Security Management articles from September 2004

Security Management archives from September 2004

Intelligent reform?(Editor's Note)
September 1, 2004... This month, if all goes as planned, Congress will have completed, or will be wrapping up, its series of hearings on the 9/11 Commission Report, with the hopes of agreeing on final legislation before year-end. A general consensus appears to have...

Linking communities.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I WANT TO COMPLIMENT PETER PIAZZA on the fine article in the June issue about the Cybercop Portal ("Crime Fighters Cast a Wide Net"). Several years ago a friend, Matt Donlon, and I co-founded the volunteer Presidential Decision Directive...

ISO: new paradigm.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... ONE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION AS WE go forward to make the nation more secure in the homeland is an examination of the existing paradigms with which we begin. The United States has three distinct and successful professional cultures and paradigms...

Profession or industry?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE NOticed that those who speak on behalf of ASIS members, as well as many of the publications issued by ASIS, use the terms "security profession" and "security industry" interchangeably when describing our...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2004... Correction: The August article "Bombs Away" incorrectly used the company name of Barringer; the company is now Smiths Detection.

The Department of Homeland Security.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The Department of Homeland Security has called for proposals from universities interested in studying the behavioral basis of terrorism. DHS is allocating $12 million to establish a university-based Center of Excellence in Behavioral and Social...

NIJ Journal.(Did You Know That?)(rural and urban gang activity-analysis)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The rise in urban gang activity has in the past been correlated with economic downturns. But according to a study summarized in the NIJ Journal, gang activity increases in rural areas when times are good. The study's authors postulate that...

Department of Agriculture (USDA).(Did You Know That?)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In its ongoing effort to design an animal identification system that will trace all animals and premises potentially exposed to a foreign animal disease within 48 hours, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is implementing an interim...

NIST gives fingerprint systems a whorl.(testing of fingerprint matching, identification and verification systems)(National Institute of Standards and Technology)
September 1, 2004... A testing body's attempt to clarify which fingerprint products perform best has devolved to finger-pointing. Recent testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that NEC Corporation, Groupe SAGEM, and Cogent...

Many colleges not seeing Clery.(News and Trends)
September 1, 2004... When a LaSalle University female student was allegedly raped by two of the school's basketball players in June, the case grabbed national headlines. But many serious crimes on campus continue to go unnoticed, despite the Clery Act's mandate...

The young and the restive.(News and Trends)(rate of violence among youth)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... What if you put five teenagers from different countries in a room: one from the United States, one from Ireland, one from Israel, one from Portugal, and one from Sweden--who would be most likely to get into a fight? It has all the makings of a...

The new security universe.(News and Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Galileo Galilei is credited with revolutionizing how mankind was seen to fit in the universe. In a similar sense, Europeans are hoping that a constellation of satellites known as Galileo will revolutionize how they locate a man's precise place...

When executives go their separate ways.(News and Trends)(aviation insurance-executives)
September 1, 2004... When companies fly executives to an event en masse via private jet, it gives top management a chance to make use of the travel time to strategize before the meeting or to discuss corporate initiatives without fear of eavesdroppers. But having...

CPPs embracing business principles.(News and Trends)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A new study of Certified Protection Professionals (CPPs) finds that they place a high priority on the need to master business practices that boost the bottom line, such as budget management skills. Information security was also rated as...

Home on the page @ www.securitymanagement.com.(News and Trends)(terrorist attacks-analysis)
September 1, 2004... Homeland security developments continue at a brisk pace, and Security Management Online keeps you up to date on them. Some of the most significant items and issues are sketched below. Columns such as "Tech Talk" and "Legal Reporter" are also...

How the Grinch stole the lawn mower.(working wise)(Sunbelt Lawn and Tractor Inc.-investments in installing burgler detection devices)
September 1, 2004... With approximately 100 shopping days left until Christmas, it's not too early to be thinking ahead, not just with regard to what to give family and friends but also with regard to thwarting thieves, who view Christmas as the holiday for taking,...

Surf at your own risk.(web surfing-management)
September 1, 2004... If managers of a big department store suddenly discovered that their building had a significant structural weakness, you'd expect them to clear the store and get to work fixing the problem immediately. You'd also expect them to put a sign on...

