WASHINGTON HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND COMPUTER NETWORK SECURITYHoustonChronicle.com - Computer security at issue in report: "April 1, 2004, 12:40AM

Computer security at issue in report
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In a surprise shift, leading software companies acknowledge in a report to the Bush administration that government might need to force the U.S. technology industry to improve the security of America's computer networks.
The companies, including Microsoft and Computer Associates International, said the Homeland Security Department 'should examine whether tailored government action is necessary' to compel improvements in the design of computer software.
The 250-page report containing that recommendation and dozens more is being released today."

LAS VEGAS ISC EXPO WEST SHOW HIGHLIGHTS EXPECTED : "Some of the stories and trends at ISC West:
Child and Personal Safety -- Recent high-profile kidnapping cases have raised interest in technology for tracking and locating children. Products are available for personal/asset tracking for automobile travel, personal protection on campuses, in correctional facilities, patient monitoring in hospitals and also assisted living facilities and retirement communities.
It's a TV hit -- the GE Security booth will be themed after the TV show 'Las Vegas' since GE Security equipment has a starring role in the program. In the show, the characters often have colored boxes around them. That's the use of GE Security's VideoIQ, which identifies people, not motion -- with 95% accuracy.
Reducing theft -- over 80% of property loss happens in less than 5 minutes -- but would-be thieves can't steal what they don't see. A new device fills the room with a thick synthetic smoke that reduces visibility within 20 seconds, providing protection during the critical time between alarm activation and when the police arrive.
Biometric HandReaders and FingerKey readers -- Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas has saved more than $170,000 by integrating six IR Recognition Systems HandReaders into its' security operations. The readers assure that the correct people gain access in and out of highly secured areas and checking out keys. Other hot new biometric applications -- fingerprint identification briefcases and small personal safes -- good for jewelry, money, guns, etc...
Top secret...a tamper-resistant product for validating whether an individual has been granted access to mission-critical and highly sensitive data stored on computers, laptops and wireless devices."

OKLAHOMA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM UNIVERSITY DORM ROOMS The Oklahoma Daily - Dorm rooms burglarizedAt least five OU students had laptop computers and other electronics stolen from their dorm rooms Tuesday night, local law-enforcement authorities said. The property is valued at nearly $10,000.

Various floors in Walker Center and Couch Center were struck around 8 or 9 p.m., according to police records. Along with laptop computers, the thieves took Playstation2s, video games and controllers.

Detectives with the OU Department of Public Safety, working in connection with Oklahoma City police, issued a search warrant Wednesday for an Oklahoma City residence and recovered at least one of the laptop computers, said Sgt. Gary Robinson of OUDPS. Police have identified at least four suspects, but it is unclear whether they are affiliated with the university, Robinson said.

Robinson said it is vital that students always secure their doors because that’s how the thieves gained access to the students’ rooms.

“If they leave those doors open, criminals will come in,” he said.

Josh Pickering, anthropology and history sophomore, had his laptop stolen from his room on the fifth floor of Walker Center around 8 p.m. He was out eating with friends while his roommate was in the shower. Pickering said his roommate left the door unlocked for a short time and that’s when the thieves struck.

Pickering said his roommate came out of the bathroom when he heard his computer speakers crash to the ground. By the time he got to his room, the thieves were gone.

“I was mad at him for not locking the door, but I forgave it because you get too caught up in what you’re doing,” Pickering said.

Pickering said he had a lot of personal information on his laptop that he feared the thieves would try to access. He had to change his OU password and other passwords for fear of identity theft.

“That took me all night to do with friends’ computers,” Pickering said.

Despite the theft, Pickering said he isn’t worried.

“I still feel safe in the dorms,” he said.

In response to the burglaries, Pickering said resident advisers have been posting signs instructing students to always lock their doors.

A. Phil McNeal, music and pre-med sophomore, lives on the same floor as Pickering and said he doesn’t know who to trust anymore. He said he often leaves his door unlocked while he’s on the floor.

“You don’t think someone’s going to steal something while you’re in the room,” McNeal said.

The thieves went from door to door checking to see if any of the rooms were unlocked, Robinson said. He said the thieves accidentally barged in on a few occupied rooms and acted like they wanted to burn a CD. Several students said they saw suspicious people on their floors that night but didn’t report it to police until after the burglaries had occurred.

