GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Obama to remake national security team

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Post

08April2011 5:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Among those who have announced the intention to leave or are due to rotate out of existing jobs include Robert M. Gates, the defense secretary; Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff; Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of international forces in Afghanistan; and Karl W. Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador to Kabul. In some cases, the officials will retire. In others, they will transfer to new roles. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Military and essential civilians would be paid after shutdown

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NextGov

08April2011 3:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: If the government shuts down Friday night, military personnel and civilian personnel deemed essential will continue to work, but the Defense Department will not have the funds to pay them until after the shutdown ends, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III said in a message sent to the Pentagon's workforce on Thursday afternoon.

Military personnel are not subject to furlough and will report for duty as normal during any shutdown, along with essential civilian personnel.

"If there is a government shutdown beginning on Saturday, April 9, all DoD personnel should still report to work on their next scheduled duty day, beginning at their normal duty hours to receive additional instructions," he said.  (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: China clamps down further on Internet to prevent unrest

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Homeland Security NewsWire

31March2011 10:02pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The Chinese government has eyed the protests sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa with growing unease; to quash the prospect of wide spread protests at home, the government has increasingly clamped down on the Internet and other forms of communication; access to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have been blocked while government agents are more carefully monitoring cellphone calls, electronic messages, and emails; residents say they have never seen such high levels of censorship before. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY BRIEFING: Cyberattacks against federal networks were up 40 percent in 2010

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NextGov

21March2011 9:00amEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: The number of attacks against federal networks increased nearly 40 percent last year, while the number of incidents targeting U.S. computers overall was down roughly 1 percent for the same period, according to a new White House report to Congress on federal computer security.

"Malicious code through multiple means," such as phishing and viruses, "continues to be the most widely used attack approach," Office of Management and Budget officials wrote. Phishing scams lure victims with fake e-mails apparently from legitimate organizations, such as banks, that instruct them to submit sensitive information, including passwords, on phony websites.

In fiscal 2010, federal agencies reported 41,776 cyber incidents vs. 30,000 attacks in 2009, the year the Conficker worm installed malicious software on millions of home, business and government computers. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: DHS Seeks Cyber Warrior Interns

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The New New Internet

05March2011 7:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Every summer, high school and college students flock to the nation’s capital to advance their forthcoming careers by interning at nonprofits, federal agencies and news outlets. For aspiring cyber warriors desiring a career in government, the options have been few — until now.

The National Protection and Programs Directorate, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has launched a program that will help prospective cybersecurity professionals gain experience and provide the opportunity to work with experts on mission areas such as identification and analysis of malicious code, forensics analysis, incident handling, intrusion detection and prevention, and software assurance.

The Cybersecurity Internship Program is designed for current college juniors and seniors. After the 10-week summer internship, students will have the opportunity to qualify for the Secretary’s Honors Program for Cybersecurity Professionals, in which participants can put their academic achievements to use in a hands-on environment while playing an important role in protecting the nation.

The full-time internship pays approximately $5,800. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled as juniors or rising seniors in an accredited university with a major related to computer or IT, or have 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics and computer science. And as with most DHS jobs, applicants must be able to obtain and hold a security clearance. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS/MSS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: The Walter E. Williams Social Security solution: Give me land, keep my Social Security

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Daily Caller

28February2011 7:41pmEST

GCIS/MSS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: While some deny that there are problems with Social Security, it is facing deficits for the foreseeable future. However, the U.S. government has assets it could offer up to cover the shortfalls.

The federal government owns nearly 650 million acres of land, which according to the government’s own website, is almost 30 percent of the land area of the United States. Those lands include National Parks, National Forests and National Wildlife Refuges.

Dr. Walter E. Williams, an economics professor at George Mason University, filling in for Rush Limbaugh on Monday, proposed putting those assets to use.

“By the way, before I leave the subject of what government should be doing, I have an idea for the Congress to deal with, let’s say the solvency of Social Security,” Williams said. “The government owns a whole lot of wasting assets, namely they own most of the land in Nevada, Utah, I believe California and Alaska.”

So for 100 acres of land, Williams explained he would forfeit his claims to Social Security. (read full report)

"GCIS/MSS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is a cooperative intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service and Machaseh Security Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, MSS or it's partners or affiliates.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Heavy Police Presence Thwarts Call for Anti-Government Protests in China

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Global Security

28February2011 6:58pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: China put on a display of force Sunday following an on-line call for anti-government protests across the nation. Several foreign journalists were physically assaulted and detained, including two VOA reporters. Security officials are determined to put down any signs of the kind of unrest that has shaken the Middle East.

Chinese security forces were deployed following the second on-line call in a week urging peaceful protests against Communist Party rule.

Hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers patrolled expected protest sites in China's two main cities, Beijing and Shanghai.

Police removed five men gathering at a planned protest site in Shanghai.

