Threats
Oklahoma City man pleads guilty to terrorism-related offenses
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi pleaded guilty in federal court in Oklahoma City on June 13 to two terrorism-related offenses. Between June 2024 and October 2024, according to court documents, Tawhedi conspired with at least one other individual to purchase two AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines and 500 rounds of... Read More »
Legislation to develop an AI security playbook introduced in the House
U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL), John Moolenaar, (RMI) Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) have introduced legislation that would require the National Security Agency to create a plan to protect AI against foreign adversaries. LaHood, a member of the House Permanent Select... Read More »
Legislation would create a criminal offense for importing agricultural biological agents
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would create a criminal offense for importing high-risk agricultural biological agents. The Preventing Lethal Agricultural and National Threats Act would establish a new federal crime for knowingly or recklessly... Read More »
House committee releases Terror Threat Snapshot assessment
The House Committee on Homeland Security recently released an updated Terror Threat Snapshot assessment. The assessment includes more than 30 developments in the domestic and global threat and highlights the persistent threat from terrorism associated with foreign jihadist networks and... Read More »
Legislation would bolster northern border security
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would boost security along the northern border. The Northern Border Staffing and Security Enhancement Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to Congress a northern border threat analysis every... Read More »
New York law enforcement participate in seventh annual Tactical Week
Six law enforcement teams from across New York participated in the seventh annual Tactical Week exercise held June 2 to June 5 at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany. Teams competed against each other as they responded to a series of complex and evolving incidents, and were judged... Read More »
HHS to demonstrate automated IV system
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) plans to demonstrate an automated, point-of-care, sterile saline manufacturing system that may help prevent or mitigate intravenous (IV) fluid shortages in the United States. ... Read More »
Agencies to review immigration records following antisemitic attack in Colorado
Following the June 1 antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colo., several federal agencies are looking to issue a crackdown on visa overstays. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and... Read More »
FBI reports 24 active shooting incidents in 2024
There were 24 shootings classified as active shooter incidents last year, according to the recent FBI 2024 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States report, down from 48 incidents in 2023. The 24 incidents happened in 19 states and in five location categories: commerce, education,... Read More »
DARPA investigating ways to protect agriculture against natural, man-made threats
DARPA announced its new initiative Ag x BTO will be soliciting new, innovative ideas to protect the nation’s food supply. DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO) said protecting the agriculture industry in America against both naturally occurring and man-made threats is a national... Read More »
Legislation would streamline verification for medical licenses
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House would streamline how the U.S. Department of Defense verifies military healthcare providers’ licenses. The department employs thousands of licensed medical professionals to care for service members and their families. These... Read More »
Legislation would require federal contractors to adhere to cybersecurity guidelines
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would require federal contractors to adhere to National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines. The Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2025 would require the Office of Management and Budget to... Read More »
Legislation would make permanent CBP Innovation Teams
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) ability to combat human and drug trafficking at the southern border. The Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act would make permanent Innovation Teams, a division... Read More »
Warrants unsealed for seizure of malicious domains
The Justice Department recently unsealed two warrants that authorizes the seizure of five internet domains used by malicious cyber actors to operate the LummaC2 information-stealing malware service. LummaC2’s administrators used the seized websites to distribute LummaC2, an... Read More »
WHO member states adopt pandemic agreement
Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) voted to adopt the world’s first Pandemic Agreement, that boosts global collaboration as part of the response to future pandemics. The agreement is the result of more than three years of intense negotiations, officials said, that came as a... Read More »
Bipartisan bill would protect military installations from unauthorized drones
A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and August Pfluger (R-TX) would help secure the airspace around military bases, officials said. The Comprehensive Operations for Unmanned-System Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response (COUNTER) Act would expand the definition of a... Read More »
Legislation would improve visibility of medicine supply chains
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would improve federal coordination and visibility of medicine supply chains. The Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply Act would directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with other relevant... Read More »
Michigan man arrested for planning terrorist attack
Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, a 19-year-old former member of the Michigan Army National Guard, recently was arrested after attempting to conduct a mass-shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Mich., on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.... Read More »
Legislation would extend the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would extend the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 for an additional 10 years. CISA incentivizes companies to voluntarily share cybersecurity threat indicators with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Threat... Read More »
CBP reports “dramatic” change in operations at the border
According to statistics released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for April, border agents patrolling the southern border are up and the number of immigrants entering the country are down. The monthly reporting, which can be viewed on the agency’s stats and summaries webpage, show... Read More »
Global Congress issues recommendations on chemical security threats
The Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats released recommendations at its fifth plenary meeting last week to boost global action against chemical security threats. The meeting included 300 delegates from more than 100 countries and six international... Read More »
Legislation would combat China’s infiltration of American college campuses
U.S. Reps. Mark Green (R-TN) and August Pfluger (R-TX) said they applaud the House’s passage of legislation that combats China’s influence on American college campuses. Green, chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said the legislation, DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes... Read More »
DEA, federal authorities arrest 16 in connection to drug trafficking organization
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal authorities recently arrested 16 people and seized fentanyl, cash, firearms, and vehicles in five states in connection to a drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement officers executed coordinated search warrants. “Our... Read More »
Task force formed to enhance security for special events like FIFA, Olympics
U.S. Reps. Mark E. Green, M.D. (R-TN) and Michael McCaul (R-TX) said a bipartisan task force will conduct security oversight as the country prepares for major international events in the coming years. The “Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States” will visit... Read More »
DHS offering travel assistance, $1,000 stipend to illegal aliens for self-deportation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering a stipend of $1,000 to every illegal alien who self-deports. Aliens would receive payment after their return to their home countries is confirmed through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App. “If you are here illegally,... Read More »
Autonomous fire suppression techniques successfully demonstrated
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and California-based Rain, an autonomous aerial wildfire containment technology company, recently successfully demonstrated and tested autonomous wildfire suppression techniques. The tests were conducted in California in collaboration with San Bernardino... Read More »
Republicans advance Trump administration budget focusing on border security
Republicans in the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced its budget reconciliation recommendations to fund President Donald Trump’s border security efforts. The budget recommendation will complete the border wall and increase U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel while... Read More »
Legislation would protect service members’ data from being sold
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would prevent data brokers from non-adversarial nations from purchasing U.S. service members’ data and then selling it to adversarial nations such as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. The Protecting Military Servicemembers Data... Read More »
National Institute of Standards and Technology updates guidance on wildfires
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently updated its guidance on preparing for wildfires. The updates are based on scientific research and community feedback. Guidance was first published in 2023 along with a case study on the 2018 Camp Fire evacuations in Paradise,... Read More »
U.S. Central Command targeting terrorist organization in Yemen
U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces have conducted Operation Rough Rider, a campaign targeting the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, since March 15. Forces include the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and two Carrier Strike Groups. There... Read More »
Internet crimes increased 33 percent in 2024
In 2024, there were 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime and reported losses exceeding $16 billion, a 33 percent increase in losses from 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) annual internet crime report. Other... Read More »
Legislation aims to crack down on drone surveillance
U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced legislation that will make drone surveillance of national defense sites illegal. The Drone Espionage Act will update the Espionage Act of 1917 and make videography of sensitive national defense sites a crime punishable with a fine, 10 years in prison or... Read More »
Plan will modernize U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) recently entered into a 10-year agreement to revitalize and modernize the USMMA campus in Kings Point, N.Y. The USMMA academy on Long Island is one of five federal service academies. The... Read More »
WHO member states make progress on pandemic agreement
Member states of the World Health Organization recently forged a draft agreement to help make the world safer from pandemics. The proposal, which will be considered at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May, aims to strengthen global collaboration on prevention, preparedness and response to... Read More »