“Had they called in regards to the suspects earlier, there would have been a very good chance we could have apprehended the suspects,” Robinson said.

Detectives need serial and model numbers in order to reclaim stolen property through the National Crime Intelligence Service, Robinson said.

“It makes recovery a lot easier in these cases,” Robinson said.

Pickering said he submitted the serial number for his laptop Wednesday.

Another student reported that her backpack was stolen from her dorm room on the 12th floor of Walker Center. Robinson said it is unclear whether this incident is connected to the other burglaries.

In January 2003, during winter break, a string of burglaries in Parker and Oliver houses in Cate Center resulted in $7,000 worth of property being stolen from students.

OHIO COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESSES WTOL-TV Toledo, OH: Monroe County Theft Ring
OTTAWA LAKE, MI -- Detectives in Monroe County believe they've busted up a large theft ring. Six people are facing charges for break-ins in Ottawa Lake, Michigan. For the past year, businesses along old U.S. 223 have been plagued by thieves.

One business owner got so tired of being a victim, he did some undercover work of his own to help nab the crooks. Eric and Barbara Van Duzen own Van Duzen agency, a trucking company. In the last year, theives have smashed their way inside the business three times, making off with more than $25,000 worth of computers and tools.

OREGON COMPUTER STOLEN FROM SCHOOL GRESHAM POLICE: "Someone broke into Portland Lutheran School, 740 S.E. 182nd Ave., and took $250, a computer and baseball jerseys. Entry was made by keys. The theft was reported at 9:37 a.m. Friday, March 26. Two days earlier, police conducted a burglary investigation at the school after keys were stolen."

ARIZONA UNIVERSITY COMPUTER THEFTSArizona Daily Wildcat - Laptops stolen from physics TAs - Tuesday, March 30, 2004: "By Holly Wells
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Print this

At least six laptops have been stolen from the graduate teaching assistants’ offices in the Physics and Atmospheric Sciences building within the last two weeks.
Sheng Yuan, a physics teaching assistant, said his laptop was stolen on March 18, just one week after someone stole another laptop from the same room.
After that laptop was stolen, Yuan took his computer home to safeguard it, but brought it back to the office to grade homework and enter grades, he said.
Yuan said he then left to go eat at the Student Union Memorial Center and was sure he locked the door.
“After being gone one hour, I came back and (found) my laptop stolen too,” he said.
Yuan said he had been the only person in the office and the building had been nearly empty at the time because of spring break.
Delphine Perrodin, a physics graduate student, also had her laptop stolen over spring break.
Perrodin said she remembers locking the door before leaving the office.
Yuan and Perrodin both said they believe the thefts were committed by someone who works in the building.
“All of the doors have been locked; someone must have a master key because they’ve been able to get into several offices,” Perrodin said.
Yuan said his computer contained student grades, since he is a TA this semester.
“Some of the grades I had recorded on paper, but I had to ask students to bring in some of their old homework,” he said.
Perrodin said her computer contained research along with student grades from last semester.
Perrodin said she was disappointed with how UAPD handled the investigation.
“The person didn’t steal my mouse or cables. When I When I asked police to fingerprint them, they said they couldn’t fingerprint cables and didn’t have the funding,” she said.

Yuan said he also asked police to fingerprint the area and was told that it wouldn’t do much good because so many graduate assistants worked in the area and touched the equipment.

Sgt. Eugene Mejia said UAPD has taken several reports of stolen laptops and is investigating the case.

Mejia said the investigation was difficult because someone has been using a key to get in.

“Officers have provided (the victims) with information on how to prevent further laptops from being stolen and steps are being taken to identify the suspect,” he said.

If the suspect has been using the laptops to interfere with grades in any way, Mejia said he or she would face criminal charges for manipulating grades and for burglary.

Mejia said the dean of students would also likely take action against the thief.

Yuan said although he is not aware of any precautions the physics department has made to prevent further theft, he is now careful about what he leaves in the office.

“If they took my laptop, they could take anything,” he said.

Anyone with information should contact UAPD at 621-8273

OREGON PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY COMPUTERS STOLENDaily Vanguard - PSU crime blotter:
"An unnamed suspect tried to steal a laptop computer in SMSU at 1:40 p.m. March 9 but he was confronted five minutes later and surrendered the computer."

An unattended laptop computer was taken off a desk in Science 2 about 10 a.m. March 11. It was worth $3,000.

