Category Archives: NSA

In September 2020, the NSA awarded UWF a $6 million grant to lead a coalition of 10 institutions designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity to establish a national program addressing the critical shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals in the U.S.

This additional funding will help expand the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program to include additional cybersecurity training pathways, work roles, employers, CAE schools and target audiences, and create a truly sustainable and scalable national program, said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, associate vice president for the UWF Center for Cybersecurity. It will move us one step closer toward resolving the cybersecurity workforce shortagefor good.

The national workforce program focuses on preparing and placing transitioning military, first responders and veterans into cybersecurity work roles in our nations Critical Infrastructure Sectors, including financial services, defense industrial base and energy. Each coalition institution offers cybersecurity workforce pathways that prepare participants for various cybersecurity work roles, aligned with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, or NICE, Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.

The program aims to prepare and place over 1,650 trained cybersecurity professionals in the next two years, establish a National Cybersecurity Employers Network, and national portal to serve as a one-stop shop for students, employers and institutions. The coalition welcomed 276 students into the program in 2021, and recruitment for the 2022 UWF cohorts will begin in January.

The National Security Agency is excited to partner with University of West Florida on expanding educational initiatives through the CyberSkills2Work program, said Diane M. Janosek, NSAs Lead Training instructor and Commandant of NSAs National Cryptologic School. Their innovative workforce development program is developing a pipeline of cyber first responders equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to address the nations critical infrastructure cyber sector needs.

Through the program, students develop core cybersecurity competencies and hands-on skills through stackable and verifiable credentials and industry certifications. The program integrates cutting-edge topics and technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and threat intelligence.

The CyberSkills2Work program gave me a new perspective on the many aspects of cybersecurity, said Wallace Williams, UWF CyberSkills2Work program graduate. I am able to build off the fundamentals and use the knowledge gained from courses like Threat Intelligence and Assessment, Network Defense, and protecting Windows-based and Linux servers to enhance and upskill my current skill set. Its a great program for transitioning service members, veterans, and first responders considering a career change into Cyber. Im proud to have been a member of the first cohort of UWF CyberSkills2Work.

Justin Rhoads, a program graduate, recently accepted a job at Genesis Energy L.P. and started working as an Operational Technology Security Analyst.

I chose to apply for the CyberSkills2Work program because it was an exciting opportunity to learn a new skill set in a field that has a very promising future, Rhoads said. As a veteran, this program equipped me with the valuable skills that I needed to enter into a new career field and secure a job in the cybersecurity industry. Because of the CyberSkills2Work program I now have a promising new career, a bright future, and I have bettered the lives of myself and my family.

UWF leads a team of nationally designated cybersecurity institutions, including Augusta University, Dakota State University, Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso, Florida International University, University of Houston, Metropolitan State University, San Antonio College, Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

For more information about UWFs cybersecurity workforce development program, visit uwf.edu/cyberskills2work. To inquire about student or employer participation in the workforce program, contact cybersecurity@uwf.edu.

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UWF receives $3 million NSA grant to expand the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program - University of West Florida Newsroom - UWF...

NSA closes down Accra Sports Stadium for pitch maintenance

Accra Sports Stadium set to hold concert on Friday

Football to resume at Accra Sports Stadium on December 26

The National Sports Authority has disclosed that musical concerts scheduled to take place at stadiums cannot admit more than 10,000 attendants.

Fridays musical concert by GT Bank which is a free event is expected to have music fans fill the Accra Sports Stadium to the brim as the show will feature stars like Davido, Kuami Eugene, Stonebwoy among others.

While some football lovers have revealed that the musical concert will breach the coronavirus protocols that allows only 25% of fans to throng stadium, the NSA has disclosed the organizers will only accommodate 10,000 attendees.

This concert was endorsed by the Ghana Tourism Authority, so all those things have been taken care of with regards to the percentage and all those things, the PRO of NSA, Charles Amofa told Ghanaweb.

He added, Ghana Tourism Authority has done those negotiations with them and the organizers are very much aware that they cannot be more than 10,000. The seating capacity is 40,000 and they cant be more than 10,00.

The NSA rented out the Accra Sports Stadium for a musical concert after informing sporting disciplines that the stadium has been closed for pitch maintenance.

Although a viral video alleged that the stage for the concert has been mounted on the pitch was being worked on, the NSA PRO debunked the claim and stated that the event would not be held on the pitch.

