News
Purdue research team details new smart phone forensic data strategy
A research team led by Purdue University professors Dongyan Xu and Xiangyu Zhang detailed the findings of their RetroScope technology during the USENIX Security Symposium over the weekend. RetroScope, developed in the last nine months, builds upon the research team’s earlier work in smart... Read More »
ECDC releases opinion on whole genome sequencing
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), along with member states, released an opinion this week on whole genome sequencing (WGS) for public health surveillance. Whole genome sequencing is a laboratory process that determines the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s... Read More »
CDC issues travel warnings for those traveling to Zika-affected areas
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a level 2 travel notice on Thursday for people traveling to destinations that have been affected by Zika virus. Zika virus has spread rapidly in South America and Caribbean countries, with transmission of the virus typically... Read More »
FDA approves sBLA for Biothrax manufacture at Emergent BioSolutions’ Building 55
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for the manufacture of BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) at the company’s large-scale Building 55 manufacturing facility in Lansing,... Read More »
House Energy and Commerce Committee members seek information regarding CDC’s LRN capabilities
U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee members continued their oversight in examining the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Laboratory Response Network (LRN) on Thursday by requesting information regarding the network’s capabilities. The group included U.S. Reps. Fred... Read More »Ayotte releases Guantanamo Bay detainees report
U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) released an unclassified report on Wednesday summarizing the terrorist activities and affiliations of the 107 Guantanamo Bay detainees who were detained there as of Nov. 25, 2015. "The Obama administration promised transparency, but this new report shows why... Read More »
Blighter Surveillance Systems makes appointments to protect infrastructure in Middle East petrochemical markets
Blighter Surveillance Systems, Ltd., made two appointments on Wednesday to assist the company in targeting the oil, gas and petrochemical markets with its Blighter B400 Series e-scan doppler radar and long-range thermal camera surveillance solution. The Blighter B400 doppler radar delivers... Read More »
CBP officers arrest five individuals at the Port of Nogales for narcotics smuggling
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stationed at the Port of Nogales arrested five individuals attempting to enter the U.S. with approximately two pounds of methamphetamine and heroin hidden within in their bodies on July 30. The incident began when officers at the Dennis DeConcini... Read More »Cyber reforms needed to strengthen software bug discovery and disclosure: New America report
In order to stem massive data breaches and strengthen cyber security, U.S. policymakers should reform laws to help make it easier for researchers to identify and address software bugs, according to a recent report from New America’s Open Technology Institute. The report, “Bugs in the... Read More »
CDC exercises contract option with Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., for supply of vaccinia immune globulin for SNS
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exercised a contract option with Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., on Tuesday valued at $11.6 million over a 12-month period for the supply of vaccinia immune globulin (VIGIV) to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The U.S. Food and... Read More »Feinstein urges clarification on no-first-use nuclear weapons policy
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) urged President Barack Obama to clarify that the United States would only use nuclear options in response to an attack and reject a policy of first-use in a letter sent on Tuesday. “The only moral purpose for nuclear weapons is to deter their use by other... Read More »Hologic receives $4.1 million from HHS for the development of a Zika virus blood screening test
Hologic, Inc., entered into an agreement on Tuesday worth $4.1 million with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistance Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to advance the development of a blood screening test that will detect Zika virus. The one... Read More »INTERPOL urges nations to adapt to changes in fight against terrorism
Secretary general of Interpol Jürgen Stock recently urged agencies across the globe to adapt to the evolving and expanding nature of transnational terrorist organizations. At a meeting on countering the cross-border movement of terrorism, Stock said that effective information sharing, capacity... Read More »Homeland Security awards security grant money for eight Nassau County Jewish organizations
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) FY2016 non-profit security grant program (NSGP) awarded eight different Jewish organizations in New York’s fourth congressional district a total of approximately $575,000 for various security enhancements on Tuesday. The district is... Read More »
SIGA Technologies receives approval to complete enrollment for TPOXX study
SIGA Technologies, Inc., received approval on Tuesday from its data safety monitoring board (DSMB) to complete enrollment in the second and final cohort of healthy subjects for the Phase III clinical study of TPOXX for the treatment of orthopoxvirus infections. The approval was based on a study... Read More »Thompson urges action by DHS to strengthen cybersecurity efforts for voting systems
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) called for action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity efforts against foreign actors who attempt to exploit cyber vulnerabilities in the nation’s voting systems. “The Department of Homeland... Read More »
CBP uncovers methamphetamine concealed within hollowed-out candle
