http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11754&siteSection=305: "Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will host a campus security conference Aug. 13 at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The event comes in the wake of the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech, where a 23-year-old Fairfax County student gunned down 27 students and five faculty members before killing himself."
Saturday, July 28
Thursday, July 26
When Whippersnappers and Geezers Collide - New York Times
When Whippersnappers and Geezers Collide - New York Times: "this is the first time in history that four generations — those who lived through World War II, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y — are together in the workplace."
Military, families at risk to data exposure by SAIC - IT Security News - SC Magazine US
Military, families at risk to data exposure by SAIC - IT Security News - SC Magazine US: "A federal contractor has said it put hundreds of thousands of military households at risk for identity theft by sending their personal information, including Social Security numbers, over the internet through an unencrypted channel."
Some say schools giving Muslims special treatment - USATODAY.com
Some say schools giving Muslims special treatment - USATODAY.com
Some public schools and universities are granting Muslim requests for prayer times, prayer rooms and ritual foot baths, prompting a debate on whether Islam is being given preferential treatment over other religions. The University of Michigan at Dearborn is planning to build foot baths for Muslim students who wash their feet before prayer. An elementary school in San Diego created an extra recess period for Muslim pupils to pray. At George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Muslim students using a "meditation space" laid out Muslim prayer rugs and separated men and women in accordance with their Islamic beliefs. Critics see a double standard and an organized attempt to push public conformance with Islamic law… Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim and chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, which promotes separation of mosque and state, says he is concerned about the accommodations. "Unusual accommodations for one faith at the cost of everybody else doesn't fall on the side of pluralism," he said...
Some public schools and universities are granting Muslim requests for prayer times, prayer rooms and ritual foot baths, prompting a debate on whether Islam is being given preferential treatment over other religions. The University of Michigan at Dearborn is planning to build foot baths for Muslim students who wash their feet before prayer. An elementary school in San Diego created an extra recess period for Muslim pupils to pray. At George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Muslim students using a "meditation space" laid out Muslim prayer rugs and separated men and women in accordance with their Islamic beliefs. Critics see a double standard and an organized attempt to push public conformance with Islamic law… Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim and chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, which promotes separation of mosque and state, says he is concerned about the accommodations. "Unusual accommodations for one faith at the cost of everybody else doesn't fall on the side of pluralism," he said...
U.S. Tracks Saudi Bank Favored by Extremists - WSJ.com
U.S. Tracks Saudi Bank Favored by Extremists - WSJ.com
JIDDA, Saudi Arabia -- In the 1940s, two Bedouin farm boys from the desert began changing money for the trickle of traders and religious pilgrims in this then-remote and barren kingdom. It was a business built on faith and trust, Sulaiman Al Rajhi once told an interviewer, and for many years he would hand gold bars to strangers boarding flights in Jidda and ask them to give the gold to his brother on their arrival in Riyadh. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the bank also set off an intense debate within the U.S. government over whether to take strong action against its alleged role in extremist finance. Confidential reports by the Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. agencies, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, detail for the first time how much the U.S. learned about the use of Al Rajhi Bank by alleged extremists, and how U.S. officials agonized over what to do about it.
JIDDA, Saudi Arabia -- In the 1940s, two Bedouin farm boys from the desert began changing money for the trickle of traders and religious pilgrims in this then-remote and barren kingdom. It was a business built on faith and trust, Sulaiman Al Rajhi once told an interviewer, and for many years he would hand gold bars to strangers boarding flights in Jidda and ask them to give the gold to his brother on their arrival in Riyadh. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the bank also set off an intense debate within the U.S. government over whether to take strong action against its alleged role in extremist finance. Confidential reports by the Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. agencies, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, detail for the first time how much the U.S. learned about the use of Al Rajhi Bank by alleged extremists, and how U.S. officials agonized over what to do about it.
