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Security Contractors See Opportunities, and Limits, in Mexico
Washington Post (01/27/12) Miroff, Nick; Booth, William
Rising rates of violence have made Mexico a growing market for security contractors in the U.S. Among the American security contractors that are offering their services south of the border is Kroll, whose anti-kidnapping specialists work to protect Mexican business executives. Meanwhile, the California-based company SECFOR is providing personal security services to business executives in a number of industrial Mexican cities, most of which are along the country's border with the U.S. Such firms are being lured into the Mexican market by growing demand for personal protection services. Robert Munks, a senior Americas analyst at IHS-Jane's, said demand for personal protection services in Mexico is rising by at least 20 percent annually. Munks noted that demand is growing because foreign and local business executives want to protect their families and their employees. In addition, private security companies are attracted to the billions of dollars in funds that the U.S. government has made available to them to provide services in Mexico, as well as the growing rate of spending on security by private Mexican companies and the Mexican government. However, some U.S. security companies may be hesitant to move into the Mexican market because Mexican law forbids foreigners from carrying guns in the country. Although U.S. security contractors can partner with Mexican companies whose employees are allowed to carry guns, experts say that American companies should be careful who they work with because many people who work in private security are believed to also have ties to organized crime networks.
Adding Weapons to ATM Defenses
Wall Street Journal (01/26/12) Kapner, Suzanne
ATMs have become big targets for thieves. According to the FBI, more money is stolen by thieves who compromise ATM systems and perpetrate other types of data breaches than by thieves who rob bank branches. Robbing an ATM can be lucrative, as a typical ATM heist nets thieves 10 times as much cash as a bank robbery, the American Bankers Association says. Faced with these threats, ATM manufacturers are taking steps to improve the security of their machines. Diebold, for instance, is developing an ATM that uses cloud computing to store information in a remote location instead of in the ATM itself. Diebold says that the use of cloud computing would make ATM software easier to protect, as it would be stored in a centralized location. However, some security experts believe that putting large amounts of data in the cloud will make cloud computing systems a target for hackers. Meanwhile, the Brazilian company Itautec is wrapping up development on a prototype ATM that uses holographs that consumers use to make transactions with hand gestures. Consumers will not be able to touch the ATM itself, except for the part that dispenses cash, as most of the machine will be protected by bulletproof glass. Other ideas that are in the works at other companies are ATMs that require consumers to tap their phones instead of swiping their cards in order to make transactions. Such technology is designed to cut down on skimming. Despite the security threats to ATMs, it is unclear whether banks will invest in these technologies, given the fact that many financial institutions are under a great deal of pressure to reduce their costs.
Con Artist Starred in Sting That Cost Google Millions
Wall Street Journal (01/25/12) Catan, Thomas
New information has come to light about a 2009 sting operation that focused on the aid Google provided for illegal online prescription drug sales. The sting began after federal prosecutors set up a task force to look into allegations by David Whitaker that he was able to start an online pharmacy and sell steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) to consumers in the U.S. via Google ads. Whitaker posed as an agent for advertisers and worked with federal agents to try to set up a Web site that was designed to look as if it had been set up by a Mexican drug lord to sell HGH and steroids. Although Google initially rejected that site as well as another one that was designed to sell drugs over the Internet, the company's ad executives allegedly helped Whitaker bypass Google's rules so that the sites could be set up. Federal agents also created several other sites, including one that was based outside the U.S. and sold the abortion pill RU-486, which can in the U.S. can only be administered to patients in doctor's offices. Google approved the creation of that site and made it so that consumers in the U.S. who searched for RU-486 would see an ad for the site. Google also allowed the ad for the site to say that the drug was available without a prescription. Agents later added links to the site that allowed consumers to purchase the drugs directly, which violated U.S. laws that forbid the sale of drugs from outside the country and without a prescription. Records in the case indicate that Google executives may have known about the legal problems with the ads. Google eventually settled the case for $500 million and said that it had improperly and knowingly helped online pharmacy advertisers run ads for illegal pharmaceutical sales.
