News
Science and Technology Directorate working to improve analytics capabilities across Homeland Security Enterprise
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is working to introduce its System of Systems Operational Analytics (SoSOA) program, which aims to improve analytical capabilities for decision-making across the Homeland Security Enterprise. S&T is currently... Read More »
Firm lands intelligence, cybersecurity contracts
The technology firm Engility secured three sole-source awards with the nation’s intelligence community during the first quarter of 2018, totaling $76 million. “Sole-source awards, especially with customers conducting some of the most critical work in the nation, attest to the one-of-a-kind,... Read More »
Air Force Intelligence Squadron holds Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking seminar
The 526th Intelligence Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada, recently hosted an Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking seminar at AFWERX Vegas, which more than 100 Airmen, contractors, and Department of Defense employees attended. AFWERX Vegas, a branch of DEFENSEWERX, is a... Read More »
Senate bill calls for national strategy to combat global financial networks used by criminal syndicates
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday would require President Trump to draft a national strategy to identify and disrupt global financial networks used by transnational criminal organizations to transfer an estimated $870 billion around the world. Under the Criminal... Read More »
Navy-Coast Guard collaboration on drug interdiction efforts discussed in Senate hearing
Noting that only an estimated 25 percent of drug shipments coming into the United States by sea are intercepted, U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) called on the Navy and Coast Guard to better coordinate interdiction efforts during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. King... Read More »
United Nations Department of Safety and Security unable to enter Douma, Syria, for reconnaissance
A reconnaissance mission led by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) was forced to turn back from Douma, Syria, this week under fire. The mission was meant to be a preliminary for an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission in the... Read More »
Researcher explores chlorinated lipids as a quick test, treatment for chlorine gas exposure
Chlorinated lipids may be the answer to quickly testing and treating individuals who may have been exposed to chlorine gas, a Saint Louis University professor recently said. Quickly determining which chemical agent was used is allows medical personnel to take appropriate countermeasures to save... Read More »
Small satellites aid remote area search and rescue efforts
The Department of Homeland Security is touting the benefits of small satellites used to help search and rescue teams locate emergency beacons in remote areas, such as the Arctic. Officials said the Raytheon Company crafted two Polar Scout devices, with smallsats apertures and sensors capable of... Read More »
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers arrest 225 in New York
Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 225 individuals in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley during a recent six-day enforcement action. ICE’s ERO arrested the 225 individuals for allegedly violating U.S.... Read More »
NSA hosts researchers from six Science and Security Privacy initiative ‘lablets’
The National Security Agency (NSA) recently hosted researchers from “lablets” taking part in its Science of Security and Privacy (SoS) initiative, which advances the design of trusted systems across disciplines ranging from computer science to behavioral science. Since its launch in 2012,... Read More »
IAEA uses drones to release sterile mosquitoes in high-risk Zika areas
Marking a milestone in the fight against vector-borne diseases, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) successfully released radiation-sterilized mosquitoes from drones in Brazil last as part of ongoing efforts to control mosquito populations there. IAEA, the Food and Agriculture... Read More »
Bacterial ‘gene swapping’ may cause spread of disease, study finds
Scientists from the University of Liverpool recently determined the exact means by which bacteria can swap genetic material with one another -- something they conclude can spark the outbreak of infectious diseases. They have dubbed the process horizontal gene transfer, something that has... Read More »
U.S. Attorney Stuart announces major enforcement action against drug trafficking organization
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced Tuesday a major enforcement action targeting for arrest approximately 100 defendants recently indicted by a federal grand jury in Huntington, West Virginia for drug-related charges, including involvement in the Peterson Drug Trafficking Organization... Read More »
Rep. Cole advocates sustained funding for biodefense and emergency health response
U.S. agencies need a more predictable and accessible source of funds to support a rapid response to public health emergencies, including outbreaks of disease and bioterror attacks, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said Wednesday. Cole addressed a panel of government officials testifying at a House... Read More »
Information sharing aids coastal surveillance efforts
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said information sharing has proven beneficial to coastal surveillance initiatives. Officials said the Integrated Maritime Domain Enterprise - Coastal Surveillance System (IMDE-CSS) has evolved beyond the... Read More »
Brunei Darussalam makes progress toward Chemical Weapons Convention legislation implementation
Brunei Darussalam created a plan to establish a National Authority and draft implementing legislation on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) during a National Awareness-Raising and Legislative Assistance Workshop held recently April in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Workshop participants... Read More »
House bill seeks to bolster military electromagnetic spectrum operations readiness
