News
USCIS reverts to “last in, first out” prioritization of asylum applications to root out fraud, abuse
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that newer applications for asylum will be processed before older filings in an effort to mitigate potential fraud and abuse in the backlog of pending asylum applications, The asylum applications backlog had reached 311,000... Read More »
Incoming ECBC Director Moore outlines vision for the future
After being sworn in as the director of the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) on Thursday, Dr. Eric Moore called for effective partnerships with chemical and biological defense stakeholders, academia and industry to develop technologies of the future for warfighters. Moore,... Read More »
Israeli cybersecurity firms expanding to New York City
At Cybertech TLV, the largest convening of cybersecurity industries held in Tel Aviv, Israel, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO James Patchett announced three Israeli cybersecurity firms had committed to expanding to New York City. Israel-based investment... Read More »
Patriot partner nations to invest $235 million in Patriot Air and Missile Defense System upgrades
Raytheon announced Wednesday that will be upgrading its Patriot Air and Missile Defense System under a $235 million modernization task order from the U.S. Army. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the task order Monday. The United States and the other 13 Patriot partner nations that rely on... Read More »
Lawmakers question Strava’s data security practices
In response to reports that the fitness-tracking platform Strava shared user information that could be used to identify military installations, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sought information about company data security practices and potential changes on Wednesday. Strava... Read More »
FCC sets November 2019 deadline for more precise targeting of wireless emergency alert system
Wireless providers taking part in the wireless emergency alerts (WEA) system will be required to deliver notification more precisely to geographical areas that are affected by the warning under action taken by the FCC on Tuesday. The FCC will require participating wireless carriers to target... Read More »
Researchers find West Nile virus could have similar effects on fetuses as Zika
While careful to advise that nothing is certain for humans yet, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that West Nile virus--like Zika--has the ability to cross from a mouse to her fetuses, causing brain damage. The two viruses are known to be... Read More »
Sandia Laboratories’ new radiation detectors used for first time in Russia under New START
Defense Threat Reduction Agency inspectors recently used next-generation radiation detection equipment developed by Sandia Laboratories for the first time in Russia to verify compliance with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The new radiation detection equipment replaces an... Read More »
Next-gen MHTK missile undergoes first controlled flight test
New electronics and a revamped airframe were on display in Lockheed Martin’s controlled flight test of a Miniature Hit-to-Kill (MHTK) missile on Friday at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The first test of the next-generation MHTK demonstrated its enhanced agility, accuracy, and... Read More »
Coast Guard Search and Rescue Visual Analytics system changing the way stations operate
A storied system developed by the Science and Technology Directorate’s Center of Excellence and utilized by the U.S. Coast Guard is going a long way to analyzing its stations’ strengths and weighing how best they can be utilized. The assessment was released by the Coast Guard and... Read More »
House panel probes government’s role in protecting small businesses from cyber attacks
The FBI does not currently have a hard-and-fast threshold or indicators to determine the appropriate response when America’s small businesses face cyber attacks, according to testimony before a House panel on Tuesday. The House Small Business Committee convened a hearing to probe the federal... Read More »
GAO recommends improvements to management of nuclear weapons life extension programs
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended on Tuesday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) begin to independently validate that life extension programs (LEPs) for nuclear weapons are meeting management best practices. Given that LEPs used to refurbish or replace... Read More »
Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents discover 76 individuals illegally entering United States in tractor-trailer
Border Patrol agents at the checkpoint on north Highway 83 in the Laredo Sector recently discovered 76 individuals entering the United States without legal permission in a tractor-trailer driven by a U.S. citizen. When the driver arrived at the checkpoint, agents questioned him regarding his... Read More »
International research study warns public awareness critical in infectious disease fight
Using rabies as a case study, researchers from across the world joined together to assess and promote the effectiveness of public awareness campaigns in spotting and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The study--published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection--focused on the... Read More »
Automated Passport Control implemented on first Puerto Rico-Dominican Republic ferry
The first Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosk will be installed aboard a ferry operating between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to expedite the processing of travelers, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Monday. U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, Canadian... Read More »
Homeland Security Department announces new security procedures for Refugee Admissions Program
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced Monday additional security procedures and recommendations for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The additions include additional screening for certain nationals of countries identified as high-risk, a periodic review and... Read More »
Government-wide personnel security clearance process lands on GAO’s “High Risk List”
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) added government-wide personnel security clearance to its “High Risk List” on Thursday, which designates programs in need of transformational changes to reduce the risk of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. GAO typically updates the High Risk... Read More »
