DHS Graduates Second Advanced Radiation Detection Course
Oct 18, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) has announced the graduation of the second class of the Advanced Radiation Detection (ARD) course in Suffolk County, N.Y.
The five-day course focuses on the preventive radiological and nuclear detection (PRND) mission and provides participants from state, local and municipal jurisdictions with the skills needed to detect and investigate the potential malicious use of radioactive or nuclear material.
"The Advanced Radiation Detection course is the capstone course in the national preventive radiological and nuclear detection curriculum," says Vayl S. Oxford, DNDO director....
Northrop Grumman Corp. Sees Homeland Security Growth Ahead
Oct 18, 2007
Northrop Grumman Corp. generates about $1 billion in Homeland security revenues each year and says it expects annual growth of more than 8 percent in the sector over the next three years.
Yearly growth could reach around 9 percent in about five years, as more and more large-scale Homeland security programs take shape, creating operations and support work for contractors, says Bruce Walker, vice president of Homeland security for Northrop, in an interview with Reuters.
"We're going to start to see an upswing in the adoption some of the technologies that are currently being tested and designed," Walker says....
AlliedBarton Security Services Assists Chemical Industry
Oct 18, 2007
AlliedBarton Security Services, a provider of trained security personnel, is assisting the chemical and petrochemical industry with security programs needed to comply with pending new Federal security regulations. Led by Scott R. Gane, CPP, who has a background in the protection and safety of nuclear and industrial facilities, AlliedBarton is working to ensure these highly sensitive sites are in compliance with the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards. CFATS, enacted by Section 550 of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007, authorizes the implementation of risk-based performance standards for the nation's high-risk chemical facilities.
"New Federal regulations will require that chemical and petrochemical industries take a critical look at the methodology in place to secure their facilities," says Gane, vice president, chemical/petrochemical security, AlliedBarton Security Services....
Report Says U.S. Policies Should Promote Research Exchange
Oct 18, 2007
To strengthen the essential role that science and technology play in maintaining national and economic security, the United States should ensure the open exchange of unclassified research despite the small risk that it could be misused for harm by terrorists or rogue nations, says a new report by the National Research Council. Because science and technology are truly global pursuits, U.S. universities and research institutions must continue to welcome foreign-born science and engineering students, said the committee of former national security leaders and senior university researchers and administrators who wrote the report.
While concerns about certain types of research findings falling into the wrong hands are legitimate and safeguards are needed, the gains in science and technology that flow from the free exchange of information far outweigh the slight risks, the report says. Extreme measures to curtail the flow of essential information or people would significantly disrupt advances that are critical to U.S. military and economic security. Meeting the challenges of future technological or biological threats depends upon developments that can only come from long-term academic research....
National Security Agency Protecting Against Hackers
Oct 4, 2007
In a major shift, the National Security Agency (NSA) is drawing up plans for a new domestic assignment: helping protect government and private communications networks from cyberattacks and infiltration by terrorists and hackers, according to current and former intelligence officials.
From electricity grids to subways to nuclear power plants, the United States depends more than ever on Internet-based control systems that could be manipulated remotely in a terrorist attack, security specialists told The Baltimore Sun.
The plan calls for the NSA to work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies to monitor such networks to prevent unauthorized intrusion, according to those with knowledge of what is known internally as the "Cyber Initiative." Details of the project are highly classified....
Report States Importance of Securing Maritime Cargo
Oct 4, 2007
Maritime trade is a critical part of the country's economy, but it also represents a serious vulnerability that must be addressed, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Reform Institute. "Containing the Threat: Protecting the Global Supply Chain Through Enhanced Cargo Container Security" presents a broad overview of the threats involving maritime cargo and provides recommendations for strengthening cargo container security, reports Border and Port Security.
More than 90 percent of global commerce is carried over the sea. This reliance on shipping represents a potential vulnerability; a terrorist attack involving shipping could severely disrupt the global supply chain and cripple the economy. ...
Companies To Provide Smart IDs For First Responders
Oct 4, 2007
A group of smart-card technology companies have formed a consortium to put affordable smart identification cards into the hands of first responders at the state and local levels, according to Government Computer News.
The companies will provide hardware, software and services free or at steep discounts to cut the cost of deploying interoperable cards by as much as 75 percent.
The consortium, Tiers of Trust, was announced Sept. 11, the sixth anniversary of demonstration of the need for, and the lack of, reliable interoperable IDs that could be used to verify identity and track the presence of emergency response personnel. The same need and shortfalls were demonstrated again in the 2005 response to Hurricane Katrina. ...