The U.S. military would take steps to secure access to the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) needed to use many communication and navigational devices and to ward off enemy attempts at jamming or deception, under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The U.S.... Read More »
House bill would enhance sentencing guidelines for repeat offenders of immigration crimes
Sentencing guidelines would be strengthened for new crimes committed by undocumented immigrants who were previously convicted of unlawful entry to the country under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The Peter, Ellie and Grayson Victims of Illegal Criminal Entry... Read More »
DHS S&T awards nearly $190,000 to London-based effort to improve International Screening Process
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded this week $189,863 to a London startup for efforts to improve the international passenger screening process. The funds were pulled from the S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), which... Read More »
GAO report finds mixed results on DOD compliance with fiscal requirements related to business systems
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the Department of Defense (DOD) has made progress in complying with provisions for managing its defense business systems but still needs to take additional actions. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year... Read More »Survey reveals cyber breach security plan uncertainty
Recently released survey results showed that only 9 percent of United Kingdom businesses feel totally confident in their organization’s cyber breach mitigation plan. The BAE Systems study noted that despite continuing news of cyber attacks and data breaches every day, businesses are still... Read More »
Senators propose updates to authorizations for use of military force against terror organizations
U.S. Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced Monday legislation to update the authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs) against non-state terrorist groups abroad. The bill, cosponsored by Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE, Todd Young (R-IN), and Bill Nelson... Read More »
NIST releases first major update to cybersecurity framework
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the first major overhaul of its Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity on Monday, which reflects feedback collected over the last two years. Also known as the... Read More »
House bill would require plan to bolster military biodefense readiness, research
The U.S. Department of Defense would be directed to draft a plan outlining specific steps to enhance U.S. military biodefense readiness, response, and research under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 12 in response to evolving threats around the world. Introduced... Read More »
DSI Event: Border Security Summit on April 18-19 in Alexandria, Va.
The 2018 Border Security & Intelligence Summit presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on April 18-19 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed for members of the Department of Homeland Security as well as other security critical organizations, the... Read More »
Report compiles list of recommendations for Congress, NIH and research institutions to address biomedical research
A new report, Breaking Through, released by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine last week seeks to address the future of biomedical research with a list of improvement recommendations for essentially all levels of involvement. Congress, the National Institutes of Health... Read More »
Senators urge action against North Korea-Syria chemical weapons
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on the Trump Administration to take action to stop a “Syria-North Korea sanctions evasion scheme and North Korean efforts to advance Syria’s chemical weapons technology.” Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), David Perdue (R-GA), Cory Gardner... Read More »
University of Virginia claims cyber defense competition title
The University of Virginia’s cybersecurity team topped 234 schools from around the nation to win the 2018 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC). The challenge - underwritten by Raytheon, a technology and innovation firm specializing in defense, civil government and... Read More »
DHS releases 2018 Mobile Security Research and Development Program Guide
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently released its 2018 Mobile Security Research and Development (R&D) Program Guide, which introduces the program’s technology projects, goals, and objectives. The Mobile Security R&D Program aims to address... Read More »
DHS holds international training exercise to vet cyber defense of critical infrastructure
More than 1,000 private-sector stakeholders recently took part in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cyber Storm VI training exercise featuring a simulated cyber crisis. The multi-sector training scenario enabled stakeholders to vet cybersecurity training, policies, procedures,... Read More »
Survey reveals American majority favors increased biosecurity funding
In a new nationwide survey released by the Alliance for Biosecurity on Monday, 73 percent of the 1,612 Americans polled said they would support a congressional decision to increase funding to address biosecurity needs and capabilities. The survey comes as Congress faces a looming Sept. 30... Read More »
Members of Congress commend, deride U.S. airstrikes in Syria
The Trump Administration’s decision to target Syrian chemical weapons facilities on Friday has been applauded by Republican lawmakers as a key step in upholding prohibitions on chemical weapons and has been criticized by Democratic lawmakers as “reckless” and potentially illegal. U.S.... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions readies on-demand mobile medicine manufacturing
Emergent BioSolutions has constructed a new trench from where the Gaithersburg, Md.-based global life sciences company will launch the world’s next line of defense against emerging viral diseases: mobile manufacturing units that can produce hyperimmune therapeutics for known and emerging... Read More »
DEA fugitive on FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently added to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list Rafael Caro-Quintero, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar aka “Kiki.” Caro-Quintero... Read More »