|
|
HOME
|
ON LAND, IN THE AIR AND ON THE SEA SSI MEANS SECURITY.
|
|
| |
|
August Mid-Month 2008 |
|
|
You're receiving this email because you are a professional with an interest in Homeland Security and may be interested in the work of Security Solutions International. Please confirm your continued interest in receiving email from us.
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your bi-monthly update on Homeland Security
|
|
Special Issue: The Gulf Coast Terrorism Prevention Conference |
This week's Counter Terrorist newsletter features the upcoming Sarasota
Sheriff's Gulf Coast Terrorism Prevention Conference. Thanks to Sheriff
William F. Balkwill's proactive stance towards the problem of Terrorism, the conference is in its third successful year. Organized by Security Solutions International(SSI), the conference features a world class group of speakers from all of over the USA and even from Israel. Expected to attend are well over 150 delegates for this intensive one-week learning experience. The conference is being held at the Sarasota Hyatt September 15 - 19th.
The City of Tampa, has been the focus of several of the most violent
terrorist groups. In particular, the convicted University of South Florida
Professor Sami al-Arian, associated closely with Palestinian Islamic Jihad,
and a fund raiser and inciter for those for terrorist organizations like
Hamas and al-Qaeda was able to work in Florida with impunity without being
detected for many years. In order to stop further growth of Islamic
Fundamentalism, SSI will be holding a special session on Friday about
Jihadist efforts to infiltrate US institutions, government and influence the
Courts and, of course, the Media.
Read on...
|
|
5 Arrested in Italy 'Terror Cell' Bust - August 9th
ROME, Italy (AP) -- Police broke up a suspected terror cell Saturday and arrested five North Africans, including the alleged leader who Italian officials said recruited Islamic extremists for attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Authorities also suspect the cell sent tens of thousands of euros (dollars) to groups in Bosnia that offer training and logistical support to Iraqi and Afghan terror organizations, said Claudio Galzerano, head of the Italian police force's international terrorism division.
Police arrested the five suspects -- four Tunisians and one Moroccan -- in Bologna and the nearby towns of Faenza and Imola, Galzerano said. They were accused of international terrorism, but have yet to be formally charged, he said. A sixth suspect was still being sought.
Read on...
|
|
|
Before the Gunfire, Cyberattacks - August 12  By John Markoff
Weeks before bombs started falling on Georgia, a security researcher in suburban Massachusetts was watching an attack against the country in cyberspace.
Jose Nazario of Arbor Networks in Lexington noticed a stream of data directed at Georgian government sites containing the message: "win+love+in+Rusia."
Other Internet experts in the United States said the attacks against Georgia's Internet infrastructure began as early as July 20, with coordinated barrages of millions of requests - known as distributed denial of service, or D.D.O.S., attacks - that overloaded and effectively shut down Georgian servers.
Read on...
|
|
|
New Underwater Anti-Terrorism Technology to Patrol San Francisco Bay 
New York, NY August 8, 2008 - Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (OTCBB: CDOC) said today the Company's Underwater Inspection System™ (UIS), developed in cooperation with the US Coast Guard, has been purchased by the Sheriff's Office of Contra Costa County, CA. Contra Costa County will be the first on the West Coast to permanently deploy the UIS, developed after the 9/11 attacks to address the need for a new generation of port security technology to respond to underwater threats.
"The UIS will play the key role in enhancing our underwater security capability and assisting our efforts to secure shore side critical infrastructure in the California Bay and Delta regions. Having seen this unique technology in action when the All-Star Game was held in San Francisco, we are very excited to add this powerful 3D real time sonar technology to our counter terrorism efforts. This is the only system of its kind that can produce the sort of detailed information we need and in real time, which significantly improves our capability to protect the public", commented
Lieutenant Will Duke of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff.
Read on...
|
Sarasota FL, September 15-19, 2008
|
|
MIT Students Barred from Exposing MBTA Security Flaws  By Marie Szaniszlo
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has obtained a temporary restraining order barring three MIT students from giving a talk today about what they claim are the security vulnerabilities of the MBTA's CharlieCard.
The 10-day injunction prohibits undergraduates Zack Anderson, R.J. Ryan and Allessandro Chiesa from presenting their findings in Las Vegas at the DEFCON 16hacker conference. The three-day event draws thousands of sophisticated hackers and tech security experts annually.
"This gives us time to review their research and see if there's any validity to it and if in fact we need to take any corrective action," said T spokeswoman Lydia Rivera.
Read on...
|
|
|
FEMA Suspends TopOff  By Alice Lipowicz
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has suspended a procurement for the upcoming Top Officials (TopOff) 5 national disaster drill to investigate allegations of improprieties in the contracting process, said FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison.
