Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Symantec's "Black Market Tour" takes visitors into a criminal nether world

The black market in which criminal hackers steal credit card and bank account information from hundreds or thousands of innocent victims, and sell that data to thieves throughout the world, has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years.
"It's not about becoming famous, or destroying your information, like in the old days," explained Travis Wilkins, a product marketing manager with Symantec Corp., who served as a guide at the "Black Market Tour" assembled by Symantec and transported to cities across the U.S., including Washington, DC, where this reporter saw it. "It's now all about making money."

SAIC awarded five DHS task orders totaling $189 million

McLean, VA-based Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) reports that it has been awarded five task orders by DHS to support the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Chief Information Officer.

The task orders were awarded under the DHS EAGLE contract and have a total value of more than $189 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Washington, D.C.

New cyber-security data collection center is expected to be a windfall for Utah

Clearly, the new U.S. intelligence-community emphasis on cyber-security will be very good for the economy of at least one state.

The State of Utah expects to see $1.5 billion worth of construction, and 4,000 to 5,000 construction and related jobs, from the new Camp Williams Data Center, according to Utah Governor Gary Herbert, who spoke at the recent announcement of the new facility.

DEA honored by Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has honored the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York with its Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Memorial Foundation Award, citing the DEA’s and the U.S. Attorney’s efforts to “bring a notorious terrorist to justice.”

The award, given out the ADL’s recent annual meeting in New York City, is named for Leon Klinghoffer, the wheelchair-bound American tourist who was murdered aboard the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985, when it was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists.

Avigilon on the watch at 20 Old Bailey in London

Farebrother Chartered Surveyors has deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System at the building at 20 Old Bailey in central London, located across from the UK's Central Criminal Court.

The Center Criminal Court, a high-profile location, has created a heightened understanding of threat for the tenants at 20 Old Bailey, and the Avigilon HD Surveillance helps address their security needs, says a statement from Vancouver, BC-based Avigilon.

VideoIQ and OnSSI announce integrated IP video surveillance solution

Bedford, MA-based VideoIQ and Pearl River, NY-based On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) report that they have integrated the VideoIQ iCVR with OnSSI’s intelligent IP video surveillance management platform.

This integrated solution enables OnSSI customers to realize the security, reliability and infrastructure benefits delivered by the VideoIQ iCVR, the family of intelligent video cameras and encoders with a built-in DVR, the company said in a statement.

ICOP receives $244,000 order From Billings, MT

Lenexa, KS-based ICOP Digital, Inc., the digital surveillance specialist, reports receipt of a $244,000 order for 46 ICOP 20/20 VISION systems for Big Sky country.

Forty units will go to the Billings Police Department and six units to the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, says ICOP.

DHS launches critical infrastructure Web site

At the first of a series of recent roundtable meetings with private sector leaders to discuss critical infrastructure security, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano unveiled a new Web site designed to inform the public about critical infrastructure protection, readiness and resiliency efforts.

During the meeting with leadership from the Sector Coordinating Councils of the Energy, Nuclear, Water and Chemical Sectors, Secretary Napolitano also promoted “vigilance, preparedness and risk reduction.”

ASIS signs agreement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police

ASIS International, the trade organization for security management professionals, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the nonprofit organization of police executives, have signed an agreement to promote cooperation and partnerships between the two groups for public and private safety and security, and to develop collaborative information-sharing programs. 

OPINION / Data leaks and insider threats: Protecting the nation’s most confidential information – back to basics 

In February, hackers broke into the Federal Aviation Administration’s computer systems and stole private information on more than 45,000 people; in August, a laptop containing Social Security numbers for 131,000 National Guard soldiers was stolen from an Army Guard contractor. These are just a few examples of data breaches that have affected the United States government in 2009 alone. Securing sensitive data is imperative for any entity – be it a corporation with trade secrets, a small business with a recipe for the secret sauce or a healthcare provider with thousands of patient files. However, when it comes to the government and branches of the military, sensitive data takes on a whole new meaning – everything from homeland security to terrorist watch lists to critical codes and passwords need to be guarded by the most secure methods available.

SAIC invests in and forms ‘strategic alliance’ with BPL Global, Ltd.

McLean, VA-based Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) reports that it has formed a strategic alliance with Pittsburgh, PA-based BPL Global, Ltd. (BPLG), a smart grid technology company that develops and deploys solutions to improve the efficiency and reliability of utility networks.

As a part of the alliance, SAIC has acquired a $10 million minority stake in BPLG.

CNL to expand facilities in the U.S.

UK-based CNL Software Inc., the physical security information management (PSIM) software developer, has announced further expansion plans in the US. 

