| |
Norway Considers Sharing Risk Intelligence with Businesses
Wall Street Journal (01/31/13) Hovland, Kjetil Malkenes
Norwegian officials have announced that they will consider sharing risk assessments with businesses operating in unstable countries. Trade minister Trond Giske met with business associations and unions met to discuss details of the deal, which will also allow large companies and the government to share their intelligence resources with smaller organizations. Kristine Breitland, the leader of a council established by business associations in a variety of industries to provide security advice to companies, says that small to medium-sized Norwegian companies need the Norwegian government to provide them with risk assessments in order to ensure the security of their operations. The decision by the Norwegian government to share risk assessments with certain businesses follows the terrorist attack on an Algerian gas plant that left five employees of Norway's Statoil ASA dead. For its part, Statoil says it has identified a number of threats to its interests in unstable areas, including wars, guerrilla activity, nationalization of assets, political unrest, strikes, and insurrections.
Police Searching for Suspect Who Shot 3, Killing 1 in Arizona Office Building
Associated Press (01/31/13)
One person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting at an office park in Phoenix on Wednesday. Police say that the shooting began at roughly 10:30 a.m., when suspected gunman Arthur D. Harmon got into an argument with someone at an office building in the complex. Harmon was at the building because he was scheduled to take part in a settlement conference at a law firm that was involved in his lawsuit against Fusion Contact Centers, a company with which he had a contract dispute. The argument escalated and ended with Harmon pulling out a gun and opening fire. The man killed in the shooting was Steve Singer, the CEO of Fusion Contact Centers. Police have not released the names of the two individuals who were injured in the shooting, though the Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon said that one of its lawyers who was representing Fusion in the case brought by Harmon was among those shot. After the shooting took place, workers in the complex responded by locking their doors and staying away from windows. The SWAT team was eventually called into search the building, but Harmon had escaped. Police believe that Harmon, who was still on the loose as of Thursday morning, acted alone.
Energy Firms Seek New Answer to Security Risks
Wall Street Journal (01/29/13) Faucon, Benoit; Williams, Selina; Said, Summer; et al.
Oil companies are taking another look at the security measures that are in place at their oil fields in the Middle East and Africa following the recent attack on the gas plant in In Amenas, Algeria, that left at least 37 expatriate workers dead. Among the oil companies that are examining the security of their oil fields and reevaluating their plans in the region is BP, which is one of three companies that operate the In Amenas plant. Officials at BP said that the attack on the In Amenas facility prompted them to review their plans to begin exploratory oil and gas drilling in Libya--a country that some security experts say is not prepared to handle an attack similar to the one in In Amenas--later this year. Meanwhile, Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser recently met with with representatives of other large oil companies and government officials at a summit in Switzerland to talk about new security measures at oil fields. However, officials at Shell--as well as their counterparts at several other oil companies--refused to provide details about the security measures that are in place at their oil facilities. Security experts say that whatever security measures oil companies decide to put in place will have to be the result of creative thinking about the nature of possible attacks as well as extensive reviews of existing security measures.
Algeria Probes Possible Role of Local Workers in Attacks
Wall Street Journal (01/28/13) Sonne, Paul; Fauon, Benoit
Officials in Algeria are investigating whether the terrorists who attacked the In Amenas gas plant nearly two weeks ago had help from insiders. Survivors of the attack--which resulted in the deaths of at least 67 people, including 29 militants--say that the terrorists who carried out the assault on the remote facility in the Sahara desert had basic knowledge of the plant's operations. For example, two employees said that the militants seemed to know where the residence camp's management office was located in the facility and that the top managers would arrive there at 5 a.m. Survivors of the attack also say that the militants seemed to know the schedule of the bus that transported expatriates working at the facility back to the airport, as they launched their attack on the plant just as that bus was leaving. But at the same time, the militants did not have higher-level knowledge of the plant, including the location of highly explosive chemicals. Officials say that could be an indication that lower-level workers, such as the 100 drivers who were involved in a six month strike at the facility last year, may have had some involvement in the attack, rather than higher-level employees. Other lower-level employees are being scrutinized as well. Algerian officials have not yet suggested that there was a link between last year's strike and the recent attack.
Healthcare Facilities Seek Antidote to Epidemic of Violence
SecurityInfoWatch.com (01/28/13)
The 2012 Crime and Security Trends Survey released by the Foundation of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) found that 2012 earned the title as the year with the greatest number of fatalities reported by IAHSS members since the survey was first issued 20 years ago, with eight homicides being reported in such healthcare facilities in the past year. In addition to homicides, the survey found that other types of crimes -- including assaults, larceny and theft, vandalism, rape, and sexual assaults -- had also increased. The research further found that 98 percent of healthcare facilities now experience violence and criminal incidents within their institutions. Dr. Victoria Mikow-Porto, the principal researcher on the survey, said this increase in crime was caused by multiple factors. These included greater access to weapons, the open access and and 24-hour operations of many medical institutions, long and frustrating emergency room waits, increased gang violence carrying over into healthcare facilities, increased treatment of patients who have high risk for violence, and the rise in substance abuse coupled with easily-accessed hospital pharmacies. The increases in crime have in turn caused healthcare facilities to hire more security guards with police powers as well as other security and safety professionals, according to the survey.
