Near-breach of Togus data handled expertly by team
Near-breach of Togus data handled expertly by team
Thank you for your fair and objective coverage of the near-breach of data at Togus VA hospital. Compliments as well on using front page refer to bring it to my attention.
More topically, learning about this made me proud as a U.S. taxpayer supporting federal privacy/information security programs, and affirmed my work as an information security professional.
From my experience chartering and championing a world-class information security program at a Maine community bank ranked in the national Top 10, I know that employee awareness and caring is the most essential critical success factor within any such program.
Accidents such as disposing of non-public information in a Dumpster happen all too frequently; that’s why information security programs such as the one at Togus have incident response plans defined as a function of relative risk.
Clearly, Ryan Lilly and his team have introduced an information security culture within the Togus community that ensures they “get the right things right the first time.”
That a rank and file employee trained by the Togus information security team recognized the risk, plus knew exactly what to do in response, and that Lilly and his team had such a strong pre-planned comprehensive followup response already in their tool kit speaks volumes to their capabilities and the value-add their organization, and we taxpayers, receive each and every day from their being where they are.
Thank you, and professional compliments to Lilly, his team and the entire Togus VA community on a job well done. Lilly and his team get it; you are blessed to work with them. If thanked for the extra hours they worked on behalf of your customers, they likely will tell you they were “just doing my job.”
Brian D. Huntley
Coopers Mills
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form
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Article source: http://www.kjonline.com/opinion/near-breach-of-togus-data-handled-expertly-by-team_2012-05-19.html
Near-breach of Togus data handled expertly by team
Near-breach of Togus data handled expertly by team
Thank you for your fair and objective coverage of the near-breach of data at Togus VA hospital. Compliments as well on using front page refer to bring it to my attention.
More topically, learning about this made me proud as a U.S. taxpayer supporting federal privacy/information security programs, and affirmed my work as an information security professional.
From my experience chartering and championing a world-class information security program at a Maine community bank ranked in the national Top 10, I know that employee awareness and caring is the most essential critical success factor within any such program.
Accidents such as disposing of non-public information in a Dumpster happen all too frequently; that’s why information security programs such as the one at Togus have incident response plans defined as a function of relative risk.
Clearly, Ryan Lilly and his team have introduced an information security culture within the Togus community that ensures they “get the right things right the first time.”
That a rank and file employee trained by the Togus information security team recognized the risk, plus knew exactly what to do in response, and that Lilly and his team had such a strong pre-planned comprehensive followup response already in their tool kit speaks volumes to their capabilities and the value-add their organization, and we taxpayers, receive each and every day from their being where they are.
Thank you, and professional compliments to Lilly, his team and the entire Togus VA community on a job well done. Lilly and his team get it; you are blessed to work with them. If thanked for the extra hours they worked on behalf of your customers, they likely will tell you they were “just doing my job.”
Brian D. Huntley
Coopers Mills
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form
Send Question/Comment to the Publisher
Article source: http://www.kjonline.com/opinion/near-breach-of-togus-data-handled-expertly-by-team_2012-05-19.html
Top 10 Pervasive Tech Myths That Are Only Wasting Your Time
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 20, 2012
Ever been told that you should fully discharge your battery to prolong its life? Or that jailbreaking your phone is illegal? Or that you should wait for the newest Intel processor because it’s going to be “so much faster”? These are tech myths we hear all the time, and likely spread to our friends — but most are just a waste of your time (and in some cases, they can actually harm your gadgets). Here are some of the worst offenders.
10. Better Hardware Specs = Better Gadgets
If you’re waiting to upgrade your gear until the next big processor comes out, or until the latest Android phone with even more RAM appears, you’re probably wasting your time. These days, most hardware specs don’t even matter that much. Processors have more power than most users will ever need, and phones come out so often that by the time your dream phone comes out, another one will have already been announced. There are exceptions to these rules, of course — both for computers and smartphones — but in general, stop crying over your current device and just upgrade. You’ll be a lot happier once you do.
