Policy
Bill seeks to bolster national cybersecurity
Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced last week a measure designed to enhance national cybersecurity efforts by modifying the Federal Chief Information Officer's (CIO) role. The representatives said the legislation elevates and reauthorizes the duties and responsibilities of... Read More »
Measure targets greater defense department efficiency
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) recently introduced a bill designed to enhance various Department of Defense (DOD) civilian workforce initiatives. Calvert said the Rebalance for an Effective Defense Uniform and Civilian Employees (REDUCE) Act would require the DOD to systematically execute civilian... Read More »
Bill seeks to combat tech threats especially from China
A bipartisan bill that would help combat tech-specific threats to national security posed by foreign nations and would improve interagency coordination across the U.S. government recently was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The legislation seeks to establish the Office of Critical Technologies... Read More »
Homeland Security Committee Chairman commends election security reform proposal
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), commended the inclusion of an election security reforms in a bill introduced in the House last week. The bill, the For the People Act (H.R. 1), would establish a series of reforms in the election process.... Read More »
CFR reviews 2018 election security efforts
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) recently offered a review of 2018 cybersecurity threats and election security efforts via a blog post on the agency's website. David P. Fidler noted that for the first time in the nation's history in 2018, the country conducted elections amid efforts to... Read More »
Senators reintroduce bill that would provide gun restrictions for those who pose a threat
Four U.S. senators re-introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act last week. The act would give law enforcement the authority to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others the ability to purchase or possess firearms. The act was first introduced in... Read More »
Sen. Cruz floats bill to use drug lord money to build wall
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) today reintroduced a bill last week into the new Congress that would use money forfeited to the U.S. government from drug lords to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill -- called the Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order (EL CHAPO)... Read More »
Security report focuses on Special Interest Aliens
The House Homeland Security Committee released a report this week examining the mobility of Special Interest Aliens (SIAs) and efforts to curtail their entryways to mitigate terrorist threats. “Individuals who may pose a serious national security threat, known as Special Interest Aliens... Read More »
Rep. McCaul highlights accomplishments of Homeland Security Committee
The House Homeland Security Committee completed the 115th Congress with several legislative accomplishments under the chairmanship of Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX). The committee introduced 113 bills that passed through the House and had 35 of them become law during this session. Among them are the... Read More »
Air Force touts benefits of new leadership course
Air Force officials are espousing the benefits of a new course designed to aid future squadron commanders in thriving in command posts. Air University’s Leader Development Course for Squadron Command is structured as a foundational course that builds on leadership experiences and education,... Read More »
DHHS launches voluntary cybersecurity practices for health industry
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) published a four-volume set of voluntary cybersecurity practices for the healthcare industry at the end of last year. The publication covers healthcare environments big and small and comes as a result of two years’ work between industry... Read More »
DHS seeking technology proposals from small businesses
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking for proposals from small businesses to address technology needs as part of the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The new solicitation contains 10 topic descriptions including eight from the Science and Technology... Read More »
Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense gains new expertise with exit of Shalala
The Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense recently bid farewell to one of its founding members, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, the newly elected U.S. Representative for Florida, and welcomed former White House Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco to fill those... Read More »
Huntington Ingalls lands Coast Guard Cutters contract
The Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Shipbuilding Division has been awarded contracts totaling more than $930 million to build two additional National Security Cutters for the Coast Guard. Officials said the fixed-price incentive contracts are valued at $468.75 million for NSC 10 and $462.13... Read More »
Justice Department seizes domains used in denial-of-service attacks
The U.S. Justice Department seized 15 internet domains associated with denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in December. The sites offered customers DDoS attacks that targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet. These services are referred to as... Read More »
Emergent applies for FDA approval of anthrax vaccine
Emergent BioSolutions submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for potential emergency use of a new anthrax vaccine the company recently developed. The vaccine, called NuThrax, is being developed as an anthrax vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis of disease... Read More »
Hackers charged in connection with alleged computer intrusion campaign
Federal authorities recently said two members of a Chinese hacking group have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges against Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong were announced this week by Rod J. Rosenstein,... Read More »