Al Qaeda seen in search of nukes - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
7/26/07 Al Qaeda seen in search of nukes - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
Al Qaeda terrorists are continuing to plan attacks against the United States and are seeking nuclear and other unconventional arms for the strikes, a senior Pentagon official told Congress yesterday. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, told a joint House committee hearing that al Qaeda has conducted terrorist attacks against more than two dozen nations since September 11. "Al Qaeda has and will continue to attempt visually dramatic mass-casualty attacks here at home, and they will continue to attempt to acquire chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials," Gen. Clapper said in discussing the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on threats to the United States. "And if they're so successful in obtaining these materials, we believe they would use them." He spoke before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Gen. Clapper said that al Qaeda has "reconstituted some of its command and support network" in tribal Pakistan along the Afghan border but that the estimates finding are "not a surprise."…
Al Qaeda terrorists are continuing to plan attacks against the United States and are seeking nuclear and other unconventional arms for the strikes, a senior Pentagon official told Congress yesterday. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, told a joint House committee hearing that al Qaeda has conducted terrorist attacks against more than two dozen nations since September 11. "Al Qaeda has and will continue to attempt visually dramatic mass-casualty attacks here at home, and they will continue to attempt to acquire chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials," Gen. Clapper said in discussing the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on threats to the United States. "And if they're so successful in obtaining these materials, we believe they would use them." He spoke before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Gen. Clapper said that al Qaeda has "reconstituted some of its command and support network" in tribal Pakistan along the Afghan border but that the estimates finding are "not a surprise."…
VideoSave - Secure Off-site Video Storage
VideoSave - Secure Off-site Video Storage: "VideoSave is the next generation in video recordkeeping, remote business management and surveillance. The VideoSave service takes advantage of inexpensive and universally available broadband connections to capture video from any location and transmit the video to VideoSave’s VideoVault secure data center. Through a standard web browser, the live or recorded video is then available at anytime, from anywhere."
LV...Bob Crowe is someone I have known for over 20 years. He has over 30 years of experience in Security Solutions, Video & Access Control. He has found a niche` to offer off site storage for video solutions. If you reach out to him, please mention that I sent you... tks, Laurie
LV...Bob Crowe is someone I have known for over 20 years. He has over 30 years of experience in Security Solutions, Video & Access Control. He has found a niche` to offer off site storage for video solutions. If you reach out to him, please mention that I sent you... tks, Laurie
Crisis on Campus
Crisis on Campus: "Crisis on Campus
May 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Mike Kennedy
The news was bad the morning of April 16, and as the hours unfolded, it only got worse.
In a residence hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, two students had been shot to death. A couple of hours later, the tragedy multiplied by horrific proportions as across campus, students and instructors — 30 in all — were gunned down in a classroom building.
As the gruesome details emerged of the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, educators and administrators at schools and universities absorbed yet another painful reminder of the threats and dangers that can rise up at a moment's notice and shatter the belief that education institutions are safe havens from the ills of the outside world."
May 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Mike Kennedy
The news was bad the morning of April 16, and as the hours unfolded, it only got worse.
In a residence hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, two students had been shot to death. A couple of hours later, the tragedy multiplied by horrific proportions as across campus, students and instructors — 30 in all — were gunned down in a classroom building.
As the gruesome details emerged of the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, educators and administrators at schools and universities absorbed yet another painful reminder of the threats and dangers that can rise up at a moment's notice and shatter the belief that education institutions are safe havens from the ills of the outside world."
New Products
New Products: "Catching Criminals In The Act
SPOTLIGHT: 3VR Searchable Surveillance System with CrimeDex
3VR Security Inc. has introduced a searchable surveillance system that speeds up the process of criminal identification and helps stop a crime as it is occurring"
****Note from Laurie - 3VR has entered into a strategic relationship with Vidient which offers behavioral analytics. Vidient recognized the sheer power of the backend 3VR search capabilities. The founders of 3VR came from non other than Google!
