains high in many areas of the world.

  • Growing the U.S. AI Workforce

    A new policy brief Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) addresses the need for a clearly defined artificial intelligence education and workforce policy.

  • U.S. Leads Global Conference to Combat Ransomware Attacks

    The White House is holding a two-day international conference starting Wednesday to combat ransomware computer attacks on business operations across the globe that cost companies, schools and health services an estimated $74 billion in damages last year.

  • China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Profits, Not Development

    A new study found that, during the pre-Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) era, China and the U.S. were overseas spending rivals. However, China is now outspending the U.S. and other major powers on a more than 2-to-1 basis. Beijing’s lending to low-income and middle-income countries is provided on less generous terms than loans from OECD-DAC and multilateral creditors.

  • The Effect of Imports of Neodymium Magnets on U.S. National Security

    The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has initiated an investigation to determine the effects on U.S. national security from imports of Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets.

  • Improving Use of Flood Insurance

    DHS S&T and partners will study improvements to flood insurance, identifying ways to expand the use of flood insurance to reduce the financial losses suffered by homeowners and creditors in future storms.

  • Mandates Give Rise to Booming Black Market for Fake Vaccine Cards

    As more organizations demand proof of inoculation against COVID-19, the black market for fake vaccine cards appears to be booming. Legal experts compare phony vaccine cards to counterfeit money or fake drivers’ licenses.

  • U.S. Sanctions Russian-Based Cryptocurrency Exchange for Laundering Ransomware Money

    A Russian-based cryptocurrency exchange has been sanctioned by the U.S. over its role in facilitating illegal payments from ransomware attacks. U.S. Treasury officials said it was the first sanctions leveled against a cryptocurrency exchange laundering money for cybercriminals.

  • Cybercriminals Use Pandemic to Attack Schools and Colleges

    From Aug. 14 to Sept. 12, 2021, educational organizations were the target of over 5.8 million malware attacks, or 63% of all such attacks. Ransomware attacks alone impacted 1,681 U.S. schools, colleges and universities in 2020. Globally 44% of educational institutions were targeted by such attacks.

  • Detecting, Identifying Small Drones in Urban Environment

    DHS has awarded $750K to a Texas company to develop a detection and tracking sensor system that can identify nefarious small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in an urban environment.

  • The Closing of Book Revue and America's Misguided Lockdowns

    Book Revue, a 20-yer old cultural and social institution in downtown Huntington on Long Island’s north shore, will be closing its doors in a few days. It is yet another victim of the policy if business lockdowns, which was a misguided and unnecessary response to the Covid. Other countries chose a different, and more effective, path.

  • 9/11 Prepared Firms for COVID-19 Economic Effects

    Companies which experienced the financial impact of 9/11 were more resilient to the economic effects of COVID-19, according to new research.The research is the first of its kind to compare the events of the last eighteen months with 9/11.

  • New Program: Hardware-Cybersecurity Education

    Many commonly reported cyberattacks focus on computer software vulnerabilities. But what about computer hardware? As complex global supply chains are stressed by the pandemic, risks increase of corporate or state espionage via hardware, such as malicious “trojan” circuits hidden on a motherboard by a shady third-party vendor.