• Counter piracy security expert: "The system is broken"

    Piracy off the Horn of Africa has continued to flourish despite the concerted efforts of the world’s navies; a security expert said, “The system is broken here” and called the international counter piracy task force “one of the most expensive catch and release programs” ever; last year the task force spent more than $2 billion responding to sixty-four incidents, or roughly $30 million per incident

  • NYPD has means to take down a plane "in very extreme situation"

    The NYPD created a counterterrorism unit following the 9/11 attacks; New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that the counterterrorism unit has the means to take down an aircraft “in a very extreme situation”

  • U.S. and Belgium to share biometric data

    Under a recently signed agreement, the United States and Belgium will begin sharing biometric data in an effort to combat international crime

  • Georgia shows app that prepares state residents, guides them to safety

    New Ready Georgia mobile app uses geo-location to deliver alerts, create emergency plans, and show shelter locations; from up-to-the-minute weather and hazard alerts based on a user’
    ‘s location, to customizable emergency preparedness checklists, the app combines a set of features not previously available in one mobile application

  • U.S. looks to keep Libyan WMD scientists away from terrorists

    With Libyan rebels consolidating their hold over the country, the United States is looking to restart a State Department program designed to keep top Libyan biological and nuclear scientists from working for terrorist organizations or hostile nations; Libya’s new leaders have expressed their interest in working with the United States to keep track of Libyan WMD scientists and on other counter-proliferation programs, but the interim government has yet formally to respond to U.S. requests

  • Why the Twin Towers collapsed: new theory

    Materials scientist says that a mixture of water from sprinkler systems and molten aluminum from melted aircraft hulls created explosions that led to the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11

  • Security analyst: Oslo-type attack in U.S. likely in next few years

    An expert on American-Muslims fears that with the rising anti-Islamic sentiments in the United States an “Oslo-type” attack could occur in the next few years at a U.S. mosque; speaking on a panel on security threats facing faith based organizations at the ASIS 2011 security conference, Nawar Shora, the CEO of Shams Training and Development, said, “I fear that in the next few years we’ll have something like Oslo repeated here in this country, whether someone will go to an Islamic center or whether someone will try a massacre during a worship on Friday”

  • Task force releases Secure Communities report amid internal discord

    Last week, a government task force created to offer recommendations on how to fix the controversial Secure Communities immigration program released its findings to a chorus of internal disagreement; the committee recommended that DHS restart Secure Communities and “reintroduce” the program due to its unpopularity among immigration advocates, local residents, as well as state and local officials; as an act of protest, five of the nineteen committee members resigned because they did not agree with the report’s conclusions

  • NNSA, AFRICOM in WMD workshop in East Africa

    The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) concluded a week-long border security workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of a joint effort to enhance security at ports and borders in the region

  • ASIS 2011 -- combating cyber extremists

    At this year’s ASIS International conference, security experts will explore the effect of the Internet on terrorism, how extremist organizations are using it, and what can be done to stop it; the web has largely proven to be a boon to society, but malicious actors like terrorists have used the Internet to disseminate their radical ideas, recruit new members, and share weapons and bomb building training manuals; terrorist websites have proven to be reliable sources for intelligence as well as dangerous meeting places, but shutting them down has proven to be more complicated than anticipated

  • Can citizens legally -- and secretly -- record police officers in action?

    Technological advances have raised questions concerning the constitutionality of new police methods (for example, attaching a GPS device to a suspect car without the police first obtaining a warrant to do so); there are legal issues on the other side of the equation — that is, whether or not citizens are constitutionally protected when doing video or audio recording of police officers in action

  • Secure mail service will soon be available in NYC

    The Millennium Group and SoBran, Inc. announced yesterday an advanced mail security service that the companies say will help keep Wall Street and New York metro area businesses safe from mail terrorism

  • FDA unveils new outbreak response network

    Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled its new streamlined approach for responding to foodborne illness outbreaks; under the “CORE” Network, the FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, the FDA will bring together multidisciplinary teams consisting of epidemiologists, veterinarians, microbiologists, environmental health specialists, emergency coordinators, and risk communications specialists

  • Michigan creates cyber and physical infrastructure protection department

    The state of Michigan is now merging responsibility for both physical and digital infrastructure protection under one organization

  • U.S. - Australia announce cyber defense treaty

    Last week, the United States and Australia announced a mutual defense treaty that declared a cyberattack on one would result in retaliation by both nations; this new agreement appears to be the first instance of a mutual defense treaty in the cyber realm outside of NATO