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"Robber Kills Philly Armored Car Guards"
Associated Press (10/04/07) ; Pennell, Randy Two armored car guards were shot and killed during a daylight robbery Thursday morning in Philadelphia. Former Philadelphia police officers William Widmaier, 65, and Joseph Alullo, 54, were removing deposits from a Wachovia bank ATM when an unidentified gunman approached them from behind and shot them. "There was no physical contact at all. There was just firing, it was an assassination," said Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. The gunman fired at a third guard, who was sitting in the armored car and received lacerations from broken glass, then fled in a black sedan. Police are unsure how much money the shooter stole and had few leads in the hours after the case. The FBI is reviewing surveillance video from the bank in an attempt to identify the shooter, who was wearing a yellow baseball cap that shielded his face from view of the bank's camera.
(go to web site) "Police Kill Man Who Shot 5 at Law Firm"
Associated Press (10/05/07) ; Simpson, Doug Louisiana police shot and killed a 63-year-old man who killed two people and wounded three others in a downtown law office on Thursday afternoon. Police breached the building early Friday morning using explosives after two of the wounded managed to escape and a third was rescued. After an exchange of gunfire that killed retired city worker John Ashley, police found the bodies of the remaining two victims, a postal worker and the son of one of the attorneys. Police had attempted to contact Ashley by phone throughout the day, but he refused to talk and shot at a remote-controlled robot that police sent into the building. "We did all we could do as far as negotiations were concerned," said Police Chief Daren Coutee.
(go to web site) "House OKs Bill to Make Security Contractors Subject to Prosecution in U.S."
Kansas City Star (10/04/07) ; Barrett, Barbara The House has approved a bill making private security contractors working overseas subject to U.S. judicial jurisdiction. The bill passed by a landslide 389-30. Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) authored the bill and says accountability for private contractors will help reign in errant behavior, but the State Department, which contracts Blackwater guards, has not received word yet on whether agents involved in the recent shooting in Iraq will be tried in Iraqi courts. Critics point out that the measure will have little bite unless the U.S. Department of Justice investigates suspected misdeeds.
(go to web site) "Report: Security for Judges Falls Short"
Associated Press (10/03/07) ; Yen, Hope A Justice Department report released Wednesday reveals that federal judges are in danger because the U.S. Marshals Service is not able to quickly investigate threats of violence. According to the report, in October 2006, the U.S. Marshals had a backlog of almost 1,200 cases of reported threats to review. Over 65 percent of cases reviewed were not investigated within a week of the threat. The report said that the U.S. Marshals made some improvements following an increase in threats in 2005 and 2006, including installing alarms at the homes of the 2,200 federal judges. The Marshals Service said that it planned on improving protection and asking for more money for security. "Given the importance of the issue of judicial protection, and the threats to federal judges in the past, we believe that the Marshals Service should move quickly to implement its plans to improve the protection of the federal judiciary," said Inspector General Glenn Fine. Despite the problems cited in the report, 87 percent of judges said that they were satisfied with their level of protection.
(go to web site) "FBI's Internal Security Lacking"
CBS News (10/01/07) Despite major improvements in the past six years, the FBI is still susceptible to security leaks and internal treason, says the most recent report from the Justice Department's inspector general. The 46-page report summary states that the agency's two major vulnerabilities lie in the lack of a department devoted solely to investigating internal espionage and the employment of operational outsiders. Furthermore, the report criticized the agency for failing to follow up on suspicious activities among its employees, referring to the May 2006 conviction of Philippine native Leandro Aragoncillo, an analyst at the FBI's Fort Monmouth Information Technology Center in New Jersey. Aragoncillo was found guilty on four charges, including leaking classified information to Philippine officials in an attempt to overthrow the Philippine government, and Office of Inspector General officials say the espionage may have been thwarted with more accountability and better documented incident files on employees. "We do not know whether Aragoncillo would still have been hired or his espionage prevented if the personnel security specialists had performed their jobs competently," Inspector General Glenn A. Fine states in the report. "However, the failures in the personnel security process should not have occurred." Conversely, the IG praised the bureau for its progress in other areas, such as polygraphs and re-investigations, noting a significant hike in random polygraphs for FBI employees and contractors.
