UK COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLS ShropshireStar.com - News - Article - Car clue to raids on schools: "Car clue to raids on schools

Detectives investigating the theft of thousands of pounds worth of computer equipment from schools and colleges in the Oswestry area are warning people to be on the look-out for a car they believe is linked to the raids.

A blue Honda Civic has been spotted on school car parks and even captured on CCTV cameras.
Detectives said today they strongly believed the car was linked with a spate of break-ins at schools, not only in Shropshire but further afield.

They are warning school staff and those who live near educational premises to contact police if they see the car.

In December about ?20,000 of computer equipment was stolen from the Walford and North Shropshire college's Oswestry campus, and laptops were stolen from the town's Marches School.

More recently thieves stole computers, projectors and laptops worth ?7,000 from Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martin's and three "

UK HOW TO COPE WITH A MAJOR SECURITY BREACH How to cope with a major security breach OUT-LAW.COM

OPINION: Legal pressures, not to mention your moral obligation to assist unwitting victims, means that you should never delay when disclosing IT security incidents.

By Martin Allen

In November 2005 a laptop belonging to an employee of the Boeing Corporation was stolen. Among the information on the machine was personal financial data about 161,000 current and former employees of the aerospace giant.

None of the confidential information was encrypted, and therefore the thieves would have been able to read and exploit it easily. Yet this was just one of the two serious failings in Boeing’s IT security procedures that this episode highlighted. The second was not to have immediately owned up to the incident.

The company still refuses to reveal the precise timings but has admitted that it was “several days” after the theft before the 161,000 ‘victims’ were officially informed that their personal details were now in the public domain, potentially ready to be used by criminals involved in identity theft.

Companies across the world have always preferred not to reveal details of IT security breaches. The problem became so bad in the UK that the Metropolitan Police launched a special guarantee under which companies are promised anonymity if they report that their systems have been the target of hackers. Without such a scheme, police were unable to prosecute the hackers because officers were unaware that the incidents had taken place.

It’s easy to understand the dilemma of the targeted organisation. A run-of-the-mill incident might cost a typical bank £250,000 in terms of lost productivity, replacement hardware, or system downtime. Yet if the attack is reported to the police and the suspects subsequently end up in court the whole episode becomes public knowledge, which results in customers losing trust in the bank concerned. At which point the £250,000 becomes totally insignificant. For if a bank loses the trust of its customers, it will lose those customers and revenue.

The problems that can be incurred are many and varied, ranging from loss of key information, adverse publicity, loss of trust, legal action by customers, and official censure by regulators. All of which can be avoided with a little forethought and a professional attitude to the use of data encryption.

Where once your key information such as customer account data and profitability figures resided on a few desktop PCs in a private office, now the information is spread far and wide. As well as the master copy on the main system, there are often copies (or at least extracts or summaries) in many other computers. Some of which are laptops, which are incredibly easy to lose or steal.

In addition, unscrupulous staff or dishonest visitors can easily copy information from a bank’s main systems to a multitude of external storage devices. These include USB flash drives, digital cameras, MP3 players, mobile phones, or even old-fashioned floppy disks. All of which then become vulnerable if subsequently lost, stolen, or re-copied.

Although Windows provides some encryption with its Encrypting File System, EFS is difficult to manage and impossible to enforce. Turning it off requires just a couple of mouse clicks, and it doesn’t protect areas of the hard disk such as the swap file or other temporary files. Most importantly, if files are copied from a Windows PC to an MP3 player, floppy disk, mobile phone, FTP site or USB drive they invariably lose their encryption, often without the user being aware that this has happened.

An effective encryption policy, therefore, needs to encompass every device onto which employees might wish to copy files. It also needs to be transparent to users, so that it can be centrally controlled without any user action being required. And it should be impossible to disable, except by authorised administrators. Ideally it should also have the selective ability to block files from being copied to external devices at all, or if the target device doesn’t support the same level of encryption as that which protects the source data.

Your choice of crypto algorithm is also vital. Choose a proprietary encryption system and, if anyone discovers the secret mathematical formula behind it, all of the files that you have every encrypted instantly become public knowledge. Therefore, use a known international standard such as the Advanced Encryption System, or AES, with a key length of at least 256 bits.

What action should be taken?

A management walk-through is a great way to assess the impact of a security breach. Simply sit a group of technical and non-technical managers around a table and discuss a series of “what-if?” scenarios. Such an exercise invariably highlights critical weaknesses in existing strategies which can then be corrected before it’s too late.

For example, walk through the following scenario. A director of your company attended a conference last week, during which his briefcase was snatched from the back seat of his car. The case contained a laptop computer which held a list of the top 10,000 accounts by revenue. The information was not encrypted. This happened on Friday afternoon but it’s now Monday morning and the loss has only just been reported.

Among the topics that you will need to discuss are:

How will you ensure that those 10,000 affected companies are discreetly informed about the breach as soon as possible?

Who will brief the regulatory authorities and your company’s legal team?

What will you tell journalists from the national press and broadcast media, once they get hold of the story and want to hear your version of events?

Who is officially responsible for the security of your company’s information, and what will he or she be doing to prevent such an event happening again?

Who could make use of the stolen information, and how? Can you put systems in place to help detect instances of this taking place?

What action will the marketing department take to help regain the trust of new customers who have decided to take their accounts elsewhere?

Which laws and regulations has the organisation broken, and in which countries? For example, the UK’s Data Protection Act requires companies to make care of customers’ personal information.

Conclusion

The trust of one’s customers and investors is among the greatest assets that your organisation owns. Lose it, and you’re well on your way to being out of business. But failing to protect key information and data, or to introduce unnecessary delays in making losses public, could make such a situation a reality. Which is why full disc encryption should be mandatory to all organisations no matter what size!

This article was contributed to OUT-LAW by Martin Allen, MD of Pointsec Mobile Technologies. Pointsec are exhibiting at Infosecurity Europe 2006, 25th – 27th April 2006.

PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM OFFICE Police news - 2/10/06 (phillyBurbs.com) Intelligencer: "Upper Moreland
Computers stolen: Two laptop computers, valued at $4,000, were stolen from an office at 35 N. York Road between 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, police said. The office was entered through an unlocked window, police said"

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOL Login

Teachers and administrators from a Simi Valley elementary school are wondering why for the second time this month thieves have stolen their computer equipment.

