The National Security Agency published a brochure this month on “Best Practices for Keeping Your Home Network Secure” (pdf). Among other online security measures, the NSA suggested providing false answers to password recovery challenge questions. “The cyber threat is no longer limited to your office network and work persona,” the NSA said. “Adversaries realize that […]
An Obama Administration initiative to curb overclassification of national security information that was announced in December 2009 has produced no known results to date. The Fundamental Classification Guidance Review, which was mandated by President Obama’s executive order 13526 (section 1.9), requires each classifying agency to review all of its existing classification instructions prior to June […]
A statutory limit on total federal debt has been in place since 1917. In the past decade, Congress has voted to raise the debt limit ten times and it will now have to do so once again. The history of the debt limit and its current implications were discussed in a recently updated report from […]
The Obama Administration today released the text of Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8 (pdf) on “National Preparedness.” The Directive, signed by President Obama on March 30, generally calls for development of systematic response plans for natural and manmade disasters, and seeks to enlist broad engagement in the process. “This directive is aimed at strengthening the […]
A federal court heard pre-trial arguments last week in the case of former National Security Agency official Thomas A. Drake, who is charged with unlawful retention of NSA documents. He allegedly relayed some of those documents to a Baltimore Sun reporter, who subsequently wrote stories about NSA waste and mismanagement. At last week’s hearing (pdf), […]
Members of the public enjoy unrestricted access to all reports of the Congressional Research Service, according to the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington. “Though CRS has no direct public mission, at present the public has unfettered access to the full inventory of CRS Reports for the Congress at no cost through the office […]
Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf). “Military Justice: Courts-Martial, An Overview,” March 31, 2011. “The State Secrets Privilege: Preventing the Disclosure of Sensitive National Security Information During Civil Litigation,” March 28, 2011. “Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: […]
The Senate Intelligence Committee is proposing to punish leaks of classified information by authorizing intelligence agencies to seize the pension benefits of current or former employees who are believed to have committed an unauthorized disclosure of classified information. The pending proposal would “provide an additional administrative option for the Intelligence Community to deter leakers who […]
Violent instability in Central America poses a growing threat to the countries of the region, with direct and indirect consequences for the United States, according to a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service. “The seven nations of Central America face significant security challenges. Well-financed and heavily armed criminal threats, fragile political and judicial […]
The challenges of conducting military operations in a mountainous environment are addressed in a new U.S. Army manual (pdf). In the mountains, “small mistakes can lead to catastrophic events,” while “technological supremacy can be negated by even the most crude and non-technical enemy actions,” the new manual said. Therefore, “Mountain combat calls for extreme physical […]
Sea-launched ballistic missiles on British ballistic missile submarines will be armed with the upgraded W76-1 nuclear warhead currently in production in the United States, according to a report from Sandia National Laboratories. According to the Labs Accomplishments from March 2011, “the first W76-1 United Kingdom trials test was performed at WETL [Weapon Evaluation Test Laboratory], […]
The Director of National Intelligence has prepared a draft intelligence directive on access by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to intelligence information, but it is “shockingly bad,” a congressional official said. The GAO is an investigative arm of Congress that performs audits and reviews in support of congressional oversight and the legislative process. But GAO […]