Tag Archive for national security

DHS Fusion Center Network: An Unwieldy, Bloated, and Unaccountable Waste of Taxpayer Dollars

A new Senate report on the Department of Homeland Security’s fusion center network exposes the federal behemoth for what it really is: an unwieldy, bloated, and unaccountable waste of taxpayer dollars that has encouraged the militarization of domestic law enforcement for nearly a decade.

Thanks to former President George W. Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress, programs such as these “have become pools of ineptitude, waste and civil liberties intrusions,” according to the report. When questionable tactics used in the legitimate pursuit of terrorism become a tool in “regular” criminal investigations, the rights of all American citizens are seriously jeopardized. What do you think?

In July 2009, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano called the fusion centers “a critical part of our nation's homeland security capabilities.”  About 70 of the centers now exist, located in major cities and nearly all states.

From The Center for Public Integrity

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DARPA’s “Plan X” Has Potential to Redefine Global Conflict

When the Stuxnet computer virus disrupted Iran’s nuclear weapons program in 2010, even Luddites realized that cyberwarfare will redefine global conflict.

DARPA’s “Plan X” provides a glimpse into this dark arena, including military strategies to defend cyberspace and online “attack systems.” Check out the article from Wired’s Danger Room, then read Daniel Roelker’s “Pillars of Foundational Cyberwarfare” for an overview of this 21st century threat.

"The Pentagon’s top research arm is unveiling a new, classified cyberwarfare project. But it’s not about building the next Stuxnet, Darpa swears. Instead, the just-introduced “Plan X” is designed to make online strikes a more routine part of U.S. military operations. That will make the son of Stuxnet easier to pull off — to, as Darpa puts it, 'dominate the cyber battlespace.'" Noah Shachtman, WIRED

From Wired’s Danger Room

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