3VR is trying to make facial rec work, most of the issues are with the backend processing but let's not forget the critical camera selection and placement to be able to capture enough of a face to run the analyis. As far as facial recognition I am keeping my eye on what L1 ID Solutions is deploying. L1 has a pilot with Law Enforcement right now, I am keeping track of how that goes. It's going to make a great deal of sense for integrating analytics and facial recognition so when some one is identified, an alert is automatic. Time is everything when you get to this level of covert identification
SPOTLIGHT: 3VR Searchable Surveillance System with CrimeDex
3VR Security Inc. has introduced a searchable surveillance system that speeds up the process of criminal identification and helps stop a crime as it is occurring"
****Note from Laurie - 3VR has entered into a strategic relationship with Vidient which offers behavioral analytics. Vidient recognized the sheer power of the backend 3VR search capabilities. The founders of 3VR came from non other than Google!
3VR is trying to make facial rec work, most of the issues are with the backend processing but let's not forget the critical camera selection and placement to be able to capture enough of a face to run the analyis. As far as facial recognition I am keeping my eye on what L1 ID Solutions is deploying. L1 has a pilot with Law Enforcement right now, I am keeping track of how that goes. It's going to make a great deal of sense for integrating analytics and facial recognition so when some one is identified, an alert is automatic. Time is everything when you get to this level of covert identification
The stalker in your pocket - Network World
The stalker in your pocket - Network World: "The stalker in your pocket
By Mike Elgan, Computerworld, 07/20/07
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For more than a century, nosey people, both professional and amateur, have used microphones and cameras to listen to and watch unsuspecting targets. "
By Mike Elgan, Computerworld, 07/20/07
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For more than a century, nosey people, both professional and amateur, have used microphones and cameras to listen to and watch unsuspecting targets. "
Wednesday, July 25
DISPATCH Monthly Magazine - DHS Interop Grants Available
DISPATCH Monthly Magazine - DHS Interop Grants Available: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that $968 million in matching grants is available to local agencies for buying, deploying and training for interoperable communications systems offering voice, data or video services. The grants were authorized by Congress in 2006, and have been allocated by formula to the 50 states, D.C. and U.S. territories. Check the allocations here, or read more information about the grants here. "
LexisNexis News - Latest News from over 4,000 sources, including newspapers, tv transcripts, wire services, magazines, journals.
LexisNexis News - Latest News from over 4,000 sources, including newspapers, tv transcripts, wire services, magazines, journals.: "The man in charge of the US military's defense of the American homeland says he believes there are al-Qaeda cells in the US, or people working to create them. The head of the US Northern Command, Air Force General Victor Renuart, tells the Associated Press that the military needs to create two more brigades to respond to chemical, biological and nuclear threats in the US. Currently, there is only one such brigade. "
FOXNews.com - MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders With Profiles on Its Site, State Officials Say - Technology News | News On Technology
FOXNews.com - MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders With Profiles on Its Site, State Officials Say - Technology News News On Technology: "RALEIGH, N.C. — MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site — more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two states Tuesday."
Tuesday, July 24
Kodak sells its first CMOS camera sensor--to itself | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
Kodak sells its first CMOS camera sensor--to itself Tech news blog - CNET News.com: "CMOS, which stands for complementary metal oxide semiconductor, is the ordinary process by which computer processors and memory are made. Most digital camera sensors today are built with the more specialized CCD, or charge-coupled device, technology. "
Monday, July 23
Intel Chief Worried About U.S. Terror Cells
ABC News: Intel Chief Worried About U.S. Terror Cells: "Their attempt is to cause mass casualties,' said Adm. Michael McConnell, director of national intelligence, on NBC's 'Meet the Press' program. 'Second [priority] is political and possibly economic disruption.'
Just days ago, a new National Intelligence Estimate found al Qaeda has strengthened its ability to attack the United States. McConnell said al Qaeda is seeking the means to launch chemical, biological and possibly nuclear attacks. But the likeliest threat is harder to detect.
'What we see currently is primarily a focus on explosives -- explosives that can generate a large explosion, but they're put together with commercially available material,' he said.
McConnell says small numbers of al Qaeda operatives are in this country raising funds. But he said he knows of no al Qaeda cells in the country that are capable of launching a strike at this time.
'I worry that there are sleeper cells in the U.S.,' McConnell said. 'I do not know.' "
Just days ago, a new National Intelligence Estimate found al Qaeda has strengthened its ability to attack the United States. McConnell said al Qaeda is seeking the means to launch chemical, biological and possibly nuclear attacks. But the likeliest threat is harder to detect.
