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Hackers use brokers to sell software vulnerabilities
Although programs such as ZDI and VCP are popular, hackers can earn ten times the bounty by going through SNOSoft; significant flaw research can earn as much as $120,000; smart disclosure falls by the wayside
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Magal wins a $6 million contract to secure Israeli army bases
Deal follows recent successes with U.S. water authorities, banks concerned about underground tunnelling, and a Scottish hospital; company will install perimeter detection and command and control systems
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Nuance and Appligent team up to secure PDFs
Converting text documents into PDF can open the door to determined thieves; safely redacting information at issue; new add-on software securely scrubs files for lists of redacted words and phrases
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IBM predicts rise in security threats in 2007
Newly released Vista operating system a ripe target for malicious hackers; fuzzer attacks demonstrate a growing sophistication among the black hat set; IBM’s Internet Security System’s X Force Team pessimistic about the future
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DARPA seeks to replicate black ice for use in Iraq
Envisioned mobility control system would force enemies to slip, while a reversal agent applied to U.S. vehicles permits effortless apprehension; companies interested in developing “polymer ice” have until April to respond
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Northrop teams up with RADA in Israeli missile defense bid
Israel will choose a winning plan within a month, and so Northrop positions itself tactically by teaming up with a major Israeli defense company; Skyguard system uses a deuterium fluoride laser to shoot down rockets; RADA Electronics moves beyond avionics
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Smiths joins Birmngham U. to develop next-generation IMS systems
Ion mobility spectrometery has already proven itself in Smiths Detection’s Sentinel portals, but all agree that improvement in chemical detection is neccesary; £1 million project will take a close look at ionization chemistry
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Congress looks to expands America's K-9 ranks
Canine Detection Improvement Act of 2007 sets out standards for an increased push at explosives detection; airports and other critical infrastructure suffer from a lack of trained dogs; “breed American” is the new watchword, as congressmen try to take the German out of German shepherd
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NYPD refuses to use $140 million subway radio system
Long overdue and overbudget, the system is troubled by widespread interference and decrepit cabling; E.A. Technologies and Petrocelli Electric struggle to explain the problem
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Greater U.S. scrutiny of foreign investment in sensitive industries
The repercussions of the controversial DPW deal of early 2006 are very much with us, as the Bush administration scrutinizes much more closely many more foreign investment deals, and conditions approval of some of them on national security “mitigation” agreements
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London Olympics to sport photometric stereo facial recognition technology
Intriguing approach uses a single camera and multiple sequential flashes to develop a “facial skin signature”; software uses slightly differing shadows to generate a 3D image of higher quality than conventional facial recognition systems; skin color and tone can both be identified
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Analysts worry about growing IT threats from Skype, GSM networks
Crispin Pikes of Image Analyzer sees the troubles of today sown in the decisions of yesterday; new rules of civil procedure may force companies to expand IT offices to manage instant messaging storage; Skype and GSM to present headaches all around
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NIST opens competition to improve SHA-1 encryption standard
Recent efforts by Chinese researchers show that decades-old encryption system is increasingly vulnerable; competition is open to all, and winning bid will support 224-, 256-, 384- and 512-bit key encryption, with a maximum message length of at least 264 bits
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Sun Microsystems offer shipping containers for secure data storage
Stackable and easily shippable system holds eight server racks, a cooling system, and other critical appurtences; both DoD and FEMA see useful applications; airlifting to war zones a major possibility
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Bioscrypt snatches up A4Vision in stock swap
Deal brings together Bioscrypt’s strength in fingerprint algorithims with A4Visions’s 3D facial recognition technology; company will now offer off-the-shelf finished readers for both finger and 3D face biometrics; investors add another $8 million to the venture
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The long view
Trump’s Cyber Strategy Falls Short on China, Iran, and the Threats That Matter Most
Iranian cyber retaliation is escalating. Chinese operators remain embedded in U.S. infrastructure. Ransomware groups continue to disrupt hospitals, schools, and local governments. Trump’s recently released cyber strategy raises doubts the administration is prepared to address these threats.
Trump Is Forcing Coal Plants to Stay Open. It Could Cost Customers Billions.
In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open. Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump is determined to save the dwindling coal industry — an expensive move resulting in billions of dollars in added costs for customers in dozens of states.
Helping MTA in Combating Climate Threats
NYU Tandon School research team developed computer model that quickly tests hundreds of resilience strategies to determine the best ways to defend subways against coastal storm surge flooding.