Friday Finale & This Time Last Year
FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Pumping up your profile. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains: “Achievements on the Cleared Network help keep you active, and signal to recruiters that you’re worth looking at. And some of them come with a real incentive – from gift cards to account perks. Don’t miss out on these advantages – here are five Cleared Network Achievements you need to earn and claim. . . .”
Mastering the transition. Also from Lindy Kyzer: “Service members are prepared for everything from a gas attack to public speaking, but the right formula for how to prepare for life after the military isn’t as easy. When it comes to your transition, here are some key tips to consider. . . .”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
At Ground Zero. AP’s Jennifer Peltz and Jonathan Lemire report, “After years as a private commemoration, the anniversary of Sept. 11 at ground zero now also has become an occasion for public reflection on the site of the terror attacks. . . . Nearly a decade and a half after hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center’s twin towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the anniversary continues to be marked with observances around the country.”
Another 9/11. US News Sara Carter reports, “The United States could be facing another 9/11 attack as factions grow deeper among the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, especially with the recently confirmed death of the Taliban’s one-eyed leader Mullah Omar, according to a senior U.S. lawmaker, federal law enforcement and intelligence officials. The tensions between Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and the Taliban is as dangerous a national security threat to the United States as it was before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, said Brian Fairchild, who spent two decades with the CIA and has testified before Congress on terrorism.”
Russia’s Syrian surprise party. Defense One’s Kevin Baron reports, “When Russia sent military forces into Syria last weekend, it caught NATO by surprise and proved that its members can neither stay ahead of threats nor even decide which ones are the most pressing, the alliance’s intelligence director said. . . . [CIA Director] Brennan spoke calmly of the development and was quick to say that throughout the Syrian conflict Russia has remained cooperative on other security areas, including the spread of terrorists outside of the region.” See also, “Defiant Russia pledges more Syria assistance.”
Taking on refugees. Reuters’ Julia Edwards reports, “President Barack Obama has directed his administration to prepare to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, the White House said on Thursday. It is the first specific commitment the United States has made toward increasing its acceptance of refugees from the war-torn country. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the United States has taken in 1,500 refugees, with 300 more expected to be cleared by October.” See also, “Obama asks US to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees: Is that the right number?”
CONTRACT WATCH
NOAA cybersecurity contract. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “The Department of Commerce awarded a $9.9 million sole-source award to cybersecurity firm Sevatec on Sept. 9, stating the company is the only one able to provide critical support to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s cyber centers.”
Towed sonar award. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Officials of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, awarded a $25.1 million contract last week to the Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training segment in Liverpool, N.Y., for two Japanese auxiliary oceanographic surveillance twin line (TL) towed array systems, a U.S. TL-29A spare array, a towed array conversion, and related engineering services. These twin-line towed-array sonar systems are to support the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Maritime Surveillance Systems Program Office, Program Executive Office Submarines. The contract has options that could increase its value to $71.1 million.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Torture files. Reuters’ David Rhode reports, “U.S. government officials have blocked the release of 116 pages of defense lawyers’ notes detailing the torture that Guantanamo Bay detainee Abu Zubaydah says he experienced in CIA custody . . . . The treatment of Zubaydah, who lost one eye and was waterboarded 83 times in a single month while held by the CIA, according to government documents, has been the focus of speculation for years.”
Butterfly defense. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “The unique properties found in the stunning iridescent wings of a tropical blue butterfly could hold the key to developing new highly selective gas detection sensors. The ground-breaking findings could help inspire new designs for sensors that could be used in a range of sectors, including medical diagnostics, industry, and the military.”
Light touch biometrics. Signal contributor Sandra Jontz reports, “The U.S. government wants in on the resurgence of developments in contactless biometric technology, seeing smart applications of such devices in places such as airport security. But before device deployment, officials need to make sure the scanners and sensors actually do what they say they do—safely and accurately. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is working with a handful of private companies to develop data format standards, best practices and methods for certification testing on new products before any can be used.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Do not go gently. “Even though opponents of the Iran nuclear deal can’t win in Congress, they aren’t going to go quietly. Conservative Republicans are vowing to take President Barack Obama to court, claiming he has broken the law by not providing Congress with all relevant documents pertinent to the deal.”
A hack by any other name . . . . “The mammoth data breach of millions of background investigation forms at the Office of Personnel Management was one of the largest cybercrimes ever perpetrated against the U.S. government, according to federal officials. But one thing it wasn’t? A cyberattack. At least in the true sense of the term, according to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
“My NSA security violation.” CIO contributor Steven B. Davis explains, “People are not the security problem, they are the solution.”
“A car’s real danger zone: Its computer network.” Reuters contributor Matthew Gault argues, “Losing your credit card info to hackers while you in a hotel is terrible, but losing control of your vehicle is far worse.” See also, “Smart watches allow hackers to harvest users’ data.”
“Querying the Roles for Human Rights Bodies.” Lawfare contributor Joanna Harrington argues, “Complexities remain with respect to the interaction between the fields of international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL) in situations of armed conflict. Focusing on the human rights side of this interplay, there are questions about which human rights obligations apply, to what extent, and to whom, as well as questions about the role for international human rights monitoring bodies.”