9. Lossless Music Sounds Better Than MP3
While bitrate can make a difference in your music, there’s a pretty big misconception that as long as you have a good ear, you can hear the difference between lossless files and MP3. It takes a lot more than just careful listening — you’d need a very fine-tuned ear, some really high-end speakers, and a specific type of music, like classical or jazz. Don’t believe me? Take an ABX test with your own music files and find out for yourself. You may be surprised at the results. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should junk all those FLAC files — they’re still ideal if you want to convert that music to a new format later on. Image: Tess Watson.
8. Android Task Killers Are Necessary For Good Performance
Not only have we Android users perpetuated this myth, but lots of hardware manufacturers and mobile phone carriers will recommend you use a task killer to lengthen your battery life and speed up your phone. Not only will they do nothing for your battery life, but most are designed to solve problems that don’t actually exist (like running out of RAM). If you experience performance boosts with a task killer, it’s because you’re killing a task that’s either gone awry (in which case you’re better off just rebooting your phone) or because you’ve downloaded a poorly written app (in which case you should uninstall it).
Task killers can cause other problems with your phones, and you shouldn’t use them unless you’re using a very, very old phone with very, very outdated software. Check out our explainer on task killers to learn more, and if you want to speed up your phone, check out these other tried and true methods instead.
7. Jailbreaking Your Phone Is Illegal
While jailbreaking your phone will definitely void your warranty, people have been going around saying it’s actually illegal to do — which is 100 per cent false. The US Copyright office has officially said that jailbreaking is completely legal to do with a device you own, as long as you aren’t using it to pirate apps, of course. That said, there are a lot of ways you’re probably breaking the law without knowing it, so read up on those if you’re curious. But if you were holding back on jailbreaking your phone, now would be a great time to check out all its awesome, legal benefits.
6. Mac Users Don’t Need To Worry About Malware
Mac users have often touted their computers as “more secure” than Windows PCs, which is a very hotly-contested issue — some say OS X’s Unix underpinnings make it inherently more secure, while others claim it’s only because the Mac isn’t a big target for viruses. Either way, it’s important to note that while viruses aren’t as widespread as they are on Windows, Macs are far from immune — in fact, we’ve already seen a few instances of real Mac malware. Don’t let your choice of OS obscure the fact that safe browsing and common sense are the best protection against viruses and other malware. After all, just because that email virus didn’t infect you doesn’t mean you didn’t pass it on to your other Windows-using friends.
5. You Should Buy An Extended Warranty For New Gadgets
No matter how careful you are, we’ve all broken at least one gadget in our lives — and it may have tempted you to buy an extended warranty the next time. However, extended warranties aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Sometimes they only cover half the things that could go wrong, or sometimes the chances of your device failing are just plain slim. Instead, you’re better off setting up an extended warranty fund for yourself — as long as you aren’t really clumsy, you’ll probably come out ahead in the end.
4. You Should Fully Discharge Your Laptop Battery Every Time
Battery life is always at a premium these days, and you’ve probably heard a whole host of tricks for keeping your battery in tip top shape. This particular myth — that you should fully discharge your battery every time you use it — is left over from old nickel cadmium batteries that suffer from a memory effect no longer present in modern lithium batteries. Today’s batteries take less maintenance, but there are still some good ways you can prolong its lifespan, so check out our guide to battery care for more info.
3. Password-Protected Wi-Fi Networks Are Safe From Hackers
So you’ve heard about how important security is on public Wi-Fi networks, but a lot of people are still misinformed about what really constitutes a public network. Just because your network’s protected with a password doesn’t mean it’s secure. In the case of home networks, it means it’s secure from outside hackers, but if you head to a coffee shop or hotel, that network is still public. Anyone with a password can still connect to the network (like other coffee shop patrons) and potentially sniff your traffic.
So, unless you’re at home, always protect yourself when connected to Wi-Fi — you never know who else is connected. Image: °Florian.
