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Theater Security: What Will Be Done?
USA Today (07/26/12) Truitt, Brian
Experts do not expect to see the airport security measures put in place after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks carrying over to theaters. The increased precautions seen at some major-league sports venues, such as a substantial armed security component, are also considered unlikely for theaters. Security is a critical issue in the film industry after the July 20 shootings in Aurora, Colo., at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Investigators believe the suspect, James Holmes, bought a ticket to the movie, walked out of the theater's emergency exit, propped it open, then returned and opened fire on the audience. Theater owners such as AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment say they are reinforcing security protocols, but have not revealed any details. Both AMC and Regal have cracked down on customers wearing costumes and other character attire, with AMC banning face-covering masks and fake weaponry and Regal asserting its right to inspect bags. Police in cities across the United States have increased security at theaters in an effort to deter copycats. Cost is one factor in increasing security. Sports arenas that seat thousands of people can more easily absorb the added security costs than much smaller movie theaters, says William Bratton, a former New York and Los Angeles police chief who serves as chairman of Kroll, a risk consulting company. "From a cost-effective standpoint, it's limited as to what theaters can do," he says. "But some things can be done," he adds, such as monitoring cameras more intensively. Exit doors can be alarmed and theater lights could be triggered to go on in the case of a door being opened during a movie. Howard Levinson of Expert Security Consulting in Norton, Mass., recommends a range of preventive measures, from increased use of handheld metal detectors for certain films, such as more violent ones, to a greater security and police presence for late-night screenings.
Red Flag for India Inc: Maruti's Manesar Woes May Be Part of a Wider Naxal Plan
Economic Times (India) (07/24/12) Singh, Rohini
Some Indian government officials are speculating that a deadly worker riot that left 90 company managers wounded and one dead at a Sazuki Maruti auto manufacturing plant in the northern state of Haryana, may have been fomented by Maoist extremists. Maoist groups, sometimes referred to as Naxalites or simply Naxals, are suspected of infiltrating labor unions around India, especially in industrial centers like Mumbai, with the goal of fomenting a communist uprising. Armed Maoists are currently engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Indian government in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa. While the police investigating last week's riot at Maruti's Manesar plant have yet to speak of Maoist involvement, an anonymous official at India's Intelligence Bureau has said that the IB believes some of the leaders of the Manesar workers union were in contact with Maoist leaders and that the riot may have been premeditated. Former Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai confirmed that there was evidence of efforts by Maoists to infiltrate labor unions in India's urban centers, though he had no knowledge of the specifics of the Maruti case. Gurudas Dasgupta, leader of the Communist Party of India, disputed the idea of Maoist involvement in the riot, saying instead that the riot was the result of long-simmering resentment and tensions between workers and management.
Is Cinema Security Changed Forever?
Risk and Insurance Online (07/23/12) Shelly, Jared
In the wake of the deadly shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., on July 20, there have been many questions about what, if anything, movie theaters across the nation should do to improve their security. "I see it as a struggle between making people safe and being intrusive. It's hard to find a middle ground," says Christie Mattull, the managing director at Momentous Insurance Brokerage. Mattull added that movie theaters could be asked by their insurance companies to implement loss-control protection measures on life and property. In most cases this means better maintaining the security of entrances and exits and training employees to spot and report potentially dangerous customers. Putting in place more comprehensive security, metal detectors and bag searches, for example, seems unlikely to Crisis Management International CEO Bruce Blythe. "The industry is trying to hang on, they don't want to make it more of a hassle to go to movies," says Blythe.
Police: Woman Killed in Ark. Workplace Shooting
Associated Press (07/23/12) Nuss, Jeannie
Lillie Foots-Wilson of Arkansas has been held on charges of first-degree murder after she allegedly shot and shot and killed her co-worker, Latange Long, at the Central Moloney Inc. components plant in Pine Bluff, Ark., on Monday. According to company spokesman Chris Hart, no one else was hurt in the shooting, although many other workers were nearby. Foots-Wilson's husband, Gary Wilson, said that there had been bad feelings between his wife and Long for some time. He also accused Long of bullying Foots-Wilson, and added that the company had not handled it well. On the day of the shooting, witnesses reported that Foots-Wilson and Long got into an argument. Police are still investigating the specifics, but Foots-Wilson told co-workers she was sick and leaving following the argument. She later returned to the plant and shot Long several times with a revolver, according to witnesses. Workers at the plant were sent home with pay and other workers were told not to come in for the rest of the day.