(go to web site) "Jury Finds Thomas, MSG Guilty of Harassment"
Newsday (10/03/07) ; Destefano, Anthony M. A Manhattan federal jury found Madison Square Garden and its chairman, James Dolan, guilty of unjustly firing marketing executive Anucha Browne Sanders and awarded Browne Sanders $11.6 million in punitive damages. The verdict requires the guilty parties to pay damages--$8.6 million from MSG, and $3 million from Dolan-- to Browne Sanders, whom the seven-person jury said was fired for protesting sexual harassment by Knicks coach Isaiah Thomas. Thomas told reporters that he is "very innocent" and was not required to pay damages to Browne Sanders, since the jury could not prove that Thomas had a role in her firing. Browne Sanders is also seeking $600,000 in back pay and $9.7 million for damage to her reputation and other losses resulting from her termination, though a compensatory award may detract from her settlement from MSG and Dolan. U.S. District Court Judge Gerard Lynch, calling the verdict a reflection of the gravity of the offense, says he hopes the case will serve as a cautionary tale to other executives and companies.
(go to web site) "$3 Million Fine in Breach at Nuclear Laboratory"
New York Times (09/30/07) The University of California is facing a $3 million penalty for a security violation that occurred at its Los Alamos National Laboratory last year. The Department of Energy fined the university after a subcontracted employee was found with classified documents and computer equipment in her possession during a 2006 drug raid, though the university may challenge the fine on the basis that the employee did not work directly for the school. The National Nuclear Security Administration stated in a notice that the fine correlates with the severity of the breach, the university's slow progress in fixing weak security links, and a history of security violations at the school. "It may not escape liability for those deficiencies because an individual subcontractor employee exploited weaknesses in U.C.'s security management controls shortly after the university's tenure ended," the agency claimed in the notice.
(go to web site) "Fraud Hits Four Out of Five Companies"
WebCPA.com (09/25/07) A recently released Kroll and Economist Intelligence Unit study reveals 80 percent of companies have experienced some form of fraud since 2004, and about 10 percent of large firms have lost over $100 million annually. In the healthcare and financial sectors, 20 percent of firms reported losing over $1 million to fraud. Many of the losses stemmed from property or stock-related fraud, but other causes included self-dealing, information theft, financial mismanagement, and other incidents. Thirty-two percent of executives surveyed indicated high employee turnover resulted in increased fraud exposure, and 31 percent cited complex technology arrangements as sources of fraud exposure.
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"7 Men Arrested in Maldives Bomb Blast"
Associated Press (09/30/07) ; Francis, Krishan Seven men have been arrested for allegedly setting off a home-made bomb in the Maldives on Saturday. The bomb exploded outside a park in Male, wounding 12 tourists. Authorities have not released the names of the apprehended men because they are still looking for other suspects, however they did say that some of the alleged bombers were caught at an airport attempting to exit the country. Ten of the tourists, all from China and Japan, have been released from the hospital and returned home, while a British couple that sustained severe burns are still being treated. Western diplomats have voiced concern over possible violence in the Maldives, the wealthiest country in south Asia, although this is the first reported attack in the area. Government officials say that they will ask Interpol, the United States, and India for assistance in investigating the incident.
(go to web site) "TSA to Test New Thermal Cameras in Rail Stations"
USA Today (10/04/07) ; Frank, Thomas The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will test new heat-sensing cameras that can be used to screen people at a train or bus station without requiring a mandatory wait at a security checkpoint. The 10-inch cameras can be placed anywhere in a station, where they will be able to screen people as they walk by. The cameras can take a thermal image of the body from up to 20 yards away, highlighting materials colder than body temperature, signifying objects such as metals, plastics and ceramics. Objects that fit certain criteria will set off a red light prompting a screener to do a more thorough search. Experts are skeptical about the cameras, claiming that the technology is not advanced enough and will result in the search of innocent people. "Lots of things look like guns or explosives. It's going to result in people being needlessly searched or worse," said Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union. Despite the concerns, manufacturer QinetiQ North America hopes that the cameras will eventually be used in a variety of settings, including military bases, arenas, and landmarks. Some experts believe that once the technology advances and only detects true threats, it will be widely used.
(go to web site) "U.S. Labs Mishandling Deadly Germs"
Associated Press (10/02/07) ; Margasak, Larry The number of accident and missing shipments at U.S. laboratories working with deadly substances is on the rise. Labs reported 36 accidents and lost shipments from January through August of this year, almost double the number reported in all of 2004. One reason behind the increase in accidents is the growing number of labs who have received government approval to handle some of the 72 deadliest substances, which has doubled since 2004. Federal regulators only inspect each of the 409 labs once every three years, even though the labs are working with substances such as anthrax and the bird flu virus. Accidents included workers bitten by infected animals and failure to account for some test animals. However regulators say that the public was never at risk for exposure, although some are concerned that many accidents are not being reported to the proper officials. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) of the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee said, "It may be only a matter of time before our nation has a public health incident with potentially catastrophic results."