An unlocked office in the Fourth Avenue Building yielded a $1,700 computer to a thief about 8:30 p.m. March 16.

An unattended office in Cramer Hall gave up a laptop computer to a thief about 11 a.m. March 17. The value was $2,400.

NEBRASKA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM UNIVERSITY FIELD HOUSEThe Gateway - Computer equipment burglarized from Sapp FieldhouseMarch 30, 2004


More than $3,500 in computer equipment was stolen from several offices in the Sapp Fieldhouse during the weekend of spring break.

UNO campus Security reported that the equipment was taken between the hours of 10:30 p.m. March 13 and 2 p.m. March 14. The burglary was reported to Omaha Police on March 25.

The Omaha Police Department was sent to UNO to investigate the Fieldhouse. Upon their arrival, police met Dave Richardson of UNO campus security.

According to the report, Richardson said that by checking the security system, he could tell which doors were opened at which times. He concluded that whoever stole the items had to have a master key to all the doors.

The stolen items consisted of the following: A Hewlett-Packard Laptop PC, valued at $1,200; two Gem brand 19-inch flat-screen monitors, valued at $1,200 each; two computer speakers, valued at $30 each; one mouse, valued at $15; and one power strip, valued at $10.

Paul Kosel, campus security manager, said the matter is still under investigation

PAKISTAN IDENTITY THEFT AND OFFSHORE OUTSOURCING OF DATA DANGERSSPECIAL REPORT / Looking Offshore / Outsourced UCSF notes highlight privacy risk / How one offshore worker sent tremor through medical systemLooking Offshore

In an ongoing Chronicle series on the ramifications of shifting U.S. jobs and services overseas, this installment focuses on the threat to individual privacy when companies sendsensitive financial and personal data offshore. Read the complete series at www.sfgate.com/business/



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lubna Baloch sat in her office in the sprawling Pakistani commercial center of Karachi and gazed at the e-mail she'd composed. She tried to imagine the reaction half a world away when the people at UC San Francisco Medical Center saw what she'd written.
The famous U.S. hospital would have to take her seriously, Baloch knew, when it realized she was prepared to post its confidential patient records on the Internet. That is, unless UCSF helped her get the money she was owed from the mysterious Tom Spires, her link in a long chain of medical transcription subcontractors.

"Your patient records are out in the open to be exposed," Baloch wrote in her e-mail, "so you better track that person and make him pay my dues or otherwise I will expose all the voice files and patient records of UCSF Parnassus and Mt. Zion campuses on the Internet."

continued..........

TEXAS COMPUTER THEFT AT UNIVERSITY PROBEDSan Marcos Daily Record
Campus computer thefts investigated
By ANITA MILLER - News Editor
Posted: Friday, Mar 26, 2004 - 03:46:55 pm CST

Authorities at Texas State University stop short of saying the theft of several computers and computer components from the campus during Spring Break were the work of a single suspect - but the series of break-ins do share a distressing similarity.

"The disconcerting part for us is they were all forced entries," said Jeb Thomas, an investigator with the University Police Department.

"We periodically have laptops stolen but that is usually more opportunity theft - someone left their laptop on a table and it walked away. This is more disconcerting, a premeditated thing to make an entry to get a computer."

The break-ins happened in five different buildings between March 8 and 12. Thomas said the half-dozen laptop computers and components are roughly valued at $9,000.



The break-ins occurred in Nueces Hall, Evans Liberal Arts, Flowers Hall, Commons Hall and the Academic Services Building. The crimes occurred on four different nights.

Thomas declined to release too many specifics as not to jeopardize the investigation. He did say that some of the buildings targeted are accessible at night. "Some of the initial entries were through unlocked exterior doors. The forced entry was on interior offices."

Likewise, he would not speculate on whether the crimes are connected. "We're not sure they're all related," he said. "In some the method was a little different. I'm not confident in saying they're connected."

Preventing theft is one of the UPD's major functions, Thomas said. He noted that personnel assigned to various campus programs, such as the Bobcat Bobbie escort program, are trained to report suspicious activities. "The main job of the facilities access guards is to help secure buildings, so they are on campus looking for doors that are unlocked."

Thomas also mentioned the university's "Gotcha" program, in which police personnel look for unlocked doors and if they find one, leave a note "saying we're the ones who locked your door and what time we locked it." Additionally, he said, campus police routinely do regular foot patrols in campus buildings.

