Category Archives: NSA

ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (APP):National Security Advisor (NSA), Dr Moeed Yusuf on Monday said that successful holding of Extra-ordinary session of the OIC in Pakistan has opened ways of humanitarian assistance for Afghan people.

Talking to a private television channel, he said, a huge amount is required forstability in Afghanistan. The credit went to Pakistan for conducting Extra-ordinary session of OIC on Afghanistan, he said.

Saudi Arabia, he said has announced a handsome financial assistance for Afghanistan. In the next few days, the banking system would start functioning in the Afghan region, he stated.

Replying to a question, he said Pakistan would have great benefit if Afghanistan comes out of difficult situation. To a question about funding for Afghanistan, he said Afghan people would receive the assistance through a trust fund.

Read the original post:
Successful holding of OIC conference in Pakistan open ways of humanitarian assistance for Afghan people: NSA - Associated Press of Pakistan

Restraining the Illegal Circulation of FirearmsBy Mukhtar Yau Madobi

Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs), occasioned by illegal and porous national borders and booming business of gun-running, are the main factors fueling Nigerias security challenges, giving rise to criminal activities across the country.The proliferation of SALWs is a global phenomenon arising from conflicts across the globe. According to a study conducted by the Geneva Based Small Arms Survey, it is estimated that more than 857 million SALWs are currently in circulation aside from twelve billion rounds of ammunition produced annually. Of these, ten million SALWs are estimated to be in Africa with one million of these in Nigeria.This is connected with previous and on-going conflicts in West and North African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote dIvoire, Chad, Niger, Mali and Libya. Proliferation of SALWs aid non-state actors including Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, bandits, militants etc. while undermining state monopoly of instruments of coercion. The threats posed by proliferation of SALWs are of such magnitude that a security strategy which contemplates the monitoring of their flow and use is required.Another report by SBM Intelligence noted that about 6, 145, 000 SALWs are illegally circulating among civilian non-state actors and criminals in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the countrys security institutions have a paltry 586, 600 firearms in their possession. Indeed, the proliferation of arms across borders along with human trafficking and drug trafficking especially in the Sahel region ranks high on the chart of criminal activities constituting threats to national and regional stability in Africa.Experts had identified a lack of effective legislation and enforcement mechanisms as a major reason SALW proliferation has a significant impact on crisis both within and across many national borders.In order to stem the rising tide of illegal weapons circulation, the federal government has established the National Centre for the Control of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). The center was domiciled under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Major General Babagana Monguno with retired Major General AM Dikko as the Pioneer Coordinator. The National Security Adviser said the center will operate in similar way to the counter-terrorism centre and the cybersecurity centre, both of which are domiciled under his office.The NCCSALW was established to replace the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons and is expected to serve as the institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research, and monitoring of all aspects of SALWs in Nigeria. Obviously, the federal government believes that the transition from PRESCOM to NCCSALW would provide a more effective coordination and monitoring of progress as regards the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. When fully operational, the NCCSALW would have six regional offices that will work closely with security and intelligence agencies on prevention and control of proliferated arms, as well as tracking weapons in the hands of non-state actors.Among several functions, the National Centre will be responsible for controlling the proliferation of SALWs in Nigeria, implementing strategies, plans and policies for the eradication of SALWs, as well as supervise the implementation of same by relevant government bodies. It will also create and maintain a small arms and light weapons register and a national database; receive reports on firearms registration from the Nigeria Police and update the database with such information.In addition, it will also register, store and destroy firearms and ammunition possessed illegally by security agencies, criminals and other non-state actors, maintain a database of registered firearms dealers in Nigeria among others. Furthermore, the centre will be responsible for updating and transmitting the national database to the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In its relations with these inter-governmental bodies, the National Centre will identify legitimate national defence and security needs and obtain the required exemptions from certain international protocols, in order to meet up these needs. The National Centre is also empowered to carry out public education and awareness at national, state and local levels, to involve Nigerians in the efforts to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.No doubt, the establishment of the NCCSALW is a move in the right direction, but to achieve maximum impact, it is expected to open up new regional and international cooperation and strengthen existing efforts.In 2001, UN countries adopted the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.In the instrument, member states agreed to, among others, improve national small arms regulations, strengthen stockpile management, ensure that weapons are properly and reliably marked, improve cooperation in weapons tracing and engage in regional and international cooperation and assistance.According to the UN, one of the most important components in the fight against SALWs proliferation is weapons tracing. Hopefully, when the center discharges its mandate fully, it will undoubtedly lead to drastic reduction in national, sub-regional and regional illegal possession of SALWs which in turn, will be very crucial in mitigating the rising level of armed violence.The NSA has recently declared that the government is making preparation to constitute a security outfit responsible for safeguarding the nations porous borders. The move is very apt because it will curb transnational organized crimes thereby reducing the level of security challenges currently facing the country.Mukhtar wrote from Kano via; [emailprotected]

Spent 88 days from May 30, 2021 - August 26, 2021

Report By: PRNigeria.com

See original here:
Restraining the Illegal Circulation of Firearms - PR Nigeria News

We f you have utilized Tinder for starters hour, youve probably observed several acronyms such as ONS, FWB, NSA, DTF, LTR. In todays article, We describe exactly what all of these acronyms indicate as well as how there is a single evening stand-on Tinder

Through the years, Ive encounter more than enough problems understand just what to look for when attempting to set-up a single nights stand with certainly one of my personal suits.

On Tinder, ONS merely suggests one-night stay. A single night stay is when two different people see having fun and spend the evening with each other regarding state that they wont discover each other once more then one passionate night, ergo the phrase: one nights stand.