Its the goal post area which would be used for the concert. That was an initial set up by the set designers but that thing has been moved to the goal post area. That was the agreement deal we have with them, Charles Amofa told GhanaWeb in a phone interview on Tuesday.

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No musical concert at stadium will accommodate over 10,000 attendance - NSA - GhanaWeb

Prominent Saudi Arabian human rights activist Loujainal-Hathloulhas launched a lawsuit against DarkMatter and three ex-NSAmercenaries who allegedly hacked her phone on behalf of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), secretly tracking her communications and location.

Al-Hathloulclaims to be a victim of an illegal hacking campaign run by DarkMatter and a collection of former US intelligence officers hired by the UAE following the Arab Spring protests.

Known as Project Raven, the UAEordered hacks on dissidents, journalists, human rights activists, rival foreign leaders, and other political enemies on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Al-Hathloul alleges she was one of the activists who was targeted in the hacking campaign, the information gathered from which led to her arrest, imprisonment, and torture.

The lawsuit marks the first time al-Hathloulhas taken action against the authorities against which she has protested so heavily. She was released from prison earlier this year but is still unable to leave the KSA.

Al-Hathloul is perhaps best known for her efforts in calling for greater women's rights in Saudi Arabia, most recently pushing for an overhaul of law that would see women be able to drive in the region.

As part of her campaign, in 2014 she famously drove from the UAE to KSA while filming her endeavour, which saw her imprisoned for 73 days after being stopped at the KSA border. The law was later overhauled four years later in 2018, allowing women to drive for the first time.

The three former NSA officers named in the lawsuit alongside the DarkMatter company areMarc Baier, Ryan Adams, and Daniel Gericke. The lawyers for all four defendants have been contacted for comment byIT Probut did not respond.

DarkMatter and the three former NSA officers are accused of exploiting a vulnerability in Apple's iMessage service which allowed the trained hackers to locate and monitor targets chosen by their clients, including al-Hathloul.

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The trio named in the lawsuit, brought to them by al-Hathlouland the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), have all previously admitted to violating computer fraud and abuse laws, as well as selling sensitive military technology, in a separate non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in September.

Al-Hathloulclaims her phone was first hacked in 2017 which sawher texts, email messages, and real-time location data sent to DarkMatter and its client.

The lawsuit alleges DarkMatter intentionally directed code to Apple's US servers to place malware on al-Hathloul's phone, violating theComputer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the process.

"Project Raven went beyond even the behaviour that we have seen from NSO Group, which has been caught repeatedly having sold software to authoritarian governments who use their tools to spy on journalists, activists, and dissidents,"said Eva Galperin,cybersecurity director at EFF. "Dark Matter didn't merely provide the tools; they oversaw the surveillance program themselves."

The lawsuit seeks compensation and punitive damages against the three individuals and DarkMatter.

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DarkMatter and former NSA officers sued over alleged phone hack of Saudi human rights activist - IT PRO

Edward Snowden is one of the most well-known names in circles where mass surveillance and the NSA (National Security Agency) in general are often the topics of discussion.

After working with the CIA and at the NSA, in 2013 he fled the US and leaked thousands of classified NSA documents, revealing highly secret government information to the world.

We won't be getting into the details surrounding this fascinating man and his government leaks, but the one detail about him that actually relates to PhoneArena, and for the phone enthusiast is quite interesting to know.

In any case, if you are the type of person who doesn't quite trust neither Google nor Apple to handle your private information, you may find it interesting to know about GrapheneOS.

This is an open source non-profit project developed by a small organization headed by security engineer Daniel Micay, aiming to be a "privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility". And it is!

"The iOS and Android operating systems that run on nearly every smartphone conceal uncountable numbers of programming flaws, known as security vulnerabilities, that mean common apps like iMessage or web browsers become dangerous: you can be hacked."

And, as we mentioned, Google is allegedly participating in the NSA's PRISM program. Which means that if requested, Google will give the NSA all of your private information, including your internet communications.

Furthermore, without getting too technical, GrapheneOS features enhanced disk encryption, meaning it would be very difficult for anyone, even professional hackers, to get access to your files.

Things like how Wi-Fi works, cellular tracking, basically anything that relies on third parties (e.g. your internet provider) and could get you identified is also either modified, or at the very least you get advice on how you can approach it most securely by the GrapheneOS team.

