March 2015 Security News

Air Force stands up Task Force Cyber Secure AFNS 31 Mar 2015 -- Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III signed a memorandum on March 20, establishing Task Force Cyber Secure, to address challenges of the cyberspace domain in synchronization, operations and governance within the Air Force and with those organizations it supports.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 31 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Sierra Leone's missing Ebola millions IRIN 30 Mar 2015 -- More than half of US$18 million of treasury and public donation funds supposedly spent on fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone, where the disease has claimed 3,764 lives, lacks complete paperwork and almost a third is officially "unaccounted for" according to an audit report.
Sierra Leone's 3-Day Ebola Lockdown is Over VOA 30 Mar 2015 -- Sierra Leone's three-day lock down has come to a close. People were told to stay at home across the country while volunteers went door to door educating people on Ebola prevention and encouraging sick people to seek treatment.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 30 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Guinea 'Emergency' Aimed at Stemming Spread of Ebola VOA 28 Mar 2015 -- Guinea's President Alpha Conde has declared a 45-day 'health emergency' in five regions in the west and southwest of the Ebola-hit nation in a bid to stem the spread of the deadly disease.
Laos Backs Programs in Opium Eradication VOA 27 Mar 2015 -- The Asian Development Bank and other international donors have been helping Laos promote alternative development schemes to opium production. Analysts also point to opium's traditional place in ethnic hill-tribe societies, including medicinal use, warning programs to eradicate the poppy must be backed by successful efforts to alleviate often chronic poverty
Sierra Leone Under 3-Day Ebola Lockdown VOA 27 Mar 2015 -- People in Sierra Leone have been told to stay at home this weekend as authorities make another attempt to stop the Ebola epidemic that has claimed more than 3,000 lives in the country.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 Mar 2015 [PDF]
RFA Argus honoured as she completes Sierra Leone deployment UK MOD 27 Mar 2015 -- RFA Argus has been honoured by the Defence Secretary as she heads back to the UK after supporting the fight against Ebola.
Truth about Story of North's Hacking at 'Nuclear Power Plant' in S. Korea Laid Bare KCNA 26 Mar 2015 -- The Park Geun Hye group of south Korea let 'the government joint investigation team' release results of temporary interim investigation in which it claimed that the hacking at the nuclear power plant was conducted by the north.
North Korea rejects South's hacking charge Press TV 26 Mar 2015 -- North Korea has rejected allegations of involvement in cyber-attacks against South Korea's nuclear power plant operators, charging that Seoul invented the story in a bid to blame Pyongyang for cross-border tensions.
IS Likely Trying to Add Al-Shabab to Its Ranks VOA 26 Mar 2015 -- Growing divisions within the leadership of the al-Shabab terror organization could soon push some, if not all, of the Somali-based outfit to pledge allegiance to the group known as the Islamic State.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Lowest weekly total of Ebola cases in 2015 reported, UN health agency says UN News 25 Mar 2015 -- The first case of Ebola in three weeks was found in Liberia, prompting heightened vigilance, while the United Nations health agency noted some improvements in Guinea, where the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Guinean Scouts held campfire sensitization sessions as part of its efforts to overcome community resistance to health interventions.
Report Cites 'Significant Gap' in FBI's Intelligence Goals, Practices VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Citing a 'significant gap' in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's intelligence goals and actual practices, a new report contends the bureau should beef up its ranks of analysts and linguists and better integrate analysis and criminal investigations to improve national security.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 25 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Analysts: IS Group Strategically Placing Foreign Fighters VOA 24 Mar 2015 -- On the Turkish border with Syria, Turkish lawmaker Mehmet Ali Ediboglu says he is in touch with the families of the 11 doctors and medical students that sneaked into Syrian territory held by the Islamic State (IS) group.
