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"File-Sharing Firms Can Be Held Liable"
Washington Post (06/28/05) P. A1 ; Krim, Jonathon In two Supreme Court decisions this week, the entertainment industry scored significant proprietary victories. The first, decided unanimously, held that online distributors of file-sharing software can be found liable if it is demonstrated that they encourage users to illegally share copyrighted materials. In accordance with FCC precedent, the second, a 6 to 3 ruling, found that cable-television companies are under no obligation to offer rival operators access to their high-speed Internet lines. The two decisions can be seen as an overarching affirmation of private property rights. The exclusionary ruling on cable-access could have implications in the telecommunications industry, as the FCC has contemplated imposing a similar standard on DSL lines provided by telephone companies. The file-sharing case, MGM Studios Inc., v. Grokster Ltd., upheld the 1984 Betamax precedent that a technology is legitimate provided that it has "substantial" legal application, finding that Grokster and StreamCast, which powers the peer-to-peer sharing network Morpheus, "clearly voiced the objective that recipients use it to download copyrighted works, and each took active steps to encourage infringement." The decision angered file-sharing companies, manufacturers of consumer electronics, and advocates of digital rights. "Today the Supreme Court has unleashed a new era of legal uncertainty on America's innovators," said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney for the file-sharing companies. While this case is a setback for makers of small electronics devices that enable sharing, technology giants such as Microsoft and Intel applauded the decision, and expressed satisfaction that the Supreme Court shows no sign of revising the Betamax standard.
(go to web site) "Audit Hits Training of Oak Ridge Security Guards"
Tennessean (06/29/05) The 650 security guards that protect the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., have spent "about 40 percent less time on combat readiness training" than requirements dictate, according to an audit from federal regulators. The report, released Tuesday, also notes that the guards are regularly required to work more than 60 hours a week, in violation of "safe operations" recommendations in the Department of Energy's protective force program manual. The report also notes that signatures were falsified on training attendance rolls and that some officers were given more credits for training time than they should have received.
(go to web site) "Training for Security Personnel Is Urged"
Washington Post (07/01/05) P. D4 ; Joyce, Amy Washington, D.C., Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) has introduced legislation mandating that unarmed security guards who work in the city receive 40 hours of training before being allowed to work. The bill also mandates that guards who report unsafe conditions receive whistleblower protections and that they receive follow-up training in the form of an annual refresher course. Terms of the legislation also call for security firms to get $100,000 of insurance--as opposed to the current $25,000--to do business in the city, and a fine would be levied on any firm that fails to comply with the bill's requirements. The officers would be trained in several areas, including terrorism prevention; evacuation procedures; how to react to unknown substances and unattended packages; how to interact with tourists; first-aid; and customer service. At present, the city does not require training for unarmed guards who work in commercial office buildings, said Valarie Long, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 82 (SEIU), adding that guards "work hard and want to do a better job" but often lack the tools they need. Of the legislation, SEIU spokeswoman Cynthia Kain said, "For the small companies that don't have the training capacity another training company might have, it equalizes the training across the board." The Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington and many building owners are opposing the bill, claiming that security guards are already trained by security companies.
(go to web site) "Hospitals Support Measures to Protect Nurses"
Boston Globe (06/29/05) ; Lewis, Diane E. The Massachusetts Nurses Association and several hospitals are working together to create policies and procedures to protect nurses from verbal abuse, assault, and intimidation in emergency rooms, psychiatric units, and waiting areas. Meanwhile, the group is also working on a bill to increase workplace safety in hospitals and health care facilities, which has become necessary in light of recent increases in workplace violence as overcrowding continues. Fifty percent of nurses surveyed by the group indicated that they had been punched at least once, and others complained of being almost strangled, sexually assaulted, and being stuck with contaminated needles. Some hospitals have already implemented new safety language into their contracts with nurses, and Faulkner Hospital is guaranteeing escorts to parked cars within 30 minutes of a request and confidential counseling and medical attention for injured nurses.
