News & Events and Other Interesting Stuff: April 2009 Archives

Critics say bill to protect electric grid from cyberattacks lacks teeth

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 30, 2009 8:19 AM

Legislation expected to be introduced in the House and Senate would help protect the computers that control the country's power grid. A review by some security experts suggests this legislation does not go far enough to be effective. READ MORE

Update - Lawmakers compete to protect power grid from hackers, READ MORE

Proposed Legislation, DOWNLOAD

Dust Off Those Pandemic Flu Plans ...

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 29, 2009 2:10 PM

Update - April 29, 2009 - 14:10 PDT
Center for Disease Control (CDC) Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist, DOWNLOAD

UPDATE - April 28, 2009
Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues State of Emergency Proclamation to Confront Swine Flu Outbreak READ

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Swine Flu Web Site, GO THERE

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Swine Flu Twitter Site, GO THERE

California Department of Public Health Services Swine Flue News Web Site, GO THERE

California Department of Public Health Services Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan, DOWNLOAD (.pdf )

Santa Clara County Public Health Department Guide

DOWNLOAD

OPINION: Keep things in perspective ..."Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes." Source - CDC

Cost of a Data Breach

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 27, 2009 7:59 AM

In 2008 the average total per-incident cost of a data security breach was $6.65 million, compared to an average per-incident cost of $6.3 million in 2007, according to the "U.S. Cost of Data Breach Study" conducted by data protection company PGP Corp. and information management research firm The Ponemon Institute. DOWNLOAD

Control of Cybersecurity Becoming a Divisive Issue

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 22, 2009 10:49 AM

As the administration 60 day cybersecurity review is ending what agency in the government will have control over cybersecurity is becoming a divisive Issue. READ MORE

RELATED: During the recent RSA conference NSA Director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander downplayed reports of the NSA's attempt to wrest control of cybersecurity responsibilities from rival federal agencies. READ MORE

Social Software and National Security: An Initial Net Assessment

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 22, 2009 9:33 AM

Wired.com says it's refreshing to read a study on "Social Software and National Security," out of the Pentagon-sponsored National Defense University, that actually makes sense. Written by Mark Drapeau and former Pentagon CIO Lin Wells, the paper takes a clear-eyed view of what these new apps can do -- and makes some smart, if basic, suggestions for how government types might uses the tools. READ MORE

DOWNLOAD Report

Local boy makes the "big time" ... FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 22, 2009 8:02 AM

The FBI has placed Daniel Andreas San Diego, an animal rights extremist wanted for allegedly bombing two San Francisco-area office buildings in 2003 to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list--the first domestic terrorist to be included with international terrorists such as Usama Bin Laden.

More Info on the August 2003 bombing at Chiron, Corp in Emmeryville, CA. Click here...

More info on the October 2003 bombing at the offices of Shaklee Inc. in Pleasanton, CA. Click here...

FBI Press release...

POSTPONED - Practical Tools for Investigating and Preventing Computer Network Crimes Class

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 20, 2009 5:45 PM

The SF Bay InfraGard chapter has teamed with ANI to host a 3-day hands-on class and workshop targeted for law enforcement computer forensics investigators and corporate security personnel with a basic understanding of computer forensics. Participants will gain real-world knowledge and skills to analyze network traffic from criminals' computers, improve network security and reliability, and protect networks from malicious and criminal attacks.

April 23, 2008
Sorry the May 2009 class has been postponed... we will be rescheduling ... more info soon ...

Click here to download a flyer with more information about the class

Engaged Partnership for Disaster Response - DHS Webinar

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 20, 2009 9:40 AM

Engaged Partnership for Disaster Response Webinar - a roadmap for integrating Critical Infrastructure response as a key element of the Nation's unified approach to incident management, part of the DHS Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Learning Series

April 28, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EDT

Download Event Flyer

Note: You do not need a Homeland Security Information Network (HISN) account to register for this event.

Verizon: 2009 Data Breach Investigations Report

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 17, 2009 6:49 PM

The Verizon forensics team analyzed thousands of data points from investigations around the world - including many never publicly reported - and found that in 2008 alone, more than 285 million records were compromised. That's more than the previous four years combined. The 2009 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report offers an objective view of these data breaches, including analysis that we believe will be helpful to the planning and security efforts of our readers. DOWNLOAD REPORT

Business Strategies in Cyber Security and Counterintelligence

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 17, 2009 8:32 AM

Remarks by the National Counterintelligence Executive, Dr. Joel F. Brenner, at the Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin. DOWNLOAD

U.S. Power Grid Not So Vulnerable?

