News
House approves 10 bills to secure homeland security, identify cyber threats
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved seven bills this week that aim to help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better identify cyber threats, secure the nation’s borders, shore up transportation security and improve reporting systems for suspicious activity. U.S. Rep.... Read More »
AktiVax awarded federal contract to develop new auto-injector for nerve agent antidotes
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has tasked AktiVax, Inc. with developing an auto-injector that allows drugs designed to counter chemical nerve agents to be administered without specialized training. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)... Read More »
New study shows skills gap exists among cybersecurity professionals
New research from BAE Systems finds a gap between the number of skilled cybersecurity professionals and the number of available positions in corporate America. The BAE study says 50 percent of businesses claim there is a lack of staff with the required security skills and expertise. Further, 40... Read More »
Lockheed Martin secures $364 million missile contract
Global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin has been awarded a 364 million contract to produce Army missiles, the company announced Monday. The production agreement for Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles also applies to a Foreign Military Sales customer. The service... Read More »
New cholera tracking approach may aid control strategies
Researchers recently found that preventing the chain of cholera transmission within households in high-burden areas may significantly impact efforts to reduce the number of cases worldwide. Work by Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators published in Nature Genetics outlined nearly 80... Read More »
House approves bill aiming to secure industrial control systems against cyberattacks
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be directed to secure information and operational technologies used in critical applications to address vulnerabilities under a bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday. The DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities... Read More »
LA Sheriff’s Department deploys UrgentLink disaster communications network
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office will use Rockwell Collins’ UrgentLink disaster communications network as a backup if primary communication infrastructure fails during natural or man-made disasters. As a beyond-line-of-sight communications system that operates on the high-frequency... Read More »
DHS S&T, new innovators seek to partner smart cities technologies with first responders
Thirteen companies have been selected to take part in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs program, which aims to enhance first responder situational and building security. DHS S&T issued a... Read More »
Dead rabbit in Jefferson County, Colorado found to have tularemia
Health officials in Jefferson County, Colorado, said a rabbit died from tularemia, a rare infectious disease found in animals that can affect humans. Tularemia is typically spread through the bite of infected ticks and deer flies or through handling infected sick or dead animals, usually... Read More »Best practice approach to mosquito-borne pathogens examined
Italian researchers maintain different vector control strategies are needed as a means of addressing mosquito-borne pathogens. Investigators noted new research based on the Italian experience with outbreaks of Chikungunya, a disease borne by the tiger mosquito, in 2007 and 2017, revealed varied... Read More »DARPA supports vehicle enhancement initiatives
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently expressed optimism regarding efforts to enhance combat vehicle safety and effectiveness. The agency’s Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) program also seeks to improve mobility and survivability of future combat vehicles without... Read More »
Congress approves bill to establish firefighter cancer registry
A national registry would be created to collect data on the prevalence of cancer in firefighters to better understand how smoke inhalation and other occupational hazards contribute under a bill that cleared Congress on Friday. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017, H.R. 931 would require... Read More »
Boeing to deliver first KC-46 Tankers to Air Force bases in Kansas, Oklahoma
The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have announced plans for the first Boeing-built KC-46 Tanker, a military version of the 767 commercial aircraft, to be delivered to bases in Oklahoma and Kansas in October. The announcement drew praise from U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Frank Lucas (R-OK), whose... Read More »
DHS program looks to heighten capabilities of drones with new sensors
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is looking to equip drones with different sensors other than cameras that may be useful in search-and-rescue, surveillance, active shooter response, hostage situations, and other scenarios. The S&T has launched a... Read More »
Funding boost aids lab security effort
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) recently supported an effort to steer federal funding toward enhanced security at a pivotal intelligence research laboratory. Schumer and Gillibrand said the Senate version of the FY 2019 National Defense... Read More »
CBP integrates facial recognition into Global Entry program
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has integrated facial biometrics into Global Entry, celebrating the program’s 10 years of expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. The pilot program was launched last week at Orlando International Airport. Global Entry... Read More »
Research suggests Zika control efforts should target urban Aedes mosquito populations
A species of invasive mosquitoes in California is capable of transmitting the Zika virus, and their populations should be highly controlled, researchers from the University of California-Davis have discovered. Researchers from the University of California-Davis infected three different species... Read More »
Bipartisan house bill would authorize ‘bug bounty program’ to secure election systems
A “bug bounty program” competition would be created to reward cyber experts for identifying gaps in the cyber defenses of the nation’s election infrastructure under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. The Prevent Election Hacking Act of 2018 would authorize... Read More »
NTI Global Biosecurity Dialogue charters course to enhance global biosecurity, biosafety
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) Global Biosecurity Dialogue (GBD) brought more than 60 government officials, international organizations, nuclear experts and civil society leaders together in London last week to discuss solutions to strengthen global biosecurity and biosafety.... Read More »
TSA braces for record number of travelers this summer at DC-area airports
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing for a record-breaking number of travelers this summer at airports in the Washington, D.C. area. TSA expects 243 million passengers and crew to come through security checkpoints between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the nation’s... Read More »
New tool aids emergency preparedness efforts
University of Kansas students recently created a tool designed to enhance emergency preparedness efforts. Officials said military, veteran, and civilian students in the university’s new homeland security master's program developed and implemented an emergency plan for a long-term blackout... Read More »
Alabama man sentenced to 15 years in attempted terrorist plot
A 23-year-old Alabama man who pleaded guilty to acquiring bomb-making materials and planning an ISIS-inspired attack on a local police station was sentenced in a federal court Wednesday to 15 years in prison on Wednesday. Aziz Ihab Sayyed of Huntsville pleaded guilty in March to a charge of... Read More »
Year’s first positive West Nile virus confirmed in mosquito sample in Dauphin Co., Pa.