Digital evidence guidebook.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A laptop with a faulty monitor is brought to a local repair shop, where the technicians testing the new monitor discover child pornography on the computer. A sheriff's deputy is notified, and the laptop is seized as evidence. The computer is...

Soft APs a hard problem.(wireless access point-analysis)
September 1, 2004... Road warriors wandering a trade show with laptop in hand may relish the convenience of being able to connect to a wireless network to get e-mail or surf the Web. But some new hacker tricks that provide open access to the files on their laptops...

Computer crime survey.(Quick Bytes)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... * Computer crime survey. Denial-of-service (DOS) attacks have emerged as the type of computer-security incident that costs companies the most money, supplanting the top risk for the previous five years--theft of proprietary data--for the first...

DHS wireless worries.(Quick Bytes)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... * DHS wireless worries. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Inspector General (IG) recently slammed the agency for not implementing "adequate security controls to protect data transmitted on wireless networks and devices." The IG's...

Weapons at risk.(Quick Bytes)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... * Weapons at risk. Department of Defense policies are not addressing the risk of foreign software developers inserting malicious code or backdoors that could jeopardize weapons systems, concludes a new Government Accountability Office (GAO)...

Big resources for small businesses.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Small businesses face the same IT security risks that their multibillion-dollar cousins do, but they have far fewer resources with which to fight those risks. To help small businesses tackle this problem, US-CERT and the MultiState Information...

Scam check.(Tech Talk)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... When an e-mail arrives from your bank asking for personal information, it's only natural to suspect a scam. A quick check of a Web page from MailFrontier, a company offering protection against spam and scams, might help confirm your suspicions....

Worst-case worm scenario.(attack of computer viruses)
September 1, 2004... What would it take for a computer worm to savage 50 million or more business computers before any human intervention could impede its progress? The answer to this $50 billion question is, not much. Any group of attackers with expertise in...

Software pirates.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... In 2003, more than $50 billion was spent globally on commercial software. However, almost $80 billion worth of software was actually installed. The difference represents the size of the software piracy market. The results of a Business Software...

Dallas gets DERT on downtown: the approach Dallas has used for its Downtown Emergency Response Team (DERT) offers a good model for other cities.(public-private partnerships)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... Threats come in many forms, and the best emergency response measures can be adapted to fit multiple circumstances, ranging from man-made may-hem to Mother Nature's mischief. Such was the case in Dallas earlier this year when emergency response...

Cooperation improves by LEAPS.(Law Enforcement and Private Security)
September 1, 2004... IN MID-FEBRUARY 2004, a car sped through a parking lot adjacent to a building owned by Infomart in Dallas. The Infomart security officer was suspicious and was able to write down a partial license plate number. The security officer called a...

Intelligence is the best defense: a public-private group that provides intelligence to the financial services sector has revamped operations to adapt to new security challenges.(public-private partnerships)
September 1, 2004... On Super Bowl Sunday last year, millions of Americans sat in front of their televisions to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Oakland Raiders. But some four dozen security professionals from a range of financial services organizations...

An Island of protection: find out how the Secret Service worked with multiple law enforcement groups to protect the heads of state at the G-8 Summit in Georgia.(Public-Private Partnerships)
September 1, 2004... Coast Guard gunships were patrolling the waters around this small picturesque island off the Georgia shore, while onshore, hundreds of U.S. soldiers kept an eye on the coastline. And lurking in the marshes were said to be soldiers with Avenger...

Meeting management's expectations: whether a guard force is contract or proprietary is not as important as whether the program is focused on the company's needs.(guard force oversight)
September 1, 2004... Security professionals often struggle with the question of whether to have a proprietary guard force or to contract out for those services. But the more important question is whether the program is focused on the company's needs and whether it...

Oh what a tangled Web: many Web applications, from complex online banking pages to simple Web forms, are rife with exploitable weaknesses. Is your company at risk?(network security software-online banking)
September 1, 2004... THE NEXT TIME you check your account balance at your bank's Web site, stop for a moment and consider who created and coded the software application that will validate your login information and then reach into the bank's database to retrieve...

