Category: Homeland Security

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CISA and USPIS Release Two Election Mail Security Resources

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) joined together to release an Election Mail Security Public Service Announcement (PSA) and a training video for election officials on securely and safely handling potential toxic hazards in election mail. The PSA affirms the incredible efforts local and state officials have invested, through the federal government, in ensuring security and integrity of the elections process, and specifically how seriously CISA and USPIS take the security of election related mail. As CISA leads federal efforts to ensure election officials have the resources they need to defend against the range of cyber and physical threats to election infrastructure, USPIS ensures the safe and secure delivery of election mail, and the protection of election officials from potentially dangerous mail.    

“CISA, alongside our federal partners like the US Postal Inspection Service, are committed to helping those on the frontline of our democratic process have the tools and resources necessary to accomplish their incredible mission while staying safe from the range of hazards they may face,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Together we can protect America’s election infrastructure against new and evolving threats and that is our continued goal for Protect 2024 here at CISA.”  

“We have a shared commitment, with our close partner CISA, to ensure the safety of election workers and the security of election mail, in part through the education and empowerment of voters and election officials,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “Today’s releases are another way we are delivering on that commitment.”  

Everyone has a part to play when it comes to helping to ensure the safe and secure delivery of election mail. Americans can do the following:   

  • Don’t let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox.  Pick up election mail from your mailbox as soon as its delivered.  
  • Don’t leave your mail unattended for extended periods.  
  • Return outgoing election mail in your local post office or hand directly to a postal employee 
  • Many states have online tracking tools to help track the status of your ballot.  If you believe there’s an issue with the receipt or delivery of your ballot, contact your local election office to verify the status of your ballot prior to contacting USPS.  

To report suspicious mail and election mail-related security or criminal incidents contact USPIS at (877) 876-2455 or you can report election mail crimes at uspis.gov/report. To view the CISA and USPIS PSA and training video, please visit CISA and USPIS Election Mail Security Resources on CISA.gov. and check out #Protect2024 for the latest information regarding election security at CISA. 

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About CISA 

As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security Recognizes 325 Employees at Secretary’s Award Ceremony in Washington D.C.

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – On October 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held an awards ceremony hosted at DHS headquarters located at St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast Washington, D.C. where 325 employees received a Secretary’s Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Department’s mission. 

“Every single day, with great determination, integrity, and skill, the 268,000 men and women of the Department of Homeland Security ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to these extraordinary public servants, our shores, harbors, skies, cyberspace, and borders are protected; fentanyl and other deadly drugs are prevented from entering our country; communities are able to recover and rebuild after a natural disaster; the scourges of human trafficking, forced labor, and online exploitation are mitigated; and so much more. The individuals we recognize today with our Department’s highest honor, the Secretary’s Award, reflect the very best of DHS – and in their selfless dedication to mission, the very best of public service.”

The DHS Secretary’s Awards are an annual program that recognizes the extraordinary individual and collective achievements of the workforce. The 325 awardees recognized in today’s ceremony represent the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, the DHS Privacy Office, and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). 

“In recognizing these outstanding DHS personnel with a Secretary’s Award, we recognize all our talented personnel; the achievements of one are not possible without the contributions of others,” added Secretary Mayorkas. “We also express our appreciation to their families and loved ones; when one serves, the family serves too.”

This year’s award recipients developed and issued policy and procedures associated with a whole-scale transition to a new pay system for TSA; launched a series of coordinated and collaborative initiatives, operations and investigations targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and national security threats operating and transiting through the Darien Gap region; arrested over 8,000 human smugglers, produced over 5,000 intelligence reports, and seized over $38M USD in real property; ensured over 2,300 vital alerts and warnings were provided to owners and operators of critical infrastructure to protect against cyberattacks; among many other achievements. 

This year, DHS is holding nine Secretary’s Awards ceremonies across the country, honoring over 1,700 employees, the most annual awardees ever. 

Last year, Secretary Mayorkas unveiled 12 priorities for the Department, including a commitment to champion the workforce and transform the employee experience. DHS has the third largest workforce of any federal department, behind the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department is home to more than 92,000 sworn law enforcement officers, the greatest number of law enforcement officers of any department in the federal government. DHS has committed to increasing the representation of women in law enforcement or related occupations at DHS to 30% by 2030. Over 54,000 veterans, or nearly 21% of the workforce, continue serving their country by working at DHS. 

