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DHS 2010 budget increases by 6 percent
Proposed $43 billion 2010 DHS budget emphasizes border and transportation security, de-emphasizes a national network of sensors to detect dirty bombs
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U.S. "black" military budget is second biggest military budget in world
Forget the $490 billion U.S. defense budget; just the secret, or “black,” budget portion of the defense budget — the money dedicated to secret operations and space activities — ranks second or third among the world’s military expenditures
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New DHS S&T leader: U.S. should brace for "bio-Katrina"
Dr. Tara O’Toole, new leader at DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate: “There is a possibility, a real possibility, that there could be the equivalent of a bio-Katrina on [Obama’s] watch”
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The 2010 U.S. defense budget creates winners and losers
The proposed 2010 U.S. defense budget is 4 percent larger than last year’s budget, but the cancellation of major weapon systems and the reorientation toward a nimbler, lighter military will see some defense contractors win while others will be disappointed; major winners will be defense contractors involved in cyber security, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
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Britain to remove some DNA profiles from database
About 5.2 percent of the U.K. population is on the national DNA database, compared with just 0.5 percent in the United States; the European Court of Human Rights rules that Britain’s DNA database is incompatible with the requirements of democracy, and the Home Office says it will begin to remove the DNA of innocent citizens
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European Court: Scottish DNA database system is "fairer and proportionate"
the European Court of Human Rights ruled the DNA databases in Britain, Wales, and Northern Ireland “could not be regarded as necessary in a democratic society”; the European Court considered the system in Scotland “fair and proportionate”
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ShotSpotter to acquire QinetiQ North America's SECURES
ShotSpotter will acquire SECURES Acoustic Gunshot Detection System
from QinetiQ North America, strengthening its position in the acoustic detection arena; 35 localities in the United States already deploy ShotSpotter systems in high-crime areas -
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Canada bolsters air travel security
The government in Ottawa announced $350-million in funding to boost security at airports across the country
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DoJ's IG criticizes DHS terrorist Watch List
Inspector General says Watch List is flawed; FBI was also slow in removing names that should not have been on the list
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Hackers hold medical records hostage
Hackers broke into a Virgina pharmaceutical clearinghouse Web site, deleted records of more than 8 million patients, and replaced the site’s homepage with a ransom note demanding $10 million for the return of the records
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Senators urges Gates to continue production of Stealth fighter
Utah senators lead group of legislators urging Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to continue production and procurement of the F-22 Raptor and the C-117; other legislators form group to fight Gates’s cancellation of other weapon systems
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The near future will see self-cleaning materials, water-striding robots
Researchers at the University of Nebraska and Japan explain a property called super hydrophobia, in the process giving engineers and materials scientists important clues as to how to develop the long-sought super hydrophobic materials
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Surge in armored car sales in Brazil
Brazilians have to live with exceedingly high levels of crime — in the late 1990s, for example, the UN ranked the Jardim Ângela section of São Paulo as the most violent neighborhood in the world — at the same time that government agencies, owing to corruption or incompetence, fail to provide security; São Paulo leads the country — and the world — in making and selling armored cars; tax breaks now allow the middle class to buy protection which once was the reserve of the rich
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Republican oppose Safran's FBI contract
Republicans legislators express opposition to the FBI awarding a large biometric contract to French company Safran; the company is partly owned by the French government
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Dutch police uses unmanned mini-helicopter to sniff out cannabis
Police in the noerthwest region of the Netherlands asked their engineers to design an unmanned helicopter to hover over the region and sniff out traces of weed smell in the air samples it collects; new methods does not require a warrant to enter buildings
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The long view
Economic Cyberespionage: A Persistent and Invisible Threat
Economic cyber-espionage, state-sponsored theft of sensitive business information via cyber means for commercial gain, is an invisible yet persistent threat to national economies.
Researchers Calculate Cyberattack Risk for All 50 States
Local governments are common victims of cyberattack, with economic damage often extending to the state and federal levels. Scholars aggregate threats to thousands of county governments to draw conclusions.
How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.
Southport Attacks: Why the U.K. Needs a Unified Approach to All Violent Attacks on the Public
The conviction of Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls in Southport has prompted many questions about how the UK handles violence without a clear ideological motive. This case has also shown up the confusion in this area, and made clear the need for a basic reframing of how we understand murderous violence against the public today.
Water Is the Other U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis, and the Supply Crunch Is Getting Worse
The United States and Mexico are aware of the political and economic importance of the border region. But if water scarcity worsens, it could supplant other border priorities. The two countries should recognize that conditions are deteriorating and update the existing cross-border governance regime so that it reflects today’s new water realities.
Sweden’s Deadliest Mass Shooting Highlights Global Reality of Gun Violence, Criminologist Says
“We in the United States don’t have a monopoly on mass shootings,” James Alan Fox says, “though we certainly have more than our share.”