GSN_Mar_YUMPU

Government Security News 

MARCH 2017 DIGITAL EDITION 

Photo: U.S. Air Force 

Nellis AFB to add second large solar plant. This 14-megawatt solar project at Nellis Air Force 

Base, Nev., made news in 2007 as the largest solar photovoltaic array in the United States. Now 

there are plans to expand solar power production at the base. The Air Force recently signed a 

lease with NV Energy to add a 19-megawatt solar array. Together, the projects will provide up to 

42 percent of the energy needed to power Nellis AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo) – Page 18 

Also in this issue: 

IC Realtime develops silent, rapidly deployable aerial surveillance solution – ideal for Law Enforcement, Border 

Security, Emergency Management and Public Safety – Page 10 

North Korea used binary form of “VX”, “VX2” in assassination of Kim Jong-nam – says Chemical Security 

Professor George Lane – Page 12

GSN March 2017 Digital 

NEWS 

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31 

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Tianjin Rail Transit (TRT) in China extends its 

Qognify video management system to cover new lines 

with 4,000 video cameras 

Hikvision and Eagle Eye Networks announce 

technology partnership 

Heightening security verification with 

self-service kiosks 

IC Realtime develops silent, rapidly-deployable aerial surveillance solution 

North Korea used binary form of “VX”, “VX2” 

in assassination of Kim Jong-nam 

Making microgrids work: send in the Marines? 

Aerojet Rocketdyne supports ULA launch of Wideband 

Global SATCOM spacecraft for the 

U.S. Military 

Bipartisan bill supports Department of Defense 

Cyber Scholarships 

New York Democrats rally to resist voter suppression, calling for action from 

NY Governor Cuomo 

New York Congressman Nadler blasts Trump budget 

as “Absurd” 

Image from a CCTV footage of one of the woman attackers 

2

Edition Table of Contents 

34 

38 

Biennial Women in Cybersecurity Report reveals that female representation 

in industry remains stagnant, as cyber workforce gap expected to reach 

1.8 million by 2022 

Hikvision and L.A. contemporary dance company illustrate 

the Art of Video Surveillance 

FEATURES 

SPECIAL REPORT ON BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION 

19 

Trump scapegoats immigrants with creation of “Office of 

Victims of Immigration and Crime Engagement” 

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21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

This immigration enforcement program has a troubled history, 

and Trump wants to restart it 

Trump’s immigration remarks at Joint Session of Congress once again packed 

with inaccurate statements and false blaming of immigrants 

Second “Muslim Ban” meets renewed litigation 

These changes may keep Asylum seekers from 

getting their day in court 

Homeland Security unions testify in support of more staff but not a border 

“wall” 

America’s treatment of asylum seekers reviewed by 

regional human rights body 

3

Tianjin Rail Transit (TRT) in China extends its 

Qognify video management system to cover 

new lines with 4,000 video cameras 

Qognify, formerly NICE Security, 

today announced that the Tianjin 

Rail Transit (TRT) in China will be 

extending its Qognify video management 

system (VMS) to provide 

coverage for the city’s Metro expansion. 

In total, Qognify technology 

will be helping to secure over 273 

kilometers of transit lines and 42 

stations, by effectively managing 

output from over 4,000 video cameras. 

Tianjin, a metropolis in northern 

coastal China located near Beijing, 

is experiencing steady population 

growth with currently over 15 

million inhabitants. In 2015, the 

Tianjin Transit Group, the body 

responsible for managing the city’s 

major Metro construction project, 

deployed Qognify’s video management 

solution. Since then, the solution 

has been a vital part of security 

management, which enabled the 

Group officials to confidently make 

the choice to extend the solution to 

the newly built lines. 

“For large-scale metros, managing 

security in a unified, centralized and 

robust way is always a big challenge 

to operators, public security, 

and government authorities,” 

said Mr. Song, Director 

of Construction, Tianjin 

Transit Group. “With Qognify’s 

advanced technology 

and deep transportation 

industry experience, we’re 

able to provide passengers 

a safe and secure environment, 

and to our employees 

an easy to access, scalable, 

and stable system to monitor and 

manage our entire Metro. These capabilities 

give us confidence to build 

more metro lines in Tianjin, which 

will greatly increase the friendliness 

of the city. We trust Qognify and believe 

they have the depth of experience 

we need.” 

“There is a unique combination of 

the right technology and breadth of 

transportation relevant experience 

that makes a massive difference to 

the success of large scale transportation 

projects such as the Tianjin 

Metro,” commented Moti Shabtai, 

President of Qognify. “Tianjin Metro 

sets an example for public transport 

organizations and we’re proud 

4 

to be able to provide the required 

level of expertise as we solidify 

our market-leading position in the 

transportation sector.” 

About Qognify 

Qognify helps organizations mitigate 

risk, maintain business continuity, 

and optimize operations. The 

Qognify portfolio includes video 

management, video and data analytics, 

and PSIM/ Situation Management 

solutions that are deployed 

in financial institutions, transportation 

agencies, airports, seaports, 

utility companies, city centers, and 

to secure many of the world’s highest-profile 

public events.

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Hikvision and Eagle Eye Networks 

announce technology partnership 

Integrators will benefit from easy-to-install cloud-based security system 

with extra cybersecurity measures 

6 

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA and AUS- 

TIN, TX—March 15, 2017—Hikvision 

USA Inc., the North American 

leader in innovative, award-winning 

video surveillance products and solutions, 

and Eagle Eye Networks, 

Inc., the leading cloud-based video 

surveillance provider, today announced 

a technology partnership 

to deliver customers a seamless and 

cybersecure cloud video surveillance 

solution. 

Hikvision and Eagle Eye are expanding 

an established business relationship 

with its new technology 

partnership. It will enable a deeper 

bi-directional integration between 

Hikvision’s world class products 

and Eagle Eye’s purpose-built cloud 

platform, which will have significant, 

direct benefits for systems 

integrators. Those benefits include 

ease of installation and even more 

extensive technical support. Integrators 

and their end user customers 

will also reap the benefits associated 

with cloud platforms: lower 

up-front costs, flexibility, scalability, 

cyber-secure remote management 

and flexible on-premise cloud storage. 

“We are pleased to be working 

with a partner so clearly focused 

on cybersecurity and ease of use for 

our integrator partners,” said Jeffrey 

He, president of Hikvision USA Inc. 

“Eagle Eye’s Cloud Security Camera 

VMS provides businesses with a true 

cloud solution that is cyber-secured 

with multiple levels of encryption 

and advanced security features.” 

Those features include Eagle Eye’s 

recently announced Camera Cyber 

Lockdown, which blocks cameras 

from communicating with the Internet, 

blocks attacks from reaching 

cameras, and will not allow any Trojans 

ex-filtration. The feature greatly 

increases the security of video surveillance 

systems, reduces risk, and 

reduces camera maintenance. 

While the Eagle Eye Cloud Security 

Camera VMS works with hundreds 

of manufacturers’ cameras, 

the Hikvision partnership is particularly 

valuable for customers who 

don’t have in-house IT resources. 

The combined Hikvision/Eagle 

Eye technology is particularly well 

suited to multi-site enterprises with

small camera counts at each site, including 

retail, banking, and quick 

serve restaurants. 

Eagle Eye Network’s CEO Dean 

Drako stated “Hikvision’s leadership 

team has been exemplary to work 

with for making a great customer 

solution. They really understand 

the benefits of solving installation 

and cyber problems in a way that 

makes it easier for the customer. 

Hikvision’s global presence aligns 

with Eagle Eye’s global data center 

investment.” 

Eagle Eye Networks’ global footprint 

of data centers enables its customers 

to easily deploy surveillance 

video systems at 

their sites around the 

world while maintaining 

consistency 

and cybersecurity. 

Hikvision will exhibit 

its enterpriselevel 

security solutions 

at ISC West, 

Booth 18037, in Las 

Vegas, April 5-7, 

2017. Eagle Eye Networks 

will be exhibiting in 

Booth 23109. 

About Hikvision 

Hikvision is the world’s leading 

supplier of video surveillance 

solutions. Featuring 

the industry’s strongest R&D 

workforce, Hikvision designs, 

develops, and manufactures standard- 

and high-definition cameras, 

including a variety of IP cameras, 

analog cameras, and cameras featuring 

the latest in high-definition 

analog technology. Hikvision’s 

product suite also includes digital 

video servers, hybrid and standalone 

DVRs, NVRs, and other elements 

of sophisticated security systems 

for both indoor and outdoor 

use. 

About Eagle Eye Networks 

Eagle Eye Networks delivers the 

fastest growing, on-demand cloud 

based security and operations video 

management system 

(VMS) providing 

both cloud and 

on-premise recording. 

Eagle Eye also 

provides a cloud 

video API for integrations 

and application 

development. 

The Eagle 

Eye Platform offers 

secure, encrypted 

7 

recording, camera management, 

mobile viewing and alerts – all 100% 

cloud managed. The API platform 

uses the Eagle Eye Big Data Video 

Framework, with time based data 

structures used for indexing, search, 

retrieval and analysis of the live and 

archived video. Eagle Eye Networks 

sells through authorized reseller 

and installation partners. 

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Heightening security verification with 

self-service kiosks 

By Gerald Hubbard, 

Business Development, 

Global Enterprise 

Technology Corp. 

The issuance and verification 

of identity credentials 

are currently managed 

by different agencies 

in different ways. Given the variations 

in resources, technology and 

security requirements, this is not 

surprising. Emerging technologies 

are now creating opportunities to 

achieve greater consistency across 

platforms and agencies which may 

enable greater efficiencies and better 

accuracy throughout the spectrum 

of security needs. 

One promising modality is the 

standalone, self-service ID kiosk. Its 

simplest form is similar to the electronic 

check-in kiosks at airports, 

where passengers insert their credit 

cards or scan their passports to verify 

identity. Those kiosks serve as an 

initial security point, but they do 

not support biometric data recognition 

(such as fingerprints, iris scan 

or facial recognition). They reduce 

the need for clerks to perform the 

check-in at the airline counter, without 

replacing TSA checkpoints 

where passengers 

show picture IDs along 

with boarding passes. 

Still, the check-in machine 

allows reasonable 

labor savings for airlines. 

It also provides 

a conceptual backdrop 

for the type of self-service 

kiosks that could enable 

greater levels of efficiency, 

savings and accuracy in security 

credentials issuance 

and authentication. This 

could be useful in government 

embassies and facilities, 

as well as in airports 

and other locations where 

security needs are high. 

The enrollment process 

for issuing ID credentials 

must still begin with a face-toface 

encounter with an officer or 

agent of the issuing body. For example 

a passport, driver’s license 

or global entry pass requires the 

completion and transfer of 

data such as birth certificates, 

fingerprints, 

signature, etc. Biomet- 

8 

ric data capture can be performed 

automatically with the use of a machine, 

such as the Speed Identity kiosk, 

or by a trained security agent. 

A combination of the two can also 

be used to speed up the process. 

The security officer is usually vested 

with the skills to recognize human 

factors, such as nervousness, 

that provide subjective 

cues about an applicant’s 

authenticity, for example. 

While fingerprints and 

photographs are collected 

automatically, the officer’s 

attention can be focused 

on observing behaviors 

that a machine can’t see or 

understand. 

The real benefit of a selfservice 

ID kiosk is after the 

credentials have been issued – 

when they are checked at the point 

of entry to an airport terminal, 

area or building. Here, biometric 

data can be matched against 

a central database. Fingerprints 

can be quickly scanned and 

matched. A signature can 

be validated. Or a photo 

can be used for a facial 

More on page 40

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imaging linear accelerators, we are your source solution. 

To learn more about Varex Imaging and our products, visit 

www.vareximaging.com.

IC Realtime develops silent, rapidly-deployable 

aerial surveillance solution 

Called PLAS (Persistent Low Altitude 

Surveillance), the package is 

comprised of a flight deck, imaging 

unit and tactical grade balloon system 

capable of reaching an altitude 

of 455-feet. Ideal applications include 

border protection; emergency management 

and security, public safety 

and intrusion defense at large-scale 

special events. 