US FTC TO HOLD HIGH-TECH ISSUE HEARINGS FTC to hold high-tech issue hearings

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission will host hearings this fall on emerging technologies being exploited by Internet spies and identity thieves.

The FTC last held similar hearings in 1995, when the technology to create now familiar problems such as spyware and spam was still in its infancy.

"It is time to look ahead and examine the next generation of issues to emerge in our high-tech global marketplace," FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras said at an anti-spyware conference Thursday. "Ten years is an eternity for technology."

Claudia Bourne Farrell, an FTC spokeswoman, said the new hearings would probably include issues such as spyware, spam, radio frequency identification - which tracks goods through a computer chip embedded in a tag - and identity theft.

Todd Davis, chief executive officer of LifeLock Inc., a Chandler, Ariz.-based identity theft prevention company, plans to attend the hearings. He said the government had some catching up to do. "The thieves have advanced with the technology and we have not," Davis said.

Majoras said the hearings would take place sometime this fall, and would include business, technology, academic and law enforcement experts.

On the Net:
FTC: http://www.ftc.gov

NEBRASKA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM DANA COLLEGE Washington County Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise

A series of break-ins at Dana College over the past few weeks have led to one arrest, a multitude of equipment, doors and panes of glass to replace and more questions than answers.

The first incident happened the evening of January 25. That night someone forced entry into the Pioneer Memorial Administrative Building and Hunt Campus Center at Dana College, said Blair Police Lt. Aaron Barrow.

Evidence left at the scene suggests that the break-in was conducted by more than one person, he said. After gaining entry, the suspects stole several items, including laptop computers, office supplies and even money from the bookstore’s safe.

After police investigated the incident, Dana student Ronnie Mills, 19, Blair, was cited by the Blair Police Department on suspicion of four counts of burglary and four counts of criminal mischief on Jan. 27, Barrow said.

Washington County Attorney Shurie Graeve said Mills has an appearance date at the courthouse on March 8. Bob Schmoll, executive vice president and CFO at Dana, said Mills has been expelled from the college.

After the citation, most people would have assumed that the case was closed.

But just a week and a half later, some time in the early morning hours of Feb. 6, there was another set of burglaries in the Pioneer Memorial Administration Building. This time the suspects forcibly entered nearly every room in the building, Barrow said. Again the evidence points to multiple suspects and again they stole computers and office equipment and even damaged a pop machine looking for loose change.

“They took anything that wasn’t nailed down,” Barrow said.

Evidence at the scene could potentially identify at least one of the suspects, he said.

The burglars gained access to the building through an exterior window, Schmoll said. Once inside, the suspects broke into individual offices by breaking the glass windows in doors to open them from the inside.

While inside the office building, the suspects rifled through drawers and file cabinets, looking for anything of value, Schmoll said. They even attempted, unsuccessfully, to break into the office safe, he said. Some of the computers stolen the second time around were replacements from the first break-in, he said.

“I can’t think of any office they didn’t either break into, or try to break into, in this building,” Schmoll said.

The first break-in was relatively minor in scope, he said. The first time the suspects took a couple of laptops and stole money out of the safe in the bookstore. The second incident was much more extensive, he said

.The college had contracted with American Security Services to provide security for the campus. The company was supposed to patrol the school’s buildings, but for some reason nobody checked on the administration building that night, Schmoll said.

The school has ended its relationship with American Security Services and is looking at a number of different security options for the campus, Schmoll said. The manager of American Security declined to comment on the incidents.

During the burglary, the suspects broke down several doors, and broke out the glass in many more doors. The school is replacing about half-a-dozen doors and many of the broken glass panes have been temporarily replaced by plywood.

The school’s insurance policy will pay for most of the damage, Schmoll said.

“We are asking anybody that has info, even if they’re afraid, to contact Crime Stoppers,” Barrow said.

Calls to Crime Stoppers are fielded by an answering service in Washington state, so the tipster can remain completely anonymous and no contact with the police is necessary. There is a reward of up to $1,000 for information that can lead to an arrest, Barrow said.

For more information on Crime Stoppers, log onto the Blair Police Department’s web site at www.blair-police.org.

MISSOURI ALTON STUDENTS ACCUSED OF COMPUTER THEFT FROM SCHOOL STLtoday - News - Metro East

GODFREY
Five Alton High School students stole $15,000 worth of computer-related equipment from the new school slated to fully open in the fall, the Madison County sheriff's office said Thursday.

Charges are pending against the students, according to the state's attorney's office.

Capt. John Lakin of the sheriff's office said he could not say whether the students had been taken into custody, nor could he disclose their names, ages or hometowns because they are juveniles.

The thefts were reported Aug. 18. Stolen items included a plasma welder, a high-tech projector and several computers.

The bulk of the equipment has been recovered, Lakin said, although some air brushes are still missing.

School officials have said there was no sign of forced entry.

School officials have installed motion sensors and also added surveillance cameras.

Some classes are being held in the new building, but parts of it will not be open to students until fall.

UK SECURITY SCHEMES FOR HANDHELD DEVICES Techworld.com - Security schemes for handheld devices

There's all sorts of reasons why PC security won't port over.
By Bryan Betts, Techworld

Handheld devices pose problems all of their own when it comes to security. First of all, as the US Computer Security Resource Center notes, they are more vulnerable than laptop or desktop PCs because of their size and mobility, but at the same time, PC security mechanisms cannot simply be transferred over - because of the power needed, say, or the smaller size of the device, or the attachment method, or the programming interfaces in the operating system.

However, these devices also have built-in characteristics which PCs typically lack, such as touchscreens, microphones or expansion slots for memory cards. These can offer new and different methods of security and authentication.

To take the latter first, there are three fundamental forms of authentication: something you know, such as a PIN, password or other code; something that's a property of you, such as a signature or fingerprint; and something you possess, for instance a smartcard or token. These can be used individually or combined for stronger authentication, either with each other or with a secondary security feature such as location

Something you know
If a PIN is too easily stolen by someone watching over your shoulder, several alternative knowledge schemes exist. One is cued recall, where your code is a sequence of images instead of alphanumeric characters. This has been implemented by Pointsec as PicturePIN - the idea is that you make up a story as a mnemonic for the sequence of icons that makes up your passcode, so a stick-man, a cup and a PC might become "man spills coffee on laptop".

