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PROTECTING AMERICA FROM TERRORIST ATTACKS
On May 26, Director Mueller and Attorney General Ashcroft held a press conference to call renewed attention to 7 individuals we believe pose a real and present danger to U.S. interests around the world--perhaps most especially this summer and fall, a time of high profile public events that may well serve as a lightning rod to terrorist attacks. Director Mueller spoke frankly about the heightened threat to U.S. interests during these months, and equally frankly about strong FBI efforts to prevent attacks. "This summer and fall our nation will celebrate a number of events that serve as powerful symbols of our free and democratic society." he said. "Unfortunately, the same events that fill most of us with hope and pride are seen by terrorists as prime vehicles for sowing fear and chaos." "We need the support of the American people," he said. First to cooperate when called upon, as agents will be reaching out to many across the nation to help gather information and intelligence. Second, to be aware of your surroundings and report anything suspicious.
www.fbi.gov
You can view the pictures and decriptions of the suspects here.
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A Sharper Nose For Danger
Research into biodetectors to sniff out potentially deadly pathogens has gone on for years. Even so, the devices the Homeland Security Dept. uses in BioWatch, its network of biosensors that analyze air in more than 30 major U.S. cities, are only a tad smarter than a vacuum cleaner. Basically, they just suck in air and deposit the samples onto special filters. Then someone has to collect the samples and take them into a lab. It's all pretty Old Tech -- and expensive. Today the network costs about $2 million per city, per year, says Penrose "Parney" Albright, Assistant Secretary for science and technology at Homeland Security. That's mostly due to the labor involved. But Albright figures these expenses will fall by half when, in late 2004, the department introduces a new breed of biodetectors that not only collect samples but also conduct tests right on location -- and send the results to the lab wirelessly. Indeed, in the nearly three years since September 11, biodetectors have come a long way. Made by a host of companies, from chipmaker Texas Instruments (TXN) to hundreds of startups, these tiny devices are designed to react in a certain way when they come in contact with a specific agent, such as anthrax. Equipment attached to a sensor, which can be as small as a speck of dust, detects fluorescence or other indicators that set off danger signals.
www.nbc5i.com
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Study: Online Crime Costs Rising
Online criminals are attacking corporate and government networks more frequently, costing businesses an estimated $666 million in 2003, according to a survey of computer security executives released today. The survey was conducted by CSO [Chief Security Officer] magazine in cooperation with the U.S. Secret Service and the CERT cybersecurity center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. It showed that more than 40 percent of 500 executives polled said hackers have become the greatest cybersecurity threat to business and government networks, compared to 28 percent who feared internal threats such as disgruntled or recently fired employees. More than 40 percent of the respondents said the number of computer crime incidents increased from 2002 to 2003, compared to 6 percent who said it dropped. The rise in the number of executives who fears hackers marks a shift in corporate attitudes toward security, said CSO publisher Robert Bragdon. "Historically businesses have always focused on the internal threats being the biggest dangers to their organization," he said. Despite the shift to watching for external threats, 36 percent of the respondents said that they monitor employees' Web use and other activities to prevent internal sabotage and leaks.
www.ecommercetimes.com
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State law enforcement 'ready to roll' for G-8
As the nation's attorney general talked from Washington about the possibility of a terrorist attack on next month's Group of Eight summit, the answer from Georgia law enforcement was, "We're ready." "It reinforces all of our planning over the last 10 months," said Matt Doering, police chief of Glynn County, which includes the exclusive Sea Island resort, where world leaders will meet June 8-10. By the time the international summit opens, as many as 20,000 officers from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies will be on security duty along Georgia's coast. Many of the agencies were notified by e-mail Tuesday that federal Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge would make an announcement Wednesday. But the message did not include details, according to Lisa Ray, spokeswoman for Georgia's Department of Homeland Security, which has the lead state role in G-8 logistics.
www.ajc.com
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Panel finds complexity slows U.S. antiterrorism spending
A panel seeking ways to speed the flow of federal antiterrorism funds to emergency responders has concluded that the complexity of the process is slowing spending despite good intentions by most parties, a source familiar with the panel's work said Thursday. The Bush administration created the 20-member task force of state and local officials two months ago to seek ways to speed the flow of grant funds. The panel has now completed a draft of its recommendations and plans to deliver a final version to the administration in about two weeks, the source said. The source called the system for distributing the funds "incredibly complex," saying that the Homeland Security Department and most states have designated funding recipients as required by law but that "administrative and procedural issues" slowed actual spending.
www.govexec.com
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European airports tighten procedures for flights to U.S.