POMPANO BEACH, FL – April 4, 

2017 – IC Realtime has developed a 

silent, rapidly-deployable aerial surveillance 

solution that provides law 

enforcement, border patrol and special 

event personnel the ability to remotely 

monitor events taking place 

in large areas. 

Called PLAS (Persistent Low Altitude 

Surveillance), the solution is 

comprised of a flight deck and imaging 

unit attached to a tactical-grade 

balloon that is released into the air 

by security personnel on the ground 

via a carbon fiber power tether / 

mini CAT6 cable. PLAS may also 

be battery-operated. 

PLAS can be used stationary or 

attached to personnel or vehicles to 

move about areas of interest. Because 

the system requires no propulsion, 

its silent operation makes 

it advantageous for drone hunting/ 

deterring operations. While normally 

flown at 250-feet, it may be 

deployed as high as 455-feet. 

The PLAS flight deck is a 6- x 3- 

x 3-inch carbon fiber housing that 

contains all command, control, and 

communications equipment (i.e. the 

brains for the system), as well as onboard 

microphones for drone detection. 

These integrated components 

provide encrypted communications 

to either fixed or mobile command 

10 

center(s) as well as authorized mobile 

users. Total weight of the flight 

deck including an imaging unit is 5 

pounds. 

PLAS is compatible with any of IC 

Realtime’s video, thermal imaging 

and infrared cameras. Air sampling 

sensors such as CBRNE (chemical, 

biological, radiological and nuclear 

defense) can also be deployed 

through the PLAS on-board network 

connection. At present PLAS 

is delivered with an IC Realtime 

I-Sniper nighttime camera (.0 lux 

light handling capability). 

Communications are sent by 

point-to-multipoint 5.8 GHz or 

public safety frequencies. Transmission 

is sent via IP connectivity 

(as opposed to traditional remote 

control) which makes it possible 

for one operator to control multiple 

PLAS systems at once (for example 

a wide variety of control commands, 

or pan, tilt, and zoom of cameras, 

etc.). This makes the PLAS system 

unlike other aerial platforms. 

The PLAS balloon system is both 

industrial- and tactical-grade. Designed 

by Altametry Aerostatic 

Engineering located in Miami, FL, 

it is comprised of an inner bladder

and outer balloon that has a 6-foot 

circumference. Depending on the 

mission, the balloon is filled with 

either hydrogen or helium. 

Ideal applications for PLAS include 

border protection; emergency 

management / natural disasters and 

security, public safety, and intrusion 

defense at large-scale special events. 

PLAS was recently flown at the 

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens; 

the Homestead Motor Speedway 

Sprint Cup; the Fort 

Lauderdale international 

Boat Show; the Daytona 

500 race and ULTRA Festival 

in South Beach, FL. 

At the 2017 ISC West 

tradeshow, PLAS will be 

demonstrated live from 

above IC Realtime’s exhibit 

booth (#16059). 

Parties interested in 

PLAS can contact IC Realtime 

Government Practice 

and Law Enforcement 

Division Director Robert 

Mitchell at robertmitchell@icrealtime.com 

or 

631.455.2001. 

About IC Realtime 

Established in 2006, IC 

Realtime is an Americanowned 

and operated digital 

surveillance and technology 

product innovator and 

manufacturer that serves 

many facets of the government, military, 

commercial and residential 

channels. The company’s mission 

statement is to innovate, deliver and 

support global video technology. 

IC Realtime’s technological breakthroughs 

include pioneering the 

introduction of the Cloud Video 

Recorder and most recently the 

ground-breaking IC720 360° x 360° 

situational awareness video surveillance 

camera. The company is also 

11 

a strong supporter of the UL2802 

performance testing standard for 

camera image quality. 

In the 2012 - 2016 CEPro Magazine 

CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis, IC 

Realtime ranked as #1 IP camera / 

surveillance brand. IC Realtime is 

part of parent / holding company IC 

Real Tech, formed in 2014. www. 

icrealtime.com, www.twitter.com/ 

icrealtime, www.facebook.com/increaltimeus 


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North Korea used binary form of “VX”, 

“VX2” in assassination of Kim Jong-nam 

by George Lane, 

Director Chemical Security 

Using “VX2”, the binary 

form of “VX”, an extremely 

toxic nerve agent, in an international 

airport in the 

heart of Asia, North Korea 

sent a very clear message to 

the world that it will find and strike 

its enemies anywhere in the world. 

Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, 

was in Malaysia assassinated with 

“VX” found on his face on February 

11. 

Kim was able to walk home, but 

about half an hour later realized 

everything seemed to be dark, an 

effect of nerve agents causing his 

pupils to shrink. He started feeling 

hot and, sweating, and took off his 

clothes. He had a seizure and died 

on the way to hospital. The “V” in 

“VX” stands for “venom”, a tribute 

to its high potency and a characteristic 

ability to penetrate the skin. 

The two components of “VX2” 

were applied separately and in sequence 

by two women at the airport. 

Police arrested a Vietnamese and an 

Indonesian woman suspected of 

smearing the chemicals 

on Kim’s face. Authorities 

reported that one of 

the women suspected of 

applying the nerve agent 

experienced some physical 

symptoms of “VX” 

poisoning. 

The Indonesian woman 

said she was paid $90 to apply 

a baby oil-like liquid to his face in 

what she believed was a “prank” as 

part of a reality show. While both 

said they were duped into the attack, 

Malaysian police say she and the 

other female suspect, a Vietnamese 

12 

woman who also is in custody, knew 

what they were doing because they 

were caught washing their hands 

immediately after the attack. 

In Malaysia’s underworld, these 

two “good time girls” admitted they 

had worked in massage parlors and 

made themselves easy targets for 

North Korean agents looking for 

women who could assume harmless 

identities for the deadly roles for 

which they were needed. 

Because “VX” 

fumes would 

have killed the 

suspected at- 

Image from a CCTV footage of one of the woman at 

Image from a CCTV footage appears to show (circled in red) a man purported to be Kim Jong Nam 

being accosted by a woman in a white shirt at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. 

Image from a CCTV footage appears to show (circled in red) a man purported to be Kim Jong

tackers 

tackers even if they had been wearing 

gloves, this indicates that “VX2” 

was applied as a binary weapon 

with two non-fatal components that 

would produce “VX” only on the 

victim’s face. 

North Korea wanted the West to 

know what it is capable of, but without 

causing mass casualties. They 

wanted everyone, especially the 

U.S., to know they used “VX”. Doing 

it publicly but not killing anyone 

else is a very visual way to reveal 

that capability and deterrent. 

Kim’s assassination is an insult to 

China, which had protected him for 

years by allowing him to live in the 

Chinese territory of Macau. This is 

clearly an embarrassment for the 

Chinese state security and to a lesser 

extent to the Malaysian government. 

Kim’s assassination has frayed 

relations between North Korea and 

Malaysia, which this week recalled 

its ambassador from Pyongyang. 

After North Korea’s ballistic missile 

launch and the assassination of 

Kim Jong Nam, China, announced 

it would ban all coal imports from 

North Korea, and according to CBS 

News was preparing for “regime collapse” 

in North Korea, and according 

to a defense official would “take 

the necessary measures to safeguard 

national security in the event of the 

collapse of the neighboring North Korean 

regime”. 

The economic impact of suspending 

coal imports would be severe 

and may force Pyongyang to the 

negotiating table. China imported 

about $1.89 billion of coal from 

North Korea last year, a significant 

proportion of the $2.5 billion in total 

Chinese imports from North Korea 

that year. 

Binary nerve agents 

In the 1950s, the U.S. Army began 

to develop “binary” nerve agent 

weapons to provide increased safety 

during storage and handling. 

In “unitary” agents, the chemicals 

were produced together. Because 

the nerve agents are highly toxic, 

storage, handling, and deployment 

13 

need to be performed with extreme 

caution. Unitary weapons therefore 

pose a risk to people who work 

with the chemicals. Binary weapon 

development began in the 1960s. 

Binary weapons involve non-toxic 

precursors that can be loaded in 

munitions. Once deployed, the precursors 

mix and produce the nerve 

agent. 

“VX and VX2” 

“VX2” is the name for “VX” formed 

in binary reactions. “VX2”, binary 

“VX”, is formed by the reaction of 

an organophosphate compound 

with Sulfur. The chemicals used to 

produce the binary nerve agents

are not chemical agents; however, 

“VX” is an extremely toxic organophosphate, 

a tasteless and odorless 

liquid with an amber-like color that 

severely disrupts the body’s nervous 

system. Ten milligrams (0.00035 oz) 

is fatal through skin contact. “VX” is 

far more potent than Sarin, another 

well-known nerve agent toxin, but 

works in a similar way. 

With its high viscosity and low 

volatility, “VX” has the texture of 

motor oil and can take days or even 

weeks to evaporate. This makes 

it especially dangerous, providing 

an extended persistence in the 

environment. It is odorless and 

tasteless, and can be distributed as 

a liquid, either pure or as a mixture. 

Also because of its density 

and vapor pressure as motor oil 

“VX” is not actually a “nerve gas”, 

used to describe Sarin. 

However, Sarin itself is a liquid 

pesticide and also has high vapor 

pressure, so it is not an effective 

“nerve gas” by itself. Initially investigators 

believe the Sarin used in the 

attacks in the 1995 attacks on Tokyo 

subways was contaminated with 

industrial chemicals. Subsequent 

analyses of the Sarin revealed the 

presence of a single common industrial 

chemical, added to the Sarin as 

a binary weapon to reduce the vapor 

pressure of the mixture, making 

more Sarin evaporate into vapor 

phase, making Sarin more effective. 

“VX” is an “acetyl cholinesterase 

inhibitor”, blocking the function of 

the enzyme “acetyl cholinesterase”. 

Normally, when a motor neuron 

is stimulated, it releases the neurotransmitter 

Acetylcholine into 

the space between the neuron and 

an adjacent muscle cell. When this 

Acetylcholine is taken up by the 

muscle cell, it stimulates muscle 

contraction (attached). 

To avoid a state of constant muscle 

contraction, the Acetylcholine is 

then broken down to non-reactive 

substances, Acetic acid and Choline, 

by the enzyme acetyl cholinesterase. 

“VX” blocks the action of 

Acetyl cholinesterase, resulting in 

an accumulation of Acetylcholine in 

the space between the neuron and 

muscle cell, leading to uncontrolled 

muscle contraction. This results in 

initial violent contractions. Sustained 

paralysis of the diaphragm 

muscle causes death by asphyxiation. 

14 

“VX” is the most toxic nerve agent 

ever synthesized for which activity 

has been independently confirmed. 

The median lethal dose (LD50) for 

humans is estimated to be about 10 

mg (0.00035 oz) through skin contact 

and for inhalation is estimated 

to be 30–50 mg·min/m3. 

Chemists Ranajit Ghosh developed 

the VX at the British firm Imperial 

Chemical Industries (ICI) in 

1952. The discovery occurred when 

the chemist was investigating a class 

of organophosphate compounds. 

Like Gerhard Schrader, who developed 

Sarin for I.G. Farben in 

Germany in 1932 as a pesticide, 

Ghosh found that “VX” was also 

an effective pesticide. 

In 1954, ICI put “VX” on the 

market under the trade name 

“Amiton”; however, it was withdrawn 

when it was found too 

toxic for use. Further commercial 

research on similar compounds 

ceased in 1955 when its lethality to 

humans was discovered. The toxicity 

did not go unnoticed, and samples 

of “VX” were sent to the British 

Armed Forces for evaluation. After 

the evaluation was complete, several 

members of this class of compounds 

became a new group of nerve agents, 

the “V agents”. The U.S. produced 

large amounts of “VX” in 1961. The 

name is a contraction of the words 

“venomous agent X”.

Making microgrids work: send in 

the Marines? 

