Jury orders SAP to pay Oracle $1.3 billion

A federal jury has ordered SAP to pay $1.3 billion to its archenemy, Oracle, for stealing customer support documents and software in a scheme to steal customers.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40344534/ns/business-us_business/

Orange County Choppers designs FBI Custom Chopper!

InfraGard’s Community Outreach Committee headed up by Laurie Venditti, InfraGard Syracuse Alliance (pictured here), tries out the new ride at the Orange County Chopper facility in Newburgh, NY.  InfraGard and OCC Foundation are building a nationwide program to promote the FBI’s Safe Streets Initiative!  www.infragardmembers.org

Orange County Choppers Partners with the FBI and the Hudson Valley InfraGard Alliance to Build an FBI-Themed Chopper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OunfVnB7uUY  Youtube video of TLC OCC Paul Teutul, Sr. Dedication to InfraGard/FBI Series 7, Episode 6.

FBI Press Release - 9/9/10 - An Orange County Chopper with an FBI logo was a unique item created for a fundraising effort to support youth anti-violence in Newburgh, New York. The FBI partnered with InfraGard and Orange County Choppers (OCC)—a custom motorcycle manufacturer in Orange County, New York run by Paul Teutul, Sr.—to build a custom-made chopper in support of Newburgh youth.


The chopper, unveiled today on the waterfront in Newburgh, attracted a crowd of spectators who waited in anticipation as it made its way down Front Street accompanied by FBI agents and local police. New York State Senator Bill Larkin and Newburgh Mayor Nicholas Valentine joined the crowd along with FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Belle Chen, Chairman of the InfraGard National Members Alliance Kathleen Kiernan, InfraGard coordinator and FBI Special Agent Maryann Goldman, and members from the “Center for Hope.”  read entire press release at http://newyork.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/nyfo080910.htm

How are Robbers Caught?

What ways are bank robbers caught?: "About one-third of the time, they get snitched on; one-third of the time, it's police work; and one-third of the time someone sees them (on a news report) and turns them in," said Rosemary J. Erickson, Ph.D., President Forensic Sociologist and Security Expert

Position open - Syracuse DEPUTY COMMISSIONER EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS (OPERATIONS)

Date Published: 10/25/2010
Open Competitive Examination #: None Promotional Examination #: None
Application Deadline: 11/12/2010 Application Filing Fee (Non-Refundable): $0.00
 
Onondaga County (NY) is seeking an experienced and team oriented Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Communications to plan, organize, and manage the daily operational activities of the Onondaga County E9-1-1 Center and to assist the Commissioner in the overall administration, management, planning, and staffing of the Department along with the development, enforcement, and implementation of procedures and standards.

Minimum qualifications include at least three years of senior management experience in a public safety communications center, or ten years of senior management experience in a public safety agency with communications related experience, or eight years experience at the senior supervisory level of emergency communications dispatching, or three years senior management experience in the emergency communications or public safety field along with a Bachelors level degree in a related field. Candidates must have experience in managing a large organized work force and personnel processes to include grievance management, discipline, selection, promotion, training, and performance evaluation. Candidates must have detailed knowledge of CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), Mobile Data Radio systems, and trunked land mobile radio systems. Candidates should have fiscal management experience, successful project management experience, and demonstrated success in dealing with multiple oversight boards. Candidates must have experience in dealing with the news media, an organized labor force, and dealing with police, fire, and EMS agencies. Candidates must be available on a 24-hour on-call basis.

Onondaga County is a CALEA accredited agency and candidates with experience with the accreditation process are preferred.

The salary range for the Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Communications is $62,370 - $87,966. Resume and cover letter should be submitted on or before November 12, 2010 to the attention of:

Commissioner William R. Bleyle

Onondaga County Department of Emergency Communications

3911 Central Ave

Syracuse, NY 13215



ONONDAGA COUNTY - AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

College student Marisol Valles Garcia named police chief in Mexico

A town near drug cartel capital Juarez, Mexico, had just one applicant for police chief after a spate of killings of public officials in drug-related violence.


So now the new chief in Guadalupe, a town of 10,000 residents near the Texas border, is 20-year-old college criminology major Marisol Valles García.

MOA - DHS & DOD - Cybersecurity

Reflecting President Obama’s strong commitment to building an administration-wide approach to combating threats to our cyber networks and infrastructure, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have signed a memorandum of agreement that will align and enhance America’s capabilities to protect against threats to our critical civilian and military computer systems and networks.



Full Press Release:
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1286984200944.shtm

Phishing Attack Targets iTunes

  New Phishing Attack Targets Apple iTunes, Security Firm Says
Published October 05, 2010 | FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/05/phishing-attack-targets-itunes-pandalabs/
Got iTunes? Be careful, you might get iScammed too.  A new cyberscam has been targeting the tens of millions of users of Apple's iTunes music service, as crooks phish for confidential bank information.  According to security analysis firm PandaLabs, a cleverly crafted e-mail is landing in e-mail in-boxes, informing people that they have made an expensive purchase on iTunes. The concerned user quickly tries to resolve the problem by clicking on a link in the e-mail -- which is always a mistake, though an easy one to make.  After clicking the link the user is asked to download a fake PDF reader, which redirects the user to infected Web pages (mostly Russian) containing Trojans among other malware that steal the user's personal details...
 

Study released reporting 16,000 deaths linked to texting while driving!

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health, there were 16,000 deaths on the road between 2001 and 2007 that were a direct result of drivers texting behind the wheel.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of North Texas, found that the number of fatal automobile accidents caused by cell phone use increased by 28% just between 2005 and 2008. By comparison, the number of distracted driving accidents had actually been on the decline in the six years prior to that.

Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester InfraGard Alliances to Hold CyberSecurity Conference in Syracuse, New York

SYRACUSE, NY: On September 24 at Syracuse University, a cyber security briefing jointly produced by the Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester InfraGard Membership Alliances and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be held on campus. Visit: http://NYStateInfraGardConference.com.
The conference is hosted by the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT) at Syracuse University, and co-sponsors also include SRC, formerly Syracuse Research Corporation, and the Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE). Additional support for the conference comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA), and it will be held in cooperation with regional authorities including the Syracuse Police Department. Presentations by sought-after authorities and experts will be followed by an opportunity for dialogue and questions. Featured speakers include:

 Thad W. Odderstol, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Division,  Critical Infrastructure Protection Cyber Security Program, National Cyber Security Division will deliver the keynote address on “DHS Cyber Security: Strategic and Operational Initiatives”
 Yalkin Demirkaya, Cyber Forensics Investigator and President of Cyber Diligence, Inc., will present “Investigating Insider Abuse of IT Resources”
 Jim Gagliano, Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI, will present “Cyber Investigations of Gang Activity”
 Greg Metzler, Principle Security Engineer & Cyber Intelligence Analyst with SRC, “Crime: The Next Driver of Internet Innovation”
 Daniel Alfin, Special Agent with the FBI, will present “Cyber Crime: Computer Intrusions, Pedophiles, Drugs, and Gangs”
 Tony Martino, Sergeant, Utica Police Department – “Emerging Trends and Cyber Exploits”
 William Snyder, Syracuse University College of Law Visiting Professor, will discuss “When a Hacker’s Rights to Your Computer Exceed Your Own: The Wiretap Act and Computer Trespassers”
 Albert Stenson, Protective Security Advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will discuss “NIPP – National Infrastructure Protection Plan”

This joint conference represents an unparalleled gathering of public safety, law enforcement & intelligence authorities alongside private sector subject matter experts to provide a briefing on cyber security. The conference will educate attendees on the capabilities of the Syracuse University Forensic Cyber Center as well as on current tools, technologies, and trends in computer forensic investigations.
The complete program can be viewed at http://NYStateInfraGardConference.com. Future programs with similar presentation content are being planned through the InfraGard organization.