Thomas said so far as he knows, no important data was lost on any of the stolen computers.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Thomas at 245-2883. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 353-TIPS from the San Marcos calling area or at (800) 324-TIPS from anywhere.

Students, faculty and staff of Texas State wanting to learn more about how to better secure their offices and areas can contact the Community Awareness and Resource Team at 245-8341.

CALIFORNIA COMPUTER STOLENMorgan Hill Times: "Burglary: Nordstrom Elementary CDC program reported a computer missing and the office ransacked. Boards had been placed in front of the windows. The report was taken on Feb. 17 at 6:31 a.m. "

INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER THEFT FROM OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS UPDATEIndiana Statesman - Public Safety looks into recent computer theftsISU's Public Safety department doesn't have any new information on the computer thefts that occurred on the weekend of March 13 and 14.

Approximately $10,000 worth of computer equipment was stolen from the Office of Admissions.

In an earlier interview, office of Admissions Director Ron Brown said the admissions office didn't lose any valuable information.

He said the majority of documents saved on the hard drives were interoffice documents such as e-mail communications and memos.

Without the proper passwords and login information, the perpetrators wouldn't likely be able to access the harddrive anyway, Brown said.

This adds to a number of computers recently stolen throughout campus, but Director of Public Safety Bill Mercier said he would have to do some research to get concrete numbers.

He said Public Safety is still investigating leads it had before.

"We have a couple of people we're interested in looking at and we continue to be looking at those folks," Mercier said.

A man previously described on the Public Safety Web site as dressing as a janitor and being a suspect isn't believed to have been involved in the theft from the Office of Admissions, Mercier said.

Mercier said he believes multiple people may be involved in the thefts.

Public Safety is encouraging people to keep doors locked and has stepped up patrols across ISU to prevent future thefts.

Any suspicious activity should be reported to Public Safety at ext. 5555 or 911

LAS VEGAS COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLSTeen arrested in Vegas house with IDs, computers, drugs: "A 18-year-old is being questioned by police and the Secret Service after he was arrested Wednesday night at a Las Vegas house where investigators found identity documents, drugs and stolen computer equipment.
Authorities say Will London's arrest came after a storage unit was burglarized Monday in Las Vegas. They say computer equipment belonging to Odyssey Charter Schools in Saint George, Utah, was stolen.
Police and federal authorities following an identity theft ring for more than a year spent the day watching the home before serving a warrant.
Inside, they found IDs that might be connected with the theft of identity information earlier this year from The Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
They also say they found a disassembled shotgun and drugs believed to be heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana. "

ARTICLE ON SERVER AND SECURITY Home Is Where the Server Is: "Home Is Where the Server Is
A server in your home allows easy storage, retrieval, and backup of your files—at very little cost.

By Simson Garfinkel
Putting technology to work for you
April 2004



You’ve got your high-speed Internet connection, you’ve wired the house with high-speed cable, and you’ve installed, or are seriously contemplating, a wireless LAN. What’s next? The answer is simple: you set up a home server."

If you work at a company with a network, you’re familiar with the concept. A corporate server is a company’s heart and soul: it’s the e-mail hub and repository of important documents. It is where companies keep their crown jewels.

Unfortunately, the corporate server requires a substantial support staff. It’s the computer that renders every desktop unusable when it crashes, and it’s the ultimate target of hacker attacks. With all of these problems, why would any sane person want to have one at home?

Well, I’ve had a server in my basement since 1995, and frankly, I wouldn’t want to live without it. Always running, my server holds my personal files, my music collection, and all of the digital data that I’ve been building up over the past 20 years. The server also mirrors the data that’s on my two laptops and my two computers at MIT, keeping everything properly synchronized, and it automatically backs itself up. I can also log in remotely and get an important file if I happen to be at a friend’s house. It’s easy to lose your data if you keep it on a single computer. My server gives me automatic redundancy—and that safety net has saved me from many data disasters.

The server secures my data in another way, too: it’s bolted into a rack, and that rack is bolted onto the floor. I’ve heard too many stories of people who have had computers stolen and lost all the data they contained. If my house is burglarized, it’s unlikely that the thief will take the time to unbolt that box in the basement.Of course, there’s more to a home server than shared files and folders. The word “server” actually has an ambiguous meaning here: it refers both to the computer itself and to the programs that provide service to other machines. For each different service, the machine runs another program. The machine in my basement runs dozens, which means it is providing a range of services far beyond storing my data.