By J. Michael Barrett, 

Center for Homeland 

Security and Resilience 

For several decades now 

electrical power experts 

have been making increasingly 

vocal statements 

about the utility and significant 

potential advantages of embracing 

localized power generation and distribution 

using microgrids, which 

are essentially miniaturized, selfcontained 

power grids serving a 

discrete set of users. 

Crucially, microgrids are small 

enough to offer a more manageable 

model for ensuring a stable 

and more resilient system, and they 

can also make the most of emergent 

technologies and the latest advances 

in distributed generation sources 

(such as solar, wind, etc.) while also 

spreading costs and sharing assets 

on a manageable scale. 

This means they could play a major 

role in the advent of the so-called 

smart grid as well as help to address 

a raft of growing cyber security 

threats against existing critical infrastructure. 

But while the technology 

is proven and workable business 

cases can be made, 

there nonetheless seems to 

be something holding back 

the concept from truly taking 

root. Is it time to send 

in the Marines? 

Ok, so not the Marines 

per se, but rather of the 

military more broadly, specifically 

by harnessing the Department of 

Defense’s operational necessity for 

energy surety and its enormous 

buying power? In other words, even 

though military, commercial, civic, 

scientific, industrial and other communities 

interested in the great potential 

of microgrids need to assess 

the practical, real-world benefits 

and associated costs and trade-offs 

involved in a smart, modern and resilient 

microgrid project, someone 

has to take the first step and help 

develop the market. 

Could the military lead the way by 

showing how cooperation, financing, 

planning and shared responsibility 

with the local community can 

be leveraged to strengthen the power 

grid for communities where vital 

national security functions overlap 

with civilian communities? 

If the resistance to microgrid 

15 

adoption is related mostly to the 

difficulty of overcoming marketplace 

inertia, is there a way that embracing 

the energy surety aspects 

of microgrids could make the Department 

of Defense more resilient 

against power supply disruptions 

while also harnessing the power of 

Public-Private Partnerships to help 

foster the nascent microgrid industry? 

This would serve a clear national 

security imperative as well as 

support economic growth in the important 

arena of tailored microgrids 

serving specific end-users. 

In practical terms, microgrids are 

best suited for locations servicing 

a discrete user base with relatively 

high energy needs and a recognized 

emphasis on energy surety. This includes 

users such as military bases, 

air and sea ports, manufacturing industrial 

parks, and research universities. 

For example, consider the following 

hypothetical set of end-users 

prevalent at multiple large military 

installations: 

• A military installation needing 

a high degree of energy security 

and resilience, but which also has 

available lands for locating solar 

arrays;

• A technology research park that 

requires unusually precise voltage 

and amperage control for use 

in sensitive research systems; and 

• A large-scale computer server 

farm in need of energy security 

and resilience while able to harness 

significant amounts of the 

heat created during the power 

generation process to drive 

always-on steam-powered air 

conditioning units, thereby significantly 

increasing overall efficiency 

of the microgrid system. 

At Fort Carson, Colo., the Army partnered with a local energy provider to build a photovoltaic solar 

array on top of a closed landfill. The White Sands Missile Range project in New Mexico, awarded 

last December, will provide the Army with 4.44-megawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity saving 

10 million kilowatt hours of electricity and $930,000 annually. When finished, the White Sands 

project will be the largest renewable energy projectin the Army, more than double the size of this 

two-megawatt array at Fort Carson (Photo: U.S. Army) 

16 

By sharing resources and harnessing 

shared assets as well as the 

shared need for efficient, stable and 

reliable energy in that specific location, 

a microgrid developed as a 

public-private partnership might 

yield great advantages at reasonable 

cost, while also helping to get the 

market past the ‘tipping point’ beyond 

which the microgrid market 

can finally emerge and service the 

growing need for electrical power 

that is more specifically tailored 

to the needs and desires of various 

end-users. 

As with any complex undertaking 

there will be many parties ultimately 

required to achieve successful 

outcomes. For example, the 

Department of Energy will need to 

continue to support research projects 

and advanced design studies 

on microgrids around the country, 

including through its Grid Modernization 

Initiative. And the private 

sector as well as an engaged citizenry 

are obvious and essential elements 

of any effective public-private 

partnership effort. 

But what is most essential at this 

stage seems to be an entity with the 

motivation to make the market potential 

into reality. Given its relative 

size as a potential market driver this 

important role could and should be 

played by the US military. Indeed, 

the DoD uniquely fits the bill, for it 

is both a major consumer of energy 

and has many specific installations 

and functions with a compelling operational 

need to ensure resilient access 

to electrical power. 

Microgrids will play an important 

role in the future of U.S. and global 

electrical power systems. And, as it 

turns out, the DoD is already the 

de facto market leader. As recently 

observed by industry insider John 

Carroll, “The military is the technology 

leader. Every utility is looking at 

the Department of Defense for how 

they are deploying microgrids.” 

The next practical step is for the 

military to shift from ‘market leader’ 

More on page 41

Aerojet Rocketdyne supports ULA launch of Wideband 

Global SATCOM spacecraft for the U.S. Military 

SACRAMENTO, CA, March 18, 

2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – 

Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc., a subsidiary 

of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, 

Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), played a 

major role in successfully launching 

and placing the ninth Wideband 

Global SATCOM (WGS-9) spacecraft 

into orbit for the U.S. military. 

The mission was launched from 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

in Florida aboard a United 

Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta 

IV rocket. Aerojet Rocketdyne 

propulsion systems included 

the RS-68A booster engine, the 

RL10B-2 upper-stage engine, 14 

helium pressurization tanks, and 

a 100 lbf bipropellant apogeeraising 

engine aboard the WGS- 

9 spacecraft. 

“The WGS satellites provide critical 

communication capabilities for 

our nation’s warfighters,” said Aerojet 

Rocketdyne CEO and President 

Eileen Drake. “We are honored that 

our propulsion systems are called 

upon to place these critical payloads 

into orbit – payloads that will help 

protect our nation and allied forces.” 

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s role in the 

launch began when a single RS-68A 

engine ignited to boost the Delta 

IV off the pad, providing 702,000 

pounds of lift-off thrust. The RS- 

68A is the world’s most powerful 

liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine. 

The RS-68 family of engines 

has now flown 35 commercial and 

government missions with 100 percent 

mission success. 

17 

After the upper stage separated 

from the launch vehicle, a single 

RL10B-2 upper-stage engine ignited 

to place the payload into orbit. The 

RL10B-2 delivers 24,750 pounds of 

thrust to power the Delta IV upper 

stage, using cryogenic liquid hydrogen 

and liquid oxygen propellants. 

The RL10B-2 was developed from 

the RL10 family of upper-stage engines, 

which has accumulated one 

of the most impressive track records 

of accomplishments in the 

history of space propulsion. More 

than 475 RL10 engines have supported 

launches over the last 50 

years, playing a vital role in placing 

military, government and commercial 

satellites into orbit, and powering 

scientific space probes on every 

interplanetary mission in our solar 

system. ARDÉ, a subsidiary of 

Aerojet Rocketdyne based in 

New Jersey, manufactures the 

pressure vessels on the first and 

second stages of the launch vehicle. 

Once separated from the 

launch vehicle, WGS-9 will perform 

multiple burns on Aerojet 

Rocketdyne’s High Performance 

Apogee Thruster (HiPAT) rocket 

engine to complete the orbit raising 

from Geosynchronous Transfer 

Orbit to its final geosynchronous 

orbital position. The HiPAT rocket 

engine has a 100 percent mission 

success track record spanning over 

115 missions, including all WGS 

spacecraft. 

The Boeing-built WGS satellites 

provide increased military communications 

capabilities for U.S. and 

More on page 41

Bipartisan bill supports Department of Defense 


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman 

Jim Langevin (D-RI), joined 

by Representatives John Ratcliffe 

(R-TX), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Ted 

W. Lieu (D-CA), Rick Allen (R- 

GA), and Hank Johnson (D-GA), 

today introduced the Department 

of Defense (DOD) Cyber Scholarship 

Program Act of 2017, legislation that 

would improve the cybersecurity 

workforce pipeline by reinvigorating 

and improving an existing DOD 

scholarship program for students 

pursuing degrees in cybersecurity 

fields. The bill is the House companion 

to S. 592, introduced by Senators 

Tim Kaine (D-VA), David Perdue 

(R-GA), and Mike Rounds (R-SD). 

“The Information Assurance 

Scholarship Program (IASP) has 

boosted the nation’s cyber forces 

through scholarships and grant opportunities 

at colleges and universities 

across the country, and has 

strengthened the Department of 

Defense as a result,” said Langevin, 

the co-founder and co-chair of the 

Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, 

who is also a senior member 

of the House Armed Services and 

Homeland Security Committees. 

“I have been a longtime supporter 

of these types of initiatives 

across the whole of 

government, and it is imperative 

we reinvigorate 

this program, which has 

done so much good for 

our superiority in cyberspace.” 

The DOD Cyber 

Scholarship Program 

Act would rename the 

IASP as the DOD Cyber 

Scholarship Program, expand 

scholarships to students pursuing 

Associate’s Degrees, and authorize 

the scholarship program to receive 

$10 million in Fiscal Year 2018. Due 

to budget constraints, IASP stopped 

recruiting new students in 2013, 

starving the Department of needed 

cyber talent and increasing the difficulty 

of recruiting skilled professionals 

into government positions. 

“America needs the best and 

brightest to tackle the cybersecurity 

challenges we’re confronted 

with each day. Step one is making 

cybersecurity service to the nation 

more attractive. This bill increases 

educational opportunities for those 

who can help bolster United States’ 

own cyber workforce, which will 

18 

Congressman 

Jim Langevin 

strengthen our ability to 

face growing cybersecurity 

challenges both now 

and moving forward,” 

said Ratcliffe. 

“The strength of our 

national security is dependent 

on the investments 

we put into it. 

With the rapid advances 

we’ve seen in cyberwarfare, 

having a trained 

and prepared workforce is essential 

to protecting the homeland,” said 

Aguilar. 

“I am pleased to co-lead the bipartisan 

DOD Cyber Scholarship 

Program Act to provide $10 million 

in scholarship funds to aspiring cybersecurity 

students. As a Computer 

Science major myself, I am well 

aware of the threats facing our nation 

in the cybersecurity area. The 

DOD needs to have the best and 

brightest cybersecurity professionals 

with eager minds ready to put 

their education to work securing the 

nation’s military weapons systems 

and communication networks,” said 

Lieu. 

More on page 41

Border Security and Immigration 

Trump scapegoats immigrants with creation 

of “Office of Victims of Immigration and Crime 

Engagement” 

President Trump stated that he has 

“ordered the Department of Homeland 

Security to create an office to 

serve American victims during his 

Joint Address to congress. The office 

is called VOICE – Victims of Immigration 

Crime Engagement. Any 

victim of crime deserves acknowledgement 

and sympathy, and crime 

is an issue that must be taken seriously. 

However, the emphasis on victims 

of immigrant crimes is problematic. 

It only serves to scapegoat and demonize 

immigrants even though 

the data clearly shows that immigrants, 

including unauthorized immigrants, 

are less likely than nativeborn 

Americans to commit crimes. 

The creation of this office had been 

included in the interior enforcement 

Executive Order that was signed in 

January, and in the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) memo 

implementing the Executive Order. 

According to the memo, this office 

is to be a “programmatic liaison between 

ICE and the known victims 

of crime committed by removable 

aliens,” and will ensure 

that victims are 

provided information 

about the offender 

such as immigration 

status and 

custody status. In 

addition to creating 

the VOICE office, 

the administration 

has ordered monthly public reports 

on immigrants who have committed 

crimes and any local jurisdictions 

that release them from custody. 

VOICE raises many concerns: 

1. Efforts like VOICE may create 

a climate of discrimination, suspicion, 

and hatred against all immigrants, 

and will embolden antiimmigrant 

groups. 

