Recent Blogs
GSC open-ed article in Biometric Technology Today: "Taking Innovation to Market"
August 4 2008 | 0 comment(s)
The co-presidents of the Global Security Challenge, Simon Schneider and Janeen Chupa, wrote an article that was published in the August issue of Biometric Technology Today. Here is a short excerpt from this article, titled "Taking Innovation to Market": ...
VCs are Hungry for Security Startups: $73million in July (deals roundup: july '08)
July 31 2008 | 1 comment(s)
Here is another roundup of recent funding rounds in security startups. We publish this list of recent VC deals regularly to inform entrepreneurs about active investors in the security space. Read here about our April deal roundup, our May deal...
Energyville: new educational online game about impact of energy on security in your virtual city
July 29 2008 | 1 comment(s)
Chevron and the Economist Group created an educational online game, called Energyville in which users design the energy infrastructure to meet the demand of their own virtual city. Throughout the game, users can learn about the advantages and disadvantages of...
Another GSC Finalist Raises New Round - $16m - Bringing Total of GSC Alumni to over $35 million
July 23 2008 | 1 comment(s)
Another alumni of the GSC Competition just announced a new funding round. UK based Secerno Ltd (Finalist GSC 2006), which develops database security software, closed a $16 million funding round led by London's Amadeus Capital.We are proud about the achievements...
10 Days Left to Submit Your Security Ideas for Chance to Win $20,000 Dollar
July 21 2008 | 4 comment(s)
Only a few days left to submit your security idea to the two currently open security innovation competitions of the Global Security Challenge: Best Security Idea$10,000 cash awardmentorship by Siemens Venture Capitalpresent your idea/research in front of government & investors...
New Director of UK's Intelligence Agency - GCHQ - Appointed
July 21 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Iain Lobban has been named as the new Director of GCHQ. He will take over from Sir David Pepper at the end of July 2008 following Sir David's retirement. More from the GCHQ's Press Release: "The next Director of GCHQ...
Farnborough Air Show in UK: new technologies and faces at BAE Systems
July 18 2008 | 0 comment(s)
The GSC Team was invited as guests of BAE System to attend the Farnborough Air Show yesterday. Besides watching the latest commercial and military aircrafts, we also did a tour of BAE's latest security solutions, such as unmanned vehicles...
Swiss Biometric Start-Up & Siemens Join Forces in Battle Against Online Banking Fraud
July 16 2008 | 0 comment(s)
As the Economist reported, a Swiss security startup company and Siemens AG joined forces to deliver a biometric fingerprint solution that adds another layer of security to online transactions:"Banks in Europe and South Africa are testing a device that authenticates...
Traditional defense giant Raytheon focuses on security technologies
July 15 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Major American defense contractor Raytheon is increasing its focus on civil security market. Better known for its state-of-the-art military systems such as the surface-to-air Patriot missile systems, Raytheon has been applying its military technology to civilian applications such as...
Leaders from UK Home Office, US Pentagon and UK Ministry of Defence to Debate at GSC Grand Final
July 14 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Here is a short update on the already confirmed key speakers for our GSC Grand Final Event in London on November 13 · Dr. John Reid, MP, former Home Secretary and former Secretary of State for Defence (UK Government) ...
New Security Challenges in the IT Sector. What Can Europe Do? (by Moritz Schneider)
July 11 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Guest column by Moritz Schneider, political journalist from Berlin.More than 250 million Europeans are now regular Internet users, 80% of them have broadband connections and 60% of public services in the EU are fully available online. According to the European...
New Security Technology: projecting a silent microwave scream inside your head
July 9 2008 | 0 comment(s)
The US military has bankrolled early development of a non-lethal microwave weapon that can cause sound inside the target's head. The Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio ("MEDUSA") is based on a well-known phenomenon, but the link to potential military...
Exlusive Interview with Sponsor of the $10,000 Crowded Places Idea Award
July 7 2008 | 1 comment(s)
Exlusive interview with Fiona Strens, co-director of Secure-Futures Ltd, a UK-based company to catalyse innovation and investment, focused on key national security. In our interview, Fiona talks about why they sponsor the $10,000 award for the GSC Crowded-Places competition...
UK's Ministry of Defence: Looking to Cash Out of QinetiQ Stake
July 4 2008 | 0 comment(s)
As we blogged about before, the UK Government retained a sizable but minority stake in Qinetiq which was floated in 2006 and has a current value of £1.32 billion. Now rumours are swirling that the Government is ready to sell...
Global Warming as Security Issue: US National Intelligence Council Report
July 3 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Climate change has become an important issue in recent years, but rarely has it received as much attention as a security issue as it did last week. Dr. Thomas Fingar, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis, delivered a briefing...
Next Generation of CCTV - Hearing is Believing
July 2 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Research being undertaken at the University of Portsmouth aims at making smarter CCTV cameras that can respond to noise. According to the university's press release, the cameras will use artificial intelligence software to "learn" the "sounds of breaking glass, someone...
