Security Management News & Analysis

Rat-like Robot to Aid Disaster Response

By Matthew Harwood — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:43:51 -0400

A British research team is developing a rat-like robot that may one day help first responders search and rescue victims of man-made and natural disasters, reports The New Scientist.

SPLC Lists Right-Wing Terrorist Plots and Actions Since 1995

By Matthew Harwood — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:59:52 -0400

There have been 75 right-wing extremist plots or actions since 1995 to slaughter people they viewed as targets, according to a list compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

UK: White Supremacist Wanted to Throw Tennis Ball Bombs at Asian Neighbors

By Matthew Harwood — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:55:35 -0400

A British court has heard testimony against Neil Lewington, an alcoholic 43-year old white supremacist, who allegedly conspired to unleash terrorist bombings against his Asian neighbors and others not considered British enough.

What's interesting about Lewington's plan, reports BBC.com, was what material he planned to make his improvised incendiary devices with.

United States and Spain Formalize Program to Identify "High-Risk" Travelers

By Matthew Harwood — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:24:33 -0400

The United States and Spain today formalized a program that identifies high-risk travelers at Madrid Barajas International Airport before they can board a flight to the United States.

Four Elite Counterterrorism Bases Set up Across India

By Matthew Harwood — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:56:43 -0400

The Indian government has established four bases around the country to house its elite counterterrorism teams as part of its promise to increase the country's security in the aftermath of the November 2009 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

China Delays Online Filtering Plan

By Matthew Harwood — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:16:58 -0400

The Communist Party's controversial plan to force computer manufacturers to include Internet filtering software in the machines sold inside China, slated to start tomorrow, has been called off indefinitely, delighting critics.

According to Reuters:

Cigarette and Tobacco Smuggling Finances Terrorism Worldwide, Says Report

By Matthew Harwood — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:16:17 -0400

A new report from the Center for Public Integrity, an investigative journalism outfit, details how terrorists and insurgencies the world over have smuggled cigarettes to finance their organizations and their missions.

CPI's investigation concentrates on seven groups which range from Marxist insurgencies to jihadist terrorists and from republican terrorists to profit-driven Congolese rebels.

Administration Plans to Send National Guard to Mexican Border?

By Matthew Harwood — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:44:29 -0400

The Obama administration is planning to seek as many as 1,500 National Guardsmen to secure the nation's border with Mexico, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Drug-Resistant Swine Flu Arises and Then Dies in Danish Patient

By Matthew Harwood — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:27:09 -0400

A drug-resistant strain of swine flu appeared in a Danish patient and then apparently died out before the infection could spread.

New CBP Rules Will Redefine Many Knives as "Switchblades"

By Matthew Harwood — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:51:45 -0400

Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) proposal to designate any knife that opens using a spring- or release-assisted mechanism a switchblade, thus barring its import into the United States, has provoked outrage on Capitol Hill as well as among sportsmen organizations and knifemakers.

British Government Recruits "Naughty Boy" Hackers

By Matthew Harwood — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:18:25 -0400

The British government is recruiting former hackers to wage offensive cyberwarfare against its adversaries, according to the Telegraph.

The hackers will be employed by the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), one of three British intelligence agencies located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Decision Could Determine How Much Awarded in Whistleblower Suits

By Matthew Harwood — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:09:39 -0400

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could decide how much money whistleblowers can recover when they uncover government or corporate abuse or waste, reports Bloomberg.com.

Whistleblower Protections Denied Fired Air Marshal

By Matthew Harwood — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:38:41 -0400

The decision on Tuesday by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to deny whistleblower protections to a former federal air marshal is the final blow against such protections, argues a whistleblower defense organization.

BEST Teams Hope to Stem Smuggling at Three U.S. Ports

By Matthew Harwood — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:53:04 -0400

Three of the United States' busiest seaports have or will be receiving foreign assistance to help U.S. authorities crack down on smuggling under a task force led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reports the Associated Press.

House Passes Homeland Security Department Appropriations Bill

By Sherry Harowitz — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:58:41 -0400

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill granting the Department of Homeland Security a 7 percent increase in its funding, according to an Associated Press story appearing online at The Washington Post.