• U.K. faces wave of data security breaches

    The state of personal data security in the United Kingdom is not good; in the last six months, nearly 100 incidents of data security breaches by government agencies and private sector companies were reported

  • China may have back door into U.S. military computer networks

    A technological sleeper cell: The Chinese have manufactured counterfeit Cisco routers and switches and offered them at exceedingly low prices; U.S. vendors upgrading or replacing U.S. government IT systems used these counterfeit devices — and the FBI and other government agencies are now worried that the gear offers the Chinese undetectable back-doors into highly secure government and military computer system; the FBI investigates

  • Wireless cyber security center opened

    Lockheed Martin opens lab which will allow defense and intelligence agencies to test systems like 802.11 Wi-Fi or broadband satellite links on a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) network

  • New method for protecting private data

    Researchers develop new method for protecting private data; called “functional encryption,” the new approach will not only help to simplify the encryption of data in servers but will also allow access to the data in an intuitive way, making it much harder for hackers to gain access to sensitive information but much easier for programmers to secure it

  • Swedish researchers find vulnerability in quantum encryption technology

    Quantum encryption is supposed to offer air-tight security owing to the laws of quantum mechanics; to send a key over the quantum channel you must simultaneously send additional data over the traditional Internet channel, and then verify that the classical data has not been changed through an authentication process; data traveling though the quantum channel was 100 percent secure, but the combined system showed vulnerabilities

  • DHS launches massive effort to bolster cyber security

    Last week DHS secretary announced a Manhattan Project-like campaign to bolster federal cyber security; a key element of the project: Federal agencies will cut the number of communication points through which agencies connect to the Internet from 4,000 to less than 100

  • New technology allows for better communication on the battlefield

    Multi-User Detection technology allows radios to transmit at the same time while sharing the same frequency; MUD allows more traffic on various networking systems, which is an advantage to military personnel with critical need for high throughput air-to-air, air-to-ground, and soldier-to-soldier communications

  • Cobham acquires MMI Research

    Large U.K. defense contractor acquires specialist in cellular telecommunications for the law enforcement and national security markets

  • Japanese firms to begin IT security rating

    Eighteen Japanese firms announced they were creating the world’s first ratings agency looking at data security, which they said was a rising concern for companies

  • SyTech Corporation and communication interoperability, I

    The lack of communication interoperability among first response, rescue teams, and law enforcement during the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina was only the most dramatic and poignant demonstration of a persistent and debilitating flaw in U.S. agencies’ planning for disaster — and performing during disaster; communication interoperability is essential not only in disasters, but for routine, every-day operations of law enforcement; SyTech’s comprehensive approach to interoperability offers a solution

  • EU selects Symantec for WOMBAT project

    WOMBAT aims to provide new means for understanding the existing and emerging threats which are targeting the Internet economy and its users; EU selects Symantec to do research for the project

  • U.S. military prepares for offensive cyber warfare

    The new U.S. Air Force Cyber Command said it would be involved in protecting the U.S. critical infrastructure and financial institutions from hackers’ attacks; the military now says that it is preparing for offensive cyber operations

  • Cisco shows Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security

    New solution facilitates business continuity and force protection mission alike; in addition to incorporating Cisco’s own surveillance and network security technologies, new solution supports sensor integration and management, video analytics, geographic information system (GIS) framework for common operating picture, enterprise mass emergency notification, and physical access control

  • Microsoft joins MIT Kerberos Consortium

    Kerberos develops the widely used network authentication standard; eight years ago Microsoft was accused of subverting the standard by adding proprietary extensions; after Microsoft lost both U.S. and European anti-trust trials, company joins consortium

  • Reported Internet crime losses increase by $40 million

    In 2007, 206,884 U.S. citizens complained of being victims of Internet crime; 90,000 cases were referred to law enforcement; reported losses amounted to $240 million; most reported complaint: Fraudulent Internet auctions