The company intends to build a full-service U.S. technical center with customer support and administrative offices in Washington DC, and it has hired Darren Chalmers-Stevens to help oversee the setting up this facility, which will also include the company’s demonstration and client implementation operations.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. John Maluda elected to Telos board

Ashburn, VA-based Telos Corp. has named retired Air Force Maj. Gen. John Maluda to the company’s board of directors.

Maluda recently retired as director, Cyberspace Transformation and Strategy, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Warfighting Integration, and chief information officer, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

BioDefense safeguards the nation’s mail streams

The device looked somewhat incongruous sitting in a meeting room at the Waldorf-
Astoria Hotel – in fact, John Meyer, president of BioDefense Corp., described it as "a cross between a safe and a washing machine" – but the ungainly appliance could mean the difference between life and death if a terrorist tried to send you a piece of mail containing anthrax or another lethal bio-agent.

FEMA administrator addresses emergency management students

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate saluted emergency management students this week, speaking at Savannah State University, in Savannah, GA, at an event sponsored by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Student Organization (HSEMSO).

The FEMA Administrator praised students for choosing to study emergency management and recognized the administration of Savannah State, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), for joining the growing number of schools offering a bachelor’s degree in emergency management.

Fusion centers to add first emergency-services and public-health personnel, says DHS I&A head

The next step in the evolution of the nation’s network of fusion centers is the integration of emergency-
services and public-health officials into their personnel rosters.

So said the head of the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS I&A), Acting Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis Bart Johnson, in a speech delivered to the National Homeland Defense Foundation Symposium VII, held earlier this month in Colorado Springs, CO.

DHS S&T seeks SAFETY Act data-collection info

Purveyors of anti-terrorism technology to the government and others might want to take notice: The DHS Science and Technology (DHS S&T) directorate intends to continue collecting information in order to evaluate and qualify anti-terrorism technologies beyond the current January 31, 2010 deadline for doing so.

Specifically, DHS S&T would like to continue using several data collection forms for its Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act program.

OPINION / The commanding problem of incident command

Eight years after 9/11, the question needs asking: Have we developed a flexible and effective network for responding to a major attack or disaster?

Ingrained cultures of insularity
As fires raged unchecked on the twin towers' upper floors, an NYPD helicopter reported an inward bowing of the columns, signaling they faced imminent failure. Yet the NYPD and FDNY didn’t have compatible radio systems, and their insular cultures precluded close coordination, even on something so significant. According to a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “The NYPD aviation unit reported critical information about the pending collapse of the building,'' it reported, quoting Sivaraj Shyam- Sunder, a NIST investigator. "Any time that information could have been communicated faster to the emergency responders in the buildings, it would have helped save lives."

KVI Suite uses event-based middleware to deliver actionable intelligence

Cary, NC-based Knowledge Vector’s KVI Suite connects sensors to a centralized interface through event-based middleware, the company reports.

The technology automatically identifies events as they happen, recognizes their significance and manages the coordinated response, including contacting appropriate responders, according to Knowledge Vector. 

SRA International wins two contracts from CDC

Fairfax, VA-based SRA International, Inc. reports that it has been awarded two contracts totaling $55 million, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

SRA will work with CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) on a span of services including needs identification; strategic program planning; monitoring and evaluation; training and capacity building; technical support; and formative research and technology transfer, the company says.

Point Blank Solutions scores $2.4 million body armor contract

Pompano Beach, FL-based Point Blank Solutions, Inc., a protective body armor specialist, reports that its wholly owned subsidiary, Point Blank Body Armor, has received a $2.4 million award from the Defense Supply Center, of Philadelphia, PA.

Under the terms of the contract, the company will supply its Vision concealable vest and plate carriers for the U.S. Army's military police.

Secure Communities Initiative has ID’d more than 111,000 criminal aliens in 1st year

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Secure Communities Initiative (SCI) -- a partnership with local law enforcement agencies that uses biometrics to ID criminal aliens -- has identified more than 111,000 criminal aliens in local custody during its first year, according to a recent joint statement from DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton.

Lockheed Martin forms cyber-security technology alliance

Bethesda, MD-based Lockheed Martin reports that it has formed a new cyber-security technology alliance with other leading technology providers.

The alliance members have agreed to collaborate on solutions that can help provide early threat detection, protection, and multi-layer autonomic self-healing capabilities to solve customers’ hard problems and meet future challenges, according to Lockheed’s statement announcing the formation of the alliance.