Cameras May Open Up the Board Room to Hackers
New York Times (01/23/12) Perlroth, Nicole
Advanced digital videoconferencing equipment has vastly improved meeting opportunities for coworkers and clients across the globe, but the new systems can also be hacked to spy on those meetings, potentially jeopardizing confidential client data or corporate secrets. In a recent demonstration, HD Moore, a chief security officer at Boston-based IT security company Rapid7, showed that he could remotely manipulate videoconferencing equipment to hear or see anything in a board room. “These are literally some of the world's most important boardrooms — this is where their most critical meetings take place — and there could be silent attendees in all of them,” warned Mike Tuchen, chief executive of Rapid7. According to Tuchen, these vulnerabilities are caused by IT administrators setting up videoconferencing links outside of company firewalls and configuring them in ways that create easy targets for hackers. No company has yet announced that they have been compromised using videoconferencing, but it is also entirely possible that companies have been victimized and may not be aware. Some new systems are outfitted with a feature that does not require users to accept every person that dials into their conference. These features can help a meeting run more smoothly, but could also make uninvited guests much harder to detect. Moore recently wrote a computer program that would allow him to detect any videoconferencing links located outside their company firewalls and configured to automatically answer calls. In less than two hours, he scanned about 3 percent of the Internet, discovering 5,000 open conference links at law firms, pharmaceutical companies, oil refineries, universities and medical centers. In order to prevent hackers from being able to do the same, Rapid7 recommends companies set up a "gatekeeper" that securely connects calls from outside the company firewall.
Energy Companies Under Siege
Security Products (01/12) Vol. 16, No. 1, P. 22 Hernandez, Juan
To most people, wind towers represent natural energy and a future free from oil dependence, but for some unscrupulous individuals, the towers represent targets of opportunity and treasure -- to be vandalized and pillaged. Brent Schiebel, an industry-leading wind equipment integrator and owner of WindTesting.com, has witnessed his share of "green" theft over the years. "I could not believe how quickly the equipment, solar panels, and meteorological towers were disappearing," Schiebel said. "Since wind development has skyrocketed in the Mojave area, crime has grown right along with it." Solar panels are lucrative targets. According to The New York Times, the sale of stolen panels is the largest growing black market in the United States. Schiebel knew his company had to do something quickly, so he began looking into industrial security companies and came across Brian Levy from Hero Security and Surveillance Inc. Brian Levy could see the challenges on his plate. "Protecting 30 square miles of desert is extremely difficult," Levy said. "My client needed a surveillance solution that could stand alone, be easy to use, and cover as much of the vulnerable area as possible." Levy drew upon his years of experience with surveillance equipment, networking, and fabrication to set up a standalone surveillance system that came to life when anyone breached its motion detection boundary. The Electronic Surveillance Protector (ESP) Levy and his team set up for Schiebel is a 12-foot-tall sentinel that uses advanced IR to spot human or vehicular presence. "I knew false alarms were not going to be tolerated, so I focused on detectors with unique processing ability," Levy explained. "The whole package had to be reliable. I chose ICRealtime for their track record of offering advanced products that delivery great results."
Guarding the Nation's Money
Washington Post (01/24/12)
Will Levy III has helped change the culture of security at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) since coming onboard as the agency's chief of security four years ago. During his tenure, Levy--who is responsible for managing a team of almost 200 employees charged with protecting currency production facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas, and with ensuring the safety of agency employees and visitors to the two BEP facilities--has rewritten all of BEP's security policies and plans and has built an emergency operations center. In addition, Levy has taken steps to reduce the amount of time it takes to perform background checks on job candidates and has made various areas of the security work at BEP more efficient. Levy noted that all of this was done after developing a clear vision of where BEP needed to be and by creating and communicating a roadmap and timeline that would be used to help achieve that vision. In addition to improving security at BEP, Levy has also helped improve working conditions and morale among employees at the agency by getting feedback from workers on changes that should be made. His efforts helped move BEP from No. 219 on the list of best places to work in the federal government in 2010, which is near the bottom, to No. 174 in the 2011 rankings.
