Posts By: Jacob Charles

Threatwatch: Africa

Matt Henman, Jordan Anderson and Martin Roberts report on the growing issues in the region and the groups posing a threat Al-Shabaab Founded in 2003, al-Shabaab is a militant Islamist group based in Southern and Central Somalia. The group has consolidated its position over subsequent years to become the dominant actor in the country, controlling… Read more »

Dawn of the NeoCity

Anthony Tucker-Jones discusses with Chester Kennedy, BRIDG CEO, Florida’s brand new high-tech facility and its top-secret work ATJ: The opening of your headquarters at NeoCity, Osceola County, Florida earlier this year was heralded as one of the most advanced fabrication labs in the world. What was the impetus for Florida putting itself on the high-tech… Read more »

Hologram innovation

Dr Mark Deakes considers current developments in security holography in the face of worries about fake identity documents While the production of identification documents is a global business, estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenues for designers, producers and manufacturers, the cost of fraudulent passports, driver’s licences and pass… Read more »

Facing up to cyber threats

Simon Davies on best practice to avoid the risk of cyber attack Cyber attack has been identified as one of the four highest priority and most pervasive of risks faced by the UK – the others being international terrorism, international military crises and major accidents or natural hazards. Data is now vital to everyday business… Read more »

On the trail of the ghost ships

Timothy Compston discovers that more and more ships are turning off their AIS (Automatic Identification System) or even switching their identities completely to sail under the security radar. When employed properly AIS (Automatic Identification System), which provides a unique identification for each vessel as well as its position, course and speed, is invaluable from a… Read more »

Held to ransom

Nik Whitfield reports on the lessons learnt from the WannaCry ransomware attack and the proposed changes security professionals should make to better protect themselves WannaCry has clearly demonstrated that organisations of all sizes are exposed to the risk of destructive malware. However, before we get swept away in the media sensationalism that we could be… Read more »

Automated defence systems

Nicola Whiting argues that governments must look to automated defence systems to combat the rise in cyber-crime groups and nation-state hackers using automated tools to launch attacks The implications of recent developments are clear: easily accessible, automated software is enabling even amateurs to conduct sophisticated cyber attacks just as the pipeline of specialists needed to… Read more »

Call sign Ugly

Anthony Tucker-Jones reports on what happens when military law fails during intense counter-insurgency operations Few people outside the armed forces have ever heard of the Judge Advocate General and the Service Prosecution Authority. That was until the case of Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman. His trial for a war-time murder polarised the armed forces and… Read more »

Understanding thermographic imaging

Trevor Holt offers an overview of thermal imaging technology Thermographic imaging is the ability to detect infrared energy, which is emitted from objects as they become hotter. The technology has been around for almost 90 years and initially found favour in military applications and in recent years within search, rescue and law enforcement use cases…. Read more »

Fighting Electronic benefit fraud

Louis-James Davis examines the causes of problems and solutions that are emerging in the US The US electronic benefit transfer or EBT system is attractive to fraudsters due to lack of adoption and investment in new technologies. Processes for cloning cards that have minimal security – such as magnetic strips – are well developed and… Read more »