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Crackdown Targets Counterfeit Drugs
Washington Post (11/20/09) Mui, Ylan Q.
Law enforcement agents from around the world have cracked down on counterfeit pharmaceutical products as part of a new global effort to prevent these medications from reaching patients. The operation, known as Pangea, has already uncovered nearly 800 alleged packages of counterfeit or suspicious medications in the United States, including imitation Viagra, Vicodin, and Claritin. Officials say these counterfeit medications pose a serious patient safety risk, as some have been found to have as much as three times more of the active ingredient than is usually prescribed. Other medications may be placebos and some have been found to contain potentially toxic substances including drywall material, antifreeze, and yellow highway paint. In addition to seizing these medications, officials also shutdown 68 online pharmacies believed to be trafficking in fake pharmaceuticals. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy maintains a list of approximately 4,000 Internet-based pharmacies that it says are questionable. It also certifies legitimate sellers through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice program. Thus far, 17 Web-based pharmacies have met the requirements for certification through the program. In an effort to further prevent the sale of counterfeit drugs, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) recently proposed a bill that would increase penalties for counterfeiters and enhance the Food and Drug Administration's ability to track them. However, the bill is currently stalled in committee.
Some Courts Raise Bar on Reading Employee Email
Wall Street Journal (11/19/09) Searcey, Dionne
Several recent court cases have found that employees do have some privacy rights regarding correspondence on corporate e-mail servers. Legal experts say the shift toward more privacy rights for employees has been driven by rising concerns about privacy in the age of the Internet. Up until fairly recently judges had a tendency to treat corporate computers, and any content on them, as company property. However, courts are now increasingly taking into account whether employers have specifically described how e-mail is monitored to their employees. Many workers are now also using personal accounts on corporate computers. Of the 52 percent of employees who report accessing personal accounts, 60 percent say they use them to send work documents or spreadsheets. Data security experts, however, warn that such actions could lead to viruses or security leaks. As more companies become concerned with these types of leaks, the number of companies monitoring e-mail traffic increases. Still, some court cases are finding that unless employers have explicitly told employees they will monitor e-mail, they do not have the legal right to do it.
Pirates Again Attack US-Flagged Maersk Alabama
Washington Post (11/18/09) Straziuso, Jason
Somali pirates targeted the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months on Nov. 17. The US-flagged ship had previously been hijacked in April and its captain held at gunpoint for five days until Navy SEAL sharpshooters were able to free him, killing three pirates. This most recent attack, however, was repelled by guards on the ship. Representatives for the EU Naval Force say that the new attack was not retaliation, but merely a coincidence as many cargo ships that must traffic off the Somali coast have been targeted on multiple occasions. The Naval Force also reported that a patrol aircraft had been dispatched to investigate the attack and that the closest Force vessel was now searching for the pirates. The end of the seasonal rains in the area have triggered increased pirate activity in recent weeks. A self-proclaimed pirate reported on Nov. 16 that Somali hijackers had been paid $3.3 million for the release of 36 crew members from a Spanish vessel held hostage for more than six weeks.
French Security Guard Toni Musulin Gives Himself Up Over Missing 11.6M Euros
Times Online (United Kingdom) (11/17/09) Sage, Adam
Toni Musulin, the security guard for the Swedish security group Loomis who made off with 11.6 million euros in Lyon, France, earlier this month, surrendered to law enforcement officials in Monaco on Monday. However, Musulin--who had been on the lam for 11 days after he drove off with a van containing the money--could not be arrested by authorities in Monaco because Interpol had failed to issue a proper international warrant. As a result, authorities in Monaco had to get Musulin to agree to be taken to the border with France, where he was handed over to French authorities and placed under arrest. As for the money, 9.1 million euros of it was recovered from a garage Musulin rented under a false identity. It remains unclear whether Musulin told authorities where the remaining 2.5 million euros is.
Stickups and Burglaries Are On the Rise - at Work
Wall Street Journal (11/16/09) Needleman, Sarah E.