ICE arrests 86 criminal aliens, immigration violators in North Texas and Oklahoma
Federal officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 86 criminal aliens and immigration fugitives in North Texas and Oklahoma during a three-day enforcement action that occurred last week. The operation targeted mostly aliens... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection to supplement Super Bowl security efforts
A total of seven Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are headed to Minneapolis to provide x-ray inspections of all vehicles headed into the U.S. Bank Stadium, where Super Bowl LII will be held on Feb. 4. While the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots face off, the CBP will... Read More »
International public-private cybersecurity partnership launched at World Economic Forum
An international public-private partnership called the Global Centre for Cybersecurity was launched last week during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to assess and tackle global cybersecurity challenges. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen highlighted U.S. efforts to... Read More »
Air Force requests additional funding for A-10C Thunderbolt squadrons in fiscal year 2019
After warning last year that lack of funding could force three of nine A-10C Thunderbolt squadrons to be grounded, the United States Air Force said that it would include funding for additional wings in its fiscal year 2019 budget request on Friday. To maintain current levels, Congress included... Read More »
TSA introduces stricter carry-on screening procedures at St. Louis Lambert International Airport
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced the implementation of stronger screening procedures for carry-on items at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), which were announced last year and have been rolling out across the country. The new procedures require... Read More »
Helicopter being used to take background radiation measurements ahead of Super Bowl LII
Ahead of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis on Sunday, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is conducting measurements of naturally occurring background radiation using a low-flying helicopter. Naturally occurring radiation measurements are a standard security... Read More »
DSI event: Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium on March 5-6 in Alexandria, Va.
The 2018 Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 5-6 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The event will provide a forum for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia,... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions six individuals for providing support to terrorist groups
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently sanctioned six individuals, designating them as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. OFAC designated four of the individuals -- Abdul Samad Sani, Abdul... Read More »
Birth defects on the rise in parts of US due to local Zika spread
A report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that birth defects linked to Zika virus infection during pregnancy saw a 21 percent rise over the second half of 2016 in parts of Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Over a broader spectrum, about three out of... Read More »
Rep. Royce calls for blacklisting, countermeasures to protect international financial systems from Iran
In order to shield international financial markets from Iranian money laundering and terrorist financing, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) said last week that the Financial Action Task Force must continue to blacklist Iran and re-impose countermeasures. Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs... Read More »
Robles to serve as CBP director of field operations in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
After a career spanning more than 30 years with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Customs Service, Alfonso Robles was tapped Thursday to serve as CBP’s director of field operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Robles’ appointment marks his second posting in... Read More »
CBP officers at Laredo Port of Entry seize more than $770k in hard narcotics, controlled prescription medication
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at multiple crossings within Laredo Port of Entry seized more than $770,000 of hard narcotics and controlled prescription medication in two separate, unrelated enforcement actions. “These significant interceptions of... Read More »
DHS highlights recent critical incident exercises aiming to improve preparedness, response
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighted its efforts to enhance first responders’ ability to handle active shooter and other critical incidents in public places through multi-agency training exercises on Thursday. In October, DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)... Read More »
Kansas Highway Patrol updates communications with FirstNet
The Kansas Highway Patrol recently announced its decision to subscribe to FirstNet, a nationwide public safety broadband network designed specifically for first responders, become the first agency in Kansas to do so. The update to their communications gives them access to a secure network that... Read More »
Senate report uncovers USPS, CBP flaws contributing to fentanyl trafficking
Chinese fentanyl sellers commonly use United States Postal Service (USPS) to traffic the drug into the United States because USPS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have not yet adopted widespread use of advanced electronic data (AED), according to a Senate report released on Wednesday. ... Read More »
Treasury imposes new sanctions on entities, individuals linked to North Korea
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Wednesday 16 individuals, nine entities, and six shipping companies that have been linked to North Korea’s development of weapons of mass destruction and other illicit activities. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said... Read More »
Sen. Tester discusses border security plan with Homeland Security, Senate leaders
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) met this week with Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen and a bipartisan group of Senators to develop a border security plan. Tester is the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets funding levels for security and... Read More »