May 30, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

S&T Conference, June 2-5, in Washington, DC, begins in less than one week.  The S&T Directorate is interested in receiving input from Homeland Security professionals and organizations that can supply new or improved products and capabilities to its customers at the Federal, state, and local levels.  Please review the detailed information below. 

2008 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference East
“Partnering for a Safer Nation”
June 2-5, 2008 * Ronald Reagan International Trade Center * Washington, D.C.

The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology highlight the speakers list for the 2008 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference East, taking place June 2-5 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C,, presented by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) with subject matter support provided by the Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.  The theme for the conference is “Partnering for a Safer Nation.”

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May 28, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

A group suspected of stealing secret files on potential terrorists in San Diego and elsewhere apparently operated with impunity from one of Camp Pendleton’s most heavily guarded buildings, newly obtained court records and investigative reports show. Its members – military reservists and law enforcement officers – allegedly swiped the classified documents from the Strategic Technical Operations Center.Base officials have acknowledged the center’s existence without discussing anything about it, citing national security concerns. But FBI and Navy agents said in reports that Col. Larry Richards, a Marine reservist, and his accomplices had no trouble evading the building’s security measures.

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May 28, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Last June, the Department of Homeland Security leaked a video documenting a disturbing experiment. Using only digital means, researchers hacked into a power plant’s generator and caused it to cough and shake before shutting down in a cloud of black smoke. That clip, demonstrating what has since become known as the Aurora vulnerability, served as a wake-up call for regulators, highlighting the need to guard against cyber-security threats to critical infrastructure like power plants and the telecom system.But at a recent congressional hearing, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security warned that those regulatory bodies aren’t moving fast enough. “I think we could search far and wide and not find a more disorganized response to a national security issue of this import,” said Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology. He pointed a finger to several groups including the DHS and the power industry for working too slowly to mitigate the threat.

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May 28, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

U.S. government agencies are scrambling to plug one of their biggest security holes: sensitive information — names, addresses and Social Security numbers, for example — stored on laptops, handhelds and thumb drives. In the last year, agencies have purchased 800,000 licenses for encryption software through the federal Data at Rest (DAR) Encryption program, which is run jointly by the General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.The government’s fast adoption rate of encryption software comes after numerous headline-grabbing security breaches. Laptop encryption has also been on the rise among corporations, including the likes of EMC and IBM. This year alone, laptops with personally identifiable information have been stolen from Bolling Air Force Base, a Marine Corps base in Okinawa, Japan and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. In all of these cases, the data wasn’t encrypted.

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May 28, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

Officials reported that they halted services on a major subway line that circles Beijing on two separate occasions on 28 May 2008, citing unspecified emergencies. Local media sources stated later that the No.2 line was suspended due to technical issues. Officials, after investigating, indicated that the suspensions were due to “signal failure” rather than any security or terrorist related incident. The subway line has since resumed normal operations.

The police presence in Beijing has increased exponentially ahead of the Olympic Games, with strict security checks being fully enforced. As reported in Hot Spots on 9 May, canine units and metal detectors are being implemented as additional security measures at each security checkpoint.

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May 21, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 On 20 May 2008 the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm issued the following Warden Message: “The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm alerts American citizens residing in and traveling to Sweden that the Iraq Compact Annual Review Conference will take place in Stockholm from May 28 to 30, 2008. According to the official website (www.icistockholm.se), the conference is an intergovernmental conference at the ministerial level. Invitations to all Member States of the UN have been issued by Iraq and the UN. A number of international and regional intergovernmental organizations have also been invited. During this period, expect some street closures and traffic restrictions around major hotels.

“At least one political demonstration will take place on May 29 in downtown Stockholm. Police estimate about 1500 people will participate in a demonstration at Sergels Torg at 1800 hours. Demonstrations in Stockholm may sometimes cause serious disruptions to traffic patterns in the city. Although police do not anticipate any problems, they will be in attendance to deal with any unforeseen disturbances. As a reminder, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.”

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May 21, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 On 21 May 2008 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that — in addition to other potential terrorist threats — there is a risk of a “dirty bomb” attack at the Beijing Olympics in August. The IAEA stated that there are no specific reports suggesting that plans for such an attack are underway. Nevertheless, there is ample intelligence that terrorists are currently trying to obtain nuclear materials. Given this circumstance, the IAEA and Chinese authorities are working together to devise security measures for the Games.

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May 15, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

On 14 May 2008 the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum issued the following Warden Message for Sudan: “This Warden Message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens of the need to exercise increased caution when traveling within the greater Khartoum area. Although the U.S. Embassy has received no information regarding the threat of continued armed conflict in the greater Khartoum area, the embassy has instructed its staff to avoid travel to Omdurman, with the exception of visits for official business purposes. A curfew remains in place in the central Umbeda district of Omdurman, from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. The embassy has returned to its regular curfew hours, which are 12 midnight to 5 a.m. every day. The Department of State continues to advise against all travel to Sudan.”

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May 15, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 Police officials in the town of Semey, located in the East Kazakhstan province, recently announced that they arrested a suspected suicide bomber. Reports on this development emerged on 14 May 2008. The man — a citizen of Uzbekistan who has been living in Kazakhstan for three years — was strapped with live explosives when he was arrested along with two other passengers following a routine traffic stop. The explosives were defused, but officials have not yet been able to determine the motives and/or targets for the potential attack. No further information is available.

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May 14, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

(AP, 5/5/08)Twelve percent of the DEA’s intelligence analysts last year did not have the security clearances necessary or were otherwise unauthorized to do their jobs, a new Justice Department audit concludes. The audit says the Drug Enforcement Administration was slow to complete and share its intelligence reports with other government agencies, despite producing work that generally was praised as useful and effective. The audit by the Justice Department’s inspector general raised concerns about staffing levels at the newest member of the 16 spy agencies that make up the government’s intelligence community.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/05/05/audit_dea_intelligence_analysts_lacking_security_clearances/

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