2. Peerblock Will Keep You Safe And Anonymous On Bittorrent
A lot of BitTorrent users are looking to cover their tracks these days, and most are doing so by enabling encryption and using something like PeerBlock to keep unwanted eyes from watching their downloads. However, this does not make you anonymous in any way — encryption only keeps your ISP from throttling you, and PeerBlock is not even close to being foolproof. If you really want to stay anonymous, you have to use a VPN or a proxy service like BTGuard. You can also use a private tracker, which offers other benefits as well, but still isn’t quite as secure as other methods.
1. [Insert Tweak Here] Will Speed Up Your Computer
These are some of the worst myths out there. Everyone’s always looking for a quick, free way to drastically increase their computer’s speed, and a lot of them are loads of baloney. At best, they’ll do nothing, and at worst, they can actually degrade performance. If you really want some speed boosts, upgrade your hardware, or at least make sure you’re performing regular maintenance. With proper care, you should never need to do a clean install of Windows again.
Article source: http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/05/top-10-pervasive-tech-myths-that-are-only-wasting-your-time/
Bike trek that includes Butte County raises money for AIDS/HIV services – Enterprise
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 19, 2012
Click photo to enlarge
About 150 cyclists are rolling through the Sacramento Valley to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS testing and services. The group showed no signs of slowing as they took a rest at Durham Community Park late Friday morning.
It’s been quite a trek so far, starting in Folsom Thursday, with a ride of 102 miles ending in Gridley. Friday included a ride to Oroville, a rest in Durham, and ended up in Williams.
Today includes another 100 miles through the foothills finishing in Woodland. The ride ends Sunday at the state Capitol in Sacramento for closing ceremonies.
Nights have been spent at fairgrounds and high schools. Each night of the journey includes shared meals and entertainment.
Jake Rowe, chairman of Norcal AIDS Cycle, is riding a tandem bike with his sister, Stacy Shade. They are among several siblings to take part in the event.
Each rider raised $1,500 to participate, and a crew of 75 volunteers helps along the way with food, water, encouragement and setting up camp.
This year the group is on target to raise about $300,000, which will be distributed to 12 groups that provide testing and services related to HIV and AIDS.
In Chico, Caring Choices will be one of the fundraiser recipients.
Funding for HIV education has been withdrawn with recent budget cuts, even though the number of new infections is on the rise, Rowe explained.
The many organizations promote testing and precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
Promoting the use
of condoms remains a high priority.
Rowe said testing is also very important, among all age groups and sexual orientation. A simple cheek swab test takes 20 minutes and costs about $15. Yet, people are not routinely tested by their doctors, he said.
It’s been 30 years since the discovery of HIV. Today, there are fewer of the horror stories of the early 1990s when people were dying in larger numbers. Now, the medical community is able to treat symptoms, and many people with the HIV virus are living seemingly normal lives, through diet, exercise and medical care.
But that doesn’t mean the virus has gone away.
People in their 20s may be more nonchalant about the risks, believing there are pills that solve problems from exposure. Older people, perhaps back in dating circles after decades, may not realize they should be tested when they begin having sex with someone new.
While the group rallies around the cause of HIV/AIDS awareness, something special also takes place as people working for the same cause take on the physical challenge of the 330-mile ride, participants said.
Training begins many months before the spring event. During the trek, cyclists encourage one another and focus on their individual and group goal.
Jacqui John of Folsom took the challenge this year for the first time. She works for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services in Sacramento, and began training in August. She expected the experience to be one of bonding with her peers, but said it’s been far more than she expected.
While riding, she’s had some time to think about people she has lost, and to honor survivors of HIV and AIDS, she explained.
Every nine seconds someone new is diagnosed with HIV, she said, which underscores the need to be tested.
Barbi Olson works for the Shasta/Tehama/Trinity HIV Food Bank, which helps with the special dietary needs for people with HIV and AIDS. While medications have extended people’s lives, these high doses of pills also mean higher risk for other illnesses, requiring special care with diet, she explained.
The services her group provides are even more vital today because funding for support groups has been recently eliminated. Her food bank only narrowly avoided closure with budget cuts in 2008.
She also encouraged any and all people to ask for an HIV test with their annual medical and gynecological exams.
A mobile HIV testing van with Breaking Barriers of Sacramento offered free HIV/AIDS testing along the route.
