DHS Selects George Mason for Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis COE
George Mason Univ. has been selected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions and other partners for a new center of excellence (COE) in Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA). The Northern Virginia school received a $3.4 million grant for its for operating year in a 10-year grant period. CINA will focus on criminal network analysis, dynamic patters of criminal activity, forensics, and criminal investigative processes. It will work with DHS components and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to develop strategies and solutions for on-the-ground use by agents and officers to predict, thwart, and prosecute crimes. “By partnering with George Mason University and other institutions, our agents will be able to work with cutting-edge tools and research that will shape how we combat the growing threat of transnational crime,” says Derek Benner, acting executive associate director for Homeland Security Investigations, at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
After Meeting, ACLU Outlines Problems with CBP’s Biometric Exit Solution
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sees a number of problems with Customs and Border Protection’s fledgling biometric exit system that is currently being evaluated at departure gates of six U.S. airports for select international flights. CBP officials met with privacy groups in early August to discuss Traveler Verification System, which is currently using face recognition cameras and software to verify the identity all passengers boarding the select flights at the U.S. airports as part of the larger Biometric Entry/Exit system. CBP says that if a face image is taken of a U.S. citizen, it deletes that information two weeks after confirming citizenship. Following the meeting, Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, writes in an Aug. 4 blog post that face recognition is the “most dangerous biometric … because it has greater potential for expansion and misuse,” arguing that unlike fingerprints, face recognition can be applied to mass surveillance situations, “creating a giant infrastructure for government tracking and control.” He also says that making face recognition routine at airport checkpoints may “socialize” the technology to the point that it becomes acceptable for use at all checkpoints “in a futile quest for perfect security everywhere.” He also says there are reliability issues with the technology and CBP may also decide to hold on to the images of U.S. citizens for longer periods of time, potentially for new purposes.
Symantec Selling Website Security Solutions to DigiCert
Symantec [SYMC] and DigiCert Inc. have agreed to DigiCert acquiring Symantec’s website security and PKI solutions for $950 million in cash and a 30 percent stake in DigiCert, a deal that expands its talent in website security. Utah-based DigiCert says the acquisition will allow it to take advantage of growth opportunities in the Internet of Things bring new approaches to the secure socket layer market. For Symantec, the divestiture will help it focus on its cloud protection capabilities. “Transitioning our Website Security and related PKI solutions to DigiCert allows us to sharpen our enterprise focus on delivering unparalleled protection for the cloud generation through Symantec’s Cyber Defense Platform,” says Greg Clark, CEO of Symantec. He says DigiCert will offer its customers “a modern website PKI platform.” The deal is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2018.