Policy
House panel explores US ability to counter weapons of mass destruction
Leaders of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testified before a congressional panel on Thursday about the United States’ ability to counter weapons of mass destruction and additional emerging threats. U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY), the chairman of the House Homeland Security... Read More »
International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification defines a Phase II program of work
The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) defined a Phase II program of work to increase the scope of its activities at its fifth plenary meeting recently held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Phase II aims to emphasize the importance of verification ahead of the... Read More »
DHS announces establishment of new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office
A new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consolidate the efforts to thwart and counter WMD attacks, the department announced on Thursday. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the creation of the CWMD Office, which will... Read More »
DHS consolidation of chemical, radiological, nuclear, explosives functions advancing without key recommendations, GAO says
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal to begin consolidation of chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) functions this month does not reflect recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in August 2016. Congress directed DHS to review its weapons... Read More »
Congress probes new office within DHS to counter diverse threat of weapons of mass destruction
A witness at a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday identified drone delivery of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons as one of the newest threats to homeland security, as lawmakers examined a proposal to reorganize and enhance U.S. defenses against weapons of mass destruction. The... Read More »
US Customs and Border Protection reports increase in unreported currency, cocaine seized in South Texas in fiscal year 2017
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported on Wednesday significant increases in seizures of cocaine and unreported currency at eight South Texas ports of entry in fiscal year (FY) 2017 as compared to FY2016. CBP officers at the eight ports of entry from Brownsville to Del Rio that... Read More »
Government agencies’ use of Kaspersky Labs products subject of congressional inquiry
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) requested information this week about how many government agencies have complied with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive to identify Kaspersky Labs software on government computers and to plan for its removal. DHS Binding Operational Directive (BOD)... Read More »
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network launches program to enhance information sharing with financial institutions
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) launched a program this week to improve information sharing with financial institutions. The FinCEN Exchange program will include regular briefings with financial institutions to share information on... Read More »
House bill would modernize Medicare identification cards with chip technology
Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday would add chip technology to Medicare identification cards to better protect seniors and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Under the Medicare Common Access Card (CAC) Act, Medicare cards would use the same chip technology that... Read More »
House Foreign Affairs Committee urge CDC, NIH to lead investigation into attacks on US Embassy in Cuba
Bipartisan leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday to lead the investigation into sonic attacks on personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba. The State Department... Read More »
Panel discussion focuses on Russia’s perspective on potential nuclear conflict
A forum hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace last week focused on the risk of nuclear conflict from Russia’s perspective, exploring Russia’s position on topics like tactical nuclear weapons, arms control agreements, and cyberattacks. James Acton, co-director of Carnegie... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security announces end-of-year immigration enforcement numbers
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released Tuesday its end-of-year immigration enforcement statistics, which showed historically low border apprehension numbers but an increase in removals. We have clearly seen the successful results of the President’s commitment to supporting the... Read More »
November Terror Threat Snapshot highlights increased threats during holiday season
Efforts to enhance vetting of travelers to the United States, to intercept ISIS fighters fleeing Syria and Iraq, and to remain vigilant of “homegrown violent extremists” highlighted a Terror Threat Snapshot released by the House Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday. Key developments... Read More »
ATF, Department of Justice initiate rulemaking process to review, restrict legality of bump stocks
The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Department of Justice (DoJ) initiated a regulatory process on Tuesday to determine if bump stocks are illegal under federal prohibitions on machineguns. The ATF has submitted an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to the Office of... Read More »
US losing ground in artificial intelligence race
With billions of dollars flowing into a focus on artificial intelligence, China poses both a military and commercial threat to the United States where artificial intelligence is concerned, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. While the exact amounts invested remain hazy, experts dub... Read More »
NATO agrees to purchase Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds from Lockheed Martin for member countries
Lockheed Martin and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) recently signed a five-year agreement for NATO to purchase Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTRs) on behalf of member countries. Under the agreement, which is in effect through 2021,... Read More »
Senate bill would establish criminal penalties for corporate employees concealing data breaches
