Archives: July, 2008

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff keeps warning that terrorists are trying to enter the U.S. with European Union passports and there is no guarantee they will all be caught. SecurityInfoWatch advises that Secretary Chertoff’s latest warning came July 24 in his last scheduled appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee. While the secretary had no […]

Security officials need to be familiar with trends in the design of “smart buildings,” which integrate all sorts of electronic systems. A good primer on the subject is this SecurityInfoWatch article “Smart Buildings, Take Two.” “An intelligent building,” the article advises, “starts with an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network that can combine networks that carry building […]

Following up on our last item on fussing over what targets terrorists are most likely to be interested in, we have one from The New York Times indicating that some law enforcement officers struggling with street crime doubt they might be interested in any attacks in their localities. The Times report raises the question of […]

For a headline with a double meaning, how about “Another Dam Threat”? Actually, this one heads a reflective piece by Stratfor.com discussing possible terrorist threats to targets in the U.S. There are simply too many to cover them all, so how should security officials set priorities? Maybe not as curtly as the Denver Water Board […]

Sometimes less can be if not more, certainly adequate, in terms of security. It’s all in how you approach a situation. For example, the American Numismatic Society practiced “security by obscurity” recently in moving hundreds of millions of dollars worth of rare coins and currency – “one of the great hords on the planet” – […]

The Security Executive Council (SEC) continues building its Security Research Database and issuing periodic reports on its findings. The results of the most recent survey, through June, are now available to the 156 participants in the survey and the SEC members. Highlights of the findings include a note that “more than half of respondents noted […]

The effectiveness of closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras as community protection devices in public settings is generating plenty of debate. Some people – including the city and town councils that fund the camera systems – think they deter crime. Others think CCTV has little deterrent value but can be helpful in solving crimes when they are […]