Security and Alarm Systems Blog

Worth a Look: iHound

Administrator — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:06:02 +0000

Mobile devices can be easily lost or stolen. One application, which works with both Apple and Android platforms, can quickly and accurately track devices and offers a host of additional security features at relatively low cost.

Former DHS Official Recommends Reorganizing the Department

Administrator — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:24 +0000

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should begin a fundamental reorganization by developing a unified field structure for its components and separating operational and acquisition responsibilities, according to a former DHS official.

Morning Security Brief: CBP Audit, Unauthorized Prison Visits, The Met Cites Human Error in Data Breach, and More

Administrator — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:11:45 +0000

►U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaves private sector port facilities that store cargo at risk because it doesn’t require background checks for CBP employees who work there, according to a new Inspector General report. “The IG office surveyed 41 facilities at five US ports, screening 203 employees.

Return of The Troubles?

Administrator — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:49:56 +0000

Between 1969 and the 1998 signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement, more than 3,600 people were killed in Northern Ireland in a period known as “The Troubles.” The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought Protestant Unionist paramilitaries, the British Army, and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in an attempt to free Northern Ireland of British rule. Though nothing can erase the legacy of hate and hurt, the peace has lasted for nearly 14 years.

U.S. No-Fly List Doubles in One Year

Administrator — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:15:49 +0000

The list of suspected terrorists who are banned from flying to or within the United States has doubled in the past year. A year ago, the list had around 10,000 known terrorists and now has 21,000, according to government data provided to the Associated Press.

Morning Security Brief: U.S. Terrorism Hot Spots Mapped, Boko Haram Spokesman Arrested, Airborne Smugglers, and More

Administrator — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:14:48 +0000

►Nearly 30 percent of terrorist attacks took place in just five counties, according to a new study from the University of Maryland that maps terrorism “hot spots” in the United States. Criminology professor Gary LaFree set out to find what areas are most prone to terrorism, the geographic concentration of attacks, and specific ideologies motivate and concentrate terrorist attacks, and what factors increase the risk that an attack will occur in a particular area.

Editor’s Note: Is It Foolish to Fool Yourself?

Administrator — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:34:28 +0000

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman has written a book about how cognitive illusions blind us to reason. He notes that telling Wall Street traders that their performance is no better than a roll of the dice does not shake their confidence in their ability. He marvels at the disconnect. This might at first seem to be an inherent flaw in human design, tantamount to a manufacturer’s defect in human nature.

Morning Security Brief: Air Marshal Discrimination, Immigration Reform, Super Bowl Security, and More

Administrator — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:37:22 +0000

HHS Lists Top Disaster Apps For First Responders and the Public

Administrator — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:40:56 +0000

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Information Research Center has published a list of recommended smartphone apps and mobile optimized Web sites to put disaster information at the fingertips of both first responders and the public.

This list features around 20 apps that provide instant information on disaster resources and medicine, and hazardous events.

Morning Security Brief: Whistleblowers Sue the FDA, Couple Barred From U.S. Over Tweets, Email Providers Fight Spam, and More

Administrator — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:42:47 +0000

►A group of FDA whistleblowers are suing the agency for monitoring their personal e-mails. In past testimony, the scientists told Congress that the FDA was approving medical devices that they believed posed risks to patients. For the next two years, their personal e-mails were monitored at work. The information from these e-mails “eventually contributed to the harassment or dismissal of all six of the FDA employees,” CBS reports.