DHS operational components interact more frequently on a daily basis with the American public than any other federal department, from travelers moving through air, land, and sea ports of entry, to businesses importing goods into the country, to immigrants applying for services. To learn more about the impact DHS makes every day, visit: DHS.gov/TodayDHSWill.

Last year, DHS improved the efficiency of processing noncitizens at the Southwest Border, deployed across the country to respond to natural disasters, investigated cybercrimes, created a new streamlined process for adjudicating asylum applications, safely and securely resettled nearly 90,000 evacuated Afghans in the United States, provided resources for organizations to enhance their cybersecurity resilience, established a process for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge, secured the 2022 midterm elections, and demonstrated heroism by acting quickly and courageously to save lives in harrowing circumstances. 

For the full list of awardees, visit  2024 Secretary’s Awards | Homeland Security (dhs.gov). 

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FBI and CISA Issue Public Service Announcement Warning of Tactics Foreign Threat Actors are Using to Spread Disinformation in the 2024 U.S. General Election

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued their final four-part joint public service announcement (PSA) today titled “Just So You Know: Foreign Threat Actors Likely to Use a Variety of Tactics to Develop and Spread Disinformation During the 2024 U.S. General Election Cycle.” This PSA highlights efforts by foreign actors to spread disinformation in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. general election with the goal of casting doubt on the integrity of the democratic process and sowing partisan discord. Foreign adversaries are using a variety of sophisticated disinformation campaigns, often leveraging new tools, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), to craft and spread misleading content. 

“As we approach Election Day, it is important to remember that while elections are political, election security is not. Election security is national security. Our foreign adversaries are looking to attack our democratic process to further their own objectives, and we need the help of all Americans in ensuring they are not successful,” said CISA Senior Advisor Cait Conley.  “There has been incredible effort across local, state and federal governments to ensure the security and integrity of our nation’s election infrastructure. Americans should be confident that their votes will be counted as cast.  They should also know that our foreign adversaries will try to make them believe otherwise. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, verify the information they consume, and rely on trusted sources like their state and local election officials.” 

The PSA highlights specific examples of tactics we have seen used by Russia and Iran during the 2024 election cycle to target all Americans. These include things from mimicking national level media outlets like the Washington Post and Fox News and creating inauthentic news sites posing as legitimate media organizations to using paid influencers to hide their hand. It is important for voters to critically evaluate information sources, particularly as disinformation campaigns evolve to use AI-generated content. Both agencies urge the American public to rely on trusted information from state and local election officials and to verify claims through multiple reliable sources before sharing them on social media or other platforms. 

For more information on how to protect yourself from disinformation, visit the official websites of the FBI and CISA’s dedicated election security webpage, cisa.gov/Protect2024.  

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About CISA 

As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. 

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Five Country Ministerial 2024 – Declaration Bridging Government Efforts and Elevating Survivors’ Voices

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Preamble 

We, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the ‘Five Countries’) , recognize the importance of drawing in the voices and experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and in particular, their ongoing advocacy efforts petitioning for increased responses from government and industry to eliminate child sexual abuse and resulting material. 

We want to acknowledge the important work and advocacy of survivors’ coalitions, such as the Phoenix 11, a consortium of brave victims and survivors from the United States and Canada who have engaged with the Five Countries. Other victims and survivors coalitions are supported by non-governmental organizations. All of these brave victims and survivors continue to engage and call on government, lawmakers and industry to champion the rights of children to be safe online. 

We acknowledge that more work needs to be done to ensure all levers are used to combat this crime, and to that end, the expertise of victims and survivors is key to enabling meaningful, trauma-informed change.  

Commitment 

We, the Ministers of the Five Countries, commit to work more proactively and collaboratively with victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse and the organisations working to support them, to ensure Five Country efforts to combat this crime type are informed by their lived experiences and expertise. 

The Five Countries will continue to adopt, both individually and collectively, an approach to policy and engagement that is victim-centric and trauma-informed . Our commitment to victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse rests on the understanding that respect, care and protection, ongoing dialogue, and empowerment are central to this process and will enable victims and survivors to report their abuse and access the support they need to heal from their experiences 

Next Step 

The Five Country Ministerial Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Working Group will engage organizations and advocates in their respective regions in late 2024 to determine the best path forward and identify concrete actions to undertake. 

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Five Country Ministerial 2024 – Joint statement on Irregular Migration

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

The Five Countries have a long and proud tradition of welcoming migrants and providing protection to the most vulnerable people across the world. We remain committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, including refugees, and will continue to offer protection in line with our international obligations. We will strive to ensure the successful integration into our respective countries and communities of migrants and refugees who have a lawful right to remain. It is our responsibility to ensure that we have the necessary national, regional and international architecture in place to maximise the positive aspects of safe, orderly and regular migration, whilst also addressing global irregular migration. 