OPINION / Biometrics: A new “look” at iris recognition technologies

The September 11, 2001 attacks spurred increased interest in the use of biometric technologies to improve the security of visa and immigration documentation and government-issued identification card programs. Unlike traditional identification methods, which require individuals to present an identification card, a personal identification number (PIN) or a password, biometric identifiers rely on unique biological information about an individual, which is much more difficult to falsify.

Iris recognition technology -- a form of biometric technology that uses pattern-recognition techniques and high-resolution images of an individual’s iris -- generated significant initial interest because it is a highly accurate and less intrusive system for identification and verification than fingerprinting and other methods. Nearly 80 percent of the 1,000 U.S. residents surveyed for the Unisys Security Index, released in October 2009, said that they would be willing to use iris recognition technology. Widespread adoption remains elusive, particularly in the public sector, due to concerns about interoperability between various iris recognition technologies and a desire to avoid “vendor lock-in,” or standardizing on a single vendor’s solution.

General Dynamics awarded max $22 million contract for USCIS employment cards

General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of Falls Church, VA-based General Dynamics, reports that it has been awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract by DHS' Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to develop secure credentials for immigrants seeking employment within the United States.

Hirsch appoints Zivney VP business development 

Santa Ana, CA-based Hirsch Electronics, which earlier this year merged with smart-card-reader manufacturer SCM Microsystems, Inc., has named Rob Zivney to the newly created position of vice president, business development.

Say hello to Doorzipper

Doorzipper, created by inventor Stan Demster of Shawnee, KS-based KJD Services, is a new way to render a door virtually impervious to forced entry, the company says.

TSA needs a risk assessment plan for deploying airport screening technologies, says GAO

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has looked into the more than $795 million the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and DHS have invested since 2002 in technologies to screen passengers at airport checkpoints, and in particular into why deployment of the explosives trace portal (ETP) was halted.

GAO says State Dept’s award to Rapiscan, rather than SAIC, was improper

When the Department of State issued a purchase order to Rapiscan, Inc. for gamma ray vehicle and cargo inspection systems, even though Rapiscan did not have a Schedule contract with the General Services Administration in place for those specific products – which was one of the stated requirements of the solicitation – another competitor, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), protested State’s action.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), which adjudicates such contract protests, has now sided with SAIC and instructed the State Department to instead award the overall contract to SAIC or the qualified bidder next in line.

DHS officials meet with Mexican Customs counterparts

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials met with their counterparts from the Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) last week to outline joint initiatives to combat transnational crime, increase law enforcement collaboration and increase the secure flow of travel and trade along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a DHS summary of the get-together.

Navy’s ONR offering grants to stop directed energy weapons

The U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) intends to launch a future-oriented-weapons grants program targeting the various emerging sci-fi-like laser, particle-beam and sonic weapons, known popularly but erroneously as “death rays,” but more accurately called directed-energy weapons.

The ONR says in its recent announcement that “of particular interest is research in theories for future technologies that may be explored, developed and implemented to efficiently and effectively address the emerging Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) threats used against its existing or planned naval ship platforms, underwater systems, aviation systems and/or weapons systems.”

SpotCrime partners with Twin Cities broadcast station

Baltimore-based SpotCrime, a data and news company, has signed a partnership agreement with Minneapolis / St. Paul's KSTP-TV.

Under the partnership, SpotCrime will map crime data for KSTP-TV 5 Eyewitness News. KSTP is the flagship television station of Hubbard Broadcasting Corp.

AS&E scores $19.3 million ZBV order from CBP

Billerica, MA-based American Science and Engineering (AS&E) has received a $19.3 million follow-on order from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for multiple Z Backscatter Vans (ZBVs).

The deal is for AS&E’s mobile X-ray screening system and is meant to support counter-drug and anti-terrorism programs, according to the company.

CMETM unveils the Eagle Eye

St. Petersburg, FL-based Custom Manufacturing & Engineering (CMETM) has unveiled the Eagle Eye, which the company calls a 360-degree fully static solid-state pan capable camera module for commercial and military applications.

DHS estimates the legal permanent resident population in the U.S.

In a recent report, DHS estimated that 12.6 million legal permanent residents (LPRs) were living in the U.S. on January 1, 2008.

The LPR population includes, for example, green-card holders, but not those immigrants who have become U.S. citizens.

IT defense pros believe state-sponsored cyber-war is the biggest threat, says survey

Threats from external sources are the biggest cyber-security challenge facing both defense and civilian agencies, according to Vernon Hills, IL-based CDW Government, Inc.’s (CDW-G) 2009 Federal Cybersecurity Report. 