Tracking the cybercrime trail: in addition to knowing how to follow the bits of evidence, forensic detectives must know how to work with law enforcement.
September 1, 2004... IN SPRING OF 2003, several credit card associations and major credit card issuers began to notice increasing instances of fraud over a three-or four-month stretch. By looking at the patterns and types of fraud and tying that information back to...

The cut of his jib doesn't jibe: background checks can protect a company from negligent hiring allegations and promote a safe environment for employees and the public.
September 1, 2004... Before hiring a woman to care for an elderly patient, a home healthcare agency conducted a background check. The company learned that the applicant had been convicted of second-degree robbery, had spent one year in jail, and had been forced to...

Studious attention to security: find out how Drexel University's public safety department protects the campus through a powerful combination of technology and personnel.(Universities)
September 1, 2004... Drexel University is a privately funded, 17,000-student campus located in West Philadelphia. Despite its urban backdrop, the university crime rate has steadily decreased over the last few years, dropping from 367 incidents of crimes such as...

A guide to the 2004 ASIS Exhibits: September 27-30, 2004; Dallas, Texas.(ASIS International)
September 1, 2004... SECURITY PROFESSIONALS FROM around the globe agree that the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits provides the best opportunity to see the latest technologies and services available. The ASIS 50th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Dallas is no...

Retaliation.(U.S. Judicial Decisions)
September 1, 2004... Retaliation. The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that a jury must decide whether an employee suffered an adverse employment action when he died after his supervisor punched him in the chest. The employee's estate claimed that the employee was...

Security officers.(U.S. Judicial Decisions)(interpersonal conflict)
September 1, 2004... Security officers. A federal appeals court has ruled that a hospital could not be held liable for injuries caused when a security officer struck an irate visitor. On March 23, 1999, Pamela Johnson entered the lobby of the LaRabida...

Food safety.(U.S. Regulatory Issues)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Food safety. A final rule issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would allow the agency to detain food if it has credible evidence or information that the substance may cause serious health problems or death to humans or animals....

Airport screeners.(U.S. Regulatory Issues)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Airport screeners. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued guidelines for airports to use in deciding whether to retain federal screeners or return to the use of private screening companies. Under laws passed after September...

Port security.(U.S. Regulatory Issues)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Port security. A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO)--formerly the General Accounting Office--concludes that the Coast Guard's plan to review all vessel security plans has faced numerous challenges and should be updated....

Airport security.(U.S. Regulatory Issues)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Airport security. In investigating the extent to which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has made progress in improving airport security, the GAO found that the agency focused its efforts on baggage screening, but failed to...

OSHA.(U.S. Regulatory Issues)(Occupational Safety and Health Administration )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued two ergonomics guidelines, one for the retail grocery industry and the other for poultry processing plants. For the grocery industry, the guidelines suggest plans to...

Mass transit security.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Mass transit security. In a recent hearing held before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines, witnesses detailed the security measures taken since 9-11 and urged lawmakers to...

Privacy.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Privacy. A bill (H.R. 2971) that would restrict the sale and public display of Social Security numbers by both private sector and government entities has been approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill would prohibit the...

OSHA.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... OSHA. Several bills that would grant some businesses extra time to comply with OSHA demands and the ability to recoup losses have been approved by the House of Representatives. One bill (H.R. 2728) introduced by Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA)...

Identity theft.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Identity theft. A bill (H.R. 1731) designed to increase criminal penalties for identity theft has been signed into law (P.L. 108-275) by the president. The law creates the crime of aggravated identity theft for instances of identity theft...

Concealed weapons.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Concealed weapons. A bill (H.R. 218) that would exempt off-duty and retired law enforcement personnel from compliance with concealed-weapons laws has been approved by both houses of Congress. Persons covered under the bill would be exempt...

First responders.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... First responders. A bill (H.R. 3266) that would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to make grants to first responders to purchase or upgrade equipment and conduct training exercises has been approved by the House Transportation and...

Terrorism hoaxes.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Terrorism hoaxes. A bill (H.R. 1678) that would make it a federal crime to fool people into believing that an act of terrorism has taken place has been approved by the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would also require those convicted under...

