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"LAPD Reviews Terror Threat at Nightclubs"
Los Angeles Times (07/04/07) ; Winton, Richard; Pierson, David The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is conducting an assessment of security at Hollywood nightclubs due to the recent discovery of car bombs targeting a nightclub in the United Kingdom. Noting that Hollywood has the most nightclubs of any U.S. city, LAPD Police Chief William Bratton and other police officials said that the comprehensive "terror assessment" would include several dozen high-profile, high-volume nightclubs. "We are assessing them, contacting their private security and make them more aware of what to look for that is anything unusual," said the chief of the LAPD's counterterrorism unit, Michael Downing. Bratton said that Hollywood and its nightclubs are a terrorism target, but Downing said the review was being conducted out of prudence, not due to any specific threat. The security assessment will focus on the ways terrorists might target nightclubs and the means by which security for patrons can be increased. Some club owners and employees downplayed the need for anti-terrorism measures, but LAPD officials point out that the crowds of patrons who line up outside trendy Hollywood nightclubs provide a target-rich environment for car bombers.
(go to web site) "Fidelity National Reports Big Data Breach, Axes Worker"
Reuters (07/04/07) Electronic-payment processor Fidelity National Information Services says an employee stole 2.3 million consumer records and sold them to a data broker. The personal, bank account, and credit-card data were taken from the company's Certegy Check Services unit and resold to direct marketers, the company says. Certegy President Renz Nichols says there is no evidence that the information was used for anything other than marketing. Fidelity National says the exposed data includes 2.2 million bank account records and 99,000 credit card records. Certegy, which merged with Fidelity National last year, uses bank account data to help merchants decide whether to authorize a consumer's check. Analysts say banks, financial firms, and retailers are increasingly focusing on data security after recent high-profile system breaches led to consumer lawsuits and losses.
(go to web site) "Hackers Target Execs and Their Families"
IDG News Service (07/02/07) ; Kirk, Jeremy MessageLabs reports that about 10 emails per day containing malware were targeted at individuals in senior management positions in May. In addition to targeting executives, families of those targeted also received phony executable code files in email attachments with the executive's name in the subject line. MessageLabs chief security analyst Mark Sunner says sites such as MySpace and Facebook facilitate the ease of finding out detailed information about an individual. CIOs, CFOs, and CEOs have all been targeted, MessageLabs reports, when they tracked over 500 targeted messages. Sunner says hackers are employing single messages as opposed to mass-spam because of the former's success rate of being overlooked. IP addresses from such messages come from all over the world and botnets, or computer networks that are already controlled by hackers, are also being used to send such email.
(go to web site) "All Companies Need a Disaster Recovery Plan"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (07/05/07) ; Sutin, Kathie Ninety-three percent of businesses losing access to their data for up to 10 days generally file for bankruptcy within 12 months, according to the National Archives and Records Administration. For this reason, experts agree businesses should develop and implement a disaster preparedness and recovery plan before power outages and other events occur. THF Realty Inc. Risk Manager Sabrina Radney stated earlier power outages in Missouri prompted her firm to ensure an emergency preparedness plan was in place, particularly if outages severed the firm's ties to electronic records. Companies need to devise a plan that minimizes the steps firms need to recover data or access it during a crisis, and those plans should include backup of data, alternate sites, equipment replacement, and locations to store software and data. Plans also should spell out specific steps staff members should take during an emergency, and the plans need to be tested periodically to ensure all employees know what to do. Radney noted her firm moved its servers off-site, laptops were commissioned for a temporary meeting space, and server access was provided to those laptops.
(go to web site) "Bones Could Allow Data Swap Via Handshake"
New Scientist (06/13/07) ; Marks, Paul Rice University researchers Lin Zhong and Michael Liebschner, with funding from Microsoft and Texas Instruments, are conducting research that could eventually lead to new ways for people to communicate with electronic devices through their bodies. Wireless radio signals are already used to control gadgets and implants, but Wi-Fi and other sources can cause interference, making such devices unreliable, potentially dangerous for medical patients, and hackable by anyone with an antenna. To avoid such complications, the researchers are exploring using sound instead of radio waves. Bone is an excellent conductor of sound, but has only been used to transmit analog signals for limited, specific purposes. When testing to see if a digital signal could be sent over longer portions of the body, such as from a sensor worn on the wrist to a headset, the team used a small vibrator on various parts of the body. The skeleton was able to conduct low-power vibrations from one location to another with surprisingly few errors. "This is quite amazing because all the links involved multiple bones and many joints," Zhong said. Liebschner believes that the greatest advantage to such a system is security, since data is transferring completely within the body and can only be accessed via direct physical contact. Zhong said that it may even be possible for people to exchange information through a handshake.
(go to web site) "Moss Hires Security to Keep Doherty Away"
RTE.ie (07/05/07) Supermodel Kate Moss has hired security guards to keep her troubled ex-boyfriend, rock singer Pete Doherty, at bay. "She's brought in new guards and they won't let him get close to her at all," a source says.
(go to web site) "How Safe Are Imported Goods?"