Corporate offices have seen an increase in robberies as traditional cash-heavy businesses, such as banks or convenience stores, have stepped-up security to avoid becoming targets during the recession. Many of these robberies involved small companies with ground-level offices that offer easy access for thieves. According to FBI statistics, the number of annual reported burglaries increased 3.4 percent between 2004 and 2008. Sometimes the perpetrators are armed, heightening fear among office workers. Office thieves can be hard to detect at first glance. In the past year and a half, intruders got into Crosby-Volmer International Communications LLC's Washington, D.C., office three times during normal business hours. "All of these people had on ties and were wearing dress pants," says Robert Volmer, president of the public-relations firm. "People in offices tend to give [strangers] the benefit of the doubt." Volmer e-mailed a letter of complaint to the building's owner, Blake Real Estate Inc., in July but says he hasn't seen any signs of increased security. Stephen Lustgarten, Blake Real Estate's executive vice president, says, "The crime in that building would be no higher than any other urban environment in Washington. [Crosby-Volmer employees] left their back door open and unattended which is why they had a problem." After receiving the complaint e-mail, Lustgarten says the company briefed tenants on how to prevent future incidents by reminding them to be prudent, and avoid leaving personal items and entrances unattended. Crisis Care Network Inc. provided counseling to employees at 206 workplaces following incidences of armed robbery in the third quarter of 2009, a significant uptick from the 185 workplaces the company counseled during the same time in 2008. Experts say the actual increase in robberies may be higher than the counseling network's figures indicate since such organizations are often only called in when employee's lives have been threatened. In light of these figures, companies who may not be traditional theft targets are encouraged to enhance their security measures.
Pentagon Study Aims to Prevent Future Fort Hoods
Wall Street Journal (11/20/09) P. A4; Dreazen, Yochi; Simpson, Cam
The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to conduct a 45-day review of its procedures for securing military bases and identifying potentially dangerous service members as part of an effort to prevent incidents such as the recent Fort Hood shootings from taking place in the future, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said. The probe, which will be led by former Army Secretary Togo West and retired Admiral Vernon Clark, will focus on whether Army officials should have done more to warn about the behavior of shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Some of Hasan's former colleagues say that he would sometimes scare them by expressing fervent Islamic beliefs, though those concerns were never passed on to other military authorities. The review will also look into a number of military medical and personnel policies. Gates' announcement comes amid reports that Maj. Hasan had attracted the attention of a number of government agencies in the month's leading up to the shooting, though those agencies never alerted the Pentagon or conducted more in-depth investigations into his mental state or his possible intentions. Meanwhile, the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Obama administration are also conducting investigations of their own into why information about Maj. Hasan was not better shared.
Senate Panel Notes 'Red Flags Galore' in Fort Hood Incident
USA Today (11/19/09) Frank, Thomas
Senators have concluded that a lack of communication between the FBI and the military caused warning signs to be ignored that indicated Fort Hood suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan might be dangerous. Lawmakers say this conclusion is based on testimony given by five terrorism experts during a recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing. An FBI-led terrorism task force examined correspondence between Hasan and a radical Muslim cleric, but decided not to alert the military because it concluded that the correspondence was part of Hasan's research as an Army psychiatrist. In light of these findings, committee members have said they will examine any legal barriers that might have prevented the FBI from sharing their information. In addition to the congressional probe, the Department of Defense has launched its own investigation of possible "gaps and deficiencies" in programs designed to identify soldiers that may pose a danger to their colleagues.
Born in U.S., a Radical Cleric Inspires Terror
New York Times (11/19/09) Shane, Scott
Terrorism experts say that the sermons of the extremist Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki may have pushed a number of Western Muslims to commit acts of terrorism. Among those who may have been inspired by al-Awlaki's preaching--which endorses the use of violence as a religious duty--is Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the man who is suspected of shooting and killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5. Several months before the shooting, al-Awlaki posted a message on his Web site in which he denounced Muslims that fought against other Muslims in conflicts such as the war in Afghanistan, saying that such a person "is a heartless beast, bent of evil, who sells his religion for a few dollars." Maj. Hasan, who was about to be deployed to Afghanistan, also sought religious advice from al-Awlaki via e-mail beginning in late 2008, American intelligence agencies say. In addition, Shain Duka, one of the men who was convicted of plotting to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey, was recorded on a surveillance tape raving about al-Awlaki's sermons, saying that it presented "the truth, no holds barred, straight how it is!" According to counterterrorism researcher Evan Kohlmann, al-Awlaki's message is popular because it tells disaffected Muslims "who to kill, and why" and because it "stresses the urgency of the mission." However, authorities are hesitant to remove Web sites that contain such messages because they can use them to gather information, such as who visits the site, who posts comments, and who e-mails the site's creators.