Globally, irregular migration and forced displacement have increased in scale. This presents complex challenges that need to be addressed through a well-managed, coordinated, flexible and whole-of-route strategy. We recognise the value of a comprehensive approach which takes into account the diverse and multi-dimensional drivers of irregular movement and forced displacement. These drivers can include conflict and violence, poverty, political instability, crime and corruption, environmental degradation and climate change, or the seeking of family reunification or economic opportunities. 

The Five Countries aim to work together to identify and implement consistent, equitable, and mutually beneficial partnerships that develop and stabilise source countries, improve the capacity of transit countries, and deter individuals from embarking on dangerous or irregular journeys or attempting to misuse our migration systems. 

Further, the Five Countries remain committed to disrupting the activities of bad actors, and taking swift action against those who exploit the vulnerable and who violate, or facilitate the violation of, our respective immigration laws. This includes working to combat attempts to misuse our migration systems, including through visa fraud. We will endeavour to prevent and disrupt people smuggling activities and prosecute the people smuggling groups and facilitators responsible. We will also seek to return, in a fair, safe and orderly manner, those individuals who have no legal basis to remain in our countries, consistent with our domestic and international obligations. 

As partners, the Five Countries acknowledge the existing international migration and protection frameworks and value the activities and partnerships with international organisations across the migration space, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL). We will continue to collaborate with these institutions and leverage existing national, regional and international frameworks to bolster our responses through strengthened institutions, systems and processes. 

The Five Countries encourage pragmatic approaches to establishing migration policies and managing their sovereign borders in defence of national security, and in accordance with our obligations under national and international law. To this end, we affirm our collective responsibility to identify and better understand the evolving challenges of irregular migration. We commit to working together, learning from best practice based on robust evidence and analysis to identify and implement effective and sustainable solutions. Our efforts will include taking bold, flexible approaches and action, where needed. 

The Five Countries agree that it is through committed and focused partnerships that we will deliver results on providing protection to the most vulnerable whilst protecting our borders and maintaining public confidence in our migration and protection systems, in line with our international obligations and commitments. 

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Five Country Ministerial 2024 – Joint Communique

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

We, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the ‘Five Countries’) remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold and promote shared liberal democratic values, and in working collaboratively to protect our citizens, communities, and governments from evolving national security threats in an increasingly contested world. Throughout 2024, the Five Countries have collaborated and advanced efforts on a range of issues relevant to our collective national security thematic areas of interest, specifically in consideration of the following issues: 

National Security Risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

The Five Countries recognise the enormous opportunities presented by critical and emerging technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) – in creating new jobs, improving productivity, and aiding in cyber defence. However, the rapid development and deployment of AI risks creating novel security vulnerabilities (including both to and from AI systems) and providing a platform for malign actors to increase the speed and scale of malicious activities. We are particularly concerned by the use of AI to facilitate the creation and distribution of mis/disinformation, malware, terrorist and violent extremist content, non-consensual deep fake pornography, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). We continue to share information on how our governments are establishing frameworks to best manage the risks associated with AI, while still taking advantage of the benefits, and remain committed to working together to ensure our shared values shape international standards and governance for AI. 

We acknowledge that deeper cooperation among the Five Countries will support the safe, secure, and trustworthy deployment and use of these technologies in a way that minimises the risks and maximises opportunities in a national security context. The Five Countries remain committed to continuing to align our work in achieving this goal. 

Countering Foreign Interference 

With more people than ever voting in elections around the world in 2024, the Five Countries recognise the need for resilient and transparent democratic institutions to mitigate evolving threats to democratic processes. Such threats, including the proliferation of state-sponsored disinformation through increased use of emerging technologies, pose a significant challenge to upholding our democratic values. 

We are resolute in our commitment to ensuring that communities are free from transnational repression, and recognise the continued need for collaboration, information sharing and taking action to protect our communities, businesses, and citizens. It is unacceptable for any foreign government to target members of our communities to prevent individuals from exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms in the Five Countries. 

Finally, the Five Countries recognise the need to mitigate the threat posed by foreign interference and espionage within our research ecosystems. The Five Countries remain committed to exchanging best practices and threat information on research security, including how foreign entities of concern may be attempting to adapt to and bypass safeguards, to improve the resilience of those ecosystems. 

