December 2009 Archives

FBI Code Breaking Contest...

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 31, 2009 8:52 AM
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FBI issues a new code breaking challenge

The FBI has posted its annual code-breaking challenge on its Web site; this is the longest code-breaking challenge to date; the FBI says that the code-breaking task is similar to work being done in its labs

The agency explains that unraveling the code and reveal its secret message is similar to the work of "cryptanalysts" being done in the FBI Laboratory. In the latest quiz, the agency switched gears a bit, using pictogram symbols based on Native American motifs. With more than fifty words to decipher, it is the FBI's longest code-breaking challenge so far.  MORE INFO

US Homeland Security & Defense Community Org Chart

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 31, 2009 8:09 AM
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The Homeland Security Research Corporation (HSRC) has assembled a US Homeland Security & Defense Community Org Chart. This poster-size map illustrates how and where the 182 federal government agencies that constitute the HLS/HLD community fit into the overall picture. 

DOWNLOAD

White House finally names cyber coordinator

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 22, 2009 9:27 AM
Howard A. Schmidt, a former eBay and Microsoft executive, will become the government's cyber security coordinator, weathering a rocky selection process that dragged on for months.  The White House tapped the corporate cyber security expert and former Bush administration official to lead the effort to shore up the country's computer networks and better coordinate with companies that operate 80 percent or more of those critical systems. READ MORE

White House announcement ...

Chapter officer elections ...

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 22, 2009 9:01 AM
The Board of Directors of the SF Bay InfraGard Members Alliance have elected corporate officers for the period of Dec'2009 through Dec'2010.

HTML clipboardPresident / Matthew Todd

Treasurer / Jeff Fenton

Secretary / Robin Lee

Ongoing Terror Intel Sharing Dispute Between FBI, Homeland Security

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 17, 2009 2:45 PM
The White House has taken the unusual step of wading into a dispute between DHS and the FBI over how much terrorist-threat information should be shared with state and local law enforcement, according to officials.  Issues revolve around the continuing investigation of Afghan-born Zazi after he allegedly tried to build bombs with "large quantities" of hydrogen peroxide purchased at beauty shops in the Denver area.  READ MORE

Inconsistency in Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) terrorism-related information policies.

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 17, 2009 2:27 PM
SBU.jpgThe presidential task force on Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) this week concluded that Executive Branch performance suffers immensely from interagency inconsistency in Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) terrorism-related information policies.

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Download report ...

Federal data breach notification law passes in U.S. House

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 15, 2009 10:36 AM
The United States House of Representatives took a major step in early December'09 toward enacting a national data breach notification law.

H.R. 2221, the Data Accountability and Trust Act (DATA), cleared the House with a voice vote. In its current form, DATA requires businesses to notify customers and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if sensitive information has been exposed to a security breach. READ MORE

National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 9, 2009 1:53 PM
The White House has released a new National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats.  The Strategy emphasizes the need to (1) improve global access to the life sciences to combat infectious disease regardless of its cause; (2) establish and reinforce norms against the misuse of the life sciences; and (3) institute a suite of coordinated activities that collectively will help influence, identify, inhibit, and/or interdict those who seek to misuse the life sciences.

White House Press Release

Download the Strategy

RISI report shows that cyberattacks against critical U.S. networks rising at a faster rate

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 9, 2009 1:49 PM
The Repository for Industrial Security Incidents (RISI), a database of cybersecurity attack shows that number of cybersecurity attacks against computer networks that operate the nation's critical infrastructure such as transportation systems and water treatment and power plants, has increased dramatically.  In the third quarter of 2009, 11 cyber incidents were added to the database.  READ MORE

RISI Analysis Report

Unintended consequences ...

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 2, 2009 2:06 PM
The network systems administrator at the Higley (Arizona) Unified School District's technology department was recently fired for installing the SETI@home software, a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The SETI@home software downloads and analyzes radio telescope data from the SETI Institute.  The school district contends the software was installed on over 5,000 computers and over an almost ten year period cost the district over $1 million in utility costs and associated hardware replacement costs.   READ MORE

There are a growing number of public, distributed processing software programs like SETI@home.  You might want to check your system to see if it is being impacted.

SETI

SETI@home

CSI annual survey shows cyberattacks are getting more disruptive

By SF Bay InfraGard on December 2, 2009 8:39 AM
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The annual CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey reports that cyberattacks that seek to penetrate computer networks or disrupt online services are increasing significantly.  Infections from software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system were "easily the most prevalent" type of cyberattack during the past year.  READ MORE


Download the CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey..
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