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General Security and Resilience

Behind Most Wildfires, a Person and a Spark

In light of the numerous and highly destructive wildfires that have scorched large areas of the western U.S., the New York Times has published an article noting that most of these events are triggered by a human, usually unintentionally. According to Lynne Tolmachoff, the chief of public education at Cal Fire, in California almost 95 percent of fires are started by people, and about 7 percent are caused by arson. The rest are mostly fires started by lightning or other acts of Mother Nature, such as wind taking down a power line.

Overview of Disaster Management in the U.S.

The Council on Foreign Relations has posted an overview of how the U.S. responds to disasters, providing overviews of the presidential disaster declaration process, the federal agencies that are involved in disaster response, and the types of assistance they provide. It concludes with a list of what the Council on Foreign Relations considers to be some of the greatest challenges to disaster manaegement in the U.S. These include an increase in the number of natural disasters, human development patterns, logistical challenges, insurance shortcomings, and a lack of resilience.

Terrorists Potentially Target Millions in Makeshift Biological Weapons ‘Laboratories’

During meetings last week at the UN in Geneva, member state representatives heard from experts about how rapid advances in gene editing and “DIY [do-it-yourself] biological laboratories” could be used by extremists to produce weapons for attacks on civilians. According to the discussions, the groundbreaking gene-editing technique “CRISPR” could be used for malevolent purposes, such as to develop more effective biological weapons.

An Interview with WaterISAC Managing Director Michael Arceneaux

In an interview with risk management firm Gate 15, WaterISAC Managing Director Michael Arceneaux discusses security issues, priorities, and efforts for the water and wastewater sector. The interview begins with a discussion of the sector being a critical lifeline sector, meaning that its compromise would put human health and economic security at risk if it were not restored quickly.

FBI Eyes Plethora of River-Related Threats

In an interview with the Associated Press, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Office Eric Rommal discusses the threats malicious actors could pose to industries that are dependent on the Mississippi River. He described scenarios in which actors exploit commercial ships or oil or gas refineries and pipelines to cause harm. Speaking of potential impacts to the area resulting from these scenarios, Special Agent Rommal noted drinking water utilities’ dependence on the Mississippi River for their raw water supplies.

NOAA Forecasters Lower Atlantic Hurricane Season Prediction

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts there is a 60 percent likelihood of below-normal activity for the current Atlantic hurricane season, lowering its earlier prediction of a 75 percent change of near or above-normal activity. The updated forecast predicts a total of 9 to 13 named storms (10 to 16 initially forecasted), of which 4 to 7 could become hurricanes (5 to 9 initially forecasted), including 0 to 2 major hurricanes (1 to 4 initially forecasted).

Spotting Pre-Attack Planning Indicators to Disrupt the Hostile Events Cycle

The final article in a three-part series examining the Hostile Events Attack Cycle discusses the phases of pre-attack operations, the attack itself, and escape. The article explains that the pre-attack operations phase, when the attacker could be doing such things as conducting rehearsals and taking actions at the target site, represents the last opportunity to disrupt the operation. As with the previous articles, the current installment cites examples from real-world incidents to help explain the phases.

Violent Extremists Likely Will Continue to Use Disinformation on Social Media Outlets to Instill Fear and Radicalize Others

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center have released a product as part of their First Responder’s Toolbox series describing how terrorist organizations use disinformation to attempt to influence Western audiences. It includes examples of official media releases by these groups, including an image depicting an Islamic State supporter with a sniper rifle atop a building in downtown Denver, Colorado that appears to have been intended to inspire followers and create a sense of fear among the public.

The Complex Array of Threats Facing All Sectors

Brett Zupan, former WaterISAC analyst, penned an expository regarding the myriad of all-hazards threats, including physical, cyber, and blended, faced by members of peer organization, REN-ISAC (Research & Education Networking Information Sharing & Analysis Center). Zupan explains the spectrum of physical and cyber threats, including sophisticated, unsophisticated, and accidental, that conceivably could affect every critical infrastructure sector - some more than others - including Water and Wastewater.

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