Update 12/18/2015 12pm: The House and Senate have now passed the omnibus bill, including the new version of CISA. Privacy advocates were aghast in October when the Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act by a vote of 74 to 21, leaving intact portions of the law they say make it more amenable…
Category: Current Events
Iran: A Rising Cyber-Power?
“A Brown Water Navy” Through a series of attacks over the last three years, Iran has revealed a limited offensive cyber capability but a willingness to use it to meet its geopolitical goals. In testimony calling out Iran for attacks on Sands Casinos, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper put Iranian cyber capability in the…
Cartel Corner #37: Drug Traffickers “Spoofing” Border Surveillance Drones
The homeland security agency, and local law enforcement as well, are looking to harden its drones against attack, but that comes at a price. The drug cartels aren’t just buying golden Uzis anymore. As the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, or CBP, has upped its drone patrols along America’s Mexican border, narcotics traffickers have…
Peering into the Past and Future of Urban Warfare in Israel
I traveled recently to Israel to visit a state-of-the-art military training facility in the southern Negev Desert opened by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) last year. The facility, at the Tze’elim army base, is meant to simulate urban operations of the kind the Israelis have so often faced in their conflicts with Palestinian and Lebanese…
Holiday Travel Tips: Concerns over Active Shooter Threats at Airports
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, critical infrastructure and key resources are the backbone of our nation’s economy, security, and health. One key component of critical infrastructure is the security of our nation’s airports from mass casualty incidents such as an active shooter scenario. With over 450 commercial airports, in addition to the…
Forged ISIS Video Praises Obama’s Backing
Is is Real or is it Memorex Folks?? An apparently forged ISIS video disseminated online Monday praised President Obama and called for joint U.S. action with the terrorist group against Russian intervention in Syria. The five-minute video also called for designating Obama as the caliph, or ruler, of ISIS. ISIS supporters on Twitter were quick…
Crusader Corner #11: FBI Alerted after Muslims buy Large Quantities of Cell Phones
Muslims buy cellphones in large quantities in the middle of the night at a rural Walmart. The FBI was alerted, but people are worried that their concern was “racist.” Sheriff Merritt said: “You’re not being racist or anything like that you’re just protecting yourself.” Why shouldn’t people have been concerned? Cellphones have been used by…
Border Security Update: Team led by “Middle Eastern” Woman caught Surveilling U.S. Facility on Mexican Border
“Team led by Middle Eastern Woman Caught Surveilling U.S. Facility on Mexican Border,” Judicial Watch, December 16, 2015: DECEMBER 16, 2015 A Middle Eastern woman was caught surveilling a U.S. port of entry on the Mexican border holding a sketchbook with Arabic writing and drawings of the facility and its security system, federal law enforcement…
On the Edge of an Islamic Tet Offensive?
By John Farnam, DTI Islamic Tet? I arrived in Vietnam in the summer of 1968, just after the famous Tet Offensive had been mostly crushed by US forces. Militarily, Tet was a disaster for the Communists. Their losses were hideous. They didn’t care! The fact that they were supposedly mostly defeated, yet were still able…
Indicators and Battle Tracking Baltimore
Will Baltimore blow up like Ferguson? Early indicators are not looking good. Batten down the hatches and put one in the chamber, it could be a long week. I also highly urge all my readers to participate at GuerillAmerica and practice Battle Tracking…it is a important skill to keep sharp in the times we are…