Cyber Security 

The increase in malicious and sophisticated cyber security threats is impacting the daily lives of citizens, businesses and governments across the Five Countries. We emphasise the need to target the enablers that make up the cybercrime business model, who are providing the illicit products, goods and services that make it easier to commit cybercrime. Malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructure by both state and non-state malicious cyber actors pose some of the greatest threats to our Five Countries and we are committed to jointly disrupting these operations and securing our most important networks. 

We note the importance of fraud in the cyber security context and are particularly concerned about online scam centres that target vulnerable individuals globally; are involved in human trafficking for forced criminality to support their operations; or feed into a highly profitable criminal enterprise that undermines our cyber security. We reaffirm our support to the commitments made at the Global Fraud Summit. A key outcome from the Summit was to maintain strong engagement with industry, and the Five Countries agree to progress further efforts in this space to tackle the fraud threat and better protect our citizens. 

We recognise the broader role of continued public-private collaboration in mitigating cyber security and data threats for our citizens, businesses and nations. To further deepen our relationship with industry, the Five Countries commit to share lessons learned from respective domestic efforts in securing data to ensure trusted and secure cross-border data flows and enhance the resilience of our data. 

We recognise the value of coming together as the Five Countries to enhance strategic engagement on priority cybercrime threats, particularly through the international Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI). The Five Countries will actively support the CRI and will engage in wider fora to advance our shared aims through international cooperation and build cross-border resilience to collectively disrupt malicious cyber actors. 

Domestic Security 

In response to recent events in the Middle East, the Five Countries have regularly drawn on the FCM to discuss the conflict and broader security situation, as well as associated domestic security challenges. This includes recognising the effects of this conflict on impacted communities, exploring the associated impacts in polarising and radicalising community attitudes, and understanding the threats posed by the spread of extremist content and disinformation. 

We remain very concerned about the rise of terrorist and violent extremist content online and its impact, particularly on young people, and we recognise the importance of continued engagement with industry to mitigate this issue. 

As members of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) Independent Advisory Committee, we call on the organisation to strengthen its efforts to address terrorist and violent extremist content, including when it arises in the context of a prolonged conflict. We stress the importance of expanding GIFCT membership to include a broader range of technology companies, as well as in helping smaller platforms to identify and address terrorist and violent extremist content. In parallel, we continue to support the implementation of the Christchurch Call commitments and welcome the launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation. 

We commit to addressing the complexity of youth radicalisation, as well as the need to better understand the risks of personalised ideological motivations. We acknowledge that unique pathways and factors can make at-risk individuals susceptible to radicalisation, including violent extremism. We will continue to share information on effective approaches to prevention, such as intervention approaches to support diversion efforts; and are committed to working together to conduct a diagnosis of how violent extremist actors leverage technology to encourage at-risk individuals to violence. 

Lawful Access 

The Five Countries will continue working together to maintain tightly-controlled lawful access to communications content that is vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes including terrorism and child abuse. We will work in partnership with technology companies to do this, protecting the safety of our citizens. 

Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) 

The Five Countries note the significant role of emerging technologies, including AI, in the proliferation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material. We reiterate our collective commitment to exercising all levers available to tackle this crime type and keep children safe in all settings. 

We recognise the need to work collaboratively across the whole sector, noting the specific knowledge and role of industry and academia, and the expertise of victims, survivors and their families to ensure our efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse are holistic, evidence-based, and promote technological innovation. In this spirit, we jointly endorsed the “Bridging Government Efforts and Elevating Survivors’ Voices” statement (Annex I). 

We also recognise the continued importance of the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and – noting that the landscape has changed significantly since their launch five years ago – commit to further engagement with signatories to seek updates on efforts to uphold the principles as outlined. 

While there has been progress through voluntary action to date, the Five Countries urgently call on tech companies to continue to drive innovation to keep children safe online on their platforms and to adhere to legal requirements in each of our jurisdictions. We remain committed to working with industry to explore holistic efforts and supporting innovation in tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse, including responding to the proliferation of AI-generated child sexual exploitation and abuse content. 

Migration  

The Five Countries recognise the extensive pressures on our border management, migration and protection systems that are being exacerbated by significant volumes of global migration and displacement seen across the world. 

We acknowledge that there are a multitude of drivers for irregular migration and forced displacement, and we recognise the importance of taking a whole-of-route approach in response to mixed migrant flows. The Five Countries will continue to explore opportunities to work together to combat organised crime groups that are facilitating and profiting from human smuggling. 

