The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has submitted a report to Congress that details current and emerging threats to the federal government’s use of mobile devices and recommends security improvements within the mobile device ecosystem. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate led the study in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
In November 2014 the Department of Energy established the Grid Modernization Initiative. The initiative aims to deliver fundamental knowledge, new concepts, tools and data to support the nation's journey to modernizing the electric power system infrastructure. Enhanced grid security, grid flexibility via energy storage and improved economic competitiveness are key outcomes of this initiative.
To reduce losses from cybercrime, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate Cyber Security Division funded a new research initiative focused on the best way to alert small businesses to potential threats. The project, Dissect Cyber, is being led by a threat analyst training and alert provider of the same name.
Although major geomagnetic storms are rare, with only a few recorded per century, there is significant potential for large-scale impacts when they do occur. Extreme space weather can be viewed as hazards for the economy and national security. The United States Geological Survey monitors the Earth’s magnetic field at 14 ground-based observatories positioned across the United States and its territories.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers collaborated with international scientists to understand pathogens responsible for some of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases. The Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases has determined the 3-D atomic structures of more than 1,000 proteins, which is an important step in identifying and understanding where a pathogen might be vulnerable to assault by drugs or vaccines.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate collaborated with Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to develop tools that can help optimize imposter detection training. The most recent capability to transition is called “Eye-dentify,” which is an imposter detection training technology.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a noninvasive “spectral fingerprint” technique that reveals the corrosion of concrete-encased steel before it can cause any significant degradation of the structure it supports. This corrosion is the primary danger threatening the health of the steel framework within the nation’s bridges, roads and other aging physical infrastructure.
Being Ready for Wildfire has never been easier with CAL FIRE’s new Ready for Wildfire app. This new tool puts a whole library of step-by-step checklists in the palm of the user’s hand. In addition to being a great educational tool, the Ready for Wildfire app also provides critical wildfire alerts.
If and when floods, hurricanes, or any other event contaminates a water source, clean, reliable, and safe drinking water needs to be provided to affected populations. The Great Water Tech SwiftSource Water Generator, a pre-assembled, plug-and-play machine is now available to provide a solution to U.S. disaster relief and emergency management markets.
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) announces a partnership with Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, to improve statewide and neighbor-to-neighbor communications before, during, and after emergencies. MEMA will use Nextdoor to connect with neighbors by sharing news and updates and providing preparedness and alert information directly to communities.
