Category: IA News

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen announced last week the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office. The new office is established at a time when “The United States faces rising danger from terrorist groups and rogue nation states,” said Secretary Nielsen. According to Nielsen, “DHS is moving […]

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Ambassador (Ret.) Mark Green spoke on the subject of USAID’s role in international development and U.S. national security at a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs on November 1. In his opening statement, Green spoke about […]

November is Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, a time to appreciate and protect the essential services that underpin American society and serve as the backbone of our nation’s economy, security, and health. In a proclamation released yesterday, President Trump stated that “The natural disasters our country has experienced in recent months provide a sobering reminder of […]

On October 26, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Elaine Duke released a statement on DHS’s role in responding to the opioid crisis. Duke’s statement followed President Trump’s announcement that he would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency. In her statement, Duke stated […]

Hurricane relief efforts are still underway in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after the territories were ravaged by Hurricane Maria in September. As of October 30, over 15,000 federal civilian and military personnel are on location in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded hundreds […]

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony related to defending the nation from cyber attacks on October 19. Kenneth P. Rapuano, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, testified during the hearing. In his prepared testimony, Rapuano stressed that the Department of Defense (DoD) was part of a whole-of-government approach to cyber […]

This month, Defense One released a special report concerning cyber defense. Protecting Infrastructure from Cyber Threats is a collection of short pieces on various cyber threats facing the nation. Protecting Infrastructure begins with a piece on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) search for automated defenses from cyber adversaries, then moves on to a […]

On October 23, U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation aimed at combating the opioid epidemic. The Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force Act creates an interagency task force focused on eradicating the illicit fentanyl and heroin trade. Representative Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) co-sponsored the legislation. In her remarks, Rep. Clark spoke about how the opioid crisis has […]

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) is ready to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) efforts in responding to Hurricane Nate, which made landfall in Louisiana as a category 1 hurricane over the weekend. Northcom pre-positioned DoD assets in preparation for the response to Nate, and DoD has since activated defense coordinating officers […]

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). NCSAM is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity, and is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the Nation in the […]