Most ladies on Tinder will write no ONS maintain the eager canines from increasing. Unskilled boys on Tinder get as well starving and do not succeed through the beginning whenever nearing a match to arrange a ONS.

Another acronym that generally will get lumped along with ONS is actually FWB or company with positive. The main difference in both terminology would be that in a FWB connection, the two functions consent to discover both several time.

If you ask me, Ive dropped into FWB relationships without actually discussing it beforehand. FWB affairs often end up as STRs or short label connections.

Nowadays, all women create No FWB or ONS in their pages, thus next time the thing is those acronyms, youll know what they have been claiming no to.

The 3rd phrase try NSA, and its less frequent to see in users than FWB or ONS. NSA ways no chain attached. If a lady or man is seeking an NSA relationship, she or he is looking real satisfaction without the problems that are included with a serious commitment.

An NSA encounter could be a ONS or FWB partnership, according to the persons intention.

DTF may be the newest of Charleston escort reviews conditions Ive mentioned thus far and also the least attractive on the record. They represents down to f**k. Ill let you fill out the blanks since I have would my personal best to keep this web site as PG when I can.

Its likely that this is the last acronym which will land your any achievements with a lady, and you will probably not need victory with a woman who embraces this label.

The past acronym that will be on the other hand with the coin is actually LTR or long term partnership. You wont often see this phrase used by women, indeed, it might be very unusual observe this phrase in a womans Tinder profile.

As an alternative, theyll typically create it: looking for things long haul, something really serious, Interested in something real, looking for a bf (date), etcetera.

Before I plunge into my guidelines for you to discover a ONS on Tinder, lets go over the unspoken FWB regulations.

The principles for a family with benefits connection must be spoken but often go unspoken.

The overall no. 1 rule is actually neither party can love another.

As soon as one-party grows deeper thinking when it comes down to some other, the partnership will quickly go bad.

More here:
We f you have utilized Tinder for starters hour, you've probably observed several acronyms such as ONS, FWB, NSA, DTF, LTR. In today's article, We...

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Link:
GAO: NSA Erred in Technical Evaluations of $10 Billion Cloud Contract - Nextgov

Within the last year, Congress and the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have issued a host of new rules that aim to improve healthcare cost transparency and encourage consumer engagement. In October 2020, the departments released final rules on the Transparency in Coverage requirements that apply to group health plans. Subsequently, in December 2020, Congress passed a variety of additional plan transparency requirements under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA), some of which overlap with the departments' rules.

Many of these new requirements have already taken effect or will soon go into effect for the 2022 plan year. With the rollout of the No Surprises Act (NSA), new requirements for member ID cards and Advanced Explanation of Benefits (AEOB) communications have also been introduced.

Member ID Requirements

For plan years beginning January 2022 or later, NSA now requires that member ID cards (both electronic and print) include the following:

To summarize: An ID card (paper or electronic) must be provided to plan participants with any deductible and out-of-pocket maximums applicable to their plan, as well as a phone number and website where they can seek consumer assistance information.

Advanced EOB (AEOB) Requirements

NSA has also introduced a requirement for AEOBs (applicable to all services, in- and out-of-network, by providers and facilities). AEOBs must be provided whenever an appointment is made for services and also whenever requested by the member, even without an appointment.

For every scheduled service and upon member request, the payer must provide the member with an AEOB that includes:

To summarize: Providers must ask patients whether they are enrolled in a group health plan and, if so, provide an estimate of the expected charges to the patient's insurer. After receiving the estimate, plans must provide an advanced EOB to the plan participant that informs them whether the provider/facility is in-network, of what the plan will pay, and of any cost-sharing requirements.

How Your Vendor Can Help

Your ID card communications should be able to deliver NSA-ready cards on behalf your clients by designing templates to each payer's compliance specifications and the required fields as detailed above.

Using client-provided data, your partner should be able to work with payers to create NSA-ready templates for AEOBs (in both print and digital format), while supporting increased EOB/AEOB volume and distinguishing between pre-service estimates and claims for received care.

Moreover, your vendor should help you leverage AEOBs for strategic pre-service communication to members through:

In Conclusion

The No Surprises Act impacts all healthcare organizations, from large health plans and systems to small medical offices and individual providers. As such, leaders across the healthcare industry must directly understand the details of the legislation prior to implementation or have a trusted advisor with legislative expertise who can guide them to appropriate solutions.

From the patient-facing Advanced Explanation of Benefits through to adjudication, arbitration and settlement, alignment with the NSA requirements will require organizations to adapt internal capabilities, outsource solutions, or find some combination of the two. Companies may have to alter their infrastructure and processes to administer all aspects of the law.

And according to proprietary research, providing accurate Advanced Explanation of Benefits (AEOBs) to member-patients and meeting the tight post-service timeline in which providers and insurers must complete adjudication, remediation, and arbitration will be the most challenging areas for organizations to tackle, particularly for substantial claims.

For access to additional information, visit Zelis' No Surprises Act Information Hub.

See original here:
A guide to 2022 NSA and advanced EOB requirements - Healthcare IT News

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.

Original post:
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.

See the original post:
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.

Bridging the DevSecOps divide: Spotlight on zero trust

Security at the forefront

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.

Hybrid cloud for video surveillance

What it is and why you'll want one

Are you ready for the hybrid workplace?

Invest in headsets and webcams to drive worker productivity

Digital transformation insights from CIOs for CIOs

Transformation pilotes, co-pilots, and engineers

Protecting every edge to make hackers jobs harder, not yours

How to support and secure hybrid architectures

Read the rest here:
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.

Go here to see the original:
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