GOP Senators Grill Holder on Decision To Try 9/11 Suspects in Federal Court
Dallas Morning News (TX) (11/19/09)
Attorney General Eric Holder recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to address concerns related to the Justice Department's decision to try the 9/11 terrorism suspects in federal court. In his testimony, Holder said that he is confident that justice will be served to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the other suspects scheduled to face trial in New York court. "We are at war and we will use every instrument of national power- civilian, military, law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic, and others- to win," Holder said. Some Republican senators, however, criticized Holder's decision, saying that the 9/11 suspects should be considered wartime combatants and should be tried in the military system. Senators also questioned Holder as to what action would be taken if a federal judge chose to release any of the suspects on a legal technicality. Holder responded that he thought such an incidence was highly unlikely, but said that there are other actions that could be taken to ensure the suspects are not released into the United States. "I do not see any legal impediments to our seeking the death penalty," Holder added.
Air Defense Push Inspired by 9/11 Gets a 2nd Look
New York Times (11/19/09) Shanker, Thom; Schmitt, Eric
Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., the head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) and the U.S. military's Northern Command, has ordered a review of the air defenses that were put in place to protect U.S. cities in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The review, which is expected to be completed next spring, will try to determine the likelihood that terrorists will hijack an airliner or fly their own aircraft into the U.S. or Canada. In addition, the review will also look at the possibility of a terrorist attack on infrastructure such as power plants, electrical grids, and computer network hubs. The study also plans to look at whether some of the security measures that have been put in place in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have reduced the threat of a terrorist attack involving an aircraft to a degree that fewer combat jets and personnel need to be on alert to respond to possible threats. The review comes amid questions in the military about whether it makes sense to continue to keep in place the defense system that was put in place after September 11, 2001. Though that system has since been scaled back to include dozens of warplanes and hundreds of air crew members being kept on alert to respond to possible terrorist threats, it continues to be expensive and a drain on scarce military resources. Despite those concerns, there is no predetermined outcome of the review, said Norad Director of Operations Maj. Gen. Pierre J. Forgues of Canada, nothing that the air defenses could remain the same or even increase.
FBI Suspects Terrorists Are Exploring Cyber Attacks
Wall Street Journal (11/18/09) P. A4; Gorman, Siobhan
Steven Chabinsky, the deputy assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Nov. 17 that the bureau is investigating individuals with suspected ties to al-Qaida who seem to be interested in launching cyberattacks on computer systems that control vital pieces of the nation's infrastructure. Among the pieces of infrastructure that could be vulnerable to such attacks are power grids and transportation systems, Chabinsky said. He added that while the FBI has no evidence that terrorist organizations like al-Qaida have developed the ability to launch sophisticated cyberattacks, the lack of security in U.S. computer software systems makes it more likely that terrorists could launch attacks at some point in the future. Chabinsky also noted that if terrorists were to ever develop a capability to launch sophisticated attacks, those capabilities would likely be used with "destructive and deadly intent." Also testifying at the hearing was Associate Attorney General James Baker, who noted that the Obama administration is considering whether or not to try to change the laws that deal with technology and surveillance in order to better protect the nation from cyberattacks.