“It will lead to more harassment, 

more hate crimes, more bullying, 

and more discrimination against 

anybody who looks like he may be 

an immigrant,” stated Frank Sharry 

of America’s Voice. 

The last year has seen an increase 

in hate groups, according to the 

19 

Photo: Elvert Barne 

Southern Poverty Law Center, and 

very recently several likely hate 

crimes have made headlines. In 

February an Indian immigrant was 

killed by an American man who 

thought he was of Middle Eastern 

descent and told him to “get out of 

my country.” Even more recently, a 

Sikh man was shot in Washington 

state after being told “Go back to 

your own country.” 

2. The money going to VOICE 

could be better spent to help victims. 

In response to the President’s announcement, 

the National Center 

for the Victims of Crime said that 

More on page 26


This immigration enforcement program has a troubled 

history, and Trump wants to restart it 

By Michele Waslin 

20 

Photo: cisci1970 

Buried inside the interior enforcement 

Executive Order issued by 

President Trump in January are the 

Administration’s plans to revive the 

287(g) program. This is concerning 

because the program has experienced 

intense criticism over the 

years, and efforts to ramp up this 

program should be viewed with extreme 

caution and skepticism. 

The 287(g) program, named for 

the section of the law that authorizes 

it, allows the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) to enter 

into formal collaborations with state 

and local law enforcement agencies 

to deputize officers to enforce federal 

immigration laws. 

While created in 1996, the first 

collaboration was not formalized 

until 2002 when the state of Florida 

became the first 287(g) jurisdiction. 

Several localities considered 

the program before then, but did 

not follow through after community 

groups expressed concerns about 

the impact of local enforcement of 

federal immigration laws. The Bush 

Administration encouraged participation 

in the 287(g) program as 

part of its post-9/11 immigration 

enforcement strategy. It was touted 

as a “force multiplier” that allowed 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

(ICE) to expand its reach with 

the help of other law enforcement 

agencies. The program grew quickly 

and hit its height in mid-2000s with 

more than 70 signed Memorandums 

of Agreements. 

However, there were serious criticisms 

of the 287(g) program, including 

the high cost to localities. 

The federal government does not 

cover the cost of salaries, overtime, 

or other costs associated with the 

287(g) program and studies have 

found that localities have spent millions 

of local dollars to implement 

it. 

In fact, in February 2017, Sheriff 

Ed Gonzalez announced that Harris 

County, Texas would terminate its 

287(g) agreement. Gonzalez noted 

that the decision was about resource 

allocation and that he would put the 

$675,000 spent by the county on the 

287 (g) program toward improving 

clearance rates of major crimes and 

other priorities. 

There have also been questions 

about how effective it is in targeting 

serious threats to public safety. 

An extensive study by the Migration 

Policy Institute (MPI) found that 

the 287(g) program did not target 

More on page 26

Trump’s immigration remarks at Joint Session 

of Congress once again packed with inaccurate 

statements and false blaming of immigrants 

This week, President Trump gave 

an address to a joint session of 

Congress where he continued his 

divisive, inaccurate rhetoric on immigration. 

Some analysts have said 

Trump moderated his tone in this 

speech, but in reality Trump isn’t 

shifting from his hard-line immigration 

policies. In his speech, he 

continued to falsely blaming immigrants 

for the underlying cause for 

many issues our country faces. 

Below are five statements from 

President Trump’s Joint Address 

that need to be corrected and explained. 

1. Trump claimed that we’ve left 

“our own borders wide open for 

anyone to cross.” 

This is categorically false Since 

the last major overhaul of the U.S. 

immigration system in 1986, the 

federal government has spent an 

estimated $263 billion on immigration 

and border enforcement. Currently, 

the number of border and interior 

enforcement personnel stands 

at more than 49,000. The number 

of U.S. Border Patrol agents nearly 

doubled from Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 

to FY 2016 with Border Patrol now 

required to have a record 21,370 

agents. Additionally, the number of 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

(ICE) agents devoted to its office 

of Enforcement and Removal 

Operations (ERO) nearly tripled 

from FY 2003 to FY 2016. 

2. Trump said that immigrants 

aren’t contributing to our economy 

and instead are “costing the 

country billions.” 

Once again, Trump is incorrect. 

The study Trump cited and misconstrued 

was conducted by the National 

Academies of Sciences (NAS), 

Engineering, and Medicine. The 

same report flatly states found that 

immigrants have “little to no negative 

effects on the overall wages or 

21 

Photo: C-SPAN 

employment of native-born workers 

in the long term.” The NAS study 

also finds that immigrant workers 

expand the size of the U.S. economy 

by an estimated 11 percent annually, 

which translates out to $2 trillion in 

2016. Further, the children of immigrants 

were found to be the largest 

net fiscal contributors among any 

group, native or foreign-born, creating 

significant economic benefits 

for every American. 

3. Trump said that the government 

is “removing gang members, drug 

dealers and criminals that threaten 

our communities and prey on 

our citizens.” 

Despite the rhetoric, Trump has 

complicated immigration enforcement 

by making virtually all of the 

undocumented population a priority. 

The new administration is ignoring 

priorities that were put into 

place by the Obama Administration 

as a way to manage limited law enforcement 

resources and prioritize 

those who pose a threat to public 

safety and national security. The 

More on page 27


Second “Muslim Ban” meets 

renewed litigation 

By Mary Kenney 

In the week following President 

Trump’s issuance of a second travel 

ban targeting six Muslim-majority 

countries, several states and a number 

of immigrant rights groups immediately 

returned to federal courts 

throughout the country to urge that 

this ban, like the first, be enjoined. 

Trump’s initial Muslim travel ban, 

an Executive Order issued on January 

27, targeted Iran, Iraq, Libya, 

Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. 

On February 2, a Seattle district 

court judge enjoined this order 

nationally in the case Washington 

v. Trump. Deriding this decision, 

Trump immediately asked the Ninth 

Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the 

injunction, a request which the appeals 

court rejected. 

For weeks after this, Trump and 

his close advisors indicated that a 

second Executive Order would be 

issued soon. They made clear that 

this second Order would “maintain 

the same basic policy outcome as 

the first.” True to their word, this is 

precisely what it attempts to do. In 

particular, the second travel ban, 

which is scheduled to take effect on 

March 16, retains two key aspects 

of the earlier one. First, it reinstates 

a 90-day ban on issuance of visas 

to nationals of six of the originally 

targeted countries, thus barring 

their entry into the United States. 

Iraq is the only country taken off the 

original list. Moreover, because it includes 

a complex, multi-step process 

for determining whether each of the 

targeted countries satisfies certain 

as-yet undetermined “informationsharing” 

capabilities, the 90 days 

almost certainly will be extended 

for an indefinite period for most if 

not all six countries. Second, it also 

reinstates the 120-day suspension 

on refugee processing contained in 

the first Order, eliminating only the 

earlier, indefinite ban on processing 

Syrian refugees. 

Significantly, both a ban on visa 

issuance and a suspension of refugee 

processing were included in the 

first Order and were enjoined by 

the Seattle district court. The proper 

method for seeking a modification 

of an injunction is to either request 

a reconsideration from the court 

that issued the injunction—which 

Trump tried and lost—or to appeal 

the injunction to the court of 

appeals. Within days of issuing the 

second Executive Order, Trump 

dismissed his pending Ninth Circuit 

appeal of the injunction, thus closing 

this second proper avenue for 

review. As the States of Washington 

22 

Photo: Geoff Livingston 

and Minnesota argue in response to 

the second Order in Washington v. 

Trump, the federal government is attempting 

to evade the injunction by 

improperly repackaging previously 

enjoined conduct as a new Executive 

Order. 

Other lawsuits also have renewed 

their challenges to the travel bans 

in response to the second Executive 

Order. Hawaii was the first, followed 

soon after by the American Immigration 

Council, which on Friday 

filed an amended complaint, a new 

request for injunctive relief, and a 

new motion class certification in Ali 

v. Trump. The plaintiffs in these and 

the other cases updated this past 

week make a strong showing that 

the second order continues the unlawful 

discrimination against Muslims 

contained in the first Order, 

and must be rejected on this basis.

These changes may keep Asylum seekers 

from getting their day in court 

By Katie Shepherd 

Effective February 27, 2017, new 

changes to the asylum screening 

process could lead to an increased 

number of deportations of asylumseekers 

who fear persecution upon 

return to their home country. 

On February 13, 2017, U.S. Citizenship 

and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) revised its Asylum Division 

Officer Training Course (ADOTC) 

lesson plans on how to assess an 

asylum seeker’s credible and reasonable 

fear of persecution or torture. 

The lesson plans were revised to be 

consistent with the January 25, 2017 

Executive Order on border security 

and immigration enforcement and 

provide guidelines to the asylum officers 

when conducting credible fear 

interviews (for those at the border 

or port of entry who were never previously 

deported) and reasonable 

fear interviews (for those who were 

previously order deported but who 

later seek asylum). 

The changes to the lesson plans are 

significant and may cause the denial 

rate to skyrocket, in which case 

thousands of asylum seekers would 

be wrongfully denied a meaningful 

day in court . Not only does the new 

guidance provide asylum officers 

with greater discretion to deny an 

applicant for reasons which may be 

out of the applicant’s control, but the 

applicant will essentially be forced 

to undergo a full asylum hearing 

with none of the safeguards in place 

to ensure a meaningful opportunity 

to present a claim for relief. 

Before the changes, recent arrivals 

to the U.S. subject to expedited 

removal were forced to undergo a 

fear screening just days after traversing 

hundreds of miles, sometimes 

by foot. Some were separated 

from loved ones at the border and 

processed by U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection 

(CBP) in a 

language they 

did not understand; 

many 

were detained 

for long hours 

or days in a 

cold, sterile 

facility, and, 

when the time 

came for their 

23 

fear interview with an Asylum Officer, 

they often had great difficulty 

articulating their story due to medical 

problems, psychological trauma, 

competency issues, or having their 

children with them listening in. In 

short, the odds were already stacked 

against them. The revised lesson 

plans create additional potential 

hurdles to those seeking humanitarian 

relief. Only time will tell if the 

revisions will lead to higher rates of 

deportation of asylum seekers with 

strong claims for relief. 

Now, under the new instructions, 

applicants in the credible and reasonable 

fear interview processes are 

required to meet a higher standard 

More on page 28


Homeland Security unions testify in support of more 

staff but not a border “wall” 

By Joshua Breisblatt 

As part of the President’s immigration 

executive order on Border Security 

and Immigration Enforcement 

Improvements the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) was directed 

to hire 5,000 additional 

border patrol agents and 10,000 

additional Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE) officers. 

With record numbers of ICE officers 

and Border Patrol agents 

already in place, it is unclear how 

or why this additional hiring is 

needed. This week, the Senate 

Homeland Security and Government 

Affairs Committee held a 

hearing to discuss these additions 

with DHS union representatives. 

First, Brandon Judd, President of 

the National Border Patrol Council 

which endorsed the President, 

parted ways with him when he said, 

“We do not need a wall along the 

entire 2,000 miles of border.” In an 

interview after the 2016 election he 

went on to say, “If I were to quantify 

an actual number, I would say that 

we need about 30 percent. Thirty 

percent of our border has to have an 

Chris Crane, head of the National Immigration 

and Customs Enforcement Council 

actual fence [or] wall.” However according 

to the most recent information 

from DHS, there is already 650 

miles of fencing which makes up 

more than 30 percent of the 2,000 

mile border. 

With respect to staffing, Judd discussed 

how additions are needed 

but that the agency faces hiring and 

funding challenges. Border Patrol is 

required to have 21,370 agents however 

they currently are at 19,627, 

over 1,700 agents below the required 

levels. Border Patrol has had significant 

issues with hiring, low morale 

and high attrition rates, making it 

hard to increase staff quickly even 

24 

if additional funds from Congress 

materialize. Yet Judd suggested in 

the hearing that pay needs to be increased 

and the current polygraph 

requirement need to not be so stringent 

because two-thirds of applicants 

fail the test. 

