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Russian security services step up snooping
The heightened interest might stem from authorities’ fear about possible public unrest connected to the economic crisis; in the first half of this year, the secret services filed nearly 77,200 requests for search warrants, more than 66,000 requests to tap phones and nearly 7,800 requests to read mail
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Businesses seek to delay implementation of E-Verify
A business coalition files suit to prevent DHS from implementing E-verify as of next Tuesday; E-Verify would require federal contractors to verify the legal status of their workers
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Immigration reform without Kennedy
Kennedy dramatically changed the U.S. immigration system with the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and allowed immigration from Latin America and Asia to increase substantially
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U.S. has a flawed approach to cyber security
Critics call on courts to recognize that obsolete computer systems are a major cause of security breaches; “As the courts probe (the) causative issues, it will become increasingly clear that computer systems’ failure to embed automated alerts is the root problem”
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Pilot argues TSA is needlessly obsessive with airline security
A pilot argues that TSA’s obsession with the improbable repetition of a 9/11-like attack has left the U.S. commercial aviation more vulnerable to terrorism; rather than worry about box cutters, he says, TSA should scan more baggage for explosives
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President to be able to seize private-sector networks in an emergency
A bill being drafted in Congress (the is a revised bill — the original went further) permits the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a cybersecurity emergency
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Laptops at border crossings may be searched without probable cause
DHS formalized policy regarding searches of electronic devices and media at border crossings; such searches may be conducted without suspicion or probable cause
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Judge prohibits VIP from selling customers' personal data
VIP shut down its Clear airport fast pass service on 22 June; the 260,000 customers who gave their full names, Social Security numbers, and biometric identifiers such as finger prints and iris scans to the company do not want the defunct company to sell their information a third party; a judge agrees, but the order could be withdrawn
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Security experts float plan for GA airport security ratings
There are 15,000 private planes flying in the United States with no security rules; these planes use a network of 4,700 small airports which themselves are only lightly monitored for security; security experts say it is time for general aviation to be monitored more carefully for security
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In Photo ID case, security concerns win out over religious beliefs
An employee of Sunoco refused, on religious grounds, to allow his picture for an ID; a judge rules that owing to security considerations, the company does not have to accommodate the employee
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Perimeter security: much is yet to be done
Multiple jurisdictions, a large number of stake holders, and lack of extensive and specific mandates from TSA make airport perimeter security a daunting task — a task which many airports are yet to address effectively
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Cost versus safety debated at Albany, N.Y. chemical plant location
Greenpeace backs federal proposal for tougher chemical plant safety rules, but an Albany firm — and the chemical industry more generally — fear expense
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Second part of Secure Flight is phased in beginning Saturday
Starting Saturday, some travelers will begin providing their birth date and sex when booking their airline reservations; Secure Flight aims to match passengers’ names against the government’s terrorism watch list
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Study highlights air cargo security failings
New study: “these weak spots [in air cargo security] increase the security risk of worldwide transport, which can result in the disruption of logistical processes with considerable economic losses”
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NRC seeks tighter oversight of often-lost radioactive devices
A 3 August proposal by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would expand the agency’s oversight, giving federal and state officials more muscle by stiffening regulations on almost 2,000 items — mostly industrial gauges containing radioactive material; there are approximately 2 million radioactive devices in factories, hospitals, research facilities — and the GAO estimates that up to 500,000 of those devices are unaccounted for
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The long view
Luigi Mangione and the Making of a ‘Terrorist’
Discretion is crucial to the American tradition of criminal law, Jacob Ware and Ania Zolyniak write, noting that “lawmakers enact broader statutes to empower prosecutors to pursue justice while entrusting that they will stay within the confines of their authority and screen out the inevitable “absurd” cases that may arise.” Discretion is also vital to maintaining the legitimacy of the legal system. In the prosecution’s case against Luigi Mangione, they charge, “That discretion was abused.”
Are We Ready for a ‘DeepSeek for Bioweapons’?
Anthropic’s Claude 4 is a warning sign: AI that can help build bioweapons is coming, and could be widely available soon. Steven Adler writes that we need to be prepared for the consequences: “like a freely downloadable ‘DeepSeek for bioweapons,’ available across the internet, loadable to the computer of any amateur scientist who wishes to cause mass harm. With Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 having finally triggered this level of safety risk, the clock is now ticking.”