Monday, May 19, 2014

You don't suppose they'd trade the Crimea for California, do you? Nah, no one is that dumb.
Russia increases military flights in Pacific, U.S. general says
Russia has stepped up military activity in the Pacific, including sending long-range bombers on flights off the coast of California and around the island of Guam, as tensions have risen in Ukraine, a top U.S. Air Force general said Monday.
"What Russia is doing in Ukraine and Crimea has a direct effect on what's happening in the Asia Pacific," Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle said in a presentation to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
… Flights around Japan and the Korean peninsula have also "increased drastically," as well as naval activity in that area, Carlisle said.
The Russian planes have stayed in international airspace, and such flights are not unusual, but the increase has U.S. commanders keeping a wary eye.
… The Russian bomber flights are not unique to the Asia Pacific region. In late April, fighter jets from the Netherlands intercepted two Tu-95s that had flown a half-mile into Dutch airspace. The Dutch F-16s escorted the Russian aircraft out of Dutch airspace without incident.


The modern equivalent of Willie Sutton? Hire “offshore” hackers to steal credit card data in wholesale quantities, hold until you see which banks replace the cards, sell the rest at retail. Enormous profit. Much lower chance of being caught. (...and you can handle it all from the Jersey shore.)
Experian Breach Tied to NY-NJ ID Theft Ring
Last year, a top official from big-three credit bureau Experian told Congress that the firm was not aware of any consumers that had been harmed by an incident in which a business unit of Experian sold consumer records directly to an online identity theft service for nearly 10 months. Today’s post presents evidence that among the ID theft service’s clients was an identity theft and credit card fraud ring of at least 32 people who were arrested last year for allegedly using the information to steal millions from more than 1,000 victims across the country.


The modern equivalent of what, exactly? What is this about? Politics. Does anyone believe that China will send us their best hackers so we can put them on trial? Would we do the same if NSA employees were indicted?
U.S. to announce first criminal charges against China for cyberspying
The Justice Department is charging members of the Chinese military with conducting economic cyber-espionage against American companies, U.S. officials familiar with the case said Monday, marking the first time that the United States is leveling such criminal charges against a foreign country.
… The charges are to be brought in western Pennsylvania, where several companies that were allegedly victimized are located. Authorities are expected to name the companies and the hackers, officials said.


Is it even possible today to create a “trusted intermediary” to take emergency (or other?) notices and pass them to people who need to know? If the government has its way, they will have all our health data, our financial data (IRS), our driving data (DMV's and traffic cameras), and our contacts if not our conversations. Then we can expect new crimes, defined as not staying healthy, failure to save for retirement, erratic or excessive driving, keeping bad company, etc.
As soon as I saw the headline in the New York Times, I figured someone was going to raise privacy concerns. I wasn’t wrong. Sheri Fink reports:
The phone calls were part Big Brother, part benevolent parent. When a rare ice storm threatened New Orleans in January, some residents heard from a city official who had gained access to their private medical information. Kidney dialysis patients were advised to seek early treatment because clinics would be closing. Others who rely on breathing machines at home were told how to find help if the power went out.
Those warnings resulted from vast volumes of government data. For the first time, federal officials scoured Medicare health insurance claims to identify potentially vulnerable people and share their names with local public health authorities for outreach during emergencies and disaster drills.
The program is just one of a growing number of public and corporate efforts to take health information far beyond the doctor’s office, offering the promise of better care but also raising concerns about patient privacy.
Read more on the NY Times. There’s a lot of food for thought there.

(Related) I forgot recognizing our faces from any security or smartphone camera. (Interesting article)
Natasha Singer reports that Joseph Atick, a pioneer in facial recognition technology, has concerns:
Once he was safely out of earshot, however, he worried aloud about what he was seeing. What were those companies’ policies for retaining and reusing consumers’ facial data? Could they identify individuals without their explicit consent? Were they running face-matching queries for government agencies on the side?
Now an industry consultant, Dr. Atick finds himself in a delicate position.
Read more on the NY Times.


Scenario 1: Their security has improved so much, MasterCard must acquire it.
Scenario 2: With the negative impact on stock price and threat of future penalties from MasterCard, they were too cheap to pass up.
MasterCard acquires Pune-based ElectraCard Services
MasterCard today said it will acquire Pune-based electronic payment software firm ElectraCard Services (ECS), which had its systems attacked in a USD 45 million global ATM heist, for an undisclosed amount.


I wasn't sure that lawyers would be able to handle email safely. (They can't) Everything else just adds to the train wreck.
New on LLRX – Legal Loop: 8 handy gadgets for the mobile lawyer office
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on May 18, 2014
For the 21st century lawyer, mobility is key, since a mobile law practice makes it easier than ever for lawyers to practice law no matter where they happen to be. That’s why, according to the American Bar Association’s 2013 Legal Technology Survey, more lawyers are going mobile than ever before, with nearly 91 percent of lawyers surveyed reporting that they have used smartphones in their practices and 48 percent of lawyers surveyed reported using a tablet at work. Nicole Black explains why you need to have the right accessories to be effectively mobile.


A nice resource!
Council on Foreign Relations Cybersecurity Policy Research Links
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on May 18, 2014
“How can the United States protect cyberspace “control system of our country,” without restricting the open “flow of information on the Internet“? What should countries consider when developing international cybersecurity standards and protocol? What should their citizens know to protect their information and their rights? Cybersecurity Policy Research Links provide news, background information, legislation, analysis, and international efforts to protect government and the public’s information.”


Welcome. No matter how late, no matter how little.
DOE Releases New Guidance for Strengthening Cybersecurity of Grid’s Supply Chain
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on May 18, 2014
News release: “”As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to a strong and secure power grid, the Energy Department today released new guidance to help U.S. industry strengthen energy delivery system cybersecurity. Developed through a public-private working group including federal agencies and private industry leaders, the Department’s Cybersecurity Procurement Language for Energy Delivery Systems guidance provides strategies and suggested language to help the U.S. energy sector and technology suppliers build in cybersecurity protections during product design and manufacturing… The new guidance released today focuses on helping utilities and other energy sector organizations purchase technologies that include cybersecurity protections and features – improving the overall reliability and security of energy delivery systems and ensuring that the testing, manufacturing, delivery, and installation of new technologies emphasize cybersecurity requirements.


Just because I had to read it... (I used the same trick in a Disaster Recovery class)
Counter-Zombie Dominance Plan


Tools & Techniques. My students might like it.
Instantly find the best photos hidden inside your new or existing videos. Why choose between photos and video? With Vhoto, you get both! Vhoto makes it easy and fun to get pics of parties, pets, kids, selfies and sports. Record video or import from your camera, choose your favorite pictures, then save or share your photos.


Dilbert perfectly illustrates the Abraham Lincoln quote: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time...”

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