US Air Force gathers experts to counter physiological episodes
A collection of data scientists, engineers, human physiologists, pilots, and other experts gathered under the guidance of the Air Force Physiological Episodes Action Team (AF PEAT) this week with the goal of reducing physiological episodes. “Hackathons,” as it was called, are sprint-like... Read More »
Contract awarded for construction of California border wall
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently awarded a $287 million contract to SLSCO Ltd. to construct up to 15 miles of primary pedestrian replacement wall and up to 14 miles of secondary wall within the U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP) San Diego, Yuma, and El... Read More »
First third-party canine team begins work
The first certified third-party canine team began screening air cargo for explosive devices last week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. The development of standards for the use of third-party canines for air cargo screening fulfills a requirement in the TSA Modernization... Read More »
Sen. Rubio urges defense secretary to headquarter US Space Command in Florida
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to outgoing U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis asking him to consider establishing the headquarters for the U.S. Space Command in Florida. Rubio supports the reestablishment of the U.S. Space Command under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force. Rubio... Read More »
New policy will return some immigrants to Mexico during processing
The United States has invoked Section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced last week, which states that anyone entering the United States from Mexico, either illegally or without proper documentation, can be returned to Mexico... Read More »
Blue Ribbon panel lauds Congress for passage of farm bill with provisions to protect food supply
The Farm Bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump last week, includes recommendations proposed by the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense to protect the nation’s food and agriculture sector from biological attacks and outbreaks. Among the provisions in the Agricultural... Read More »
Congress passes cyber defense bills
A pair of cyber security bills introduced by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) advanced the Senate last week and will now head to the president’s desk for signature. Both bills aim to strengthen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cyber defenses, establishing both... Read More »
Energy Department warns against Chinese hackers
A group of Chinese cyber actors, known publicly as APT 10, is conducting a campaign of cyber-enabled theft targeting global managed service providers, cloud service providers, and their clients, the U.S. Government reported. The Department of Energy (DOE) recently said APT 10, which is... Read More »
Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act garners Senate approval
The Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act has garnered Senate approval with lawmakers asserting the measure bolsters efforts to prevent terrorists from using vehicles to execute attacks. The measure directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide a report to Congress regarding efforts... Read More »
GAO makes recommendations for how TSA manages pipeline security
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released 10 recommendations to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administrator regarding pipeline security efforts. The nation’s interstate pipeline system, which spans more than 2.7 million miles, is used to transport... Read More »
Legislative package introduced in House to bolster US cybersecurity
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a legislative package this week that provides Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel with the resources to combat global cyber security threat. The legislative package – called the SECURE Technology Act – combines three bills previously... Read More »
S&T Smart City IoT Innovation Labs developing smarter technologies for first responders, industry
With an eye on enhancing public safety in an increasingly interconnected era, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has created Smart City IoT Innovation (SCITI) Labs to collaborate and develop new and existing technologies. To date, these... Read More »
GAO offers cybersecurity recommendations to Homeland Security, Management and Budget
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a series of cybersecurity enhancement recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The GAO maintains until agencies more effectively implement the government's approach and... Read More »
Lockheed Martin awarded $585M contract
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $585 million contract to design, develop and deliver Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H) in Oahu, Hawaii. HDR-H radar will counter evolving threats by optimizing the defensive capability of the Ballistic Missile Defense... Read More »
Senate advances bill to increase use of unmanned maritime systems
The U.S. Senate advanced bipartisan legislation to increase the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) use of unmanned maritime systems. Unmanned maritime systems are remotely piloted or autonomously operated underwater vehicles that collect data. The bill, the Commercial... Read More »
First responders to receive INTERPOL drone guidelines
INTERPOL officials said the organization has established global drone use guidelines earmarked for first responders investigating device-based criminal incidents. Officials said drones and other technologies are more frequently being used to execute a range of crimes via surveillance,... Read More »
U.S. senators request firefighters be included in PFAS exposure study
As many communities struggle with the widespread problem of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of 23 U.S. senators has requested leading federal agencies include firefighters in a PFAS health impact study. The nationwide study, led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and... Read More »