(go to web site) "After a Lull, Pirates Are Back in Strait of Malacca"
Los Angeles Times (06/27/05) ; Harris, Arlen; Fidler, Stephen Maritime pirates are being blamed for five ransom kidnappings in the Strait of Malacca since Feb. 28, the most recent being the kidnapping of a master and boatswain from a Thai tanker in early June. In some instances, kidnappers will abduct a vessel's senior officers and lock up the crew, leaving no one in charge of a moving ship. Roughly 50 percent of global oil shipments and 25 percent of global cargo makes its way through the strait, which sees a total of some 55,000 ship movements per year. A lull in piracy occurred after the tsunami that hit the region in December, but security experts say that violent attacks and kidnappings are increasing. Some ship companies have decided to protect their vessels with private security, but some regional governments--Malaysia in particular--would prefer that private security not be involved. Malaysia's deputy prime minister said that the government would keep a close eye on private security aboard ships, explaining that the security personnel may be too aggressive or poorly trained. Ship owners in the region paid some $1 million in ransom payments to pirates during about 20 incidents in 2004, with the average ransom payment being roughly $50,000. During those incidents, 40 crew members were kidnapped and four were killed. Pirates in the region tend to target smaller and specialist ships.
(go to web site) "The SarbOx Bind"
Business Week SmallBiz (Quarter 2, 2005) P. 25 ; Quittner, Jeremy Congress hoped that with the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 that financial and corporate wrongdoing would cease in public companies, but some private firms are also adopting the latest restrictions and transparency policies as well. Much of the desire to become SarbOx compliant is due to pressure from larger clients, investors, and private firms' boards seeking a possible public offering down the road. The Securities and Exchange Commission has not stated it will ease the controls presented by SarbOx, but a smaller-scale version of the act could emerge for smaller firms, who are having trouble paying to comply with the current act. In fact, some private firms may even be able to adopt the less strict rules for smaller businesses in an effort to please investors, clients, and board members. Until then, many private firms are struggling with the decision of whether or not to go public with their companies because not only do they need to generate interest in the firm among investors and venture capitalists, but they also have to invest in the controls required under SarbOx.
(go to web site) "Miami Riverwatch"
Access Control & Security Systems (05/05) Vol. 48, No. 6, P. 18 ; Stellitano, Corrina The Miami River port, which takes on $4 billion in commerce per year, has installed an intricate video system that gives local law enforcement an additional resource for protecting the river and port facilities. The port and river have long had a reputation for drug smuggling and piracy, but that reputation is changing thanks to the efforts of law enforcement. Fran Bohnsack, executive director of the Miami River Marine Group, a consortium comprised of some 50 marine-related businesses and 20 port terminals, said that her group had long considered the possibility of installing a video surveillance system to help protect the terminals and businesses. Threat assessments showed that Miami River was one of the most at-risk port areas, but there was never enough state or federal funding for the video surveillance project until after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bohnsack said. After the attacks, the group received two grants to pay for the installation of the project, which includes a total of more than 218 surveillance cameras in one continuous system. Several different agencies are responsible for monitoring the system at different areas along the river; these agencies include the City of Miami Police Department and Marine Patrol, the Miami-Dade County Police Department and Marine Patrol, City of Hialeah Police Department, and Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Maritime Transportation Security Act requires local law enforcement to patrol the Miami River on a 24-7 basis, and the camera system gives law enforcement another resource to accomplish this, says Bohnsack.
(go to web site) "Survival of the Fittest"
Risk Management (06/05) Vol. 52, No. 6, P. 10 ; Wade, Jared Corporate executives are at greater risk for being taken hostage in foreign countries than ever before; whereas previously the majority of hostages were political or military figures, terrorists have increasingly targeted businesses, often hoping for financial gain through kidnapping. Training to help executives learn the most effective behavior in these situations can save lives in the unlikely but highly stressful event of a kidnapping. Knowledge of one's personal risk in any given situation is important to preventing abduction. Executives of certain businesses are more likely to be targeted in a particular area; for instance, oil executives are at particularly high risk in Iraq. Developing skills in determining if one is under surveillance can also help prevent abduction; traveling executives should look out for suspicious behavior, especially if they continue to see the same person repeatedly. If captured, the best strategy is to be minimally cooperative, but to make clear that one's employer will not negotiate for lives.
