The following snapshots were posted before January 1, 2018.
For current articles, visit the S&T Newsroom.
New Simulator Tool Tests Aircraft Explosive Vulnerabilities - Recently, CAVM partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) to develop a reusable Aircraft Explosive Testing Simulator that facilitates the explosive testing of new generation commercial aircraft. (December 20, 2017)
U.S.-Canada Demonstrate Communications Interoperability Among First Responders - In mid-November, DHS S&T and DRDC CSS tested and demonstrated that seamless communication is possible between first responders from both sides of the border during a major emergency. (December 14, 2017)
S&T is Enhancing the Autopsy Digital Forensics Tool - Autopsy—an open-source, digital forensics platform used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to determine how a digital device was used in a crime and recover evidence—is being enhanced with the addition of several new capabilities requested by law enforcement. (December 12, 2017)
S&T’s Rapid DNA Tech Completes DNA Testing in Minutes Instead of Months - In late November 2017, the Massachusetts Office of Chief Medical Examiner (MAOCME) issued their first official identification of a deceased person based on the accredited use of S&T's Rapid DNA technology. (December 8, 2017)
Bringing 21st Century Biometric Solutions to Our Nation’s Airports - S&T evaluates biometric collection technologies, algorithm evaluations, and conducting experiments to identify processes and technology to accurately and efficiently track the entry and exit of the traveling public. (November 30, 2017)
S&T’s Dam Simulation Program Saves Lives and Saves Taxpayers Nearly $50M - Already, 35 states and various federal agencies are using the DSS-WISE™ Lite capability free of charge. Since its release in November 8, 2016 through the end of November, 2017, the system handled 3,115 dam-break flood simulations for 876 dams. (November 29, 2017)
Recent Field Tests Highlight Collaborations for Bomb Squad Response - Every day, state and local bomb squads place themselves in harm’s way in order to shield citizens and property from potential catastrophe. (November 21, 2017)
The HME Characterization Program: Keeping Americans Safe - S&T’s HME Program has taken a leading role in several rapid responses regarding intelligence about terror plots and in the aftermath of successful terror attacks. (November 20, 2017)
ATAK increases situational awareness, communication - ATAK is one of those “game-changers that dramatically alters the user’s understanding of the action in any given area of operation. (November 17, 2017)
Can Open Data Provide Real-time Insights to Improve Response to Biothreats? - In October, S&T launched the Hidden Signals Challenge, a prize competition calling upon data innovators— from data science, to civic tech, to epidemiology— to develop concepts for novel uses of existing data that would identify signals and achieve timelier alerts for biothreats in our cities and communities. (November 16, 2017)
S&T helps first responders mitigate potential jamming - DHS S&T hosted a week-long 2017 First Responder Electronic Jamming Exercise (JamX 17) at Idaho National Lab where nearly 100 federal, state, and local public safety and private organizations gathered to test tactics and technologies. (November 14, 2017)
S&T Reveals a Determined Cyber-posture for National Cyber Security Awareness Month - Throughout October 2017, DHS S&T’s Cyber Security Division (CSD) promoted its role in mobilizing cybersecurity innovation as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). (November 13, 2017)
DHS S&T partners with NFL, MLB and NBA for increased security - The SAFETY Act incentivizes private sector investment in protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure and the public by providing liability risk mitigation and litigation tools for claims that stem from or relate to an act of terrorism where a SAFETY Act covered technology (called a qualified anti-terrorism technology) is used. (November 2, 2017)
National Conversation on Homeland Security Technology: Commercial Flood Insurance Roundtable - DHS S&T National Conversation on Homeland Security Technology is focused on gathering stakeholder insights to identify flood risk and insurance information, along with tools to build more resilient communities. (October 25, 2017)
World Standards Week and DHS S&T 's role - October 16-19, 2017 is World Standards Week. Launched 47 years ago, this week helps raise awareness of the importance of standardization to the global economy. (October 17, 2017)
S&T Helps Train Public Safety Practitioners in Flood Preparation - DHS S&T recently had the chance to address national public safety and homeland security leaders, first responders, and geographic information system (GIS) professionals on the issue of flood resiliency. (October 12, 2017)
S&T-Funded Training Programs Build the Transboundary Animal Disease Workforce - DHS S&T funded two programs, Texas A&M University’s Bench to Shop program and Kansas State University’s Transboundary Animal Disease Fellowship, to train the next generation of animal health experts. (October 10, 2017)
S&T Testing Provides a Better Understanding of How Chlorine Spreads - DHS S&T conducted a series of large-scale field tests in 2015 and 2016, releasing chlorine to determine how the gas spreads and how it reacts with different materials. (October 3, 2017)
Using Satellites and Data Analytics to Protect the Homeland - The DHS S&T expanded on the commercial industry’s technological progress when it launched a new effort earlier this year called the Adaptive Sensor Analytics Project. (September 29, 2017)