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESSMercury News | 03/25/2004 | Police Blotter: "COMMERCIAL BURGLARY Someone pried open a door at Marcus & Millichap, 2626 Hanover St., and removed four laptop computers. The theft was reported about 8:45 p.m. March 12."

SOUTH AFRICA COMPUTER STOLEN Daily News - Computer thief arrested in store: "Computer thief arrested in store
March 25, 2004

By Bhavna Sookha

A stolen computer valued at R35 000 was recovered after the owner of a second-hand shop in Pinetown became suspicious when the computer was brought in for re-sale.

Acting on a tip-off from Bonny Olivier, Pinetown police staked out the shop, Ethekweni Bargains, and arrested one suspect when he came in to collect money for the computer yesterday.

Olivier, owner of the business, became suspicious when a man brought in an Apple Mac and offered to sell it to her for R2 500.

'I told the man to come back later because I had to test the computer to see if it was working. As soon as he left I managed to activate the software and found details of the owner's son.

'I managed to get hold of him and he came in and identified the computer,' said Olivier.

'The suspect came in to collect the money just before the store closed and he was arrested by the police. He was detained at Pinetown police station,' said Capt Priscilla Naidu, communications officer at Pinetown police station.

'I am very happy that my computer and hi-fi were recovered. I was away in Germany and only got back at the weekend and realised my house had been broken into,' said Frank Fielers, owner of the computer"

TEXAS LAPTOP THEFT ON THE RISE AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS A and M CAMPUSLaptop thefts surge across campus - The Battalion - NewsThirteen laptops have been stolen on the A&M campus since the beginning of the spring semester, totaling more than $15,000 in value, said Sgt. Allan Baron of the University Police Department.

"Some stolen laptops were the personal property of the students, and some were University property," he said.

Baron said there is no pattern to the thefts.

"It's completely random," he said. "Thefts have been scattered all over campus in dorms, offices, libraries and cafeterias."

Laptop computers, known for their small size and portability, are targeted by thieves for the same reasons. Because they are small, they can be easily stolen and concealed. The stolen items are then fenced at pawn shops and used computer stores, Baron said.

Laptops are also attractive targets because the legal consequences of a property crime such as theft is less severe than a crime against a person, such as robbery, and can often be more lucrative, Baron said.

"The problem with laptops is, people often leave them unattended," Baron said.

Baron said most laptop owners don't realize the cost of a stolen computer until they become victims. In addition to losing their computer, they have also lost peripherals, such as modems and network cards, installed software and the cost of replacing all of this equipment.

UPD advises that all laptops should be within sight of the owner, and unattended laptops should be locked in a cabinet or closet if possible. If a laptop must be left in a car, owners should make sure to lock it in the trunk where the computer is out of sight of potential thieves.

However, these precautions won't always guarantee protection against theft, Baron said.

"The thing is, even if it is locked up, that doesn't mean it can't be stolen," Baron said.

Baron advised laptop owners to engrave a name and a driver license number on the laptop so that if it is stolen and recovered, it can be returned.

"We may recover a laptop and have no way of returning it to the owner if there are no identifying marks," Baron said. "Sometimes the hard drive is erased, and there is no way to tell whose it was."

Because of these concerns, many laptop owners do not bring their laptops to class or to school at all.

Robert Onstead, a senior marketing major, said he is cautious about carrying his laptop on campus.

"I don't take my laptop to school for many reasons," Onstead said. "Certainly among them is the possibility that it might get stolen."
Jeff Hanhan, a senior finance major, said it is more trouble than it's worth to lug his laptop to and from class.

"Bringing a laptop on campus is too much of a hassle," Hanhan said. "It (laptop theft) is just another thing to worry about."

UPD said it feels that with proper caution, a laptop can be safely used on campus.

"The most important thing is to keep it secure at all times," Baron said. "Either on you, or locked up."

MICHIGAN COMPUTER STOLEN FROM CAMPUS The Michigan Daily -- 113 Years of Editorial Freedom - Crime Notes: "Computers stolen from Media Union
According to DPS reports, a computer was stolen Tuesday from the second-floor area of the Media Union on North Campus. The value of the computer is unknown and there are no suspects in the case."