The Five Countries also recognise the opportunities presented by the rise in global migration and mobility, and note the benefits of safe and regular migration pathways. At the same time, we remain committed to enforcing our immigration laws and delivering consequences for those individuals who have no right to remain in our respective countries. We encourage the use of innovative policy levers to maintain well-managed regular pathways in light of increasing demand on our migration systems. We are committed to deepening our collaboration to enhance the integrity of our migration and border systems by leveraging emerging technology and examining additional efforts to address fraud and stop bad actors from exploiting our regular pathways. 

The Five Countries remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers in accordance with our international obligations, whilst endorsing pragmatic approaches of countries to establish policies in their own national interest and national security. 

Closing 

The FCM remains the preeminent Ministerial-level forum for the Five Countries to engage and exchange information on shared national security issues and implement new initiatives to respond to various areas of concern. Our efforts to collaborate and exchange best practise in responding to evolving threats continues to grow and we look forward to further deepening these efforts in the coming year ahead 

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DHS Conducts Removal Flight to the People’s Republic of China

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – On October 15, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted its second charter removal flight to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of Chinese nationals this year.  The first large charter removal flight since 2018 was conducted in June in close coordination with the PRC’s National Immigration Administration. This week’s flight demonstrates the Department’s continued commitment to pursuing sustained cooperation with the PRC and other international partners to reduce and deter irregular migration.  

DHS continues to enforce U.S. immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully. This includes swiftly returning those without a legal basis to remain in the United States, while encouraging the use of lawful pathways. On June 4, President Biden issued a Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of certain noncitizens across the southern border. As a result, since June 4 the Border Patrol’s encounters have decreased more than 55%, and DHS has operated more than 398 international repatriation flights through the end of August to more than 140 countries—including the PRC. 

“Intending migrants should not believe the lies of smugglers – Chinese nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to strengthen consequences for individuals unlawfully entering our country and enforce our nation’s laws.”

DHS regularly engages counterparts throughout the hemisphere and around the world to accept repatriations of nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States and takes other steps to reduce irregular migration; promote safe, lawful, and orderly pathways; and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for abusing our lawful trade and travel systems, and the smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people. Over the last year, DHS has removed individuals to a range of countries around the world, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, India, and the PRC. As a result of these efforts, DHS removed or returned more individuals in FY2024 than any year since FY2010. Efforts to expand removal flights continue.

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DHS Offers Protections for Lebanese Nationals Currently in the United States

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Certain Lebanese nationals will be eligible for DED and TPS, allowing them to work and temporarily remain in the United States

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing new actions to provide temporary immigration reprieve to eligible Lebanese nationals currently in the United States and allowing them the opportunity to request work authorization. Included in today’s announcement are details related to the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals as previously announced in July, and a planned new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Lebanon.

After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Mayorkas is announcing a new TPS designation for Lebanon for 18 months due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Lebanon that prevent nationals of Lebanon from returning in safety. Those approved for TPS will be able to remain in the country while the United States is in discussions to achieve a diplomatic resolution for lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border. The designation of Lebanon for TPS will allow Lebanese nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon) who have been continuously residing in the United States since October 16, 2024 to file initial applications for TPS, if they are otherwise eligible. Lebanese nationals who entered the United States after October 16, 2024 will not be eligible for TPS. More information about TPS, including how to apply for employment authorization, will be included in a forthcoming Federal Register Notice which DHS intends to publish in the next few weeks. Individuals should not apply for TPS under this designation until this Federal Register Notice publishes.

Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)also posted a Federal Register Notice establishing procedures for those Lebanese nationals covered by President Biden’s July 26, 2024 grant of Deferred Enforced Departure to apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) that will be valid through January 25, 2026. As described in the Federal Register Notice, eligible Lebanese nationals can apply for an EAD by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. USCIS adjudicates each EAD application on a case-by-case basis to determine if an applicant meets all standards and eligibility criteria. More information about DED-based EADs is available on the USCIS website.

DHS is also publishing a Special Student Relief Notice for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Lebanon, or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Lebanon, so that eligible students may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 status through the DED designation period.

In total, approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals will likely be eligible for DED and TPS pursuant to these actions. There are also approximately 1,740 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Lebanon in the United States who may be eligible for Special Student Relief. 

