Federal Homeland Security
New Approach
By Stephanie Silk
The security and stability of a high-risk facility relies as much on the attentiveness and leadership of its security officers as it does on technology....
Cyber Terror
By Michael Fickes
Two months before Russian tanks rolled into South Ossetia in Georgia, denial of service attacks began shutting down Web sites used by the Georgian government...
Technical School Grads Targeted For National Border Security Jobs
May 15, 2008
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently sent letters to more than 100 technical schools around the country, encouraging graduating students to consider pursuing a federal career in a host of available jobs....
Technology At The Ports
Larry Anderson Stephanie Silk Michael Fickes Rafi Bhonker
The Port of Los Angeles, located in San Pedro Bay, is Southern California's 7,500-acre gateway to international commerce. Throughout 43 miles of waterfront...
An Automation ANSWER
By Vik Ghai
The MiFARE Classic card used in physical access control systems (PACS), contactless payments, public transportation, etc. was recently hacked. Government...
Iris Readers Speed Travelers Through Security
May 1, 2008
Verified Identity Pass Inc., New York, the operator of the Clear (flyclear.com) airport security fast-pass system, is deploying biometric iris readers...
An Institutional Focus
Mar 1, 2008
Centers of Excellence, designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are designed to support, stimulate and sustain the nation's intellectual...
All Points Secure
BY ASHLEY ROE
Fort Stewart and the nearby Hunter Army Airfield (HAAF), both located near Savannah, Ga., serve as leading U.S. Army mobilization stations for Operation...
Report Finds Inconclusive Answers To Radiation Detector Test
Mar 1, 2008
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tests of new radiation detection machines last year did not show whether the costly devices performed well enough...
The Power of Fusion
By Michael Fickes
More than a year before 9/11, intelligence collected by the National Security Agency (NSA) could have identified one of the hijackers, but NSA didn't...
Threat Condition ORANGE
By Roger L. Kemp
In order to improve coordination and communication among all levels of government and the public in the fight against terrorism, the President signed...
Deadline Looms
Jan 1, 2008
The final rule for REAL ID compliance provides the necessary guidance for states to begin building systems and linking networks to fulfill the mandates...
Triggering A Cyber War
By Kevin G. Coleman
Much attention is being given to the threat of a cyber war. Opinions about how close or how far away we are from such an event differ greatly among the...
Walk, Screen and Detect
By Stephanie Silk
In October 2007, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would award $52.3 million in contracts to deploy security technology...
A Canopy of Connectivity
By Ashley Roe
At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) 10 national laboratories, 4,200 staff members conduct...
PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: A Shared Responsibility
Dec 1, 2007
One of the key issues confronting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), state, local and tribal governments and...
Alabama Gets Virtual
Dec 1, 2007
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security have unveiled the Virtual Alabama software program, a limited-access Web site that...
Secret Service Agents Go Online To Fight Electronic Crime
By Jacqueline Emich
Among most of us, the U.S. Secret Service is closely associated with the physical protection of the President and other top government officials. Beyond...
MARITIME SECURITY: Protecting Naval Vessels
Oct 1, 2007
The U.S. Navy protects its ships using what looks like a series of tennis nets sitting on cylindrical-shaped floats that fasten together to form a floating...
Video In Flight
Aug 1, 2007
Today's more sophisticated security video surveillance systems must be reliable, and more complex video systems can be susceptible to signal and dependability...
Study Shows Fed Workers In Dark About Security
May 31, 2007
SecureInfo, McLean, Va., a security firm that specializes in federal government services, has published a study (available on request for download here.) showing that although more than 90 percent of agency workers have completed a security awareness training course in the last 12 months, some 65 percent of them say they have never heard of FISMA, the federal IT security standard.
The Federal Information Security Management Act defines the U.S. government's requirements for information security, both in IT and among workers and contractors, according to Forbes.
Under FISMA, agency employees are required to complete a "security awareness" course every year, and both the SecureInfo study and the FISMA report to Congress indicate that more than 90 percent of workers have completed that course....
Security Firms At Higher Risk For Attack In Iraq
May 31, 2007
Private security contractors became notorious for making money from the invasion of Iraq. But without them, the number of coalition troops in the country would have been significantly higher. And since the peak of the market in 2004, they have faced greater dangers than ever and reduced financial returns, according to the Financial Times.
"It's certainly more dangerous. The number and the sophistication of attacks have risen, as has the level of information the terrorists have regarding our activities," says Jonathan Garratt, managing director of Erinys, London, which has about 1,000 security personnel in Iraq mainly on U.S. government contracts....
Homeland Security Looks To Sci-fi Authors
May 31, 2007
Looking to prevent the next terrorist attack, the Homeland Security Department is tapping into the wild imaginations of a group of self-described "deviant" thinkers: science-fiction writers.
"We spend our entire careers living in the future," says author Arlan Andrews, one of a handful of writers the government brought to Washington to attend a Homeland Security conference on science and technology, according to USA Today.
Those responsible for keeping the nation safe from devastating attacks realize that in addition to border agents, police and airport screeners, they "need people to think of crazy ideas," Andrews says....
DHS Completes Plans For Critical Infrastructure Protection
May 31, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced the completion of 17 Sector-Specific Plans (SSPs) in support of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). The plan outlines a comprehensive risk management framework that defines critical infrastructure protection roles and responsibilities for all levels of government and private industry. Each SSP is tailored to the risk characteristics of that sector to promote greater consistency of protective programs and resources within the sectors.
"The consequences of an assault against America's vast network of critical infrastructure sites could be dire, both in loss of life and in economic impact," says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "At the same time, we must avoid imposing onerous security measures that would damage or make economically impractical the very systems that we're trying to protect. The security roadmap reflects unprecedented coordination among the public and private sectors. These plans are already significantly strengthening vital infrastructure and reducing vulnerability to all hazards -- terrorist attack and natural disaster alike."...
Trusted Traveler Programs Grow
May 17, 2007
The slow-developing program to give expedited passage at airport security to trusted travelers who pay a fee is finally gaining traction, reports USA Today.
More than five years after it was proposed following the 9/11 terrorism, trusted traveler programs are operating at six airports. Five more airports in recent weeks have signed with a private partner to operate the government's Registered Traveler program.
And at least four others -- Washington Dulles, Reagan Washington National, Denver and San Francisco -- say they are shopping for partners to run their Registered Traveler programs.
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