TEXAS SCHOOL LAPTOPS STOLEN DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Irving News: "Security worries
Trustee Randy Stipes, who voted against the purchase, said his concern was not over the cost or models but over what protection there was for the old laptops – Compaqs – that would be loaned out as replacements.
'I never did get a clear answer on that,' he said.
Overall, he said, he liked the laptop program.
'I think the teachers and kids have gotten a lot of valuable use out of them,' he said.
He said he was bothered by the loss of laptops. About 150 computers were stolen last year.
'That concerns me that there are so many lost or stolen or replaced each year,' he said.
Officials are now using tags that provide a toll-free number to call if the computers end up in pawnshops. Ms. Owen said the district has security cameras on campuses to record thefts. Other security measures are being considered. "

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN Naples Daily News: Bonitanews: "
— Source Interlink, 27500 Riverview Center, Bonita Springs. Stolen Sunday or Monday: five computers worth $9,700 and a computer monitor worth $600.

— PC Management, 27500 Riverview Center, Bonita Springs. Stolen Sunday or Monday: a laptop computer worth $4,600 and an LCD projector worth $2,000."

MILWAUKEE BUSINESS COMPUTERS STOLEN JS Online: Police News from Milwaukee - South
A computer was stolen sometime from March 13 to 15 from Milwaukee School of Engineering, 1025 N. Broadway. Entry was gained by climbing over a wall which had no ceiling

A computer and printer were stolen from an office at Marquette University, 1217 W. Wisconsin Ave., between March 11 and 12. The burglar used a tire iron to break into the locked office, disabled an alarm system and ransacked several offices

A fax machine, computer, printer, conversion box, copy machine, flashlight and power supplier were stolen from Midwest Distribution Company, 4001 W. Green Tree Road, March 14. Entry was gained by forcing open an overhead door

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYSTS TALKS ABOUT THE BIG LIE Stealing The American Dream By Vicky L. Davis and Frosty Wooldridge posted Mar 22, 2004, 11:46 Lies #2 and 3 should be looked at carefully.....

DUKE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER STOLEN FROM RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT The Chronicle Online - Staff Reports: CrimeBriefs: "Questionable lockage leads to laptop theft
An employee reported that sometime between March 23 at 6:30 p.m. and March 24 at 9 a.m. a laptop computer was stolen from the vascular radiology room at the Duke University Medical Center. The victim said the door to the room was locked when he left, but the door was found unlocked when a co-worker opened the door the next morning."

WASHINGTON CYBERSECURITY LIABILITY ISSUES Reuters | Breaking News from Around the Globe
Cybersecurity liability increasing, experts say
By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers, viruses, and other online threats don't just create headaches for Internet users -- they could also create prison sentences for corporate executives, experts say.

Though business groups have lobbied successfully against laws focused on cybersecurity, companies that don't make efforts to secure their networks could face civil and criminal penalties under an array of existing laws and court decisions, according to security and legal experts.

"Computer security is not solely a technology issue," said Dan Burton, a vice president at computer-security firm Entrust Inc. who serves on a private-sector board to boost accountability.

Though health-care, banking and deceptive-business laws all create security obligations, a new accounting-reform law now being phased in is likely to have the biggest impact.

The 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act holds executives liable for computer security by requiring them to pledge that companies' "internal controls" are adequate, and auditors are starting to include cybersecurity in that category, said Shannon Kellogg, director of government affairs at RSA Security Inc.

Violating that provision could lead to criminal charges by the Justice Department and jail, said David Becker, a partner at the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb in Washington and former general counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Any egregious intentional violation of federal securities law could be criminal," Becker said.

Companies that can prove they have taken concerted steps to improve their networks stand a much better chance of success in court, experts say.

Online viruses and worms like SoBig and Slammer have clogged computer networks and knocked vital Web sites offline, costing businesses some $55 billion in productivity last year, according to anti-virus company Trend Micro Inc.

Other online risks, from identity theft to espionage, are harder to quantify.

The U.S. government released a plan to increase online security last year, but it contained few hard-and-fast requirements for the businesses that control roughly 85 percent of the nation's Internet infrastructure.

Another proposal to require public companies to disclose cybersecurity efforts was shelved last fall after business groups objected.

But many of the experts who advocate a hands-off approach say businesses will have to upgrade their online defenses, thanks to Sarbanes-Oxley and other laws.

