Is She America’s New Cybersecurity Tsarina?
By Kevin M. Nixon, Information-Security-Resources.com Security Editor
Information Security Resources staff had received an advance copy of the official White House Press Release (05/29/2009) and was all ears today during President Obama’s East Room remarks on the highly anticipated and long awaited release of the “Cyberspace Policy Review: Assuring a Trusted and Resilient Information and Communications Infrastructure”.
Obama’s Statements on Cybersecurity
From the Office of the White House Press Secretary
As President, my highest priority is the safety and security of the American people. That is why, in February, I issued a Presidential Study Directive to look at how the White House should be organized to deal with the critical issues of homeland security and counterterrorism.
WHITE HOUSE Cyberspace Policy Review
From The Office of the Press Secretary
In February 2009, President Obama directed the National Security Council (NSC) and Homeland Security Council to conduct a 60-day review of the plans, programs, and activities underway throughout government that address our communications and information infrastructure (i.e., “cyberspace”), in order to develop a strategic framework to ensure that the U.S. government’s initiatives in this area are appropriately integrated, resourced, and coordinated.
ISR News: 109K Pension Files Stolen
Excerpts From Finextra
A laptop containing the unencrypted personal details of 109,000 Pensions Trust members has been stolen from the offices of HR software and services provider NorthgateArinso. NorthgateArinso, which provides the Pension Trust’s computerised admin system, was using the laptop as a database for development, training and performance testing at its offices in Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
ISR News: Western Union Malware Attack
Excerpts From Finextra
Western Union has become the latest firm to have its brand hijacked by phishers, with a flood of trojan-laden e-mails purporting to come from the money transfer outfit hitting inboxes.
ISA to Attend Obama’s Cyber Policy Release
From The Internet Security Alliance
Ms Hathaway made a speech outlining the issues she wished input on to the ISA (as she did with several other organizations) and Mr. Clinton participated in two smaller sessions with her and her staff. In addition, the ISA presented a 44-page booklet of cyber security proposals to the Obama Administration covering 9 different topic areas (The Cyber Security Social Contract: Policy Recommendations for the Obama Administration). Subsequent to the Hathaway speech to ISA the ISA Board prepared an additional 11 policy papers directly answering questions raised in Ms Hathaway’s speech.
‘Both Sides of the Mouth’ Security Analysis
By John B. Frank, Marketing Strategist with HomeATM ePayment Solutions
Launched in April 2009, P2P Safe-T-PIN offers home-based “card present” credit card and PIN debit transactions online using a PCI-certified device attached to a personal computer through a USB port. Users also could make online purchases by swiping their credit card or debit card and PIN at checkout. The device allows for secure real-time money movement with an option for delayed transactions.
US Cyber Security Report Due May 29th
By Kevin M. Nixon, Information-Security-Resources.com Security Editor
The President will release the 60-Day Cyber Space policy review report at the Whitehouse on Friday, May 29, 2009. The administration recognizes the very serious threats Public & Private sector Networks face from cyber-crime and cyber-attack. Recognizing these threats the President has elevated cybersecurity to a major administration priority by undertaking an early comprehensive interagency review. The administration is also committed to establishing the proper structure within the government to insure that cybersecurity issues continue to receive top-level attention and enhanced coordination. The report is an important first step toward securing the nation’s cyber-infrastructure.
Infosecurity Europe Update: What Recession?
By Gene Kim, CTO of Tripwire and co-founder of the IT Process Institute
If you think that all these hard-earned dollars are being spent on truly creating continuous compliance, this is money well spent. Yay. If you think that these capital dollars are being thrown at a huge Band-Aid, and that information security breaches will continue to occur, and that equal dollars will be need to be spent passing next year’s audit, then not so much. Boo.
Financial Sector Cybersecurity Issues
From The Internet Security Alliance
From a corporate perspective, while banking and finance sectors have been more proactive and forward thinking as well as far more advanced than most sectors, cyber security is still perceived too often simply as an IT cost center rather than as an enterprise wide risk management issue with serious financial implications. The silo specific view of cyber issues, fueled by antiquated corporate structures and attitudes results in an insufficient analysis of the true needs and values associated with cyber security.