DHS Announces Grants for National Preparedness Training Initiatives
Oct 4, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the awarding of grant money under two programs that strengthen the coordinated training efforts of Homeland security preparedness.
Under the fiscal year (FY) 2007 Homeland Security National Training Program (HSNTP), $84 million in cooperative and interagency agreements are being awarded to applicants to design, develop and deliver training content and support for federal, state, local and tribal jurisdictions in accordance with DHS doctrine guidance and approved Homeland security strategies. Training will be designed for and delivered to appropriate state and local personnel in emergency management, public health, clinical care, public works, public safety as well as the private sector and nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations. ...
DHS Launches Initiatives To Strengthen Private Aircraft Security
Sep 20, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced new efforts to further improve aircraft security in the United States. DHS is working to strengthen security associated with private aircraft by publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which will require more detailed information about arriving and departing private aircraft and persons onboard within a timeframe necessary to assess the risks that certain flights may pose to national security.
DHS is working through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify and vet passengers and crew on inbound and outbound international private aircraft, generally defined as non-commercial flights....
Keeping Good Habits For Disaster Preparedness
Sep 20, 2007
It can be said that the first half of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season has been largely uneventful. Yet, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was still predicting 13-16 named storms this season. Citing warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in key areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and the El Niño/La Niña cycle, NOAA expects storms to continue to form over the tropical region of the Atlantic Ocean through September, increasing the chance that the storms will move westward towards the coastal U.S. as they strengthen.
Faced with the increased likelihood of destructive storms making landfall, many state and local government officials may be asking what they can do to keep their cities and states functioning during a major business disruption such as a hurricane. A well-managed disaster preparedness plan can help prevent costly downtime and reduce inconvenience to citizens....
Hidden Risks Need More Attention
Sep 20, 2007
Law enforcement officers are normally aware that police work is a high-risk occupation that often involves physical contact in order to subdue violent suspects or prisoners. Now another, perhaps more subtle, risk to officers' safety has been brought to attention. In addition to their potential for violence, a suspect or prisoner may well carry an unknown infection.
Once a subject is subdued, the danger is still not over. The infectious material may well contaminate booking stations, holding cells or the final point of incarceration. Police stations, jails and prisons may be contaminated by a host of unseen microbes on surfaces and spread throughout the facility by HVAC systems....
Do National Security And Video Games Go Together?
Sep 20, 2007
If Donna Djordjevich, a computer scientist and software engineer out of Sandia, a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory, has her way, today's video game-loving youth will become our next generation's terrorist-fighting scientist. A prototype project to make it happen is under development with the University of Southern California's GamePipe Laboratory. And a recent demonstration of the prototype for real-world emergency responders indicates she is on track.
Djordjevich is the principal investigator of a Sandia-funded project titled "Game Technology-Enhanced Simulation for Homeland Security." Its mission is to create an interactive gaming platform specifically designed to prepare decision makers and first responders for weapons of mass destruction/weapons of mass effect (WMD/WME) attacks in metropolitan areas....
Smart Card Alliance Says No To Long-Range RFID
Sep 6, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and several states including Arizona, Vermont and Washington, have recently announced programs to develop and issue enhanced state driver's licenses that could be used as acceptable alternative documents for crossing the United States' land and sea borders. The Smart Card Alliance has serious privacy and security concerns for U.S. citizens participating in these programs based on the direction DHS has been recommending for the enhanced driver's license technology.
The Smart Card Alliance applauds state efforts to boost security at borders while facilitating trade and tourism; however, the Alliance also believes that ensuring the privacy and security of U.S. citizens is a primary requirement and that the technology choice for an enhanced driver's license must also address this critical requirement....
DHS Announces West Coast Maritime Radiation Detection Project
Sep 6, 2007
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) announced the West Coast Maritime pilot program that will provide maritime radiation detection capabilities for State and local authorities in Washington's Puget Sound and California's San Diego areas.
The three-year pilot program involves the development of a radiation detection architecture that reduces the risk of radiological and nuclear threats that could be illegally transported on recreational or small commercial vessels. The pilot will be conducted in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection....
Chertoff Frustrated By Lack Of Sacrifice
Sep 6, 2007
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says public opposition to a host of new border security programs stalls government efforts to tighten security, according to The USA Today.
Such opposition ranges from Texas ranchers who don't want border fences built on their property to northern border-state residents who don't want to get passports to cross back-and-forth between Canada and the United States. Chertoff says he is frustrated by the growing number of "people who say, 'Yes, protect us, but not if it inconveniences me.' "...