Swiss International Airlines Flight 022 has a special gate at Geneva International Airport outfitted for its departures. Passengers on the flight enter the main terminal, pass through Swiss security screening and are directed to a set of automatic doors tucked in a corner, leading into a deserted downward sloping tunnel. The twisting passageway, still under construction and fashioned of metal and wood, is punctuated by heavy sliding glass doors that swish open as you approach and slap closed ominously behind when you pass. You feel a bit like Secret Agent 007, or at least Maxwell Smart entering Control Headquarters. The tunnel ends in a large low-ceilinged waiting room with small windows, isolated near the tarmac. It feels a bit like a bunker, despite a smattering of ads and potted plants. But of course it does: Flight 022 goes to aviation?s latest war zone, the United States. The only other flights here are bound for Israel. Across Europe, flights to the United States are being subjected to newer, more intensive security procedures, comparable only to Israel?s El Al flights. For travelers the changes provide both hassles and a sense of security. While some screening upgrades, such as repeated passport checks, are out in the open, a host of invisible, behind the scenes procedural changes have been instituted, such as detailed scrutiny of passenger lists. Travelers do not see these gears in action, though European airports say that the data checks are sometimes responsible for departure delays, since planes essentially may not leave until they are completed. ??For sensitive flights, like those to the United States, all European airports are doing additional screening after the first check,?? said Ronan Anderson, spokesman for Airports Council International-Europe, the industry group for airport operators. ??They are making an effort to isolate areas that need to be ?ultra-secure.???
www.iht.com
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Cities to get more anti-terror funds
More than $55 million in bioterrorism funds would be taken away from states and given to Atlanta and 20 other cities under a federal proposal that some health officials say will tear holes in the still fragile safety net against terrorism. The proposal by the Department of Health and Human Services, called the Cities Readiness Initiative, redirects money that was assigned to states for the 2004 fiscal year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but has not yet been disbursed. Under the plan, each state will lose $1.085 million and each territory will lose $108,500 from annual bioterror-preparedness funding. Instead, $27 million will go to cities to improve their ability to respond to biological attacks, $12 million to build a system of automated attack sensors, and $12 million to the U.S. Postal Service for rapid post-attack delivery of drugs and vaccines. Funding would go to New York City ($5.1 million), Los Angeles, ($2.67 million), Chicago ($2.15 million) and Detroit ($1.3 million). Atlanta would get $740,000, though it is unclear how that money would be distributed between Fulton and DeKalb counties. The Georgia Division of Public Health declined to comment, saying more details are needed from HHS.
www.ajc.com
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Role of drones growing
Remote-controlled planes are taking on multiple roles in Alaska. Four Army Shadow 200s will join the Stryker Brigade Combat team at Fort Wainwright this summer. And other unmanned aerial vehicles are being put to work around the state, unburdened by the limits of sleep-dependent human pilots. Researchers from the University of Colorado in Boulder just wrapped up their fifth winter of arctic research at Point Barrow, using petite UAVs made by Melbourne, Australia-based Aerosonde Ltd. This year Aerosonde also collected data for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta to study sea ice and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to measure gaseous mercury levels. Company officials say its Arctic work has led to improvements in the 30-pound plane's ability to function in a harsh environment, collecting information with infrared cameras, sensors and other instruments. "It's ruggedized the aircraft," said operations engineer Daniel Fowler. "The engine has been substantially upgraded because of our work up there. We've learned a lot about operating in arctic conditions." This summer the Coast Guard will test an extended-wing, commercial version of the Air Force Predator B around the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands for possible use in fisheries patrols. Other possible applications for the high-altitude Altair include search and rescue, drug enforcement and homeland security patrols, said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Carter at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C.
www.news-miner.com
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Security A Priority for Summer Olympics in Athens
The Summer Games in Athens will have the highest security budget in Olympic history, having invested 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) on the most sophisticated security measures ever - three times the amount spent on the 2000 Games in Sydney. A number of governments have voiced concern about the threat of terrorism marring the Summer Olympics, which begin on August 13, and security has become a priority for the organizers. "Of course, we've taken into account the fact that there is a worldwide escalation of acts of terrorism," said Eleftherios Ikonomou, spokesperson for the Greek Ministry of Public Order, which is the ministry in charge of security. "We understand that there is no magic formula for dealing with terrorism and for this reason, we are prepared for everything." The Greeks say they have developed a new concept called "the total security doctrine," incorporating high technology, international cooperation and education. Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed.
www.cnsnews.com
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CDC restructures to better battle bioterror
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that it is refocusing priorities and reorganizing operations this year to better protect the United States against biological attacks and to promote health amongst all Americans. The agency will now focus its attention and funding on two "overarching health protection goals": preparedness against infectious, environmental and terrorist threats, and the prevention of disease, injury and disability, according to a CDC press release. Most CDC offices will also operate within four coordinating units to allow personnel working in similar health fields to more easily collaborate, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said Friday. Planned changes were developed under the yearlong Futures Initiative, and should be in place when the agency begins its next fiscal year in October, Skinner said.
www.govexec.com
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