Category «Defense»

Barr’s removal of career national security official, weeks before election, raises concerns

ABC News: “Current and former national security officials are raising concerns over Attorney General William Barr’s recent decision to remove the head of a Justice Department office that helps ensure federal counterterrorism and counterintelligence activities are legal – and replace him with a political appointee with relatively limited experience. “It’s very alarming,” said Katrina Mulligan, …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

The Freedom of Information Act – A Legal Overview Updated

CRS report via LC – The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): A Legal Overview, Updated August 24, 2020: “Originally enacted in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) establishes a three-part system that requires federal agencies to disclose a large swath of government information to the public. First, FOIA directs agencies to publish substantive and …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, E-Mail, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Resources on Deep Fakes and National Security

Deep Fakes and National Security, August 26, 2020. “Deep fakes”—a term that first emerged in 2017 to describe realistic photo, audio, video, and other forgeries generated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies—could present a variety of national security challenges in the years to come.As these technologies continue to mature, they could hold significant implications for congressional …

Subjects: AI, Congress, Cybersecurity, Defense, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Social Media

Senate Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan Russia Report Volume 5

“U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the below statement on the release of the fifth and final volume of the Committee’s bipartisan Russia investigation titled, “Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities”: “After more than three and a half years of work, millions of documents, and …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Government Documents, Legal Research

The Other Way Trump Could Destroy the Next Presidency

The Atlantic [paywall] – via MSN [no paywall]: “…Presidential transitions are the connective tissue of the American political process. Past presidents and members of Congress have recognized the importance of a smooth transition through legislation and norms established in past handovers. Outgoing President George H. W. Bush underlined this point in his valedictory note to …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation

DOD, FBI, DHS release info on malware used in Chinese government-led hacking campaigns

CyberScoop: ” The U.S. government publicly put forth information Monday that exposed malware used in Chinese government hacking efforts for more than a decade. The Chinese government has been using malware, referred to as Taidoor, to target government agencies, entities in the private sector, and think tanks since 2008, according to a joint announcement from the …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Mail, Government Documents, Internet

Americans Fault China for Its Role in the Spread of COVID-19

“Americans’ views of China have continued to sour, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Today, 73% of U.S. adults say they have an unfavorable view of the country, up 26 percentage points since 2018. Since March alone, negative views of China have increased 7 points, and there is a widespread sense that China …

Subjects: Defense, Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management, Social Media

Hackers Broke Into Real News Sites to Plant Fake Stories

Wired – A disinfo operation broke into the content management systems of Eastern European media outlets in a campaign to spread misinformation about NATO. “Over the past few years, online disinformation has taken evolutionary leaps forward, with the Internet Research Agency pumping out artificial outrage on social media and hackers leaking documents—both real and fabricated—to …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs

CRS report via LC: Confederate Symbols: Relation to Federal Lands and Programs. Updated July 28, 2020. “Congress is considering the relationship of Confederate symbols to federal lands and programs. A number of federal agencies administer assets or fund activities in which references to the Civil War Confederacy, Confederate flags and artifacts, and commemorations of Confederate …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Thousands of contracts highlight quiet ties between Big Tech and U.S. military

NBC News: “Over the past two years, thousands of tech company employees have taken a stand: they do not want their labor and technical expertise to be used for projects with the military or law enforcement agencies. Knowledge of such contracts, however, hasn’t been easy for tech workers to come by. On Wednesday, newly published …

Subjects: Defense, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legal Research

Pete Recommends Weekly highlights on cyber security issues June 21, 2020

Via LLRX – Pete Recommends Weekly highlights on cyber security issues June 21, 2020 – Privacy and security issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Privacy

New annual report from Information Security Oversight Office

2019 Report to the President – Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), June 2020: “…Our Government’s ability to protect and share Classified National Security Information and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) continues to present serious challenges to our national security. While dozens of agencies now use various advanced technologies to accomplish their missions, a majority of them …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Government, E-Records, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries