It took nearly a decade before University of Maryland researchers were allowed to talk about their work identifying the anthrax strain used in the 2001 deadly letter attacks. But now, they and the other key members of the high-powered science team have published the first account of the pioneering work, which launched the new field of “microbial forensics” and gave bioterrorism investigators a way to “fingerprint” bacteria.
The testing certifies that the products can be safely installed on any network to protect mission-critical resources without exposing the organization to security risks.
U.S. Customs and Immigration Services recently updated the security in its permanent resident cards with optical security media and RFID tags.
- By Laura Williams
- Mar 07, 2011
Securityhunter will provide federal agencies with a simplified and accelerated means of securing a wide range of physical security solutions at discounted General Services Administration rates, including those that meet Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 requirements.
Mostow will be based in AMAG's Arlington, Va., office where he will lead and manage the government systems sales and sales engineering team, and develop and implement strategies and plans to further expand and better support AMAG's growing base of Symmetry homeland security management system resellers and end users.
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate's First Responder Communities of Practice recently launched a Virtual Social Media Working Group (VSMWG), comprised of first responders and homeland security professionals from various disciplines, localities, sectors and government agencies across the country.
API Technologies Corp., a provider of engineered systems, sub-systems and secure communications to the global defense and aerospace industries, announced the appointment of Bel Lazar as president and chief operating officer. Lazar will be responsible for the company's global operations.
The federal government's computer networks, vast and incredibly critical to the country's day-to-day functioning, are subject to millions of attacks per day. It has no stated overarching cybersecurity policy, and there is little in the way of international law to guide the way, either. How the government protects these networks, and interacts with other nations' networks, remains under debate.
- By Laura Williams
- Mar 03, 2011
The science similar to the type used in airport body scanners could soon be used to detect everything from defects in aerospace vehicles or concrete bridges to skin cancer, thanks to researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Avigilon recently announced that Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, Calif. has deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System as a key component of its security initiative aimed at reducing crime and increasing patron safety.
LaserCard Corporation has received an order of approximately $8.6 million for optical security media cards to be issued under the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) program. Delivery is scheduled for completion in August.
A critical element of protecting troops in the field of battle is proper identity management. A military installation in the Middle East, for example, must ensure that only authorized personnel can enter the camp. For soldiers, losing an access card to an enemy could be disastrous. Personal identification numbers are too easy to steal or share. To solve this problem, the military turned to biometrics just as other government entities have done as well.
- By Dan Kilgore
- Mar 01, 2011
The Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s office (HSCO) in Tampa, Fla., is a full-service law enforcement agency comprising more than 3,400 employees. Leadership and officers value integrity, professionalism and community-oriented policing as the top priorities of agency operations. Today, HCSO, led by Sheriff David Gee, is one of fewer than 20 public safety agencies in the nation to attain law enforcement, jail and medical accreditation.
- By Lee Caswell
- Mar 01, 2011
For many years now, the promise of biometrics has not been fully realized. This is, in large part, because performance in the lab is not representative of performance in the field. That’s the reason major programs for Citizen ID and others have never really been fulfilled.
- By Phil Scarfo
- Mar 01, 2011
When border security comes to mind, people typically think of long lines at border crossing stations, fence lines, and the reported apprehension of illegal immigrants. Although those quintesssential images accurately depict daily life at the border, they certainly don’t tell the whole story.
- By Jake Lahmann
- Mar 01, 2011
FLIR Systems Inc. has teamed with Sonardyne International Ltd. on a multi-million dollar project in the United Arab Emirates. The companies, with FLIR as the project leader, will provide a commercial, off-the shelf, integrated perimeter and coastal protection solution for a key coastal facility.
Donovan will be responsible for handling day-to-day security operations, which includes both passenger and baggage screening at OKC.
Someday, that potted palm in your living room might go from green to white, alerting you to a variety of nasty contaminants in the air, perhaps even explosives. The stuff of science fiction you say? Not so, says a Colorado State University biologist.
Chemical releases, suicide bombers, air and subsurface threats: the U.S. Secret Service needs to be prepared to handle these real-life incidents. Training to respond to such incidents, however, has been more theoretical than practical. Now, with help from the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), the Secret Service is giving training scenarios a high-tech edge: moving from static tabletop models to virtual kiosks with gaming technology and 3D modeling.
Magal Security Systems, Ltd. Recently announced three orders totaling $4.1 million for homeland security projects in Asia and Latin America.