Policy
Northern Border Security Review Act signed into law
President Barack Obama signed last week the Northern Border Security Review Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and aims to assess and strengthen security at the U.S. border with Canada. The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate... Read More »OPCW to search allegations of chemical weapons use in Hama Governate, Syria
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently began a fact-finding mission in Syria in the wake of allegations that chemical weapons have been used in the area of Uqayribat in the Hama Governate in Syria. The area in question has been linked to the control of the... Read More »New legislation aims to increase travel preclearance facilities, increase border security
The U.S. Senate passed this week the Promoting Travel, Commerce and National Security Act of 2016. The bill will allow travelers to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspections prior to traveling to reduce overall wait times and aid in identifying individuals who represent a threat... Read More »
Interpol hosts training course on financial crimes and cocaine trafficking in Colombia
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) recently held its 17th Global Programme on Anti-Corruption, Financial Crimes and Asset Recovery in Colombia, which focused on combating financial crimes associated with cocaine trafficking in Latin America. The course drew more than 40... Read More »House passes Collins’ Boko Haram response bill, sent to president for approval
The U.S. House passed this week a bipartisan bill authored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) aimed at strengthening the response to acts of terrorism perpetrated by the militant group Boko Haram. The bill requires a new five-year U.S. government strategy to counter the threats posed by Boko... Read More »Lynch, Johnson host third U.S.-China Dialogue on Cybercrime
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson hosted this week a coalition of Chinese government officials for the third U.S.-China High-level Joint Dialogue on Cybercrime and Related Issues to discuss a range of topics related to international cybercrime... Read More »Dept. of Treasury sanctions North Korean entities, individuals for supporting nuclear and weapons proliferation efforts
In response to North Korea’s September 2016 nuclear test and ongoing violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 16 entities and seven individuals for their ties to the Government of North... Read More »
Warner selected vice chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) was recently selected to serve as the vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 115th Congress. “With a new administration starting to assemble its national security team, I look forward to fulfilling the Committee’s primary... Read More »
CSIS calls for comprehensive strategy for combatting growing threat of terrorism
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), through its Commission on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), recently called for a comprehensive strategy to combat the growing threat of violent extremism against the United States and abroad. The commission, chaired by former CIA... Read More »
Dept. of Treasury takes aim at key al-Nusrah Front leaders
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently took proactive steps to disrupt al-Nusrah Front’s military, recruitment and financing operations. OFAC blocked all property and interests in property of four key al-Nusrah Front leaders —... Read More »
House Democrats request hearing on recent DDoS attack
Democratic members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently urged Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) to call for a hearing on the recent cyber attack that caused outages on many popular U.S. websites. The... Read More »
DHS Secretary Johnson, AG Lynch participate in meeting of G6 interior ministers in Rome
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch participated in the 2016 G6 Meeting of Interior Ministers in Rome, Italy on Oct. 20-21. They discussed security measures in Europe, migration flows, terrorism, cybersecurity and international border... Read More »
Congressmen urge Obama to examine potential Russian violation of INF treaty
U.S. Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) this week urged President Barack Obama to examine a potential breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty by Russia. The congressmen in a letter also asked Obama to implement additional sanctions on Russia, along with... Read More »ASPR holds six medical countermeasure summits across the country
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently hosted a series of six medical countermeasure summits across the nation. Topics of the summits included tribal planning and preparedness, access and functional... Read More »
DoD launches MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator to address disaster relief challenges
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently launched the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator to create solutions for humanitarian issues and natural disaster relief challenges. The MD5 program was launched by a public-private partnership between the DoD, New York University, Columbia... Read More »House Democrats urge FBI to investigate Trump campaign’s knowledge of email cyber hack
A coalition of House Democrats recently urged the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to examine the Donald Trump campaign’s claim that they knew about the cyber hack into John Podesta’s emails before they were publicly released. The group included U.S. Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD),... Read More »INTERPOL launches Operational Response Project to address bioterrorism response efforts
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) recently conducted its Operational Response Project in Amman, Jordan, to identify best practices related to command and control, hazard risk assessment, and evidence exploitation. The project brought together 45 Jordanian law enforcement... Read More »Üzümcü meets with Finland’s Stenlund to discuss CWC implementation
