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A new law that would protect first responders in the event of a terrorist attack using anthrax drew strong support from the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
The First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a five-year pilot... Read More »
A bill, authored by U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and John Ratcliffe (R-TX), to strengthen collaborative cybersecurity research initiatives between the United States and Israel was signed into law last week.
The bill, titled the United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act of 2016,... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, recently sent a letter to Speaker of the House U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) calling for the creation of a Select Committee on Cybersecurity.
Approximately 80 committees and subcommittees currently claim some... Read More »
The U.S. Border Patrol recently launched a new initiative called Se Busca Información, which will seek to expand on consequences against dangerous smugglers operating in the Del Rio Border Sector.
The initiative will focus on obtaining information from the public in order to locate smugglers.... Read More »
As the prevalence of smart meters has grown in recent years, utilities are now grappling with cybersecurity challenges presented by the need to protect large volumes of data.
The potential for security breaches can rise exponentially as more smart meters are implemented into utilities systems.... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists at Port Huron recently discovered remnants of a khapra beetle, an insect designated for a high-risk of pest infection, in a cargo shipment of split and washed beans from India at the Blue Water Bridge.
After a brief examination,... Read More »
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee released last week a comprehensive review of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of intelligence to counter terrorist threats and activities.
The report, “Reviewing the Department of Homeland Security’s Intelligence Enterprise... Read More »
President Barack Obama signed last week the Northern Border Security Review Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and aims to assess and strengthen security at the U.S. border with Canada.
The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) released this week a minority staff memorandum detailing federal support for public health research on gun violence and revealing a setback in federal efforts due to a lack of funding
The memo was released on the four-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently held a command ceremony to swear in Robert White as director of field operations (DFO) for CBP’s Chicago Field Office.
White replaces DFO William Ferrara, who recently transferred to CBP’s Boston Field Office.
From 2015 to 2016, White... Read More »
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently began a fact-finding mission in Syria in the wake of allegations that chemical weapons have been used in the area of Uqayribat in the Hama Governate in Syria.
The area in question has been linked to the control of the... Read More »
The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently took action to disrupt the financial infrastructure of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) by designating the Iraq-based Selselat al Thahab Money Exchange as well as ISIL financier Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi and his company, the Hanifa... Read More »
A coalition of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives recently called for a comprehensive investigation into potential 2016 presidential election interference carried out by individuals working for the Russian government.
“The first duty of the United States government is to... Read More »
The U.S. Senate passed this week the Promoting Travel, Commerce and National Security Act of 2016. The bill will allow travelers to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspections prior to traveling to reduce overall wait times and aid in identifying individuals who represent a threat... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in coordination with Europe’s European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3), arrested approximately 34 individuals in connection with an international cyber crime investigation across 13 different countries.
The operation was aimed at users who offered services... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently began posting notices at airports to inform travelers that the agency will begin enforcing REAL ID requirements at airport security checkpoints beginning in Jan. 2018.
The REAL ID program stipulates that any traveler suing their... Read More »
Agents with the Yuma Sector Border Patrol recently apprehended multiple individuals over separate incidents in connection with cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana trafficking.
On Dec. 10, Blythe Station agents seized more than 30 pounds of cocaine and 15 pounds of methamphetamine, which... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Earl L. Carter (R-GA) on Monday introduced the TSA Screening Transparency and Accountability Act, which will analyze cost effectiveness, efficiency and customer satisfaction of the screening partnership program (SPP) compared to the screening procedures of the Transportation Security... Read More »
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) recently held its 17th Global Programme on Anti-Corruption, Financial Crimes and Asset Recovery in Colombia, which focused on combating financial crimes associated with cocaine trafficking in Latin America.
The course drew more than 40... Read More »
Health Canada recently approved a new drug submission from Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. for its botulism antitoxin, BAT, which is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic botulism. BAT is administered following documented or suspected exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A through G in... Read More »
President-elect Donald J. Trump recently selected General John Kelly as his nomination for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
While serving as Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Kelly oversaw U.S. military operations in Central and South America as well as the... Read More »
According to a recent report by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), governments, industry and international organizations alike must accelerate response efforts to protect against cyberattacks to protect against catastrophic consequences.
The report, titled Outpacing Cyber Threats: Priorities... Read More »
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson hosted this week a coalition of Chinese government officials for the third U.S.-China High-level Joint Dialogue on Cybercrime and Related Issues to discuss a range of topics related to international cybercrime... Read More »
Emergent Biosolutions said on Thursday it signed a $911 million contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to supply vaccines to the Strategic National Stockpile to bolster U.S. national preparedness efforts in the event of a biological attack.
The global biopharmaceutical... Read More »
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action earlier this week to impede financial support networks of the terrorist group al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
The department designated AQAP leaders Al-Hasan Ali Ali Abkar and Abdallah Faysal... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently opened a temporary holding facility near the Donna-Rio International Bridge as a response to the recent surge in unaccompanied migrant children and family units arriving in South Texas.
The facility is located approximately 16 miles east of... Read More »
The Alliance for Biosecurity commended the U.S. Senate’s passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which contains provisions to promote innovation and efficiency in the development of new medical countermeasures.
A key issue the organization cited in the bill was a provision for the development... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently awarded Raytheon BBN Technologies multiple contracts to research and develop technologies to detect and respond to cyber attacks on U.S. power grid infrastructure.
The company will be developing... Read More »
The Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity recently released an assessment of the current state of U.S. cybersecurity and provided a series of recommendations that the government and private sector could take to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
“The commission... Read More »
Multiple provisions introduced by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) were included in the recently passed FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). They included full funding for two aircraft at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the A-10 and EC-130H Compass Call, and stronger retention and... Read More »
In response to North Korea’s September 2016 nuclear test and ongoing violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 16 entities and seven individuals for their ties to the Government of North... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives voted last week on the the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions introduced by U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) to strengthen border security measures.
Thompson’s inclusions addressed Customs and Border Protection’s... Read More »
The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) recently indicated the agency plans to implement new technology into its training courses, including the latest evolution of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
IMS technology revolves around a... Read More »
A coalition of law enforcement authorities including German police, U.S. authorities, the FBI, Europol, Eurojust and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) recently dismantled an international criminal infrastructure platform known as Avalanche.
The Avalanche network was used... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) recently said his amendment to elevate the U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) to a Combatant Command has been included in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
U.S. Cyber Command is currently a subordinate unit to U.S. Strategic Command, which was developed... Read More »