Suicide Bombing at Entrance to US Embassy in Turkish Capital, 2 Dead
Washington Post (02/01/13)
Two people were killed and one person was injured in what is believed to have been a suicide bombing outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday. The suicide bomber is believed to have made his way inside the security checkpoint at the side entrance to the heavily-fortified embassy when he detonated his explosives. Employees inside the embassy were able to escape harm by taking shelter in a safe room shortly after the explosion. However, a guard at the entrance to the embassy was killed, as was the suicide bomber. The inside of the embassy was not damaged during the explosion, though video of the aftermath of the bombing showed that door to the building was blown off its hinges. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Turkey has been beset by a number of security problems, including the threat from the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the U.S. considers to be a terrorist organization. However, the PKK has never attacked an American target over the last 30 years. But there are homegrown Islamic militants with ties to al-Qaida who have proved willing to target U.S. interests in Turkey. The investigation into Friday's bombing is ongoing, with officials examining security footage to determine who the bomber may have been.
Homeland Security Prepares for Super Bowl XLVII
Examiner.com (01/30/13) Garrett Jr., David
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's Jan. 30 trip to New Orleans in preparation saw her monitoring the Department of Homeland Security' efforts to train local law enforcement and educate the public on how to recognize and deal with potential security threats ahead of Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. The "If You See Something, Say Something" public awareness campaign that DHS has undertaken in partnership with the NFL encourages citizens to report any suspicious activity that occurs leading up to and during the massive sporting event. DHS has had a hand in printing safety messages in game programs and guides for fans, staff, players, and volunteers, as well as advertising the campaign in visitor guides, on billboards, and on public transportation. The agency is working alongside the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CPB), the U.S. Coast Guard, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help maintain a safe environment. The TSA will use its Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams to help secure transportation systems around the city while the Coast Guard will secure the nearby coastline and the skies. CPB will scan any items entering the stadium for narcotics, weapons, or explosives, and ICE will keep an eye out for any counterfeit sports memorabilia being peddled to fans.
Report: Iran, Hezbollah Terror Threat Rising
Associated Press (01/30/13) Baldor, Lolita C.
A new report from a terrorism expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies indicates that the U.S. and other Western nations, as well as Israel, face a growing threat of terrorism from Iran's Quds Force and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The report from Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow and director of the institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, noted that more than 20 terrorist attacks that had been planned by Hezbollah or Quds Force operatives were foiled between May 2011 and July 2012. Levitt noted that these planned attacks were poorly executed, as the operatives made bad choices when selecting targets and were extremely incompetent when carrying out the assaults. However, Levitt noted that Hezbollah and Quds Force operatives were learning from their mistakes. The report noted that the advances these militants have made were evident in last summer's attack on a tour bus in Bulgaria. The plan to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., which Iranian military officials are believed to have been involved in, is also evidence that the militants are adapting, the report said. Levitt concluded that the sanctions against Iran have made the Islamic Republic more willing to carry out terrorist attacks but that the increased security since the September 11, 2001 attacks have made it difficult to achieve that goal.
U.S. to Expand Role in Africa
The Wall Street Journal (01/29/13) Entous, Adam; Gorman, Siobhan
The U.S. on Jan. 28 signed an agreement with Niger that will allow for an increased U.S. military presence in the country to help combat extremist groups currently causing conflict in neighboring Mali. The U.S. will work alongside France to establish a foothold in Niger that will include a small base near Mali's border that will serve as a hub for drone launches, manned surveillance aircraft, and special forces operations, according to U.S. defense officials. The so called status-of-forces agreement with Niger will allow the U.S. to use small airstrips in the country as staging areas for spy missions and strike missions against terrorist groups. The airstrips near Niger's border with Mali are closer to militant bases in northern Mali than airstrips near Mali's capital of Bamako, which is in the south of the country, making them more convenient for surveillance and defense operations. U.S. defense officials said that any American military personnel stationed in Niger would likely also provide counter terrorism training to local security forces and provide border security for the country. Seth Jones, a former Pentagon adviser and an al-Qaida specialist at Rand Corp., said the agreement "would provide a U.S. foothold, a launching pad, in the region to try to stem the threat of Islamic extremism in the region."
Iran Warns Terrorism Coming to Washington
WTOP.com (01/29/13) Green, J.J.
