tagged w/ Cybersecurity
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Bruce Schneier points out the attacks against US Federal sites that succeeded in shutting them down or the malware spread by USB thumb drive that infected the US Military Central Command, demonstrate a lack of common sense anti-virus and patch management. But that is a very big deal Bruce…Bruce Schneier points out the attacks against US Federal sites that succeeded in... more
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Twitter suspends accounts of users with infected computers; South Korea blocks sites to help end cyber attacks; Kansas audit raises computer security questions; Apple still mute to iPhone complaints; U.S. State Dept. workers beg Clinton for Firefox; Snooping through the power socket; New York official: Tagged site stole identities; Firefox 3.5 vulnerability rated ‘highly critical; Probe into cyberattacks stretches around the globe; BlackBerry update bursting with spyware; French workers threaten to blow up Nortel factory; FBI charges satellite descramblers…Twitter suspends accounts of users with infected computers; South Korea blocks sites... more
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Analyzing an incident when the manufacturer claims that it’s an operator error and the operator claims that it is an application error is one of the most daunting tasks of a security officer. And this is a type of incident that the security officer will be called upon to investigate simply because the management needs an independent observer and has doubts both in the operator as well as the manufacturer. Here is what to do when thrown into the fire…Analyzing an incident when the manufacturer claims that it’s an operator error... more
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Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time.
The proposals, in Senate legislation that could be introduced as early as today, would broaden the focus of the government’s cybersecurity efforts to include not only military networks but also private systems that control essentials such as electricity and water distribution. At the same time, the bill would add regulatory teeth to ensure industry compliance with the rules, congressional officials familiar with the plan said yesterday.
Addressing what intelligence officials describe as a gaping vulnerability, the legislation also calls for the appointment of a White House cybersecurity “czar” with unprecedented authority to shut down computer networks, including private ones, if a cyberattack is underway, the officials said.
How industry groups will respond is unclear. Jim Dempsey, vice president for public policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, which represents private companies and civil liberties advocates, said that mandatory standards have long been the “third rail of cybersecurity policy.” Dempsey said regulation could also stifle creativity by forcing companies to adopt a uniform approach.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), was drafted with White House input. Although the White House indicated it supported some key concepts of the bill, there has been no official endorsement.
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WHYYYYYYY!!! Why must the government interfere with OUR lives. The internet is one of the last safe havens of Free Speech that we have. I will not stand for this intrusion of my rights.
RESIST!!! RESIST!!! RESIST!!!Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks,... more
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Even more chilling for these Americans is that their current leader President Obama has inherited from his predecessor all of the powers needed to radically alter their society into a virtual police stateEven more chilling for these Americans is that their current leader President Obama... more
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Robin de Ruiter, 58, is perhaps the most prominent European conspiracy writer after David Icke but his ten books have been available only in Spanish, Italian, French, Czech, Serb, German and Dutch.Robin de Ruiter, 58, is perhaps the most prominent European conspiracy writer after... more
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The spy shop that brought you the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program wants to expand its power under President Barack Obama, the nation's top intelligence chief told Congress in a little-noticed intelligence grab.The spy shop that brought you the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping... more
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President Barack Obama on Monday ordered an immediate 60-day review of federal cyber security efforts and named Melissa Hathaway, a top U.S. intelligence official, to oversee the effort, according to a White House statement.
Hathaway, who served as a top cyber security adviser to Mitch McConnell, the former director of national intelligence, will conduct the review for the White House National Security and Homeland Security Councils.
The review, which will examine what the federal government already is doing to protect vital U.S. computer networks, underscores mounting concerns about the risks of cyber attacks, and points to a growing market for U.S. contractors.
Northrop Grumman Corp, Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, the Pentagon's biggest contractors, already are working on a variety of cyber security projects for the U.S. government, many of which are classified.
Industry executives say the sector will be one of their fastest-growing markets in coming years, and analysts say it could generate over $10 billion in contracts by 2013.President Barack Obama on Monday ordered an immediate 60-day review of federal cyber... more
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Don’t assume that an “identity thief” is a “hacker” in the computer crime underworld. The “identity thief” may simply obtain the information from a source and then sell the information. However, “identity thieves” are now recruiting “hackers” to obtain access to electronic databases which contain the most choice data. The trafficking of stolen data is a quick operation. The hard earned reputation, financial & banking records as well as personal information such as age, marital status, and children’s names can all be sold for a few dollars each...Don’t assume that an “identity thief” is a “hacker” in... more
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that means we lose to the market by, you know, over a half a trillion dollars, year after year after year. And investors have to know about that, because it speaks to a real flaw in our system, where the financial system is consuming an excessive share of the economy’s resources…it turns out the financial sector subtracts value from society. John Bogle, Vanguard Founderthat means we lose to the market by, you know, over a half a trillion dollars, year... more
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Yesterday another story emerged that has created some buzz regarding the current threats to our nation’s information security, leading off with a recent case of information and identity theft by a company insider at a major financial institution. With the number of layoffs on the rise in the financial field, how safe is any one’s personal financial information anymore?Yesterday another story emerged that has created some buzz regarding the current... more
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The United States needs to do more to develop an offensive cyberwar capability rather than just focus on defending its networks from attack, says the chairman of the House cybersecurity subcommittee.
"The best defense is a good offense and an offensive [cyberwar] capability is essential to our national defense," Rep. Jim Langevin told United Press International, calling it "a necessary deterrent."
"Warfare is forever changed. ... Never again will we see major warfare without a strong cyber component executed as part of it," the Rhode Island Democrat added, citing the assault on Georgian government Web sites that accompanied Russia's invasion last month.
One issue that analysts highlight is the difficulty in determining the origins of cyber-attacks, which often are launched using "bot-nets" of compromised computers owned by innocent users anywhere on the planet.
The issue was raised earlier this month in two House hearings in which lawmakers heard testimony from members of a bipartisan, blue-ribbon panel - the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency.
"We have a tremendous amount of trouble determining attribution ... where an attack actually came from, who was responsible, who might have been behind that computer. And we have a very, very long way to go on that," commission member Paul Kurtz, a former White House cybersecurity official, told the House intelligence committee.
"Until we start to get clarity in that piece, it's going to be very difficult to contemplate the military option, of responding appropriately," Mr. Kurtz added.
Another issue raised at the hearings was that, in order for any offensive capacity to be a deterrent for adversaries, it would have to be made public, whereas the U.S. military's cyberwar capacities are largely classified.
"Clearly, our offensive capabilities and sources and methods we probably do not want to disclose in any detailed way," AT&T executive John Nagengast, formerly an assistant deputy director at the National Security Agency, told the committee.
"But as part of an overall doctrine and strategy in cyberspace, we need to consider what are the deterrent factors. ... [What] do we want to make public, as part of that deterrence strategy, and what do we need to keep secret because most of our offensive capabilities should be kept secret?" he added.
Former intelligence official Suzanne E. Spaulding told the hearing that focusing on offensive capabilities and giving a lead role to the military might make it harder for the United States to work with other countries on cyber issues, where the lines separating crime, terrorism and warfare are often hard to draw.
The United States needs to do more to develop an offensive cyberwar capability rather... more
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