About InfraGard
InfraGard is a public-private volunteer organization that serves as the critical link that forms a tightly-knit working relationship across all levels. Each InfraGard chapter is geographically linked with an FBI Field Office, providing all stakeholders immediate access to experts from law enforcement, industry, academic institutions and other federal, state and local government agencies. By utilizing the talents and expertise of the InfraGard network, information is shared to mitigate threats to our nation’s critical infrastructures and key resources. Collaboration and communication are the keys to protection.

InfraGard Chapter Leadership
 Albany: Brett Lewis, InfraGard Albany Chapter President
 Buffalo: Timothy Lukasiewicz, InfraGard Buffalo Chapter President
 Rochester: Michael Miller, InfraGard Rochester Chapter President
 Syracuse (Satellite Chapter to Albany): Laurie Venditti , National Board Committee Chair - Community Outreach & Regional Communications

N.J. pipeline to Syracuse linked to murder, drugs

Syracuse, NY -- Long before police discovered the migration of heroin addicts from New Jersey to rehab in Syracuse, there was the case of LeRoy Jennings.

Jennings came to Syracuse from New Jersey to recover from alcohol addiction at the Salvation Army counseling center on Erie Boulevard East. He dropped out of the evangelical program and crashed at the apartment of his new friend, Walter Perry, the bell captain at the Hotel Syracuse (whole article: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/nj_pipeline_to_syracuse_linked.html )

........There have been new developments:
• Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner asked the Salvation Army to stop taking referrals from the outreach groups at the heart of the investigation. The agency agreed.

• The Justice Department discovered that all 17 of the people arrested were from New Jersey. Prosecutors and Salvation Army officials said three went through the Salvation Army drug program and at least three others have a family connection to the program.

• One of the men arrested, Derrick Campbell, came to the Salvation Army drug rehab program after serving three years in prison in New Jersey for his seventh felony drug conviction.

“In my 18 years as a prosecutor, I’ve never seen a defendant with seven prior felony drug convictions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Katko said at a detention hearing last week. “He’s used to the revolving door of justice in New Jersey. He’s used to short sentences, then getting out on probation or parole and he’s back at it again.”

• Until Miner’s request, the Salvation Army continued to take people from New Jersey and other states last week and took no responsibility for bringing drug activity to Syracuse. Staff said they did not do criminal background checks and instead relied on the drug addicts to reveal any past crimes.

Salvation Army staff said, in a written statement, that they had not had any contact with federal prosecutors and had no knowledge of the incidents except the information in the newspaper

.....The rehab program has no government oversight and receives no government money, he said.

One-third of the Erie Boulevard East rehab center’s beds are filled with people from New Jersey. That’s about 100 people a year.

The Salvation Army does not follow up with people after the program.

And regardless of the high drop-out rate, the Salvation Army staff did not see a reason to tell police about the people they were importing to Syracuse — even though the police chief is on the Salvation Army’s advisory board.

“I don’t see it as our responsibility to tell the police department, just as when folks are moving from one community to another they are not required to do that,” Schoch said.

The program supports itself. The people in the program work 40 hours a week at the Salvation Army warehouse and at the rehab center without pay, helping the agency generate annual revenues of more than $6 million at its thrift stores.
.......
In recent years, the number of people enrolled in the program through New Hope Baptist Church in Newark has been sporadic, Schoch said. When it started 10 years ago, as many as 15 people a week were bused from Newark to Syracuse, according to the minister who got the program started.

ReBlogged- Virtual Worlds for Business. It’s not Playing. It’s Work.

Virtual Spaces discussion through the Thinkbalm™ Innovation Community on LinkedIn™. They arranged a conference via SecondLife®. It sounded fun – we’d each choose an avatar and participate as if attending a real life conference.

http://www.avayablog.com/archives/2010/06/virtual_worlds.php

Melissa Hathaway's Nine Cybersecurity Bills to Watch

Since leaving the White House last summer, Hathaway - who led President Obama's 60-day cyberspace review last year - has become involved in a variety of IT security ventures, including becoming a senior adviser at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affair at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. There she conducts research and writes about IT security. One of her projects is to track cybersecurity legislation before Congress.
http://blogs.govinfosecurity.com/posts.php?postID=558

InfraGard Albany Conference on School Security

Tuesday, June 8th

InfraGard Albany is part of the InfraGard National Members
Alliance, which provides a trusted forum for exchanging
knowledge, experience, and information to help protect our
nation's infrastructure from both physical and cyber threats.

The goal of the conference is to have each attendee leave
with a better understanding of the essential elements that
should be included in every school security program, and a
listing of key law enforcement contacts and informational
resources to aide in building and assessing school security
programs.

Distinguished Presenters:
Ron “Cook” Barrett,
Albany, NY Police Department

Sgt Renise Holohan,
New York State Police

Sgt George Marshall,
New York State Police

Sr. Investigator Mark Brown,
New York State Police

Register online at www.InfraGardAlbany.org

Location
New York State Police Academy, State Campus, Building #24, Albany, New York 12226

Recruiting

May 26, IDG News Service – (National) U.S. need to fight online
terrorism recruiting, expert says. The U.S. government lacks a plan to
counter terrorist recruiting efforts online, even though such efforts by
jihad groups are growing, one terrorism expert told U.S. lawmakers. The U.S.
government does not make an effort to engage with people who may be open to
terrorist recruiting efforts and dissuade them from joining, a professor in
the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University told lawmakers May
26. The U.K. government has a program that works with local communities to
identify possible targets for terrorism recruiting, said the professor, a
former scholar in residence at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Instead
of on-theground programs working with potential targets of terrorism
recruiting, U.S. agencies have, in some cases, tried to control terrorism
communications on the Internet. “We shouldn’t be censoring the Internet,” he
said. “I think the problem is we default toward these very intrusive
approaches.” Internet service providers should have protection from lawsuits
if they take down terrorism-related Web sites, said a former
counterterrorism official with the CIA and the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation. Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9177404/U.S._need_to_fight_online_ter
roris m_recruiting_expert_says

Salmonella Outbreak in CA - Alfalfa sprouts sold by Caldwell Farms Recalled

According to the
Associated Press, alfalfa sprouts sold by Caldwell Fresh Foods have been
recalled from a number of states. These sprouts were sold to Wal- Marts in
California and 14 other states and also to Trader Joe’s in California,
according to the AP. Source: http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_15171973

10 Best Cities for the Next Decade

They're prosperous, innovative, and they'll generate plenty of jobs, too.
We live in challenging times. Unemployment remains high, and the U.S. lead in technology and science is slipping as many foreign countries gain ground. But some U.S. cities, though slowed by the Great Recession, still thrive by lifting good old American innovation to new levels. And that will help put more Americans back to work and keep our international edge.

In Kiplinger's latest search for top cities, we focused on places that specialize in out-of-the-box thinking. "New ideas generate new businesses," says Kevin Stolarick, our numbers guru, who this year evaluated U.S. cities for growth and growth potential. Stolarick is research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity. "In the places where innovation works, it really works," he says.