Studies indicate that cued recall is especially suited to how humans remember. You can also extend the size of the 'alphabet' by using paired pictures, with one acting as a shift key for others.

Alternatively, the passcode could be graphical, so you could register on the device by drawing a secret symbol which you must draw again to log on. Microsoft has a sample Pocket PC application called Let Me In, where you doodle on a grid to log on. A limiting factor with this approach is cell size, and how big an area can you hit with a stylus.

One other possibility is to use faces, rather than characters or icons, as implemented by Real User in its Passfaces application. The human brain is remarkably good at recognising faces, so this method uses a grid of one passface and eight decoys.

Something you are
Biometrics are a lot easier to manage than passcodes, but they are harder to measure, not least because they are live measurements so you can have false positives or negatives (acceptances or rejections).

Some handheld devices now incorporate a reader for fingerprints, which are the best known biometric of all. However, this is an area where computational speed - or rather the lack of it, on a small battery-powered device - is important, and some algorithms can be slow to give a match.

Your signature can be used as a biometric too, with the handheld device measuring the dynamics of how you write, not the static image. This has the advantage of being software-only, so potentially less expensive. One's signature can vary with mood though, so you may have to remember the state of mind you were in when you registered with the device!

And with more and more handheld devices now including cameras, the first applications are appearing which use facial recognition for access control. An example is OKAO from Japan's Omron, which runs on Symbian, BREW and Linux platforms. Neven Vision is also among those working in this area, and has a handheld device designed to match faces against a database of suspects.

Something you have
Tokens are a very popular way of adding strong security to a PC, for example a USB token or a smartcard, usually in combination with something you know, such as a PIN. However, very few handhelds have either a USB port or a smartcard reader.

An RSA SecurID-type token, generating a PIN, could be used but this type of security typically needs a link back to an authentication server, so is less useful for controlling access to a standalone PDA, say.
Security researchers are therefore working on alternative tokens which could be more appropriate for use with PDAs and smartphones. For instance, the US CSRC has prototyped a detachable smartcard which also has a Bluetooth chip, so can connect wirelessly.

Another possibility the CSRC has looked into is building a smart MMC or SD-Card by taking a standard format memory card and adding a smartcard chip to turn it into a token..

Qualified security
One other factor that can be especially appropriate to handhelds is location, used either as an enabler to allow or block access, or as a qualifier that determines the level of access allowed - for example, some features might be usable everywhere, but others (wireless access to the corporate database, say) only in the office.

The security possibilities will also differ depending on whether it's the infrastructure or the device that determines location. The infrastructure can do it if the device is detectable - by its WiFi transmitter, say.
Another route might be to have beacons that broadcast a signal to the device, so it knows whether it's inside or outside the organisation's boundary. That will need policy control mechanisms within the device to handle the result, though.

Other options could include personal beacons that have to be in proximity to the device, perhaps communicating via near-field magnetics or Bluetooth.

Belt and braces
Authentication and access control is only one aspect of handheld device security, however. With enough persistence and money, a device will eventually be compromised, so the contents should be encrypted too.

In addition, there are software tools which can order a handheld to wipe itself, for instance if it tries to connect to HQ after being reported lost or stolen, or if it fails to connect within a specified time.

Beyond that, you are into risk and cost-benefit analyses. Once data goes outside the office it is always going to be at risk, so one question is how much is someone else willing to pay to get at it - and of course, at what point it becomes cheaper and easier for them simply to bribe a member of your organisation's staff instead.

NEW JERSEY POLICE ARREST THREE TEENS IN DECEMBER SCHOOL THEFT OF COMPUTERS Police arrest three teens in December school theft

EAST BRUNSWICK — Three local teenagers were charged last week with breaking into the Memorial Elementary School in December and stealing more than $2,000 worth of equipment.

Police arrested Richard Maurath, 19, Steven Grabowski, 18, and Christian Cossabaum, 18, all East Brunswick residents, on charges of burglary and theft.

The theft took place Dec. 15, according to police, who were alerted by ADT Alarm Co. at 11:26 p.m. that night. Police believe the suspects used a tire iron to break a classroom window and gain entry to the school, located on Innes Road.

Stolen from the school were two Dell computer towers, a Dell computer monitor, a violin and case, and a Sony digital camcorder.

Last week, East Brunswick Detective Joe Alves, who had been investigating, received an anonymous tip naming several township teenagers as possibly being involved, police said. Alves then interviewed the three suspects, leading to their arrests. Police said Grabowski advised them as to where the remaining stolen property was located in his home and allowed police to recover the items, which included the violin case, Dell monitor, and the camcorder.

Police believe the suspects had previously smashed the violin, and broke down the Dell towers to sell the parts.

East Brunswick Police Lt. William Krause said police were uncertain if the three had intended to sell the remaining equipment.

All three were released pending court dates.

The three arrests took place the same week that a safe containing $1,400 was stolen from the cafeteria at East Brunswick High School. Police are investigating that overnight break-in, which took place Thursday night or Friday morning, but authorities do not believe the two cases are related.

ARIZONA IDENTITY THEFT IS HOT TOPIC AT TECHNOLOGY CONVENTION ID theft is hot topic at technology convention

The Arizona Republic Feb. 9, 2006 05:45 PM

Banks and employers don't suffer the most when bad guys steal someone's identity. It's consumers who lose their money and spend countless hours trying to get their lives back.

And if consumers are going to take security into their own hands, plenty of companies are trying to make it easier to do so.

Identity theft and Internet security were hot topics at DEMO 2006, an annual conference that showcases new and emerging technologies for venture capitalists, journalists and acquisition-minded businesses. The event this week at the Pointe South Mountain Resort attracted 68 presenting companies and 700 attendees, which organizers called the biggest crowd since the dot-com heyday.

Security is still a matter of good news and bad news, Charles Palmer, director of IBM Corp.'s Privacy Research Institute, told the conference.

"People who use computers think about security {ellipsis} and that wasn't the case a few years ago,'' he said. "The bad news is, because we didn't think about security when we build things, we're paying for it now. It's complicated, and it's to the point where the Internet is where the money is.''