And the list of security features gets more and more complicated after that. Being a private individual definitely isn't simple nowadays.

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What does an ex-CIA whistleblower use: Android or iPhone? (Edward Snowden) - PhoneArena

Karachi, December 9

Pakistan has not offered any military bases to China in the strategic Gwadar port, National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has said, while reiterating that any country can invest in the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project since we are not closed to anybody.

The Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea has long been portrayed as the jewel in the CPEC crown, but in the process, the city has become the very embodiment of a security state in the restive Balochistan province. There are economic bases of China in Pakistan, where any country in the world can investthe same were also offered to the United States, Russia and the Middle East. We are open to all countries, Yusuf said in an interview for BBCs HARDtalk.

Protests had erupted in Gwadar last month against unnecessary checkpoints, severe shortage of water and electricity and threats to livelihoods from illegal fishing. The protests were part of growing discontent over Chinas presence in Gwadar, whose port is an integral part of the $60 billion CPEC, the flagship project of Chinas multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. PTI

Excerpt from:
No military bases offered to China in Gwadar: Pak NSA - The Tribune India

Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Boulton stated that the Taliban have broken all of their promises, and hence their interim government should not be recognised. In an interview with Voice of America (VOA), John Boulton accused the Taliban of lying and stated that they do not seek to construct an all-inclusive administration.Boulton alsostated that at this point, no country in the world has any reason to recognise the Taliban.The former NSA admitted that his country is not causing problems for ordinary Afghans, but emphasised that Afghans do not want the Taliban to rule over them.

The Taliban's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahidstatedthat Boulton was aggressive and that the two-decade war in Afghanistan was caused by his ideas. Mujahid also disputed the claims that they have broken promises, according to Khaama Press. Taliban's temporary administration has yet to be recognised, and the move now appears tough and distant after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delayed a seat for the Taliban and confirmed Afghanistan's former permanent representative Ghulam Muhammad Ishaqzai as the envoy of Afghanistan.

Earlier, a few months ago, John Boulton chastised Islamabad for backing the Taliban and supplying them with safe havens in Pakistan during the last two decades, according to The Khaama Press. He stated that parts of the Pakistani government are directly responsible for the Taliban's return to power. He also claimedthat Pakistan's intelligence and other internal circles have been in contact with the Taliban for decades.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's Minister of Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain remarked that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is worsening by the day. He further stated that the people of Afghanistan were experiencing the worst humanitarian catastrophe this winter andthat Pakistan is attempting to develop a mechanism with Saudi Arabia and other brotherly countries to assist the people of the war-torn country, according to Daily Times.

The Crisis Group has also warned that if the ongoing humanitarian crisis and winter season are not addressed, one million people will die in Afghanistan. The Group has urged the international community to intervene and repeal sanctions in order to stop widespread famine as the country faces a terrible winter, according to Khaama Press. Meanwhile, the organisation has also warned that the continued crisis and malnutrition will result in more deaths than Afghanistan's two decades of conflict.

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Ex-US NSA Boulton says Taliban breached every promise, doesn't deserve to be recognised - Republic World

The United States is in a better position from a year earlier to compete with China, partly thanks to its strong alliances with countries such as South Korea, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday.

The top US security advisor also underscored the importance of a US military presence in the Indo-Pacific region to help maintain peace and stability.

"I believe that there's a fairly straightforward way of looking at this, which is, close to one year into the Biden administration are we in a stronger position to deal with China than we were one year ago?, and I would argue that the answer to that question is unequivocally yes," Sullivan said in a webinar hosted by US online news outlet Defense One.

Sullivan explained reasons for the US' increased strength in dealing with China included the recently launched security arrangement with Australia and Britain, called AUKUS, as well as the Quad, which President Joe Biden elevated to a leader-level forum by hosting its first-ever summit this year, involving his counterparts from Australia, Japan and India.

"President has welcomed the president of Korea, the prime Minister of Japan to the White House, and those alliances are at their strongest point that they've been in in many years," said Sullivan.

He said the US alliances, along with its engagement with partners in multilateral formats, place the US in a position to both "compete effectively" with China and manage its relationship with China responsibly.

Sullivan also highlighted the importance of a US military presence in North East Asia.

"He (Biden) believes that stationing troops in an operational posture that is effective and adaptable in the Indo Pacific is important to keep peace and stability there, as well as to do so in the face of a rising challenge and threat from China," said Sullivan when asked how keeping US troops in the region serves US national interests.