However, after Border Patrol 

staffing doubled in the early 2000s, 

which has led to it being considered 

“America’s most out-ofcontrol 

law enforcement agency,” 

Congress passed the “Anti-Border 

Corruption Act” in 2010 mandating 

polygraph exams for border 

patrol agents. Former head of CBP 

Internal affairs, James Tomsheck 

has noted that changing the polygraph 

requirement will create new 

corruption issues. 

Antony Reardon, the President 

of the National Treasury Employees 

Union, which represents over 25,000 

Customs and Border Protection officers 

stationed at the nation’s air, 

land and seaports of entry also testified. 

He stated that even though the 

Administration has not asked for it, 

CBP officers at ports of entry have 

1,400 open positions and need 2,100 

More on page 28

America’s treatment of asylum seekers 

reviewed by regional human rights body 

By Karolina Walters 

The Inter-American Commission 

on Human Rights (IACHR) 

heard testimony today about 

policies that prevent access to 

the U.S. asylum process for those 

fleeing grave danger in their 

home countries. 

U.S. law guarantees the right 

to seek asylum to all who flee persecution 

and arrive at our border 

looking for protection. And yet, the 

testimony heard in Washington, 

D.C. today demonstrated that U.S. 

officials regularly deny individuals 

this right. Notably, no one from the 

U.S. government attended to refute 

the claims. 

The hearing opened with testimony 

highlighting the barriers put 

in place during asylum seekers’ 

initial encounters with Customs 

and Border Protection (CBP) officers 

at ports of entry. The practice 

of turning away asylum seekers has 

become all too common and was 

recently brought to the attention of 

the U.S. government in a complaint. 

Despite the evidence presented and 

media coverage, this practice seems 

to be on the rise. According to one 

asylum seeker recently turned away 

by CBP, whose declaration was read 

at the hearing: 

“I told [the CBP official] that I 

wasn’t from here, that I was from 

Honduras, and that I wanted asylum. 

He told me that there was no 

longer asylum for Hondurans. . . . I 

pled with him for help and told him 

that I couldn’t return to Honduras. 

I started to explain why I couldn’t 

return and what I was fleeing from 

but he interrupted me and said that 

everyone comes with the same story, 

that he couldn’t help me . . .” 

In addition, Nicole Ramos of Al 

Otro Lado described her experiences 

witnessing CBP officers attempting 

to turn away and deny access to 

the asylum process to sixty-eight 

25 

asylum seekers she escorted to 

the San Ysidro port of entry in 

Tijuana, Mexico, over a fifteenmonth 

period. Daniella Burgi- 

Palomino of the Latin American 

Working Group testified about 

the extreme violence and impunity 

in Mexico’s northern border 

region, which awaits asylum 

seekers turned away at ports of 

entry, subjecting them to further 

danger. 

The hearing also covered the horrible 

conditions and deplorable 

treatment of asylum seekers in CBP 

detention facilities, and the negative 

effects of detaining asylum seekers 

while their claims are pending. Joanna 

Williams of the Kino Border 

Initiative described her organization’s 

work with detained asylum 

seekers in Arizona and noted that 

CBP officials “willfully ignore and 

discourage” asylum applications. 

Theodora Simon of the Hope Border 

Institute explained that the systematic, 

prolonged detention of asylum 

seekers ultimately leads some 

to withdraw their applications. 

At the end of the hearing, Com- 

More on page 29


Trump scapegoats immigrants 

with “Office of Victims of Immigration 

and Crime Engagement” 

Continued from page 19 

VOICE is a “poor use of scarce resources 

for crime victims and may 

actually block victims from exercising 

their rights.” They rightly point 

out that Trump has promised severe 

funding cuts to existing offices 

within the Department of Justice 

(DOJ) – like the Office for Victims 

of Crime and the Office on Violence 

Against Women – with proven records 

of helping victims. 

3. This administration’s policies 

interfere with the ability of local 

police to fight crime. 

Trump has threated to take DOJ 

funding away from law enforcement 

agencies that have “sanctuary” policies 

intended to allow immigrant 

victims to come forward and report 

crimes without fear of deportation. 

Police authorities have stated that 

enforcing immigration laws makes 

it harder for them to maintain good 

community relations and steers 

scare resources away from crime 

fighting. 

4. Trump’s anti-immigrant polices 

may interfere with efforts to prosecute 

criminals and hold them accountable. 

For example, U visas are for victims 

of crime who have suffered 

substantial mental or physical abuse 

and are willing to assist law enforcement 

in the investigation or 

prosecution of the crime. Since the 

election, immigrants and advocates 

have been concerned about the future 

of the U visa. While eliminating 

the visa category would be difficult, 

the Trump administration 

could slow processing or issue far 

fewer visas. Regardless, immigrant 

victims may be far more hesitant to 

come forward and report crimes. 

Immigrants contribute a great 

deal to this country. The fact that 

some have committed serious 

crimes is reprehensible, but it is one 

small piece of a complex story. To 

counter VOICE, Rep. Jared Polis 

launched a database intended to tell 

positive stories about immigrants 

called SAINT – Saved by American 

Immigrants National Taskforce. The 

purpose is to collect stories of immigrants 

who have performed heroic 

or lifesaving acts. In this environment, 

telling positive stories about 

immigrant contributions is more 

important than ever. 

26 

Immigration enforcement 

program has a troubled history, 

and Trump wants to restart it 


serious criminal offenders. In fact, 

half of all detainers issued through 

the program were on people who 

committed misdemeanors and traffic 

offenses. MPI also found that jurisdictions 

tend to use their 287(g) 

authority in different ways. Some 

do target serious criminals, while 

others operate a “universal” model 

designed to deport as many unauthorized 

immigrants as possible, regardless 

of criminal history. 

Critics also identify racial profiling 

and pretextual arrests as a serious 

problem with the 287(g) program. 

The most egregious example 

was Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa 

County, Arizona who conducted 

sweeps in Latino neighborhoods 

and stopped drivers who “looked” 

Latino. But similar patterns of racial 

profiling have also been found elsewhere. 

The DHS Inspector General and 

the Government Accountability Office 

(GAO) both issued reports on 

the 287(g) program and found that 

ICE managed the program poorly. 

ICE failed to articulate the program’s 

objectives and priorities consistently, 

did not comply with the express

objectives of the program, and did 

not provide sufficient oversight. 

In light of these concerns, and 

with the rise of the Secure Communities 

program, the Obama administration 

eventually drew down the 

287(g) program. With Secure Communities, 

ICE could share information 

with local enforcement without 

the hassles of directly supervising 

local cops. 

Now the Trump administration 

wants to re-boot 287(g) program. 

However, it’s unclear whether Congress 

will fund an expanded program. 

The upcoming appropriations 

season is likely to include a battle 

over funding for the program. 

While some locals may be open to 

the revival of 287(g) program, many 

other local jurisdictions are limiting 

their cooperation and have restricted 

compliance with the federal government’s 

immigration detainers. 

Therefore, these places are unlikely 

to enter into formal agreements of 

this kind. 

The 287(g) program has a long and 

troubled history. States and localities 

should take a good, hard look 

at its track record before making a 

decision to restart this program that 

could have a harmful impact on 

their communities. 

Trump’s immigration remarks 

packed with inaccurate statements 


priorities recognized that there is a 

finite budget available for immigration 

enforcement, thus making prioritization 

important. The approach 

now being pursued by the Trump 

Administration casts a very wide net 

and will result in an aggressive and 

unforgiving approach to immigration 

enforcement moving forward. 

4. Trump believes a merit-based 

immigration system will improve 

the economy. 

The idea of a merit-based system is 

not new but it usually has been discussed 

as one piece to updating our 

immigration system, not the only 

piece as discussed in this speech. 

At its core, the allocation of points 

is not a neutral act, but instead reflects 

a political view regarding the 

“desired immigrant.” Since the enactment 

of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act in 1965, legal immigration 

to the United States has 

been based primarily on the family 

ties or the work skills of prospective 

immigrants. 

The contributions of family-based 

immigrants to the U.S. economy, local 

communities, and the national 

fabric are many. They account for 

a significant portion of domestic 

27 

economic growth, contribute to the 

well-being of the current and future 

labor force, play a key role in business 

development and community 

improvement, and are among the 

most upwardly mobile segments of 

the labor force. And if cutting family-based 

immigration becomes part 

of a trade-off for a merit-based system, 

we would be turning our back 

on a centuries’ old tradition of family 

members already in the United 

States supporting newcomer relatives 

by helping them get on their 

feet and facilitating their integration. 

5. Trump attempted to make the 

link between immigrants and 

crime through his newly created 

office of Victims Of Immigration 

Crime Engagement (VOICE). 

Despite the implications of this 

new office at DHS which seeks to demonize 

all immigrants, immigrants 

are actually less likely to commit serious 

crimes or be behind bars than 

the native-born. Additionally, high 

rates of immigration are associated 

with lower rates of violent crime 

and property crime. This holds true 

for both legal immigrants and the 

unauthorized, regardless of their 

country of origin or level of education.


Changes may keep Asylum seekers 

from getting their day in court 


in proving their identity, and the 

asylum officer is required to make 

a full and final determination as 

to the applicant’s credibility. Previously, 

the applicant needed to only 

show a “significant possibility” that 

the assertions underlying her claim 

were credible. 

Before these changes were announced, 

the lesson plans stated 

that making a full assessment of 

credibility was the job of the immigration 

judge, who the applicant 

sees if she passes the asylum officer’s 

screening. The asylum officer 

was tasked with assessing credibility 

only to determine an applicant’s eligibility 

for a full asylum hearing in 

immigration court. The 2014 lesson 

plan states in part (emphasis added): 

“Because the credible fear determination 

is a screening process, the 

asylum officer does not make the final 

determination as to whether the 

applicant is credible. The immigration 

judge makes that determination 

in the full hearing on the merits of 

the claim.” 

The revised plan explicitly states 

that the asylum officer should take 

into account “the same factors considered 

in evaluating credibility in 

the affirmative asylum context.” In 

short, what this means is that the 

applicant will effectively undergo a 

full asylum hearing just after arriving 

in the United States, with limited 

access to counsel while detained 

or the ability to obtain evidence or 

counseling services that will enable 

them to prevail. 

Further, an applicant is now required 

to credibly establish her 

identity by a heightened evidentiary 

standard – “preponderance of the 

evidence” – which is typically met if 

the asylum officer believes the evidence 

has more than a 50 percent 

likelihood of being true. According 

to the revised lesson plan, credible 

testimony alone should be enough 

to establish identity; however, the 

new plans also state that the officer 

may “consider information provided 

by ICE or … CBP.” Of course 

this is problematic because the transcripts 

from interviews conducted 

by CBP and ICE at the border regularly 

contain many errors. 

These changes to the asylum process 

are likely to have serious consequences 

for people facing persecution 

in their home countries 

and undermine American values 

including humanitarian assistance 

and due process. 

28 

Homeland Security unions testify 

in support of more staff but not a 

border “wall” 


officers on top that just to meet their 

staffing needs. A lack of Officers at 

ports of entry can have significant 

consequences for the economy with 

over $2.2 trillion in imports coming 

through the ports every year. 

Reardon also noted that much of 

the drugs seized come through our 

ports of entry, with 600,000 pounds 

of drugs seized just last year. Therefore, 

if the goal is stop the flow of 

narcotics, Congress may want to 

fund these positions first and foremost. 

Lastly, Chris Crane, the head of 

the National Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement Council, testified 

regarding ICE’s need for additional 

staffing. However, he focused more 

on issues related to retaliation by 

managers against front line agents 

and bemoaned the amount of paper 

work ICE enforcement officers have 

to do as opposed to being out in the 

field. There is significant concern 

about current ICE immigration enforcement 

agents already due to the 

dozens who according to the New 

York Times have been “charged with 

beating people, smuggling drugs 

into detention centers, having sex

America’s treatment of asylum 

seekers reviewed by regional 

human rights body 


with detainees and accepting bribes 

to delay or stop deportations.” The 

idea of adding more ICE agents to 

an agency who does not even currently 

require a polygraph test could 

be an invitation for more abuse by 

rogue agents. 