Health-care companies will have to ensure by April 2005 that electronic patient data is stored in a confidential and secure manner, under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

Banks and other financial-services groups face similar obligations under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.

Companies that don't live up to their security promises have faced action by the Federal Trade Commission. Drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. agreed to beef up its internal security after it inadvertently revealed the e-mail addresses of customers who used its Prozac anti-depressant medication.

Some courts have held businesses accountable as well. A Maine state panel ruled last year that Verizon Communications Inc. should have foreseen that its network would be vulnerable to Internet attacks like the Slammer virus, and thus should be forced to make infrastructure payments to the state even when its network was down.

In Washington, a judge has several times ordered the U.S. Interior Department to unplug its computers from the Internet until it can guarantee that trust-fund payments to American Indians are secure against hackers.

"In the realm of terrorism and cyberterrorism, courts are more willing to find negligence than they did before," said Bill Cook, a partner at Wildman Harrold in Chicago.

Others are less convinced that a courtroom precedent is emerging, though they say that is no excuse not to improve computer defenses.

"There are some court cases, but I don't know that there's really enough to pull together," said Bruce Heiman, a partner with Preston Gates & Ellis in Washington.

WASHINGTON COMPUTER SECURITY START UP COMPANY PRIVA Priva Is Hoping It Has Key to Security (TechNews.com)By Ellen McCarthy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 29, 2004; Page E05


For any method of computer security to be effective, it's got to be easy to learn and easy to use. That, at least, is Jeff Minushkin's theory, and he is hoping it will give his start-up company, Priva Technologies Inc., an edge in a competitive industry.

Minushkin is quick to admit there "are a lot of products out on the market," but he said Priva's main difference is that it combines several aspects of computer security into one system.

The company, established in 1999, spent the first 18 months of its existence developing a working model. After testing and revising the system, Priva began selling its technology late last year.

The company's product has two main components: a small device that attaches to a user's key chain and a security application that protects corporate networks. When users want to turn on their computers, cell phones or personal digital assistants, they first need to plug in their key chain device, which contains a small chip that is read by the computer. Only if the chip is verified will the computer boot up.

A thief could still gain access, however, if the computer and the key-chain device were both stolen, so Priva also added a biometric layer of security. The device verifies that the fingerprint of the user matches the one authorized for use.

Corporate clients even more skittish about theft and intrusion can also ask users to type in passwords before logging on to an internal system. Priva's technology manages all of these interactions on the network so that potential clients will not have to integrate products from different security vendors.

The company is first trying to sell its technology to corporations in the retail, health care and financial services markets. Minushkin says potential customers in each industry are now testing the technology.

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COM-GUARD $0.17 SIGNS LICENSING DEAL WITH GTEC $0.24 IN CHINA Com-Guard and Genesis Technology Group Sign a License Agreement for Com-Guard's Security Software for Short Messaging ServicesBOCA RATON, Fla., Mar 29, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Genesis Technology Group, Inc. (OTCBB:GTEC - News), a leading international business development firm that fosters bilateral commerce between companies in the West and China announced today the signing of a License agreement with Com-Guard, Inc. (OTCBB:CGUD - News), a California-based software design firm. The Company's unique Com-Guard (TM) software that enables users to monitor, limit and record access to data and report illicit activity to cell phones and PDA cell phones that provides a security system against tampering and unauthorized use of one's computer.

Dr. Edward W. Savarese, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Com-Guard, commented: "After just returning from China with the Genesis team, I am confident that we have tremendous potential with firms in China that are developing applications for the mobile market. After a myriad of executive meetings that were well attended, the Chinese development community demonstrated it's determination in implementing our software technology on mobile devices. We are committed in working with Genesis and their network in China to license our software."

Dr. James Wang, Chairman and President of Genesis Technology Group, said: "Com-Guard products and technologies received high distinction and genuine praise for its advanced features from many industry experts, software security companies and capital firms during two conferences with Shanghai United Equity and Assets Exchange and Shanghai Software Associations in March. We are confident that Com-Guard products have huge potential in China PC security and anti-pornography markets. Our Beijing operation also expressed their immense confidence in marketing Com-Guard products within the government sector promptly."

