Critical Releases in Homeland Security: April 2, 2014

"Reducing methane emissions is a powerful way to take action on climate change; and putting methane to use can support local economies with a source of clean energy that generates revenue, spurs investment, improves safety, and leads to cleaner air. That is why in his Climate Action Plan, President Obama directed the Administration to develop a comprehensive, interagency strategy to cut methane emissions. This document lays out that strategy -- summarizing the sources of methane and trends in emissions; setting forth a plan to reduce both domestic and international methane emissions through incentive-based programs and the Administration's existing authorities; and, outlining the Administration's efforts to improve measurement of these emissions. This strategy also highlights examples of technologies and industry-led best practices that are already helping to cut methane emissions."

"In response to the tragic shooting of Transportation Security Officer (TSO) Gerardo I. Hernandez and wounding of other TSA employees and a passenger on November 1, 2013, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Administrator John S. Pistole called for a comprehensive review of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) policies, procedures, and training to identify possible improvements to safety and security for TSA employees. The following report provides a summary of TSA actions as a result of this review. Its scope is limited to TSA employees serving to protect the public at our nation's airports. The agency's response focuses primarily on those areas with the greatest effect on safety and security for the workforce: mandatory training, improved communication systems and policies, and enhanced law enforcement presence. A total of fourteen recommendations were adopted. The steps outlined in this report represent a combination of alternatives identified by an internal working group or 'Integrated Project Team' (IPT) and ideas generated by TSA employees in response to a request for feedback from Administrator Pistole. The agency's response further reflects extensive feedback and participation by industry stakeholders including law enforcement, airport operators, the employee union, and various associations. TSA is greatly appreciative of the collaborative engagement of these stakeholders and remains committed to working closely with all involved entities in continued efforts to provide enhanced safety and security measures for TSA employees."

"In November and December 2013, cyber thieves executed a successful cyber attack against Target, one of the largest retail companies in the United States. The attackers surreptitiously gained access to Target's computer network, stole the financial and personal information of as many as 110 million Target customers, and then removed this sensitive information from Target's network to a server in Eastern Europe. This report presents an explanation of how the Target breach occurred, based on media reports and expert analyses that have been published since Target publicly acknowledged this breach on December 19, 2013. Although the complete story of how this breach took place may not be known until Target completes its forensic examination of the breach, facts already available in the public record provide a great deal of useful information about the attackers' methods and Target's defenses. This report analyzes what has been reported to date about the Target data breach, using the 'intrusion kill chain' framework, an analytical tool introduced by Lockheed Martin security researchers in 2011, and today widely used by information security professionals in both the public and the private sectors. This analysis suggests that Target missed a number of opportunities along the kill chain to stop the attackers and prevent the massive data breach."

"This report examines much of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's personal history and his interaction with Federal agencies, including his radicalization, the 2011 threat assessment carried out by the FBI, and his travel to Russia in early 2012. Additionally, the Committee explores missed opportunities that potentially could have prevented this attack. The Committee has developed seven preliminary recommendations to strengthen our Federal counterterrorism efforts. These recommendations are intended to combat systemic weaknesses the Committee has identified during the course of its investigation, including: [1] insufficient cooperation and information sharing between Federal agencies and local law enforcement; [2] Limited communication between Federal agencies; [3] Inadequate resources for necessary screening of outbound travelers of interest; and [3] Failure to amend inaccurate or incomplete records held by various agencies. Many of the Committee's recommendations, along with a recommendation to strengthen Congressional oversight of homeland security, echo recommendations included in the 9/11 Commission Report released on July 26, 2004, and are also found in other examinations of terrorist attacks, such as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's review of the Fort Hood shooting. This once again demonstrates that nearly ten years after the release of the findings of the 9/11 Commission, we have yet to fully address these challenges."