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field operations officers stationed at the Ontario air cargo facility at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) uncovered 1.6 pounds of crystal methamphetamine concealed within a hollowed-out candle last Wednesday. The express parcel originated from... Read More »
Carper urges action on cybersecurity vulnerabilities across U.S. election system
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) called for action on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in voting machines and other information technology used in election systems across the U.S. “Election security is critical and a cyberattack... Read More »Lockheed Martin, U.S. Air Force deliver third SBIRS satellite to Cape Canaveral
Lockheed Martin, along with the U.S. Air Force, delivered the third Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Thursday, ahead of its intended October launch date. “SBIRS GEO satellites are our nation’s missile... Read More »Rubio renews push to protect military members from Zika virus
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) renewed his push on Thursday to reintroduce legislation that would provide additional protections from the Zika virus to U.S. military men and women, including those serving in high-risk areas. “At the start of June, I introduced an amendment to the 2017 National... Read More »
Study finds huge gap in international biosafety regulations threatens security
A major gap in international standards for biosafety in laboratories handling contagious pathogens potentially increases the risk that an accident could result in a disease outbreak that threatens global security, according to a recent study by the UPMC Center for Health Security. The year-long... Read More »
Battelle, Ohio State make joint hire to enhance collaboration for defense commercialization
Research teams from Battelle and the Ohio State University jointly hired Zachary Mears on Wednesday to enhance collaboration and position institutions for defense technology commercialization. Mears will be on staff as an assistant vice president for national security and research programs at... Read More »LLNL researchers develop material to protect soldiers from biological and chemical agents in the field
A team of researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently developed a flexible material that is both highly breathable and protective from various biological agents that soldiers may come into contact with. The material is the first key component of a new type of... Read More »
FireChat’s off-the-grid messaging app fosters communication during emergencies
A disaster strikes a congested city, cell phone networks are overwhelmed and internet access is spotty. Nearly everyone has a mobile device in their pocket, but few can use them to communicate. San Francisco-based start-up OpenGarden, Inc., has a solution to this type of crisis with its FireChat... Read More »
Raytheon’s team of cyber experts face off against other top teams in DEF CON finals
Deep Red, Raytheon Company’s team of cyber experts, is one of the featured teams competing in the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Cyber Grand Challenge finals during the DEF CON conference this week. DARPA began the Cyber Grand Challenge as a computer security tournament... Read More »Homeland Security Committee releases report on DHS overhead waste
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee released a report on Tuesday titled “Streamlining the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Overhead Will Make the Homeland Safer” that shows department-wide waste across DHS’s 22 offices and agencies. “Despite existing for over 13 years,... Read More »
Altimmune, BARDA set for clinical trial of single-dose anthrax vaccine
Altimmune, Inc., and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) are set to advance the first clinical trial later this month of an anthrax vaccine that could be administered in a single dose. The trial was initiated from a two-year, $14 million contract between BARDA and... Read More »
Battelle wins two major contracts from U.S. Army
Battelle, Inc.’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Defense Group was awarded two contracts on Monday to provide vital mission support service for the U.S. Army. “These important contract wins demonstrate that Battelle can win competitively bid contracts in our area... Read More »CBP officers discover man concealed within truck’s gas tank compartment
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the Calexico East port of entry stopped a human smuggling attempt on Friday after discovering a man concealed in a compartment in a Ford F-150 pickup. The incident began when a 41-year-old Mexican citizen entered the East port driving a 1998... Read More »HHS awards $5.1 million to InBios for new Zika virus diagnostic test
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) awarded a $5.1 million, two-year contract to InBios International, Inc., on Monday for a newer, faster Zika virus diagnostic blood test. InBios’ test may have the... Read More »
McCaul releases monthly terror threat snapshot for August
U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Monday released the committee’s terror threat snapshot for the month of August, which serves as a monthly assessment of the growing threat America and its allies face from Islamist terrorist organizations. “The recent... Read More »NIH begins Zika virus vaccine clinical trial in humans
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a clinical trial this week for an experimental vaccine to prevent Zika virus infections, an effort that comes after local transmission of the virus hit a neighborhood in Florida. “Given the Zika situation internationally and in the United... Read More »
DARPA hosts Cyber Grand Challenge for nation’s best computer hacking teams
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will host the world’s first all-machine hacking tournament this week. The Cyber Grand Challenge marks the culmination of an ambitious three-year effort to develop advanced, autonomous systems that can detect, evaluate and patch software... Read More »