VCs are Hungry for Security Startups (deals roundup: june 08)
July 1 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Here is another roundup of recent funding rounds in security startups. We publish this list of recent VC deals regularly to inform entrepreneurs about active investors in the security space. Read here about our April deal roundup, and our May...
Asia's New Navy Fleets: flexing the muscles just to protect from terrorists?
June 30 2008 | 0 comment(s)
As The Economist reported, there has been a massive built-up of naval capabilities by Asian countries that could be the start of a new arms race in Asia: "In the past two years China's navy has acquired new destroyers,...
More on meta-materials - acoustics cloaking for sonic proof room and stealth vessels
June 27 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Spanish scientists have recently published blueprints for a physically realisable acoustics cloak. This acoustics cloak would channel sound waves around an object, much like flowing water around a smooth pebble. This would essentially render the object impervious to sound. The...
New Security Association in the UK: SITC
June 26 2008 | 0 comment(s)
On Wednesday, your correspondents went to the opening event of the newly established Security Innovation and Technology Consortium (SITC), backed by UK's SEEDA. SITC recently appointed Stephen Swain as its first Chief Executive Officer. Stephen comes to SITC from Control Risks,...
2012 Olympics Budget to Rise Above £10 billion Due to Security Requirements
June 25 2008 | 0 comment(s)
As reported by the Telegraph, the UK National Audit Office (NAO) says security costs, the uncertainty over the financing of the Olympic Village and a lack of a coherent plan for the legacy of the Olympic venues threaten to send...
3 New Things in France's Defence & Security: coordinator, money and NATO reintegration
June 24 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the results of the recently completed defence review in which he announced a few major changes, as reported by The Economist: €200 Billion for Defence"Out of 320,000 defence posts, civilian and military, 54,000...
New Materials for Better Antennas...the invisible type
June 23 2008 | 0 comment(s)
US Air Force put out an interesting call recently, it was for antennas made from metamaterials. This seems to be just the beginning of applications for metamaterials, which DangerRoom.com describes as the material that might eventually lead us to invisibility...
Crowded Places are a Focal Point for UK National Counter Terrorism Strategy
June 18 2008 | 0 comment(s)
The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NACTSO) of the UK, is a police unit co-located with the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure and funded by the Association of Chief Police Officers. The work of NaCTSO is primarily...
$10,000 Dollar for Best Security Idea: Submission Deadline Extended to July 31st
June 16 2008 | 2 comment(s)
The Global Security Challenge announces today that the deadline for submission to our "Best Security Idea" competition has been extended to July 31st 2008, due to popular demand by researchers and innovators worldwide. We also announce today that the winning...
A "Cyber Force" as 4th Military Domain in the UK next to Navy, Air and Land?
June 13 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Your correspondents went to the annual conference of the Cyber Security KTN in London yesterday. Besides seeing a bunch of familiar faces, there were some good debates and speakers. Graham Wright, the Director of Targeting & Information Operations for the...
A VC's View on Why Startups Fail
June 12 2008 | 0 comment(s)
David Feinleib, who is a VC at Mohr Davidow Ventures, wrote a great article about why startups fail. David had some interesting points having been on both sides of the term sheet: "They spend too much on sales and marketing...
Seaglider Research Starts its Commercial Launch with iRobot
June 11 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Yesterday's announcement of licensing Seaglider technology to iRobot is an encouraging example of government funded research at a university that will now be commercialized through the help of a private company. iRobot acquired the exclusive license from the University of...
4 Myths about Starting Up Your Own Business
June 10 2008 | 0 comment(s)
An interesting story on Market Watch talks about four myths for starting up your business, that shouldn't hold you back. Here is an excerpt of the story: It takes a lot of money to finance a new business. Not true....
New X-Ray Technologies for Air-Cargo Security
June 9 2008 | 0 comment(s)
We are all (way too) familiar with the airport screening of accompanied luggage, but this is only a minor fraction of what aircrafts carry. The rest consists of commercial freight, which is more difficult to scan, as the Economist reported:...
Germany About to Enact Tougher Surveillance Tools for Police
June 6 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Germany's government decided on a new law that would give police more rights to conduct online searches, video surveillance of homes and phone monitoring. Of course, the Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is a big supporter of this draft law that...
Next Generation of Radio Technology Needed
June 5 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Communicating in a city of talkers seems to be a big problem in Washington DC. Not only are there so many problems just in linking up disparate first responder groups but there are also major problems with radios that don't...
How to Pitch to a VC? Part II on Communications
June 4 2008 | 0 comment(s)
Pitching your start-up company to a venture capitalist is a tough experience and its important for entrepreneurs to have a clear elevator-pitch when presenting to a VC, as we described in Part 1 of our series for "How to Pitch...
