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Featured Video of the Month

Morpho Detection, Inc

Garrick Bell, Eastern Regional Sales Director, explains that with the company’s ITMCS technology, Morpho’s products can identify small amounts of explosives and narcotics. New products at ISC West include the handheld Hard Mobile Trace Unit and the Itemiser DX desktop detector, which can get an accurate analysis of substances within 5 seconds. Customers include government, law enforcement, first responders and a growing commercial business.

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News

FAA to prohibit new ‘hangar homes’ with ‘through-the-fence access’ to U.S. airports
Thu, 2010-09-09 01:40 PM
The Federal Aviation Administration has decided that it will no longer allow U.S. airports to permit private residences adjacent to the airport to have what is known as “through-the-fence access” to...
$14 fee for ‘ESTA’ authorization for travelers begins Sept. 8th
Wed, 2010-09-08 03:56 PM
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reminds Visa Waiver Program travelers that a new $14 fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications begins on Wednesday, September 8. A fee of...
USCIS to ‘mirror’ unclassified data on immigrants in a new classified data base
Wed, 2010-09-08 11:47 AM
In order to make it easier to handle classified requests for information from the federal law enforcement and intelligence communities concerning immigrants resident in the U.S., the Department of...
Obama changes court-martial rules, but doesn’t explain how
Fri, 2010-09-03 10:23 AM
Illustration by Art Lien
On August 31, the White House was forthcoming enough to announce that President Obama had just signed a new Executive Order that supposedly amends the Manual for Courts-Martial, but was not...
HHS biodefense advisory panel to examine behavioral health issues
Thu, 2010-09-02 10:07 AM
Dr. Betty Pfefferbaum
The National Biodefense Science Board, an advisory council set up to provide expert advice to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, on chemical, biological, nuclear and...
Privacy advisory panel to meet in DC on September 28
Thu, 2010-09-02 09:55 AM
Richard Purcell
The DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting in Washington, DC, on September 28 to discuss accountability of the department’s compliance assessment process,...
Advisory council to discuss Southwest border issues on Sept. 16
Wed, 2010-09-01 03:45 PM
The Homeland Security Advisory Council, which was established to provide independent advice to the Secretary of DHS, will hold a one-hour public teleconference call on September 16 during which it...
Border Wars TV show begins second season on August 29
Thu, 2010-08-26 05:15 PM
Border Wars returns Aug. 29
After a successful debut earlier this year, National Geographic will premiere a second season of the TV show Border Wars at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time this Sunday, August 29. The series, which...
A quick geography quiz…
Thu, 2010-08-26 04:57 PM
Napolitano visits Sweetgrass
What do the little-known municipalities of Piegan, Sweetgrass, Sunburst and Havre have in common? Well, beside the fact that all four are located in the state of Montana, they all had the honor of...
Do millimeter wave systems invade personal privacy?
Thu, 2010-08-26 11:25 AM
Brijot's Gen 2 System
Six U.S senators have raised questions about the U.S. Marshals Service using body scanning equipment at the U.S. Courthouse in Orlando, FL – and supposedly storing more than 35,000 of those body...
Ohio county benefits from ICE strategy to enhance the identification of criminal aliens
Wed, 2010-08-25 04:28 PM
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 24 began using a new biometric information sharing capability in Summit County, OH, that helps federal immigration officials identify aliens,...
DHS hopes to improve its methodology to assess risk scenarios
Wed, 2010-08-25 03:24 PM
For years, DHS has been developing a methodology by which it can assess the risks it attributes to a variety of threatening scenarios, so its senior leadership can make well-informed judgments about...

Commentary and Opinions

Best practices for controlling contractors and privileged users who access your critical IT infrastructure

Government agencies are more dependent than ever on computer systems to carry out their missions. From providing citizens access to public information over the Web to processing and accounting for trillions of dollars in spending, computer systems permeate virtually every aspect of government work.

Using forensics tools to achieve total security intelligence

In today’s connected world, government agencies face network attacks on a daily basis – from government-sanctioned espionage to serious international cyber thieves trying to gather intelligence, to amateur hackers playing around on their computers and trying to break in for ‘sport.’  Whatever the source, government networks are under attack and there have been numerous reports of data breaches of government systems, leaving officials scrambling to figure out how they got in, how long they accessed the network and what they were able to view or take during the breach.

Cyber Self-Defense

Recently, I was asked the most interesting questions I have been asked for over a decade.  The complex question came in two parts. One, is the right to bear ‘cyber arms’ covered under the Second Amendment; and two, if an individual or an organization has the right to cyber self defense, also known as the right to return cyber fire.  

Chemical weapons pose a grave threat

By Jerome Hauer

President Obama should be commended for making nuclear nonproliferation a priority of his administration. At the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, in April, the president was right to urge global cooperation on isolating non-secure nuclear materials that could be used to make a weapon.

Rep. Ted Poe concerned with Mexican military choppers over Texas

[Editor’s note: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) made these remarks on the House floor on May 18, 2010.]

Mr. Speaker, U.S. Border Patrol agents have spotted yet another Mexican military helicopter incursion into Texas. That makes three times these helicopters have crossed the border into America this year, that we know of. On Saturday [May 15, 2010], another Mexican military helicopter was in Texas, hovering near the Roma-Miguel Aleman International Bridge. Two other times this year, Mexican helicopters were photographed in Starr and Zapata Counties in Texas.

Company News

Ridge Global names David West as its director of investment and business strategy

Ridge Global, an international provider of security and risk management services, today announced the appointment of David West as Director of Investment and Business Strategy.