Uruguay Will No Longer Accept Guantanamo Prisoners Sputnik 24 Mar 2015 -- The new Uruguayan government says it will no longer grant asylum to prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 24 Mar 2015 [PDF]
One year on: why Ebola is not yet over in Guinea IRIN 23 Mar 2015 -- The Ebola outbreak, which was first declared by Guinea's Ministry of Health on the evening of 22 March 2014, continues to ravage the country, in large part because information campaigns have failed to bring about comprehensive changes in behavior and beliefs.
Normandy Retrieves Abandoned Narcotics NNS 23 Mar 2015 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) recovered more than 1,000 pounds of illegal narcotics while transiting the Mediterranean Sea, March 21.
Indonesia Arrests Five Islamic State Suspects VOA 23 Mar 2015 -- Indonesia said it has arrested five men suspected of raising funds and recruiting new members for the Islamic State group, which Jakarta calls ISIS.
Doctors Without Borders slams slow response to Ebola outbreak Press TV 23 Mar 2015 -- The humanitarian aid organization, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), has strongly criticized the United Nations World Health Organization and other international medical emergency bodies for their failure to provide a timely response to West Africa's Ebola epidemic.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 23 Mar 2015 [PDF]
CIA Chief Says Momentum Of IS Halted In Iraq, Syria RFE/RL 22 Mar 2015 -- In a new interview, CIA Director John Brennan says U.S.-led air strikes and Iraqi government forces have stopped the momentum of Islamic State (IS) fighters in Iraq, while warning Iran against developing nuclear weapons.
ISIL claims responsibility for Sana'a blasts Press TV 20 Mar 2015 -- The ISIL Takfiri terrorist group has claimed responsibility for three deadly bomb attacks that hit mosques crowded with worshippers in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a.
Triple bombings claim 142 lives at mosques in Yemen's capital Press TV 20 Mar 2015 -- At least 142 people have been killed and nearly 351 wounded after three bomb attacks hit mosques crowded with worshippers in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, in quick succession.
Ebola-affected countries need to intensify routine immunization services – UN UN News 20 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for the "urgent scaling up" of routine immunizations services and distribution of anti-malaria medicines in countries most affected by Ebola in West Africa to counter a growing risk of outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Yemeni IS Group Claims Sana'a Mosques Blasts VOA 20 Mar 2015 -- A group claiming to be a Yemeni branch of the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Sana'a that killed at least 126 people at mosques used by supporters of Shi'ite rebels.
WHO Urges Focus Preventable Killer Diseases in Ebola Countries VOA 20 Mar 2015 -- The World Health Organization is calling for the urgent scale-up of mass vaccinations against preventable killer diseases in West Africa's Ebola-affected countries, now that the deadly disease is on the decline.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Guinea reports highest weekly Ebola case total so far this year, new UN data shows UN News 19 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the highest weekly number of Ebola cases in Guinea so far this year and noted that while transmission was confined to a narrow geographically contiguous arc straddling the capitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone, the population is highly mobile, thus creating a challenge "to prevent the seeding of new outbreaks."
Al-Qaeda claims assassination of top Houthi member Press TV 19 Mar 2015 -- A branch of al-Qaeda in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the assassination of a senior member of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement in the capital city of Sana'a.
Beyond the outbreak: leading expert on what the Ebola crisis can teach us IRIN 19 Mar 2015 -- New cases of Ebola are now tailing off in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and research scientists are racing against time to learn as much as possible about what is normally a rare disease. One of those scientists is Dr Jimmy Whitworth, who has just taken up a new post as professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, leading a three year project on epidemics and preparedness.
Sierra Leone to lockdown 2.5 mn to stem Ebola crisis Press TV 19 Mar 2015 -- Sierra Leone has announced plans to confine nearly 2.5 million of people to their homes across the capital of Freetown as well as in north of the country for three days in a bid to curtail the deadly Ebola epidemic.
Islamic State Claims Attack at Tunisia Museum VOA 19 Mar 2015 -- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Thursday for the deadly attack on Tunisia's national museum that killed 23 people, mostly foreign tourists.