FBI, Homeland Security Say There's No Evidence Any More Shooting Sprees are Planned
Associated Press (07/21/12)
A July 20 intelligence bulletin from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security advised U.S. law enforcement that there was no indication that the deadly shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., was meant to be the first in a series of such attacks. The bulletin stated that the motives of the alleged shooter, 24-year-old James Holmes, remained unknown but that the shooting is not believed to be related to any broader plans of widespread terrorism. Still, many movie theaters around the country premiering the movie "The Dark Knight Rises," which was playing during the shootings, have increased security or requested a stronger police presence on fears of copycat attacks. The shooting also prompted the cancellation of the film's official premier in Paris, and numerous other premier events around the world were also canceled or scaled back.
Newly-Merged Dissident Republican Groups in Terrorism Vow
Belfast Telegraph (07/27/12) McKittrick, David
A trio of dissident Irish republican groups have merged and have formed a new group called the IRA (Irish Republican Army) Army Council, in reference to the defunct mainstream IRA. The groups taking part in the merger include the Real IRA, which was formed in the 1990s and was responsible for carrying out a bombing in Omagh that killed 29 people. Also involved in the merger is Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD), a vigilante group based in Londonderry that has called for the use of violence against those involved in selling drugs in that city. The third and final group involved in the creation of the IRA Army Council is a loosely-organized group of independent dissidents. In announcing its creation, the IRA Army Council said that it would be "subservient" to the Irish Republican Army's constitution. The IRA Army Council also hinted in its statement that it would use violence to ensure that the Irish people living under British rule in Northern Ireland have the right self-determination and sovereignty, adding that the U.K. has long denied those rights. However, the IRA Army Council said that the U.K. could avoid an armed struggle if it removes its military from Northern Ireland and takes steps to leave Ireland altogether. Despite the thinly-veiled hints of violence in the IRA Army Council's statement, security experts do not believe that the formation of the group will lead to an increase in violence in Northern Ireland. The threat from violent dissident groups has largely been neutralized since the 1990s due to surveillance by police, the British Army, and MI5.
Aurora Theater Shooter Sent Notebook to University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus Before Massacre
Denver Post (CO) (07/26/12) Meyer, Jeremy; Burnett, Sara; Sherry, Allison
A notebook sent through the mail by suspected killer James Eagan Holmes before Friday morning's massacre was delivered at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus on July 23, university officials say. The notebook reportedly detailed Holmes' plans to kill people. University officials, who had been silent on the details surrounding the delivery of two packages that caused the evacuations on the campus on July 23, on July 25 afternoon released a statement to rebut a claim by Fox News that the package had been delivered on July 12 and went unopened for more than a week. "The anonymous Fox News source that the package was received on July 12 and sat on a loading dock is inaccurate," according to the press release. The university said the "suspicious package discovered at the Facilities Services building on July 23 was delivered to the campus by the U.S. Postal Service that same day, immediately investigated, and turned over to authorities within hours of delivery. As part of his studies in a neuroscience program on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Holmes was enrolled in a course — "Biological Basis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders" — that was taught by a psychiatrist and included presentations by seven others with that specialty. He withdrew from the program June 10.
