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"Spy Cams in Planes Would Track Facial Expressions for Terrorism and 'Air Rage'" The European Union is testing a surveillance system for airplanes that would monitor the facial expressions of passengers in an attempt to spot potential terrorists and misbehaving passengers. In January, the Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) project installed cameras in the back of every passenger seat on a fake Airbus A380 fuselage and equipped the plane with six wide-angle cameras to track suspicious behavior in the aisles, such as a traveler running or hanging out close to a cockpit entrance. The cameras would detect passengers who are sweating a lot or who seem nervous; however, flight staff would only be warned if the cameras picked up a mixture of signs, rather than just one. "Disaster Planning for Small Businesses" Contingency plans are essential for any business, large or small, because they can ensure operations are running during and after an emergency. These plans must protect the two major components of any business, its staff and its data. Workers should have an employee contact list, which includes their name and five ways to contact them during an emergency. This list should not only be held electronically, but also in print form in each worker's wallet or purse. As for data, businesses will want to ensure that data is backed up on hard drives, laptops, and portable devices, and in some cases, businesses may want to turn to a third party to store and maintain data access for the firm. A separate location for backed up data is essential and can provide a firm with additional security should a primary business location be destroyed or rendered inoperable. Ed Schipul, owner of an Internet marketing company, recommends running a simulation to test the strengths of an emergency plan. After his staff conducted an emergency drill, which garnered lackluster results, employees had a better idea of what to do and even suggested holding another simulation. "British Columbia Opening Door to Foreign Security Guards at Olympics" A new Security Services Act that was approved by the British Columbia legislature in 2007 will have a great impact on the security industry if its regulations are passed. The current law only allows Canadian citizens to work as licensed security workers in the province; however, the new measure permits people "normally resident in Canada" to become guards, including foreign workers with visas. The government is in favor of bringing in foreign security guards because there are not enough British Columbia security guards for security screening at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. According to the Integrated Security Unit, there must be enough guards to work 900,000 hours between January and March of that year. Beginning in September of this year, when the regulations are expected to be passed, rookie security guards can work for as many as 90 days "under supervision" while they undergo training. All workers must still submit to a criminal-record check prior to beginning work. "Eye in the Sky: New Flying Laser Will Stop Heat-Seeking Missiles" The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has commissioned Project Chloe, a plan to use UAVs to protect commercial airliners from an attack by shoulder-launched missiles at U.S. airports. Named after a character on the television show "24," Chloe involves the use of a laser mounted aboard a UAV to blind a missile's infrared eye and thus deflect it from a plane's path. Sensors aboard the UAV could immediately pick up a missile's thermal signature, triggering the laser. Flying at 65,000 feet, a single UAV could protect all the commercial airports in the Los Angeles County area, says Jay Cohen, DHS under secretary for science and technology. Chloe UAVs would also be fitted with high-magnification cameras, allowing them to zoom in on other nearby threats and stream real-time video to relevant parties. "City Cameras to Catch Every Car" The city of Manchester, England, recently installed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, which will take pictures of the some 600,000 cars that travel through the city each day. Police officials believe the photos will help fight terrorism, crime, and car theft. After a camera snaps a picture of a car and records its license plate number, color, and the time, it sends the data to a central computer, which keeps it for five years. The system runs the details against the Police National Computer, the DVLA database in Swansea, and other local police intelligence databases and can detect stolen automobiles, search for cars driven by terrorists or other criminals, and locate people who have not paid their car tax or insurance. James Welch, legal director of the civil rights group Liberty, said he does not oppose the system as long as police do not use it "for mass surveillance, or to target people the police have a hunch are up to no good." "Nigeria Becomes World Piracy 'Hotspot'" With its prized oil industry a particular target, Nigeria has become the number one "hotspot" for world piracy. The country is poorly equipped to defend against pirates who ply the seas with modern weapons and skilled tacticians. The pirates have speedboats, heavy machine guns, and radio systems to coordinate their attacks The International Maritime Bureau reports that Nigeria accounted for 10 of the 49 attacks registered worldwide in the first quarter of 2008, more than 20%. In January, French maritime company Bourbon suspended activities on the Bonny river, a strategic stretch of water