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PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER STOLEN FROM CHURCH Electronics reported stolen from church: "Friday, February 10, 206
FROM STAFF REPORTS

BETHLEHEM Someone apparently broke through a ground-floor window of a Wood Street church before 8 a.m. Wednesday and took electronics and other items, police said.

A janitor at Second Baptist Church called police after noticing the broken window. A subsequent search revealed a computer system, a telephone and a fax machine were taken from the pastor's office, police said. Also reported missing was musical equipment, including a bass guitar, a CD player, a tape deck, a receiver and speakers.

An estimate of the cost to replace the stolen items was unavailable. Second Baptist Pastor Edward Thompson did not return phone calls Thursday. "

US GOVERNMENT TO SURVEY BUSINESSES ON CYBERCRIME Technology Reuters.co.in

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Thursday it will launch its first national survey to estimate how much cybercrime is costing American businesses.

The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security will try to measure the number of cyber attacks, frauds and thefts of information and the resulting losses during 2005, officials said in a statement.

The survey, to be completed by year-end, will collect information about the nature and extent of computer security violations, the monetary costs, types of offenders and computer security measures now used by companies.

"The survey data will enable the federal government to assess what needs to be done to reduce computer security vulnerabilities and will provide the first official national statistics on the extent and consequences of cybercrime among the country's 5.3 million firms with salaried employees," the Justice Department said.

A smaller pilot survey by the government found nearly three-fourths of business respondents said they were victimized by cybercrime in 2001. The respondents said the most common form of attack was computer viruses, followed by denial of service, the government said.

More information about the planned survey was posted on the Internet at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/survey/ncss/ncss.htm.

UK COMPUTERS HAUL LINKED TO SCHOOLS icCoventry - Computers haul linked to schools


Feb 9 2006
By Ben Griffin, Crime Reporter

COMPUTERS worth tens of thousands of pounds believed to have been stolen from Coventry schools have been recovered by police.

Officers raided a house in the Coundon area of the city and found PC tower units, laptop computers, multi-media over-head projectors and flat-screen televisions.

They believe the haul could be worth up to £40,000.

Sgt Rich Martin, of Little Park Street police station, said: "It's a crying shame to know that the only victims in this are the children."

He said the raid, by the Coundon sector crime fighting team, came in response to intelligence gathered by police.

And he urged anyone who knew about theft, burglary or people who handle stolen goods to ring police on 0845 113 5000.

Last summer, the Evening Telegraph revealed the staggering cost of burglaries at schools in the city.

In the year to July, thefts were thought to have cost up to £500,000.

A number of schools were burgled several times, and in 2004 Caludon Castle School was hit six times in two months.

All schools now mark valuable property with Smartwater, a colourless, odourless liquid that stains anyone who touches it.

The fluid puts burglars off as it has a unique code which, like DNA, links a criminal to a crime scene. It shows up on skin under ultra-violet light.

Last year, police said burglaries at schools had dropped thanks to the Smartwater project.

Police have previously said they believe projectors are used with high-tech computer games consoles in people's homes. n A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and is on police bail pending further inquiries.

ARKANSAS COMPUTER STOLEN Arkansas Section

A staff member reported a computer stolen from the Arkansas Union.

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOL SGVTribune.com - News: "Around the Valley
Computers stolen from local school

LA PUENTE - A break-in at a La Puente middle school will cost at least $20,000 to repair the classroom and replace stolen equipment, officials said Wednesday.

Vandals broke into the computer room at Sparks Middle School between Friday night and Saturday morning. They came through the ceiling and stole 11 computers and damaged eight of them, according to LaDonna Jackson, spokeswoman for the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. The classroom had 30 computers in it.

Since then, all remaining computers have been taken out of the room, while the ceiling is being repaired.

Students who used the classroom now meet in the counseling room, where they learn computer programming from a projector and books but without access to computers, according to Jackson."

BRITISH COLUMBIA NEW STORAGE PRODUCT OFFERS PROTECTION AGAINST DATA LOSS AND DATA THEFT Data Storage Service protects against data loss and theft., Tugboat Enterprises Ltd

Data Storage Service protects against data loss and theft.

February 8, 2006 - Designed to protect businesses in case of laptop/notebook computer theft, Nauticus provides automated, on-line, off-site back up system that stores user data in secure facilities with built-in redundancy. Service safeguards important information, whether it is email, photographs, documents, or spreadsheets. Protected via privacy laws of Canada, service also works with Lifeboat data rescue software to provide complete data security and recovery.

Press ReleaseRelease date: February 1, 2006Nauticus Protects Laptop User Data, Provides Data Security

POWELL RIVER, British Columbia, Feb. 1 -- Tugboat Enterprises Ltd. has launched its latest product Nauticus to protect laptop owners in case of theft of laptop computers and notebooks. The launch comes hot on the heels of a report released January 27 by security giant Symantec that the average business computer holds information worth about $1 million, that most corporate executives do not have a proper back up system in place, and that about 50 percent of companies experienced theft of a laptop or mobile data device in 2005 alone. www.tugboatenterprises.com/Nauticus/index.asp

"While it's true that our off-site data storage product Nauticus can and is sold to desktop and network users," said Tugboat CEO Judi Tyabji Wilson, "we have discovered through the sale of our successful data rescue program Lifeboat that laptops users are the most vulnerable to loss of data.

"Nauticus is an affordable automated on-line, off-site back up system that stores user data in secure facilities with built-in redundancy. At about $10 per month for the average user, its price and ease of use make it a prime choice for computer users who want to safeguard important information, whether email info, photographs, documents, or spreadsheets. The privacy laws of Canada provide excellent protection of corporate documents in this off-site storage system.

Market research conducted by Tugboat Enterprises is consistent with Symantec's results, and Tugboat believes Nauticus will be particularly popular amongst large global businesses and government agencies. "These are the two groups with the most to lose when data is stolen, or lost due to software malfunction," Tyabji Wilson added. "It is unfortunate that so many CEOs and government department heads don't insist that proper off-site backup is done and data recovery software is available. Some take the attitude that it won't happen to me, and when it does they have little or no recourse.

"Nauticus is a companion to Lifeboat data rescue software to provide complete data security and recovery. Both products are at www.tugboatenterprises.com. Lifeboat data rescue, built on the Tugboat platform, has received high accolades from professionals and customers since it hit the market in the 2005.