As a direct result of the product presentations and demonstrations by Dr. Edward W. Savarese in Shanghai, Genesis Technology Group also announced it has entered a letter of intent with Shanghai Zhongyu Communication & Technology Company, Limited, a leading wireless content provider, aggregator and mobile marketing provider in Shanghai, to memorialize the interest among Genesis Technology Group, Shanghai Zhongyu and Com-Guard, Inc. (CGUD) to explore the possibility of entering into any one of several business relationships among the parties. The business relationship among the parties ranges from licensing, joint venture partnership to direct investment.

NEW JERSEY LAPTOPS STOLEN FROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY The Daily Princetonian - Four laptops stolen from Frist office during spring breakFour computers worth nearly $8,000 were stolen from the office of the Educational Technology Center in Frist Campus Center between March 5 and 8, authorities said.

"It's rare to have a multiple number of computers taken at the same time," said Duncan Harrison said, associate director of operations for Public Safety.

The computers — a silver IBM ThinkPad, a large-screen Dell, a white Apple iMac and an IBM notebook — are valued at $7,645, according to a Princeton Borough police report.

Office staff reported the burglary on Monday, March 8. The computers were in the office when it was closed on Friday evening and gone Monday morning.

The offices were locked over the weekend, and there was no sign of forced entry, Borough Police Lt. Dennis McManimon said.

Though McManimon said there are many ways the thief could have entered, one possibility is that he or she had a key.

"I would assume that it was someone who had access to a key and got in that way, but you can't presume anything," he said. "I think investigators are trying to find out who had access to a key and then they'll work their way backwards."

Though there are no suspects at this time, McManimon said he would be surprised if the thief turned out to be a student. "If you look back [at similar incidents], it's very rare for it to be a student," he said. "They have too much to lose."

Harrison said Borough police and Public Safety are currently working together to investigate the incident.

UNITED STATES PDA COMPUTERS AND SECURITY ISSUESGet a handle on handhelds
From lawmakers to census takers, government workers of all stripes are using handheld computers to connect to the office and do their jobs while on the go.

Wired or wireless, personal digital assistants are becoming the device of choice for mobile workers. In addition to calendar and e-mail features, specialized software applications are allowing workers to input data and access information from the field.

But how are agencies managing these devices? In most cases, handheld management is an afterthought: Users buy a PDA, install software and connect it to the network without regard to enterprise policies or security and support practices.

Now some agencies are taking advantage of management tools available from traditional systems management vendors and a new group of niche players to help them control and manage these devices.

Like other computer equipment, there is an upfront investment associated with buying handheld computers, but there are also hidden costs that factor into the equation, such as user training, software and hardware maintenance, and security risks. However, users and, not surprisingly, vendors say that the cost of not having tools and a strategy for managing these devices is greater.

MIAMI LAPTOP COMPUTER STOLEN FROM TOP MODEL Sunday_Mirror.co.uk - GROANER LISAMODEL Lisa Snowdon is terrified that private photos of her and film star George Clooney will end up on the internet after her laptop was stolen from her home.

The beautiful former Top Of The Pops presenter's fears were sparked after intruders burgled her East London house, taking the portable computer, jewellery and other personal possessions.

But the 29-year-old is most concerned that intimate images of her and former ER star Clooney will become public.

Police are investigating, but Lisa - who had a year-long romance with Clooney - is scared the burglars will try to sell the material on the laptop or make it available online.

One friend said: "Lisa is absolutely terrified that things will end up in the public domain. There are some really private items among them." The friend continued: "Lisa can't believe it. She has always liked to keep her relationship with George as low-key as possible.

"And now, despite her best efforts, who knows where this material may end up?"

Last night, a spokesman for Lisa confirmed her computer had been stolen - but insisted there are no pictures of her and Clooney on it.

He said: "Lisa's computer was taken in the burglary. She also had some jewellery stolen and she is genuinely upset. The matter is now in the hands of the police."

SAN DIEGO COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESS SignOnSanDiego.com > News > North County -- Computers stolen from Del Mar office:05 p.m. March 20, 2004

DEL MAR – Someone smashed the glass window of a Del Mar real estate company and stole about $2,500 in computer equipment, authorities said.

The burglary in the 1000 block of Camino Del Mar was discovered at 6:50 a.m. today, sheriff's Sgt. Randy Webb said.

The break-in occurred after employees closed the business at about 7 p.m. Friday, Webb said.

Five computer monitors and a computer processor were stolen, said Webb