Looking ahead in cyber, I have written some predictions for the actors, events and threats in 2011. Though we have not yet had a major cyber event in the United States, my gut says it’s coming. Here are five other major events we can expect in the coming year.
Lawmakers say cybersecurity is a top priority in 2011 – NextGov
Cybersecurity will be a top priority for the Republican-led House in 2011, but it is unknown when Congress will act on legislation to revamp an outdated federal cyber law, say aides to incoming GOP leaders.
Printer Bomb Scare Raises Issues For Congress – Aviation Daily
Congress will have its hands full dealing with a multitude of policy issues raised by the October discovery of explosive printer bombs destined for U.S.-bound, all-cargo aircraft, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says in a December report.
By Edward Alden
The DHS Office of the Inspector General this week released a report on implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which for the first time in U.S. history requires all crossers at the land borders with Canada and Mexico to present secure documents. While 96 percent of border crossers complied, four percent did not. Senator Cornyn voiced concern about this four percent, but in a free and open country like the United States, there can never be such a thing as a completely secure border.
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) recently published an op-ed in Roll Call, calling for Congress to “grab a shovel” and start digging the country out of debt. He noted wasteful spending in DHS but neglected to address the wasteful and counterproductive manner in which Congress currently oversees DHS. I responded to the Congressman, beginning with an old adage: if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
MPAC Slams Plan to Investigate Homegrown Radicalization – The IPT blog
The incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., plans to investigate the radicalization of American Muslims next year.
‘Stinging’ would-be terrorists – LA Times Editorial
From Abscam to the arrest of former Washington Mayor Marion Barry on drug charges, sting operations have brought accusations that the government was entrapping its targets. This perennial complaint has acquired a new sensitivity with charges that the FBI, as part of its anti-terrorism activities, is inducing Muslims to take part in fictitious plots and then arresting them.
YouTube is letting users decide on terrorism-related videos – LA Times
Nudity. Sexual activity. Animal abuse. All are reasons YouTube users can flag a video for removal from the website. Add a new category: promotes terrorism.
By Edward Alden
Nearly a decade after the United States and Canada set the early template for cross-border cooperation in the post-9/11 era with the 2001 Smart Border Accords, the two governments finally appear ready to take the next step towards a genuine system of “perimeter security.” While the initiative as outlined makes tremendous sense on both sides of the border, it will face significant opposition in Canada from those who fear that national sovereignty will be sacrificed on the altar of continental security, and in the United States from those who favor unilateral approaches to securing the borders.
Holder tells Muslim audience ‘no apologies’ for sting operations – The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room
Attorney General Eric Holder told a Muslim and Arab-American audience Friday that law enforcement sting operations are not entrapment, calling the arrest of a would-be terrorist in November a “successful undercover operation.”
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