Defense agencies report that state-sponsored cybersecurity-warfare programs are their most significant external threats, while civilian agencies identify independent international hackers and software problems as their primary concern, according to CDW-G’s survey of 300 federal IT professionals. 

Sen. Cornyn’s Southwest border legislation favors Texas

Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, introduced legislation on November 10 that would upgrade existing and construct new land ports of entry, particularly in Texas; provide cash incentives to recruit and retain Customs and Border Protection agents; equip each CBP officer with satellite-enabled, secure, interoperable two-way radios, and fund other ways to bolster security along the Southwest border.

The measure, S. 2767, known as the Emergency Port of Entry Personnel and Infrastructure Funding Act of 2009, was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Army seeks major new security system at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

With the planned relocation of the U.S. Army’s “Team C4ISR” – Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance – from Fort Monmouth, NJ, to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the Army Corps of Engineers has developed a requirement for a major new security system at Aberdeen, which will include access control, intrusion detection, intercom, closed circuit television and visitor management systems.

The security systems will be installed in a campus in the North Cantonment area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, which consists of 14 buildings and approximately 2.4 million square feet of research and development space, according to a presolicitation notice posted by the U.S. Army on November 10.

75% of homeland security pros expect a terrorist attack in U.S. within five years, says survey

While a majority (57 percent) of homeland security professionals surveyed recently by the National Homeland Defense Foundation (NHDF) and Colorado Technical University says America is safer now than it was before the 9/11 attacks, 75 percent believes the country will experience a similar terrorist attack in the next five years.

The survey, conducted by Kelton Research, also found that 94 percent of these professionals don't think Americans know the appropriate steps to take if a terrorist attack were to happen in their hometown. Among the survey findings:

TSA shows more airports the security money

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) program of funding upgrades to airport security continued last week, with several new multi-million dollar grants to big city airports. They include:

Approximately $5 million in TSA funding is going for the purchase of additional equipment for a closed circuit television (CCTV) system at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The award, which comes from fiscal year 2009 funds, will enhance CCTV systems currently in place at SFO airport. "The addition of new cameras as well as increased storage capability on pre-existing cameras will be a tremendous asset to our security efforts at SFO airport," Federal Security Director Ed Gomez said in a statement. "These video recording enhancements will strengthen security, allow better personnel deployment and assist with the resolution of suspicious items."

‘No federal agency knows how many’ dangerous-pathogen labs in U.S., says GAO

If you think that, of course, the federal government knows exactly how many high-containment laboratories that deal with dangerous pathogens, also known as biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) and biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories, there are in the U.S., and that it can specify exactly which agency is charged with determining the risks presented by these labs, well, you would be wrong.

That is the shocking import of Sept. 22 testimony by a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

OPINION / Cutting edge communications vs. security: Can they coexist?

Instant messaging (IM) has quickly become a critical business communications tool for government employees, whether they are authorized to use it or not.

While the technology has been around for more than a decade, its use has recently exploded. Gartner predicts, “by 2010, 90% of people with business e-mail accounts will also have IM accounts.” Why the explosion in adoption? It’s because IM connects people in real time, decreasing the “distance” between people in different locations, departments and even agencies. IM is also a modern technology that newer government employees demand because it is a way of life for them. It is growing, and it is here to stay.

Lockheed Martin and Roundarch build RIA software for U.S. Air Force

Prime contractor Lockheed Martin and Chicago, IL-based Roundarch, a Web development company, have constructed a rich Internet application (RIA), accessed through a Web browser, that enables the Air Force to eliminate archaic legacy IT systems by consolidating logistics data into one framework.

Roundarch says the new RIA dashboard improves the existing IT framework and the logistics installations and mission support enterprise view (LIMS-EV), creating an easy to use and more efficient experience for Air Force logistics specialists.

USCIS IT infrastructure improvements ‘stalled for lack of funds,’ says DHS OIG

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of DHS, has made progress toward transforming its “fragmented, paper-based business process to a flexible and efficient process supported by an integrated technical environment,” according to a recent follow-up report by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), revisiting its 2006 look at the same USCIS process.

However, while “USCIS has made improvements to its IT infrastructure, current efforts are stalled for lack of funds,” says the OIG report.

Task force to assess future of DHS color-coded warning system

Time may be running out on the world famous color-coded warning system used by the Department of Homeland Security to warn of potential terrorist threats, now that DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has appointed a bipartisan task force to study the issue and given the distinguished panel 60 days to develop its recommendations.

Napolitano named Fran Townsend, President George W. Bush's homeland security advisor, and Judge William Webster, a former director of both the FBI and the CIA, to co-chair the task force.