Security Debrief

Enhanced Passenger Screening Requires Enhanced Airline Cooperation

It’s unclear from news reports who precisely stopped Faisal Shahzad – the would-be Times Square bomber – from departing the United States. While his name appeared to have been added to the No-Fly list on Monday afternoon, he was still able to board an Emirates Airlines flight to Dubai. While we should be grateful for the successful conclusion of a 48-hour manhunt, the last-minute rush to prevent the plane from taking off underlines the need for close cooperation and timely communication between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), particularly CBP, and the airlines.

Charges filed against Times Square car bombing suspect

Charges filed against Times Square car bombing suspect – CNN
A suspect in the failed Times Square car bombing admitted to law enforcement officials that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan, court documents allege.

The System Worked: Faisal Shahzad's Failed Bomb in Times Square

For what seemed an endless series of weeks, DHS Secretary Napolitano was mercilessly mocked and derided for uttering three words following the failed Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253 – she stated, “The system worked.” As debatable as those words may have been to describe the failed intelligence and cooperation efforts, they seem to be the only words that accurately describe the unfolding results of the capture of the suspected and failed Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad.

Military Wants To Super-Charge Troop Smarts

Military Wants To Super-Charge Troop Smarts – Danger Room
The Pentagon’s been trying to get ahead of the curve on neuroscience for years, toying with ideas like mind reading lie-detection and performance degrading drugs for enemy combatants. Now, they’re launching a major effort in harnessing neuroscience to better prepare soldiers for the mental rigors of modern warfare.

Cyber Concern In the Heartland

I had the privilege this past weekend to do several non-Beltway speaking engagements in Michigan. I spoke about 9/11, the war in Iraq and Afganistan, my old boss (Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld), terrorism and cybersecurity. These groups proved to be articulate, well educated and positively starving for information they expected to come from their government. But that did not surprise me as much as the fact that by far I received the most questions about cybersecurity.

Terrorist Short List is Getting Longer

On March 29, two suicide bombings targeting Moscow’s subway system killed dozens and injured many others. The bombs reverberated here in the United States. New York immediately beefed up its subway security. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CN) warned all Americans to be extra-vigilant on buses and trains. However, the American response to the Moscow bombings misses the real terrorist threat to the United States. U.S. intelligence should prioritize and focus on America’s most dangerous enemies. Here is a list of the groups posing the most immediate threat to the United States.

Napolitano: Aviation Threat Constantly Evolving

Napolitano: Aviation Threat Constantly Evolving – CQ Homeland Security
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano characterized aviation as a sector vulnerable to attack and outlined the U.S. strategy for solving that problem during a pair of speeches Thursday. Napolitano identified one particularly difficult issue that the Obama administration is facing: the fact that its forces cannot screen travelers in foreign airports, even if they are coming to the United States.

Former NSA executive accused of leaking classified information

Former NSA executive accused of leaking classified information – Government Executive
A federal grand jury has indicted a former National Security Agency senior executive on 10 felony counts related to sharing classified information with the media, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.

The indictment alleges that Thomas A. Drake, a high-ranking NSA employee from 2001 through 2008, served as a source in 2006 and 2007 for newspaper articles about the intelligence agency. The indictment claims that some of the information he disclosed was classified.

Great Leaders Are Only One Step in Achieving Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity remains a key issue in the nation’s security. Numerous stories in the news show that while big things are happening, we badly need them to move in a positive direction, and soon. We have passed this ball between the branches of our government for far too long. Decisions need to be made and action taken. As an optimist by nature, I believe that we are now more secure than we were a few years ago. Unfortunately, the threats are growing faster than we can react to them. All of the imagination and intellectual power of this great nation must be unleashed on this problem.

NSA on the Flash-Media Hunt

NSA on the Flash-Media Hunt – NextGov
Shh, the National Security Agency has developed a software tool that detects thumb drives or other flash media connected to a network, and any federal agency can get a copy free — no box tops or coupons required.