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Zite News App Accused of Copyright Infringement
AFP (03/31/2011)
Eleven news organizations, including The Washington Post, USA Today, Time, the Associated Press, and National Geographic, sent a cease and desist letter to the Canadian startup Zite on Wednesday, claiming that the company's iPad app infringes on their copyrights. The news organizations said that the app infringes on their copyrights because it publishes reformatted copies of articles and photographs without permission. In addition, the news organizations criticized the app because it does not direct users to their Web pages, instead displaying stories in a separate window that is advertising free. The publication companies complained that this feature deprives their Web sites of traffic and advertising revenue. In response to the letter, Zite said that it is eager to work with publishers in a manner that benefits everyone, and that it displays articles in the manner that it does in order to provide users with a better reading experience.
MasterCard Australia Outlines Card Security Roadmap
CIO Australia (03/29/11) Barwick, Hamish
MasterCard has outlined a five-year roadmap for boosting the security of its Australian network via measures such as the Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) standard. MasterCard Australia's David Masters says that all new and reissued MasterCard products distributed by Australian banks would need to be EMV-enabled by October 2011, and all new point-of-sale terminals will be EMV-compliant by April 2012. All cards and POS terminals would be upgraded to EMV in April 2013, while all Australia-based ATMs would be EMV-enabled by the end of 2015. "Those dates are realistic and achievable knowing what we know about the issues merchants have to flip those cards over to EMV," Masters says. He says the upgrade forms part of MasterCard's anti-counterfeit fraud strategy. Online retailers would be required to offer MasterCard SecureCode authentication for all transactions higher than $200 by April 2013. "Ensuring all cards and terminals are chip-enabled means we can reinforce our already robust security for cardholders and retailers," Masters says.
Piracy: Enough Is Enough Say Shippers as They Seek Government Help
Insurance Journal (03/29/11)
The increasingly bold attacks from Somali pirates have driven ship owners to call on governments to limit this threat. Piracy has been blamed for "strangling key maritime supply routes and for costing the global economy up to $12 billion a year," according to an article on the Lloyd’s web site. In 2010, pirates captured 1,181 people and hijacked 53 ships, both records for the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Nearly all these seizures were due to Somali gangs, who have turned piracy into a "lucrative pastime" in recent years, the article says. Neil Smith, Head of Underwriting at the Lloyd’s Market Association, said, "Before, pirates would board smaller ships, ransack them for cash or belongings and get off as quickly as they could. Now the Somali pirates recognize that by taking hostages they can bargain with the owners for the return of the vessel and its cargo." Somali pirates are currently holding 33 vessels and 711 hostages. Ransoms paid to pirates averaged $150,000 in 2005, but reached $5.4 million in 2010, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy. Vessel owners and operators have started a new campaign called "SOS: Save Our Seafarers" to get governments to crack down harder on piracy, although solutions remain elusive.
Review Launched After Senior's Home Assault
CBC.CA (03/28/11)
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has launched a critical incident review of an assault that took place at a personal care home in Winnipeg on March 24. The assault was allegedly carried out by Joe McLeod, an 70-year-old Alzheimer's patient who was being cared for at the home. Police say that McLeod assaulted 87-year-old Frank Alexander at the home, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the floor. Alexander was in critical condition as of Monday. The review being launched by the WRHA will look at McLeod's history in care, including the assessment that determined that he only required a standard personal care home bed, not a special needs bed or a behavioral bed, which is given to patients that are most likely to commit an act of violence. The assessment, which was conducted after McLeod allegedly caused a disturbance with staff at the care home, found that McLeod still qualified for a standard care home bed because he was "doing fine." But now it is becoming clear that McLeod needs a different type of bed, given his history, said WRHA Chief Operating Officer Real Cloutier. McLeod's history includes an alleged assault on his wife, though McLeod's family said that he was confused at the time and did not recognize his spouse. Meanwhile, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dr. Jon Gerrard said that a strategy is needed to deal with Alzheimer's patients. However, Alexander's family has said that they do not want politicians like Gerrard to interfere with the medical system. "I'm kind of disappointed that we have politicians sticking their nose in the medical business and causing this kind of situation to happen," said Alexander's son, Douglas. "This man was supposed to go in prison and he's in the home mostly through the efforts of this particular person."