House Panel Passes Cybersecurity Enhancement Bill
GovInfoSecurity.com (11/18/09) Chabrow, Eric
The U.S. House Science and Technology Committee has unanimously approved the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (HR 4061) by voice vote. A combination of the Cybersecurity Coordination and Awareness Act and the Cybersecurity Research and Development Amendments Act, the legislation seeks to reform cybersecurity by requiring the president to assess the federal cybersecurity workforce and conduct a skills assessment for each agency. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would have a bigger role in developing international cybersecurity technical standards, as it would be charged with creating information technology (IT) security awareness and education campaigns for the public, improving the interoperability of identity management systems, and developing an IT security checklist for agencies to use when acquiring IT products. "This amendment clarifies that NIST can include software developed by an outside source or by the private sector," said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). HR 4061 also would require agencies to have a strategic plan for cybersecurity research and development based on an assessment of cybersecurity risk, and include objectives for complementing R&D in the private sector. "HR 4061 is based on the concept that, in order to improve the security of our networked systems, the federal government must work in concert with the private sector," says committee chairman Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn).
NIST Updates Information Security Guidelines
NextGov.com (11/18/09) Aitoro, Jill R.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released an updated version of a publication that aims to help agencies comply with the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act. The revised document, "Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems," includes updated recommendations for how federal agencies should certify and accredit computer systems as being secure. One of the biggest changes to the recommendations--which were developed by the Joint Task Force Transformation Initiative--is a stronger emphasis on the continuous monitoring of IT systems for potential vulnerabilities. Federal agencies are currently required to certify that their IT systems are secure only every three years, or after a significant change has been made. The recommendations also emphasize the need to incorporate protections into system development and management processes. The new recommendations move away from a "checklist mentality of security" and toward managing security factors, says Dale Meyerrose, who served as CIO for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence during the Bush administration and was involved in the early revisions of the NIST standards. The new document, which is part of a series of five publications that aim to develop a unified framework for IT security for the federal government, will be open to comments from the public through the end of the year.
Are Nations Paying Criminals for Botnet Attacks?
Network World (11/17/09) Messmer, Ellen
Countries that want to disrupt other nations' government, banking, and media resources can simply hire cybercriminals to launch botnet attacks, according to new report by McAfee that interviews 20 cybersecurity experts. McAfee's Dmitri Alperovitch says botnet attacks are hard to trace because of the anonymous nature of how they are requested and paid for. William Crowell, former deputy director of the U.S. National Security Agency, says that "anyone can go to a criminal group and rent a botnet. We've reached a point where you only need money to cause disruption, not know-how, and this is something that needs to be addressed." The July 4th, 2009, cyberattacks launched against South Korea and the United States prompted Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) to urge the United States to "conduct 'a show of force or strength' against North Korea for its alleged role in the attacks," the report says. Alperovitch says there is no concrete evidence that North Korea was behind the cyberattacks, but points out that it was unusual that the botnet was concentrated entirely in South Korea. Alperovitch also notes that North Korea gets its Internet link from China because North Korea never took ownership of the top-level domains it was assigned by ICANN. Countries that are known to be expanding their cyberwarfare capabilities include the United States, France, Israel, Russia, and China, according to the report. Major cyberconflicts have the potential to hurt businesses and individuals, indicating a need for greater public discussion about such issues.
How Secure Is Cloud Computing?
Technology Review (11/16/09) Talbot, David
The recent ACM Cloud Computing Security Workshop, which took place Nov. 13 in Chicago, was the first event devoted specifically to the security of cloud computing systems. Speaker Whitfield Diffie, a visiting professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, says that although cryptography solutions for cloud computing are still far-off, much can be done in the short term to help make cloud computing more secure. "The effect of the growing dependence on cloud computing is similar to that of our dependence on public transportation, particularly air transportation, which forces us to trust organizations over which we have no control, limits what we can transport, and subjects us to rules and schedules that wouldn't apply if we were flying our own planes," Diffie says. "On the other hand, it is so much more economical that we don't realistically have any alternative." He says current cloud computing techniques negate any economic benefit that would be gained by outsourcing computing tasks. Diffie says a practical near-term solution will require an overall improvement in computer security, including cloud computing providers choosing more secure operating systems and maintaining a careful configuration on the systems. Security-conscious computing services providers would have to provision each user with their own processors, caches, and memory at any given moment, and would clean systems between users, including reloading the operating system and zeroing all memory.
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