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PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOL Police news - 2/8/06 (phillyBurbs.com) Intelligencer: "Quakertown
Computers stolen: Four Apple 12-inch G3 Ibook laptop computers, of undetermined value, were discovered missing at 2:10 p.m. Thursday from a cart in a classroom at Quakertown Community High School, police said. The computers were last seen the previous day."

NORTH CAROLINA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOL Goldsboro News-Argus | News: Public records: "Investigations

Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:

*A laser printer, three desktop computers, a television, a set of headphones and a compact disc player were stolen between Friday and Monday from a classroom at Meadowlane Elementary School at 3500 E. Ash Street, Goldsboro police said. The stolen property was valued at $4,054."

US DATA SECURITY'S ACHILLES HEEL Line56.com: Data Security's Achilles Heel

Remember that old horror movie where the babysitter is warned: "the call is coming from inside the house"? Businesses today should heed this same warning: security breaches are coming from inside the company!

News headlines are peppered with alarming cases of data theft. In recent months, computers were stolen from Boeing, TransUnion LLC, and Wells Fargo, among others. Legislators and executives alike are struggling with how to curb these losses. Companies spend billions on everything from VPNs to smart cards to virus protection to thwart hackers. But their Achilles heel remains unresolved. That is, how do you protect super user passwords?

According to a study by the FBI, an estimated 70 percent of these network breaches originate from within. While there is an increased awareness and improved technology to cope with some threats such as viruses, unauthorized access to information is on the rise, representing a loss of more than $303,000. per incident.

As Gartner analyst Rich Mogull warned, "Corporate networks are like candy bars: hard on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside." He cautions, "Perimeter security alone doesn't guard against all the threats enterprises face, such as malicious internal staff, [or] physical theft of machines...Enterprises must also protect content and data with internal security controls, including appropriate use of encryption, vulnerability management, identify management, and activity monitoring."

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VERMONT COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BROMLEY MOUNTAIN Bennington Banner - Local News

Wednesday, February 8BENNINGTON — Two Manchester boys stand accused of stealing from a charity tent sale and the Orvis sidewalk sale this summer. The total value of the stolen items, now largely recovered, was more than $23,000.

Logan W. Spencer and Joseph T. Johnson, both 16, pleaded innocent in Bennington District Court last week to felony burglary charges.

Police say much of the merchandise was found in an East Dorset pond and the garage of a seasonal home in Dorset. The boys confessed to the burglaries, saying they considered selling the items on Ebay, according to police.

Last month, the pair pleaded innocent to taking more than $1,700 in cash and hundreds of dollars worth of lift tickets, liquor, climbing gear and computers from Bromley Mountain. Those thefts allegedly took place last July and August.

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN San Mateo Daily Journal: "Grand Theft. Three Dell Laptop computers were stolen from the 1500 block of Ralston Avenue before 1:05 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6. "

FLORIDA BONITA TEENS ADMIT TAKING 19 COMPUTERS The News-Press: Bonita Springs

Two Bonita Springs teenagers have turned themselves in after stealing 19 computers from an organization that tutors children, the director said.

They returned more than half of the laptops.

"We prayed that they would be returned, but we also prayed for the people who took them, that their hearts would be changed," said Susan Ritter, a director at Super Kids Club in the Rosemary Park neighborhood.

The teenagers, Omar Gonzalez, 16, and Raphael Aguayo, 15, who live in Rosemary Park, allegedly broke into the old community hall building on Vagabond Way between Jan. 5 and 7.

The thieves stole 19 Hewlett-Packard computers and a server, a value of nearly $33,000.

On Monday, the Lee County Sheriff's Office reported that the teens turned themselves in and returned 14 computers. They sold some of them for $50 to $200 each.

The teens, arrested and released Monday, were each charged with one count of burglary, one count of larceny and one count of dealing in stolen property.

"I consider this an answer to our prayers," said Ellen Nichols, who founded New Horizons of Southwest Florida, the nonprofit that runs the kid's club in Bonita and a similar one in Golden Gate.

"The suspects helped get the computers back," Nichols said. "They went to the people they had sold them to and got them.

"They apologized to me. They were remorseful.

"Nichols had ordered at least a dozen new computers to replace the stolen ones. She said she plans to use the new computers for a new tutoring center in North Naples or one in Bonita.

After the burglary, several donations were received. Naples Contemporary Christian singer Jona has planned a benefit concert March 10 at the First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs.

The tutoring center, which depends on private donations and volunteers, tutors about 60 children in English and math.

Without the computers, the learning had become "boring," said 9-year-old Patricia Lezama.

"We've set up other activities for them, they're good activities, but they don't take the place of the computers," Ritter said.

FLORIDA COMPUTER THEFT Tallahassee Democrat - www.tallahassee.com - Tallahassee, FL.
Forgotten camera leads to burglary suspects:

Hey man, take my picture." It was that kind of thinking that led to the arrest of an adult and three juveniles in connection with burglaries at Cornerstone Construction and Dial Communications, according a news release Tuesday from the Leon County Sheriff's Office. While at the businesses, the burglars stole a camera and took pictures and video of each other inside committing criminal acts. But they made a mistake when they left the camera at one of the businesses and it was recovered by the owner. Detective Joel Weaver contacted area School Resource Officer Cedric Tryman, who identified the boys. The three suspected burglars were rounded up and through interviews all have confessed to the crimes, according to investigators. They also implicated Jerad Anderson, 22, who is accused of buying a laptop computer stolen from Dial Communications. He also was arrested.

WISCONSIN COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESSES The Sheboygan Press - Laptops stolen from two Town of Sheboygan businesses

Laptops stolen from two Town of Sheboygan businesses

At least 28 laptop computers and other items have been reported stolen from two adjacent businesses in the Town of Sheboygan, according to the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department.

Twenty-four computers, a video projector, a digital camera and computer software were reported stolen Monday morning from Earth Tech at 4135 Technology Parkway, according to a sheriff’s department report. Earth Tech officials told deputies that even more laptop computers could have been stolen.

Four laptop computers, each valued at $2,500, were reported stolen Monday from Aero-Metric Inc. at 4020 Technology Parkway, according to a sheriff’s department report.

Detective David Obremski said the break-ins are similar to burglaries that occurred Jan. 23 at Muth Mirror Systems at 4221 High Tech Lane, and Motion Industries at 3669 Enterprise Drive, both in the Town of Sheboygan. Obremski said investigators haven’t determined if all the break-ins are related.

