Border Protection
The growth of illegal immigration across the nation's borders, particularly those with Mexico, has led DHS to begin erecting a fence across hundreds of miles of open land, beef up the Border Patrol, promote its SBInet program and engage CBP in a huge effort to encourage legal immigration while staunching the flow of illegal migrants.
Report: Border security market to reach $14 billion by 2011
May 15th, 2008
Border security is expected to be one of the top growth markets in the homeland security sector in terms of expenditure over the next four years, reaching $13.98 billion by end of 2011, representing a compound annual growth rate of 19.5 percent.
One last thing before you leave. . .
May 5th, 2008
For years, it was illogical that DHS went to extraordinary lengths to capture the fingerprints (first two fingers, then 10 fingers) and the facial photos of foreign travelers who entered the U.S., but did precious little to determine whether and where those same foreign travelers actually exited the U.S.
DHS seeks ideas on capturing biometric data from exiting foreign travelers
May 2nd, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security has been collecting fingerprints and facial photos of foreign travelers arriving at air, sea and land ports as they enter the U.S. for years, and has recently decided it is time to collect -- and match -- similar biometric data obtained from foreign travelers as they exit the U.S.
CBP taps tech schools to fill Border Patrol posts
May 1st, 2008
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun sending letters to more than 100 technical schools around the country, encouraging graduating students to consider pursuing a federal career in a host of available jobs. CBP’s rapid growth has created thousands of entry-level mission support and operational support positions.
DHS announces enhanced, streamlined air security screening
April 28th, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security unveiled a series of improvements aimed at strengthening aviation security while decreasing the hassle factor for travelers. Among the key improvements, DHS and the Transportation Security Administration will now permit airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely, even if they have been unable to do so in the past because they have a name similar to someone on a watch list.
IT security problems seen at key CBP facility
April 28th, 2008
The DHS Inspector General’s Office has examined the IT security operations and procedures underway at the Customs and Border Protection’s offices in Laguna Niguel, CA, and found a handful of problems, ranging from inadequate cooling in the server/telecommunications room to the lack of a backup electrical generator in the server room to insufficient precautions taken against potential "insider" threats.
Border fence "Project 28" scrapped; DHS vows new effort
April 23rd, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security has decided to scrap the virtual border fence it has been developing in Arizona, known as Project 28.
The cancellation came less than two months after DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had announced his approval of the project, being built by Boeing Co.
Electronic snooping planned at U.S./Mexican border
April 15th, 2008
The Drug Enforcement Agency wants to find a small business with a Top Secret security clearance that can snoop on Spanish language conversations transmitted over foreign communications systems and "instantaneously" translate those conversations from Spanish into English.
