Security Management Web Highlights for February

Web Highlights FEBRUARY 2009 HOME | THE MAGAZINE | NEWS | BEYOND PRINT | MARKETPLACE | EVENTS | FORUM | CONTACT US   SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE READER SERVICE CARD MARKETPLACE HEADLINE NEWS Drug Testing for Teachers? Feb 05, 2009 - Should teachers be subjected to random drug testing? That's a debate currently circulating through the U.S. court system, notes a Time analysis of the issue. Cambridge City Council Stops Activation of Surveillance Cameras Feb 05, 2009 - In the enduring controversy over whether surveillance cameras bring security or erode privacy, the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently voted to halt the activation of eight security cameras because the public has yet to be told what precisely the cameras will be used for, reports The Boston Globe. SEC Failed to Act on Whistle-Blower Warnings in Madoff Case Feb 04, 2009 - Harry Markopolos, an investment expert, repeatedly warned the Securities and Exchange Commission about concerns he had with Bernard Madoff's investments, but the SEC ignored the warnings for a decade, Markopolos told a congressional committee. Corporations are Biggest IT Security Threat to Customers, IBM Says Feb 04, 2009 - Corporations are unwittingly becoming the biggest IT security threat to their customers, according to IBM's X-Force Threat Analysis Service. Bill to Clear Mistaken Names on Terrorism Watch List Passes House Feb 04, 2009 - A bill that would create an appeal and redress process for individuals whose names have wrongly appeared on the government's terrorism watch list overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives yesterday. Japanese Whalers Shoot Radical Environmentalists with Sonic Blasts Feb 03, 2009 - Radical environmental activists have accused a Japanese whaling vessel off the coast of Antartica of attacking them with a gun that shoots an ear-shattering wave of sound at its targets. National Gang Threat Assessment for 2009 Released Feb 03, 2009 - The FBI's recently released National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 finds that gang membership and activity on is the rise inside the United States. HOT DOCUMENTS IBM Internet Security Systems X-Force 2008 Trend & Risk: A new report from IBM's elite IT security intelligence service says web application vulnerabilities were the plague of IT security in 2008. Worse, 74 percent of the vulnerabilities affecting web applications had no available vendor patch by the end of 2008. National Gang Threat Assessment 2009: The FBI's annual report on gang trends finds that gang membership and activity on is the rise in the United States. In some localities, according to the report, 80 percent of crime can be attributed to gang members. Testimony on the Mumbai Terror Attacks: J. Alan Orlob and Michael L. Norton of the Real Estate Roundtable discussed how real estate executives protect "soft targets" like high-rise buildings and hotels from attacks similar to Mumbai before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Safe Prisons Communication Act of 2009: Introduced by Senator Kay Hutchison (R-TX) and Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX), this legislation seeks to block cell phone calls from inmates who have had the devices smuggled into prison for them. Top 25 Most Dangerous Programming Errors: Underscoring the importance of cybersecurity for the private and public sectors, a coalition of the world's leading cybersecurity organizations has jointly released a list of the 25 most dangerous programming errors that can lead to vulnerabilities easily exploited by cybercriminals and cyberspies. Listen to Security Management Podcasts Join host editor Laura Spadanuta as she talks with Security Management's contributing authors and staff editors about this month's topics, including important business information management guidance, an assessment of the U.K.'s effort to regulate security guards, an update on biothreat detection technology, and some tips on effective IT security audits. Listen on your PC or on any portable player. The audio can be downloaded directly from the Web site at www.securitymanagement.com/audio or you can subscribe through iTunes and get the monthly updates automatically. Please let us know how you like the highlights. We welcome suggestions. Just e-mail the editor at sharowitz@asisonline.org FROM THE PRINT EDITION 1. Protecting Mexican Banks 2. Guarding Against Biothreats 3. E-mail Security 4. Britain's Guard Standards 5. Compliance vs. Risk 6. Read All About It 7. Question of the Month 1. Cover Feature: Protecting Mexican Banks A financial crisis that pushed most Mexican banks into bankruptcy a decade ago also triggered their acquisition by foreign financial institutions. The new management generally increased security budgets, raised the standard of security professionals, invested in technology, and brought in best practices from around the world. Among other things, the new managers have reduced the amount of cash held on site, restricted managers' access to vaults, improved CCTV coverage, and increased training, making the banks less attractive to robbers. @ Learn how these and other strategies have ameliorated bank crime in "Robbers Can't Bank on Lax Security" by John Barham, who reported on Mexican banks as a Security Management senior editor. 