SubscribeUS security chief: cyber-threats ‘on par’ with 9/11
April 9, 2008
“One of America’s most senior security officials
has said that the threat posed by cyber-crime is “on a par” with the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, said that computer-based attacks had the ability to cripple financial institutions and government networks.” (The Times)
Chertoff looks back on homeland-security efforts
February 28, 2008
“The upcoming fifth anniversary of the Homeland Security Department prompted Secretary Michael Chertoff to meet with reporters Wednesday to assess progress in getting his sprawling department to function in an effective and unified way.
The department was founded in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It includes a slew of disparate agencies – from the Coast Guard to Customs and Border Protection to the Secret Service. With 208,000 employees and a budget approaching $50 billion, the massive department formally began operation on March 1, 2003.” (Christian Science Monitor)
Iran Could Have Enough Uranium for a Bomb by Year’s End
February 26, 2008
“New simulations carried out by European Union experts come to an alarming conclusion: 
Iran could have enough highly enriched uranium to build an atomic bomb by the end of this year. ” (Spiegel Online)
EU, US discuss flight security measures
February 11, 2008
“European Union officials said Monday they were in talks with the United States to beef up trans-Atlantic 
travel security measures, including the possible expanded use of air marshals on flights to and from the U.S.
The measures are related to a new U.S. visa-waiver law that could also see EU countries being pushed to provide more data on passengers on trans-Atlantic flights — or flights that fly over the U.S. but don’t land there. An agreement on information-sharing was part of a deal the 27-nation union and the U.S. signed last July.” (Business Week)
U.S. may be backsliding on security - Chertoff
February 6, 2008
“From weak border controls to the risk of chemical bombs, the United States could be backsliding on national security since the Sept. 11 attacks, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said on Wednesday.
“A couple of years after 9/11 it would not have seemed conceivable that a ‘business as usual’ mentality could creep back into our public mind-set. It has begun to return,” Chertoff told a forum at Harvard University.” (Reuters)
Homeland Security seeks to bolster management, border security
February 5, 2008
“The White House is requesting $50.5 billion to fund the Homeland Security Department in 2009, a 62 percent increase in funding from when the
department was created just five years ago. The increase reflects the department’s continued focus on border and aviation security as well as its tremendous purchasing power — much of the funding is for high-profile acquisition programs, such as the Coast Guard’s Deepwater recapitalization program and the Secure Border Initiative.” (GovExec)
Pentagon not ready for attack response in U.S.
January 31, 2008
“The Pentagon is not prepared to respond to a catastrophic chemical, biological or nuclear
attack within the United States, placing Americans at risk, an independent panel reported to Congress on Thursday.
While the Defense Department conducts exhaustive planning for operations overseas, its planning for possible action inside the United States in response to attacks is inadequate, said the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves.” (Reuters)
Tighter U.S. Border ID Rules Begin
January 31, 2008
“New rules for the types of identification U.S. or Canadian citizens must present to cross into the country shouldn’t cause significant
delays and won’t be strictly enforced at first, a senior federal official said.
Under the rules going into effect Thursday, people will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens, said Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” (AP)
U.S. says threat against airlines remains high
January 25, 2008
“The United States is likely to keep a high threat designation for the airline industry because militants still see air travel as a target, 
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.
Chertoff said the orange, or high, threat level assigned to the airline sector — one level higher than the overall alert level for the United States — was based on a general assessment rather than a specific threat.” (Reuters)
Stepped-Up Security for State of the Union
January 24, 2008
“As President Bush prepares to deliver his last State of the Union address Monday, security around Washington D.C. is beefing up.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have prepared a recent threat assessment that was distributed to law enforcement in the Washington metropolitan area Wednesday.
According to law enforcement and Homeland Security officials, in the coming days DHS will announce that DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff will designate the event a “national security special event.” “(ABC News)