The US currently has some 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea and around 50,000 in Japan.

"We feel good about where we are," said Sullivan.

"Now, that doesn't mean that we are not going to work with China where it's in our interest to do so ... We are going to work with China to try to deal with the climate crisis. We are going to work with China on questions related to regional security issues like the Iran nuclear deal, and that's in America's interests," he added. (Yonhap)

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Strong alliances place US in better position to compete with China: NSA Sullivan - The Korea Herald

Its been said that a rising tide lifts all ships, and that its better to succeed as a community than as an individual. These axioms can be seen in action at National Safety Apparel (NSA), which has been manufacturing protective clothing and work wear while steadily growing its brand since 1935.

A fourth-generation family-owned business, NSA operates out of a main manufacturing facility in West Cleveland, with satellite facilities in Chicago and Arkansas and a total headcount of around 700 employees across all locations. Chief operating officer Sal Geraci said an ambitious expansion strategy and well-chosen acquisitions have fueled the companys growth and made the organization stronger.

Every time we do an acquisition, I think we learn something from the company we acquire in terms of what works for their organization, what works better in ours and using a best practices model to determine what were going to incorporate, Geraci said.

While acquisitions and an aggressive growth pattern have expanded NSAs footprint, the factors that truly set the business apart include adaptability, flexibility and a dedication to providing innovative solutions for customers.

For many years, our key competency was our ability to customize products for industrial workers very quickly, Geraci said. So, we would do made-to-order (products) in a matter of days or weeks at the most, where many companies would struggle with that.

This spirit of versatility and willingness to adapt to shifting circumstances would end up serving the company well when COVID-19 struck in 2020 and global supply chain difficulties carried on well into 2021.

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Standing tall as a beacon for NEO manufacturing - Crain's Cleveland Business

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is urging sheep farmers across the UK to update themselves with the latest guidance on how best to deal with a sheep worrying by dog attack on their flock.

As the end of the year approaches, many sheep farmers will once again look back having experienced an increase in sheep worrying by dog attacks on their flocks during 2021.

Despite the shorter days and colder temperatures of winter now having arrived, the threat of attacks from dogs continues, with the festive period often seeing an increase in cases once again.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker commented: The past two years have brought an increase of dog walkers into the countryside as dog ownership has soared and Covid-19 has kept many people from their usual past times.

This has led to many sheep farmers across the UK reporting an increase in sheep worrying attacks by dogs on their flocks.

With Christmas and New Year holidays almost upon us, it is likely many people will once again get out and about walking with their pets, placing sheep flocks at risk.

In the case of an attack happening, NSA hopes its advice available online will be useful to secure the best outcome.

To help sheep farmers know how best to act should they suffer an attack on their flock, the NSA recently posed a series of questions to PC David Allen of North Wales Police who provided some important advice that all sheep farmers in the UK should be aware of.

PC Allen is a member of the Livestock Worrying Roundtable, with a number of years of experience of dealing with sheep worrying cases.

Having taken questions submitted by NSA members he was able to offer valuable advice on the issue ranging from what farmers are legally able to do if a dog is caught in the act of sheep worrying, to how to best trace owners of straying dogs.

Sheep farmers are also reminded of the downloadable warning signs that NSA has available on its website that can be used to inform dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead near sheep.

In addition to the traditional warning signs NSA has offered for several years, the association is now pleased to also offer a downloadable sign designed by recent competition winner Max, aged nine, from Kent.

Max designed his winning sign in a recent NSA childrens competition. It is hoped the winning sign could act as an effective method of communication highlighting the serious issue to walkers passing through farmland.

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NSA issues advice on how best to deal with a sheep worrying attack - Agriland.co.uk

Bloom, located on the southwest corner of Friendship Square,has served breakfast and brunchinMoscowsince 2011andclosedits doorsDec. 5.

New Saint Andrews College, a private Christian college, owns the building in which Bloom currently resides. NSA resides in the same building and had been renting out a portion of it to Bloom but is nowrefusing to renew Blooms lease.

Before closing, a farewell ceremony occurred out front ofBloom with acrowdof about 30. In attendancewereabout10fellow business owners,members of the community, friends of the ownersand Bloomemployees.

A trombone, accordionand drums were played,giving a solemn goodbye to the restaurantwith the audience demanding an encore, and a tearful goodbye fromownersNaraandBrandonWoodland.