Wall Street Journal (07/05/07) P. B5 ; Munoz, Sara Schaefer; Zamiska, Nicholas The recent rash of recalled toys, pet foods, and other items raised eyebrows among American consumers, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to develop reforms to improve importation safety. The pilot project run by the agency continues to post product label photos on the FDA Web site, but more stringent regulations for food imports and increases in chemical testing of imports are still under discussion. NSF International, a non-profit group, also is working on a project to certify raw materials used by international suppliers that import food to the United States. Meanwhile, government regulators claim the traces of chemicals in food and other items are minimal and nothing for consumers to worry about, but consumers admit they are more cautious about the imported goods they purchase. Grocery Manufacturers Association spokesman Brian Kennedy notes, "What helps ensure safety of product is not where it is from, but the processes and programs that food companies have in place." Many foods are required to list the nation of origin for the product and list the ingredients, but there are no regulatory obligations for the manufacturer to list the origins of the ingredients. Some firms in the United States note Chinese suppliers continue to improve their processes, but additives or ingredients that do not meet U.S. specifications will only be caught if U.S. firms test for them.
(go to web site) "Background Screening of Healthcare Personnel: Understanding the Interplay of Laws"
HR Pulse (07/01/07) P. 52 ; Erlam, N. Alexander To develop a hiring process that both screens out potentially dangerous hires and complies with regulations, HR professionals must become familiar with state and federal laws delineating the use of background report information in hiring decisions. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the primary federal law regarding background screening, and it mandates that employers are accountable for guaranteeing applicants know about and agree to the use of consumer reports for hiring purposes. In addition, the FCRA requires employers to inform applicants immediately if data in their consumer reports may lead to a negative hiring decision. For both conviction records and arrest records, employers must establish legal grounds for utilizing the information before taking the information into consideration. Creating a well-worded disclosure form is a valuable best practice; employers should inquire, ?Have you ever pled guilty, no contest, or been convicted of a crime?? HR professionals also should become acquainted with the stipulations in the JCAHO Standard 1.20, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and additional state background screening statutes. Other expert recommendations for HR professionals include matching the background screening program?s facets with the position in question, revising the employment application so its questions comply with mandatory state rules and training staff about the proper management of background reports.
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"A Week After Bomb Attempts, Half a Million Expected in London for Tour"
ESPN.com (07/05/07) U.K. authorities will have their hands full this weekend as they attempt to protect three major events--the Tour de France, Wimbledon tennis tournament, and Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium--just one week removed from the car bomb terrorist plot. The Tour de France, which is expected to draw some 500,000 spectators in London alone, will begin in the city Friday, near the scene of two failed car bombings. The route of the Tour stretches some 125 miles over the first two days, providing an immense challenge from a security perspective. "This event is a classic example of the impossibility of ensuring security unless completely reliable intelligence as to terrorist intentions is available," says security analyst Charles Shoebridge, a former counterterrorism officer. The Tour will kick off Friday night with a ceremony at Trafalgar Square. On Saturday--the two-year anniversary of the July 7 London suicide bombings--the Tour riders will conduct a prologue that will see them ride past such sensitive sites as Buckingham Palace and Parliament. The Tour proper begins Sunday, and more than 4,500 London police officers will fan out along the route to provide security along with other law enforcement officers and French security personnel.
(go to web site) "U.S. Beefs Up Air Security After U.K. Terrorist Attempts"
Newsday (07/01/07) Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says that the United States has no immediate plans to increase its national terrorism alert level in response to the U.K. terror incidents, but the government will increase security at the nation's mass transit systems and airports. The measures will include placing additional air marshals aboard international flights. The increased security will be deployed in preparation for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, not because of any credible threats against the United States, Chertoff said. However, U.S. officials are checking the names of the suspects in the U.K. terror plot against names in U.S. databases, including the no-fly list. The officials are attempting to determine if the U.K. suspects have any links to people in the United States or made calls to U.S. residents. Chertoff again emphasized that terrorists from Britain and Europe pose a threat to the United States. "I think one of the issues we're increasingly concerned about is the movement of Europeans, including people with European citizenship, into areas of South Asia to get trained and get experience and then the prospect of these people coming back to carry out operations in Europe or in the United States using Europe as a departure point," Chertoff explained. "Going forward, we will be doing some enhanced air marshal work and similar types of activities with respect to U.K. travel."
(go to web site) "Attempts Seen as Model for New Attacks on U.S. Soil"
Washington Post (07/03/07) P. A1 ; DeYoung, Karen U.S. officials are paying close attention to the U.K. government's investigation into the recent vehicle-based terrorism incidents in London and Scotland because counterterrorism officials believe that the next terrorist attack against the United States will be similar in nature. Although the U.K. incidents were unsophisticated, similar types of attacks will be difficult to prevent going forward, U.S. counterterrorism sources say. One source indicated that even before the U.K. incidents, U.S. officials were growing increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorist activity. U.S. officials note that the suspects who have been arrested as part of the U.K. investigation were not on any U.S. watch lists because they were never suspected of being linked to terrorism. While the suspects may not be directly linked to Al Qaeda, they at least appear to be part of a growing number of local groups who are inspired by Al Qaeda and who receive help from affiliates of the terrorist group. Georgetown University counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman says that Al Qaeda has been making a "strategic investment" in Great Britain in recent years, attempting to recruit and inspire individuals who do not represent typical terrorist profiles. Hoffman notes that the two attempted car bombings in London were unsuccessful only because the bombs failed to detonate.
