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  • DHS: Five Steps to Self-Improvement

    Amid a slew of resignations from the Obama Administration, Janet Napolitano recently announced that she will be remaining in her post as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for President Obama’s second term. The news shouldn’t have come as a surprise to many, as Napolitano had long been … More

    DHS Oversight Reforms: The Latest Casualty of Congressional Turf Wars

    On January 13 the new Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Mike McCaul (R–TX) announced to The Hill that he had no plans to strip homeland security oversight responsibilities from his fellow Representatives. With over 100 panels and committees having oversight over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. … More

    Businesses Agree: Regulation Is the Wrong Approach to Cybersecurity

    A new report by the Business Roundtable (BRT) affirms what Heritage analysts and other experts have been saying for years: Cybersecurity is best enhanced by information sharing, not more regulation. Indeed, it was because of disagreements over a regulatory approach that cybersecurity efforts failed in the last Congress. The new … More

    DHS Fails Again to Implement ID Card Protections

    Lost amid the scuffle of fiscal cliff negotiations and holiday preparations was the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) December 20 statement confirming that only 13 states were deemed REAL ID compliant and that the remaining states would receive another extension. Unfortunately, that means DHS isn’t sure whether 37 states are … More

    Israel and Hamas Wage Twitter War

    Israel has been live blogging on its attacks as well as major strikes upon it by Hamas during the most recent crisis. Israel and Hamas have been active on social media sites such as Twitter, indicating the importance both sides see in the public relations element of this conflict. While … More

    Israel’s Investments in Cyber Defense Pay Off

    Following the start of Israeli air strikes against Hamas, hacker groups, including Anonymous, have declared open season on Israeli cyber defenses. However, Israel has invested heavily in cybersecurity and cyber operations, allowing it to defeat more than 44 million hacking attempts on government websites, losing only one website for about … More

    Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Defeated, but a Similarly Flawed Executive Order Is Around the Corner

    Last night, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (CSA) failed to pass the U.S. Senate. The vote is already being portrayed as Republican obstructionism, even though five Democrats voted against the bill and four Republicans voted for it. Such rhetoric is being used to justify a cybersecurity executive order that mimics … More

    Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Is Back, but Same Problems and Questions Remain

    Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D–NV) has vowed to bring the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (CSA) up for a vote in the lame-duck session, and it looks as though the vote could take place this week. The CSA uses a standards and regulatory approach to cybersecurity, but many troubling questions … More

    Cybersecurity Executive Order Touts More Regulation as the Solution

    As if the flood of regulations coming after the election weren’t bad enough, a draft of the newest cybersecurity executive order obtained by Heritage reveals that even more regulations are coming. This draft executive order is similar to the failed Cybersecurity Act of 2012 in that it proposes additional regulations … More

    State Defense Forces in Action After Hurricane Sandy

    As New Yorkers look out across the waters of New York City Harbor, disaster response ships can been seen assisting in the recovery after Hurricane Sandy. While most would assume these forces come from the Coast Guard or other federal forces, six of these patrol boats are actually part of … More