THE MAGAZINE

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Inspector General (IG) recently slammed the agency for not implementing "adequate security controls to protect data transmitted on wireless networks and devices." The IG's report called DHS's wireless policy incomplete and also pointed out that none of the wireless systems in use has been certified or accredited, though DHS security policy mandates this. @ The full report and a response from DHS Chief Information Officer Steven I. Cooper

The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, known simply as Check 21, improves bank efficiency by allowing "substitute checks," including digital images of checks, to be used so that paper checks do not have to be moved from institution to institution. The bank on which the check was drawn then treats the check as a debit instrument, instantly charging the amount against the account. Customers will no longer receive cancelled checks; instead, they'll have to log into their bank accounts to see the image of the cancelled chec

The e-mail in-box has evolved from a useful communication medium to a catalog of too-good-to-be-true offers of mortgages and organ enhancements. The stalwart and ubiquitous mobile phone is perched at the brink of a similar catastrophe, as cell-phone spammers begin to wirelessly deliver a similar stream of bogus messages and come-ons. But a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling may keep spam from overwhelming wireless phones.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has offered assistance to financial institutions to protect against instant messaging (IM) troubles.

Looking for more in-depth information on Windows security? Need a primer on Trojan horses? Want to see how susceptible your e-mail system is to viruses? Then point your browser to www.windowsecurity.com, this month's Site to See.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which was criticized when it was started by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in July 2002, is now showing signs of improvement, according to the GAO.

If a disaster strikes, it's imperative that local first responders be able to communicate effectively, first with each other, then with neighboring responders. But they must also communicate with local companies and representatives of federal agencies. A new survey shows that the first and second areas are in good shape, but the third and fourth remain fraught with problems.

Test your knowledge of tech terms by guessing the following.

A software program that includes a collection of tools allowing a hacker full control over a victimized machine just as if he or she were sitting in front of it. Some well-known examples of this software include SubSeven and BackOrifice. These malicious codes are often delivered by Trojans--innocuous-looking programs, such as games. Here's a hint: We're rooting for you.

A bill (S. 2275) that would require the government to give security assistance to high-risk nonprofit organizations has been approved by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The bill must now be taken up by the full Senate.

A holding company for utilities finds a solution to digging through network log entries.

Cryptography is one of the most intimidating aspects of computer security, conjuring up, as it does, such concepts as hash functions and public-key infrastructures. For the average user who wants to know about cryptography without gaining the proficiency of a cryptographer, Cryptography for Dummies is the perfect introduction.

 It is apparent that author Tony L. Jones--whose bio is nowhere to be found in the book, but who a Web search indicates is an Ohio police officer--has spent many hours researching the specialized field of courthouse security. The resulting work is a comprehensive manual of information culled from many U.S. sources. Information presented comes from a range of respected and noted court security advisors.

 Inspired by such events as the mass suicide in Guyana by members of the People's Temple, Arthur J. Deikman wrote The Wrong Way Home in 1990. In that book, Deikman offered a persuasive look at the nature, dynamics, and impact of cult behavior. In Them and Us, an expansion of that book, Deikman tries to link cult behavior and thinking to the behavior and thinking of terrorists. When the book sticks strictly to cults, it succeeds. It bogs down, though, when it tries to apply cult behavior to all of society and to terrorists in particular.

The book is heavily weighted toward town center CCTV usage, and while chapter nine reveals the impact of monitored CCTV in a retail environment and highlights the need to train those monitoring the system, there is a noticeable absence of contributions from private sector security practitioners. With CCTV so ubiquitous, it would have been useful to record the experiences, views, and research of security professionals working with video.

This book provides extensive documented detail on who is bullied and how it occurs. The editors validate the perception that bullying is most likely to happen to students making the transition from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. They also dispel the perception that the bully is a social misfit; he or she is typically popular. Also explored is how bullying varies by gender, race, and ethnic background. Such detail, as well as an abundance of source material, makes this book very interesting reading.

Security professionals involved in preventing workplace violence will find The Psychology and Law of  Workplace Violence to be an excellent reference. Although the book is long, the information is useful and is presented in an easy writing style.