Hospital Security Review Needed: WA Oppn
AAP News (03/11)
According to the Western Australian Health Department, nearly 3,000 assaults on doctors, nurses, orderlies and other hospital staff members were reported in the state between January 2009 and December 2010. Opposition health spokesman Roger Cook noted that the attacks were increasingly being carried out by people under the influence of alcohol and drugs, though he conceded that some of the reported incidents were minor. He added that the statistics underscored the need for the government of Western Australia to review security in hospitals so that staff members are protected. However, Health Minister Kim Hames said that the statistics included minor incidents such as swearing at hospital staff, and that there is no evidence to suggest that security at hospital emergency rooms is inadequate.
Secure Border Act Would Tell DHS to Prevent all Illegal Entries Within 5 Years
Homeland Security Today (04/11) McCarter, Mickey
Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) on Thursday introduced the Secure Border Act, which would require the homeland security secretary to develop a border security strategy within 180 days. That strategy would outline the requirements for staffing, fencing, roads, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other elements that the Department of Homeland Security would use to gain operational control over U.S. borders over the course of a five-year period. Operational control has been defined as preventing all illegal entries into the U.S. DHS would be given enough manpower, infrastructure, fencing, vehicle barriers, technology, and sensors to accomplish this goal. Miller said that the legislation is necessary because DHS has no plans to improve operational control over U.S. borders next year or in 2012. An analysis conducted by the Government Accountability Office found that DHS currently has operational control of less than 44 percent of the U.S.-Mexico border and has secured only 32 miles of the U.S.-Canada border. In addition, Miller noted that the U.S. Border Patrol has not produced a border security strategy since 2004.
Security Alert After Three 'Middle Eastern Men' Attempt to Enter Camp Pendleton
London Daily Mail (United Kingdom) (04/01/11)
A security alert was issued Saturday after three Middle Eastern men tried to enter Camp Pendleton in San Diego in a modified car that had wires hanging out of the steering wheel airbag panel. The attempt took place shortly after midnight after an attendant at a nearby parking garage reported hearing terrorist threats earlier in the day. The attendant told military investigators that the three men had asked for directions to the camp. The three men--Ahmad Rahmani Naeem, an Afghani, and Iranians Vahik Petrossian and Sengekdi Norvik Avanosian--attempted to enter the camp in two different cars. Naeem first pulled up in a rented silver Toyota Corolla, and Petrossian and Avanosian pulled up behind him while his car was searched. They ignored instructions to wait and drove onto the base. They were quickly caught and both cars were searched. No weapons were found, but the modifications to the airbag in the steering wheel of the second car were found. When interviewed, all three men said they were trying to get to the coastal area of Glendale. Petrossian and Avanosian denied knowing Naeem. All three men were released, but Naeem attempted to get onto the base a second time. After his car was searched again he was issued a warning letter before being escorted from the premises. None of the men are listed on any terrorist watch lists, and none of them are illegal immigrants, but security experts have raised concerns that they may have been on a reconnaissance mission. Base officials said that security has been stepped up, and a Be On The Look Out (BOLO) has been issued to local law enforcement and military installations.
Libyan Defector Faces New Peril in U.K.
Wall Street Journal (04/01/11) MacDonald, Alistair; Dagher, Sam; Coker, Margaret
Moussa Koussa, the former foreign minister for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's government, arrived in the U.K. on Wednesday, intending to defect to the country. Since his arrival on a private plane that flew to the U.K. from Tunisia, Koussa has been taken to a safe location and is meeting with several different British officials, including intelligence officials and diplomats from the U.K.'s embassy in Libya. White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor has praised Koussa's defection, saying that it represented a major blow to Gadhafi's regime because the former foreign minister could provide crucial intelligence about Gadhafi's current mental state and his military plans. Despite Koussa's defection to the U.K., he will not be given immunity from U.K. and international justice, said British Foreign Secretary William Hague. That could make other members of Gadhafi's regime hesitant to defect, said Azzedine Layachi, a professor of international and Middle East affairs at St. John's University. Meanwhile, officials in Scotland have said that they wanted to interview Koussa in connection with the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. Koussa is believed to have had a role in organizing the bombing, though he has never been indicted.
