Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: cyber_security Image Caption: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Electronic attacks on critical infrastructure are becoming more damaging and perilous, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who described a recent, Cyber attack on Saudi oil company ARAMCO possibly backed by Iranian hackers. In an Oct. 11 speech…
Chinese telecom firms present security threat, says Congressional report
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: infrastructure_protection Image Caption: Huawei Chinese telecommunications gear makers Huawei and ZTE pose a threat to U.S. national security and those doing business with the companies should find another vendor, said a report from a House intelligence committee investigating the companies. The sharply critical report from…
New virus not easily transmitted, says WHO
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: access_control_identification Image Caption: Coronavirus The new coronavirus that has infected several travelers to Saudi Arabia isn’t easily transmitted person-to-person, said the World Health Organization on Sept. 28. There had been no additional cases reported of the SARS-related respiratory virus as of Sept. 28, said the…
Benghazi attack was terrorist action, says top intel official
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: federal_agencies_legislative Image Caption: Senate homeland security hearing The Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya that claimed the life of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. government workers, was an act of terrorism, not a spontaneous action, a top U.S….
Fraudsters put new twists on Cyber scams, says FBI
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: law_enforcement_first_responders Cyber fraudsters are putting new spin on electronic scams in hopes of bamboozling computer users, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Sept. 19 Scam Alert. The report, which is based upon information from law enforcement and complaints submitted to the center, details…
Benghazi attack was terrorist action, top intel official says
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: federal_agencies_legislative Image Caption: Senate homeland security hearing The Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya that claimed the life of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. government workers, was an act of terrorism, not a spontaneous action, a top U.S. intelligence…
Undocumented immigrants could add billions in state tax revenues, says study
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: border_security Undocumented immigrants could generate billions of dollars for state tax coffers, a new study from an immigrants’ rights group claims, bolstering arguments to provide them with a path to U.S. citizenship instead of deportation. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia, it…
ASIS 2012: Iran, China, budgets threaten security, Gates says
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: federal_agencies_legislative Image Caption: Robert Gates Iran, China and budget instabilities present the greatest challenges to the national security of the U.S., said former U.S. secretary of defense Robert Gates at an ASIS 2012 keynote speech here in Philadelphia on Sept. 12. The three threats are…
ASIS 2012: Fukushima reactor cleanup progressing, but task daunting, says Japanese IAEA rep
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: cbrne_detection Image Caption: Fukushima The damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant inflicted by the horrific 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami is being repaired, but the work is going slowly, with some damage that could take as long as another five years to fix, said…
Justice Department needs to adjust terror data reporting, says IG
Mark Rockwell Top Priority Sector: federal_agencies_legislative Image Caption: Justice Department The U.S. Justice Department’s National Security Division needs to make some finer adjustments in how it collects and reports terrorism statistics, said a report from the agency’s Inspector General (IG) issued on Sept. 6. An IG follow-up audit report covering…