Riot Police, Protesters Clash in Anaheim for 4th Night Over Police Shootings
Associated Press (NY) (07/25/12)
Riot police clashed with protesters in Anaheim, Calif., for the fourth day in a row Tuesday, following widespread outrage over a pair of fatal shootings by police that occurred over the weekend. Tuesday night's protest turned violent after some protesters were unable to get into a packed meeting of the city council and began hurling rocks and bottles at police, who fired bean bag rounds and pepper balls into the crowd. Windows were smashed, trash cans set on fire, and a local Starbucks was swarmed during the riot. The violence followed riots and marches on the previous three nights after separate incidents on Saturday and Sunday where Manual Diaz and Joel Mathew Acevedo were killed in police shootings, the fifth and sixth fatal police shootings in the city this year. Police have stated that officers acted properly in both incidents. Diaz is alleged to have been pulling an object, believed at the time to be a gun, from his waistband after being confronted by police, and Acevedo is alleged to have fired on officers following a police pursuit involving a stolen SUV. However, much of the community is not satisfied by these explanations, and activists and Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait have called for state and federal investigations into the shootings.
Al Qaeda Taking Deadly New Role in Syria Conflict
New York Times (07/25/12) Nordland, Rod
Although members of the Syrian opposition say that al-Qaida is not involved in their conflict with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, there is a growing body of evidence that would suggest otherwise. For example, a video posted on YouTube shows members of the opposition group known as the Free Syrian Army holding AK-47s with two al-Qaida flags hanging in the background. In addition, the speaker in the video uses a classical form of Arabic that members of al-Qaida tend to favor. Meanwhile, the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey has reportedly become a gathering place for jihadists after coming under the control of Syrian rebels last week. Several al-Qaida affiliated groups, including the Al Nusra Front for the People of the Levant, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, and the Al Baraa ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, have also claimed to be involved in the Syrian uprising. Al Nusra has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Syria, including a bombing of government security offices in Idlib on June 1. According to a low-level al-Qaida operative living in Iraq, al-Qaida is involved in the Syrian uprising because it wants to create an Islamic state made up of Syria and Iraq in the hopes of eventually waging war on Iran and Israel and removing the Israeli presence from the Palestinian territories. Joseph Holliday, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War who has studied both al-Qaida and the uprisings that have taken place in the Arab world over the past year and a half, said that the presence of al-Qaida linked terrorism cells in Syria is a worrisome development for the U.S., and it poses a challenge for those who say that material support should be given to the Syrian opposition.
Games Terror Threat for Israelis
Australian (07/23/12) Leppard, David; Mahnaimi, Uzi
Israeli officials have issued a warning that Iranian-backed terrorist groups may be planning an attack on Israeli athletes at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. British officials are hoping to prevent any such security threat by deploying more than 17,000 troops and 7,000 private security guards to protect the London Olympic Park and 26 other locations. More than 12,500 police will also patrol city streets. Additionally, the Olympic stadium has installed "panic rooms" for important officials to take shelter in the event of an attack. This feature is expected to be particularly important since MI5 raised its terror threat level against the Israeli delegation following the suicide bus attack in Bulgaria that killed seven people, including several Israeli nationals. Taking no chances, the Israeli government has also dispatched agents from its internal Shin Bet security service to protect its 38 athletes. Meanwhile, agents from its Mossad external security service have been sent to Europe to hunt down a group of white Islamic converts believed to be working with the support of Iran and Hezbollah. One of their targets is believed to be travelling with a U.S. passport bearing the name David Jefferson, and is believed to be carrying an explosive device similar to the one that blew up the bus in Bulgaria.
Vulnerabilities in Payment Terminals Demonstrated at Black Hat
IDG News Service (07/26/12) Constantin, Lucian
Three widely implemented payment terminals have weaknesses that could enable the theft of credit card data and PIN numbers, warned researchers at the Black Hat 2012 security conference. Two of the point-of-sale devices, whose makers and exact models were kept anonymous, exhibited flaws in their payment applications that can give thieves control over various device components, such as the display, receipt printer, card reader, or PIN inputting pad. These vulnerabilities can be taken advantage of through the use of specially crafted EMV cards imprinted with malicious code. A third payment terminal, which boasted more sophistication than the other two, features a touchscreen to effect signature-based payments, a smart card reader, a SIM card to communicate over mobile networks, contactless payments support, and an administration interface facilitating both local and remote access. Encryption is not applied to the communication between these terminals and a remote administration server, which leaves room for interference. Hackers who gain access to the local network can force the payment terminals to communicate with a rogue server that they control.