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"Redesign Puts Freedom Tower on a Fortified Base"
New York Times (06/30/05) P. A1 ; Dunlap, David W.; Collins, Glenn The proposed Freedom Tower to be built in New York City has been aggressively redesigned over the past several weeks to address a perceived lack of security, and the redesign has incorporated elements of a list of safety recommendations released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The first 200 feet of the building redesign calls for a concrete and steel pedestal covered in decorative metalwork, and the building would be set back an additional 40 feet from a state highway. The 200-foot base would house nothing but the lobby, and the building's windows would be made of tempered and multilayered glass to protect against explosions. The new version of the building will not feature the distinctive asymmetrical spire, parallelogram floor plan, or cables of the original design, and will instead evoke the feel of the original twin towers. The New York Police Department (NYPD) had been critical of the original design of the building. The "new design provides for a level of bomb blast mitigation consistent with the NYPD's report on the Freedom Tower and adequate to the threat" that federal safety guidelines describe, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The building is expected to be finished in 2010.
(go to web site) "State to Assess Airport Security After Joyride"
Stamford Advocate (CT) (06/24/05) ; Hagey, Keach Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has ordered personnel from the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to examine the security measures at all airports in the state. Rell ordered the move in reaction to last week's incident in which a 20-year-old man and two teenage friends allegedly stole a small plane from the Danbury Municipal Airport and went undetected during a three-hour joyride. Rell and other officials noted that stolen planes could be used as weapons to crash into targets. State police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance estimated that the order would affect dozens of general aviation airports in Connecticut. Vance said that state troopers who have been assigned to Connecticut's homeland security office would conduct the airport-security reviews. The troopers have received training in infrastructure assessment, Vance said. The evaluation will include the possibility of implementing high-tech security and surveillance measures, as well as smaller security precautions, such as booting planes. The Federal Aviation Administration is examining last week's incident to see if any security violations occurred at the Danbury airport.
(go to web site) "Report Warns of Threat to Milk Supply"
Washington Post (06/29/05) P. A8 ; Weiss, Rick Roughly 400,000 Americans would become ill--60 percent of whom would ultimately die--and the U.S. economy would suffer billions of dollars in losses if terrorists managed to pour 10 grams of botulism toxin into a milk tanker truck on its way to deposit the tampered milk at a processing plant, according to a report released by Stanford University researchers on Tuesday. The federal government had aggressively attempted to keep the report from being released, citing the possibility that the information in the report could be used by terrorists or others to cause harm. The report notes that milk from many different sources is emptied into gargantuan holding tanks at processing facilities, meaning that just one tampered shipment of milk would be blended with other milk and distributed widely enough to be consumed by about 568,000 people. In this manner, the 10 grams of botulism toxin would be distributed in low, but still potentially fatal, doses, and school children would be the first to be affected because milk delivered to schools comes directly from the processing facilities instead of the grocery-distribution system, the report said. The death rate would climb so high due to a dearth of antitoxins and mechanical ventilators, otherwise only 6 percent of those who drank the milk could be expected to die, the report said. In order to mitigate the chances of such an attack, the report urges that pasteurization processes be improved, that contamination-detection tests be conducted before milk is delivered for distribution, and that locks be added to latches on tanker trucks. These security measures would raise the price of milk by just a few cents per gallon, the report said. Officials connected with the study believe that the milk industry and government regulators can use the report to increase security measures.
