Latest Homeland security and Police News

Majority considers state-sponsored cyber-espionage acceptable
posted on 06/08/2010

Sophos' recent 2010 Security Threat Report uncovers some alarming attitudes towards international cyber-espionage. Respondents were asked questions including whether they thought spying via hacking or malware attacks is an acceptable practice and if the computer networks of private companies in other countries are legitimate targets. Some of the key findings of the survey indicate a relaxed attitude to state-sponsored cybercrime: * 63% of those polled believe that it is acceptable for their country to spy on other nations by hacking or installing malware (23% said yes at any time. 40% said only during wartime, 37% said no) * A staggering 1 in 14 respondents believe that crippling denial of service attacks against another country's communication or financial websites are acceptable during peacetime (49% said only in wartime, 44% said never) * 32% believe that countries should be allowed to plant malware and hack into private foreign companies in order to spy for economic adva... [more]

Imperva's Hacker Intelligence Initiative provides deeper insight on how cybercriminals conduct large scale cyber attacks
posted on 27/07/2010

Imperva has announced its hacker intelligence initiative (HII), a research effort focused on providing deeper insight on how cybercriminals conduct large scale cyber attacks as well as shedding light on the evolution of the underground business of cybercrime. Part of Imperva’s Application Defense Center (ADC), the hacker intelligence initiative will investigate the anatomy of attacks as well as key hacking trends by exploring the cybercrime industry utilizing techniques including hack-back, forum monitoring and internet traffic surveillance. “Today, security research focuses heavily on vulnerabilities and problems. But to truly protect an organization, security professionals must have a deep understanding of their enemy,” said Amichai Shulman, Imperva’s CTO, referencing Sun Tzu’s observation, ‘If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.’ Imperva’s HII researchers will conduct and release research on attacks as they are uncovered. To date, the HII ha... [more]

COMPACT EYE OEM engine is the ultimate security solution for surveillance and protection of sensitive sites
posted on 20/07/2010

Shutterless technology allows uncooled IR engines and cameras to operate continuously without the need for a mechanical shutter for NUC (Non Uniformity Correction) operations. By eliminating the need for a shutter, these engines are constantly open, experiencing no image freezes - critical to applications such as missile heads and missile warning systems. Shutterless engines are also smaller and lighter than conventional engines, operate silently, have a faster start up time, consume less power, possess a lower current draw, and have better MTBF. A new, shutterless version of Premier Electronics' Compact Eye™, ultra compact, low powered is now available. It is based on a 384 x 288, uncooled ASi 8-14µ micro bolometer detector with a 25-micron pitch. The engine is tuned to long wave infrared, 8-14μm, with less than 0.060°c sensitivity. The unit is available with or without NUC shutter or as an open frame camera. It includes powerful proprietary algorithms that have been full... [more]

The security issues associated with cloud computing in the public sector
posted on 09/07/2010

The adoption of cloud computing is causing significant concerns around privacy and security in the public sector. The benefits for cloud computing are very compelling, especially as the Government looks to the private sector for proven techniques to drive down back office costs, make the most of new technology and use new management practices to encourage efficiency. With plans to cut public sector expenditure by up to Ł60 billion a year the benefits of cloud computing are ever more persuasive. Cloud computing has many advantages for the public sector, such as the potential to reduce information and communications technology (ICT) costs, scalable data storage capacity and flexibility for users to access information wherever they are. Government departments can also focus on delivering high quality performance to taxpayers rather than worry about server and software updates. Some international public sector departments have already made the move into cloud computing such as The Ministr... [more]

Half of US government workers have sent unencrypted data through their personal e-mail accounts
posted on 09/07/2010

The need for secure file transfer has been highlighted by a report produced by Axway and Meritalk showing that over half of US government workers have sent unencrypted data through their personal e-mail accounts and two thirds use physical media to transfer government data. Some key points from the report: Federal agencies are leaving Federal data exposed on the wire: • 71% of respondents are concerned with the current security of file transfers in the Federal government • Yet 54% admit they do not currently monitor FTP usage Feds use unsafe methods to transfer files: • 66% use physical media (e.g., tapes, CDs, DVDs, USB drives, etc.) • 60% use FTP • 52% e-mail work files through personal e-mail accounts (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) To lock down information assets, agencies must secure management buy-in and educate employees: • Currently, just 58% say employees are aware of secure file transfer policies • Employees at agencies with top management support are more than twice... [more]

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