for oil companies operating in the Delta, after an attack on one of its vessels chartered by Shell. The pirates also use their speedboats to launch lightning raids on banks in towns along the coast. "Russia to Use 6,000 Police, Troops Secure Champions League Final" Six thousand Russian police and military troops will guard Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, site of the upcoming Champions League final. The security force is around 20 percent larger than usual for a major sporting event in Moscow to ensure there are no revenge attacks related to the stabbing of a Russian fan before a recent UEFA Cup match. Tens of thousands of English fans are expected to travel to Moscow for the game between Manchester United and Chelsea. Russia waived visa requirements for fans who have tickets to the match, but they must show their ticket when entering and exiting the country. Russian officials requested information from the clubs about violence-prone fans, who may be monitored more closely or denied entry into the country, even if they have a ticket for the match. Around 15 British law enforcement officials will travel to Moscow to assist in security operations. Buses with police escorts will be available to transport fans between the airports and the stadium, and English-speaking operators will be available to respond to emergency calls on the day of the game. "India's Support of West Is Cited for Bomb Blasts" The Indian Mujahedeen, an Islamist group that many experts have never heard of, said it is behind the May 13 explosions that took the lives of over 60 people in the Indian city of Jaipur. In an email to Indian television stations, the group confessed to carrying out the attacks in the tourist city to punish India for backing the United States and Britain. "It could be designed to lead investigators in the wrong direction," said Brahma Chellaney, a professor at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi. "Ninety-five percent of the attacks in the world today are never claimed and when claims are made, this is often intended to mislead." Some police and terrorism experts question the group's existence, especially because the bombs went off in a coordinated sequence, something Chellaney said only established groups with superior training are capable of. "Italy Arrests Nearly 400 in Security Crackdown" Italian authorities reported that a crackdown on street crime and illegal immigrants resulted in almost 400 arrests, mostly of foreigners from Romania and North Africa. The sweep was part of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's plan to improve safety in the country following a rise in crime over the past few months. A government official said that though many foreigners were arrested, police only targeted criminals and Italy would follow EU rules and only deport foreigners who commit crimes. Most of the people arrested are suspected of robberies, drug trafficking, prostitution, or illegal immigration. "This operation targets those crimes that are connected to the bigger phenomenon of illegal immigration," said police official Francesco Gratteri. Romania's Interior Minister said that his government would create a joint commission with Italy to improve police cooperation on immigration issues. The Italian government is considering several new laws to address the country's illegal immigration problem. "Series of Explosions Kills 80 in Indian City" At least 80 people were killed and around 200 were wounded after seven explosions ripped through the Indian city of Jaipur on May 13. Now, a curfew has been imposed in the city to prevent retaliatory violence. Though officials do not yet know who is responsible for the attacks, which targeted crowded markets and temples, they are blaming them on terrorists. "Obviously, it's a terrorist attack," said A.S. Gill, the police chief of Rajasthan, the state where Jaipur is located. "The way it has been done, the attempt was to cause the maximum damage to human life." Vasundhara Raje, the chief minister of Rajasthan state, said the bombers' motive may have been "to create communal tension" and that the curfew is a "precaution." Islamist militants are accused of carrying out past terrorist attacks in India's major cities, including a 1993 bombing in Mumbai, which killed over 250 people. "Charges Dropped in 9/11 Case" A Defense Department official threw out all charges against Mohammed al-Qahtani, the alleged "20th hijacker" in the Sept. 11 attacks. The decision, by offshore trial system chief magistrate Susan Crawford, allows prosecutors to re-file a modified list of charges for approval. Al-Qahtani, who was captured during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, will not be freed immediately. Crawford did not explain her decision, but one official said that she determined that there was a difference in the "level of culpability" between al-Qahtani and five other prisoners accused of playing a role in the attacks. Crawford did approve the charges against these alleged terrorists, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The dismissal of charges could mean that the interrogation methods used on al-Qahtani at Guantanamo Bay damaged the credibility of his statements. He was interrogated for 48 straight days, with interrogators using tactics labeled by an internal Pentagon report as "abusive and degrading." Al-Qahtani attempted to enter the country in August 2001, but was denied entry at Orlando International Airport. The 9/11 Commission suggested that he may have been an intended fifth hijacker on flight United 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. "Outrage