• DHS S&T Selects Two Industry Partners for Second Phase Wildland Fire Sensor Research

    DHS S&T selected two industry partners for the second phase of research on wildland fire sensor. The first phase research was conducted in June 2021, and the next phase of the program will focus on hardening the sensors for longer-term field deployments.

  • Responsible Cyber Offense

    There is responsible conduct in cyberspace, and there is irresponsible conduct. Perri Adams, Dave Aitel, George Perkovich, and JD Work write that “If the SolarWinds operation was a case of somewhat responsible hacking within the bounds of acceptable state action (even if Russia is far from a responsible actor in cyberspace), the Exchange operation, by contrast, demonstrates how an irresponsibly conducted espionage operation can escalate into collateral damage and instability.” They write that, despite critical preventive efforts, “offensive operations will continue apace in the foreseeable future—conducted by the United States, its allies and its adversaries. The choice is whether and how to engage in them responsibly and minimize cost to societies.”

  • Biden: Russia Already Interfering in 2022 Election

    President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that Russia is already interfering in the 2022 mid-term elections. Speaking after classified briefing prepared by the intelligence community, Biden said that the escalating cyberattacks by Russia and China are not only a “pure violation of our sovereignty,” but that these attacks make it more likely the United States could “end up in a real shooting war with a major power.”

  • A 20-Foot Sea Wall Won’t Save Miami – How Living Structures Can Help Protect the Coast and Keep the Paradise Vibe

    There’s no question that the city is at increasing risk of flooding as sea level rises and storms intensify with climate change. But the sea wall the Army Corps is proposing – protecting only 6 miles of downtown and the financial district from a storm surge – can’t save Miami and Dade County. There are more effective – and cheaper solutions.

  • Cities Unprepared for Intense, Frequent Heat Waves

    Urban centers across the world are unprepared to face brutal, climate change-driven natural disasters. Many emerging global climate risks, such as heat stress, will be especially damaging in urban areas, because of urban infrastructure both exacerbates and fails to handle extreme heat. With over 50 percent of the world’s population residing in densely populated urban areas, heat-related deaths, economic disruption, and infrastructural damage are becoming a growing concern.

  • U.S. Cyber Command Looks to Replicate UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center

    Leaders from the U.S. Cyber Command’s Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) were guests at the National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC), located at the University of Texas – San Antonio (UTSA). The JFQH-DODIN is looking to the university as a model to guide it in developing collaborations similar to the NSCC with partners at its home base to further protect the nation from global security challenges. Outside of Washington, D.C., San Antonio is the largest global cyber-security hub in the United States.

  • DOD, Navy Confront Climate Change Challenges in Southern Virginia

    The Navy and Defense Department have efforts underway to mitigate the challenges posed by climate change in one of the most military-dense regions of the country.

  • High-Tide Flood Risk Is Accelerating, Putting Coastal Economies at Risk

    The frequency of high-tide flooding along the U.S. coasts has doubled since 2000, and it’s expected to increase five to 15 times more in the next 30 years. Already, areas at risk from sea level rise have seen decreases in property values, particularly where cities and homeowners haven’t taken steps to increase flood resilience. Insurance premiums are beginning to increase to reflect actual risk, and bond ratings are increasingly being tied to the resilience efforts of communities.

  • Detecting, Blocking Grid Cyberattacks

    Researchers have designed and demonstrated a technology that can block cyberattacks from impacting the nation’s electric power grid.

  • How Do We Prepare for Extreme Flooding?

    As the floodwaters recede following the devastating deluge in western Europe, survivors have begun the long, difficult process of cleaning up and rebuilding. But what can be done to reduce future risks?

  • Report from Europe’s Flood Zone: Researcher Calls Out Early Warning System Gridlock amid Shocking Loss of Life

    In my Ph.D. research, I study how we can effectively adapt to the consequences of increasing severe weather events under climate change and what can be done to prepare for them and mitigate their impact. One area I’m interested in is early warning systems, or the lack thereof, during extreme weather events, such as the recent floods in western Europe. While the climate is certainly a complex system that is difficult to predict with any certainty, the unfolding catastrophe is a sad reminder of just how inadequate early warning systems can be.

  • Can the Destructive Bootleg Fire Teach Us to Prevent Wildfires Before They Start?

    More and more, people are moving to less populous, woodland regions of the country, a phenomenon that puts more people in the path of potential wildfires and requires critical utilities such as power and water to be transported long distances from their origins. This creates a system of infrastructure that’s vulnerable to major disruptions—which is exactly what happened in the Bootleg fire.

  • Climate Change’s Role in Germany’s Deadly Floods

    Massive flooding has caused devastation across parts of central Europe. In Germany, more than 125 have been confirmed dead, with hundreds still missing and thousands driven from their homes. Scientists say that climate change had a role in it.

  • Climate Change to Bring More Intense Storms Across Europe

    Climate change is driving a large increase in intense, slow-moving storms, a new study finds. It is these slow-moving storms that have the potential for very high precipitation accumulations, with devastating impacts, as we saw in Germany and Belgium.

  • Did the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap Distract Us from the Leak?

    There are 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States, and the number is growing. The government and private companies have been investing a lot of money and effort in training and recruiting young cybertalent through college programs, school partnerships, and by adjusting pay and benefit packages, but many have missed a significant leak in cyber workforce funnel: the rapid burnout and churn. In fact, the cyber workforce gap is in experienced roles, not junior levels. To fill the cyber workforce gap, we need to find ways to retain experienced cybersecurity talent.