U.S. GAO – Aviation Security: DHS and TSA Have Researched, Developed, and Begun Deploying Passenger Checkpoint Screening Technologies, but Continue to Face Challenges
Since fiscal year 2002, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have invested over $795 million in technologies to screen passengers at airport checkpoints. The DHS Science and [...]

New report says U.S. Air Force should prepare for cyberwar – Homeland Security News Wire
New Rand Corp. report argues that the U.S. military branches must treat cyberwar as another emerging field of battle — one that both amplifies the threat of physical combat and presents new tactical challenges unfamiliar to everyone, not just the armed [...]

In recent years, violence along the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated dramatically, due largely to the Mexican government’s efforts to disrupt Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO). U.S. officials note the violence associated with Mexican DTOs poses a serious challenge for U.S. law enforcement, threatening citizens on both sides of the border, and U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials generally agree many of the firearms used to perpetrate crimes in Mexico are illicitly trafficked from the United States across the Southwest border. GAO was asked to examine (1) data on the types, sources, and users of these firearms; (2) key challenges confronting U.S. government efforts to combat illicit sales of firearms in the United States and stem the flow of them into Mexico; (3) challenges faced by U.S. agencies collaborating with Mexican authorities to combat the problem of illicit arms; and (4) the U.S. government’s strategy for addressing the issue. GAO analyzed program information and firearms data and met with U.S. and Mexican officials on both sides of the border.

A small vessel, such as a commercial fishing vessel or recreational boat, can be used as a waterborne improvised explosive device, as a platform for conducting an attack, or to smuggle weapons or terrorists into the United States.

GAO: Emergency Management: Preliminary Observations on EMA’s Community Preparedness Programs
FEMA faces challenges measuring performance for Citizen Corps, partnerprograms, and the Ready Campaign because it does not have a process toverify that data for its principal performance measure–the registered numberof established volunteer organizations across the country–are accurate andthe Ready Campaign is not positioned to control the [...]

SIX MAJOR THEMES
#1 Enduring Merit of a Dedicated Terrorism Advisory System
In the view of the Task Force, a national threat warning system for terrorist attacks is as central now as it was when today’s system was established in 2002. Further, that warning system should remain dedicated to threats from terrorism and not be combined with [...]

U.S. GAO – Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Preliminary Observations on Preparedness to Recover from Possible Attacks Using Radiological or Nuclear Materials
Summary
A terrorist’s use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or improvised nuclear device (IND) to release radioactive materials into the environment could have devastating consequences. The timely cleanup of contaminated areas, however, could speed the restoration [...]

Security Weekly: Examining the Jakarta Attacks: Trends and Challenges
On the morning of July 17, a guest at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta came down to the lobby and began walking toward the lounge with his roll-aboard suitcase in tow and a backpack slung across his chest. Sensing something odd about the fellow, alert security [...]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Finding the Balance: Shared Border of the Future
Executive Summary
Canada and the United States share a special relationship that is built on common values based on a long history of cooperation, family ties, and friendship. In addition to this strong friendship, our shared border facilitates the largest bilateral trading relationship in [...]

FPS does not fully ensure that its guards have the training and certifications required to stand post at federal facilities.

Countering  Online Radicalization – The International Centre For The Study Of Radicalisation And Political Violence
Political extremists and terrorists are increasingly using the internet as an instrument for radicalisation and recruitment. What can be done to counter their activities? Countering Online Radicalisation examines the different technical options for making ‘radical’ internet content unavailable, concluding that they [...]

Cyberspace Policy Review, May 2009 – Council on Foreign Relations
The executive summary of this May 2009 document states,
“The President directed a 60-day, comprehensive, “clean-slateâ€� review to assess U.S. policies and structures for cybersecurity. Cybersecurity policy includes strategy, policy, and standards regarding the security of and operations in cyberspace, and encompasses the full range of threat [...]

‘A Brief Documentary History of the Department of Homeland Security: 2001-2008′
This compilation tells the story of the creation and the organizational history of the first five years of the Department of Homeland Security through its founding documents. These documents include legislation, executive orders, commission reports and recommendations, reorganization plans, presidential directives, speeches, and organization charts. [...]

Federal and industry stakeholders have completed a range of actions to assess risks to freight rail since September 2001, and TSA has developed a security strategy; however, TSA’s efforts have primarily focused on one threat, and its strategy does not fully address federal guidance or key characteristics of a successful national strategy.
Specifically, TSA’s efforts to [...]

Newsmax.com – Study Claims Cops Can’t Police Illegals and Citizens
A U.S. government program empowering local police officers to enforce immigration laws undermines their efforts to maintain public safety, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The report by the nonpartisan Police Foundation criticized aspects of the 287 (g) program run by the federal Immigration and Customs [...]

New Study Indicates U.S. Could Learn A Lot About Citizen Preparedness From Israel
The 145-page study offers a comprehensive review and analysis of citizen preparedness efforts in U.S. as well as Israel and then makes some excellent suggestions on how we can learn from Israeli experience in this area. I recommend it to anyone interested in [...]

U.S. GAO – Aviation Security: TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions Are Needed to Mitigate Risks
Summary
To enhance aviation security, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed a program–known as Secure Flight–to assume from air carriers the function of matching passenger information against terrorist watch-list [...]

Home Station: U.S. State Department releases annual terrorism report for 2008
U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. This annual report is entitled Country Reports on [...]

This document is a DHS Reference Aid created by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) to “provide operational and intelligence advice and assistance to other elements of DHS, as well as state, local, and regional fusions centers.”

Report: Rewriting the Narrative: An Integrated Strategy for Counterradicalization
A strong investment in counterradicalization — with special focus on helping mainstream Muslims provide hopeful and practical alternatives to jihadist ideology — should be a critical element of the Obama administration’s counterterrorism strategy.
Rewriting the Narrative: An Integrated Strategy for Counterradicalization is the final report of the Task [...]