in the United Kingdom Over Staff Blacklisting Database" In the United Kingdom, Action Against Business Crime, the national organization for Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, is developing the National Staff Dismissal Register, a database of employees fired over suspicion of theft or fraud. Employees who have been dismissed for dishonesty or who have quit before being fired will be included in the database, even if they have not been charged or convicted. Employers will be able to search the database when conducting background checks on prospective employees and can look up job candidates by name, address, date of birth, national insurance number, and previous employer. However, according to the Information Commissioners Office, an employer cannot refuse to hire someone just because his or her name appears in the database. Also, employers must tell employees if they are being added to the database and that person must be given the right to appeal. Still, some criticize the plan. "While criminal activity in the workplace can never be condoned, the British Trade Unions Congress is concerned that this register could lead to people being excluded from the job market by an employer who falsely accuses them of misconduct or sacks them because they bear them a grudge," said Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary. GMB, a large union for shop workers, also does not support the plan and said it will take action against employers who use the database. Still, major U.K. retailers, including Harrods, HMV, Mothercare, and Selfridges, and a human resources company, Reed Managed Services, intend to use the database. "Private Security Firms Say No Way to Meet Demand of 2010 Winter Games" Security experts believe that the private security industry will be unable to meet the demand of the 2010 Winter Olympics unless the British Columbia government allows additional guards to be brought in. The Integrated Security Unit, a special task force made up of members from several law enforcement agencies, estimated that it will need around 5,000 security guards to fill its needs. A spokesperson for the unit said that officials are confident there will be enough security personnel in the province to meet their needs, a view that many experts disagree with. There are only 8,600 licensed security guards in British Columbia, which has housing and transportation guidelines that make it difficult for companies to bring in outside workers. Provincial licensing requirements also ban companies from recruiting additional workers from foreign countries. "Not one company will be able to supply because these people already have jobs, they're already protecting the library, the mall or whatever it might be," said Tim Grose of Vancouver-based Total Security Management Services Inc. The Vancouver Olympic Organizing committee has not yet specified how many security guards it hopes to hire, but a former FBI agent who now serves as a security consultant for the Olympic Games estimated that there were over 10,000 security guards employed at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Security at the Olympics became a larger issue following the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta games and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A new law, set to take effect later this year, will allow security guards in British Columbia to be individually licensed. Some companies are concerned that a security guard shortage as a result of the games will force them to pay employees more to keep them from jumping to Olympic sites. "HSBC Says Alleged Attempt at Fraud Is Being Investigated" Police in London are investigating several members of HSBC Holdings' trade settlement staff, who allegedly tried to move between $139 million and $180 million in funds from the company's third-party securities settlement unit. According to HSBC, no money was lost and no customer funds were involved in the attempted fraud. Police have already charged one man with conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and abusing a position of trust for his alleged role in the scheme. The man is in police custody until June 25, when he will appear at Southwark Crown Court. Three other men who are also under investigation are out on bail. "Extremist Violence Rocks Hamburg" Violence broke out in Hamburg, Germany, after a neo-Nazi rally, in which 1,100 far-right demonstrators participated, upset close to 7,000 left-wing demonstrators. Leftists set cars on fire and threw bottles at police officers, who attempted to disperse the crowds with water cannons. According to the police, the riot was one of the worst the city has seen in years. Around 20 police officers were injured and about 250 protestors were arrested. "10 Tips for Better Password Management" Building and maintaining a strong security program begins with good user-authentication practices, many security experts say. Suggestions for the best login and password management techniques for users and administrators include cracking your own passwords using a dictionary attack or other methods commonly utilized by hackers; outlawing the practice of taping passwords to the monitor; automating regular password changes; preventing employees from recycling old passwords; disseminating a written password policy; investing in password training; keeping staff passwords from IT managers; always encrypting passwords; synchronizing passwords only on secure systems; and employing a second form of authentication, such as biometrics, tokens, or flash drives. |
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