Nigeria Pursues Talks With Militant Group
Wall Street Journal (01/27/12) Hinshaw, Drew
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly sent envoys to negotiate with representatives of the militant Islamic group Boko Haram. The group is based in northern Nigeria, an area that is mostly poor and primarily Muslim. Sources say the Nigerian government has chosen to negotiate with Boko Haram leaders that are considered to be less hostile and more pragmatic. Many believe that Boko Haram members have legitimate concerns regarding economic inequality throughout the country. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on the government, police, and Nigeria's Christian population, but Jonathan is hopeful that these talks could bring an end to the violence.
Australia's Gillard Rescued by Police
Wall Street Journal (01/26/12) Curran, Enda
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had to be evacuated from a restaurant in Canberra, Australia, on Thursday when it was surrounded by 50 to 100 protesters carrying rocks and sticks. Gillard was at the restaurant for a function to honor emergency service workers on the country's national holiday, Australia Day. About 50 police were dispatched to the scene and helped escort the prime minister safely to her vehicle. No one was injured in the incident and no arrests were made. Police said the protesters had not planned the incident and had likely broken off from a nearby event commemorating the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Hundreds of people attended the event to honor the landmark and call for greater rights and sovereignty for indigenous people on Australia Day, which they called "invasion day." The protest followed controversial remarks from opposition leader Tony Abbott, who was attending the emergency services event at the restaurant, calling the Tent Embassy irrelevant.
Obama Orders Strategy for Protecting Nation's Supply Chain
Bloomberg (01/25/12) Runningen, Roger
President Obama has released his National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, which orders the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop recommendations within six months that show how to identify and mitigate risks to the U.S. supply chain on an international scale. Potential threats to be targeted by the recommendations include both natural disasters and criminal or terrorist attacks, the president said in a letter. Although the letter makes no recommendation about cybersecurity it does reference the International Strategy for Cyberspace released by the White House in May 2011. There has been some concern that hackers could disrupt the supply chain via computer networks used by banks, telecommunications companies, railroads, and airlines.
Former CIA Officer Charged in Leaks Case
Washington Post (01/24/12) Miller, Greg
A former CIA officer who worked for the agency for 14 years has been charged with revealing the identity of an undercover officer and providing classified information to unauthorized individuals. According to federal prosecutors, John Kiriakou served as a source for a variety of news organizations whose reporters were writing stories in 2008 and 2009 about CIA operations following the Sept. 11 attacks. Among the stories that Kiriakou is accused of being a source for is a 2008 New York Times piece in which the name of the CIA's interrogator of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed was revealed. In addition, Kiriakou is believed to have supplied information to reporters that contributed to a security breach at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility that allowed defense attorneys to obtain pictures of CIA operatives who were thought to have been involved in the interrogations of terrorist suspects. Those interrogations involved the use of controversial techniques that some have described as being torture. The pictures were later found in the cells of some high-value terrorist suspects. Kiriakou has also been charged with lying to the CIA about where other sensitive material that he published in a book came from. He faces as much as 30 years in prison if he is convicted on the charges against him.
Symantec Advises Customers on Breach
Wall Street Journal (01/26/12) Jones, Steven D.
Symantec customers who use the company's pcAnywhere software are being urged to update or disable the application to protect themselves from any possible security threats that may arise from the release of stolen source code earlier this month. A group posted the source code on the Internet on Jan. 5, saying that it exposed weaknesses in Symantec's Norton Antivirus program. Although the code was stolen six years ago, Symantec said that its exposure still represented a potential threat to pcAnywhere. To help protect its customers, Symantec has released updates to version 12.5 of pcAnywhere. No suspicious activity or network security breaches have been reported by pcAnywhere users so far. However, Symantec is monitoring its global networks for unusual activity connected with the theft of the code. No other security products, including Norton Antivirus, have been affected by the breach.
Attackers Using DNS Poisoning to Hijack Website Domains, Divert Traffic
eWeek (01/25/12) Rashid, Fahmida Y.
