FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Protecting your identity. “For security clearance holders, the identity theft risk is less about credit or financial abuse and more related to espionage. In both cases, it’s important to know how you may now be susceptible. . . . As a clearance holder, you know your information has been breached for espionage. But what about the everyday risks of internet use? Hanson offered a few key tips everyone needs to implement . . . .”
GI Bill salute. “At the end of World War I in 1918, most returning veterans received a $60 bonus and transportation home; once home, they were on their own. From that auspicious beginning, the desire to help veterans began to grow. In 1924, Congress passed the World War Adjusted Act of 1924. It was supposed to pay veterans based on the number of days served. While Congress’ heart was in the right place, most veterans didn’t see any money until 20 years later. Coming out of World War II, Congress again saw a chance to help returning veterans. . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
The Deliberative Method for Ranking Risk. “Researchers have validated a new risk assessment tool that can be used by the Department of Homeland Security to help evaluate decisions and priorities in natural disasters, terrorist events, and major accidents. . . . The Deliberative Method for Ranking Risk has five-steps, which include defining and categorizing risks to be ranked, identifying the risk attributes to be considered, describing the risks in a summary document in term of the attributes, selecting participants to assess the risks, and performing risk ranking, and finally analyzing and describing the issues identified and the resulting rankings.” (Homeland Security News Wire)
Rethinking homeland security measures. “Officials need to fundamentally rethink airport security, says Sheldon Jacobson, a computer science professor and airport security analyst at the University of Illinois. ‘There’s going to be no compromise at checkpoints; we do not need more there. But we need to rethink the entire system of security,’ he said. ‘The terrorist threats have moved away from the planes themselves and have moved into softer targets, which are very, very expensive to protect. What [security services] are now doing is creating more layers of the softer targets.’” (Defense One)
NATO’s rising cyber-defense star. “A nation that once was part of the Soviet bloc now finds itself on the front lines of unrest in Ukraine, territorial disputes in the Black Sea and state-sponsored attacks in cyberspace. Romania, now a stalwart member of NATO and the European Union, is playing an increasing role in cybersecurity, both regionally and internationally. It is passing a national cybersecurity law and reaching out to assist other nations, directly and indirectly, with cyber defense.” (AFCEA)
CONTRACT WATCH
Poland looks to Raytheon for $5.6 billion missile deal. “Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz on Monday said he would ink a letter of intent with US defense firm Raytheon to buy a Patriot missile system valued at an estimated 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion). The EU member’s previous government had said in April it planned to buy the Patriot system, but soon after coming into power in November the current conservative administration placed a question mark over the purchase.” (Defence Talk)
General Dynamics’s sub software upgrade. “Submarine electronics experts at the General Dynamics Corp. Mission Systems segment in Pittsfield, Mass., will upgrade software for U.S. Navy submarine combat systems under terms of a $13.7 million contract modification announced Thursday. Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington are asking General dynamics to upgrade the software in the AN/BYG-1 weapons control system (WCS), involving several technology insertions (TI) and advanced processing builds (APB).” (Military & Aerospace Electronics)
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
Terror strikes Medina. “A suicide bomber has killed four security officers and injured five others near one of Islam’s holiest sites in the Saudi city of Medina, according to the interior ministry. The bomber detonated his explosives after being stopped outside the Prophet’s Mosque, a statement said. The mosque is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad and Medina the holiest city in Islam after Mecca. Suicide blasts also struck two other Saudi cities on Monday.” (BBC) See also, “Wave of suicide strikes in Saudi Arabia,” “Suicide bombers strike three cities in Saudi Arabia,” and “Suicide bombers hit three Saudi cities.”
Terror strikes in Baghdad. “A suicide truck bomb in downtown Baghdad killed 115 people and wounded nearly 200 others who were out shopping and celebrating early Sunday ahead of the holiday marking the end of Ramadan . . . . The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, was the deadliest in months in the Iraqi capital, and came despite a series of recent gains against the extremists, including the capture of Fallujah, which was believed to have been a source of such attacks.” (AP)
Counterterrorism roll-up. “The US government released official data on ‘counterterrorism strikes outside areas of active hostilities,’ including the number of strikes, and combatant and civilian casualties. The information, which only covers operations during the Obama administration’s tenure, is part of the Obama administration’s efforts to provide ‘as much information as possible to the American people’ on the controversial issue of counterterrorism strikes against jihadist groups. The data was released today by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) . . . .” (The Long War Journal)
Unraveling the Complexities of Power Plays in Pakistan. “There are four types of relationships that exist between the Pakistani state and the militants based on its territory: collaboration, benign neglect, belligerence, and coopetition. The policies Pakistan pursues regarding Islamist militants on its soil depends on how the security establishment understands the utility they offer and the threats they pose. Of course, Pakistan, like any country, will prioritize dealing with some threats over others. Thus, we must also recognize that the security establishment will consider the dangers posed by Islamist militants relative to other threats, such as include regional competitors, and endogenous movements motivated by ethno-separatist sentiment.” (War on the Rocks)