“The targets seem to be the same,” Obremski said. “The same method of entry was used. They’re not ransacking the offices and they’re going through and looking for computer equipment.”

The south main entrance to Aero-Metric had pry marks on it, while there were no signs of forced entry to Earth Tech, the reports said.

UK COMPUTER THIEVES TARGET SCHOOLS Kettering News - Kettering Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More: "Thieves target schools

SCHOOLS are becoming easy targets for hi-tech thieves who are breaking in and stealing the latest classroom accessories.

Figures obtained by the Evening Telegraph reveal that 92 schools across the county were broken into during 2005. "
But since December 1 last year, 66 county schools have been hit, with multi-media projectors and laptop computers top of the burglars' list. Police issued a warning to schools this month after one gang was believed to be responsible for a spate of burglaries since mid-November, taking more than £30,000 worth of school equipment. The latest victim was Windmill Primary School in Raunds when thieves smashed their way in and stole three multi-media projectors worth £1,000 each on Sunday, January 29. It is the third break-in in as many months, with £6,000 of equipment stolen. Just seven days earlier, on January 22, the school for four to 11-year-olds had a laptop computer and multimedia projector stolen, and three months ago another laptop was taken. Headteacher Richard Briley said: "The disruption to the children's education is the worst thing. The children are really upset. "These people who break in think it is covered by the council and it can afford it. They are not thinking about the human cost to the children." A police spokesman said: "Unfortunately, schools are easy targets. "Windmill Primary School has lost a number of projectors, which currently seem to be the target at schools across the area." Mr Briley said: "We can't go on taking these sorts of losses. We are very much a community school and the children here are some of the nicest I have ever taught. "We are putting other security measures into place but trying not to make it look like a prison." Other schools in the area targeted by burglars include Meadowside Junior School in Burton Latimer, and St Mary's Primary School in Kettering, which both had laptop computers stolen in December. Meadowside head teacher Pam Kirkland said: "It is the children who suffer. We have reminded all staff of security procedures." St Mary's head teacher Jonathan Gardiner said: "It is a bit sickening that people are targeting schools because the ones who suffer are the children. "Teachers use the laptops for lessons so it interfered straight away with the teaching." Thieves took computer equipment worth thousands of pounds in a raid at Sir Christopher Hatton School, in Wellingborough, last March. The haul included 60 17in Phillips flat screen monitors and two laptops. Most schools in the county are covered through the county council's insurers. Anyone who has been offered projectors or computers for sale in suspicious circumstances is asked to call the police. The latest police figures show 12 burglaries took place in the Kettering and Corby areas, eight in the Wellingborough and Rushden areas, 23 in the Daventry and Towcester areas and 23 in Northampton.
07 February 2006

TENNESSEE MAN SENTENCED FOR STEALING COMPUTERS FROM SCHOOL Church Hill man sentenced to two years for burglarizing school: "Church Hill man sentenced to two years for burglarizing school
Tuesday, February 07, 2006

By JEFF BOBO
Times-News

ROGERSVILLE - A Church Hill man arrested last February when police, acting on a tip, stopped his vehicle and found him in possession of stolen school computers, was sentenced to prison Monday in Hawkins County Circuit Court.

The Church Hill Police Department provided video surveillance to a local TV news program last February that had been taken during the commission of a burglary at Carters Valley Elementary School.

Shortly after that footage was broadcast on the 6 p.m. news, police began receiving tips from people who recognized the burglar as Michael Lynn Wallen, 33, 370 Hurd Road, Church Hill.

CHPD Sgt. Chad Mosely acted quickly on one of the tips, and less than a half hour after the footage was shown on television he stopped a pickup driven by Wallen as he was transporting the stolen computers, valued at approximately $5,000, along Cold Comfort Road.

Wallen was sentenced to two years and one day in prison Monday by Circuit Judge James Beckner in exchange for guilty pleas to burglary and theft over $1,000. Although all the stolen computers were recovered, Wallen was ordered to pay $365 to the Hawkins County school district as compensation for the damage caused during the burglary.

Wallen will be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of his sentence."

OHIO COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM UNIVERSITY LimaOhio.com: "Vandals hit Bluffton U over weekend

By BETH L. JOKINEN
419-993-2093
02/07/2006
bjokinen@limanews.com "

BLUFFTON — Broken windows and doors were repaired by noon Monday after vandals broke into a Bluffton University building during the weekend. Bluffton Police is investigating the incident that took place sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning and also resulted in computers being stolen and a number of vehicles damaged. Sgt. Rick Skilliter said someone broke into Founders Hall and Burky Hall, two buildings that are connected to each other. He said there was considerable damage to the buildings. Thirteen vehicles in an adjacent parking lot had their windows smashed. Skilliter said nothing was stolen from the vehicles. University spokesperson Robin Bowlus said three computers were stolen from the sports information and sports recruiting offices in Founders Hall. One other computer was damaged. School officials estimate the cost of the computers to be $5,000. The cost to fix the windows and doors is unknown, but expected to only be an additional few thousand dollars. The university does have private campus security. Bowlus said incidents like this are rare on campus, but said the school administration is taking it very seriously. “This is unfortunate, but not a regular occurrence here,” she said. “The administration is still trying to get all the information.”

VIRGINIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM UNIVERSITY Fredericksburg.com - Arrests made in thefts of laptops at university

Three Fredericksburg residents have been charged in the theft of more than $35,000 worth of laptops and audiovisual equipment from an academic building at the University of Mary Washington.

Pamela Lowery, the university's director of technology training, reported to police that 18 laptops had been stolen from an informational technology room in duPont Hall on Jan. 16, according to Police Chief James Snipes.

Officer Wallace Janish checked the room where the computers were stolen and found three people coming out of an adjoining room, Snipes said.

According to police, the three also were in the building earlier in the evening when audiovisual equipment was stolen.

Timothy Darr, 23, Theodore Allen, 25, and a 14-year-old boy each have been charged with three counts of breaking and entering and three counts of grand larceny, both felonies, in connection with the incidents. Darr and Allen also were charged each with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, also a felony.

Police have recovered 11 of the 18 stolen laptops.