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Statement from Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on the Independent Review Panel Report of the July 13, 2024 Assassination Attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued the following statement on the Independent Review Panel report released today regarding the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt against former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“We are grateful to the members of the bipartisan Independent Review Panel and their staff for their in-depth examination of the security failures that led to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on the former President and the loss of life and casualties suffered.  The members of the Independent Review Panel are highly accomplished individuals with extensive security and law enforcement backgrounds, and the U.S. Secret Service’s protection mission will benefit greatly from their recommendations.

“I have reviewed the Independent Review Panel’s report and have met with the Panel members. We will fully consider the Panel’s recommendations and are taking the actions needed to advance the Secret Service’s protection mission.  These actions will be responsive not only to the security failures that led to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt, but, importantly, to what the Independent Review Panel describes as systemic and foundational issues that underlie those failures.  I commend Acting Director Rowe for his leadership and for proactively undertaking security enhancements, including those informed by the Secret Service’s internal Mission Assurance Review.

“I have the utmost confidence in the men and women of the United States Secret Service.  We are operating in a heightened and dynamic threat environment, and it is their talent, unwavering dedication, and tireless service that ensures the safety and security of their protectees and our nation.”

Following the events of July 13 President Joe Biden directed DHS to conduct an independent security review. On July 21, 2024 Secretary Mayorkas named a bipartisan panel with extensive law enforcement and security experience to conduct a 45-day independent review. The independent review panel of experts from outside of government was comprised of former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano; the Hon. Mark Filip, a former federal judge and Deputy Attorney General to President George W. Bush; Ms. Frances Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush; and Chief David Mitchell, the former superintendent of Maryland State Police and former Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the State of Delaware.

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CISA and FBI Release Product Security Bad Practices for Public Comment

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released the Product Security Bad Practices for public comment today. This catalog outlines practices that are deemed exceptionally risky and provides recommendations for software manufacturers to mitigate these risks. It urges software manufacturers to avoid these bad practices, especially those who produce software used in service of critical infrastructure or national critical functions (NCFs). Members of the public may submit public comment on this guidance starting today.

The National Cybersecurity Strategy calls for a fundamental shift to rebalance the responsibility to defend cyber space onto those best positioned to bear it; namely, the software manufacturers who build products underpinning our collective digital infrastructure. Fully realizing this shift requires an understanding of the most egregious software development practices that software manufacturers must avoid. This catalog enumerates such practices.

“It’s 2024, and basic, preventable software defects continue to enable crippling attacks against hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure. This has to stop. These product security bad practices pose unacceptable risks in this day and age, and yet are all too common.” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “We hope that by following this clear-cut, voluntary guidance, software manufacturers can lead by example in taking ownership of their customers’ security outcomes and fostering a secure by design future. Please provide input and let us know how we can improve this list of bad practices.”

“Our National Cybersecurity Strategy highlights the importance of securing our nation’s critical infrastructure and shoring up our cyber defenses,” said White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. “The impact of product security bad practices has wide-ranging consequences across our nation and is often felt by the American people. Our private sector partners must shoulder their responsibility and build secure products and I’m glad to see this document as another tool to help software manufacturers do just that. We need to work together to prioritize best practices to better protect our nation.”

“Bad practices in software development, especially when that software will be used by critical infrastructure, put both customers and our national security at risk,” said Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division Bryan Vorndran. “The FBI urges software manufacturers to avoid the risky practices described in this guidance, which lead to vulnerabilities that malicious actors routinely exploit.”

These product security bad practices represent the next major step in CISA and partners’ global Secure by Design initiative, which has joined forces with 18 U.S. and international agencies to publish guidance and catalyzed commitments from over 220 software manufacturers to CISA’s Secure by Design Pledge. The bad practices build on practices laid out in the pledge and other guidance including NIST’s Secure Software Development Framework. This catalog will be a central guiding document in CISA’s Secure by Design initiative going forward, playing a key role informing future guidance and actions.

This joint guidance lists the bad practices in three categories:

  • Product properties, which describe observable, security-related qualities of a software product.
  • Security features, which describe the security functionalities that a product supports.
  • Organizational processes and policies, which describe the actions taken by a software manufacturer to ensure strong transparency in its approach to security.

CISA selected the bad practices based on the threat landscape as representing the most dangerous and pressing items that software manufacturers should avoid.

The public comment period concludes on Monday, December 2, 2024. During the comment period, members of the public can provide comments and feedback via the Federal Register at Request for Comment on Product Security Bad Practices Guidance. Following the public comment period, CISA will issue a revised version of the bad practices.

To learn more about the Secure by Design initiative, visit Secure by Design on CISA.gov.

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About CISA 

As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.