U.S. Still Unprepared for Threats, 9-11 Commission Chiefs Say
Miami Herald (03/30/11) Douglas, William
In an appearance before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, 9/11 Commission Chairmen Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean said that while the federal government has made progress in implementing some of the recommendations that were made by their panel, it has yet to adopt a number of the commission's major recommendations. Among the concerns expressed by Hamilton and Kean was the uneven progress made by the FBI in evolving into an efficient counterintelligence agency. The two noted that the FBI and the military analyzed information on alleged Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan in terms of the threat of terrorism he posed but did not consider the counterintelligence implications raised by that information. Hamilton and Kean added that the government's failure to prevent the Fort Hood shooting highlighted the poor communication between FBI field offices and between field offices and relevant offices at FBI headquarters. In addition, Hamilton and Kean called on the government to address the restrictions that are in place on some sensitive FBI databases, which they said prevented some officials from fully understanding the potential threat posed by Hasan. Hamilton and Kean also called for the director of national intelligence position to be strengthened in order to unify the nation's intelligence gathering efforts.
Amid Libya Rebels, 'Flickers' of al Qaeda
Wall Street Journal (03/30/11) Entous, Adam; Johnson, Keith; Levinson, Charles
U.S. Adm. James Stavridis, the supreme allied commander of NATO in Europe, appeared before a Senate panel on Tuesday to discuss links between the rebels in Libya and terrorist groups. Stavridis noted that U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that there is a small al-Qaida presence among the rebels who are fighting Col. Moammar Gadhafi's rule in eastern Libya. In addition, links have also been discovered between the rebels and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Stavridis said. However, Stavridis noted that there is not a sufficient amount of evidence to indicate that there is a significant presence of al-Qaida or other terrorist groups among the rebels. Other U.S. officials agree that there is not a significant al-Qaida presence among the Libyan opposition. Among them is Gene Cretz, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, who said that the opposition groups had caught three or four members of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb--the Algeria-based branch of Osama bin Laden's terrorist group--trying to infiltrate the rebels during the first week of the rebellion. Cretz added that Gadhafi's claims that the opposition is controlled by al-Qaida were "patently ridiculous."
The Future of Things 'Cyber'
Strategic Studies Quarterly (Spring 2011) Vol. 5, No. 1, P. 3 Hayden, Michael V.
Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden points to a lack of clarity about cyber threats, noting that "few of us ... have created the broad structural framework within which to comfortably and confidently place these varied phenomena." Hayden says that no one familiar with the U.S. Cyber Command or its mission thinks that current policy, law, or doctrine is sufficiently aligned with its requirements or capabilities. "Part of our cyber policy problem is that its newness and our familiar experience in physical space do not easily transfer to cyber space," he writes. "Casually applying well-known concepts from physical space like deterrence, where attribution is assumed, to cyber space where attribution is frequently the problem, is a recipe for failure." Other unaddressed issues are concerned with whether cyber actually is a domain, what a modern definition of a reasonable expectation of privacy is, and whether the threat of cyber war is truly understood. Hayden agrees that the free market has not provided a sufficient degree of security for the Internet because the true costs of insecurity are concealed or not understood. He writes that a recalibration of what information should be classified is needed, because "if we want to shift the popular culture, we need a broader flow of information to corporations and individuals to educate them on the threat." Hayden says that "our most pressing need is clear policy, formed by shared consensus, shaped by informed discussion, and created by a common body of knowledge." Other issues Hayden raises include what constitutes the right of defense, and whether international law has a role to play. The possibilities of cyber arms control and cyber defense remain unanswered questions as well. "At what point do we shift from additional investment in defense to more investment in response and recovery?" Hayden inquires. He concludes that "until these and other questions like them are answered, we could be forced to live in the worst of all possible cyber worlds—routinely vulnerable to attack and self-restrained from bringing our own power to bear."