After researching and visiting our 2010 Best Cities, it became clear that the innovation factor has three elements. Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington in Seattle, put his finger on two of them: smart people and great ideas. But we'd argue that it's the third element -- collaboration -- that really supercharges a city's economic engine. When governments, universities and business communities work together, the economic vitality is impressive.

And it's no coincidence that economic vitality and livability go hand in hand. Creativity in music, arts and culture, plus neighborhoods and recreational facilities that rank high for "coolness," attract like-minded professionals who go on to cultivate a region's business scene. All of which make our 2010 Best Cities not just great places to live but also great places to start a business or find a job.

1. Austin, Tex.
Austin is arguably the the country's best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs. Now overlay that net with a dozen venture-capital funds and 20 or so business associations, plus incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix all these elements in what many call a classless society, where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism, and you've got a breeding ground for start-ups.

Don't discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off one another. The city's famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example.

2. Seattle, Wash.
Rain City? We'd say Brain City. Home to a well-educated workforce, a world-class research university, über innovators Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing, and a host of risk-taking, garage-tinkering entrepreneurs, Seattle crackles with creative energy. "We only have two products here: smart people and great ideas," says Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington.

Seattle is revising its tax, zoning and permit policies to make them more business-friendly. Meanwhile, this sophisticated Pacific Rim city has other qualities to recommend it, including great food, a glorious setting, an outdoorsy culture, and, yes, enough rain to keep the locals' complexions looking dewy.

3. Washington, D.C.
Every tourist knows postcard D.C., the city that is home to the White House, the Capitol and all those free Smithsonian museums. But those who live in D.C. know better. The region is chock-full of job prospects, entertainment venues and great neighborhoods, and it is booming. Eleven of the 25 richest counties in the U.S. are located in the region, which also boasts a low unemployment rate.

4. Boulder, Colo.
Boulder is a wealthy, intellectual hot spot where environmental and scientific ideas blossom into businesses. Three economic drivers power Boulder: the University of Colorado, federal research laboratories and more than 6,600 small businesses and corporations, all woven into an entrepreneurial fabric.

The city is also a mecca for those seeking healthy, active lifestyles. Outdoors enthusiasts can grab a lunch-hour workout on the city's 150 miles of hiking and biking trails located throughout the 45,000 acres of open-space land surrounding the city.

5. Salt Lake City, Utah
You can't beat the cost of living and doing business in Salt Lake City. Utah has relatively low wages, taxes and operating costs. Plus, it doesn't hurt that "our offices are 15 minutes away from four ski resorts," says one local employer.

The Salt Lake valley offers a variety of distinctive neighborhoods that boast walking-friendly centers. They provide a small-town feel within steps of the heart of the city. For those who crave a busier setting, downtown living is about to get a lot more popular.

6. Rochester, Minn.
Rochester is built on the world-renowned Mayo Clinic's rock-solid foundation, and, in return, the community serves as great hosts and hostesses to 2.7 million visitors each year (many of them Mayo patients).

Synergy among the city's resources has been well cultivated and is paying dividends. Take, for instance, the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, formed in 2003 between Mayo and the University of Minnesota at Rochester to spawn new businesses. More than 20 technology-related firms have opened up in Rochester over the past ten years. Recognizing the depth of resources in the area, the city opened the Minnesota BioBusiness Center in spring 2009 -- providing room to grow in the form of 150,000 feet of office space. The center, located a block from both the Mayo Clinic and the university, represents the city's aspiration to build an even stronger bioscience and medical-research community. "If there's a theme to what we're doing here, it's collaboration."

7. Des Moines, Iowa
There's more to Des Moines than agricultural jobs. A likely worker shortage sparked by retiring baby-boomers has lit a fire under Des Moines's civic leaders. The city is working to lure back young Iowans and attracting global talent by developing its downtown and promoting the jobs available in the many industries that flourish there. Other big draws: low-cost housing, plus the city's long-touted reputation for family-friendliness and a "19-minute commute."

8. Burlington, Vt.
Burlington's local-food movement perhaps best tells the story of how environmentalism drives much of the city's economic growth. Many shops and restaurants along Burlington's Church Street Marketplace, the famous pedestrian mall, serve up local goodies. A couple blocks over, the City Market/Onion River Co-Op, a community-owned grocery store, offers more than 1,000 Vermont products. (And atop the supermarket, generating 3% of the Co-Op's energy needs -- enough electricity to power six Burlington homes -- are 136 solar panels from groSolar, another Vermont-based company.) And the crown jewel for locavores: The Intervale Center is a nonprofit organization that has managed 350 acres of family-owned farmland in Burlington since 1988 and provides 10% of the town's food. "We're 30 years ahead of the country with the local-food movement."

9. West Hartford, Conn.
Community is key in West Hartford, a place where you actually know your neighbors. But this once-sleepy suburb of Connecticut's capital is not content to be merely an idyllic place to live and raise a family (it is, by the way). West Hartford made our list because it is transforming itself from a suburb into a destination -- in this case, a regional destination for shopping and dining. Small business is the new game in town, and everyone is playing.

10. Topeka, Kan.
In its reserved, midwestern way, Topeka has engineered a prosperity that most cities of similar size would envy. As the capital city of Kansas, nearly 25% of Topeka's workforce is employed by the government, providing a stable job market where unemployment has stayed around 7%. The city boasts quality schools, friendly people, good hospitals, a university and -- one of its biggest selling points -- low housing costs.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/10-best-cities-for-the-next-decade

Boston Police & ShotSpotter Track Suspects

Boston Herald
By O’Ryan Johnson
May 23, 2010
The Boston Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center kicked in last week to help with the arrest of a teen who blasted a pistol in Dorchester - luckily hitting no one.

On Wednesday at about 7 p.m. the teen fired, not knowing that the instant the sound reached a nearby sensor, he became the target. The BPD’s shot-spotter, a system of computerized microphones placed throughout the city, picked up the gunshot on Claybourne Street.

The new technology triangulated his position and aimed a camera that zeroed in on the suspect and another man as they fled. By then, the scene was being watched three miles away at police headquarters by a detective, who radioed a description of the suspects to cops in the field. Cruisers on the lookout for the pair saw them on Dakota Street and stopped to question them.

At the same time, a K-9 officer in the area spoke with a resident who said the men had just emerged from a backyard she pointed out. There the dog, which was trained to smell explosives, found a firearm.

“All of these investments that we made in the past - the Real Time Crime Center, the ballistics dogs - they all come together with this case and we are able to take two people who terrorized the neighborhood and get them off the street,” police Commissioner Edward Davis said.

The system is built on the philosophy of community policing that was introduced more than a decade ago and has helped lead to an overall decline in crime over the years, police officials said.

“A lot of times you respond based on a radio description, and you don’t have a very good idea of exactly who is responsible. It’s hard to pick out the right person. With this, you’re getting very precise information of who was involved, and where they were going,” Davis said. “You’re not picking out the wrong person. You can avoid an inappropriate encounter with someone who wasn’t involved.”

View article http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1256671

Birmingham first city to get bullet beating Shotspotter technology

ShotSpotter makes it across the pond to the UK!

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2010/05/24/birmingham-first-city-to-get-bullet-beating-shotspotter-technology-97319-26504657/
BIRMINGHAM will be the first city in the country to introduce a sophisticated ‘bullet beater’ which can pinpoint the exact location of gunmen when they open fire.

The ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System can alert police to the scene of street shootings within seconds and is already being used across America to slash the country’s huge gun crime problem.

Its sensors can tell where and from what angle a shot was fired, nthe umber of weapons used, their calibre and even if a gunman was moving at speed.

The Safer Birmingham Partnership, which is behind the move, known as Project Safe and Sound, said it hoped the technology would help to continue the city’s gang-busting success.

Chief Supt Chris McKeogh, commander of Birmingham West and central police, said: “We’re delighted to be the first city in the UK to secure this technology and are confident that it will assist us in our continued efforts to reduce gun crime.

New York City mayor announces $22M fund for tech startups

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a message for computer geeks everywhere: Forget sunny Silicon Valley and launch your company here.

Bloomberg made his pitch Tuesday at a gathering of technology entrepreneurs, announcing the creation of a city-sponsored $22 million venture fund that will invest in promising tech companies headquartered in New York. The city’s Economic Development Corporation will invest $3 million in the fund while FirstMark Capital, a New York-based venture capital fund will provide up to $19 million more.

The backdrop for Bloomberg’s announcement was TechCrunch Disrupt, a media and technology conference that draws tech entrepreneurs from across the country.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/new_york_city_mayor_announces.html

What CEO's are looking for in their employees - "creativity"

There is compelling new evidence that CEOs' priorities in this area are changing in important ways. According to a new survey of 1,500 chief executives conducted by IBM's Institute for Business Value (NYSE: IBM - News), CEOs identify "creativity" as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future. http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109596/what-chief-executives-really-want?mod=career-leadership

Speaker Line up for ICCS FBI/Fordham August 2010

http://www.iccs.fordham.edu/program.htm
Confirmed Distinguished, Plenary & Parallel Speakers

•Hira Agrawal, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Telcordia Technologies
Piscataway, NJ USA
•Kevin Albano
Security Consultant, Mandiant
El Segundo, CA USA
•Panos Anastassiadis
Chief Executive Officer and President, Cyveillance Inc.
Arlington, VA USA
•Preet Bharara
United States Attorney, Southern District of New York
United States Department of Justice
New York, NY USA
•Thomas Brown
Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of New York
United States Department of Justice
New York, NY USA
•Carter Bullard
Chief Executive Officer / President, QoSient, LLC
New York, NY USA
•Consuelo Carver
Assistant Legal Attache
Moscow, Russia
•Jeffrey Collins
Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

•Blake Cornell
Board Member, Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)
New York, NY USA
•Eric David
Head of Anti-Malvertising, Google
San Francisco, CA USA
•Rich DeMillo, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Georgia Tech College of Computing
Atlanta, GA USA
•Michael Dunner
Microsoft

•Robert Flaim
Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. USA
•Cesar Gonzalez
Captain of the Spanish Guardia Civil

•Louis E. Grever
Executive Assistant Director, Science and Technology Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Quantico, VA USA
•Andrew Hoog
Chief Investigative Officer, viaForensics
St. Louis, MO USA
•Kuan-Tsai Huang, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Taskco Corporation
Chappequa, NY USA
•Kathleen Kiernan, Ph.D.
Chairperson of the Board InfraGard National Members Alliance
Jacksonville, FL USA
•Andrew Lewman
Executive Director, TOR Project
Dedham, MA USA
•Bruce Maggs, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research, Akamai Technologies
Professor, Duke University
Cambridge, MA USA
•Nick Mankovich, Ph.D.
Sr. Director Product Security & Privacy, Philips
New York, USA
•Annemarie P. McAvoy
Chairperson, Fordham Adjunct Faculty Committee
Adjunct Professor, Fordham University School of Law
New York, NY USA
•Ryan McGeehan
Incident Response Manager, Facebook
Palo Alto, CA USA
•Nasir Memon, Ph.D.
Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
New York, NY USA
•Eileen Monsma
Netherlands Police Agency, National High Tech Crime Unit
in cooperation with the University of Utrecht
Netherlands
•Petros Mouchtaris, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Internet Services Research Telcordia Technologies
Piscataway, NJ USA
•Sanjai Narain, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, Information Assurance and Security Department
Telcordia Technologies
Piscataway, NJ USA
•Tom O'Hara
Emergency Manager, Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management
Yapank, NY USA
•Joseph C. Opacki
Forensic Investigator, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington, D.C. USA
•John Otero
Senior Partner, www.BlackStormCSF.com
•Jason Passwaters
Federal Bureau of Investigation
•John Pignataro
Director, Security Incedent Response Team, Citi Group
New York, NY USA
•Carol Porterfield
National Security Agency
Fort Meade, MD USA
•Chuck Rosenberg
Partner, Hogan & Hartson, LLP, former U.S. Attorney
Eastern District of Virginia
Virginia, USA
•Thomas Rushmore
President and CEO, TJR LLC
New York, New York
•Thomas Ryan
Managing Partner, Provide Security

•Ed Skoudis
Faculty Fellow, SANS Institute
Bethesda, MD USA
•Alex Southwell, J.D.
Adjunct Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law
Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
New York, NY USA
•Eugene H. Spafford
Professor of Computer Science and Executive Director, Purdue University Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS)
W. Lafayette, IN USA
•Edward Stroz
Co-President, Stroz Freiberg LLC
New York, NY USA
•Akio Sugeno
Director, Internet Engineering and Operations
Telehouse International Corporation of America
Staten Island, NY USA
•Paul Syverson, Ph.D.
Mathematician, Center for Hight Assurance Computer Systems (CHACS)
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
•Kazuo Takaragi
Senior Chief Researcher, Hitachi, Ltd.
Kawasaki, Japan
•John Verry
Principal Enterprise Security Consultant, Pivot Point Security
Hamilton, NJ USA
•David Weisman
PayPal.com
San Jose, CA USA
•Bill Woodcock
Research Director, Packet Clearing House
Berkeley, CA USA
•Amit Yoran
Chief Executive Officer, NetWitness Corporation
Herndon, VA USA

Nokia acquires MetaCarta

4/9/2010 - Nokia announced today that it has acquired MetaCarta Inc. MetaCarta, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a privately owned company which employs over 30 people and has expertise in geographic intelligence solutions. MetaCarta's technology will be used in the area of local search in Location and other services.   http://press.nokia.com/PR/201004/1401778_5.html

Microeconomic Decision-Making

...In the United States, decisions about infrastructure projects usually are made in private and/or public boardrooms and generally are not focused on resilience.

...Engineers and architects have key roles to play both in consulting the client on innovations and in producing plans and specifications.

...if a designer works in close cooperation with the owner the goal of resilience can be achieved, to at least some degree, by advocating for it during the process. The resilience will be built-in, therefore, through the microeconomic decisions that are made in the thousands of projects that are projected to be built – at a total cost of almost $1 trillion – to expand, maintain, and improve the nation’s infrastructure over the next five years.

...To that end, Lieutenant Colonel Steve Hart of the U.S. Military Academy's Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department developed not only a course of study but also the first, in 2010, of what is intended to be an annual symposium for his students (and those from other universities) to explore Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Protection. One of the principal lessons learned from his efforts this past year is that there are very few engineering departments currently focused on the resilience of Critical Infrastructure.

...That may change in the not-too-distant future, though, thanks in large part to Colonel Hart's efforts. Fortunately, there is a growing awareness that: (1) The roadmap to achieving resilience is paved with many microeconomic decisions; and (2) Both education and career development are critical to the long-term process of building resilience – primarily by following the ASCE Guidelines mentioned earlier.