What terrorism does: Fear and anger for Christians after Pakistan bombs IRIN 19 Mar 2015 -- Fears are running high in the homes of the over 70,000 Christians in Youhanabad, a settlement in Lahore - the capital of Pakistan's populous Punjab province.
Tunisian Parliament Calls Day of Solidarity After Deadly Attack VOA 19 Mar 2015 -- Tunisia's parliament called for a day of solidarity after gunmen opened fire at one of the capital's top tourism sites, killing 19 people and wounding more than 40 others.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 19 Mar 2015 [PDF]
UN officials condemn deadly attack on Tunisia's Bardo Museum UN News 18 Mar 2015 -- Senior United Nations officials have condemned today's attack against the Bardo Museum in the Tunisian capital which resulted in a number of deaths, and voiced solidarity with the Government and people of the North African nation.
Military Commissions Personnel Announcement DoD 18 Mar 2015 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has designated the Honorable Paul L. Oostburg Sanz to serve as the convening authority for military commissions.
Tunisia Museum Standoff Ends; Death Toll Climbs to 19 VOA 18 Mar 2015 -- Gunmen opened fire at one of the Tunisian capital's top tourism sites on Wednesday in an attack that left 21 people dead, mainly foreign visitors.
19 people killed in attack on Tunis museum: Prime Minister Press TV 18 Mar 2015 -- At least 19 people, including 17 foreign tourists, have been killed in an armed attack on Tunisia's leading museum in the capital, Tunis, which is adjacent to the parliament.
Foreign Fighters Flock to Syria With Trivial Knowledge of Islam Sputnik 18 Mar 2015 -- The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly has heard evidence that up to 20,000 foreign fighters have joined the conflict in Syria on a scale never seen before in any previous conflict in the world, many of whom have a "superficial" knowledge of Islam.
Liberians Worry Ebola Could Return From Guinea, Sierra Leone VOA 18 Mar 2015 -- When the rate of Ebola infections in Liberia reached zero, the government decided to reopen its borders to its West African neighbors still fighting the disease.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 18 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Mexico - UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters DSCA 17 Mar 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Mexico for UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $110 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on March 16, 2015.
US to Sell Black Hawk Helicopters to Mexico for War on Organized Crime Sputnik 17 Mar 2015 -- The US State Department has approved the possible sale of three Black Hawk Helicopters to Mexico to strengthen the country's capability to fight organized crime and conduct counter-narcotics operations, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement on Tuesday
UN: IS Appears To Have Presence In Afghanistan RFE/RL 17 Mar 2015 -- The top UN envoy in Afghanistan says recent reports indicate the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has moved into Afghanistan.
New UN report highlights 'terrifying' impact of Ebola on nine million children UN News 17 Mar 2015 -- Some nine million children have seen "death and suffering beyond their comprehension," and protecting them and their communities is critical in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a report released today.
Experts Say al-Shabab-Islamic State Linkup 'Unlikely' VOA 17 Mar 2015 -- Boko Haram's loyalty pledge to the Islamic State group has raised fears of further Islamic State alliances in sub-Saharan Africa. Terrorism experts however, say the continent's most powerful extremist force, Somalia's al-Shabab, is unlikely to go down the same path.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 17 Mar 2015 [PDF]
CIA Chief: Terrorism Morphing Into Different Threats AFPS 16 Mar 2015 -- Terrorism is morphing into different types of threats, including cyberattacks that can impact nations across the globe, the director of central intelligence said in New York last week.
'Let's finish the job' : UN Ebola envoy IRIN 16 Mar 2015 -- At the height of the Ebola outbreak in September, the United Nations appointed public health expert Dr. David Nabarro as its Special Envoy on Ebola. He was tasked with working with local and international partners and governments to better coordinate and implement Ebola response measures. Six months into his term, Nabarro spoke to IRIN from New York about ongoing challenges and lessons learned.
ISIL's al-Baghdadi: Prophet Muhammad Told Me to Leave Mosul Sputnik 16 Mar 2015 -- While the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants continue to withdraw from the Sunni stronghold of Tirkit amid a losing battle against Iraqi government forces, the terrorist group's leader might be preparing to retreat from the province of Mosul.