Late in 2005, 10 laptops were stolen from residence halls in a wave of separate incidents. Police developed a description of the suspect, and said the these suspects do not match the description, but said they are still investigating the connection.

To reach KATIE TELLER: 540/374-5000, ext. 5558
Date published: 2/7/2006

MISSOURI WHAT'S ON YOUR LAPTOP STLtoday - Business - Story

Recent thefts of laptop computers that contained sensitive business data have exposed a weak link in many corporate security plans - mobile devices and the people who carry them

."The biggest issue is - no matter how much software and how much hardware (protection) you put on a laptop - it's the end user" who determines how safe a company's data is, said Guy Denton, an associate partner in International Business Machines Corp.'s security practice

.In recent months there have been several high-profile theft or losses of laptops.

In November, a Boeing Co. laptop with personal information on 160,000 current and former employees was stolen and never recovered. Last month, Ameriprise Financial Inc. of Minneapolis had to notify 226,000 people that their names and other personal data were stored on a laptop that was stolen from an employee's car.

More companies are using laptops instead of desktop computers, and some are moving to wireless networks rather than wired ones. Many are putting limits on how much e-mail or other data employees can store on company servers.

For that reason - or simply for convenience - some employees may download data that normally is stored on a server. Or they might download a report to read at home, not realizing that the report contains information that could be damaging to the company if it's lost or stolen.

"All of a sudden, you have all this data sitting there," said Paul Davis, vice president of security solutions for Calence LLC, a national security firm with offices in St. Louis. "Contact lists, spreadsheets. The dollars associated with that are incredible.

"Safeware, a company that sells specialized insurance for computers, reported that 600,000 laptops were stolen in 2004, with losses estimated at $720 million. The FBI estimates that 97 percent of laptops are never recovered.

Davis said companies need to make sure data on a laptop is backed up so it can be recovered in case of a theft or loss. "It's painful to rebuild contact lists.

"If a company is using credit card data, it also must meet standards to protect customers' data, Davis said. Even a hint that such data is compromised can damage a company's reputation.

Companies need to instill in employees that the data in their devices is valuable, said Mark Murdock, a partner in Lantern Secure Solutions LLC of Chesterfield. A few years ago, an FBI survey estimated that the average stolen laptop costs a company $90,000, mainly from lost productivity to re-create the data and potential lost business.

"If you explain to someone that they're carrying $90,000 in their hand," they may be less likely to leave the laptop case with their luggage while they go to an airport restroom or to leave it lying on the credenza in their hotel room, Murdock said.

Physical security is the first step in securing a laptop. That can be as simple as locking the computer in a desk or cabinet when an employee leaves for the day. Some companies buy cables or brackets that secure laptops to heavy furniture.

Other physical measures include screen protectors, which make it difficult to read the screen if you're not directly in front of it. Employees who travel should be careful using laptops on planes or in cafes, where a thief might be looking over their shoulder, Davis said. They should also avoid putting a laptop on the floor, where it can be forgotten or picked up when the owner isn't looking.

Anti-virus software, anti-spyware and encryption programs are among the basics needed on almost any business laptop. Some companies require that outside consultants have their laptops screened for viruses before they plug into the client's network. Personal firewalls can block viruses when the laptop is carried outside the company network.

Further protection comes in the form of hard-to-decipher passwords that include numbers as well as letters. Some companies set up the laptop so an employee must log on before it will boot up. But even those protections can be broken if the hard drive is removed.

IBM uses embedded security chips that won't allow a machine to work unless the hard drive has a matching chip, Denton said. In turn, the hard drive won't work if it's removed and placed in another computer.

Mobile Armor LLC of Town and Country makes security software that includes password protection, data encryption, anti-virus protection and a firewall. The software also will destroy the data on a hard drive if an employee fails to log in within a specified period.

"You have to make the protection so it's automatic and transparent," said Bryan Glancey, chief technology officer for Mobile Armor. He recommends using smart cards, biometrics (such as fingerprint authentication) or key systems that generate a dynamic password that is never written down, making it much more difficult to crack.

Davis recommends that companies identify which data has to be protected and make sure it's secure, usually through encryption or limited access. Companies need to train employees to use passwords that aren't common words or the names of family members or pets.

Employees need to know which security warnings they should pay attention to, particularly when they're using a public wireless network, Murdock said.

"People tend to click through warnings," he added. "Some of them should make you stop and think" whether it's necessary to do the work immediately or better to wait for a more secure connection.

"In today's world, it's becoming more apparent that information is becoming more valuable than the products that we produce," Davis said. Thieves and hackers know that, and they can create havoc if employees aren't wary.

"People don't intentionally (expose their company to harm), but they become complacent," Davis said.

Safeguarding your laptop

Choose a secure operating system and lock it down. Use passwords with a combination of letters and numbers, and take advantage of built-in encryption software.

Don't leave access numbers or passwords in the laptop carrying case.

Register the laptop with the manufacturer. This can flag it so that if a thief sends it in for maintenance, you have a better chance of getting it back.

Write down the laptop's serial number and store it in a safe place.

Engrave the company name and address on the laptop case or use a metal tamper-resistant commercial asset tag.

Use tracking software that allows your laptop to "call home." With this software, the laptop periodically checks in to a tracking center with a traceable signal.

Back up data on an external hard drive, tape drive or CD-ROM.

Use a nondescript carrying case, such as a backpack or padded suitcase.

At airport security points, wait for the person in front of you to pass through the metal detector. Make sure the laptop is well into the screening machine before you step through the detector. Keep an eye out for it as it comes down the conveyor.


Sources: Microsoft Corp., LabMice.net, Lantern Security

ARIZONA COMPUTERS STOLEN Arizona Daily Sun-

Office burglary

A Dell Desktop computer, valued at $1,000 was stolen from the leasing office of Country Club Vista Apartments on the 5000 block of E. Cortland. The burglar broke into the office by breaking the glass entrance door sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday early morning.

The computer was listed as stolen, the case is under investigation.

Residential burglary

Several tools and a HP computer were stolen from a garage in the 1900 block of W. University Avenue. The incident was reported on Saturday afternoon. The owner stated that the total value of the stolen goods can be as high as $4,000. There was no sign of forced entry

UK COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM OFFICE OF MAN INVESTIGATING PRINCESS DIANA'S DEATH Scotsman.com News - UK - Stevens' office hit by thefts

Stevens' office hit by thefts

COMPUTER equipment belonging to the man investigating the death of Princess Diana has been stolen from his offices on Tyneside.