To view the entire writing - http://www.domesticpreparedness.com/Infrastructure/CIP-R/Leadership_and_Stewardship_in_Microeconomic_Decision-Making/

New York Gang Investigators Association - Gang Training Conference in Syracuse - July 13-15

The New York Gang Investigators Association is pleased to announce its 2010 Fourth Annual New York State Gang Training Conference from July 13-15, 2010.  This training conference will provide the most current and reliable street gang information available to our membership. The NYGIA has gathered an array of speakers from throughout the United States that will focus on the recognition and identification of Latino Gangs, Prison Gangs, Gangs in Schools. We also have special guest speakers that will focus on Intervention and Prevention strategies for at-risk youth

http://www.nygia.org/

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:


Carl “CJ” Boykin New York State Office of the Attorney General

Det. Robert Mateo Polk County (FL) Sheriff’s Office

Laurie Venditti - InfraGard

Sgt. Bill Clendenen Clayton County (GA) Police Dept

CONFERENCE TOPICS:

•New York Gang Trends •Leaving the Gang

•Prison Gangs •Gang Investigations in Corrections

•Intervention/Prevention Strategies •Latino Gangs

•MySpace and Facebook as Investigative Tools

•Southern Hospitality: Overview of Georgia Gangs

•Gangs and Rap •Gangs in Schools

•Rockin’ the Walls: Understanding Graffiti

•…And much more!

Visit the website for registration information: http://www.nygia.org/

Mojave Cross Stolen by Vandals

The 7-foot-tall metal cross that has stood in California's Mojave Desert for 75 years as a memorial to World War I dead -- and withstood a hard-fought battle in the Supreme Court -- was ripped down and stolen in a nighttime heist, according to state officials.
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2010/05/11/mojave-cross-stolen-vandals/#slide=5

ShotSpotter Video - WCBS: Nassau County gun crime drops 32% since ShotSpotter debut

Nassau County, NY gun crime drops 32% since ShotSpotter debut

http://www.shotspotter.com/news/videoclips/2010/May/WCBS_2010-0414_NassauCounty.html

Times Square Investigation Begins

Virtual Fence Integration 'a Complete Failure,' Bersin Says

by Mickey McCarter
Wednesday, 21 April 2010


CBP chief stresses standalone tech, promises to evaluate McCain border plan

During a Senate hearing on border security Tuesday, the new commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) declared that the goal of constructing a fully integrated virtual fence as originally envisioned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not possible at present.

CBP chief Alan Bersin told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that building the complete system for the Secure Border Initiative-Network (SBInet), as originally envisioned, was not possible in the near future.

"What has not worked is the total integration of technology from each of the areas along the border into an overall system that would permit a central monitoring and control--that technology integration at the very broadest level has been the complete failure the committee described," Bersin stated.

http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/12985/149/

"Aloha" Message from Howard Schmidt

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Internet Safety Awards is proud and honored to present Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President of the United States, Cyber Security Coordinator. He has a special message to the participants and attendees of the 2010 Internet Safety Awards.
http://internetsafetyawards.blogspot.com/

Aloha, and the winner is….

When Detective Chris Duque retired in 2007 after more than 30 years with the Honolulu PD, he didn’t actually retire in any true sense of the word. It was about then that he and members of his extended Ohana (Hawaiian for ‘family’) started the Internet Safety Awards program in Hawaii’s schools.

Duque said that in his last two years with HPD he worked 14 cases involving children being molested after meeting someone online. He said, “the scary thing is that in 11 of those cases, the child made the initial contact with full knowledge that they were contacting an adult. These are the kids with serious issues. These are the children who don’t have the affection, love and attention from parents, so they go online looking for adult companionship that they’re lacking.”
http://connectedcops.net/?p=1932

Reporting on Village of Manlius Board of Trustee's Meeting

Bicentennial Committee member Lori Vendetti (Laurie Venditti) assembled a grant proposal to benefit the Manlius Farmer's Market.

The $100,000 grant, which does not require matching funds, would aid in the expansion of the existing market. If approved, she said there would be no time limit to use the funds. The catch? The application needed to be postmarked by April 15, so the board had to deliver a vote promptly.

After some discussion, the board motioned to accept the submission of the grant application, contingent on Village Attorney Jeff Brown reading the application thoroughly for no hidden obligations or commitments to the village to accept the grant. Additionally, the board would further discuss Vendetti's (Venditti's) plea for a 10 percent fee – only if the proposal should be granted – at a later date.
http://www.cnylink.com/news/view_news.php?news_id=1271874779

IBM Delivers Predictive Analytic Capabilities for Data in Motion

As part of its commitment to business analytics, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology to give city of Stockholm residents and officials a smarter way to manage and use transportation.

Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden are using IBM’s streaming analytics technology, to gather real-time information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) devices on nearly 1500 taxi cabs in the city and will soon expand to gather data from delivery trucks, traffic sensors, transit systems, pollution monitors and weather information. The data is processed using IBM’s breakthrough streaming analytics software, InfoSphere Streams, giving the city and residents real-time information on traffic flow, travel times and the best commuting options.
more....http://7thspace.com/headlines/341678/ibm_delivers_predictive_analytic_capabilities_for_data_in_motion.html

Convicted CA Sex Offender Leads Authorities to Missing Girl

A convicted sex offender led authorities to the body of Amber Dubois. SAN DIEGO -- San Diego County prosecutors say convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner led authorities to the body of 14-year-old Amber Dubois.  District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said Friday that Gardner agreed to lead authorities to the body on the condition that they could not use that information against him in court. Dumanis says it was a difficult decision, but prosecutors had no other evidence or DNA to link him to the Amber's death. Amber's bones were discovered March 6 in a rugged, remote area north of San Diego. Gardner pleaded guilty Friday to murdering Amber and 17-year-old Chelsea King.  He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/16/convicted-california-sex-offender-leads-authorities-missing-girl/

Napolitano's Meeting With University Presidents

“America’s colleges and universities play a vital role in developing the next generation of homeland security leaders,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I look forward to expanding our partnerships with academic institutions on educational programs and hiring initiatives that enhance our capabilities to protect our nation against evolving threats.”

During the meeting, Secretary Napolitano highlighted the Department’s strong partnerships with universities including support for training, coursework in homeland security-related fields and industries, and for research and development in science and technology, such as the DHS Centers of Excellence, which bring together multidisciplinary homeland security research and education assets of more than 200 institutions across the country.
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1271440147685.shtm

DOMESTIC TERRORISM - Sovereign Citizens

Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. As a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/april10/sovereigncitizens_041310.html

Napolitano Remarks to Law Enforcement Leaders

“The men and woman of our state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies serve our country honorably every day,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The Department of Homeland Security is committed to doing everything we can to support these officers on the frontlines by providing the critical training and information they need to do their jobs to secure our nation from the threats we face.”

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1271428926276.shtm

Study of Targeted Academic Campus Violence

New Study of Targeted Violence Affecting U.S. Institutions of Higher Education Released
U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Collaborate on Joint Effort

On Friday, April 16, 2010, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will release a study of targeted violence incidents on U.S. campuses of higher learning.

The June 2007 Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy included a recommendation that the Secret Service, Department of Education, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation explore the issue of violence at institutions of higher education. This collaborative effort examines the scope of the problem of targeted violence at U.S. institutions.