Also today, Science Applications International Corp. said it has withdrawn its bid on the Topoff 5 contract and has put several employees on administrative leave while it conducts a review of the allegations.
"We are reviewing the situation but we withdrew our proposal because we want to assure the government of our intention to perform in a completely ethical manner," SAIC said in a statement released by Laura Luke, spokeswoman.
Read on...
|
|
|
Denver Police Brace for Convention  By David Johnston and Eric Schmitt
WASHINGTON - Federal and local authorities are girding for huge protests, mammoth traffic tie-ups and civil disturbances at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this month, fearing that the convention will become a magnet for militant protest groups.
Officials say that what makes Denver different than past conventions is the historic nature of Senator Barack Obama's nomination, a megawattage event whose global spotlight could draw tens of thousands of demonstrators, including self-described anarchists who the police fear will infiltrate peaceful protest groups to disrupt the weeklong event.
The Secret Service is wary of discussing threats against the people they protect, but with Mr. Obama poised to become the first black presidential nominee, there are special worries. While law enforcement officials say there are no specific, credible threats against Mr. Obama, they expressed concern about low-level chatter on Web sites frequented by white separatists who spew hate about Mr. Obama's race and what they perceive as his liberal agenda.
Read on...
|
|
DHS Plans to Unify Emergency Communications  By Alice Lipowicz
Ninety percent of the U.S. cities most at risk to terrorism must be able to demonstrate emergency communications across multiple agencies and communities by 2010, under the National Emergency Communications Plan recently released by the Homeland Security Department.
The plan has been in development under a mandate from Congress since 2002, and its goal is to create a national strategy to address shortcomings in emergency communications that hampered fire and police responses to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Congress, DHS and first responders have been concerned about improving interoperability, which is the ability of police and fire departments from different jurisdictions to talk and plan with one another at an incident scene. The problems exist between fire, police and other response agencies from different communities and also between agencies in the same community.
Read on...
|
|
September Mission SOLD OUT! - Space limited for November 14 - 22, 2008 and February 20th - 28th, 2009!
|
Post 9/11: Resilience or Denial: What's the Deal with the General Public?
The call to action was powerfully answered in the days that immediately followed 9/11- not only by First Responders (who continue to carry the torch) but by the population as a whole. As we get more distance from that terrible day there is a question that must be asked - "What on earth happened?" Is it a resilient "must go on" attitude that has made the general population indifferent to the danger around us - or a denial so stifling that they just can't get their heads out of the sand? Either way they seem to be opting out of reality and preferring the distractions that tabloids and Hollywood have to offer. How can we get people to wake up and take the proactive stand necessary to prevent slipping back into that reactionary stupor? The answer is this: Give them what they want. One way to do that is to bring reality back to the surface through fiction. Author, John Errett's new book, "The Owl and the Hawk" is an espionage thriller that brings the reality of terrorism back to the surface. Not only that, the book ends with a very real and proactive plan to stop terrorists from traversing the globe. This plan is before the State Department right now.
http://www.theowlandthehawk.com
|
US Won't Take North Korea Off Terror List Yet
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States says it will not remove North Korea from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism until the North agrees to a way to verify its nuclear weapons program.
Monday was the soonest that the U.S. could remove North Korea from the list in exchange for its disclosure of its nuclear programs in June.
But State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters the U.S. will not grant the North the concession until it agrees to a "strong verification regime." He declined to provide specifics, saying the North Koreans know what they have to do.
North Korea has not been tied directly to terrorism since its agents planted a bomb on a South Korean commercial jetliner in 1987 and is eager to be removed from the U.S. blacklist.
Read on...
|
|
|
Business Owners Urged to Evaluate Access after a Disaster 
NEW YORK - Second responder access is critical to recovery after a disaster and business executives and owners are urged to assess their company's emergency preparedness plans in advance of National Preparedness Month -- a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies.
"Many businesses leaders have heeded the warnings about disaster and business continuity planning," said Dr. Robert Leviton, president and chairman of the board of the Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS), but stressed it is not enough to simply invoke an off-site disaster and business continuity plan. "The big question is: How do critical employees --- second responders --- access their facilities after the threats to life and property have subsided?"
Police, fire and other emergency services typically move people away from the site of a disaster, and then seal the area with no provision for limited, controlled access, Leviton said.
Read on...
|
|
Sincerely, Security Solutions International | |
| | |
|
|
Security Solutions International | 14300 SW 129th Street | STE 204 | Miami | FL | 33186 |
|
|
|
| For further information:
Security Solutions International, Kendall Tamiami Executive Airport, 14300 S.W. 129th Street, Suite 204, Miami, Fl. 33186
786-573-3999 Office, 786-573-2090 Fax
|
|
|
About SSI 
