You are here

Home

General Security and Resilience

2018 Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada

Public Safety Canada has published its annual update on the threat to Canada from terrorism and violent extremism. It notes that the country’s threat environment has remained stable, while noting that dangers posed by those espousing violent interpretations of religious, ideological, or political views persists. The report also identifies threats posed by right-wing extremists, who have increasingly been highlighted as a significant domestic security threat in the U.S.

U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Terror Threat Snapshot: December 2018

The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee has published its Terror Threat Snapshot for December 2018. It indicates there have been 161 cases of homegrown jihadist cases in the U.S. since 2013 (no change since last month). As with other snapshots, it details news and other developments regarding counterterrorism efforts, including disrupted terror plots and judicial cases involving suspected and convicted terrorists. 

EPA Releases Video Promoting WARNs

The U.S. EPA has produced a video providing an overview Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) to help educate utilities that may be interested in becoming members. The video addresses common myths about WARNs and highlights real-world incidents, such as Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, during which water utilities used resources provided through WARNs to assist with their responses. EPA encourages its partners to show the video at conferences and meetings to spread awareness about WARNs.

WaterISAC Attends Event to Help Further Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience

The scenario described in WaterISAC's "Three Steps to Better Security at a Critical Infrastructure Facility" posting exemplifies some of the great community efforts between facility operators, law enforcement agencies, and other partners to further critical infrastructure security. These efforts also include the 3rd Annual Security and Risk Management Symposium, which WaterISAC attended last week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Three Steps to Better Security at a Critical Infrastructure Facility

An article in Homeland Security Today presents a case study demonstrating the importance of critical infrastructure operators having  a security program in place. In the case study, a man parked his van outside a sensitive facility for a prolonged period of time, telling the staff there that the van had broken down and that a tow truck was on its way. But when the tow truck didn’t arrive in a reasonable amount of time, the staff began implementing security protocols that eventually led them to call police.

EPA Webinar – Exercising Procedures for Responding to Contamination Incidents

Tuesday, January 8, 2019; 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET; webinar

This webinar will focus on the development of training and exercises to plan and prepare for responding to a distribution system contamination incident. The webinar will include utility experiences in designing and conducting exercises. WaterISAC has posted a flyer below with additional information about this learning opportunity. Register at Eventbrite.

Destructive 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Draws to an End

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has written a review of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially concludes tomorrow. It notes that the season was more active than most in many regards, producing 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes of which two were major hurricanes. An average season has 12 named storms, which includes six hurricanes of which three are major hurricanes. Of the storms that formed, Florence and Michael will be most remembered given the significant damage they brought to the southeastern U.S.

Alleged Islamic State Supporter Arrested on Charges of Attempting to Poison Italian Town’s Water Supply with Anthrax and Ricin

A Palestinian man with links to the Islamic State was arrested in Italy on November 28 on suspicion that he was planning to use anthrax and ricin to poison water supplies for the Sardinian town of Macomer and a nearby military base. According to an Italian state prosecuctor, the 38-year-old suspect planned the attack with his cousin, who resides in Lebanon. The state prosecutor added that Italian authorities were tipped off to the plot by Interpol, who learned of it from Lebanese authorities when they arrested the cousin in September.

New Climate Assessment Volume Describes Growing Risks from Climate Change

On November 23, the Trump Administration released National Climate Assessment: Volume 2. As the second volume in the National Climate Assessment, the document does not revisit the science discussed in the first volume but instead severely portrays the potential impacts of climate change on the environment, society and individuals. The report is available in its entirety online but can also be downloaded as a PDF document.

Pages

Subscribe to General Security and Resilience