In total, 272 incidents were identified through a comprehensive search of more than 115,000 results in open-source reporting from 1900 to 2008. The incidents studied include various forms of targeted violence, ranging from domestic violence to mass murder. The findings should be useful for campus safety professionals charged with identifying, assessing, and managing violent risk at institutions of higher education.

The study and its findings will be available on each of the agencies’ Internet sites: www.secretservice.gov, www.ed.gov and www.fbi.gov.

Security incidents rise in industrial control systems

.....A new report based on data gathered by the Repository of Industrial Security Incidents (RISI) database provides a rare look at trends in malware infections, hacks, and insider attacks within these traditionally cloistered operations. Cybersecurity incidents in petroleum and petrochemical control systems have declined significantly over the past five years — down more than 80 percent — but water and wastewater have increased 300 percent, and power/utilities by 30 percent, according to the 2009 Annual Report on Cyber Security Incidents and Trends Affecting Industrial Control Systems. source: http://www.darkreading.com/insiderthreat/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224400280

NYPD Works to Protect Tunnels From Terror

By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK -- The tidy, three-story brownstone looks like any other on the cobblestone block in Brooklyn, but it isn't. It's a fake, leading directly to the belly of the nation's largest subway system.

The unmarked emergency exit behind the facade is one of many posts protected by beat cops defending the city against bombings or other terror attacks in the city's intricate underground mass transit network.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials at the nation's largest police department insist the city remains the nation's No. 1 terror target, devoting extra resources to protecting Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge and other high-profile potential targets.
more: http://www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=51687&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+officerrss%2Ftop_news_stories+%28Officer.com%3A+Top+News+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Font style can help save on ink costs

MILWAUKEE – Here's a way you might save $20 this year: Change the font in the documents you print.

Because different fonts require different amounts of ink to print, you could be buying new printer cartridges less often if you wrote in, say, Century Gothic rather than Arial. Schools and businesses could save thousands of dollars with font changes.

Data on the subject from Printer.com, a Dutch company that evaluates printer attributes, persuaded the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to make a switch. Diane Blohowiak, coordinator of information-technology user support, has asked faculty and staff to use Century Gothic for all printed documents. The school also plans to change its e-mail system so it uses Century Gothic.

"The feedback we've gotten so far has been positive," she said. "Century Gothic is very readable."

The school of 6,500 students spends about $100,000 per year on ink and toner cartridges. Although students and staff can change the default font to something more ink-intensive, Blohowiak said the university expects to save $5,000 to $10,000 per year with the font switch.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_money_saving_fonts

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

In pleading guilty, Koch admitted the following facts. He admitted that between September of 2008 and June of 2009, in the Northern District of New York and elsewhere, while using a facility and means of interstate and foreign commerce, which included text messaging, picture messaging, and wire communications by use of cellular telephones, Koch knowingly did persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The communications between Koch and the victim occurred via telephones and also by way of computer on MySpace and America Online Instant Messaging. Koch admitted that at the time he was the varsity soccer coach at Blue Ridge High School in Pennsylvania. The victim was 15 years old when the communications between the victim and Koch commenced. Koch purchased and provided to the victim cellular telephones for the express purpose of communicating with the victim by way of texting and telephonic conversations.
http://albany.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/alfo033110.htm

New Service Combats 'Sexting,' 'Cyber-Bullying'

New Service Combats 'Sexting,' 'Cyber-Bullying'
Updated: Tuesday, 30 Mar 2010, 2:39 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 29 Mar 2010, 10:30 PM CDT

NED HIBBERD
Reporter
HOUSTON - 'Sexting,' text messaging and 'cyber-bullying.' Most parents know the danger is out there, even if they are not quite sure what to do about it.

But a new service offers monitoring of a child’s cell phone in the same way software can scan websites visited by the child’s computer.

A Katy-area woman called “Mary” wishes she had heard of it sooner.

She says she tried to control her 13-year old daughter’s cell phone usage by allowing the girl to share her phone.

One day, concerned about a flurry of text messages from someone named “Mac,” she posed as her own daughter.

“I'm like, okay, so I'll text him and say, ‘hey I'm scared,’ and just generate a conversation like that,” says the mom. “And sure enough, he started texting me back.”

She showed FOX 26 one of the text messages she says she received: “i dnt think u pregnant cuz i dont think the condom broke but it might have.”

The alleged sender, Harold McArthur, 25, has been charged with two counts of “Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.” He remains jailed in lieu of $30,000 bond.

“He doesn't understand that what he took, he can never give back,” says Mary, whose identity is being shielded to protect her teenage daughter.

The phone’s “delete” function kept this mom in the dark.

But a newly-launched service aims at keeping parents “in the loop.”

It monitors text messages for certain keywords, alerting mom or dad if the content is sexual or bullying.

“It gives them back control that they really don't have,” says Andy Kahan, a crime victims’ advocate who is on the advisory board of the company, WebSafety.

He says its service also tackles the problem of “sexting,” which is when a teen takes a nude self-portrait with the camera-phone and sends it to a significant other.

“Whatever image is either sent to your child or your child sends to another individual, Bingo! You get it as well,” says Kahan.

With plans starting at $150 a year, WebSafety’s service isn’t cheap.

Then again, neither is the therapist treating Harold McArthur’s alleged victim, according to her mom.

“If I had known that there was technology that would send alerts to you,” says Mary, “it would have helped me a whole lot.”

She is unhappy with the plea deal she says is in the works for McArthur.

And she is preparing a “victim impact statement” to read in court at the end of May.

On the Web:

WebSafety Program to Monitor Children's Cell Phones --

http://www.mywebsafety.com/venditti

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/scitech/100329-new-service-combats-sexting-cyber-bullying

Frank Shea member NLEA - CBS Interview on the FL Police Shooting 3/29

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6343185n&tag=mg;earlyshow

Laurie Venditti signs WebSafety as a Partner For Security!

WebSafety is a security solution designed to safeguard our children. Learning by their mistakes is how our children grow. This is how we as parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and grandparents learned, right?. But what happens if they make the wrong choice with electronic communications? By the time parents learn of the mistake, all too often the damage is done and it is too late. WebSafety helps parents to teach their children to make the right choices on the internet, to respect the power, limitations and dangers of the internet. For instances when children make the wrong choice, parents are alerted immediately so they are able to step in to provide guidance.

Websafety products contain the world's largest word recognition library. It is the most comprehensive and advanced database ever compiled, capable of searching more than 4,000 words, terms and phrases that spell danger for children. Once WebSafety content analytics determines a child is in harm's way, it sends an alert to parents via email and/or cell phone, empowering them to take action “proactively”. Visit http://www.partnerforsecurity.com/ or www.mywebsafety.com/venditti  to learn more about this powerful content analytics and alerting technology.

Mercy Corp worker and Syracuse University graduate gives Joe Biden some advice in Iraq

By Emily Kulkus / The Post-Standard
July 09, 2009, 5:04PM

Al Behrman/ APVice President Joe Biden, shown here speaking Cincinnati, listened to SU graduate Sahar Alnouri's advice about Iraq on July 3.
Sahar AlnouriEditor's note: Sahar Alnour is a program manager for Mercy Corps in Iraq. She spent part of her childhood in Syracuse and graduated from Syracuse University in 2001.

In packing for a recent trip to Baghdad, the furthest thing from my mind was Vice President Joe Biden. I thought I would spend much of my trip helping my colleagues move boxes into a new office, and I packed accordingly.