Cargo security.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Cargo security. The Coast Guard authorization bill (H.R. 2443) has been approved by the House of Representatives and has been approved in a different form by the Senate. In a conference committee, which is designed to hash out differences in...

Preemployment screening.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Preemployment screening. A bill (H.R. 4022) introduced by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) would allow the owners of private security companies (contract service providers) to access the FBI's criminal database through the National Crime Information...

Cargo security.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Cargo security. Three bills that would enhance seaport and cargo security are currently under review by lawmakers. One bill (S. 2297) introduced by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) would require that the Department of Homeland Security...

Aviation security.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Aviation security. Several bills currently under consideration in Congress are aimed at enhancing aviation security programs. One bill (H.R. 3959) introduced by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) would authorize the Homeland Security Department to...

Nuclear security.(U.S. Congressional Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Nuclear security. Two identical bills (H.R. 4212 and S. 2310) introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), respectively, would establish a task force on nuclear material removal within the Department of Energy. The...

North Carolina.(U.S. State Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Workplace violence. Legislators in North Carolina are considering a bill (S.B. 921) that would allow business owners to obtain a restraining order on behalf of an employee who is threatened by violence. The restraining order could be obtained...

Virginia.(U.S. State Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Discrimination. A bill (S.B. 475) recently defeated by the Virginia Assembly would have prohibited employment discrimination against applicants who had been convicted of crimes that did not directly relate to the job being sought.

California.(U.S. State Legislation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... E-mail. A bill (S.B. 1841) recently approved by the California Senate would require that employers inform workers before they monitor employee e-mail accounts. The measure would provide electronic communication with the same protections as...

First Amendment.(Elsewhere in the Courts ...)(Johnson v. State of Louisiana)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... First Amendment. A federal appeals court has ruled that an employer who fired a worker for making false sexual harassment claims against his supervisor cannot be held liable for violating that employee's First Amendment rights. The court ruled...

Defamation.(Elsewhere in the Courts ...)(Best Van Lines v. Walker)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Defamation. A federal court has ruled that a moving company, Best Van Lines, could not sue the operator of a Web site in New York where defamatory remarks about the company appeared. Best Van Lines was located in New York state, but the Web...

E-mail.(Elsewhere in the Courts ...)(Campbell v. General Dynamics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... E-mail. In a recent federal decision, the court ruled that an employer may not inform employees about a mandatory arbitration policy via e-mail. The court determined that e-mail is not the same as traditional mail and that employers must have...

IT Security: Risking the Corporation.(Reviews)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... IT Security: Risking the Corporation. By Linda McCarthy; published by Prentice Hall PTR, www.phptr.com (Web); 272 pages; $26.99. Experience may be the best teacher, but it can also be the most expensive one. This is particularly true when...

Hacking for Dummies.(Reviews)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Hacking for Dummies. By Kevin Beaver; published by Wiley Publishing, 877/762-2974 (phone), www.dummies.com (Web); 358 pages; $24.99. The media often mistakenly characterize hackers as bored technical geniuses. In truth, most hackers, as...

The Retail Manager's Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention.(Reviews)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... The Retail Manager's Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention. By Liz Martinez; published by Looseleaf Law Publications, 800/647-5547 (phone), www.looseleaflaw.com (Web); 201 pages; $29.95. Retail loss prevention measures are equally important to...

Counterfeiting Exposed: Protecting Your Brand and Customers.(Reviews)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Counterfeiting Exposed: Protecting Your Brand and Customers. By David M. Hopkins, Lewis T. Kontnik, and Mark T. Turnage; published by John Wiley & Sons, www.wiley.com (Web); 293 pages: $34.95. Imitation is supposed to be the highest form of...

Managing A Network Vulnerability Assessment.(Reviews)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Managing A Network Vulnerability Assessment. By Thomas R. Peltier, Justin Peltier, and John A. Blackley: published by Auerbach Publications, 800/272-7737 (phone), www.crcpress.com (Web); 312 pages; $59.95. Multitasking. This oft-used term...