Members of Congress seemed 

sympathetic to the agents needs and 

wanted to work with them to fix 

morale and other issues with management. 

However, it remains to be 

seen if Congress will actually spend 

the billions of dollars that would be 

needed for these staff—especially in 

light of the problems related to corruption 

and oversight. 

missioner Margarette May Macaulay 

stated that the Commission 

“cannot accept” these violations and 

emphasized asylum seekers’ “necessary, 

fundamental right to due 

process,” and the importance of a 

“dignified hearing” and a “fair and 

judicious decision.” She also asked 

petitioners to provide the Commission 

with written guidance about 

what the IACHR can do immediately 

that would effectively address 

these barriers to the U.S. asylum 

process. 

Nineteen petitioning organizations, 

including the American Immigration 

Council, the American 

Immigration Lawyers Association, 

the Women’s Refugee Commission, 

and the American Civil Liberties 

Union, called on the IACHR to: 

• Hold the United States accountable 

for policies inhibiting access 

to asylum; 

• Conduct a site visit to the U.S.- 

Mexico border; 

• Hold a follow up round-table 

dialogue with representatives 

of the United States, Mexico, El 

Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and 

Honduras, to discuss the on-going 

obligations these countries 

have to ensure the full rights of 

migrants, and the special protections 

due to asylum seekers; 

• Encourage CBP to address deficiencies 

and improve officers’ 

training, guidelines and practices 

and create specific oversight 

mechanisms to promote transparency 

and investigate complaints, 

in order to avoid mistreatment 

and abuse of migrants. 

Today, the international community 

stopped and listened to what is hap- 

29 

pening at the southern border of the 

United States. Isn’t it time policymakers 

in the U.S. did the same. 


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New York Democrats rally to resist voter suppression, 

calling for action from NY Governor Cuomo 

NEW YORK, NY, 03/19/2017 (read- 

Media)—With backing from Common 

Cause, New York City elected 

officials, unions and grassroots organizations 

rallied at Battery Park to 

resist voter suppression, calling on 

Governor Andrew Cuomo and the 

State Legislature to modernize our 

elections by funding Early Voting 

and Automatic Voter Registration 

in the state budget, due April 1st. 

Enacting Early Voting would allow 

New Yorkers to cast their ballot 

at polling locations before the 

traditional Election Day. 34 states 

already have some form of Early 

Voting, leaving New York as one of 

only 16 states without any means to 

vote early except via absentee ballot. 

New York does not have any 

form of Automatic Voter Registration 

either. Automatically registering 

eligible voters encourages civic 

participation, and provides a vehicle 

for state agencies to efficiently transfer 

voter registration information to 

the Board of Elections. Outdated 

elections is in part why only 29 percent 

of the state’s eligible population 

voted in 2014, putting New York in 

the bottom third nationally. 

The rally was co-sponsored by 

Common Cause New York, SEIU 

32BJ, NY Immigration Coalition, 

NYCLU, NY Civic Engagement 

Table, TWU 100, Hispanic Federation, 

2 hours A Week, Public Citizen, 

Citizen Action New York, Citizens 

Union, NYC Votes, New York 

Working Families, DuBois Bunche 

Center For Public Policy, Hugh L. 

Carey Institute, NYPIRG, Community 

Voices Heard, Women’s City 

Club, Make the Road NY, NCAACP 

Brooklyn Chapter, Daily 

Kos, VOCAL, and the NY 

Progressive Action Network. 

Featured speakers including 

Congressmembers 

Jerry Nadler, NYC Comptroller 

Scott Stringer, and 

Manhattan Borough President 

Gale Brewer spoke 

about the importance of 

modernizing our elections especially 

in response to national efforts to 

strip voting rights. 

“New York has been a bastion of 

democracy, and leader of progressive 

activism during these difficult 

times facing our country,” said Congressman 

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). 

“But unfortunately, our state has 

not been a leader when it comes to 

modernizing our voting systems. It 

31 

Congressman 

Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) 

is time to simplify our voting process 

and increase voter accessibility, 

by adding early voting, automatic 

and same-day voter registration, 

consolidated primaries and shortened 

party registration deadlines.” 

“At a time when we need to boost 

voter participation, we should make 

it easier, not harder, to vote,” said 

New York City Comptroller Scott 

Stringer. “This is critical to ensuring 

accountable and effective 

government. New 

York’s antiquated voting 

laws already lag behind 

most of the country. From 

early voting to same day 

registration, we need to 

implement smart reforms 

that expand the franchise 

and make our democracy 

more inclusive. That’s why 

we have to speak out against the 

President’s fraudulent claims of illegal 

voting and resist new barriers 

to the ballot.” 

“Now is the time for New York 

to be an example,” said Manhattan 

Borough President Gale A. Brewer. 

“Modern voting laws will help 

more people vote at a time of renewed 

civic participation, and they 

will save taxpayers time, money, and

aggravation and reduce barriers to 

voting. There’s no good reason we 

can’t have early voting and a modernized, 

automatic voter registration 

system. We just need leaders 

in Albany to step up and insist on 

these reforms.” 

State Senator Brad Hoylman (D- 

27) said: “Since the Supreme Court 

invalidated part of the Voting Rights 

Act in 2013, state legislatures across 

the country have worked to disenfranchise 

voters at a level not seen 

since the Jim Crow era. With just 

31 reported cases of voter fraud out 

of one billion votes cast between 

2004 and 2014, the Trump Administration’s 

arguments for a national 

voter fraud commission are 

not just wrong, they’re dangerous 

and misleading. I’m proud to stand 

with Common Cause, SEIU, Make 

the Road New York and others in 

pushing back against voter disenfranchisement, 

and look forward to 

working with them to enact reforms 

that will protect and expand the 

right to vote.” 

“New York state should be a national 

leader in voter rights,” said 

Council Member Ben Kallos (D- 

5). “Albany must implement voting 

reforms like early voting, no-fault 

absentee voting and automatic voter 

registration this year, because the 

health of our democracy depends 

on real electoral reform.” 

Said Council Member Brad 

Lander (D-39): “It really is this 

simple: By failing to adopt common-sense 

reforms like automatic 

voter registration and early voting, 

Albany is denying New Yorkers the 

right-to-vote. Who benefits? You 

know the answer. New data from 

2016 election makes it clear. Those 

states who care about democracy 

and implemented voting reforms 

saw big increases in voter turnout. 

Sadly, New York State was not on 

the list. At this critical moment, 

if they care about our democracy, 

New York State Legislators will put 

these fundamental voting reforms 

into the budget, and adopt them this 

month.” 

“We need to break down the barriers 

that keep New Yorkers from 

casting their vote and making their 

voices heard,” said Hector Figueroa, 

President of SEUI 32BJ. “Early voting 

and automatic voter registration 

are policies that are good for our 

state and good for our country. This 

vital legislation will expand voting 

rights and ensure we have real democracy.” 

“With the Trump regime already 

broadcasting pernicious lies about 

‘voter fraud’ and planning to suppress 

the vote nationwide, New York 

can show the way forward by fixing 

our own broken electoral system 

here at home,” said Bill Lipton, New 

York State Director of the Working 

Families Party. “We urge the 

state legislature to include early voting 

and automatic voter registration 

32 

in the budget that will be adopted 

by April 1 so that New York can become 

a national leader in protecting 

and expanding voting rights.” 

“Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy 

and together we demand 

that our elections encourage full 

participation by all eligible New 

Yorkers,” said Susan Lerner, executive 

Director of Common Cause 

New York. “We are demonstrating 

today to show our elected representatives 

that we want voter protection 

not voter suppression. It is time to 

make essential voting reforms like 

Early Voting and Automatic Voter 

Registration part of the state budget 

that will be adopted by April 1st.” 

“New York State must modernize 

our electoral process and make it 

accessible. Election reform can not 

continue to be a talking point for 

the NYS legislature. Now is the time 

to include early voting and automatic 

voter registration in the NYS budget. 

We call on the NYS legislature 

and Governor Cuomo to ensure that 

AVR and early voting are actualized 

by April 1,” said Steve Choi, Executive 

Director of the New York Immigration 

Coalition. 

“The fight for women’s suffrage 

was started by New Yorkers and 

our state was once a leader in advancing 

voting rights. But now our 

outdated laws severely obstruct our 

right to cast a ballot,” said Onida 

Coward Mayers, Director of Voter 

Assistance at the New York City

Campaign Finance Board. “We 

need common sense reforms like 

early voting, automatic registration, 

same-day registration, and preclearance 

of voting regulations to 

ensure that no eligible voter in New 

York is ever prevented from casting 

a ballot that counts.” 

Javier H. Valdés, Co-Executive 

Director of Make the Road New 

York, said, “Immigrant communities 

around New York urgently need 

Albany’s leaders to expand and defend 

voting rights. With the Trump 

administration already beginning 

its efforts to use lies about our voting 

system to justify voter suppression, 

it’s more important than ever 

that we make it as easy as possible 

for New Yorkers to register to vote 

and cast their ballots.” 

“At the core of all of our national 

issues is limited access to voting, 

voter suppression and disenfranchisement,” 

said Shabd Simon- 

Alexander, co-founder, 2 Hours A 

Week. “We can complain, march, 

call our reps all we want, but unless 

we also get to the polls and elect the 

right people, nothing will change. 

Yet so many people are kept from 

voting - either actively, through voter 

suppression, or passively, through 

arcane laws and complicated and 

discouraging registration and voting 

processes. So our fight is clear: 

we must make voting not only legal, 

but also accessible to all New Yorkers.” 

New York Congressman Nadler blasts 

Trump budget as “Absurd” 

WASHINGTON, DC, March 16, 

2017 – Today, Congressman Jerrold 

Nadler (D-NY), issued the following 

statement in response to Donald 

Trump’s budget proposal: 

“It’s time to wake up to the malignant 

lies of the Trump Administration 

before he turns this country 

into an autocratic state that sacrifices 

the health, safety, and security 

George Albro, co-chair NY- 

PAN, a new statewide progressive 

organization, said, “New York’s 

current election laws are a embarrassment 

and have made our state, 

once a proud leader in progressive 

innovations, synonymous with the 

purposeful disenfranchisement of 

millions: one of the worst registration 

and voter turnout rates, one of 

only 13 states without early voting, 

a Kafkaesque party change enrollment 

requirement of 11 months 

before a primary, and recurrent illegal 

purges of thousands of regular 

voters. To Governor Cuomo we say: 

enough is enough; 7 years in office, 

and nothing has changed. Don’t call 

yourself a progressive unless and 

until you restore democracy in our 

state.” 

33 

of American families in favor of an 

agenda fueled by nationalist propaganda.” 

“This so-called “skinny budget” 

from President Trump is absurd and 

shows his Administration’s true priorities. 

“This budget completely eliminates 

Community Development 

Block Grants, which help working 

families stay in safe, affordable 

housing and supports programs like 

Meals on Wheels that provide food 

to the sick and elderly. The Trump 

budget would also eliminate programs 

to help low-income and older 

Americans afford heat in winter. 

“The Trump budget cuts the Environmental 

Protection Agency 

which would make our communities 

sicker, cutting off all funding 

for alternative energy sources and 

Clean Power Plant rules that reduce 

emissions. 

“The Trump budget would also 

slash 20 percent from the National 

Institutes of Health, dramatically 

undercutting the federal government’s 

support of life-saving scientific 

research and ceding American 

leadership in biomedical advancement. 

“Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump 

More on page 42

Biennial Women in Cybersecurity Report reveals that 

female representation in industry remains stagnant, as 

cyber workforce gap expected to reach 1.8 million by 2022 

CLEARWATER, FL, March 15, 

2017 — According to new research 

from the Center for Cyber Safety 

and Education (the Center) and 

the Executive Women’s Forum on 

Information Security, Risk Management 

& Privacy (EWF), conducted 

by Frost & Sullivan, women comprise 

only 11 percent of the information 

security workforce – a number 

that has remained steady since 2013. 