'What we see currently is primarily a focus on explosives -- explosives that can generate a large explosion, but they're put together with commercially available material,' he said.
McConnell says small numbers of al Qaeda operatives are in this country raising funds. But he said he knows of no al Qaeda cells in the country that are capable of launching a strike at this time.
'I worry that there are sleeper cells in the U.S.,' McConnell said. 'I do not know.' "
Sunday, July 22
From the SANS Institute - Don't open unsolicited PDF's or Excel File attachments
Recent change in Stock-Spam Tactics (PDF and excel)
Published: 2007-07-22,Last Updated: 2007-07-22 19:14:00 UTCby Kevin Liston (Version: 1)
....This morning I did a bit of comparison with symbols identified in the few PDF files that I had left in my mailbox. Looking at this small sample it seems that these schemes are just as effective in manipulating the stock price as text-only and image-based spam messages.
The consequence of this is that there exists a large population of people with a fair amount of assets in the stock market that willingly open up unsolicited PDF files. This makes for a concerning scenario when a arbitrary-code-execution vulnerability is identified in popular PDF readers.
A reader submitted a report that they were receiving a large number of spam messages consisting of an Excel file. Examination of this file showed that it contained a Pump and Dump message. This could serve as an indicator of another shift if tactics. The VERY interesting part is that the formatting of this Excel file is extremely similar to the first PDF version reported by Maarten. This group appears to target German stock market. I look forward to US penny-stock schemes to employ this technique shortly. I'm similarly concerned about the number of people who will open unsolicited Excel files too.
Published: 2007-07-22,Last Updated: 2007-07-22 19:14:00 UTCby Kevin Liston (Version: 1)
....This morning I did a bit of comparison with symbols identified in the few PDF files that I had left in my mailbox. Looking at this small sample it seems that these schemes are just as effective in manipulating the stock price as text-only and image-based spam messages.
The consequence of this is that there exists a large population of people with a fair amount of assets in the stock market that willingly open up unsolicited PDF files. This makes for a concerning scenario when a arbitrary-code-execution vulnerability is identified in popular PDF readers.
A reader submitted a report that they were receiving a large number of spam messages consisting of an Excel file. Examination of this file showed that it contained a Pump and Dump message. This could serve as an indicator of another shift if tactics. The VERY interesting part is that the formatting of this Excel file is extremely similar to the first PDF version reported by Maarten. This group appears to target German stock market. I look forward to US penny-stock schemes to employ this technique shortly. I'm similarly concerned about the number of people who will open unsolicited Excel files too.
Object Video Stumbling And Other Predictions for 2007
http://www.securitydreamer.com/2007/01/here_are_some_o.html
ioimage continues to set the bar higher and higher with reliable, easy-to-deploy video analytics. Expect further announcements that keep it at the forefront of intelligent video innovation.
>>>LV - I will be researching ioimage to see just where they have been deployed. In this survey/analysis, I don't see Vidient. I reached out to Security Dreamer and posted this comment/inquiry..."Thank you all for your insight. Yes I do...to the question about a company who is looking to embrace leading integrators for their deployments. Vidient has taken this step forward. In my research, which relies significantly on input from financial giants, I was lead to Vidient. I would be interested to see what you think of their technology offering. "
ioimage continues to set the bar higher and higher with reliable, easy-to-deploy video analytics. Expect further announcements that keep it at the forefront of intelligent video innovation.
