Category: Security

The Obama administration is locked and loaded for a fresh push on gun control initiatives – reportedly moving to advocate for so-called “smart gun” technology as early as Friday, despite concerns from the gun lobby. Politico reports President Obama is set to release findings on the technology from a multi-agency review, and White House senior […]

Under a wintry sun in January 2010, a group of young people vaulted a sagging chain link fence in the Belgian countryside and walked toward a group of low, domed buildings, like a scout troop on an outing. But they were the Bombspotters: peace activists whose goal was to get into hardened shelters storing some […]

Navy Medicine Releases Zika Virus Infection Guidance. No vaccine or drug is currently available to prevent Zika virus infection, and there is currently no specific anti-viral treatment for the disease. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites while in areas of ongoing transmission. Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite mostly during […]

The ability to satisfy the innovators itch – beyond proclamations and boisterous claims via a social media comment is now upon you. The frequent observations and suggestions I’ve read on SOFREP social media posts, boards, and via Team Room chat has motivated me to find a means for many of you to put your ideas to use […]

Veterans who experienced sexual trauma in the military are at increased risk for homelessness, according to a new U.S. study. Compared to veterans who didn’t experience sexual assault, battery or harassment during their military service, those who did were about twice as likely to be homeless during the five-year study, researchers found. “I think what stood out […]

There is something special happening in a generic office park in an uninspiring suburb near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Inside, amid the low gray cubicles, clustered desks, and empty swivel chairs, an impossible 8-inch robot drone from an alien planet hovers chest-high in front of a row of potted plants. It is steampunk-cute, minutely detailed. I […]

The Defense Department will monitor installations in 27 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico for mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus, according to a Pentagon memo released in March. Hoping to ward off spread of the potentially dangerous virus among troops and military family members, senior defense officials have instructed installation managers to increase […]

The Veterans Affairs Department is weighing whether to add several diseases to the list of health conditions presumed in Vietnam veterans to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange. A VA working group is studying a report issued in March by the Institute of Medicine to determine whether bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinson’s-like symptoms — illnesses the […]

Developed by Minnesota startup Ideal Conceal, the pistol folds into a palm-sized square. “Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today’s environment,” explains Ideal Conceal, on its website. “In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight.” The gun can be safely carried in […]

WhatsApp, the world’s most popular instant-message app with more than 1 billion users, is now fully encrypted on all platforms: Android, iPhone, Blackberry and others. That’s good news for users who care about security and privacy, including journalists and dissidents. At the same time, it represents the intensification of a trend toward ubiquitous encryption that […]

If you are planning to travel to any population center this summer, be it New York or New Delhi. You should be aware of, and on the lookout for some of these local hustles to avoid. Follow this infographic for a quick summary, and don’t constrain yourself to the idea that these scams only occur […]

Black Hat Asia IBM security guy Nils Rodday says thieves can hijack expensive professional drones used widely across the law enforcement, emergency, and private sectors thanks to absent encryption in on-board chips. Rodday says the €25,000 (US$28,463, £19,816, AU$37,048) quadcopters can be hijacked with less than $40 of hardware, and some basic knowledge of radio […]