The first West Nile virus-infected mosquito sample of the year was recently identified by the Dauphin County Conservation District in Washington Township, Pa., but no human cases have been reported. The vector-borne West Nile virus can infect humans with an infection known as West Nile... Read More »
Lawmakers push Google to reconsider strategic partnership with Chinese telecom company
A bipartisan group of lawmakers raised concerns on Wednesday about the national security implications of a new strategic partnership between Google and Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company. The lawmakers argued in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai that Chinese telecommunication... Read More »
DARPA program drives automated molecule production
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Make-It Program is making progress toward fully automated rapid molecule production. The Make-It research teams are developing automated devices that create the desired chemical based on the software-generated recipe. These software tools... Read More »
Malaria vaccine combo may reduce number of cases
Imperial College London researchers have determined that the use of a pair of experimental anti-malarial vaccines may reduce the number of malaria infections. Details of the probe in eLife outlined the testing of two types of vaccines in mice: those preventing mosquitoes from transferring the... Read More »
Raytheon receives milestone patent
Raytheon is the recipient of the nation’s 10 millionth patent, which covers a system for obtaining real-time readings on speed and distance from the data stream created by laser radars. The company currently holds 13,000 active patents, which includes nearly 4,500 based in the United States,... Read More »
DHS hearing in Harrisburg focuses on efforts to counter opioid overdose epidemic
Federal, state, and local officials discussed efforts to disrupt the flow of illegal opioids into communities and to break up criminal networks during a field hearing held on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pa. The hearing, “Opioids in the Homeland: DHS Coordination with State and Local Partners to... Read More »
House approves bills to enhance preparedness, response capabilities to emerging terror threats
In response to evolving terror threats, the U.S. House of Representatives approved bills on Tuesday to enhance federal efforts to protect against vehicular terrorism and to establish a federal laboratory to develop new technologies for use by law enforcers and first responders. U.S. Rep. Dan... Read More »
Senate subcommittee approves more than $55 billion homeland security spending bill
A $55.15 billion homeland security appropriations bill that emphasizes border security, cybersecurity, the nationwide opioid epidemic, and state and local support cleared the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on Tuesday. The Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security... Read More »
BAE wins $198 million contract from Marines for amphibious combat vehicles
BAE Systems was awarded a $198 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corp to deliver 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV). The contract also includes an option for a total of 204 vehicles which could be worth up to $1.2 billion. “We are well positioned and ready to build the future of... Read More »
New study addresses mosquito populations, West Nile
Researchers from the University of Waterloo recently touted the benefits of a pesticide-free approach to limiting mosquito populations that also addresses the spread of West Nile virus. The work, published in Plos One, outlined the process of introducing hungry minnows into bodies of water where... Read More »Nuclear weapons proliferation reporting requirements examined
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a nuclear proliferation reporting analysis, determining the documents did not address several requirements and lacked vital details. The work stemmed from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015, which... Read More »
Air Force highlights importance of Eagle Vision satellite imaging tool in disaster recovery efforts
The Air Force recently highlighted the ability of Eagle Vision, technology that is capable of processing satellite imagery in near real-time, to assist in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, including those the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. First deployed during... Read More »