Facial detection software.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., of Irvine, California, has introduced a new generation in facial-detection software. The software works by scanning several rectangular areas to define the facial features, which can later be...

Fire detection/communication system.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... The NetSOLO CLASSIC from Fire Control Instruments of Westwood, Massachusetts, performs emergency multichannel voice evacuation, two-way firefighter communications, and building-control applications. Ideal for applications requiring high-wattage...

Internet-based telephone system.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... ACS Systems of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, offers VOICE-Phone long-distance, Internetdirect TeleNets Systems for worldwide telecommunications. The services incorporate fully interactive, speech-encrypted global interconnectivity using...

Truck cargo security.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... Omaha-based Gabriel Technologies has introduced a new lock in its War-Lok transportation security product line that offers advanced cargo protection for the trucking industry. The TAB-10 truck air brake lock protects idling trucks from theft by...

Trailer cargo security.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... A new glad hand lock that prevents a trailer from being connected to a tractor has been added to the War Lok family of products from Gabriel Technologies of Omaha, Nebraska. The TGH-10 protects a trailer's brake system hoses from being...

Extending access control.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... The DUPREX from Cypress Computer Systems Inc. of Lapeer, Michigan, extends the distance between any two access control readers or controllers and can span up to 10,000 feet using any two-conductor media, eliminating the need for additional...

Modular biometric access.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... HID Corporation of Irvine, California, has announced a new modular approach to its iCLASS family of smart-card products designed for fingerprint verification applications. It provides three levels of security verification: card only, card plus...

Iris verification.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... A new authentication and identification verification solution from Panasonic Security Systems of Secaucus, New Jersey, and HID Corporation of Irvine, California combines iris recognition with contactless smart cards and readers. The...

Integrated security systems.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... The S2 NetBox is the first product from S2 Security Corporation of Wellesley, Massachusetts. The physical security management system integrates access control, alarm monitoring, video, intercom, and temperature monitoring applications in a...

Chemicals/explosives detection.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... The SABRE 4000, a next-generation handheld detector that can identify more than 40 different narcotics, explosives, chemical warfare agents, and toxic industrial chemicals, has been introduced by Smiths Detection of Pine Brook, New Jersey. It...

High-sensitivity camera.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... Kappa opto-electronics GmbH of Gleichen, Germany, has introduced a new black-and-white camera that uses a high-sensitivity sensor and intelligent low-noise circuits for clear pictures in low light. The CF 8 HS KAPPA CCD camera's automatic iris...

Dome cameras.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... New from Infinova of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, are pantilt-zoom dome cameras that feature built-in video servers. NetDome cameras are available in high-resolution color with 22X optical zoom or day/night high-resolution color with 23X...

Fingerprint reader.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... AWID of Monsey, New York, has released the AWID CBio, a fingerprint verification reader that provides a standard Wiegand output of the cardholder number after accurate verification of the user's fingerprint. The unit performs a comparison of...

Document destruction services.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... Security Engineered Machinery of Westboro, Massachusetts, a longtime manufacturer of shredders and disintegrators, now offers destruction services for businesses and individuals seeking permanent disposal of paper or electronically stored...

Fiber-optic communications.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... The Orion Minimux VT/2 and VT/4 transmitter modules can directly insert two or four individual channels of video onto the Orion Fiber Optic Transmission System from International Fiber Systems Incorporated of Newtown, Connecticut. The compact...

Digital-analog CCTV solutions.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. of Irvine, California, now offers a line of digital recorders, servers, and software that helps facilities with a mixture of analog and digital recorders. DX Series offers various ways to copy video...

File cabinet security.(Marketplace)
September 1, 2004... New FileSecure bars from Medeco High Security Locks of Salem, Virginia, prevent file cabinet drawers from being opened, preventing unauthorized access to confidential information. The bars are easy to operate: one motion releases all locking...

Asis events.(Industry Focus)(Illustration)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER 24-25 CPP Review (English and Spanish), Dallas, TX 24-25 PSP Review, Dallas, TX 24-25 PCI Review, Dallas, TX 25 Physical Security, Dallas, TX 25-26 Successful Security Consulting, Dallas, TX 25-26...