The study also found that women in 

cybersecurity have higher levels of 

education than men, but fewer hold 

senior-level positions, and they earn 

less money. The Women in Cybersecurity 

report is part of the Center’s 

eighth Global Information Security 

Workforce Study (GISWS) – sponsored 

by Booz Allen Hamilton – and 

is based on data that was collected in 

the survey. 

“It’s disappointing to see that the 

number of women in the cybersecurity 

workforce continues to remain 

low,” said David Shearer, CEO, the 

Center for Cyber Safety and Education 

and (ISC)²®. “We must encourage 

young women; help them to see 

that information security is a challenging, 

lucrative and exciting career 

field. We must also promote women 

into leadership positions, and pay 

them at levels that are equal to their 

male counterparts. There is a large 

shortage of skilled cyber professionals, 

and women are a valuable resource 

that can help to bridge that 

gap.” 

“For 15 years the Executive Women’s 

Forum on Information Security, 

Risk Management & Privacy has 

been committed to addressing the 

very issues highlighted in this report 

by delivering programs which 

retain and advance women through 

education, leadership development 

and the creation of trusted relationships.” 

said Lynn Terwoerds, executive 

director of the Executive Women’s 


Risk Management & Privacy. “I am 

34 

so proud to be a co-author of the 

Women in Cybersecurity report and 

hope that the results will promote 

both conversations and actions to 

advance and retain women in cybersecurity.” 

Key takeaways from the Women in 

Cybersecurity report include: 

• Women comprise only 11 percent 

of the global information security 

workforce. 

• Women have higher levels of education 

than men, with 51 percent 

holding a master’s degree or 

higher, compared to 45 percent of 

men. 

• Fewer women hold positions of 

authority (director level or above) 

compared to men. 

• Women working in cybersecurity 

have a more varied educational 

background than men contributing 

to the diverse set of skills they 

can potentially bring to the industry. 

• On average, women in the information 

security industry earn a 

lower annual salary than their 

male counterparts. 

• Fifty-one percent of women in 

the cybersecurity industry in

North America and 

Latin America have experienced 

some form 

of discrimination, compared 

to only 15 percent 

of men. 

• Women who have higher 

levels of access to sponsorship 

and leadership 

programs report feeling 

valued in their role and 

are more likely to be successful. 

The Center for Cyber Safety 

and Education and the Executive 

Women’s Forum on Information Security, 

Risk Management & Privacy 

have joined forces with several industry 

leaders to raise awareness of 

the need for women in cybersecurity. 

Additional sponsors of the report 

include: PricewaterhouseCoopers 

LLC, IBM, Alta Associates, (ISC)² 

and Veracode. Booz Allen Hamilton 

sponsored the Global Information 

Security Workforce Study (GISWS), 

which provided the data for the report. 

“I believe it is imperative for the 

cybersecurity industry to support 

and facilitate the recruiting, retaining 

and promoting of women. Proactively 

developing this career path 

will combat gender inequality and 

prevent further decline in the overall 

security labor pool,” said Sloane 

Menkes, PwC principal and global 

crisis center coordinator. “While 

Male and female cybersecurity workforce composition, by region 

there is significant demand for highskilled 

workers, there is also a critical 

pipeline issue of women joining 

our cybersecurity workforce. Cybersecurity 

leaders need to commit to 

reversing this trend - from our universities 

to our board rooms - before 

the issue is irreversible.” 

“With increasingly sophisticated 

threats and the demand for security 

talent soaring, the cybersecurity field 

is one that absolutely cannot afford 

to neglect the population of women 

and the many talents they offer,” said 

Shamla Naidoo, global chief information 

security officer, IBM. “The 

security industry needs the best and 

brightest to remain ahead in the fight 

against cybercrime, and creating a 

workforce with diversity of thought, 

gender and backgrounds is essential 

to this goal.” 

“As the leading executive search 

firm specializing in cybersecurity, 

35 

Alta Associates understands 

that building world class 

teams and solving complex 

cybersecurity challenges requires 

diversity of thought. 

That’s why we are proud 

to report that in 2016 Alta 

filled nearly 30 percent of 

its cybersecurity searches 

with qualified women executives.” 

said Joyce Brocaglia, 

CEO of Alta Associates 

and founder of the 

Executive Women’s Forum 

on Information Security 

Risk Management & Privacy. “I am 

proud to co-author this important 

report in hopes that it both educates 

and inspires action to improve the 

representation and advancement of 

women in cybersecurity.” 

“The Women in Cybersecurity report 

found that 52 percent of millennial 

women have a computer science 

degree, yet the number of women 

in the cybersecurity workforce has 

remained stagnant for the last two 

years,” said Sam King, chief strategy 

officer, Veracode. “We are already 

facing a significant skills gap in cybersecurity 

with positions going unfilled. 

If we continue on this track, we 

will be unable to secure the digital 

economy. We need to examine why it 

is that the next generation of workers 

is not pursuing careers in cybersecurity, 

but especially women. In addition 

to focusing on cybersecurity 

education at the university level, cre-

ating programs aimed at high 

school and middle school 

students will help to create 

enthusiasm for this industry.” 

“Mature cyber security 

teams require a mix of skills 

and diversity of thought – you 

must foster teamwork that’s inclusive 

and integrates multi-disciplinary 

and diverse perspectives” said Angela 

Messer, a Booz Allen executive 

vice president, and leader of the 

firm’s Cyber innovation business 

and cyber talent development champion. 

“An overreliance on any one 

background or perspective leaves an 

organization vulnerable to adversaries 

and threats that rapidly change – 

only diverse, multidisciplinary teams 

can rapidly respond and problem 

solve on the next challenge. It’s also a 

security imperative that our industry 

broaden access to talent by becoming 

better at attracting, retaining and 

empowering female cyber warriors.” 

The largest study of the information 

security profession ever conducted, 

the 2017 GISWS took place 

June-September 2016 through a 

web-based survey. Over 19,000 information 

security professionals 

from 170 nations responded. Since 

its first release in 2004, the study 

gauges the opinions of information 

security professionals, and provides 

detailed insight into important 

trends and opportunities within 

the profession. It aims to provide a 

clear understanding of pay scales, 

It’s also a security imperative that our 

industry broaden access to talent by 

becoming better at attracting, retaining 

and empowering female cyber warriors. 

skills gaps, training requirements, 

corporate hiring practices, security 

budgets, career progression and corporate 

attitudes toward information 

security that is of use to companies, 

hiring managers and industry professionals. 

The full 2017 Women in Cybersecurity 

report can be downloaded 

here: www.iamcybersafe.org/gisws. 

About the Center for Cyber Safety 

and Education’s Global Information 

Security Workforce Study 

The Women in Cybersecurity report 

is the second release of data from the 

2017 Global Information Security 

Workforce Study. The first data set, 

released in February 2017, was the 

Millennials – the Next Generation 

of Information Security Workers. 

This is a new format for the biennial 

study, and The Center will release 

several additional reports throughout 

the year with new, previously unpublished 

information and insights 

about the global information security 

workforce. 

About the Center for Cyber Safety 

and Education 

The Center for Cyber Safety and 

36 

Education (Center), formerly 

(ISC)² Foundation, is a nonprofit 

charitable trust committed 

to making the cyber 

world a safer place for everyone. 

The Center works to 

ensure that people across the 

globe have a positive and safe experience 

online through their educational 

programs, scholarships and 

research. Visit www.iamcybersafe. 

org. 

About the Executive Women’s 


Risk Management & Privacy 

Founded in 2002, the Executive 

Women’s Forum on Information 

Security, Risk Management & Privacy 

(EWF) is the largest member 

organization dedicated to engaging, 

advancing and developing women 

leaders in Cybersecurity, IT Risk 

Management, Governance Risk & 

Compliance and Privacy. The EWF 

serves emerging leaders as well as 

the most prominent and influential 

women in our field by facilitating 

programs and events throughout the 

year including a National Conference, 

regional meetings, leadership 

development and mentorship programs 

as well as interactions with 

global thought leaders through an 

online community. For more information 

visit, www.ewf-usa.com. 

About (ISC)² 

(ISC)² is an international nonprofit

membership association focused 

on inspiring a safe and secure cyber 

world. Best known for the acclaimed 

Certified Information Systems Security 

Professional (CISSP®) certification, 

(ISC)2 offers a portfolio of 

credentials that are part of a holistic, 

programmatic approach to security. 

Our membership, over 123,000 

strong, is made up of certified cyber, 

information, software and infrastructure 

security professionals who 

are making a difference and helping 

to advance the industry. Our vision 

is supported by our commitment to 

educate and reach the general public 

through our charitable foundation – 

The Center for Cyber Safety and EducationTM. 

For more information 

on (ISC)², visit www.isc2.org, follow 

us on Twitter or connect with us on 

Facebook. 

© 2017 (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, 

HCISPP, CCFP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP and CBK are registered 

marks, of (ISC)², Inc. 

About PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, 

Delaware/USA 

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust 

in society and solve important problems. 

We’re a network of firms in 157 

countries with more than 223,000 

people who are committed to delivering 

quality in assurance, advisory 

and tax services. Find out more and 

tell us what matters to you by visiting 

us at www.pwc.com. 

PwC refers to the PwC network 

and/or one or more of its member 

firms, each of which is a separate legal 

entity. Please see www.pwc.com/ 

structure for further details. © 2017 

PwC. All rights reserved. 

About IBM Security 

IBM Security offers one of the most 

advanced and integrated portfolios 

of enterprise security products and 

services. The portfolio, supported 

by world-renowned IBM X-Force® 

research, enables organizations to 

effectively manage risk and defend 

against emerging threats. IBM operates 

one of the world’s broadest 

security research, development and 

delivery organizations, monitors 35 

billion security events per day in 

more than 130 countries, and holds 

more than 3,000 security patents. 

For more information, please visit 

www.ibm.com/security, follow @ 

IBMSecurity on Twitter or visit the 

IBM Security Intelligence blog. 

About Alta Associates, Inc. 

Alta Associates is the most prominent 

executive search firm specializing 

in Cybersecurity and IT Risk 

Management. Alta, ranked one of 

the top 40 executive search firms in 

the US, has an unprecedented track 

record of placing CISO’s and building 

world class Cybersecurity, Information 

Security and IT Risk organizations. 

Alta Associates is a certified woman 

owned business, with a seasoned 

team of specialized recruiters who 

have trusted relationships with the 

37 

most sought after cybersecurity experts 

in the US. Most importantly, 

Alta is committed to providing its 

clients with executives representing 

diversity of thought. For more information 

visit, www.altaassociates. 

com or call 908-806-8442 

About Veracode 

Veracode is a leader in securing web, 

mobile and third-party applications 

for the world’s largest global enterprises. 

By enabling organizations to 

rapidly identify and remediate application-layer 

threats before cyberattackers 

can exploit them, Veracode 

helps enterprises speed their innovations 

to market – without compromising 

security. 

Veracode’s powerful cloud-based 

platform, deep security expertise 

and systematic, policy-based approach 

provide enterprises with a 

simpler and more scalable way to 

reduce application-layer risk across 

their global software infrastructures. 

Veracode serves hundreds of customers 

across a wide range of industries, 

including nearly one-third of 

the Fortune 100, three of the top four 

U.S. commercial banks and more 

than 20 of Forbes’ 100 Most Valuable 

Brands. Learn more at www.veracode.com, 

on the Veracode blog and 

on Twitter. 

Copyright © 2006-2017 Veracode, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong 

to their respective holders.

Hikvision and L.A. contemporary dance company 

illustrate the Art of Video Surveillance 

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA—March 

28, 2017—In its latest advertising 

campaign, Hikvision, the North 

American leader in innovative, 

award-winning video surveillance 

products and solutions, collaborated 

with the L.A. Contemporary 

Dance Company to convey the innovation 

and artistry that goes into 

making sophisticated video surveillance 

products. 

