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September 2009
Israel launches biometric airline security system
By msnbc.com on September 8, 2009
As more than three million Muslim pilgrims from 160 countries assemble for the annual hajj in Mecca, health officials are taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.
World »
2 Australians charged in vicious attack on tourist
March 10, 2010
Two Australian teenagers have been charged in a brutal attack in a Sydney train station on a Canadian tourist in a wheelchair.
Politics »
Background check missed suspect\’s prison stay
March 10, 2010
(CNN) — A background check conducted in 2009 on an Ohio State University employee suspected of opening fire Tuesday on his co-workers turned up no criminal record, even though he apparently served five years in prison.
The background check, released by the university Wednesday, was performed by third-party vendor OPENonline in September 2009 after shooting suspect Nathaniel Brown applied for a job as a janitor in the schools Facilities Operations & Development Department.
Under the criminal records section, the check shows "No records found" nationally or locally. A check by CNN on Wednesday by a different vendor also revealed no criminal past. However, according to The Columbus-Dispatch, records show Brown spent five years in prison between 1979 and 1984 for receiving stolen property.
Police say Brown, 50, was apparently angry over a poor performance evaluation when he entered a university maintenance building early Tuesday and opened fire, killing a manager before turning the gun on himself and ending his own life. Another employee, Henry Butler, was wounded in the shooting. His injuries werent life-threatening, and he has since been released from the hospital.
Ohio State President Gordon Gee expressed condolences Wednesday to the family of victim Larry Wallington, calling his death "a significant loss."
"We cant replace him, but we certainly can learn from what has happened here," Gee said at a news conference.
Business »
Report: Linux Gains Ground, Windows Stumbles
January 26, 2010
Linux inched ahead in the operating-system arena during the final month of 2009, even as Windows and Mac gave up some ground. That’s according to research firm Net Applications, which recently released its Market Share report covering operating systems in December. Linux accounted for 1.02 percent of the market in December, up from an even 1 percent the month before.
Technology »
Pentagon trains workers to hack Defense computers
March 10, 2010
Washington (CNN) — The Pentagon is training people to hack into its own computer networks.
"To beat a hacker, you need to think like one," said Jay Bavisi, co-founder and president of the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants, or EC-Council. His company was chosen by the Pentagon to oversee training of Department of Defense employees who work in computer security-related jobs and certify them when the training is complete.
The Department of Defense does not consider this hacking.
"DoD personnel are not learning to hack. They are learning to defend the network against hackers," said spokesman Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh.
But the EC-Council calls the program "Certified Ethical Hacker certification." The purpose of the training is to teach Defense Department employees to defend their computer network.
Almost 45,000 attacks on Defense Department computers were reported in the first half of 2009, according to a government report. The report estimated that for all of 2009, the number of attacks would be up 60 percent from the previous year. Fending off the attacks costs the Pentagon about $100 million.
Bavisi said the training focuses on teaching the art of hacking, using the same tools and tricks that traditional hackers use to break into computer networks.
The basic concept is Defense Department employees would use the training to hack into the departments computers, Bavisi said. Once the ethical hackers find the vulnerabilities that unethical hackers could use to attack, they increase the security to remove the potential threat. He said they are like bodyguards for the Defense Department network. Their only goal is to defend the network, even if the means of doing so are similar to those used by cyberattackers, Bavisi said.
This kind of training has been done before in the Defense Department on an ad hoc basis, said Bavisi. Now every Defense Department agency and unit is required to include hacker training as one option for employees involved in cybersecurity.
EC-Council has 450 training partners that will handle standard "ethical hacking" training, which has been used by civilian agencies and private businesses for years. If a Defense Department agency wants its employees to focus on a particular type of hacker training, EC-Council will perform customized training.
The training requires 40 hours of instruction and 4,500 pages of reading on the latest hacker techniques.
Bavisi said that Defense Department employees who complete the training and certification will not be assigned to use their new knowledge to hack into privately owned or civilian computers. But he said that any kind of training, including ethical hacking, could be used for nefarious purposes.
"You can teach me to cut an apple with a knife, and I can turn around and stab you with the knife," Bavisi said.
EC-Council will be paid a fee per student, between $450 to $2,500 depending on the extent of the training and certification. It wont be clear for months exactly how many students will be trained.
Health »
NYT: Decoded genome gives hope in fighting disease
March 10, 2010
Two research teams have independently decoded the entire genome of patients to find the exact genetic cause of their disease.
Sports »
Grizzlies ‘totally annihilated’ Celtics
March 11, 2010
Rudy Gay scored 28 points to lead Memphis to a 111-91 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night and give the Grizzlies a franchise-record seventh straight road win.
