Archives: November, 2015

Obama Administration officials are trying hard to allay security concerns about Syrian refugees being admitted to the U.S. Government Security News advises that “Senior administration officials spoke by phone today (Sunday, Nov. 22) with state and local law enforcement representatives from across the country to provide information on the U.S.’s stringent refugee admissions policies and […]

Businesses of any size are at risk of cyber attacks but, advises StaySafeOnline.org, “smaller businesses have become bigger targets for cybercriminals because the bad guys know that they have fewer defense resources than large enterprises.” If you’re smaller scale, what to do? The Stay Safe Online site has a column’s worth of advice and suggestions […]

Here’s what seems to be a reassuring reality: The U.S., notes In Homeland Security, is separated from Europe and its “porous” borders by an ocean, making America relatively safer from the kind of marauding terrorist violence that hit Paris. Moreover, the FBI has been keeping track of Americans (about 250) “who have traveled to Iraq […]

In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, Nick Catrantzos on Homeland Security Watch provides a thoughtful, hence appreciated, discussion of how the “melting pot” metaphor for an inclusive society ought, perhaps, to be replaced by the “salad bowl”. “Instead (of the melting pot), to the extent any kind of nod to assimilation is even […]

Here’s an actual incident from the Daily Mail in which a gunman drove a car through a perimeter fence at a Belgian army barracks with, obviously, presumed hostile intent. There are lots of pictures to familiarize oneself with the scene. The fence doesn’t seem that rugged, but who would expect to be attacked? That’s, indeed, […]

Wow! Bruce Schneier leads us to an IT World post by Melanie Pinola on how “Jobs and salaries in cybersecurity are booming. Demand for information security professionals is growing exponentially.” This is largely because of all the computer intrusion incidents we’ve been hearing about, and trying to ward off ourselves. “With the rise in cyberattacks […]

Well down into a Government Security News interview with Robert Liscouski, a veteran security professional, is this warning about the flood of refugees arriving in Europe from the Middle East: “Most want a better life. Some are committed to ISIS, Al Qaeda and other radical organizations. It’s virtually impossible to determine which is which. In […]

Following up on the alarming October Terror Threat Snapshot, November’s, also released by the House Homeland Security Committee, “paints an increasingly alarming picture” of terror activity against the West. “ISIS-related homegrown terror threats are increasing at an unprecedented rate with a majority of the 900+ homegrown extremist investigations linked to ISIS,” along with “ISIS continues […]

For sites with lengthy perimeters, consider some form of drone flights for checking on the security of fence or boundary lines. This renewed awareness arises from a Government Security News post on how BNSF Railway is using unmanned aircraft to monitor its trackage. In the first day of operations on October 25, the ScanEagle system […]

Especially if you’re on the West Coast, knowledge of earthquake preparedness and response is an advisable security measure. In that regard Government Security News provides notice of two “Earthquake Business Preparedness Summits” this week in Dublin and San Francisco. Experts, one of whom will be U.S. Geological Survey Seismologist David Schwartz, “will discuss the response […]