Business

How Does the Government Decide Which Workers Are Essential?

Pentagon officials don't like using the word 'essential' when it comes to furloughing employees. So how do they decide who's exempt from the shutdown? By Brittany Ballenstedt

Ideas

Announcing the Inaugural Defense One Summit

Defense One is gathering national security and defense leaders to discuss the future of U.S. global security responsibilities and power. By Kevin Baron

Science & Tech

Simulation Complex: Into the Military's Love of Video Games

How the “military-entertainment complex” has taken over the troop experience. By Hamza Shaban

Policy

Vietnam Signs Nuclear Deal With the U.S.

The deal includes an agreement by Vietnam to not reprocess spent nuclear fuel and enrich uranium. By Global Security Newswire

Science & Tech

Electrical Explosions Cause Construction Delays at NSA's $1.2 Billion Spy Compound

Persistent electrical surges apparently sparked explosions and a year-long delay that NSA officials did not disclose. By Aliya Sternstein

Science & Tech

Why America Wants Drones That Can Kill Without Humans

The U.S. wants smarter, more secure drones. But are lethal autonomous robots the answer? By Joshua Foust

Science & Tech

Pakistan's Solution to Terrorism: Ban Skype

A southern province in Pakistan is banning voice-messaging services for three months 'because terrorists are using them.' By Leo Mirani

Threats

Is the Shutdown Making Us Vulnerable to a Cyber Attack?

With the federal government shut down, there's fewer staff to prevent a cyber attack. By Brittany Ballenstedt

Science & Tech

Here's a List of Data Centers the NSA Is (Probably) Spying On

The sheer amount of Internet concentrated in these facilities makes them hot targets for spy agencies like the NSA. By John Metcalfe

Business

Watchdog Finds 719 Problems with the Pentagon’s F-35 Program

In a review of the F-35 program, the Pentagon’s Inspector General says the military lost control of contractors and quality management. By Mark Micheli

Science & Tech

Why Britain's New Cyberwar Capabilities May Just Be Political Posturing

It'll be a while before London builds an army of hackers. For now, its just another proposal from Whitehall. By Leo Mirani

Science & Tech

Why the Military Needs Commercial Satellite Technology

The need for commerical satellite technology will only grow as data usage increases and more UAVs take to the air due to the asymmetrical threat environment. By Rick Lober

Business

The U.S. Should Cut Its Nuclear Arsenal Before Sequester Does

The Pentagon needs to 'operate realistically' at the spending levels mandated by law and begin cutting back on its nuclear arsenal, a new report says. By Rachel Oswald

Science & Tech

Blackberry Bets Big on the Defense Department

With sluggish consumer sales, Blackberry is setting its sights on large organizations like the Defense Department. By Aliya Sternstein

Science & Tech

Vetting Videos of War

Conflict videos from Syria are notoriously unreliable. Here's one company working to authenticate the real ones. By Steve Ercolani

Science & Tech

Facebook's Advice to the NSA

The broader problem, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, is the NSA's continued obfuscation of its programs, even after their revelation into the public mind and the public conversation. By Megan Garber

Science & Tech

Clean Energy Gets an Unlikely Ally: Military Veterans

A rising chorus of voices from the national security community are united by what is fast becoming a consensus view: investments in clean energy strengthens our national security and gives our service members an edge on the battlefield. By Chris Rey

Ideas

How Photographic Technology Shapes Our Understanding of War

From Polaroids to Instagram, the methods we used to document conflict have drastically changed. So has our understanding of what war really is. By Peter Osnos

Science & Tech

Can the U.S. and China Get Along in Outer Space?

China is improving and testing its anti-satellite capabilities. The Pentagon is, too. By Michael Krepon

Science & Tech

Meet the Encryption Aficionados Who Know How to Hide From the NSA's Watching Eye

Privacy advocates are using 'cryptoparties' to train computer users to better guard their data against surveillance. By Greg Thomas