At the ISC West show next week, 

in addition to enterprise-level video 

surveillance solutions, visitors to the 

Hikvision booth and Partner Celebration 

guests will be able to see 

live performances by LACDC dancers 

and a “Behind the Scenes” video 

of the Hikvision-LACDC collaboration. 

Here is a link to the video 

“At Hikvision we pride ourselves 

on being unique and innovative in 

everything we do and the Art of 

Video Surveillance campaign is just 

that,” said Manny Gonzalez, Hikvision 

creative manager. 

The LACDC dancers illustrated 

Hikvision 360-degree cameras, 

PTZs and other specialty cameras. 

Whether it was a single dancer or 

group, the dancers’ movements 

corresponded to different types of 

cameras. “It was very cohesive. Who 

knew dance and video surveillance 

had so much in common,” said 

Genevieve Carson, artistic director, 

LACDC. 

Gonzalez used a 360-degree camera 

to explain the metaphor. “There 

are many components and lenses in 

a 360-degree camera that allow it to 

cover vast areas and provide impressive 

video at high resolution. The 

same is true with dance, whether 

it’s one dancer or multiple dancers it 

requires the coordination of all the 

parts to work in unison to create a 

beautiful piece. That’s the link to our 

technology.” 

LACDC artistic director Carson 

said LACDC and Hikvision collaborated 

closely on the creative and 

choreographic direction, but let the 

dancers do what they do best. 

“It was really awesome and outthe-box, 

pairing a video surveillance 

company with a dance company,” 

said Carson. The unusual 

artistic endeavor flourished on a 

well-organized all-day photo shoot 

early this year. “Once we got in the 

same room it was super comfortable 

and exciting to watch the dancers 

embody the concepts of Hikvision 

38 

and its products,” she added. 

Alex Asnovich, Hikvision director 

of marketing said, “Hikvision supports 

the arts, programs in science 

and math, and we support communities. 

Beyond security and products, 

the Art of Video Surveillance 

campaign is about our values as a 

company.” 

Visit Hikvision Booth # 18037 to 

see Hikvision’s enterprise-level solutions, 

future technology, participate 

in Thought Theater events, and to 

view the “Behind the Scenes” video 

of the Hikvision-LACDC collaboration. 

The LACDC dancers will 

perform at 11:30, 1:30 and 3:30 on 

Wednesday, April 5 and Thursday, 

April 6. 

About Hikvision 

Hikvision is the world’s leading supplier 

of video surveillance solutions. 

Featuring the industry’s strongest 

R&D workforce, Hikvision designs, 

develops, and manufactures standard- 

and high-definition cameras, 

including a variety of IP cameras, 

analog cameras, and cameras featuring 

the latest in high-definition 

analog technology. Hikvision’s 

More on page 40

39

Heightening security verification 

with self-service kiosks 


recognition (FR) comparison. Many 

of the security functions enabled by 

the technology can take place seamlessly 

without the user’s explicit 

step-by-step direction because they 

occur in the background. Once an 

individual’s background and identity 

are vetted through the appropriate 

authoritative agencies, it won’t 

have to be done repeatedly. 

All of the work is 

done up front and subsequent 

screenings are 

virtually instantaneous. 

Gaining entry to a secure 

area – for example, 

a particular work area in a mission 

critical facility or location – can be 

done at an unattended gate, simply 

by requiring a quick fingerprint, iris 

scan, or FR comparison. The potential 

for unauthorized access, fraud 

and human error is reduced. 

Re-entering the US after a trip 

abroad can also be made faster 

and easier with self-service kiosks. 

Instead of manually completing a 

US customs form and handing it, 

with a passport, to a customs agent 

for checking, questions can be answered 

on an electronic screen and 

the passport can be authenticated at 

the same time. The machine does 

more than visual inspection of an 

ID credential – it can also scan for 

invisible security features. The time 

and labor savings can be invaluable. 

This technology is already being 

used at international points of entry. 

A common credential for government 

facilities and agencies could 

also be accommodated. This would 

allow authentication between agencies 

with a high degree of confidence. 

The migration to self-service kiosks 

will require planning. Traffic 

volume must be carefully considered 

when deciding how many 

machines to install and in what locations. 

They must be easy to find, 

and it’s important to 

install enough of them 

to prevent long lines. 

Bottlenecks would defeat 

their purpose of 

convenience, and discourage 

use. 

The interface and workflow are 

critical points for user adoption. The 

kiosk should be inviting and easy to 

use and understand. It’s possible for 

the interface to adjust workflow in 

accordance with the user’s demographic 

(age, for example). The user 

won’t realize it, but the speed of the 

question/answer workflow will be 

adjusted to meet the user’s anticipated 

needs. 

Anti-fraud measures can be 

built in as well. Biometrics can be 

proofed with background adjudication. 

The interactive technology will 

detect inconsistencies and adjust 

the workflow to allow correction or 

to automatically abort an attempt. 

Conclusion 

The use of self-service kiosks for 

identity authentication will become 

40 

Hikvision and L.A. contemporary 

dance company illustrate the Art 

of Video Surveillance 


product suite also includes digital 

video servers, hybrid and standalone 

DVRs, NVRs, and other elements 

of sophisticated security systems 

for both indoor and outdoor 

use. 

About L.A. Contemporary 

Dance Company 

L.A. Contemporary Dance Company 

is the resident contemporary 

dance company of Los Angeles 

producing innovative dance experiences 

for over 10 years with performances 

in L.A. and touring productions 

worldwide. Learn more at 

www.lacontemporarydance.org 

commonplace in areas, like airports 

and government facilities, where a 

high degree of security is required. 

These new technologies will enable 

faster and more accurate checking 

of credentials, saving time and 

money and providing a new level of 

convenience to the users. 

Gerald Hubbard is a Business Development 

Manager with over 28 years 

of experience in high assurance identity 

credentials, access management, 

and payment applications.

Making microgrids work: 

send in the Marines? 


to ‘market maker’ by fully embracing 

this opportunity to help usher in 

a new era of modern, efficient and 

resilient microgrids that can serve 

as a feasible supplement to the nation’s 

aging power grid. 

J. Michael Barrett is Director of the 

Center for Homeland Security & 

Resilience and a former Director of 

Strategy for the White House Homeland 

Security Council. This article 

is drawn from the author’s recent 

White Paper, “Challenges and Requirements 

for Tomorrows Electrical 

Power Grid”, published by the 

Lexington Institute and available at 

http://lexingtoninstitute.org/wp-con- 

tent/uploads/2016/06/Tomorrows- 

Electrical-Power-Grid.pdf. 

Bipartisan bill supports Defense 



“A skilled workforce is the backbone 

of any and every field – and in 

cyberspace, we face different threats 

from our adversaries each and every 

day,” said Allen. “At Fort Gordon, in 

my district, our soldiers are on the 

frontline of fighting these attacks 

– and in the changing electronic 

world we live, we must have the best 

and the brightest standing ready to 

support the needs of our military. I 

have always said we must encourage 

students to find their passions 

early on and allow those interests to 

be carried on throughout their educational 

careers – the cyber industry 

is yet another example. Augusta 

University is leading educational 

innovation in my district to prepare 

the next generation of cyber warriors. 

Investing in future generations 

makes it possible to field the 

cyber threats of today, tomorrow 

and years to come.” 

“I applaud this very important 

bicameral and bipartisan legislation, 

which will help bolster the 

Department of Defense’s waning 

cybersecurity workforce. Competition 

from the tech world has made 

recruiting and retaining top public 

sector cybersecurity professionals 

a challenge. I am proud to support 

the DOD Cybersecurity scholarship 

program at universities across the 

41 

Aerojet Rocketdyne supports 

ULA launch of Wideband Global 

SATCOM spacecraft 


allied forces deployed worldwide. 

They help support the exchange of 

information, execution of tactical 

command and control, intelligence, 

surveillance and reconnaissance. 

Aerojet Rocketdyne is an innovative 

company delivering solutions 

that create value for its customers in 

the aerospace and defense markets. 

The company is a world-recognized 

aerospace and defense leader that 

provides propulsion and energetics 

to the space, missile defense and 

strategic systems, tactical systems 

and armaments areas, in support of 

domestic and international markets. 

Additional information about Aerojet 

Rocketdyne can be obtained by 

visiting our websites at www.Rocket. 

com and www.AerojetRocketdyne. 

com. 

country, as they engage and educate 

students from various backgrounds 

and at different levels of education. 

Georgia universities are leading the 

effort to ensure a vibrant and highly-skilled 

government and publicsector 

cybersecurity workforce, and 

the DOD Cyber Scholarship Program 

Act of 2017 will help secure 

these efforts for years to come,” said 

Johnson.

New York Congressman Nadler 

blasts Trump budget as “Absurd” 


takes the lazy route of completely 

ending funding for arts and humanities 

programs and the Corporation 

for Public Broadcasting, which 

make up less than 0.01 percent of 

the federal budget, not to save money, 

but as part of an ideological obsession 

with ending federal support 

for the arts and culture. 

“Furthermore, the Trump budget 

frivolously ramps-up military 

spending in a chauvinistic show of 

force that won’t make our country 

any safer and may well provoke 

friend and foe alike. It makes devastatingly 

unrealistic cuts to the State 

Department, which would cripple 

our diplomatic efforts to prevent 

and solve conflicts peacefully thereby 

reducing the need for military 

force. 

“Everyone should oppose this 

budget, which doesn’t even achieve 

Republicans’ long-stated goal of deficit 

reduction, but does threaten the 

lives of every single American. 

“It’s time to wake up to the malignant 

lies of the Trump Administration 

before he turns this country 

into an autocratic state that sacrifices 

the health, safety, and security 

of American families in favor of an 

agenda fueled by nationalist propaganda.” 

GSN’s 2017 

Airport/Seaport/Border Security Awards 

Now Including Cybersecurity Solutions for Airport, Seaport, 

Border Security Markets 

All Winners in this program are 

entitled to a Full-Page Advertisement 

(8.5” x 9.0”) in your choice of GSN’s 

Digital Magazine or Leaderboard in 

any edition of the Airport, Seaport, 

Rail, Border Security Weekly 

Newsletter. 


Managing Partner, CEO 


917-696-5782 


NEW IN 2017: 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT ENTRIES 

All Finalists are entitled to a Half- 

Page Advertisement (8.5” x 4.5”) in 

your choice of GSN’s Digital Magazine 

or Leaderboard in any edition of the 

Airport, Seaport, Rail, Border Security 

Weekly Newsletter. 


Managing Editor 


502-552-1450 


Gerry O’Hara 

Designer 

OHDesign3 

203-249-0626 

gerry@ohd3.com 

42

The News Leader in Physical, IT and Homeland Security 

CEO/Editorial Director 


917-696-5782 


Editor 


502-552-1450 


Senior Writer 

Karen Ferrick-Roman 

412-671-1456 

karenferrickroman@gmail.com 

Columnist 

Shawn Campbell 

Campbell on Crypto 

shawn.campbell@safenetat.com 

Columnist 

George Lane 

Hazmat Science & Public Policy 

georgelane@hotmail.com 

Contributing Author 

Lloyd McCoy Jr 

Immix Group 


Walter Ewing 


Wendy Feliz 


Joshua Breisblatt 


J. Michael Barrett 


Christopher Millar 

Gatekeeper Security 

Art Director 

Gerry O’Hara, OHDesign3 

gerry@ohd3.com 

203-249-0626 

Production Manager 

Brenden Hitt 

Brenden.hitt@gsnmagazine.com 

Direct: 203-216-7798 

COMING ATTRACTIONS 

April 

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Public Safety 

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Cybersecurity Threats, 

Solutions 

May 

Late News 

Tech Focus 

License Plate Detection, 

Smart Vehicle Surveil 

Market Sector 

Maritime/Coastal/ 

Port Security 

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