Iranian cleric Nasser Makarem Shirazi has vowed retaliation against Washington, D.C., for a Jan. 10 massacre of 103 Shiite Muslims in Quetta, Pakistan, which he said was financed by the United States and Pakistan. Shirazi noted in his remarks that terrorist attacks could be carried out against Washington, as well as London, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, in response to the massacre in Quetta. While it is unclear whether the United States played any part in that massacre, Patrick Clawson, the director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said there is a shadow war going on between the Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program. He explained that the United States has acknowledged sending drones into Iran, admitted to sabotaging Iranian nuclear equipment, and was very likely the perpetrator of viruses that attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran, meanwhile, is believed to be behind recent cyber attacks on U.S. banks. George Perkovich, the vice president for studies and director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that Shirazi's threats should not be taken seriously, but added that clandestine attacks against Iran from both the United States and Israel had heightened distrust among the countries.
Chinese Hackers Hit U.S. Media
The Wall Street Journal (02/01/13) Gorman, Siobhan; Barrett, Devlin; Yadron, Danny
U.S. media companies such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have recently come under attack by Chinese hackers, according to sources with knowledge of the incidents. The attacks were attempts to spy on reporters covering issues in China by hacking into the computers to try to uncover the sources for articles relating to the country. Chinese security officials have in the past penalized Chinese nationals who provided foreign reporters with sensitive information. The New York Times reported Jan. 30 that such a hacking attempt had been ongoing on its own systems for about four months. The Wall Street Journal Publisher Dow Jones & Co. recently reported that its own computer systems had been accessed by Chinese hackers. During the attack on the Journal, which happened during the middle of last year, Chinese hackers gained access to computers in the paper's Beijing bureau and used them to access the paper's global network. The Journal recently undertook steps to increase its network security, a process which it said it completed on Jan. 31. Chinese officials deny the allegations and have come out in stringent defense of their country. "Cyber attacks are transnational and anonymous. It's very hard to trade the source of attack," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei. "To presume the source of a hacking attack based on speculation is irresponsible and unprofessional."
Major Security Issues With Cloud Computing Being Ignored
International Business Times (01/31/13) Gilbert, David
A new Imperva report says many organizations are not aware of the security problems facing them as they move to the cloud. The report notes that Yahoo was hacked because its security measures failed to address insecure third-party code. Imperva's Barry Shteiman says businesses may be unaware that in a cloud environment, when they share data with another application, it is vital that the other app be secure as well. In the case of Yahoo, a hacker was able to access Yahoo's database through AstroYogi.com, with whom Yahoo shared user information. The Web site is an astrology portal in India that uses users' dates of birth and other information to generate astrology readings. The attack leveraged a key vulnerability present on the Web to launch an SQL injection attack.
Alabama Department of Homeland Security: At This Point, No Personal Data Believed Lost During Cyber Attack on State Computers
al.com (01/29/13) Enoch, Ed
No personal information was stolen during a Jan. 16 cyberattack on Alabama state government government computers, according state Homeland Security director Spencer Collier. Although there currently is no evidence that personal information was compromised during the attack, Collier says the state and federal officials are still investigating the matter and the full impact of the attack has not been assessed. The attack occurred when hackers breached a firewall protecting the state's information technology system and gained access to the state network and several state computers. Collier's office would not give information on what departments or computers had been affected by the attack. "We are dealing with an issue that takes weeks or months to resolve," Collier notes.
Homeland Security: Disable UPnP as Tens of Millions at Risk
ZDNet (01/29/13) Whittaker, Zack
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently warned of a security flaw in devices such as scanners, printers, and computers that use Universal Plug and Plug (UPnP) technology. The warning follows a white paper released by researchers at Rapid7 that found 40 million to 50 million devices worldwide were susceptible to a vulnerability in libupnp, the open source SDK for UPnP devices. Rapid7 says that hackers could exploit the vulnerability to compromise systems, install malware on them, use them as part of a botnet, access confidential documents, steal usernames and passwords, and remotely access any networked devices including webcams, printers, and security systems. These devices are at particular risk if they are also connected to the Internet. The researchers found that over 1,500 vendors -- including Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear -- and some 6,900 products were vulnerable to at least one flaw in libupnp. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team recommended that vendors and developers update to libupnp version 1.6.18, which fixes the vulnerabilities. Homeland Security recommended that users either update their software or disable UPnP ability altogether.
Pentagon to Boost Cybersecurity Force
Washington Post (01/28/13) Nakashima, Ellen
The Pentagon recently approved plans to expand its cybersecurity force more than fivefold to protect the nation's critical computer systems and conduct offensive computer operations against foreign enemies. The move is part of a larger strategy to transform the Defense Department's Cyber Command from a defensive organization into an Internet-era weapon of war. The plan calls for the creation of "national mission forces," which protect computer systems that control vital infrastructure, "combat mission forces," which help commanders abroad complete offensive operations, and "cyber protection forces," which strengthen Defense Department networks. The plan will allow the Cyber Command to better fulfill its mission, according to current and former defense officials. The Cyber Command is aligned with the National Security Agency, which examines foreign networks and provides the Cyber Command with intelligence.
Abstracts Copyright © 2013 Information, Inc. Bethesda, MD |
No comments:
Post a Comment