Sandra Kelly, acouncilorof Moscow City Council,spoke about how she felt about the closure.

Im sadBloomis(closing),I really like the heartbeat ofour downtown community.Theydo such amazing things, Kelly said.They do nonprofitwork, they donate to nonprofits all over town and they have been just such an integral part ofthat inclusive, diverse Moscow community thatit breaks my heart to see this happen.

Bloom hadbeen a partofandlaunchedvariousprograms helping the community with food insecurity over many years, such as they had launched in November 2020, Healthy Home: Feed a FamilywhereBloom sought out families through local schools with food insecurity and cooked and delivered fresh meals to them.

Theclosurefirst became public with alarge sign outside BloomandaFacebookposton Nov. 16addressing the closure,New Saint Andrews College wants our restaurant space for their own purposes. We are sorry to inform you that December 5th will be our final day of service. We truly regret the loss to our community this decision will have.

Thestatementcontinuedto thank the community for its supportofthe restaurantscharitableprograms.Thisstatement resulted in an outpouring of grief and sadness over the closureonthe businesssFacebook page.

Right now, with the impending closure of our restaurant, we are feeling so sad and disappointed, Nara Woodland said.With the outpouring of love and support people have shared on our social media pages and through conversations, we understand how important Bloom is to our community. Bloom embodies mutual respect andinclusivity,which added to the vibrancy of our downtown.

As for reopening at anew location, there are no currentplans.

To retain what we all love about a vibrant Moscow, it is essential that downtown businesses serve the greater population of our community and not just a few,she continued.Rightnow,we are just taking it one step at a time. We have been invited by individuals in both Moscow and other communities to relocate our business. We are so grateful that our communities have provided so much support, kind words and memories.

NSA,respondedtoBlooms public statementwith their ownpostthenext day.

Thecollege is experiencing unprecedented growth and is scrapping for every square foot of space to accommodate this growth. Our current plan is to move the NSA bookstore into the space that we rented to Bloom, allowing us to expand the bookstore and add study space in the library where the bookstore currently exists,NSA stated.

New Saint Andrews has experienced a13.9% increase in enrollmentfromthe2019-2020 to 2020-2021 schoolyears,greatlyexceeding the previous average 2%annualincrease in enrollment from2011 to 2020.

In 2019,Moscow City Councilapproved an ordinancethatbarred further expansion of any schoolswithin the Central Business District of Moscow. Thisdistrictenclosesmuch of the buildingswithinthe core ofdowntown Moscow,includingtheSkattaboeBuilding which contains both New Saint Andrews and Bloom.

Brandy Sullivan, co-owner of One World Caf andaMoscowCity Council Member, spoke about the ordinance.

The zoning code doesnt prevent UI or NSA or any other educational institution from purchasing a building in the central business district. The code does, however, limit the use of those buildings to permitted uses, Sullivan said.Since changes were made to the zoning code in 2019, the expansion of existingor addition of new educational services in the central business district is no longer permitted under any condition.

Sullivan states that one of the conditions of the conditional use permit was that NSA must maintain 160 feet of frontage for commercial usage or public usage. A bookstore, to her knowledge, would fit that requirement even if the space would not be used by as wide of a segment of the public as Bloom had been.

Some locals hold concerns ofNSAbeingaffiliated with Christ Churchand taking over downtown through expansion.Previously,The Guardianhasinvestigatedthe churchs financial and political interests.

There is concern from some that the welcoming, diverse makeup of downtown may be threatened as more and more downtown buildings are being bought by a single organized entity, and in this case, one in whichitsleaders stated goal is a strategic takeover tomake Moscow a Christian town, Sullivan said.

Sullivan explained that fears surrounded the idea that landlords could selectivelychoosetenants,limiting downtownsgrowth.

Bloom had been an exception to this. I hope to see non-discriminatory rental practices regardless of who owns a building, and a diversity of business owner backgrounds, beliefs,and cultures, so that our treasured downtown remains a welcoming space for all, rather than providing opportunities to only those of a particular religious affiliation to the exclusion of those with differing beliefs,Sullivan said.

Photos from Blooms farewell ceremony can be seen here.

President of NSA Ben Merkledeclined to commenton Blooms closure.

Cory Summers can be reached at [emailprotected]

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Bloom closes after 10 years in Moscow The Argonaut - Argonaut