In Beijing's main shopping and tourist district, close to Tiananmen Square, several foreign journalists were physically assaulted and detained. Many were ordered to destroy film footage and photographs. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Walter E. Williams: "Democracy Versus Liberty"

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The American Jingoist

24February2011 7:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  John Adams said, “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” Alexander Hamilton said, “We are now forming a Republican form of government. Real Liberty is not found in the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments. If we incline too much to democracy, we shall soon shoot into a monarchy, or some other form of dictatorship.”

The word “democracy” appears nowhere in the two most fundamental documents of our nation — the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Our Constitution’s Article IV, Section 4, guarantees “to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” If you don’t want to bother reading our founding documents, just ask yourself: Does our pledge of allegiance to the flag say to “the democracy for which it stands,” or to “the Republic for which it stands”? Or, did Julia Ward Howe make a mistake in titling her Civil War song “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”? Should she have titled it “The Battle Hymn of the Democracy”? (read full article)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY BRIEFING: Internet "Kill Switch": Mapping Out Government’s Proper Role in Cybersecurity

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Heritage Foundation

22February2011 2:03pmEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: The problem is indeed a challenging one. Clearly, the federal government needs the ability to protect its own interests, some of which require use of the private-sector portions of the Internet. Likewise, the government is charged with providing “for the common defense,” and all Americans would expect it to play a role in defending, say, the West Coast electrical grid against a Chinese assault.

The recent report of Chinese infiltration of Canadian government computers is a salient demonstration of the need for some defensive measures. And the reality is that if pre-enforcement judicial review of any governmental order is required, it is possible that the governmental response will be delayed so long that it proves ineffective.

But equally clearly, giving the government power over the private sector and the Internet is fraught with peril to civil liberties. Even though the legislation has explicit language denying presidential power to cut Americans off from the Internet generally (and even though any President of either party should not be presumed to exercise powers granted in a dictatorial way), the recent experiences in Egypt make it clear how relatively easy it is for an autocratically minded leader to take control of private conduct.

And even when government acts with good intent, mistakes happen—for example, the recent error in which DHS mistakenly seized a number of innocent domain names that it thought were tied to child pornography but were not. Post-enforcement judicial review is of less value after the order has already been given and implemented. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Jordan Becomes Latest Arab Domino To Fall

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Newstime

31February2011 8:42pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Events in Tunisia and Egypt have spread to Jordan with King Abdullah on Tuesday accepting the resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai's government.

According to The Associated Press the king sacked his government as a result of street protests and has asked asked ex-premier Marouf Bakhit to form a new governmentin Amman.

The protestors, like their fellow Arabs in the region, were going after the leadership for failure to tackle the concerns of the masses. (read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Iran's Decisive Move in Its Grab for Lebanon

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DEBKAfile

25January2011 8:09amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  The two days Iran's new foreign minister Ali Salehi spent in Damascus from Saturday night, Jan. 22, were enough to keep Syrian president Bashar Assad in place for Tehran's final steps in its grab for Lebanon: the installation of a puppet government in Beirut, DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report.

Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah's performance Sunday, Jan. 23, was a crucial piece of misdirection: He stepped out of character to call in dulcet tones for a unity government in Beirut. This sounded as though he was following Assad's orders last week to go for a broad coalition which left the prime minister he toppled Saad Hariri out in the cold and strengthened Syrian influence in Beirut. But meanwhile, a parliamentary majority had been put together to install as prime minister Najib Mikati, a 55-year old Lebanese tycoon, who was willing to pledge in advance to cut Beirut's ties with the UN tribunal – STL – investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri and declare its summonses and rulings null and void.

Mikati has built a business empire in Europe, Africa and the Middle East through his personal connections with the Syrian president and Hizballah leader and the use of their intelligence facilities to promote his interests. He was awarded the premiership in return for a commitment to disqualify the STL as his first order of business, thereby saving Iran, Damascus and Hizballah the embarrassment of a head-on clash with the international court over its summonses – not only for the extradition of Hizballah's top security officials, but also against Iranian and Syrian regime officials suspected of complicity in the Hariri assassination.

By having the duly appointed Lebanese prime minister delegitimize the tribunal, all three can insist they are obliged to disobey court decrees against the will of the Lebanese government and its people and barred from following the orders of a body declared illegitimate and operating at the behest of Washington and Tel Aviv.

By a single stroke, therefore, Tehran has checked one of President Barack Obama's most critical Middle East policy moves, one which hinged on support for the Hariri tribunal and the strengthening of a pro-West administration in Beirut. Instead, Washington wakes up to find an Iranian puppet ruling Lebanon. Tehran accomplished this two days after fatally stalling the world powers' attempt to bring Iran around to a diplomatic resolution of its drive toward a nuclear bomb. In two days of talks with six powers in Istanbul, ending Friday, Jan. 21, the Iranian delegation refused to budge an inch.

A day later, Iran's foreign minister was already ensconsed in Damascus tying up the ends of its grab for Lebanon. (read full report)