Iran Scrapped from US Terrorism Threat List, Praised For Fighting ISIL Sputnik 16 Mar 2015 -- The report on Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Communities was recently made public, with Iran and Hezbollah scrapped from the terrorism list. The change is particularly significant as both Iran and Hezbollah have been featured in the section in previous years. In 2014, both were listed as terrorist threats within the context of the Syrian civil war in addition to direct threats they pose to the US and its allies.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 16 Mar 2015 [PDF]
US to Shut Embassy, Consulates in Saudi Arabia Over Security Concerns Sputnik 15 Mar 2015 -- The United States is planning to shut down its Saudi embassy in Riyadh and two consulates general for the next two days over security concerns, the US diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia said Sunday.
USS Gary - U.S. Coast Guard Team Seizes over 143 Kilos of Cocaine NNS 14 Mar 2015 -- USS Gary (FFG 51), her embarked Helicopter Squadron (HSL 49 Det. 4) and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment intercepted over 143 kilograms of cocaine Feb. 10 after intercepting a suspected narcotic-trafficking vessel in international waters off the coast of Central America.
CIA Chief Says Airstrikes Have 'Softened' IS Forces VOA 13 Mar 2015 -- The head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said Friday that the Islamic State militants are well-armed and well-financed, but not invincible.
Carter: Cyber Domain Presents Profound Challenges AFPS 13 Mar 2015 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave his first domestic troop talk as secretary to the cyber warriors assigned to U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, today.
Remarks by Secretary Carter to U.S. Cyber Command Workforce at Fort Meade, Maryland DoD 13 Mar 2015-- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Northcom Chief Discusses Threats to Homeland AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- The most dangerous threats to the U.S. homeland include transnational criminal networks, homegrown violent extremists and cyberattacks, Navy Adm. William E. Gortney told a Senate panel today.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 Mar 2015 [PDF]
To Fight IS, West Needs to Better Understand Foe VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- As the United States and its allies continue to battle Islamic State militants, analysts say Westerners are struggling to understand IS ideology and motivations.
US, South Korean air forces sharpen cyberspace defense AFNS 11 Mar 2015 -- Attacks, counter-attacks, bombs, rescues, evacuations and logistics are all elements of conflict. For the participants of Key Resolve 2015 (KR15), these actions and other important elements of combat come through a buzzing hard drive rather than from a physical foe.
Plan to export medics 'threatens Uganda's epidemic response' IRIN 11 Mar 2015 -- Uganda's ability to respond to major epidemics will be undermined if plans to send 263 doctors, nurses and midwives to the Caribbean are carried out, civil society activists have warned.
IS recruits Xinjiang residents People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- A top official from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that Xinjiang residents have joined the radical group Islamic State.
Two UN agencies combine expertise in new partnership to reach zero Ebola cases UN News 11 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) today announced they are combining their expertise in public health and logistics in a new partnership to bring the Ebola outbreak down to zero in West Africa.
India Struggles to Contain Worst Swine Flu Outbreak Since 2009 VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- India is struggling to contain a wave of swine flu. The death toll has surpassed 1,500 since the infection took hold in mid-December.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Nigeria Muslims Face Stigma Over Presumed Boko Haram Links VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Nigerian Muslims who fled to Cameroon to escape Boko Haram say they are being shunned as suspected sympathizers of the insurgent group. And the suspicions are not only from Cameroonians but Nigerian Christians who do not trust them and refuse to live with them in refugee camps.
Can a Boko Haram-IS Merger Work? VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group on Saturday followed weeks of hints and signs the group was moving in that direction.
US Supreme Court rejects cases on Guantanamo detainees' mistreatment Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear appeals about the torture of two inmates at the military-run Guantanamo Bay prison.