Several Web sites have been recently targeted by activist hackers carrying out DNS poisoning attacks, in which traffic to the targeted site is redirected to a malicious site. The hacker group UGNazi said that it carried out the attacks because the organizations had lent their support to the Stop Online Piracy Act. Internet Identity CEO Lars Harvey says the UGNazi hackers carried out the attack by accessing domain management accounts at the registrar where the organizations had registered their domains. Harvey theorizes that the hackers were likely able to access these accounts by exploiting weak or compromised user passwords or a security flaw in the registrar's Web site. Problems caused by both of these attacks, as well as a recent DNS poisoning attack on CBS.com, were detected and corrected within a matter of hours. Although the hackers that have carried out the recent DNS poisoning attacks appear to be inexperienced, organizations should still take steps to protect themselves, Harvey says. For instance, they should be sure to register their domains with registrars that primarily work with companies, since they are more likely than consumer-oriented registrars to have security measures in place to detect DNS poisoning attacks. In addition, organizations should continuously monitor the DNS in order to detect attacks as they occur.
Linux Vendors Rush to Patch Privilege Escalation Flaw After Root Exploits Emerge
IDG News Service (01/24/12) Constantin, Lucian
Linux vendors are working to apply patches to a privilege escalation vulnerability that exists in the Linux kernel. The security flaw, which is known as CVE-2012-0056, is caused by the inability of the Linux kernel to properly restrict access to a particular file. Attackers can take advantage of this vulnerability to gain root access to systems running Linux versions 2.6.39 and higher. Although patches have been released to correct CVE-2012-0056, proof-of-concept exploit code was released online before Linux vendors had the chance to apply the fixes. Among the exploits that have been released is one called mempodipper, which bypasses some of the factors that could mitigate the impact of CVE-2012-0056 in Linux distributions such as Fedora and Gentoo. Another exploit called mempodroid uses mempodipper as the basis for a local root exploit for Android 4.0, which is also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. Although there are only two devices that currently run Android 4.0, mempodroid could make it possible to root devices that eventually get upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich.
Security Best Practices Reduce Downtime From Cyber-Attacks: Survey
eWeek (01/24/12) Rashid, Fahmida Y.
Although there is no security panacea to prevent all attacks, Symantec's most recent survey found that following best practices is a smarter defense than cutting protection corners. Organizations that invested in tighter defenses and trained employees to be more self-aware were in a stronger position to thwart or withstand attacks, Symantec found. The survey's top-tier organizations were 2.5 times less likely to encounter a major cyberattack, and 3.5 times less likely to experience downtime compared to other organizations, according to Symantec's Jason Nadeau. Researchers wrote in their report that antivirus software is no longer effective by itself, and that the organizations that had used more sophisticated security technologies and practices were more ready and better able to circumvent attacks. Organizations with higher scores reported using various layers to guard their assets, including data loss prevention, intrusion prevention and detection systems, anti-malware, and firewalls. Almost all of the organizations in this group reported carrying out awareness training for employees. The policies and practices of respondents in the top tier contrasted sharply to those who ranked in the bottom tier, Symantec researchers wrote. The bottom-tier organizations did not frequently educate employees on security best practices and were more likely to experience steep losses following a successful cyberattack, the report found.
Ex-U.S. Spy Chief Says May Take Crisis for New Cyber Law
Reuters (01/23/12) Zakaria, Tabassum
Former U.S. Director of National Intelligence and National Security Agency Director Mike McConnell said it will likely take a crisis along the lines of a banking system implosion or a major electric power outage to spur constructive legislative action on protecting cyber infrastructure. Separate pieces of cyber security improvement legislation are on the books in the Senate and the House of Representatives, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promising that the Senate will consider comprehensive cyber security legislation this year. Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee in December passed a bill that would give U.S. spy agencies license to share cyber threat intelligence with private companies, a proposal that has provoked fears of federal surveillance of private information. McConnell noted that the government can assume unique responsibilities, such as code breaking, which are outside the purview of the private sector. A 2011 U.S. intelligence report singled out China and Russia for stealing U.S. trade and technology secrets by practicing cyber espionage. McConnell pointed out that if the NSA detected a cyber threat against the U.S. private sector, it has no authority to do anything apart from issuing a report. He noted that the United States has a cyber attack capability and has used it effectively. McConnell stressed as a priority the need to shield critical infrastructure from cyber attack, and intellectual property from theft via cyber espionage.
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