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Category Archives: Defense

France Germany demand removal of extremist web content

WSJ.com: “France and Germany demanded that U.S. tech companies help them police terrorism on the Internet, escalating European efforts to wrangle more law-enforcement help from Silicon Valley. Top law-enforcement officials from the two countries said on Tuesday they expect U.S. Internet and social-networking companies like Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google Inc. to pre-emptively remove… Continue Reading

FY2014 DOT&E Annual Report has been released to Congress

DOT&E FY2014 Annual Report. Michael Gilmore, Director – Operational Test & Evaluation Office of the Secretary of Defense: “Since my appointment as Director, I have required thorough operational tests that provide adequate information to characterize system performance across a variety of operational conditions. This information is essential to my evaluation of system operational effectiveness, suitability,… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Aviation Safety, Defense Headquarters, Polar Weather Satellites, VA Construction

Aviation Safety: Issues Related to Domestic Certification and Foreign Approval of U.S. Aviation Products, GAO-15-327T: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Reassess Personnel Requirements for the Office of Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and Military Service Secretariats, GAO-15-10: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015.… Continue Reading

International Security Advisory Board Report on U.S. – Russia Relations

“This is a report of the International Security Advisory Board (ISAB), a Federal Advisory Committee established to provide the Department of State with a continuing source of independent insight, advice and innovation on scientific, military, diplomatic, political, and public diplomacy aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, and nonproliferation. The views expressed herein do not… Continue Reading

DoD Nuclear Weapon System Safety Program Manual

DoD Manual NUMBER 3150.02 January 31, 2014 Incorporating Change 1, Effective January 15, 2015 [snipped] “a. Nuclear weapon systems require special consideration because of their political and military importance, their destructive power, and the potential consequences of an accident or unauthorized act. Assured nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon systems safety, security, and control remains of… Continue Reading

The Digital Arms Race: NSA Preps America for Future Battle

Spiegel Online – The NSA’s mass surveillance is just the beginning. Documents from Edward Snowden show that the intelligence agency is arming America for future digital wars — a struggle for control of the Internet that is already well underway, by Jacob Appelbaum, Aaron Gibson, Claudio Guarnieri, Andy Müller-Maguhn, Laura Poitras, Marcel Rosenbach, Leif Ryge,… Continue Reading

China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles

China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues. Shirley A. Kan, Specialist in Asian Security Affairs. January 5, 2015. “Congress has long been concerned about whether policy advances the U.S. interest in reducing the role of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could deliver them.… Continue Reading

DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide

Department of Defense (DoD)  Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG). Version 1, Release 1. 12 January 2015 Developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for the Department of Defense (DoD). “Cloud computing technology and services provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with the opportunity to deploy an Enterprise Cloud Environment aligned with Federal Department-wide Information Technology (IT) strategies and efficiency initiatives, including federal… Continue Reading

Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence: “The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare, written at the invitation of the Centre by an independent ‘International Group of Experts’, is the result of a three-year effort to examine how extant international legal norms apply to this ‘new’ form of warfare. The Tallinn Manual… Continue Reading

DHS IG Report – Border Patrol Use of Drones Ineffective

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Unmanned Aircraft System Program Does Not Achieve Intended Results or Recognize All Costs of Operations, December 24, 2014 OIG-15-17. “Although CBP’s Unmanned Aircraft System program contributes to border security, after 8 years, CBP cannot prove that the program is effective because it has not developed performance measures. The program has also not achieved the expected results. Specifically, the unmanned aircraft… Continue Reading

Challenges at the Intersection of Cyber Security and Space Security

“This research paper is part of Chatham House’s Project on Cyber Security and Space Security, a multiyear research project within the International Security Department examining the security challenges at the intersection of cyber security and space security. The paper aims to identify and raise awareness of the challenges common to both domains through a compilation of articles by… Continue Reading