“The work of the DHS Privacy Office supports all five core DHS missions articulated in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: (1) prevent terrorism and enhance security; (2) secure our borders; (3) enforce our immigration laws; (4) safeguard cyberspace; and (5) strengthen national preparedness, as well as the important cross-cutting goal to mature and strengthen homeland… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Category Archives: Defense
Partisans Have Starkly Different Opinions About How the World Views the U.S.
Pew – North Korea, cyberattacks widely viewed as ‘major threats’ to U.S. “The public has long held the view that the United States is “less respected” by other countries than in the past. Majorities said this when Barack Obama was president, as well as when George W. Bush was in office. And today, 68% say… Continue Reading
Reports – Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
SIGAR released its thirty-seventh Quarterly Report to Congress, highlighting lessons from America’s 15-year experience in Afghanistan, at a time of a new U.S. security commitment requiring the Afghan government take strong action against corruption. SIGAR released its second lessons learned report examining how the U.S. government developed and executed programs to build, train, advise, and… Continue Reading
Approaches for Managing the Costs of U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2017 to 2046
“To continue to field a nuclear force roughly the same size as it is today, the United States plans to modernize virtually every element of that force over the coming decades. CBO estimates that the most recent detailed plans for nuclear forces, which were incorporated in the Obama Administration’s 2017 budget request, would cost $1.2… Continue Reading
The North Korean Nuclear Challenge: Military Options and Issues for Congress
CRS report via FAS – The North Korean Nuclear Challenge: Military Options and Issues for Congress, October 27, 2017. “North Korea’s apparently successful July 2017 tests of its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, along with the possibility that North Korea (DPRK) may have successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead, have led analysts and policymakers to conclude that… Continue Reading
Facebook, Google and Twitter Executives Testified on Russian Disinformation
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing entitled: “Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online: Working with Tech to Find Solutions” October 31, 2017. This link includes video of the testimony as well as transcripts of prepared testimony by Facebook, Twitter, Google as well as two subject matter experts. View the… Continue Reading
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection – NARA
“The National Archives today released 2,891 records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that are subject to the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (JFK Act). These records are available for download online. The President has also ordered that all remaining records governed by section 5 of the… Continue Reading
FERC Proposes New Security Management Controls for Grid Cyber Systems
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) [on October 19, 2017] proposed new cyber security management controls to further enhance the reliability and resilience of the nation’s bulk electric system. These include mandatory controls to address the risks posed by malware from transient electronic devices like laptop computers, thumb drives and other devices used at low-impact… Continue Reading
CRS – U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts
CRS report via FAS – U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts, Barbara Salazar Torreon, Senior Research Librarian. October 11, 2017. “Many wars or conflicts in U.S. history have federally designated “periods of war,” dates marking their beginning and ending. These dates are important for qualification for certain veterans’ pension or disability benefits.… Continue Reading
Arms Sales in the Middle East: Trends and Analytical Perspectives for U.S. Policy
CRS report via FAS – Arms Sales in the Middle East: Trends and Analytical Perspectives for U.S. Policy, Clayton Thomas, Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs. October 11, 2017. “This report analyzes state-to-state arms sales in the Middle East with a particular focus on U.S.transfers, as authorized and reviewed by Congress.The information in this report, including… Continue Reading
Cybersecurity, Encryption and United States National Security Matters
Cybersecurity, Encryption and United States National Security Matters, Senate Armed Services Committee, September 13, 2016 (published September 2017), via FAS. Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News: “What constitutes an act of war in the cyber domain? It’s a question that officials have wrestled with for some time without being able to provide a clear-cut answer. But in… Continue Reading
UN Office for Disarmament Affairs Launches Disarmament Digital Documents Library
“The Disarmament Digital Documents Library is a specialised archive that provides quick and easy access to an extensive collection of United Nations disarmament-related documents in one convenient location. It includes historical documents of the first General Assembly session and reports from the Special Sessions on Disarmament (SSOD-I, SSOD-II and SSOD-III), disarmament-related meetings and conferences, and… Continue Reading
