Grid securityMetallic Balloon Causes Massive Blackout in Dresden, Germany Published 15 September 2021 More than 300,000 buildings and apartments in Dresden, Germany, were without electricity on Monday after a metal-coated party balloon caused a major short circuit at the city’s main power station. The police is investigation whether this was an accident or a deliberate

CybersecurityCybercriminals Use Pandemic to Attack Schools and Colleges By Nir Kshetri Published 15 September 2021 From Aug. 14 to Sept. 12, 2021, educational organizations were the target of over 5.8 million malware attacks, or 63% of all such attacks. Ransomware attacks alone impacted 1,681 U.S. schools, colleges and universities in 2020. Globally 44% of educational

CybersecurityU.S.: Russia of Stonewalling on Cybercrime By Jeff Seldin Published 15 September 2021 U.S. law enforcement and cyber officials say that U.S. warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin over shielding cybercriminals holed up in Russia appear to have made little impact. U.S. warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin over shielding cybercriminals holed up in Russia appear

DronesDetecting, Identifying Small Drones in Urban Environment Published 15 September 2021 DHS has awarded $750K to a Texas company to develop a detection and tracking sensor system that can identify nefarious small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in an urban environment. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $750,000 to Texas-based small business

Killer robotsNew Armed Robot to Patrol Battlefield, Border Published 13 September 2021 An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot which can patrol battle zones, borders, track infiltrators, and open fire. The robot can also be programmed to make decisions on its own, without human intervention, about opening fire. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

Radiation detectionRedesigning Radiation Monitors at U.S. Ports of Entry Published 13 September 2021 Every day at ports of entry around the country, hundreds of thousands of vehicles and containers cross into the country. Since 9/11, all incoming vehicles and containers at land crossings, rail crossings, mail facilities, and shipping terminals are scanned by Customs and

Energy securityCan Hydropower Survive in a Future of Extreme Weather? By Jeannette Cwienk Published 13 September 2021 Hydropower has long been seen as a reliable renewable energy source. But during drought and heavy rain, hydropower plants often come to a standstill. Will climate change spell the end for this clean energy alternative? For many years, the

Grid securityMetallic Balloon Causes Massive Blackout in Dresden, Germany Published 14 September 2021 More than 300,000 buildings and apartments in Dresden, Germany, were without electricity on Monday after a metal-coated party balloon caused a major short circuit at the city’s main power station. The police is investigation whether this was an accident or a deliberate

DronesDetecting, Identifying Small Drones in Urban Environment Published 14 September 2021 DHS has awarded $750K to a Texas company to develop a detection and tracking sensor system that can identify nefarious small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in an urban environment. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $750,000 to Texas-based small business

Killer robotsNew Armed Robot to Patrol Battlefield, Border Published 13 September 2021 An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot which can patrol battle zones, borders, track infiltrators, and open fire. The robot can also be programmed to make decisions on its own, without human intervention, about opening fire. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)