Staff writer Heather Hacking can be reached at 896-7758 or [email protected]
Article source: http://www.chicoer.com/fromthenewspaper/ci_20661621/bike-trek-that-includes-butte-county-raises-money
Utah tech director resigns in wake of data theft
Saturday, May 19, 2012 | 3:15 a.m.
Utah’s chief technology officer has resigned following the theft of hundreds of thousands of online medical records from state computers by unknown hackers.
Gov. Gary Herbert on Tuesday announced a “comprehensive” response to the massive data breach, including the resignation of Stephen Fletcher, director of the state’s Department of Technology Services.
Herbert’s office said the state also is hiring a public relations firm to handle crisis communications.
Last month, hackers stole personal information of about 780,000 Medicaid recipients and participants in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, including the Social Security numbers of about 280,000 of them.
The state has offered victims free credit monitoring.
Herbert called the compromise of even one person’s private data a “completely unacceptable breach of trust” and offered an apology.
“The people of Utah rightly believe that their government will protect them, their families and their personal data,” he said. “As a state government, we failed to honor that commitment. For that, as your governor and as a Utahn, I am deeply sorry.”
Herbert’s apology didn’t stop Utah Democratic Chairman Jim Dabakis from going on the attack.
“With an administration marked by one mismanagement scandal after another, we understand why Gov. Herbert wants crisis communications professionals on the scene, but we think most Utahns believe he should pay for it out of his campaign money, not hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars,” Dabakis said.
To restore public trust, the state has opened bidding to public relations firms until May 21 for a “crisis communication plan and outreach to data breach victims.”
On March 30, hackers broke into a Medicaid eligibility server. Officials say security tools on the computer server were installed improperly. Medical clinics used the server to validate claims of retirees on Medicaid and others. The stolen information included birth dates, addresses, and in some cases, Social Security numbers.
Some of the data was said to be indecipherable, or disconnected from a name, making it hard to assess the full damage. State officials have said the information should have been deleted from the server once a claim was validated, and should not have been retained as records.
Investigators have traced the hackers’ IP address to eastern Europe, but haven’t identified any suspects.
At a news conference Tuesday, Herbert said Fletcher was asked to resign and stepped down. He was appointed to the cabinet-level post in 2005 by former Gov. Jon Huntsman.
Herbert named Mark VanOrden, the information technology director for the Department of Workforce Services, as Fletcher’s replacement.
Herbert also appointed Sheila Walsh-McDonald to the new post of health data security ombudsman. She will oversee individual case management, credit counseling and public outreach.
Article source: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/may/19/us-health-records-breach/
Android malware families quadrupled in a year, says report
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 19, 2012
NEWS / GENERAL
19 May, 2012, 11:09 am IST | by
Naina Khedekar
| <!– 33 Comments –>
Google’s Android mobile platform has been quite popular with masses with budgets of all sizes. However, they say, ‘popularity comes with a price’ and a recent Mobile Threat Report Q12012 by the security firm, F-Secure has revealed that the malware targeting Android users have quadrupled since 2011. The report shows that about 10 Android malware families have come to the forefront in 2011, while the number has increased to 37 families in the first quarter of 2012. This clearly shows a year over year growth of a staggering 270 percent.
A comparison between the number of malicious Android application package files (APKs) received in Q1 2011 and in Q1 2012 reveals a more staggering find — an increase from 139 to 3063 counts. This growth in number can be attributed to malware authors crafting their infected or trojanized applications to defeat anti-virus signature detection, distributing their malware in different application names, and trojanizing widely popular applications, according the report. The increase in the number of malware families and malicious Android APKs points out the elevated mobile threats for the renowned mobile platform. However, it is shocking to see the growth of malicious Android application package files crossing 3000.
Malware families increasing…
It also pointed out that 34 malware families have been targeting the financial data and have been designed to steal money. Seemingly, Android malware has been growing exponentially in number, and there’s a need to protect users against up-and-coming threats in a more proactive manner. The report further states that Android threats have continued to improve their techniques in evading detection and their methods of infection over the years. However, nothing much has changed in their operation in collecting profit.
