• Getting the coming investment in infrastructure right

    America 2050 issues blueprint for infrastructure investment; guiding principles: Fix, Phase, Green, Train, Count

  • As Zimbabwe's condition worsens, neighbors worry

    The accelerating collapse of Zimbabwe now threatens the stability of its neighbors; annual inflation rate is now estimated to stand at 8 quintillion percent — this is an eight followed by 18 zeros (8,000,000,000,000,000,000)

  • New system locates origin of incoming fire

    A Massachusetts company develops a system which helps soldiers pinpoint the location of sniper fire; system has been successfully used in Iraq and Afghanistan

  • Petraeus calls for tackling the business behind terrorism

    David Petraeus, head of the .S. Central Command, says that without “crushing” the illegal trade in weapons and drugs which sustains terrorism and piracy, it will be difficult to defeat them

  • Tactical weapon retention

    A police officer or soldier approaching a criminal or a terrorist would be in dire straits if the bad guy were to grab the officer’s weapon, thus leaving him defenseless; retaining one’s weapon is thus key, and here is a discussion of how to do it

  • Somali pirates benefit from a global network of informers

    During the past fifteen years many Somalis have left the country in search of work; many found jobs in major European and Middle eastern ports; some of them now serve as eyes and ears for the pirates back home, providing information about ships’ cargo, routes, and security on board

  • The next version of FISMA

    The first version of the Federal Information Security Act (FISMA) of 2002 placed much emphasis on auditing and reporting; it is time to move on beyond checking compliance boxes and concentrate on making sure that the security of government departments is not compromised

  • Pentagon shifts emphasis to battle against terrorism

    The U.S. military is shifting more emphasis and resources toward combating terrorism and helping civilian authorities, both at home and abroad, cope with man-made and natural disasters; institutions tend to overshoot, and the Pentagon should not forget that the United States must still prepare to fight and win conventional wars

  • Unisys study shows U.S. public trusts biometrics for data protection

    Privacy advocates may be worried about the proliferation of biometrics for identification purposes, but a recent Unisys survey shows that Americans are comfortable with the idea of banks and government agencies asking them for biometric data for identity verification

  • Devolution of risk management

    In response to the savings and loan scandal of two decades ago, the United States has enhanced the regulatory and compliance regime (FDICIA, SOX); problem is, compliance or regulation is necessarily historically based — it addresses the sins of the past and is not designed to anticipate the future

  • Defining on line attacks and cyberwar

    The growing number of cyberattacks — for political reasons (Estonia, Georgia) and for profit — prompts calls to define the threat more clearly

  • Twenty-one million German bank accounts for sale

    Criminals steal 21 million German bank records; reporters posing as buyers working for a gambling business managed to strike a a price of €0.55 per record, or €12 million for all the data

  • Cruise passengers flown to Dubai to avoid pirates

    The owners of the German cruise ship Columbus decided on a new way to deal with piracy off the coast of Somalia: The 246 passengers were flown to Dubai to await the ship — and the ship itself, with but a skeletal crew, sail at top speed through the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden, hoping to avoid being raided by pirates

  • U.K. government grants itself even more data sharing power

    A U.K. government proposal debated in Parliament this week would increase the ability of different government arms to share data

  • High-powered laser for refueling aircraft

    Moving military units from theater to theater is a challenge for the military’s lift capabilities; an integral part of such capabilities is the ability to refuel aircraft in mid-flight, which is dangerous; researchers offer a way to use laser to recharge the plane’s batteries; for now the system is limited to surveillance UAVs, but the developers envision it being used for larger planes