April Fools 2021 – The Low-Fi Edition
Security Debrief
by Security Debrief
3y ago
After a year in which very little was funny, Security Debrief is back with a humble review of stories the rest of the media somehow missed. If it seems like we phoned this one in, well, we’re standing in line for vaccines and are using our phones. Turning a Page in the Nation’s Capital As a new administration settles in, veterans of the past four years are beginning to file health claims for the grievous injuries suffered during what one DC insider called, “The Dark Times.” “It was bad, man,” he said on condition of anonymity. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to have to tell your spou ..read more
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Maryland COVID Crisis Challenges State’s Resilience
Security Debrief
by Gary S. Becker
3y ago
On December 2, 2020, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that there has been a surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations. He said that “we are not near the peak yet,” and also, “the worst part of this entire crisis is still ahead of us over the next month or two.” The following table highlights some relevant statistics. Data Source Hogan also said, “We currently have 6,816 Marylanders in our state’s hospitals…If and when we reach 8,000 hospitalizations statewide, all hospitals will be required to expand their staffed bed capacity by 10% within seven days.” A senior medical adviser to the governo ..read more
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Seeming Discrepancies in Voter Data Fuel for Disinformation
Security Debrief
by Security Debrief
3y ago
By Gary Warner Conspiracy theorists and Trump’s most extreme #MAGA supporters are claiming to have proof that votes were changed from Trump to Biden while other votes were discarded. When President Trump tweeted that 2.7 million Trump votes had been deleted nationwide, he was retweeted more than 180,000 times and his tweet was liked more than 600,000 times. We can contrast this joint statement of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council Executive Committee, shared by the DHS Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, the government agency assigned to look out ..read more
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A Story of September 11, 2001
Security Debrief
by Rich Cooper
3y ago
A number of years ago, I got an email from an old high school friend of mine asking if I could help his daughter out with a school assignment. His daughter was now attending the same high school we had graduated from and she had been given an assignment to talk to someone about their experiences on September 11, 2001. Knowing that I had been living in the DC area since I graduated high school as well as the fact that I had spent several years working at the Department of Homeland Security, he asked if I would be willing to share where I was that day as well as my experiences of that day with h ..read more
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USCIS Still Needs to Improve Application Processing Times
Security Debrief
by Gary S. Becker
3y ago
Processing times for many applications are exceedingly long at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and there needs to be a way to shorten them. Almost two years ago I reported that processing times were long. They have even gotten worse in some cases, but it appears that USCIS is making an attempt to be more transparent. With the added transparency, however, USCIS should become more accountable to the customers. USCIS maintains a processing times website. Processing times are related to the forms for citizenship, residency, and various kinds of authorization to live and work in ..read more
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TSA Still Needs Work on Courtesy Complaints – Even During the Pandemic
Security Debrief
by Gary S. Becker
3y ago
In May, I wrote on Security Debrief about customer service statistics for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The data showed that the number of airline passengers decreased significantly, as did the number of customer complaints. The decrease was unprecedented. I also reported that as additional data became available, a clearer picture of the number and types of complaints would become more apparent. Well, I was wrong. What became clearer was that COVID-19 had a horrendous effect on the economics of the U.S. transportation industry, and the importance of improving customer servi ..read more
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Questions from CDC for Cruise Ship Public Health Miss Wait Time Factors
Security Debrief
by Gary S. Becker
3y ago
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is charged with the management, control and protection of the nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is also charged with enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel. They, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provide enhanced health screenings at our borders. So it should be of no surprise that CDC and CBP have been working together at U.S. ports of entry. However, the latest Federal Register notice requesting information about cruise ship issues suggests that there may be room f ..read more
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Disability Integration 2.0 – A Seat at the Corporate Table
Security Debrief
by L. Vance Taylor
3y ago
All companies are in part a reflection of their leadership. But what happens when leadership doesn’t reflect the lived reality of its workforce? The consequences can include marginalization and missed social and economic opportunities. In my role as Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, I lead a team that partners with a range of companies, organizations, and groups throughout the state to promote disability integration within their emergency operations plans (EOPs). It’s lifesaving work, and I’m proud to marshal it. As a ..read more
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Why Has There Been a Substantial Increase in Privacy Complaints to DHS?
Security Debrief
by Gary S. Becker
3y ago
The Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office is responsible for ensuring that the Department has procedures in place to receive, investigate, respond to, and, when appropriate, provide redress for privacy complaints. U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), visitors to the United States, and aliens may submit privacy complaints to the Department. The Privacy Office also reviews and responds to privacy complaints referred by employees throughout the Department or those submitted by other government agencies, the private sector, or the public. Unfortunately, over the past three yea ..read more
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A Letter to the Trump Administration – Establish a Faith-Based Sector of Critical Infrastructure
Security Debrief
by Security Debrief
3y ago
By Andy Jabbour, Founder and Senior Advisor, Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization As the nation begins the process of reopening and reentry, on May 22, 2020, President Trump declared “houses of worship, churches, synagogues and mosques” to be “essential places that provide essential services.” He’s right in that. But faith-based organizations (FBOs) have not had a seat at the table with other essential entities and critical infrastructure – being excluded from discussions on the nation’s reopening. To follow his statements regarding the essential nature of FBOs and to ..read more
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