ARINC delivers new Huey II helicopters for U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Drug smugglers and illegal aliens face a more difficult future, as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine has just expanded and increased the capabilities of its helicopter fleet.

ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, recently completed the delivery of three upgraded Huey II helicopters to the Office of Air and Marine (OAM). ARINC and its subcontractor, U.S. Helicopter, converted three standard UH-1H helicopters into the much more capable Huey II configuration, under a contract awarded in January 2009.

CBP licenses testing and assessment software from QuestionMark Corp.

Customs and Border Protection has awarded a small business set-aside contract worth almost $250,000 to QuestionMark Corp., of Norwalk, CT, for an enterprise license allowing up to 100,000 CBP personnel to use QuestionMark’s Perception assessment software.

The Perception assessment management system enables trainers, educators and testing professionals to author, schedule, deliver, and report on surveys, quizzes, tests and exams, according to the company’s Web site.

The McConnell Group to provide support staff at Plum Island

DHS has announced it intends to award a sole source contract to The McConnell Group, based in San Antonio, TX, to provide technical support services at the department’s Plum Island Animal Disease Center, which is located off the eastern tip of Long Island.

McConnell will provide professional staff to work at Plum Island in vaccine and therapeutic development, vivarium operations, vaccine and assay development, sample processing, and by supporting the attending veterinarians.

National Cyber Security Alliance launches Web portal for 2010 National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), based in Washington, DC, a public-private partnership focused on educating a digital citizenry to stay safe and secure online, launched its National Cyber Security Awareness Month Web portal with information on events, activities, promotions and educational materials to be used in preparation for the online safety month, which will be held in October.  

Raytheon awarded $23 million to provide mission support for RAID system

Raytheon, based in Waltham, MA, has been awarded a $23 million U.S. Army contract extension to provide mission support and system sustainment for the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) systems that protect U.S. and coalition forces deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

OSI Systems receives $18 million order for cargo and people screening systems

OSI Systems, Inc., based in Hawthorne, CA is a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications in the security and healthcare sectors. It has announced that its security division, Rapiscan Systems, has received an $18 million order to provide Eagle cargo and vehicle inspection systems and its Secure 1000 advanced people screening systems to support an unnamed U.S. Government agency.

Universal Detection Technology fulfills first GSA contract to U.S. Air Force

Universal Detection Technology, based in Beverly Hills, CA, a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats, and a provider of counter-terrorism consulting and training services, has announced that it has fulfilled its first GSA Schedule Contract purchase order to the U.S. Air Force for its radiation detection equipment.

 
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Recent Videos

Brady People ID

Brady People ID is the largest supplier of identification accessories, such as lanyards, badges and card holders, according to Neil Wyenn, Western Channel Manager. Wyen says the company’s ever growing line of more than 3000 products includes a complete line of secure identification badges and badge holders for government agencies that use FIPS 201-compliant smart cards. Other customers include hospitals, schools and universities.

Xtralis Americas

Ian Ehrenberg, VP and General Manager, indicates that Xtralis has a 25-year history of providing advanced detection technologies for intrusion detection, perimeter protection and CCTV. Applications include the Department of State and Consulates around the world, plus the Vancouver Olympics, where Xtralis provided the primary infrared protection device. The company is introducing its Vesda Echo Detector at the ISC West show.

AMAG Technologies

Matt Barnette, VP Sales and Marketing, points out that AMAG started out as an access control provider, but is now a full-service security products provider. New technologies being introduced include a new generation video enclosure which is IT sensory, the Hawkeye mobile, handheld device, which checks ID cards out in the field and can allow guards to look at videos while walking, and the new IDS product with 4-line keyboard display.

Lenel Systems International, Inc.

Josh Phillips, Director of Marketing, describes the business of Lenel as providing integrated security technologies, bringing the best of breed software applications and multiple technologies into a single platform. Government markets include military and civilian buyers and the DoD, which use the OnGuard system, whose 2010 integrated access control, ID management and video surveillance system offers enhanced video surveillance.

Everfocus

Everfocus is primarily involved in CCTV, according to Al Schwartz, product manager, but the company has evolved along with technology. Everfocus sells traditional analog cameras and digital video recorders for mobile customers and interior applications, but the company also offers a line of IP products where the technology is appropriate. Schwartz considers the new HD CCTV product to be exciting because it can re-use existing co-axial cables back to the DVR.

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Upcoming Webinars

Diebold Leveraging FICAM to Modernize Your Physical and Logical Access Control
Wed, 10/06/2010 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Leveraging FICAM to Modernize Your Physical and Logical Access Control

Is your agency prepared to meet the government''s Federal Identity, Credential and...

Recent Webinars

Centrify
SIMPLIFY MAC SMART CARD SUPPORT
Mon, 08/16/2010 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Use the resources you already have to easily deploy MACS with CAC and...

A Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity Using Dynamic Traffic Intelligence
Thu, 06/10/2010 - 1:00pm

GSN Webinar - A Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity Using Dynamic Traffic Intelligence

No vendor can solve the entire problem. Learn how to use...

Five Ways to Maximize Perimeter Security
Wed, 06/09/2010 - 11:00am

 This webinar is available to you at any time--on any day.

...

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New Products

Input forecasts emerging tech markets for state and local governments

Reston, VA-based Input, which specializes in government business, has unveiled new research detailing adoption trends for cloud computing, virtualization, service-oriented archi...

Kanguru adds USB device control to its KRMC

Millis, MA-based Kanguru Solutions, a manufacturer of secure IT storage solutions, has announced the ad...