A proposed security agreement between the European Union and the United States would give federal officials access to a vast new pool of counterterrorism intelligence data, according to a document prepared by a high-level advisory group of interior and justice ministers from six EU member states.

One in three IT professionals have used administrative passwords to snoop on company and employee data, according to security vendor Cyber Ark. Improperly viewed information includes salary details, personal e-mails, and company board minutes.

A federal district judge has ruled that four Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees may sue the government after it compromised their personal data. The TSA lost a hard drive containing personal and financial information on 100,000 employees.

The Center for Democracy and Technology and Ernst & Young LLP surveyed 60 organizations about the risk of telecommuting and found that most companies acknowledge the risk but sideline addressing it for more pressing matters.

The Department of Homeland Security faces its first transition to a new president. Read the National Academy of Public Administration’s transition plan, commissioned by DHS and Congress, on avoiding elevated vulnerability during this critical time.

This month’s “Site to See” is a free computer vulnerability test from Sophos that examines 28 antivirus and 22 firewall applications. It also checks for more than 600 patches.

This month, the Federal Trade Commission’s “red flag” rules to prevent and mitigate identity theft in financial institutions go into effect. Find out more about identity theft and the program on the FTC’s Web site.

A police officer who was harassed by his coworkers after he contracted hepatitis C may sue his employer for creating a hostile work environment, ruled an appellate court.

Information security professionals will play a more strategic role in the future, according to a study from the London-based Information Security Forum. They’ll also spend more time predicting future threats and less time ensuring regulatory compliance.

A new Motorola survey says consumers rank drug trafficking and drug possession as their number one public safety concern while first responders overwhelmingly cite natural disasters.

An employee attacked in a parking lot cannot hold the lot owner liable for failing to protect him from an unforeseen attack, according to the California Court of Appeal. (Ericson v. Federal Express, California Court of Appeal, No. D049934, 2008)

A bill broadening the scope of  the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law (P.L. 110-325). Under the law, key provisions of the ADA are clarified. For example, current law provides that a person is considered disabled if an impairment substantially limits a major life activity. The law defines a “major life activity” as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

Lawmakers explored the effectiveness of security aboard cruise ships during a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. Several witnesses discussed cases in which cruise ship passengers were sexually assaulted, robbed, or went missing at sea.

Congress has approved and the President has signed a bill (H.R. 3068) that prohibits a company owned, controlled, or operated by anyone convicted of a felony from providing contract security guards for federal government buildings. The bill has become P.L. 110-356.

A bill designed to improve railroad safety (H.R. 2095) has been approved by a conference committee and must now be signed into law by the president. The new law (P.L. 110-432) reduces stress on workers by decreasing overall work hours and increasing the amount of time off between shifts.

A new law (formerly H.B. 2421) recently enacted in Iowa will increase training requirements for security guards that work in commercial establishments that sell alcohol. The extra training will include anger-management techniques, recognition of false IDs, information on laws relating to alcohol consumption, and procedures for safe removal of patrons from the premises.

Under a new law (formerly S.B. 1088), recently approved in Iowa, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against an employee who is a plaintiff, defendant, or witness in a civil proceeding. Prior to the new law, such discrimination was only illegal against those participating in a criminal lawsuit.

An apartment building owner is liable for the injuries sustained by a subcontractor who was crushed by an air conditioner he was trying to install. The court ruled that the building owner was liable even though he did not know the air conditioner was being installed and did not hire the plaintiff to work on the property. (Sanatass v. Consolidated Investing Company, New York Court of Appeal, No. 60, 2008)

A federal appeals court has ruled that an employer did not discriminate against an employee who requested certain days and times off for religious observance. The company showed that it evaluated other positions within the company and alternative shifts but could not accommodate the employee because of seniority issues or union rules. (EEOC v. Firestone Fibers and Textiles, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 06-2203, 2008)