Arab Monitors to Watch Syria 12/30/2011

The Arab League forged ahead with plans to send teams of monitors into Syria Monday even though President Bashar Assads regime has only intensified its crackdown in the week since agreeing to halt bloodshed, killing several hundred civilians according to activists. At least 20 more deaths were reported on Monday from intense shelling by government forces in the center of the country, just hours before the monitoring teams were to arrive. Activists said at least 275 civilians have been killed by government forces in the past week and another 150 people died in clashes between army defectors and regime troops — most of them defectors.

United Nations Lacking Unity 12/29/2011

Growing acrimony among the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council is jeopardizing action on serious issues including the council's ability to send a strong signal on the situation in Syria. From the United Nations, Margaret Besheer reports 2011 has been a difficult year for the 15-member council and tensions among the permanent five could make consensus-building in 2012 a challenge.

Cyber Espionage 12/28/2011

The security industry expects the number of cyber-espionage attacks to increase in 2012 and the malware used for this purpose to become increasingly sophisticated. In the past two years there has been a surge in the number of malware-based attacks that resulted in sensitive data being stolen from government agencies, defense contractors, Fortune 500 companies, human rights organizations and other institutions.

TSA Security Travel Tips 12/27/2011

Traveling during the holidays can be stressful. Airports are crowded, people are bringing presents which amounts to more luggage than usual, and everyone always seems to be in a hurry. Do not wrap gifts. If a security officer needs to inspect a package they may have to unwrap your gift. Please wrap gifts after arriving at your destination.    Apply 3-1-1 to gifts. 3-1-1 is not just about shampoo and toothpaste. Food items such as jams, salsas, sauces, syrups and dips will not be allowed through the checkpoint unless they are in containers three ounces or less and in the passengers one quart zip-top bag.

Iraq Security 12/26/2011

As the last American soldiers leave Iraq, the U.S. State Department assumes the reins of a complex and risky operation, the success or failure of which could determine whether the costly nine-year U.S. engagement with the country finally bears fruit.

Merry Christmas 12/25/2011

Merry Christmas!

Firefox Security Issues 12/24/2011

The Mozilla Foundations Firefox browser has been facing a bit of a crisis, with the organizations search deal with Google in limbo — and with it, most of the public foundations funding. While Mozilla and Google are reported to still be working on a new version of their search deal, new reports show Firefox is facing new challenges:Many Firefox users are failing to keep up with Mozillas rapid release schedule for the browser, and Google may be deliberately trying to undermine Firefox by commissioning security reports that tout Chrome at Firefoxs expense.

IE AutoUpdates for 2012 12/23/2011

Microsoft will no longer wait for users to do the secure thing and manually upgrade their Web browsers. Instead, the company will upgrade users automatically, unless the user opts out.

Super Bowl Security 12/22/2011

Helicopters. Street-corner cameras. Undercover police. The security for next years Super Bowl week may leave some fans looking over their shoulder as they descend on Indianapolis for the big game. Police will be carrying hand-held video devices and delivery trucks will be scanned like X-rays as tens of thousands of people flood downtown during the 10 days of events leading up to the Feb. 5 game at Lucas Oil Stadium, local and federal officials said Friday. The security plan also includes four helicopters from the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection, more than 80 street-level surveillance cameras, and police officers using hand-held devices equipped with video connected to a new communications center in the city.

Security Breaches 12/21/2011

A Chicago narcotics kingpin testified Friday about several glaring security breaches at the federal lockup downtown — including how he was able to get a cell phone smuggled inside and how he got paid by a fellow inmate, a reputed Mexican drug cartel leader, after the kingpin provided information on people the leader wanted killed.

Youth Do Not Worry About Security 12/20/2011

According to the survey, which included 2,800 young adults, students, and employed white collar types across 14 countries, 7 out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies, and 3 of 5 employees believe they are not responsible for protecting information and devices, believing instead that IT and service providers are accountable. What does this mean for you as someone who is responsible for running and securing a network? In my opinion, it is yet another wrinkle in the ongoing consumerization of IT.

Cloud Security 12/19/2011

Federal agencies will soon have a government-wide security standard for assessing, authorizing and monitoring cloud products and services. Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel Thursday unveiled the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program which establishes a set of baseline security and privacy standards that all cloud service providers will need to meet in order to sell their products to government agencies.

Russian Security 12/18/2011

Russias most popular social network has rejected a call by the countrys domestic security agency to block opposition groups from using its website to organize post-election protests.

Symantec Security 12/17/2011

Security researchers at Symantec today confirmed that exploits of an unpatched Adobe Reader vulnerability targeted defense contractors, among other businesses. Symantec mined its global network of honeypots and security detectors -- and located email messages with attached malicious PDF documents -- to come to that conclusion.

Iran Flaunts Drone 12/16/2011

Tehrans capture of a largely intact, top-secret U.S. drone, which it displayed on state television, not only lays bare Americas surveillance program over Iran, but also puts sensitive, advanced technology in hostile hands. A former U.S. official confirmed to the Associated Press that the drone featured in the more than two-minute video aired Thursday was an RQ-170 Sentinel that is used for surveillance of Tehrans nuclear facilities. The U.S. military said it lost control of a drone earlier this week. Iranian officials quickly claimed their military forces downed the Sentinel with an electronic attack. U.S. officials flatly rejected on Thursday the claim that any cyber or other electronic-related activity was responsible for the loss of the drone.