It took us six hours to Baghdad from Sulaimaniya, the Kurdish city in the north where I have been living. I am a program manager for the international aid organization Mercy Corps. Since February, I have been running women's programs in the country, including a literacy campaign.

I sat in the front seat, excited to be traversing new terrain. Until recently, it was considered too dangerous to make the trip to Baghdad by car.

Sadly, it was too dusty to really see much that day. It reminded me of visibility in Syracuse, my hometown, during a light snow storm. Of course, the sky on the road to Baghdad had an orange haze to it like nothing you'd see in Upstate New York.

When I got into Baghdad, I could sense a tense mood. Most Iraqis were pleased to see U.S. troops withdrawing from Iraqi cities on July 1, but two car bombs the week before, one in Kirkuk and one in Baghdad, had dampened the occasion.

I was busy last week running a series of community meetings and racing to write two grant proposals under deadline -- all while the office was in complete disarray from the move and temperatures soared to 90 degrees.

So when I received an e-mail telling me that on top of everything else, I had to represent Mercy Corps at a meeting at the U.S. embassy on July 3, I nearly lost it. I begged to get out of the meeting -- to no avail.

When I called the embassy to confirm my attendance, I mentioned that I hoped the meeting was not too formal as I didn't even have a suit with me. The embassy employee laughed and said it would be a bit formal. He told me a VIP would be joining the meeting, but he didn't say who that VIP would be.

That evening as I pulled my only pair of dress pants out of the just-hooked-up washing machine, I discovered the towel I had washed with them had shed light brown lint all over. Now, I'm not talking about a few specks. This was lint that gets stuck and never comes off.

Total panic ensued. The only other pants I had with me were jeans. My female colleagues didn't have any clothes that fit me and there was no time to pick up something new.

Thankfully, a male colleague lent me a pair of pants that nearly fit. Then we had to figure out the word for safety pin in Arabic (kelaab) and frantically call our Baghdad staff begging to borrow some. When we finally managed to get our hands on some safety pins the next morning, we hiked up the hems a good 5 inches, and off I went.

Upon arrival at the meeting place, we were escorted in almost immediately. And there was the Vice President standing in a receiving line, ready to shake everyone's hands.

As I sat at the long, oval table, I realized I was the youngest participant in the meeting by at least 10 years and the only woman. And, I was wearing men's pants with safety pins. This was clearly a sink-or-swim situation.

The Vice President facilitated the meeting himself. He began by asking about the tension between Kurds and Arabs, Shias and Sunnis -- looking for feedback about whether improved economic development would relieve some of these tensions.

I responded immediately, saying that I did not think that economic development alone would help the situation between Kurds and Arabs because the Kurds are actually doing pretty well economically -- except in areas where you have displaced Arabs in poor Kurdish communities.

Biden also asked the group how U.S. assistance could be more effective. I was the first participant to speak.

Here, I had to take a deep breath and ask if I could speak frankly. I told him that the Provincial Reconstruction Teams -- military personnel doing humanitarian assistance and development work -- are not an effective use of resources. I said that while their hearts are in the right places, ordinary Iraqis are often afraid when they see their uniforms. This means that most of the time, the military is relying on information from only a few select people. I argued that this leads to an environment rife with corruption.

We also talked about the security conditions on the ground. I highlighted Mercy Corps' no-arms policy, which means that we do not travel in armored vehicles or use security forces, and how we rely on community acceptance to accomplish our goals. Mercy Corps has been in Iraq since 2003 and operates in some of the most challenging and insecure areas in the country. Mercy Corps employs more than 180 local Iraqi staff, and only 18 internationals, which means our programs are designed and run by Iraqis.

After the 90-minute roundtable discussion, Biden walked around the table to thank me for Mercy Corps' participation. I couldn't believe the Vice President was personally thanking me. Army Gen. Ray Odierno also thanked me, and said he agreed with me. He said they've been frustrated by their inability to connect with communities, and that I made some important points.

And that is how a girl from Syracuse met the Vice President of the United States of America in men's pants and safety pins.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/mercy_corp_worker_and_syracuse.html

Jobs and population: controlling population

Editor's Note: This article continues our series excerpted from AC360°'s contributor David Gewirtz's book, How To Save Jobs, which is available now. AC360° viewers can download it for free at HowToSaveJobs.org. To learn more about the book, follow David on Twitter @DavidGewirtz.

David Gewirtz | BIO
AC360° Contributor
Director, U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute

There’s no doubt that as we move through the next few decades, the planet simply won’t be able to support as many people as will be born. In America alone, we need to create 2 million more jobs every year, simply to keep up with the population.

The problem of supporting a growing population becomes doubly true of hugely populous countries like China and India, which are pursuing goals to move the bulk of their population into the middle-class. China and India alone will need to consume more than 50% more energy than actually exists in the entire world.

Like issues relating to climate, population is really a world-wide issue and somehow needs to be addressed across national boundaries.

There are a variety of approaches that can be taken. These include scientific advances in generating new sources of fuel and renewable energy so our growing population doesn’t run out of power.

But, without a doubt, the planet needs to produce less people. No one likes the idea of government-imposed population control, and yet this is what China has been attempting since the late 1970s, with less than positive results.

In 1979, China instituted the jìhuà shengyù zhèngcè, unofficially known as the one-child policy. The policy restricts the number of children couples can give birth to and raise. While China claims that the program, in its first 30 years, has prevented as many births as there are people in the United States, the program is not without its serious problems.

Chinese parents who ignore the one-child policy are subject to enormous fines and heavy-handed government prosecution. As you might imagine, the rate of abortion and infanticide is off-the-charts, in part because prospective parents are often faced with no other choice than to terminate the pregnancy.

Parents who do actually go through with giving birth are often required to “dispose” of the newly born baby, according to testimony by Gao Xiao Duan (a former Chinese population control administrator) to what was then the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations human rights subcommittee in 1998.

A disturbing culture of kidnapping and black-market selling has grown out of the one-child policy. Gender roles are still strong through much of Chinese culture and some families value having a boy far more than having a girl.

This has resulted in a reduction in female children and, as Nobel Prize–winning economist Amartya Sen described, more than 100 million women are “missing” from what would have been a normal population – through abortion, infanticide, or starvation as a result of poor nutrition.

Depending on how coldly you measure it, China’s one-child policy has either been a measured success or a horrible, gruesome failure. In a country overwhelmed by population, preventing hundreds of millions of births may well have helped China manage scarce resources with more effectiveness.

But, the cost in terms of simply life itself is hard to ignore. Children being kidnapped, never to be seen again by their parents, infants being put to death, families forced to starve in order to pay the fines required to keep a beloved child - all of these are chilling effects that no one wants to see in a civilized world.

Follow David on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz.

Editor’s note: David Gewirtz is Director of the U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute and Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines. He is a leading Presidential scholar specializing in White House email. He is a member of FBI InfraGard, the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals, a columnist for The Journal of Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, and has been a guest commentator for the Nieman Watchdog of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He is a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley extension, a recipient of the Sigma Xi Research Award in Engineering and was a candidate for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Letters.