Voice Forensics Can Help the Coast Guard Catch Hoax Callers - In 2014, when an anonymous caller cost the U.S. Coast Guard roughly $500,000 by sending first responders on unnecessary rescue missions 28 times, the agency asked DHS S&T for help. (September 26, 2017)
Surface Transportation Security – Soft Target, Hard Problem - S&T’s Surface Transportation Explosives Threat Detection Program works to provide the surface transportation end-user community the capability to screen for potential threat items at the speed of the traveling public. (September 19, 2017)
Storm Surge Prediction Tool Helps Emergency Managers Prepare - A tool funded by DHS S&T was forecasting water levels associated with the storm along the Texas coast. The tool, ADCIRC (Advanced Circulation), models storm surge and coastal flooding. (September 14, 2017)
S&T and the Pentagon are Changing K-9 Bomb Detection - DHS S&T Detection Canine Program partnered with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) to assist in developing a training initiative to add person-borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) detection capabilities to their canine teams. (September 12, 2017)
S&T’s PIADC is helping bring back the Piping Plover - The piping plover population, an endangered species, increased this year, thanks to the hard work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and DHS. (September 5, 2017)
Record Crowd Boosts Cyber Security R&D Showcase’s Impact - DHS S&T hosted its 2017 Cyber Security R&D Showcase and Technical Workshop, where the 870 attendees gained deep insight on a range of government cybersecurity R&D projects funded by the S&T Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Cyber Security Division (CSD). (August 29, 2017)
National Mutual Aid Technology Exercise Brings Together a Diverse Group - NMATE, sponsored by S&T’s First Responders Group, brought together technologists, operators, and decision makers from all over the country to determine to what extent existing mutual aid technology systems are able to share and incorporate each other’s resource and situational awareness information. (August 22, 2017)
S&T Evaluates TSA Touch-Free Fingerprint Scanners - DHS S&T is working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to evaluate new identity verification technology that can reduce the time it takes for travelers to pass through security. (August 15, 2017)
Web Tools Help Prepare for Livestock Disease Outbreaks - The USAMM-Shiny App, the first national-scale model of livestock in the US, is an interactive web application that creates heat maps to visualize the movement of cattle across the U.S. (August 8, 2017)
Netherlands-U.S. Cybersecurity R&D Partnership is Thriving - Because of the need for a global focus, CSD, part of S&T's Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, has established active partnerships with cybersecurity organizations in 13 countries—including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Israel—and an international body—the European Union. (July 25, 2017)
Making Flood Forecasting Easier, Faster - Under its Flood Apex program, S&T First Responders Group (FRG) has partnered with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to develop a new IoT sensor technology and geo-targeting alerts that aim to help first responders to better respond to flood events, resulting in saving more lives and property faster. (July 20, 2017)
New Web-Based Tools to Help Food Companies Protect the Food Supply - Our economy, livelihood and wellbeing depend on food and its supply chains. Supply chains may break if a natural disaster destroys a crop in its primary production region, or if someone tampers with food to cause harm or raise profits. In such cases we need to find out quickly about these incidents and find alternative sources of food ingredients and supplies. (July 18, 2017)
NBAF Think and Do Challenge Winner Develops Forward Looking Training Program - In May 2015, DHS S&T broke ground on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) main laboratory space in Manhattan, Kansas. Scheduled to open in 2023, NBAF will feature advanced laboratory technologies that allow for catastrophic disease research on livestock. (July 13, 2017)
S&T develops five new powerful tools to combat FAD - DHS S&T recently filed five patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and provided the funding for research performed by collaborating federal scientists to file five additional patent applications to provide powerful new tools to combat Foreign Animal Diseases (FADs), specifically Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and African Swine Fever. (July 7, 2017)
Large-Scale Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device Testing - S&T’s Homemade Explosives (HME) program conducts Large-Scale VBIED testing to mitigate the threat posed by massive car bombs and to ensure such attacks do not occur in the U.S. (June 29, 2017)
New Virtual Training Prepares First Responders for Active Shooter Incidents - Amid the chaos of an active shooter event, preparedness is key to a seamless, swift and effective response—and a new video game funded by DHS S&T and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory just might do the trick. (June 28, 2017)
A Simple Solution to Protect Critical Infrastructure - DHS S&T has a solution to protect subway systems from threats in the form of a giant inflatable plug that will seal off subway tunnels and stop water from flowing throughout the subway system into stations and other subway lines. (June 21, 2017)
Rapid DNA Technology Makes Verifying Relationships Easier, Faster - Rapid DNA technology developed by DHS S&T has recently been used to identify simulated “victims” in several mass casualty exercises across the nation. (June 16, 2017)