(go to web site) "Investigation Looks at Airport-Screener Test"
USA Today (10/04/07) ; Frank, Thomas Federal investigators are looking into whether security screeners at several airports cheated on security tests run by undercover agents. Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner said he received information that several airports had prior knowledge of the security tests. According to a report from Skinner's office, agents from the Transportation Security Administration, which hires both security screeners and undercover testing personnel, tipped off screeners beforehand at the airports, telling them the gender and race of TSA agents, what weapons they were carrying, and where the weapons were stored in their luggage. The tests are designed to determine the efficacy of security screeners; personnel who fail to find weapons must submit to training. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says fraudulent tests could mislead the public about airport security. "Many people who travel and assume that security is the best possible would be fearful knowing that the system has been gimmicked to look successful," says Thompson.
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"The Guardians: Cybersecurity Chiefs Keep a Low Profile"
Government Executive (09/15/07) Vol. 39, No. 16, P. 61 ; Lunney, Kellie The relatively new position of chief information security officer within the government sector is an unappreciated role, one that is recognized only when security efforts fail, despite the fact that CISOs provide the vision, planning, and leadership for implementing successful cybersecurity programs. CISOs face many challenges, including a lack of control over funding, which can make it difficult for CISOs to drive change. CISOs also struggle to keep wayward employees under control. Security breaches cannot be prevented by compliance with FISMA standards alone, which means CISOs must foster an environment where employees understand the risks associated with sensitive information and are unafraid to report lost or stolen equipment housing such data. Some CISOs criticize the numerous compliance and reporting mandates in existence. Bruce Brody, a former CISO at Veterans Affairs, contends that the FISMA process ignores current security realities and "measures the wrong things." Amassing performance metrics to communicate to senior leaders a clear picture of an agency's overall cybersecurity is another challenge faced by CISOs. Considering the scope and scale of such endeavors, some say federal CISOs deserve more training, opportunities for professional advancement, compensation, and respect.
(go to web site) "West Is Taking Fight Against Terrorism Online"
International Herald Tribune (09/30/07) ; Carvajal, Doreen Western nations are moving forward to establish online security perimeters with proposals to impede Web sites and to issue emails containing spyware that would keep an eye on jihadists, even though critics caution that such measures could give rise to censorship and privacy infringement. A series of anti-terrorism proposals will be unveiled by EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini in November, and included in the proposals will be a package for the development of technology to block Web sites that post bomb-making recipes and other terrorist how-tos, and for the criminalization of online terrorist enlistment. "The Internet, as we all know, is abused for terrorist propaganda and also for disseminating information on how to make bombs," notes Frattini spokesman Friso Roscam-Abbing. "What we want to achieve is to make that phenomenon punishable." Sweden, Germany, Australia, and other countries are individually seeking additional powers and technologies to ostensibly thwart terrorism online. Frattini and other public officials pledge that governments are balancing free speech and security to guarantee that Web sites are not used to share data in a way that constitutes a threat to public safety. Critics are worried about these plans since the EU nations are already moving to adopt a "data retention directive" mandating that ISPs will need to hold on to information about communications from six to 24 months to help in the identification of terrorism networks. "One way of viewing these trends is that the terrorists have won," says University of Cambridge computer security researcher Richard Clayton. "They're making us change our society to counteract, not what terrorists are doing, but what they're threatening to do."
(go to web site) "To Combat Cybercrime, the Victims Must Confess"
Investor's Business Daily (09/26/07) P. A4 ; Kontzer, Tony It has been impossible to assess cybercrime because companies have refused to reveal the details of the cybercrimes committed against them, according to the members of a panel that discussed cybersecurity at Silicon Valley's Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. The panelists added that without this data, companies cannot adequately protect themselves against cybercrime. "Unfortunately, none of us has the facts," said Google CIO Douglas Merrill, who sat on the panel. "Without facts, you can't develop a risk profile. If we want to improve the reliability and security of the Internet, we have to have broad data." In order to get that data, the nonprofit research firm Rand Corp. surveyed executives from 36 industries about the extent of the security incidents their companies experienced, the resulting costs and consequences of those incidents, and the measures taken to prevent recurrences. The findings will be released when the survey's sponsors, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, give Rand the OK. Lois Davis, a senior policy researcher at Rand and another member of the panel, says the survey was, in a way, an experiment to test Rand's ability to collect data about cybercrimes. She added that it is important for Rand to get this data on a regular, timely basis so it can start to examine trends.
(go to web site) Abstracts Copyright © 2007 Information, Inc. Bethesda, MD | 
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