2. Guarding Against Biothreats Anthrax. Pandemic flu. SARS. Are we prepared to combat these and other biological threats to personal health and national security? History demonstrates that such threats are inevitable, and that risks posed by natural events like flu pandemics are far greater than those of bioterrorism. The federal government and state governments are responding with early detection systems, vaccine stockpiles, and plans for husbanding resources and healthcare personnel in case of a public health emergency. @ In "Biothreat Detection and Response," Assistant Editor Joseph Straw explores the problem and strategies being implemented to combat it. 3. E-mail Security With 24,000 full-time and contract employees and 43 county agencies and commissions, Orange County, California, sends out a significant amount of e-mail, much of it with sensitive or confidential information. To protect that information and to comply with government regulation of privacy, the county selected two solutions that monitor e-mail content while encrypting and diverting sensitive messages to a password-protected county Web site. @ Read about how the systems protect the county's e-mail in "A Federation of E-mails" by Associate Editor Ann Longmore-Etheridge. 4. Britain's Guard Standards Criticism and scandal have dogged the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the U.K. agency established to raise the standards of private security officers. In November, the head of the authority stepped down after it was discovered that he had failed to appropriately vet some members of the agency's own staff. Other missteps include the agency's licensing of illegal immigrants, allowing criminals to infiltrate the industry, and failing to cope with the demand for licenses and to keep track of which employers are hiring which guards. @ This month's "International" by Assistant Editor Stephanie Berrong delves into the problems and the future of the SIA. Also in the February issue, she reports on a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State and security professionals in Asia. 5. Compliance vs. Risk When IT pros jump through hoops to make sure their practices comply with government and industry standards, they may think they've provided sufficient security. But compliance and security aren't always the same. Experts say companies should spend additional time analyzing their security risks and use the resulting data to optimize security spending. Two recently published reports show how cyber- and data-loss risks differ across industries, while offering help to analyze, calculate, and budget for their unique risks. @ The studies are described in depth in this month's "Technofile" by Associate Editor John Wagley. 6. Read All About It The new book Open In Thirty Seconds explores the locks that have been used to protect some of the highest-risk assets in the world, specifically the Medeco Biaxial and m3. Authors Marc Weber Tobias and Tobias Bluzmanis shatter misconceptions about just how secure these and similar locks are. The discussion of current lock standards and what is needed to correct them is highly compelling, and the authors' observations and suggestions apply equally to other areas of physical security. @ Ted P. Barron, CPP, vice president of corporate security for Wells Fargo & Company, reviews this book in the February edition of Security Management. 7. Online Discussion Forum Question of the Month Visit the Forums on SM Online to share information and experiences with your peers. Here's a question recently posed by one visitor: Does anyone know of a Mac-based Visitor Management platform (without having to use a Windows Parallel)? @ To register and participate in the Forums, just click here. It's free! ONLINE PRODUCT INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION Because you are a valued subscriber to Security Management magazine, we would like to welcome you to the Security Management Online Product Information Service. You can instantly request product and service information from the latest issue. Select one or more categories of interest to view the advertisements and product announcements for the selected categories. Request more information about products and services using our reader service Web site. Also New Online: -- Find links to the latest security reports and other resources through "Beyond Print." -- Check for Breaking News. -- See Marketplace for the latest products and services. And if you need a local supplier, check out the ASIS Security Industry Buyers Guide Online. -- Get the latest info on events and training programs. -- Link to www.asisonline.org, ASIS's Web page, for more industry events, workshops, and resources. And much more... -- Don't forget to go to www.securitymanagement.com on a daily basis to get the latest news from "Today's Headlines." Security Management is the award-winning publication of ASIS International, the preeminent international organization for security professionals with more than 36,000 members worldwide. Check out ASIS Online for more industry events, workshops, and resources. -- Subscribe to the print edition to get even more valuable advice. This month features articles about: Legal data management Disaster communications Explosives detection standards Click here to subscribe. We welcome comments on content from the Web site or the print magazine, as well as suggestions regarding topics for future coverage. Send e-mail to: Sherry Harowitz Editor Security Management sharowitz@asisonline.org Thank you for signing up to receive the SM Online E-News, an informal periodic alert to make you aware of breaking security news and upcoming monthly features that you can read by going to SM Online. (You will only receive this alert if you requested it. If you wish to leave the list, see the instructions at the end.) This mail is never sent unsolicited. You have subscribed to receive this information. To unsubscribe from this e-letter, please click here.