China Warns Xinjiang Extremists Fighting for IS, Returning Home VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- The top Communist Party leader in China's remote and restive region of Xinjiang said he believes religious extremists have left the country to join Islamic State militants overseas, and then returned home.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 10 Mar 2015 [PDF]
UN policy-making body opens annual session in Vienna; looks to tackle range of issues on narcotic drugs UN News 09 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs began meeting today in Vienna, where the policy-making body will tackle challenges ranging from protecting children from the sale of new psychoactive substances online to confronting financial flows linked to drug trafficking, as well as planning for a General Assembly special session on the World Drug Problem in 2016.
Al-Qaeda members kill 13 Hoiuthi fighters in al-Bayda Press TV 09 Mar 2015 -- BUG: At least 13 members of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement have been killed in clashes with al-Qaeda terrorists in the Yemeni province of al-Bayda, media reports say.
Pakistan Tightens Control Of SIM Cards To Tackle Terrorism RFE/RL 09 Mar 2015 -- If you want to use a mobile phone in Pakistan, you will have to leave your name, number, and fingerprints. In an effort to curtail terrorism, the government has launched the massive undertaking of verifying the identity of every single mobile-phone user in the country of 180 million people.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 09 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Boko Haram swears allegiance to ISIL IRNA 08 Mar 2015 -- Nigeria's Boko Haram terrorists have pledged allegiance to ISIL Takfiri terrorist group.
Boko Haram Allegedly Pledges Their Allegiance to ISIL Sputnik 07 Mar 2015 -- The Nigerian fundamentalist Islamic Group has pledged their allegiance to the so-called Islamic State according to an audio message. The message was posted on Boko Haram's Twitter account and appeared to be created by the group's leader but remains unconfirmed.
CIA Director Reveals Plan to Overhaul Spy Agency to 'Cover Entire Universe' Sputnik 07 Mar 2015 -- CIA Director John Brennan announced a massive reorganization of the spy agency he heads. Brennan said the effort will make officials more accountable and close espionage gaps.
'Special Program' emerges to combat cyber insider threats AFNS 07 Mar 2015 -- It's not often that the public gets to hear about the Air Force's inner workings when pertaining to highly classified networks; however, a special programs team from Hanscom Air Force Base's Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Directorate has recently emerged, making their presence known.
Calling All Hackers! Pentagon Adds 3,000-Strong Army to Cyber Command Sputnik 07 Mar 2015 -- The Pentagon received congressional permission to fast-track the hiring of 3,000 civilian hackers to bolster the ranks of its understaffed United States Cyber Command.
Unclassified Version of March 6, 2015 Message to the Workforce from CIA Director John Brennan: Our Agency's Blueprint for the Future Central Intelligence Agency 06 Mar 2015 -- The "Agency's leadership team has made a number of decisions building upon the Agency's Strategic Direction that are designed to strengthen our Agency in the years ahead. (...) The initiatives described below are driven by two fundamental shifts in the national security landscape. The first is the marked increase in the range, diversity, complexity, and immediacy of issues confronting policymakers; and the second is the unprecedented pace and impact of technological advancements."
History, Religion Hamper Efforts to Counter IS Propaganda VOA 06 Mar 2015 -- The militant group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS) has proved adept at radicalizing young Muslims, and Western countries, including the U.S., are finding that history and long-held beliefs in the Middle East put them at a disadvantage when countering IS's recruitment efforts.
Mousavian says nuke deal could lead to US-Iran cooperation on Daesh IRNA 06 Mar 2015 -- As nuclear talks enter a crucial stage, a nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1 group could pave the way for possible cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or Daesh, Iran's former nuclear negotiator has said.
Guard Units in Several States Respond to Latest Winter Storm AFPS 06 Mar 2015 -- National Guard units have been called to action in several states in the South, the Midwest and the Northeast in recent days to clear snow and help stranded motorists, among other missions, in response to the latest winter storm.
Cybercom Chief: Cyber Threats Blur Roles, Relationships AFPS 06 Mar 2015 -- Over five years of U.S. Cyber Command operations, global movement of threat activity through cyberspace has blurred roles and relationships among government agencies, as well as between the public and private sectors and the real and virtual worlds, the Cybercom commander told a House panel.
