August 25th, 2008
“5 Steps for Stopping the Insider Threat”
Wall Street & Technology (08/08)
A recent study revealed that insider data theft was responsible for approximately 16 percent of all data breaches in 2008, compared to 6 percent in 2007. Experts believe that the rise in insider theft has been fueled by the presence of a black market for stolen data and a high demand for sensitive business information. Customer data stolen by employees is more likely to be misused than data taken during an external breach, so companies must improve their security to prevent insider theft. Businesses need to establish policies that define who can and cannot access sensitive information. Employees should receive training so they are aware of what kind of behavior is unacceptable. These data security polices must be enforced with technology, such as real-time monitoring and access management technologies, which can help identify and prevent unauthorized access. Employees should be made aware of these monitoring technologies, because they will be less likely to inappropriately access sensitive data if they know they may be caught. There also must be a system in place to review audit reports and real-time alerts so the business is prepared to deal with exceptions. Company executives need to support any data security initiative to ensure that sufficient resources are provided.
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August 22nd, 2008
“Good Building Design Key to Keeping Bad Guys Away”
Star Phoenix (08/12/08) ; Hanley, Paul
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is one way to reduce the frequency and fear of crime inside and around buildings. Behavioral research shows that the decision to commit a crime is tied to the perceived risk of being caught. CPTED increases that perceived risk in an effort to cut down on the number of criminals who will decide to go through with a crime. The three main strategies of CPTED are natural surveillance, natural access control, and natural territorial reinforcement. Natural surveillance is the strategy of designing an area to provide maximum visibility and encourage social interaction. This can be done by installing windows, choosing short fencing, and ensuring that all areas are well lit. Natural access controls, which can include fencing and landscaping, create a barrier between public and private space. Territorial reinforcement further establishes a difference between public and private area through a series of design elements that illustrate ownership. For example, a low wall or a porch can define a space as belonging to a particular owner.
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August 15th, 2008
“North Texas School District Will Let Teachers Carry Guns”
Houston Chronicle (08/15/08)
The first school district in the country to permit teachers and personnel to carry firearms for protection may be the small Harrold Independent School District in Texas. Last fall, the school district’s trustees agreed to a policy change that would allow workers to bring concealed guns to school to prevent and guard against school shootings. The change will be effective in late August. Prerequisites for carrying a gun include having a state license to bear a concealed handgun, authorization from the district, training in crisis management and hostile situations, and using ammunition that is crafted to lower the risk of ricochet in school hallways. Texas law forbids guns on school property “unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution.”
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August 8th, 2008
“More UCLA Medical Center Employees Peeked at Celebrities’ Records, State Says”
Los Angeles Times (08/05/08) ; Ornstein, Charles
A new report from the California Department of Public Health discovered that 127 UCLA Medical Center employees viewed celebrities’ medical records without permission between January 2004 and June 2006, which is nearly double the number first reported earlier this year. The report states that one worker wrongfully accessed the records of 939 patients between April 2003 and May of last year, though earlier reports said she had only looked at about 60 medical records. She viewed Social Security numbers and other personal data and, in many cases, was able to access the records using her supervisor’s password. State regulators blame the hospital for not taking adequate steps to maintain patient confidentiality. Hospital officials said computer systems have been updated so that whole Social Security numbers do not appear and personnel are being trained on privacy and security. Employees found to have breached patient confidentiality will be discharged, suspended, or warned, according to Dr. David Feinberg, chief executive of the UCLA Health System.
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August 1st, 2008
“Businesses Face Crime Wave”
Atlanta Business Chronicle (07/28/08) ; Williams, Dave
Atlanta-area businesses are witnessing a wave of property crimes. Burglaries rose in five of the half-dozen Atlanta Police Department zones in the initial four months of 2008 versus the same time in 2007, while larcenies were higher in every one of the six zones. Thieves are targeting businesses and vehicles, mainly seeking out purses and laptop computers. The poor economy is being blamed by authorities for the rise in property crimes, as is Atlanta’s recent population growth, as larger density can result in additional crime. Although the city police force has expanded from 1,433 sworn positions to 1,833 over the past six years, companies have hired private security guards to monitor commercial areas. Atlanta’s Downtown Improvement District put together its 65-person Ambassador Force in 1996 in preparation for the multitude of visitors who flocked to the city for the Summer Olympics. Meanwhile, the Midtown Alliance added its Midtown Blue security patrol teams in 2000. Central Atlanta Progress Inc. President A.J. Robinson credits the Ambassador Force with providing a formidable law-enforcement presence in Atlanta that also includes the city police, Georgia State officers, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, and the Capitol Police. In addition, almost 3,000 private security officers have been hired by Atlanta businesses.
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July 25th, 2008
“Schools Turn to VARs for Surveillance, Security Solutions”
ChannelWeb (07/21/08) ; McCafferty, Dennis
College administrators are becoming increasingly interested in upgrading their campus video surveillance and emergency-alert systems in order to heighten their school’s emergency response capability. In order to increase the level of security, many colleges are integrating IP-based technology in their campus surveillance systems. This technology can store and analyze video and send out emergency alerts to students’ mobile phones and e-mail accounts. Many universities already have the necessary infrastructure in place and can apply for Department of Homeland Security grants to help pay for the upgrade. But so far, IP-linked surveillance and alert technology only makes up a small portion of the overall college security solution market because only individual university campuses are implementing the technology.
