CRS – Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy:In Brief Updated March 25, 2021: “Afghanistan emerged as a significant U.S. foreign policy concern in 2001, when the United States, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led a military campaign against Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban government that harbored and supported it. In… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
Ransomeware Task Force Launches Comprehensive Framework to Combat Ransomware
Institute for Security and Technology – A Comprehensive Framework for Action: “Ransomware is no longer just a financial crime; it is an urgent national security risk that threatens schools, hospitals, businesses, and governments across the globe. This is not a problem that any one entity can solve. Over 60 experts from industry, government, law enforcement,… Continue Reading
Federal Agencies Detail Russian Tactics Used in Recent Cyber Intrusions
NextGov – “The FBI, Homeland Security Department and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an alert on Russian government cyber tradecraft and mitigation techniques for targets. After publicly naming the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, as the culprit behind the SolarWinds hack that affected at least nine federal agencies, a set of U.S. security… Continue Reading
Domestic Terrorism Cases on the Rise in February Following January 6 Breach of Capitol
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse – “In February 2021, according to federal internal case-by-case records on prosecutions obtained after successful court litigation by TRAC, there were 57 prosecutions of domestic terrorism filed in the federal district courts. The majority of these prosecutions—54—were filed in the District of Columbia following the storming of the Capitol on January… Continue Reading
Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community
Office of the Director of National Intelligence: “This annual report, April 2021 of worldwide threats to the national security of the United States responds to Section 617 of the FY21 Intelligence Authorization Act (P.L. 116-260). This report reflects the collective insights of the Intelligence Community (IC), which is committed every day to providing the nuanced,… Continue Reading
The rise of domestic extremism in America
Washington Post – Data shows a surge in homegrown incidents not seen in a quarter-century:[article and graphics] “Domestic terrorism incidents have soared to new highs in the United States, driven chiefly by white-supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Center for Strategic… Continue Reading
A 20-year-forecast for the world: increasingly fragmented and turbulent
National Intelligence Council – Global Trends 2040 – A More Contested World – March 2021: “…Published every four years since 1997, Global Trends assesses the key trends and uncertainties that will shape the strategic environment for the United States during the next two decades. Global Trends is designed to provide an analytic f ramework for… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, April 4, 2021
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, April 4, 2021 – Privacy and security issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex… Continue Reading
CRS – Biometric Technologies and Global Security
CRS In Focus – Biometric Technologies and Global Security March 30, 2021: “Biometric technologies use unique biological or behavioral attributes—such as DNA, fingerprints, cardiac signatures, voice or gait patterns, and facial or ocular measurements—to authenticate an individual’s identity. Although biometric technologies have been in use for decades, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and Big… Continue Reading
Large Majority of the Public Views Prosecution of Capitol Rioters as ‘Very Important’
“As the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies continue to pursue charges against participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the American public generally expresses strong support for continuing these efforts. Yet there are sizable partisan differences in attitudes about the riot at the Capitol, with Democrats far more likely than… Continue Reading
ODNI Releases Intelligence Community Assessment of Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Elections
“The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) today released the declassified Intelligence Community (IC) assessment of foreign threats to the 2020 U.S. federal elections. The document is a declassified version of a classified report that the IC provided to the President, senior Executive Branch officials, and Congressional leadership and intelligence oversight committees on… Continue Reading
Photography then and now
The Guardian – “Two photographs taken from exactly the same viewpoint at different times in history” – from around the world. I recommend looking at all the photos beginning here. Continue Reading
