THE MAGAZINE

Research firm Gartner has estimated that ATM and debit-card fraud resulted in $2.75 billion in losses in the 12 months ending in May 2005.

You’ve spent countless dollars securing your company’s intellectual property in safes and on servers, and you’re sure that sensitive customer or patient information is not being made public, as required by legislation. But meanwhile, your copy machine could be exposing this data to the world.

Federal agencies are data mining personal information for a variety of purposes, from detecting fraud and abuse in government programs to finding evidence of criminal activities.

Voice over IP (VoIP) is becoming increasingly popular as corporations learn they can use their broadband infrastructure to save money on phone bills. But the potential threats from VoIP are still unclear, and companies trying to save a buck could find that they’ve exposed themselves to far greater problems.

The wireless protocol named Bluetooth is enjoying growing popularity in part due to regulations around the world that require drivers to use hands-free headsets when they’re on the phone. Automobile manufacturers have begun building these units into new models, and do-it-yourself kits abound; but unfortunately, they’re not always configured securely. The result? The Car Whisperer, an auditing tool from security researchers at the Trifinite Group, which includes several noted Bluetooth researchers. The Car Whisperer tool makes it possible to “inject audio data” into a poorly configured Bluetooth device and also to eavesdrop on conversations held inside the car.

@ The group’s blog contains this and many other tools designed to compromise poorly protected Bluetooth systems. The Trifinite associates are passionate about spreading the word on Bluetooth security, making it A Site to See.

The wireless protocol named Bluetooth is enjoying growing popularity in part due to regulations around the world that require drivers to use hands-free headsets when they’re on the phone. Automobile manufacturers have begun building these units into new models, and do-it-yourself kits abound; but unfortunately, they’re not always configured securely.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched the Iris Challenge Evaluation (ICE) to gauge the state of this type of biometric technology.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used in everything from retail antitheft devices to inventory tracking and access control. It’s gaining in popularity as a security solution, but companies should be aware of its vulnerabilities, say experts.

These programs typically have “nag screens” that remind you that you haven’t paid. Some only function for a limited amount of time unless payment is sent. What is this category of almost-free software called?

Through the company’s Internet service provider, Ladd learned about Arsenal Digital Solutions, a North Carolina company offering a number of storage and disaster-recovery solutions. Ladd looked at one solution, ViaRemote, and did a cost-benefit analysis that showed that Strahan would save enough on Ladd’s labor alone to pay for it. He decided a day later to give ViaRemote a try.

This is not a book so much as a collection of essays, monographs, and first-person accounts of the effects of terrorism from ground zero—the point of impact—to the human effects years afterward.

Author Rory J. McMahon states that this book is a compilation of notes used as an outline in a fraud investigations section for a private investigator program at Career City College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where McMahon was an instructor. He adds that Rene Champagne developed the first editions of this book and that McMahon expanded on those, resulting in this self-published effort.

Among the topics discussed here are perimeter security, locks, entry tracking, CCTV, audio surveillance, background checks, drug testing, and emergency response.

Pick up any security publication nowadays and you’re sure to see an article on the convergence of traditional corporate security with the more technical world of information systems security. Without extensive computer experience, it can be difficult to understand the threats to and vulnerabilities of automated information systems.