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July 25th, 2008
“Eye on Video: Adding Audio Intelligence”
SecurityInfoWatch.com (07/22/08)
Security experts expect a rise in the popularity of audio intelligence as more people adopt network video systems. Most video surveillance systems do not include an audio component, limiting security personnel’s ability to protect people and property. Audio can expand a system’s coverage beyond a camera’s field of view, alerting camera operators of an audio alarm or audible request for help. Intelligent audio solutions have the ability to instruct a pan/tilt/zoom or dome camera to provide a visual of the area where the audio originated from. Audio can also be used by security personnel to communicate with visitors or intruders, alerting them that security is on the way. Many people choose to incorporate an external microphone that offers higher audio sensitivity and quality than a microphone built into the camera. People deploying audio in their surveillance system should make sure that local laws do not place any restrictions on such surveillance. Other tips include placing the microphone away from the speaker to reduce feedback, using shielded cable to minimize outside noise, and using a variable bit rate that adjusts to the audio. Advances in technology even allow audio surveillance systems to detect tone of voice or the usage of certain words that are generally a precursor to violent incidents.
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July 18th, 2008
“Software Helps Developers Get Started With PIV Cards”
National Institute of Standards and Technology (07/09/08) ; Brown, Evelyn
Two software programs have been developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that demonstrate how Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards can be used with Windows and Linux systems to perform logon, digital signing, verification, and other services. The software is intended to assist software developers, system integrators, and computer security professionals in the development of products and solutions in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 and the FIPS 201-1 standard. NIST collaborated with the industry to develop the standards for the PIV cards that will be used for the directive. Each card contains a unique number, two of the employee’s biometric fingerprint templates, and cryptographic keys stored on an embedded chip. NIST’s Donna Dodson says the agency wanted to provide IT professionals with a model of how PIV cards can be used to support authentication to federal information systems. Each federal agency will implement the use of PIV cards on its own schedule. NIST developed the demonstration software to show that PIV cards can work with common computer activities. For example, user name and password can be replaced with the user inserting his or her PIV card in a reader and entering a personal identification number, which could eliminate the need for passwords for other applications and provide access to secure databases for authorized users.
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July 13th, 2008
“Trojan Lurks, Waiting to Steal Admin Passwords”
IDG News Service (07/02/08) ; McMillan, Robert
Attackers are using a six-year-old Trojan horse program called Coreflood to gain access into networks and steal information from thousands of computers across entire enterprises, SecureWorks says. Criminals gain access to a network by first tricking a user into downloading the program. The attacker waits until a system administrator accesses the compromised machine and then piggybacks on a Microsoft program called PsExec in order to access every machine on the network. Joe Stewart of SecureWorks estimates hackers have amassed 50 gigabytes worth of information from more than 378,000 computers over a 16-month period. “Once you have credentials that give you local admin rights via remote access, you own that system,” says Microsoft’s Mark Russinovich. Attackers must wait patiently for the network administrator to log on, but once this happens an entire system can be compromised relatively quickly. One global hotel chain had more than 14,000 of its computers infected, and even the SANS Internet Storm Center experienced a coup on 20 percent of its machines.
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July 3rd, 2008
“Colleges Wade Into Survival Training for Campus Shootings”
Chronicle of Higher Education (06/27/08) Vol. LIV, No. 42, P. A20 ; Hoover, Eric
Approximately 50 colleges have placed orders for “Shots Fired on Campus,” an instructional DVD from a Spokane, Wash., company that should be available by late June. Several hundred more colleges will likely order the DVD, which offers strategies for avoiding and surviving a school shooting, by the start of the new school year, as many continue to prepare for gun rampages in the wake of last year’s Virginia Tech tragedy. While many colleges have launched training programs for employees, fewer have coached students on how to respond to school violence. The company releasing the new video, the Center for Personal Protection & Safety, typically specializes in prevention of workplace violence. But after upwards of 300 colleges licensed a DVD it made on what to do in the event of an office shooting, the company decided to create “Shots Fired on Campus,” which sells for $495. For an additional $1,000, colleges can purchase media files of the video to post on their Web sites. The 20-minute video features interviews with law-enforcement specialists and demonstrates to viewers how running, hiding, or barricading a door could help them survive an incident. It also shows how a group of individuals might overpower and seize a gunman’s weapon by spreading out and teaming up. The University of North Florida intends to show the video during resident-assistant training sessions before urging members of student organizations to watch it. Clemson University will likely post the video on its network, so all members of the campus community can watch it online. Police officers there also plan on including it in presentations on campus safety. Colleges who use the DVD, however, should not forget about preventative efforts to detect and help disturbed students, advises Alyssa S. Keehan, a risk analyst with United Educators Insurance, a leading insurer of colleges.
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