Majority of the malware discovered in Android markets are SMS-sending malware that reap profits from sending messages to premium numbers and most of these malware are found on third-party market stores, but sometimes they do manage to wriggle their way into the official Android Marketplace, which is now Google Play.
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Living virus generates electricity
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 19, 2012
PORTLAND, Ore.—Scientists have discovered a way to genetically engineer a living virus to be piezoelectric, enabling self-assembling arrays of them to produce enough electricity to power small electronic devices. In their demonstration prototype, a button backed with a virus array generated enough electricity to illuminate an LCD display.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories hope to extend their discovery by growing nanoscale arrays of piezoelectric viruses in sheets that generate enough energy to power mobile devices from normal body motions, such as walking, without the need for batteries.
Each virus—technically a bacteriophage—measures just 880 nanometers long by 6.6 nanometers in diameter and is coated with electrically charged proteins that make them piezoelectric. Negatively charged amino acids are then added to one end to make an electrical pole there that boosts the voltage potential enough, when deformed, to power electronic circuits. In practice, stacks of 20 layers of the virus impregnated material were needed to generate enough current to power devices. Gold-plated electrodes, with the virus impregnated sheets in between, created enough energy to power the LCD display from one square centimeter of piezoelectric material—producing about six nanoamperes at 400 millivolts.
Genetically engineered virus has electrical poles at each end that generate a voltage potential when deformed.
Eventually, the living virus electricity generators could be built-into any device that normally vibrates using self-assembly methods that grow the viruses where ever they are needed. The research was performed by Berkeley Lab professor Seung-Wuk Lee and colleagues Ramamoorthy Ramesh and Byung Yang Lee.
Related stories:
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Article source: http://www.embedded.com/electronics-news/4373278/Living-virus-generates-electricity
iS3 Launches Sniper Anti-Virus 2013 – Virtual
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 19, 2012
iS3, a solution provider for internet security, computer optimization, and technical support has announced today that Sniper Anti-Virus will be introduced to the market. The mobile version of Sniper Anti-Virus for Android is also available for end to end protection of a consumer’s computer and mobile device.
Boca Raton, FL, May 19, 2012 –(PR.com)– iS3, a solution provider for internet security, computer optimization, and technical support has announced today that Sniper Anti-Virus will be introduced to the market. Sniper Anti-Virus is an ideal product for consumers and businesses who desire strong protection against viruses, spyware, spam, and pop ups. The mobile version of Sniper Anti-Virus for Android is also available for end to end protection of a consumer’s computer and mobile device.
Sniper Anti-Virus features anti-virus, antispyware, privacy control, and user control; it is an ideal solution for computer security. “In our effort to provide the best solutions in the industry to keep our customers and their technology safe, Sniper Anti-Virus and Sniper Mobile was created,” stated Dom Lesme, CEO for iS3. “Sniper Anti-Virus and Sniper Mobile is another step forward in iS3’s goal to become the most trusted resource for consumers as it pertains to internet security.”
Sniper Anti-Virus serves customers who are looking for unparallel protection against viruses, e-threats, and much more. The software does not interrupt or decrease computer performance as it scans and protects all personal data. Sniper Anti-Virus has an Autopilot function and Social Network Protection built in, making it a complete solution for a consumer’s internet safety needs.
Contact Information:
is3, Inc.
Pamela Gonzalez
561-807-6058
Contact via Email
www.is3.com
Click here to read the full story: iS3 Launches Sniper Anti-Virus 2013
Press Release Distributed by PR.com
Article source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/05/19/is3-launches-sniper-anti-virus-2013
Application Security Inc. vows to ‘give away’ up $1 million in database …
I got an interesting press release from Application Security Inc. saying the company is willing to donate up to $1 million in security software to help enterprises avoid data breaches.
Here’s what they said:
Companies that choose to take advantage of the offer will receive a free one-year license of AppSecInc’s database security scanning and assessment tool. AppDetectivePro helps companies discover and identify all known and unknown databases on their network, scan for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, investigate database access control violations, and provide a wealth of knowledge for remediation.