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 17, 2009 7:02 AM

A recent article in TIME magazine suggests that the U.S. power grid is not really that vulnerable because the electricity-distribution system is highly decentralized, and there's no central control system. READ MORE

OPINION: This article might over-simplify things. It is true that the over-all U.S. system is decentralized, but as we have seen a "regional" outage can affect millions. For example, the Northeast Blackout of 2003 was a massive widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, at approximately 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC). At the time, it was the most widespread electrical blackout in history.The blackout affected an estimated 10 million people in the Canadian province of Ontario and 45 million people in eight U.S. states. READ MORE

Stephanie Douglas Named Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Francisco Division

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 14, 2009 8:25 AM

Stephanie Douglas has been named Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI's San Francisco Division. Director Robert S. Mueller, III appointed her to this position to replace SAC Charlene B. Thornton, who was recently named SAC of the FBI's Honolulu Division. Most recently, Ms. Douglas served as a Deputy Assistant Director. FBI Press Release

SAC Stephanie Douglas has been with the FBI since 1989 and was acting special agent in charge of the San Francisco division for two months in late 2006. During that time, she oversaw investigations, including a crackdown on drug traffickers in north Richmond that resulted in seven arrests and an investigation that led to the conviction of a Walnut Creek chief executive officer for defrauding investors out of $1.5 million. READ MORE on SFGATE

2009 RSA Conference...

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 14, 2009 8:05 AM

MORE INFO...

Symantec issues latest Internet Security Threat Report

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 14, 2009 7:57 AM

The Symantec Internet Security Threat Report offers analysis and discussion of threat activity over a one-year period. It covers Internet threat activities, vulnerabilities, malicious code, phishing, spam and security risks as well as future trends. The fourteenth version of the report, released April 14, 2009, is now available. MORE INFO

$250,000 Reward Offered In Bay Area Network Vandalism

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 10, 2009 12:00 PM

AT&T has increased the reward to $250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for incidents of vandalism to the AT&T network in San Jose and San Carlos, CA ATT Press Release

In the early hours of April 9, 2009 vandalized fiber-optic cables killed phone landlines, cell phones and Internet service for hundreds of thousands of people, businesses and emergency service providers in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. Initially four AT&T fiber-optic cables were cut shortly before 1:30 a.m. in an underground vault along Monterey Highway north of Blossom Hill Road in south San Jose. A few hours later four more underground cables were cut at two locations along Old County Road near Bing Street in San Carlos. Two additional lines were then cut on Hayes Avenue in south San Jose. READ MORE

Tips can be given to the San Jose Police Department at 408-277-4161 (ask for Detective Carlos Melo or Detective Dan Phelan)

Tips can be given to the San Carlos Police Department at 650-802-4423

Anonymous tip for either incident can be made to CrimeStoppers at 408-947-STOP

San Francisco FBI: 415-553-7400

AT&T: 408-947-STOP (7867)

Industry group calls for public-private cybersecurity standards

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 8, 2009 8:12 AM

A task force established by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) has recommended that the federal government should establish minimum standards of cybersecurity for both public and private organizations, rather than focus primarily on requirements for protecting government computer networks, according to recommendations from an association of intelligence and security professionals. READ MORE

DOWNLOAD REPORT

Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 8, 2009 7:37 AM

A report in the Wall Street Journal concludes that the U.S. electrical grid has been penetrated and software programs have been left behind that could be used to disrupt the system. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war. READ MORE

Fusion Centers: A Reality Check

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 5, 2009 10:08 AM

The DHS Fusion Center initiative has inspired several dozen state and local centers nationwide over the past few years, including the Northern California Regional Terrorism Threat Assessment Center. The fusion center concept has nonetheless been a civil liberties lightning rod and, by implication a political hot potato. Recent testimony by the DHS civil liberties officer dispels negative myths but acknowledges real privacy challenges of fusion centers. READ MORE

Testimony of Acting Deputy Officer for Programs and Compliance David D. Gersten, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, "The Future of Fusion Centers" - MORE INFO

Comprehensive Cybersecurity legislation Introduced

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 2, 2009 9:49 AM

Legislation proposed in the Senate would federalize cybersecurity. Among other things, it would empower the federal government to impose cybersecurity protocols on private industry and establish a cabinet-level cyber czar position. READ MORE / PRESS RELEASE

2008 Internet Crime Report

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 1, 2009 2:56 PM

The FBI has reported in the 2008 Internet Crime Report that Internet crime complaints in 2008 rose 33 percent (275,284) over the number of complaints that were reported in 2007. DOWNLOAD

Handing cybersecurity mission to NSA "ill-advised"

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 1, 2009 2:43 PM

Amit Yoran, the first director of the DHS National Cyber Security Division recently spoke to ExecutiveBiz on what it will take to re-align DHS and why he thinks handing the cyber mission to NSA would still be "ill-advised." READ MORE

The Future of Fusion Centers: Potential Promise and Dangers

By SF Bay InfraGard on April 1, 2009 8:39 AM

Director Robert Riegle, from the dHS State and Local Program Office, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, recently testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, "The Future of Fusion Centers: Potential Promise and Dangers". READ MORE

April 2009 Archives