John Honovich tests Vitamin D Video Analytics

http://ipvideomarket.info/report/testing_vitamin_d_video_analytics_software

Spain takes down Botnet that infected 13M computers with spyware

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish criminals who stole bank details from computers around the world did not realize the power of the illegal network they had created which could have paralyzed an entire country's computer systems, police said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6214ST20100303

Cyber Czar Howard Schmidt

San Francisco
On Tuesday, the White House declassified cybersecurity somewhat when cybersecurity czar Howard Schmidt pulled back the curtain, at least a bit, on the Bush administration’s secretive plan to defend the nation’s computer networks. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0302/White-House-declassifies-parts-of-US-cybersecurity

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/us-declassifies-part-of-secret-cybersecurity-plan/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cybersecurity/comprehensive-national-cybersecurity-initiative



-plan

Spike in power grid attacks likely

February 19, DarkReading – (International) Spike in power grid attacks likely in next 12 months. There is a ‘window of opportunity for malicious intent’ as energy firms roll out smart-grid pilot programs. Attacks against the power grid are likely to rise and intensify during the next 12 months as smart grid research and pilot projects advance, according to utility security experts and a recently published report that analyzes threats to critical infrastructure. The so-called Project Grey Goose Report on Critical Infrastructure points to state and/or non-state sponsored hackers from the Russian Federation of Independent States, Turkey, and China as the main threats to targeting and hacking into energy providers and other critical infrastructure networks. The principal investigator for Project Grey Goose and founder and CEO of GreyLogic says he and other researchers working on the report initially focused on answering the question of whether there have been any successful cyberattacks on the utilities. “Some companies say there’s never been a successful attack against the grid, but that’s not true,” he says. “There have been at least 120 instances” of successful attacks, some of which are documented in the report and date back to 2001. Several utility security experts agree that utility security administrators will have their hands full during the next year, as the transition from isolated, closed energy-generation and transmission networks to IP-based and wireless ones begins to take shape in the form of pilot smart grid projects. The Grey Goose report calls out Russia, Turkish hackers, and China as the top threats to the power grid. “I perceive Russia as the most serious threat [of the three] and China last,” says the report’s principal investigator. That is because hackers
- 3 -
from China are more likely to hack for espionage purposes than to disrupt the grid, he says. Source: http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223000369

2010 International Conference on Cyber Security -Fordham University & FBI NYC

The 2010 will cover a variety of topics - Enabling Technologies, Operations & Enforcement & Real Life Experiences.

Last year more than 500 people from 40 countries gathered at ICCS to discuss the worlds greatest emerging cyber threats. This August the FBI and Fordham University will partner again to host the 2nd annual International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS 2010) in NYC, the information center of the world.

With the number of cyber threats escalating worldwide, the need for a comprehensive security analysis, assessment, and actions have reached a critical juncture. Join us at ICCS 2010 for a first-hand opportunity to discover and share crtical intelligence on issues shaping the future of cyber security.

visit www.iccs.fordham.edu - for registration and program information
contact me for sponsorship opportunities at venditti@partnerforsecurity.com or call me at 917-596-3037.

Remote Surveillance Camera from Frontgate

Remote Surveillance Camera from Frontgate http://www.frontgate.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=20857&k=ZZ50875 $249

This high-resolution Remote Surveillance Camera sends live video and audio of your home to a secure, password protected website that you can view from anywhere in the world via your smartphone or any Internet connection. Don’t wonder what’s happening at home while you’re away — see for yourself.
Simple to set up and operate
The camera’s 10x zoom functions can be controlled remotely
Built-in motion sensor immediately sends you email alerts when movement is detected
Includes night-vision LED lights, AC adapter, and mounting stand
Requires Windows XP/Vista

Don't buy HP 4780 Wireless Printers All in One

I recently purchased the C4780 HP wireless printer and have had nothing but problems with trying to connect it to my wireless network. I call the tech phone support 2x and had 5 online chats, installed and uninstalled the software on my Windows 7 operating system 12 x. This entire process has cost me days of time and troubleshooting. I kept record of the online chats. Phone tech support and online chat support at not integrated systems. So when I was told to call the 800 technical services number by the online chat representative, the phone tech support rep said that they would have no way of accessing my chat history, nor did they care because they were two separate areas. Not what I wanted to hear after being online with 5 different chats each about 2-3 hours long! I was told on 2 occasions that my issue was escalated to Level 2 support and told I would receive a phone call within 24-72 hours. Never received a single call from HP. Today, they tried that again, but I said it was unacceptable and I wanted a Return Authorization number. Their policy is not to send a RA number but rather to send a (new/refurbished) printer in its place. They assured me that the printer that is coming within 5-10 business days will be new but the box was opened before and treated as overstock from a stores inventory. I ask why if the box had never been opened would HP even need to open the box to insure that it was in working order? I feel I am being mislead and will see what actually shows up. They needed my credit card to insure that I return the printer that is defective. I just hope that they don't charge for this next printer.

I recommend that you do not buy HP Printers until they get their act together!

My feeling is they haven't dealt with the integration of Windows 7 yet.

DHS: Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Meeting with Faith-Based and Community Leaders

DHS: Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Meeting with Faith-Based and Community Leaders

"In times of crisis, leaders of faith-based communities and other grassroots organizations often play a critical role in the borad and timely dissemination of accurate information." said Secretary Napolitano. "Strengthening our partnerships with faith- and community-based groups will allow improved information sharing and better coordination in preparing for, assessing and responding to threats."

Child pornography fight gets new weapons

Centered in cyber-forensics labs at the offices of the Louisiana attorney general and State Police, special investigative units can detect computers throughout Louisiana that are exchanging sexually explicit images of children online. During a recent typical month, the systems identified more than 5,600 such Internet computer addresses in the state.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/11/post_72.html

Domestic Preparedness - Executive Briefing for All Hazards Consortium AHC

On September 24, 2009, DomPrep hosted an Executive Briefing for the All Hazards Consortium (AHC), a 501c3 non-profit guided by eight regional states - Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia - and the District of Columbia. This by-invitation-only meeting was held from 8:00am to 11:00am (EST) in the First Amendment Lounge on the 13th floor of the National Press Club (529 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20045).

The purpose of this important meeting was to brief new administration appointees, the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) leadership, congressional aides, and other federal decision-making officials - representing the Departments of Defense, Energy, Health, Justice, and Transportation - on the region’s multi-state efforts, accomplishments, and future as well as current needs in the broad areas of homeland security and emergency management. Short presentations were made by the member states, several of the federal partners involved, and private-sector representatives on the numerous ways in which they have collaborated over the past four years on regional efforts. Of particular importance was a discussion on how they are forming a new model for regional collaboration at the state level.
a listing of the speakers with a link to their audio presentations - http://www.domesticpreparedness.com/WebConferences/Conference_Detail/All_Hazards_Consortium_Executive_Briefing/

First-Person Report - Forecast 2010: A New Model for Disaster Management

- Mark Merritt
http://www.domesticpreparedness.com/Commentary/Viewpoint/First-Person_Report_-_Forecast_2010%3a_A_New_Model_for_Disaster_Management/

The nation’s fifth largest recent disaster has affected the citizens of Iowa for the past 18 months but, thanks to an innovative approach to disaster management, that state’s weather problems have been almost unknown to the outside world. One result is that, as we begin 2010, the most significant change in disaster management is probably going to be the way in which other states handle their own long-term disaster-recovery programs.

In 2008, Iowa experienced the most devastating series of natural disasters in the state’s history, when severe floods, tornadoes, and storms hit Iowa – resulting in 85 of the state’s 99 counties being declared federal disaster areas. Initial statewide estimates for damages were between $8 billion and $10 billion.

Coordination – The Key to Sustained Progress - The RIO’s most important role is to coordinate work among the many state and federal agencies and local entities involved in disaster-recovery decision-making and program administration.