Time for America to Get Cyber-Serious – The Foundry
In the 1995 movie The Net, Sandra Bullock fights computer hackers attempting to cyber-sabotage her life. The hackers successfully change her identity, manipulate U.S. markets, and access the private personal data of U.S. officials. While the clunky looking computers, cell phones, and storyline in the movie are joked about today, cyber terrorism is a real—and much bigger—threat 16 years later.
House Trims Homeland Security Science Spending – Science Insider
Next year’s budget for science and technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be drastically downsized under a spending bill passed yesterday by the House of Representatives. The legislation would reduce current funding for the S&T directorate by 52%, from $827 million to $398 million. By comparison, the Obama Administration has requested $1.2 billion for that program in fiscal year 2012, which begins on 1 October.
House Committee Report Disputes TSA Findings On Private Airport Screening – HSToday
US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure issued a report Friday claiming that the use of private airport screeners under federal supervision is both more efficient and cost effective than an all-federal screening force.
House votes to cut TSA’s budget by $270 million – Washington Post
The Republican-controlled House approved legislation Thursday that would cut funding for transportation security officers, the men and women on the front line of aviation safety. The 219 to 204 vote approved cutting the Transportation Security Administration’s budget by $270 million, according to Democrats and union leaders.
New U.S., Pakistan Joint Counterterrorism Team to Focus on High Value Targets – IPT Blog
Officials have confirmed that the U.S. and Pakistan will form a joint counterterrorism team, the Associated Press reports.
Senate Demands National Disaster Recovery Plan From FEMA – Disaster Zone
Hmm, this is not an easy answer for the Senate. FEMA is on the hook for delivering a National Disaster Recovery Framework and they are still in DRAFT mode. I see the challenging word being “National” and not Federal.
Homeland Security testing mind-reading terrorist ‘pre-crime’ detectors – Computer World
Many times, technologies from popular science fiction movies have later blended with real science and technology to become reality. Deployment of just such surveillance technology, somewhere between mind-reading machines and a “pre-crime” program, is currently being tested against real life to remotely detect terrorists or assassins, to find people with malicious intentions.
Heightened border security helps fuel billion dollar smuggling business – Homeland Security Newswire
As the United States makes it more difficult to cross its borders illegally, business for human traffickers has been booming with smugglers making billions of dollars a year.
Two Iraqis Indicted in Kentucky on Terrorism Charges – The IPT Blog
Two Iraqi nationals have been indicted on terrorism charges, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Kentucky announced Tuesday. The previously sealed indictment, returned last week by a federal grand jury, charged Waad Alwan and Mohanad Hammadi on 23 counts related to helping insurgents, including al-Qaida linked fighters, in Iraq.
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