Businesses would have to adhere to new customer notification requirements for data breaches under a bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, and corporate employees could face new criminal penalties for deliberately concealing breaches. Democratic members of the Senate Commerce, Science and... Read More »
Modernization of Douglas Port of Entry advances with GSA’s naming of contractor
Efforts to modernize the Douglas Port of Entry in southeastern Arizona advanced on Friday with the General Services Administration (GSA) awarding a contract to Tuscon-based architectural firm Line and Space to conduct a feasibility study. The feasibility study will aim to evaluate and identify... Read More »
Military leaders warn US space dominance could be lost without action
With U.S. adversaries making steady gains in space capabilities in the decades following the first Gulf War, military leaders called for swifter action to secure U.S. space dominance and for reforms to procurement processes on Saturday. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Gen. John... Read More »
Acting DHS secretary voices support for ending Diversity Visa Lottery Program
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Director Elaine Duke testified before a House committee on Thursday that the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is “rife with fraud,” backing a bill that would eliminate the program. During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Duke said that... Read More »
Romania agrees to purchase Raytheon’s Patriot missile defense system
Romania agreed to purchase Raytheon Co.’s Patriot integrated air and missile defense system from the U.S. Army on Wednesday, a move that sets the stage for contract negotiations between Raytheon and the U.S. government. Under the letter of offer and acceptance that the Romanian government... Read More »
NNSA’s Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) team leads strategic preparedness training event in Hawaii
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) team recently led three days of training on countering a potential nuclear threat for more than 70 local, state, and federal responders in Hawaii. RAP held the event at the request of the state of... Read More »
House committee to markup bill revising intelligence gathering under FISA
A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) used by the intelligence community to gather intelligence on terrorists located outside the United States would be amended under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The FISA Amendments Reauthorization... Read More »
Bills aiming to crackdown on money laundering, financing of illicit activities subject of subcommittee hearing
Witnesses testified before a House subcommittee on Wednesday about the impact that two bills would have on efforts to eliminate access to banks by terrorist organizations, human traffickers, and drug cartels. The Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and Terrorism and Illicit Finance... Read More »
National security executives offer dire forecasts during Homeland Security Committee hearing
Top executives of the government’s national security agencies offered troubling assessments of the growing threats from terrorism, both internationally and domestically, during a congressional hearing on Thursday. “Today, the magnitude of the threat we face from terrorism is equal to, and in... Read More »
DHS Science & Technology Directorate earns honors from American Security Today
At an American Security Today ceremony earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) found its efforts lauded, taking away four awards for current projects. The annual ASTOR Homeland Security Awards recognizes physical, IT, and port... Read More »
Terry Wallace named director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, president of Los Alamos National Security
Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Terry Wallace has been appointed director of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and president of Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), which operates the laboratory for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Norman J. Pattiz and Barbara E. Rusinko,... Read More »
Canadian hacker pleads guilty to aiding Russian officers in compromising webmail accounts
A Canadian national and resident pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of computer hacking and other criminal offenses related to helping Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to access webmail accounts. Karim Baratov, also known as Kay, Karim Taloverov, and Karim Akehmet Tokbergenov, was charged... Read More »
House bill would restore funding for federal programs that support surface transportation security
Programs that work to secure railroads, buses, public areas of airports and other “soft targets” for terrorist attacks would be revamped and restored under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday. The Surface Transportation and Public Area Security Act of 2017 seeks to... Read More »
Senators call for strategic plan, stricter sanctions after latest North Korea missile test
Following North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test on Monday, lawmakers called for action on legislation that would require a strategy to confront the nuclear threat and step-up sanctions on North Korea. U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces... Read More »
Steep cuts to Prevention and Public Health Fund as part of House bill draws concerns
More than $6 billion in cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) included in legislation passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month could hinder how the United States responds to public health crises, an infectious disease expert says. The CHAMPIONING Healthy Kids... Read More »
ECBC researchers earn Federal Laboratory Consortium awards for interagency coordination
Researchers at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) were recently recognized for developing testing methods for low-volatility agent permeation (LVAP) in clothing and protective gear, and for pioneering a system to use 3D printing to produce tactical gear. The researchers were recognized... Read More »Serbian civil servants complete NATO cyber defense advanced training
Civilians working for the Serbian government recently completed an advanced information systems security (INFOSEC) training session organized by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme in Belgrade and Tallinn. Twelve representatives from Serbia’s Office of the National... Read More »