It’s a basic lesson any semi-decent carpenter or weekend handyman knows. If you have the right tools, you can do your job a lot easier and a whole lot better. As basic as this premise might be, it is one that we have failed to follow in terms of dealing with fire and ice in this country. With a median age of several decades and enormous wear and tear, the reliability and safety our firefighting planes is in serious question.
FEMA Blog: Announcing First Nationwide EAS Test Today, as part of our larger efforts to strengthen our nation’s preparedness and resiliency, FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission announced that we will conduct the first national-level test of the Emergency Alert System on November 9th of this year at 2 pm eastern. Similar to the way […]
Superconductor: How useful is de-identification for protecting privacy? The claim that the de-identification of personal data has no value and does not protect privacy due to the ease of re-identification is a myth. If proper de-identification techniques and re-identification risk measurement procedures are used, re-identification remains a relatively difficult task. However, we recognize that this […]
ICE Raid Report: Feds crack down on illegal immigrants in Michigan (Detroit Free Press) Some legal experts said prosecuting illegal re-entry cases is an easy way for authorities to make the public think they’re combating illegal immigration. “On paper, it looks great, but in reality, who are they prosecuting? And what are they prosecuting them […]
Sr. Reporter: DTO, TCO and cartel — what’s in a drug-war name? The discussion about what to call drug-trafficking groups is taking some interesting turns. In recent weeks, at least two others have weighed in on the question of what you call the groups that move illegal drug from points south into the United […]
The Bitcoin Heist: Not the First, Not the Last « Speaking of Security – The RSA Blog and Podcast With the ability to play completely anonymously with e-currency (thanks to the infrastructure that was established to support the underground trading) targeting e-currency services became a great way for making a quick buck. Fraudsters are already […]
San Francisco is beautiful, historic and diverse. But as nice as that city is, I remain disturbed by its anti-military reputation. The SF Police and Human Rights Commission held hearings on Joint Terrorism Task Force operations in San Francisco. The hearings specifically addressed the FBI Domestic Investigations and Operations Guidelines that allow the JTTF to commence an investigation/surveillance without a direct nexus to criminal activity. I wonder if residents of San Francisco and the SFPD will ever “get it.”
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the trip to Washington yesterday to meet with members of Congress and delivered a very strong speech at a Council on Foreign Relations symposium, “The Future of U.S. Immigration Policy.” Bloomberg’s message was one that all sides in the caustic immigration debate need to hear: that in the dire economic situation this country faces, the question is no longer what the United States can do for immigrants, it’s what immigrants can do for us.
There are now criminal turf wars going on over the thousands of computers that comprise botnets across America and the world. This “invisible” conflict is unknown to most computer users in America. Botnets can be used to search for and steal money, financial data, passwords, and intellectual property. The size of some of the botnets out there rival and surpass the capabilities of most nation states, and the guys who control them are NOT the good guys.
The media is reporting changes to the Attorney General Guidelines. it looks like expanded authority to conduct physical surveillances, polygraphs of informants and limited attendance at public functions is not much change in terms of intrusion into the civil liberties of our population. I understand that some people may be alarmed; however, I know that the FBI’s agents charged with collecting intelligence within the United States are closely supervised – I was one of them.
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