Lord John Stevens, a former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has an office in Newcastle. Just over a week ago a laptop was taken, without any sign of a forced entry. A second break-in took place at the weekend, but nothing was taken.

Police said that Operation Paget, the investigation into Diana's death, would not be affected as all information was kept in London.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=192582006
Last updated: 07-Feb-06 00:31 GMT

MASSACHUSETTS WILD WEST OF PERSONAL INFORMATION The Enterprise at SouthofBoston.com

No one who subscribes to the Boston Globe or Worcester Telegram & Gazette expected their credit card numbers and banking information to be dropped off on thousands of street corners, as happened last week, the latest in a growing string of personal information being compromised.

The New York Times Co., owner of the two newspapers, said none of the information had been misused, but company executives are certainly well aware that fraud can occur weeks or months from when such information is stolen or sold. More than 200,000 customers will have to remain vigilant about their credit card and banking statements for a long time.

What happened is that the company recycled paper containing financial information into wrapper labels for about 9,000 bundles of newspapers delivered to carriers and sellers. It was irresponsible to recycle such sensitive information and the practice was immediately stopped — but too late.

This news would be depressing enough if it were an isolated incident. But it isn't. It seems like a week doesn't go by in which there is a report of personal information being lost or mishandled by a major company.

Last June, MasterCard said more than 40 million card holders might be exposed to fraud — with 68,000 at "higher levels of risk" after a security system was hacked. Bank of America also lost computer tapes with personal information of more than a million federal employees. It goes on and on.

The problem is so bad that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who has sponsored identity-theft legislation, said, "It's the Wild West out there."

The implications for business and the economy are enormous. If people cannot trust companies to protect their personal data, they will stop giving their credit card numbers and writing checks to companies they thought they could trust. It is bad enough when hackers try to steal information; when this data is simply "lost," that is inexcusable.

The newspaper debacle will not be the last occurrence, and stronger penalties for those who engage in identity theft are useless as electronic commerce spreads all over the world and Web sites pop up every day, offering stolen credit information.

It is indeed a Wild West out there, with a lot more Billy the Kids than Pat Garretts.

ALASKA COMPUTER DATA DESTRUCTION CHARGES FALSE News-Miner - Local

FULL ARTICLE at weblink..............

The Department of Natural Resources instituted a policy last year of routinely backing up computers after several laptops were stolen from their Juneau office.

"It was policy to back them up on a regular basis because there's a lot of time and money invested in those files," Bus said.

TEXAS COMPUTER SECURITY AND SMALL BUSINESS Star-Telegram 02/06/2006 Small-business focus sends software around the world

Small-business focus sends software around the world
By J.G. DOMKE
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM

When a sales clerk has to tell a customer that the store is out of an item, it's not only a loss of sales and profit but sometimes of the customer as well.

When Chuck Atkinson owned the Sailing Center on Benbrook Lake from 1969 to 1985, he spent hours struggling to keep track of thousands of parts, from deck cleaner to screws. His tracking methods were tied to labor-intensive inventories that weren't done often enough to ensure that stock was current.

But in 1977, RadioShack introduced the Tandy TRS-80, and Atkinson sought to find out whether the computer could help him run the business. (Ironically, RadioShack underestimated sales and ordered only one TRS-80 for each store. Atkinson had to wait several months for the store to restock.)

One of the first personal computers on the market, it had only 4 kilobytes of memory and no hard drive.

Even the modest memory allowed Atkinson to list his inventory and track sales and orders. So he started looking for other uses for the computer.

Seeing how it could also handle the bookkeeping and billing, Atkinson set out in 1978 to create CAP Automation (Charles Atkinson Programs) to capitalize on the new desktop PCs and to give retailers more time to focus on customers. Now the company is selling software to small businesses around the world.

"It was like preaching in the wilderness," he said. But publications started reviewing the Quick Check program and publicizing how it saved time. Atkinson said he was the first to use the work Quick in a program name.

Without the computer, retailers couldn't gather information and save it.

"When you finished the day, the information is gone," Atkinson said. "It took us years to get them over to the idea that you could save that information and it was like gold."

Today, son Will Atkinson is president of CAP Software, and the products are being used around the world. He recently returned from Trinidad in the Caribbean, where 15 businesses are using company software.

"It may look like a Third World country: There are goats running around on the road," he said. But he wouldn't be surprised if "they might have computers tracking those goats."

Much of the company's work includes program security. CAP Software has updated its programs to fit new rules set by Visa and MasterCard to prevent hackers from stealing customer information.

Many people may assume that the security problems are unique to online sales. But in some cases, store employees copy a customer's credit card numbers or other data, then try to sell it on the Internet. In other cases, thieves have stolen store computers during break-ins, carrying the data with them.

With these changes in tactics and a shifting security environment, stores must constantly update their software, Will Atkinson said. That required a program utility to go back and delete customer information that stores already had on file.

"We've had to make our software compliant, we do not store the data, and all transactions are encrypted," he said. Many retailers are unhappy that they now have to re-enter all the data if the customer brings an item back for a refund or an exchange, he said.

Now focused on specialty retailers, CAP Software costs less than $1,000 to start and is almost strictly for small retailers. The software wouldn't be practical for restaurants, grocery stores or large corporations, the Atkinsons said.

They have been working to link online and in-store sales so stores don't have to manually enter purchases from the Internet into another program that tracks the inventory. And they see new possibilities for tying remote security cameras into the program, enabling the owner to log onto the computer from anywhere in the world and see what's happening in the store. For Verna Pedigo, manager at Parkhill's Jewelry & Gifts in Fort Worth, it was a bit nerve-racking to switch to digital after using paper for more than 25 years.

But CAP Software came to the store to install the system and has been training employees.

Charles Atkinson, 71, said he once thought the company would have a finished product. With technology constantly changing, that hasn't happened.

"Every customer is different, and there is no end to the variety," he said

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESS MiamiHerald.com 02/05/2006 Police Report: "Burglars took $2,228 and two laptop computers from the El Portal Restaurant, 5395 W. 20th Ave., between 12:30 and 9 a.m. Jan. 26. The thieves smashed a window to get in. Total loss was estimated at $4,228."