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Ahmet Üzümcü met with Finland’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H.E. Peter Stenlund at OPCW headquarters in The Hague on Friday to discuss aspects of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The... Read More »Ratcliffe holds first-ever Emergency Management Summit
U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) recently hosted the first-ever Emergency Management Summit to help first responders in his district prepare for natural disasters that require federal assistance. The summit featured testimony and potential response plans from local emergency managers, country... Read More »OPCW holds training seminar for Eastern European officials on cross border chemical transfers
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently held a training seminar for customs officials in Eastern Europe to strengthen their ability to uphold the global ban on chemical weapon. The seminar, held in Krakow, Poland on Sept. 27-30, featured 32 participants from such... Read More »
Payne says interoperability for first responders among biggest challenges
U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) recently said that continuing to improve interoperability among first responders and ensuring that they have access to the best equipment and technology are his top goals. Payne, who serves as the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on... Read More »USIC: Russian government may be responsible for email hacks
The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) recently publicly indicated that the Russian government may be responsible for hacking the emails of U.S. persons and organizations to compromise election results. USIC said that the trove of emails leaked to sites like WikiLeaks and DCLeaks.com was... Read More »
Senators urge FCC to address impact of stingray technology on communities of color, emergency services
A group of 12 U.S. senators recently sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler urging him to address the potential impacts of stingray technology on communities of color. The concern stems from allegations that state and local law enforcement agencies have... Read More »McCaul releases report on financial revenue infrastructure of ISIS
ISIS continues to fundraise despite having a number of revenue sources cut off, according to a recent report released by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX). The report, titled “Cash to Chaos: Dismantling ISIS’ Financial Infrastructure,” details how... Read More »GAO: Improved procurement of land mobile radios by OMB could enhance interoperability
An improved procurement process of land mobile radios (LMRs) could enhance interoperability and cut overall costs, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). LMRs are generally used by federal agencies in public safety incidents, firefighting and emergency... Read More »
McCaul releases terror threat “snapshot” for October
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Wednesday released a monthly terror threat “snapshot” report to give insight into potential threats the country and its allies are currently facing. “The recent arrest in Maryland of an ISIS supporter plotting... Read More »Thompson voices support for implementation of Cybersecurity Act of 2015
U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) voiced his support on Wednesday for the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. Thompson’s support comes in the wake of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) review of the department’s implementation of... Read More »
Gillibrand, Higgins call for new DOE environmental impact statement for radioactive material transport plan
A pair of legislators from New York recently urged the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a new environmental impact statement on their plan to transport liquid radioactive material through the state. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) said that a new... Read More »House Energy and Commerce Committee, GAO release report on FDA cyber security
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Thursday regarding cybersecurity and control weaknesses at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The report, titled “FDA Needs to Rectify Control Weaknesses That Place Industry and Public Health Data at Risk,” was... Read More »
HHS, Emergent BioSolutions enter into contract for anthrax vaccine development
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently moved forward with the development of the anthrax vaccine NuThrax. ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Emergent... Read More »
Legislation introduced to cut funding for Palestinian terrorist attacks
A group of Republican U.S. senators recently introduced the Taylor Force Act to require the secretary of state to certify that the Palestinian Authority has ended its policy of funding terrorists and their families. The bill was introduced by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC),... Read More »INTERPOL, Europol meet in Singapore to discuss ways to combat cyber crime
A coalition of leaders from law enforcement agencies, the private sector and academic institutions from across the world met in Singapore this week to address the growing threat of cyber crimes. The meeting, titled “Solutions for Attribution,” saw approximately 200 participants from 56... Read More »
House passes six homeland security-related bills
The U.S. House of Representatives passed six bipartisan bills on Tuesday to enhance national security efforts within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “I commend the work of my committee on the passage of these important pieces of legislation which seek to provide necessary... Read More »House passes two Donovan-sponsored homeland security bills
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed two homeland security-related bills introduced by U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) with a bipartisan voice vote. “Your government’s chief responsibility is to protect you and your family from attack,” Donovan said. “Last weekend’s bombings... Read More »