Newly Transitioned Hurricane Decision Support Platform Gives Emergency Managers More Capabilities - On Oct. 1, 2016, Hurricane Matthew became the first category five storm in the Atlantic Ocean in nearly a decade when Hurricane Felix blew through with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour. (June 12, 2017)
S&T Helps Explosive Detection Canine Teams get REDDI - The DHS S&T Detection Canine Program has created the Regional Explosives Detection Dog Initiative (REDDI), a series of events aimed at advancing the knowledge and capabilities of the nation’s detection canine teams. (June 7, 2017)
New Training Aims to Improve Operational Security at U.S. Border - The Expert Tracker training we are developing with DHS S&T keeps us at the forefront of integrating technology, current training research, and innovation. (June 2, 2017)
Mannequin Enhances Training and Accessibility for TSA Officers - To ensure that TSA officers receive the best training, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in collaboration with the TSA Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis , is working to develop the Pat-down Accuracy Training Tool. (May 18, 2017)
CSD Cyber Security R&D Showcase Coming in July - The 2017 Cyber Security R&D Showcase and Technical Workshop is scheduled for July 11-13. This annual technology showcase event—sponsored by the DHS S&T) Cyber Security Division (CSD)—is expected to draw 1,000 government, industry and academia cybersecurity professionals from the U.S. and abroad over three days. (May 10, 2017)
Homeowner Flood Insurance Roundtable Dialogue - On March 2, 2017, the National Conversation on Homeland Security Technology held its first in-person engagement of the year, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Roundtable, in support of DHS S&T Flood Apex program. (May 5, 2017)
Dissect Cyber Alerts Small Businesses Targeted by Cybercriminals - To reduce losses from cybercrime, DHS S&T Cyber Security Division (CSD) funded a new research initiative focused on the best way to alert small businesses to potential threats. (May 2, 2017)
Eye Tracking Technology Enhances Imposter Detection Training - DHS S&T collaborated with CBP and FLETC to develop tools that can help optimize imposter detection training. The most recent capability to transition is called Eye-dentify, which is an imposter detection training technology. (April 27, 2017)
Stopping Attacks That Disrupt Voice Communications - The DHS S&T is working to make sure telephony denial of service attacks cannot disrupt critical phone systems. (April 10, 2017)
S&T’s Arctic Domain Awareness Center Supports USCG Capabilities - We are creating robotic systems that are small, mobile, connected, and enduring, making them a perfect match for the remote Arctic. (April 7, 2017)
New Orleans Flood Experiment - To improve response to similar floods in the future, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Greater New Orleans, Inc., and the DHS S&T staged a mutual aid experiment in January 2017 to demonstrate new information-sharing technology. (March 30, 2017)
NUSTL OpEx - Recently, FRG’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) hosted an Urban Operational Experimentation (OpEx) to find answers to these types of questions. (March 27, 2017)
S&T and Sweden Celebrate 10 Year Anniversary - DHS S&T recently celebrated 10 years of partnership with the government of Sweden at the “Safe and Sound” kickoff event, hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2017)
New Training System Improves Airport Screening Efficiency - Among the many tasks assigned to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), they must screen every bag boarding commercial aircraft within the United States. (March 22, 2017 )
Helping Houston’s Public Safety Agencies Bring Their ‘A’ Game to the Super Bowl - With more than a million people in attendance at this year’s Super Bowl, quick and seamless communication was vital to the many public safety and responder organizations involved. (March 20, 2017)
DHS S&T's Predictive Analysis Tools Illustrate Model Behavior - Predictive analysis — a tool that can be used to figure out the best way to get through an airport quicker, or how to keep you safe driving across bridges and through tunnels, or how to ascertain the true impact of a natural disaster —, serves as the backbone for many of S&T-developed technologies. (March 17, 2017)
DHS-Developed Software Powers Humanitarian Project - Software originally developed at DHS' National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center to sequence DNA for biodefense is now being used by Microsoft to sequence mosquito DNA in the fight against disease. (March 9, 2017)
Turning Back DDoS Attacks - Cyberspace is always changing, and the work to prevent DDoS attacks and other threats from malicious actors will never stop. CSD’s DDoSD is just one of the ways S&T is working with our partners to help keep cyberspace safe and secure. (February 16, 2017)
NBAF Observes Kansas Emergency Response to Inform Future Planning - The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) program participated in an animal disease emergency response exercise led by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA). (February 14, 2017)
A New Kind of Responder Brings Special Expertise to Disasters - The ROSS program helps radiation safety professionals integrate seamlessly with the incident command system so they can provide emergency-specific rad/nuc information to the incident commander, allowing emergency managers to make better decisions specific to the incident. (January 27, 2017)
Blockchain Technology Explored for Homeland Security - Blockchain technology represents an innovative leap forward that has many uses and applications across multiple sectors of the economy. Many people, organizations, companies and departments are increasingly excited about blockchain. (January 10, 2017)