It is no secret that data breaches continue to escalate. The Open Security Foundation’s DataLossDB website shows that in 2011 there were hundreds of millions of records breached, including over 330 million records coming from just the top 20 reported breaches worldwide.
Perhaps more alarming is the overall financial impact to breached organizations. According to the Ponemon Institute’s 2011 Cost of a Data Breach Study, the average cost to organizations that experienced a data breach was $5.5 million. Additionally, the Ponemon report cited the average cost per breached record was $194, and escalated to as high as $334 depending on the industry.
Despite the astounding breach figures from the past year, Verizon’s 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report shows that 97 percent of breaches were avoidable through simple or intermediate controls. Incidentally, 96 percent of all compromised records came from databases.
“The numbers don’t lie – we have a very real and very serious data security problem on our hands,” said Thom VanHorn, Vice President of Global Marketing, AppSecInc. “But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Be it hacktivists, cyber criminals or malicious insiders, they all have one thing in common – they tend to prey on basic weaknesses and take the path of least resistance.”
Recognizing that organizations of all sizes continue to struggle in the battle against data breaches, AppSecInc decided to do something about it and provide a free one year license of AppDetectivePro, which retails for $2,000 per database instance.
It seems like a bold move on the vendor’s part. For companies that jump at the offer, there’s a catch: Application Security Inc. wants you to give it usage data so it can be incorporated into a 2012 Database Security Trends report. “If it goes as expected, we should have some pretty interesting stats to report,” says Application Security spokesman Tim Whitman.
To those who choose to participate: I’d be interested in talking to you about how this works out and what ends up helping or not helping. It will help us write a fuller picture once the resulting report is released.
Article source: http://blogs.csoonline.com/application-security/2183/application-security-inc-vows-give-away-1-million-database-security-software
Mobile News Wrap-Up: May 18, 2012
Posted by RJGFeed in virus and malware info on May 19, 2012
Although it’s early, Apple may have something to fear, and its name is Samsung. For years, the two have battled it out in the smart phone space, even going to court. Now comes word that Samsung has already received roughly nine million pre-orders for its upcoming phone, the Galaxy S3, launching May 29. Granted, the news didn’t come from Samsung directly, but rather an unnamed source. Still, if true, it could put a major dent in Apple’s market share, especially with the highly anticipated iPhone 5 set for a possible fall debut. Seems so far away.
Keeping with Android, developer Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team just released its critically-acclaimed iOS title, Pro Zombie Soccer, on the Marketplace. Before you call it “just another zombie game”, consider the whacky premise. Hordes of undead move towards the hero on the left side of the screen, and it’s your job to kick a soccer ball into the masses, transforming them into a bloody pile of limbs. Meanwhile, an outer space death ray comes in handy for frying the creatures and clearing the screen. FIFA, it isn’t. [Download]
Now for some Angry Birds news. It appears series creator Rovio Entertainment isn’t content to create slingshot puzzle games forever, and plans to partner with Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen to create some sort of web game, complete with merchandise. Hopefully, we see the fruits of their labor sooner than later.
Also on the way is a free-to-play iOS game called Zombie Carnaval, from developer Mobigame. In it, the goal is to spread the dangerous zombie virus throughout the world and more than 60 challenging stages, thus creating one huge “carnaval” of flesh-eaters. Look for it to shamble onto the App Store May 31.
If you’ve always wanted to learn Japanese but can’t get over the insane learning curve, Springloaded may have a solution with the cute iOS game, Hiragana Pixel Party. Complimented by cool 8-bit style graphics, the game makes it easier to read Japanese Hiragana and Katakana characters through almost 200 missions for each alphabet. It’s free to download and play, with a Mega Pack costing $1.99. [Download]
On the fence about purchasing Ticket to Ride Pocket for iPhone? Don’t be, since the game is free to download today. The video game adaptation of the popular board game comes alive with solo and pass-and-play options, online play, 40 achievements, leaderboards, and a new USA 1910 expansion. Definitely worth playing. [Download]
Article source: http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/2012/05/18/mobile-news-wrap-up-may-18-2012/