(go to web site) "Medical Workers Emerge as Focus in British Inquiry"
New York Times (07/03/07) P. A1 ; Cowell, Alan; Bonner, Raymond CCTV surveillance cameras have proved to be an immense help in the ongoing investigation into last weekend's terrorist incidents in Great Britain, according to several sources, including a top Western law enforcement official. The two terrorists who rammed a flaming Jeep Cherokee into the Glasgow airport on Saturday were being traced prior to the attack by police using CCTV and cell phone technology, sources indicate. Using license plate numbers from the Jeep and the two car bombs that were discovered on Friday, authorities have been able to use CCTV images and computers to trace the movements of the vehicles in recent days. Prior to the Glasgow attack, police were able to tie the cell phone records of a cell phone found in one of the car bombs to a house in Glasgow that was used by at least one of the attackers in the Jeep. Just hours before the Glasgow attack, authorities contacted a representative of a rental agency that leased the house. Meanwhile, on Monday police carried out a controlled explosion of a car outside the Royal Alexandra Hospital; authorities believe the car may have contained explosives. And authorities in Australia arrested a medical worker in Brisbane, apparently in connection with the U.K. plot. Up to five of the suspects arrested in Great Britain are physicians or medical workers.
(go to web site) "Bomb Plot Suspects Are Foreign Physicians"
Washington Post (07/03/07) P. A1 ; Sullivan, Kevin; Whitlock, Craig Five of the suspects in the U.K. terror plot are physicians or physicians in training who worked in U.K. hospitals. The fact that white-collar workers with good jobs and incomes would be the prime suspects of a terrorist plot may seem unlikely, but most of the members of Al Qaeda's top leadership have advanced degrees and educations. For example, Osama bin Laden received training as a civil engineer; No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is a physician; Sept. 11 planner Khalid Sheik Mohammed has a mechanical engineering degree from North Carolina A&T University; and lead Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammad Atta was educated in architecture. There are about 90,000 physicians in the United Kingdom who earned their degrees in a foreign country, including a total of more than 5,000 from countries like Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Egypt. These doctors represent a potential national security risk, according to one security expert. All seven of the U.K. terror suspects who were arrested in Great Britain arrived in the country recently--a stark contrast to homegrown Islamic terrorists in Europe, who tend to have lived in their host countries for years before becoming radicalized. For example, a January study by a Dutch analyst finds that 95 percent of Islamic militants who have been accused of terrorism in Europe lived in Europe for a minimum of several years.
(go to web site) "Rockets' Red Glare Lightens Stormy Day"
Washington Post (04/05/07) P. A1 ; Mathews, Jay Washington, D.C.'s annual Fourth of July celebration went off without a hitch despite an estimated crowd of 400,000 and an increased security presence due to the recent terrorist incidents in Great Britain. The security presence included command centers staffed by the U.S. Park Police and D.C. Emergency Management Agency; police patrols; and teams of emergency workers who scoured the area around the National Mall looking for potential car bombs. Federal and D.C. Homeland Security officials also were on hand monitoring events via video feeds, law enforcement radio reports, and computer screens from inside a 38-foot-long operations center. The types of law enforcement alerts that appeared on the computer screens included warnings about a group of neo-Nazis near the Washington Monument, and groups of anarchists and activists near other sensitive spots. Law enforcement officers securing the Mall and the route of a parade were instructed to look for suspicious vehicles and potential car bombs, including cars with visible wires, strong odors, sagging trunks, or blankets covering interior items. Several cars were towed due to tightened parking rules, but no suspicious vehicles were found. Police were forced to evacuate the Mall during the evening as a powerful storm approached; they used bullhorns to pass on instructions to revelers, who sought shelter at Smithsonian museums and other buildings.
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"Nearly 30,000 Malicious Web Sites Appear Each Day"
InformationWeek (07/02/07) ; Gaudin, Sharon Sophos security consultant Carole Theriault reports that the incidences of Web malware have burgeoned on the Net recently, reaching roughly 30,000 per day. In June, malicious sites online skyrocketed from 9,500 daily to 29,000 daily--a sizeable increase from only 5,000 new malicious sites per day in April. Theriault said the considerable increase can be attributed to hackers opting for taking over Web sites over sending malicious email, and as more security analysts discover infiltrated sites, hackers have upped the sophistication of their techniques. Eighty percent of the sites that researchers discover on a daily basis as being compromised are legitimate sites. The IFrame malware has been the most notorious kind of malware, encoding Web pages with erroneous HTML, infecting about two-thirds of the world's hacked sites. "The Italian IFrame attack should certainly act as a wake-up call to ISPs across the globe," said Theriault. "Web sites should be as secure as Fort Knox, but at the moment, too many web pages are easy pickings for cybercriminals."
(go to web site) Abstracts Copyright © 2007 Information, Inc. Bethesda, MD | 
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