(go to web site) "Washington Monument Subtly Fortified"
Washington Post (07/01/05) P. A1 ; Dvorak, Petula The $15 million project to revamp the grounds of the Washington Monument and make the monument more secure has been finished both on budget and on time and will be unveiled to the public just in time for this weekend's Fourth of July celebrations. U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight Pettiford said that U.S. authorities and intelligence sources have received nothing that would indicate any type of threat against the Fourth of July events on the National Mall. As of 10 a.m. July 4, a total of 20 security screening checkpoints will become active on the Mall and at the Capitol to protect those attending the celebrations. Police officers will be out in force, on horseback, on motorcycle, and by helicopter, Pettiford said. A big crowd is predicted, and revelers are being told by police not to bring large items. Suspicious-looking people can expect to have their bags hand-searched by police using hand-held magnetometers. The Washington Monument's new physical security features include some protections that are subtle rather than obvious--for example, the haphazard array of Jersey barriers that once protected the monument have been replaced by a series of low, curving, ash-rose granite walls that encircle the monument, providing tourists with a place to stop and rest. Although the walls protrude just 30 inches above the ground, their roots are deep and overlapping enough that they are capable of stopping a Humvee filled with explosives, and retractable posts can be lowered to provide entrances for maintenance vehicles; also, solid white marble benches now encircle the plaza area of the monument, and lighting has been improved.
(go to web site) "Inside the Mind of an Iraqi Suicide Bomber"
Time (06/26/05) ; Ghosh, Aparisim Twenty-year-old Iraqi Marwan Abu Ubeida is a jihadist member of the Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist group who, by order by his commander, has given an interview about the mindset and preparations of suicide bombers. Ubeida, who has been training for months to blow himself up and kill as many American and Iraqi soldiers as he can, is the first suicide bomber to provide testimony before carrying out a mission. Ubeida has a small and nondescript appearance, and both U.S. and insurgent sources say that nondescript people are considered the perfect candidates for suicide bombings because they can easily slip in and out of crowds without much notice. Suicide bombers undergo a psychological and spiritual process overseen by commanders and clerics that teaches them to give up their previous lives and start new ones. Jihadist leaders make recruits view videos of successful attacks and also make them listen to taped speeches on subjects like what types of rewards suicide bombers can expect in the afterlife. The terrorist group's field commanders and explosives specialists are responsible for the logistics of an attack, including the choice of targets, preparing the explosives, and scouting out the attack site, and the suicide bombers themselves frequently know little about their missions until minutes before they launch their attack, says Ubeida. Iraqi officials say they have evidence that some car bombings are conducted by remote control and that drivers have been chained to the steering column, and thus perhaps were unaware that they were conducting a suicide mission. But Ubeida says that some bombers chain themselves to the steering wheels of vehicles to make sure they do not lose their nerve at the last moment before an attack, though they are never intoxicated because that would be an affront to Allah.
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"Banks Must Secure Web Delivery Channel, FDIC Says in New Warning on Identity Theft"
BNA Daily Report for Executives (06/28/05) P. A-30 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) says banks are not doing enough to protect the personal information of their customers. In December, the FDIC issued a supplement to a study that offers recommendations on what banks can do to fight "phishing", but the FDIC says it has become apparent that banks need to go a step further. "Our review illustrates that ID theft is evolving in more complicated ways and that more can and should be done to make online banking more secure", says FDIC Chairman Donald Powell. Bank regulators plan to issue new regulations on customer authentification in online banking transactions this fall.
(go to web site) "The World's Biggest Bullseye"
Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine (06/05) ; Ward, Keith Microsoft IT department information security director Pete Boden deals with thousands of attacks per day, because hackers prize breaking into the company's internal network. The company employs firewalls, intrusion detection technology, and constant monitoring. Boden believes about 5 percent of the company's network traffic is due to attacks with only a few consisting of sophisticated techniques. He says, "Very few [attackers] are creative and have malicious intent and are skilled at that level and can execute sophisticated attacks. We have an internal attack and penetration team, white-hat hackers whose full-time job is to try and hack into the network. We allow them a lot of latitude to be creative. There are five working today." Boden believes the biggest information security challenges are the constant pace of business changes and the need offer worldwide connectivity, expanding networks that are more difficult to protect, and maintaining proper software upgrades and patches. Microsoft is currently using a combination of Windows Server Update Services and SMS 2003 for patch management, says Boden. Also, the company is utilizing smart card technology to more effectively protect high-security data and ensure vendors across a wide network are authenticated before access is granted.
(go to web site) Abstracts Copyright © 2005 Information, Inc. Bethesda, MD |
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