London Olympics Officials Prepare for Cyber Attacks
Los Angeles Times (07/26/12) Faughnder, Ryan
As the world's greatest athletes compete for Olympic gold, hackers could also be seeking international recognition. Olympic security officials are preparing for an onslaught of cyber attacks that could easily surpass the 12 million attacks a day that were seen during the Beijing Olympics four years ago. The London Olympics are especially vulnerable because it will be the most technologically interconnected event yet, said security analysts. The threats could range from hackers trying to put up messages on a scoreboard to attempts to disrupt the games by knocking out the city's electric grid. London security officials say they are well prepared. More than 3,500 information technology engineers and technicians have been assigned to monitor the Games' computer systems and networks, while more than 11,000 computers and servers are being monitored from a "deployment center." Experts say the cyber attacks could come from "hacker activist groups" seeking to draw attention to their political causes or from cyber terrorists. However, experts say that the likelihood of a physical attack occurring at the same time as a cyber attack is unlikely. Security officials said spectators are also at risk from malware that steals personal information from their computers and smartphones.
Former FBI Cyber Cop Worries About a Digital 9/11
CNN Money (07/25/12) Cowley, Stacy
During his opening speech at this week's Black Hat cyber security conference in Las Vegas, Shawn Henry, the recently retired head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's cyber crime division, spoke about the increasingly high stakes of cyber crime and cyber attacks. Citing the example of a recent Department of Homeland Security report detailing a three month-long spear phishing campaign against natural gas pipeline operators, Henry said the incidents the public hears about are just "the tip of the iceberg." Henry warns that even as terrorists are beginning to consider the use of cyber threats to attack critical infrastructure, the more common threat is that faced by American businesses. "I still hear from CEOs, "Why would I be a target?'" said Henry, going on to cite the examples of companies he worked with while at the FBI who had been devastated by cyber attacks. One lost $1 billion worth of intellectual property, ten years worth of research, over the course of days, and another, a small-time lender, was shuttered after its $5 million worth of capital was siphoned off by hackers over a weekend. Ending his speech telling the assembled cyber specialists that they were the frontline in a new kind of warfare, Henry later told reporters he feared the dangers of cyber threats were being overlooked, comparing it to the unheeded warnings raised about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in the years before the 9/11 attacks.
Anonymous Hackers Cripple Australian Gov't Websites
News.com.au (07/24/12) Connelly, Claire
A group of hackers identifying themselves as the Australian wing of the hacker collective Anonymous conducted a series of cyber vandalism attacks that briefly crippled at least 10 Web sites belonging to Australian government agencies on Tuesday. The attacks were carried out in response to proposed new laws that would increase the ability of Australian intelligence and security services to monitor the e-mail and Internet activity of Australians. Anonymous Australia claims that it launched the attacks, which have so far only affected agencies of the Queensland state government, to coincide with a live policy question and answer session held by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Goggle + last weekend. The group claimed to have proof that the Australian government was tracking the personal account information of businesses, educational departments, and students. "The Australian Government is attempting to strip away its citizens' Internet rights by forcing them to surrender passwords and Internet usage data," a representative of the group claimed in an e-mail to news.com.au. The e-mail went on to state that Anonymous Australia would continue its attacks until the proposed information security legislation currently before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security was dropped. The proposed rules would require Internet service providers to retain their customers' internet and e-mail usage data for up to two years and would give Australian intelligence services greater access to Twitter and Facebook.
Grum Botnet Briefly Returns From the Dead
V3.co.uk (07/24/12) Stevenson, Alastair
The creators of the notorious Grum botnet went active for a few hours on July 23 before the botnet was once again shut down. FireEye, which reported the incident, says that over the weekend the a Ukrainian Internet service provider (ISP) removed the null route on three command and control (CnC) servers that were taken offline on July 19. FireEye immediately noticed the change and contacted the ISP again, and the CnC servers were shut down again. Grum sent out a short burst of spam during that time, but activity has since stopped, according to security analysts. FireEye's Atif Mushtaq warns that the operators of Grum, which is considered the world's third-largest botnet, may make a similar attempt to bring the botnet back to life, claiming the success of its takedown would depend on ISPs.
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