Cybersecurity Breach May Leave DOD Networks Exposed
Stars and Stripes (03/11) Carroll, Chris
There are concerns that some Pentagon computer networks could be vulnerable to attack in the wake of the recent security breach at RSA. During that breach, an attacker stole information about RSA's SecurID token, which is used by the Defense Department and other government agencies as an additional method for verifying the identities of users logging into secure networks. Experts have said that the information stolen in the RSA breach could be used with a username and password to break into networks. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. April Cunningham has said that the Defense Department is trying to determine what the impact will be from the RSA security breach. Experts have said that SecurID users should continue to utilize the two-factor authentication system, though they are urging those in charge of information security to be vigilant.
Top 6 Hurdles to Securing a Smart Grid
Government Computer News (03/30/11) Jackson, William
The Government Accountability Office recently held a panel discussion about the obstacles that are making it difficult to ensure the cybersecurity of systems and networks that support the country's electric grid. Among the obstacles cited by the group of participants, which included experts on smart-grid security from the government, industry, and academia, is the lack of consumer education about smart-grid security. Participants said that consumers do not know enough about the benefits, costs, and risks associated with smart-grid systems, which means that they could be unwilling to pay for security for those systems. This lack of education could also make regulators hesitant to approve rate increases that would pay for cybersecurity for smart-grid systems. In addition, participants also said that smart-grid systems do not have adequate cybersecurity in place. The participants noted that some smart meters do not have a robust security architecture and are not equipped with features like event logging and forensics capabilities. Home networks that are used for managing electricity usage in residences are also not adequately secured, participants said, meaning that utilities could be unable to detect and analyze attacks. That in turn could increase the risk that attacks will be successful, participants said.
China Spies Suspected of Hacking Julia Gillard's Emails
News.com.au (03/29/11) Benson, Simon
The Australian Parliament House (APH) e-mail network, which is used primarily for correspondence by members of the Australian Parliament, appears to have been breached. According to senior sources in the Australian government, the breach began in February and lasted for more than a month. During the breach, foreign hackers--possibly Chinese intelligence agencies--broke into the parliamentary computers of at least 10 federal ministers and accessed several thousand e-mails. Among the officials whose computers are believed to have been hacked are Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and Defense Minister Stephen Smith. The more secure departmental network that ministers use for sensitive messages is not believed to have been breached. Australian Attorney General Robert McClelland would not confirm or deny that a breach took place on the APH e-mail network, citing Australian government policy not to comment on operations carried out by security and intelligence agencies. However, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is believed to be investigating the breach.
Virtual War a Real Threat
Los Angeles Times (03/28/11) Dilanian, Ken
Security vulnerabilities uncovered in a study of the computer networks of a Southern California water system are symptomatic of U.S. critical infrastructure in general. Although analysts say terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda currently lack the ability to launch infrastructure-disrupting cyberattacks, they warn that potential foes include organized crime and hacker groups that could sell their services to terrorists or rogue states. Impeding the move toward bolstering U.S. infrastructure is the government's lack of authority to coerce industry to secure its networks and industry's lack of an incentive to implement such protections. In 2008, U.S. military officials learned that classified networks at the U.S. Central Command had been infiltrated by a foreign intelligence service using malware that proliferated through thumb drives. The intrusion led to the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command, which was tasked with preventing such breaches as well as mounting offensive cyberoperations. However, the threat of massive retaliation against a cyberattack is an ineffective deterrent, given the enormous difficulty of tracing perpetrators. James Lewis with the Center for Strategic and International Studies believes the government needs to mandate cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure, and some experts argue that major U.S. Internet service providers should be required to monitor patterns in Internet traffic and halt malware as it transits their servers.
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