Hip Hop and Security 12/15/2011

A bizarre attempt by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to seize the domain name of a hip-hop blog accused of copyright infringement ended today with the government abruptly abandoning the lawsuit. Government officials initially trumpeted the seizure of the music blog, DaJaz1.com, and 81 others as an example of the law prevailing over pirates. Attorney General Eric Holder warned at the time that intellectual property crimes are not victimless, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement director John Morton proclaimed that today, we turn the tables on these Internet thieves.

Security Expenses Growing 12/14/2011

Texas taxpayers spent nearly $400,000 on security for Gov. Rick Perry in September as he traveled out-of-state on presidential campaign trips, according to a news report.

Facebook Security Flaw 12/13/2011

A Facebook security flaw, revealed this week, allowed users to gain access to the billionaire businessmans private pictures. Facebook blamed a software error in a feature that lets users report inappropriate content. The company said the error was quickly fixed, but some people were able to view a limited number of other people’s photos, even if they were marked as private and meant for a small circle of friends. The company did not say how many users were affected, or for how long. And though Zuckerbergs photos were G-rated, such a privacy flaw could hurt those who post more compromising photos — of underage drinking, parties or a day at the beach when they called out sick from work.

Web Security 12/12/2011

The DNS system is a major area of security for Web traffic, since compromised data from a DNS server can result in your system either not being able to find the servers it needs, or even worse, being redirected to a rogue server that will try to install malware, or coerce you into giving up personal information among other illegal activities.

US Canadian Security Deal 12/10/2011

Canada and the US are expected to announce a perimeter-security deal next week that will see both governments share more data on who is coming and going at border crossings and ease bottlenecks, according to people familiar with the deal. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is scheduled to visit the White House on Dec. 7, at which time he and President Barack Obama are expected to formally endorse the pact.

Cloud Computing Challenges 12/10/2011

Cloud computing needs careful consideration The benefits can be significant in terms of technology costs and flexibility – however it comes at a price. Depending on what type of cloud service you buy into, your information could be in the UK or more likely in a string of off-shored datacentres. With current providers, again depending on what service you purchase, most will use their own practices and policies to protect your information, which may or may not be equivalent to your expectations. Not all cloud providers are the same, commodity players will offer minimal generic protection where as niche or high end providers will be able to meet more of your security expectations.

Security Training 12/09/2011

Iraqs prime minister signaled Wednesday that he was open to the eventual return of U.S. troops as trainers, underscoring the reality that the United States is likely to be involved in this countrys security even after the last soldiers depart in the coming weeks.

Barefoot Security 12/08/2011

U.S. security went barefoot on Thursday as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton toured one of Myanmar's most revered shrines, a towering golden pagoda that is the symbol of a country seeking fresh rapprochement with the West. Clinton arrived at the Shwedagon Pagoda shortly after arriving in Myanmar's main commercial city, Yangon, and took off her shoes to follow respectful Buddhist tradition at a site rich with religious and patriotic significance for the country also known as Burma.

US Citizens are Targets 12/07/2011

U.S. citizens are legitimate military targets when they take up arms with al-Qaida, top national security lawyers in the Obama administration said Thursday. The lawyers were asked at a national security conference about the CIA killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and leading al-Qaida figure. He died in a Sept. 30 U.S. drone strike in the mountains of Yemen.

Printer Security 12/06/2011

Paper jams used to be the biggest danger that printers posed to businesses. But new research examines whether this relatively innocuous piece of office equipment could pose just as serious a security threat to a small business as an unprotected computer system. Several lines of HP laser jet printers contained security flaws within their existing firmware, allowing a remote update and making them vulnerable to attacks from hackers, says Columbia University computer science professor Salvatore Stolfo, who led the team of researchers.

Protesters on Hook for Security 12/05/2011

The state can bill organizers of protests at the Capitol for the cost of police protection and any damage to the building, according to a new policy released Thursday in the wake of massive labor demonstrations that erupted over anti-union legislation earlier this year. The new policy affecting the Capitol and state buildings released by Gov. Scott Walker's administration is effective immediately. It also restricts what protesters can bring inside buildings, such as helium-filled balloons.

Bank Security 11/30/2011

The National Security Agency has begun providing Wall Street banks with intelligence on foreign hackers, a sign of growing U.S. fears of financial sabotage. According to interviews with U.S. officials, security experts and defense industry executives, assistance from the agency is part of an effort by American banks and other financial firms to get help to fend off cyber attacks.

UAE Security Concerns 11/29/2011

A group of students from the UAE are demanding an apology from airline officials after they were hauled off a flight and grilled by security. A US Airways pilot on a flight from Charlotte to Washington in the United States requested police assistance in removing individuals from the plane because of a perceived security concern, according to airport authorities.

Military Holiday Gifts 11/28/2011

Great Military and Security Gifts Discounted for the Holidays

Protecting Children 11/28/2011

National governments, including those in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, are promoting legislation to protect children from pornography and other unsuitable Web content. The ability for mobile device users, many of whom are minors, to freely access the Web, has made this an especially critical issue for telecom operators. If implemented, legislation would require operators to actively block undesirable content and make certain types of content available only if users opt-in to receive it.

AT&T Security Probe 11/27/2011

AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile provider, said it is investigating an organized and systemic attempt to access wireless customers' information but that it did not believe any accounts were breached. The company, which had 100 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter, said it is advising less than 1 percent of its mobile customers that there was an attempt to obtain information about their accounts.

National Food Security 11/27/2011

The proposed National Food Security Bill, when implemented, would add to inflationary pressures, Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao said.

Military Ornaments and Security Ornaments 11/26/2011

Military Ornaments

Police and Security Gifts 11/25/2011

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