Saudi Arabia reports 10 more MERS-linked deaths Press TV 06 Mar 2015 -- The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has killed 10 more people in Saudi Arabia over the past week, raising health officials' concern about containment of the deadly virus.
British Man Arrested for Hacking Into US Dept of Defense Sputnik 06 Mar 2015 -- Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that a 23-year-old man from Sutton Coldfield in the British Midlands region was arrested and accused of taking part in the cyber attack, where hackers obtained the details of about 800 of the department's staff, including email addresses and phone numbers.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 Mar 2015 [PDF]
UN health agency announces start of Ebola vaccine testing in worst-affected areas of Guinea UN News 05 Mar 2015 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it will begin conducting Ebola vaccination trials in Guinea this week, which if found effective, could be the "game-changer to finally end the epidemic" that has affected nearly 24,000 people, mostly in West Africa.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 05 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Pakistani Convicted in Al-Qaida Plot to Bomb NY Subway VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- A jury in New York City on Wednesday convicted a Pakistani member of al-Qaida of being part of a plot to attack the city's subway system, a shopping mall in Manchester, England, and a newspaper office in Copenhagen.
Ebola: Liberia's long road to recovery IRIN 04 Mar 2015 -- Liberia has lifted nationwide curfews and reopened its land borders with key trading partners Sierra Leone and Guinea, but a full recovery from the economic impact of the Ebola outbreak will take time, experts say.
Defense Admits Suspect's Guilt in Boston Marathon Bombing VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- The defense lawyer for suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told the jury at his trial Wednesday that he helped carry out the deadly 2013 attack, but contended that Tsarnaev's older brother was the mastermind behind the plot.
China Seeks to Calm Tech Firm Fears Over Anti-Terrorism Law VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- China has responded to criticisms raised by U.S. President Barack Obama about regulations that could impact high-tech firms. The spokeswoman for China's top legislative body says that companies doing business here have nothing to fear from a new anti-terror law that is under review.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 04 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Ebola: UN tells Brussels meeting world must 'stay on course' to get to, remain at zero cases UN News 03 Mar 2015 -- Representatives of United Nations organizations engaged in the response against Ebola today pledged their support to the worst-affected West African countries in "each stage of this journey; the drive to zero, the early recovery, the medium and longer term development."
North Korea Ends Ebola-Related Travel Restrictions Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Pyongyang has announced the lifting of Ebola-related travel and tourism restrictions which have been in force since last October.
Cyber War Rages Between Iran, US VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- A newly published report indicates Iran and the United States have increased their cyber attacks on each other, even as their top diplomats are working toward an agreement to guarantee Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and to free Iran from international sanctions. The development is part of a growing global trend.
US Metadata Collection Expiration Will Increase Security Risk - Intelligence Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Failure to renew the telephone metadata collection program, referred to as Section 215, would deprive the US intelligence community of a tool to thwart threats to national security, US Director of National Intelligence (NDI) James Clapper said at the Council on Foreign Relations.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 03 Mar 2015 [PDF]
Rogers Discusses Cyber Operations, ISIL, Deterrence AFPS 02 Mar 2015 -- Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, took questions here recently on many topics -- cyber defense and offense, finding the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on the dark Web and cyber deterrence -- during a New America Foundation cybersecurity conference.
Brutality Eroding IS Financial Support VOA 02 Mar 2015 -- The top U.S. intelligence official says the Islamic State's penchant for publicizing beheadings and other brutal forms of punishment is hurting the terror group's bottom line.
As Iraq Battles IS, Clerics Call for Reform Against Extremism VOA 02 Mar 2015 -- As Iraqi soldiers battle to recapture the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants, Muslim leaders from around the world pledge to beat back extremist ideology in other ways. They said the fight requires clerics to re-examine how they present their faith, eliminating outdated ideas and emphasizing tolerance.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 02 Mar 2015 [PDF]

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list

Homeland Security

March 2015 Security News