>>>LV - I will be researching ioimage to see just where they have been deployed. In this survey/analysis, I don't see Vidient. I reached out to Security Dreamer and posted this comment/inquiry..."Thank you all for your insight. Yes I do...to the question about a company who is looking to embrace leading integrators for their deployments. Vidient has taken this step forward. In my research, which relies significantly on input from financial giants, I was lead to Vidient. I would be interested to see what you think of their technology offering. "
FBI to Universities - Watch out for Spies
June 2007 BOSTON -- The head of the FBI's Boston office is warning the region's top universities to be on the lookout for foreign spies or potential terrorists who might be trying to steal unclassified, yet sensitive, research.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11378&siteSection=305
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11378&siteSection=305
Schools score higher on Cyber Security than Physical Security
The CDW-G School Safety Index reveals that districts are having greater success with cyber security than physical security. Key findings from the School Safety Index include:
• School districts rely too heavily on technical solutions to protect networks and buildings and need to focus more attention on educating students about physical and cyber dangers
• Tech-savvy students are putting the district network and themselves at risk by sidestepping IT security procedures through measures like proxy servers
• Districts rely heavily on the telephone to communicate with faculty and parents during emergencies
• Lack of budget, staff resources and proper security tools limit districts' ability to protect themselves
"The School Safety Index helps educational stakeholders understand the broad spectrum of tools available to them to improve both cyber and physical security," said Bob Kirby, senior director K-12, CDW-G. "CDW-G examined a broad range of security topics, from data monitoring and building access to security software and safety education. The index shows the potential for schools to do more – especially in the areas of safety education and emerging communication technologies."
By understanding the baseline, CDW-G hopes districts will use the index to examine their particular security issues and how to address them better, Kirby noted. http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11463&siteSection=305
• School districts rely too heavily on technical solutions to protect networks and buildings and need to focus more attention on educating students about physical and cyber dangers
• Tech-savvy students are putting the district network and themselves at risk by sidestepping IT security procedures through measures like proxy servers
• Districts rely heavily on the telephone to communicate with faculty and parents during emergencies
• Lack of budget, staff resources and proper security tools limit districts' ability to protect themselves
"The School Safety Index helps educational stakeholders understand the broad spectrum of tools available to them to improve both cyber and physical security," said Bob Kirby, senior director K-12, CDW-G. "CDW-G examined a broad range of security topics, from data monitoring and building access to security software and safety education. The index shows the potential for schools to do more – especially in the areas of safety education and emerging communication technologies."
By understanding the baseline, CDW-G hopes districts will use the index to examine their particular security issues and how to address them better, Kirby noted. http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11463&siteSection=305
Study: Major Retailers Misperceive Shrink
....In addition to these findings, the 20-question study also looked at other issues, including the use of loss prevention technologies. While all respondents said their organizations have digital recording systems, just over one-fifth (21.4 percent) of these respondents say in-store personnel monitor CCTV cameras continuously. More than one-fifth (21.4 percent) of those with CCTV systems say in-store personnel rarely monitor cameras. Importantly, almost two-thirds (65.5%) of respondents think implementing new technology is very important for their companies’ loss prevention endeavors.
The loss prevention survey targeted a sample of 107 major US retailers selected from mass merchants, department stores, pharmacy/drug stores, apparel, grocery and specialty stores (books, auto parts, home technology, and others). The project was conducted by the Loss Prevention Research Council under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Scicchitano, Dr. Tracy L. Johns and Dr. Read Hayes, all researchers associated with the University of Florida.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11601&siteSection=305
The loss prevention survey targeted a sample of 107 major US retailers selected from mass merchants, department stores, pharmacy/drug stores, apparel, grocery and specialty stores (books, auto parts, home technology, and others). The project was conducted by the Loss Prevention Research Council under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Scicchitano, Dr. Tracy L. Johns and Dr. Read Hayes, all researchers associated with the University of Florida.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=11601&siteSection=305
IBM announced in June plans to acquire leading application security vendor Watchfire for an undisclosed amount
"Watchfire is a recognized industry leader in the security and compliance market that will further strengthen our ability to help customers mitigate risk by integrating security, quality testing and compliance testing requirements early in the software development process — before vulnerabilities are exposed," Danny Sabbah, general manager of IBM Rational Software, said in the statement.
Sabbah said today on a conference call that the market for security vulnerability scanning tools are one of the IT security space's fastest growing segments.
http://www.scmagazine.com/us/news/article/662742/ibms-mind-security-watchfire-buy/
Sabbah said today on a conference call that the market for security vulnerability scanning tools are one of the IT security space's fastest growing segments.
http://www.scmagazine.com/us/news/article/662742/ibms-mind-security-watchfire-buy/
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