Site Map - Research & Studies

12/11/2007 - The growing popularity of attacks against Web-browser software is evident in new research conducted by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association. The survey found that 36.8 percent of the nearly 900 organizations interviewed had seen browser-based attacks jump 25 percent from the previous year. Browser-based attacks are those that take place when a Web page contains malicious code that can compromise a Web browser. @ More information on the CompTIA survey is at SM Online.

12/10/2007 - A Dartmouth College think tank, the Institute for Security Technology Studies (ISTS), released the third of three reports that analyze and prioritize the technology needs of cyberattack investigators. Read the full report.

12/06/2007 - A new report from a private watchdog group "details billions of dollars in waste and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars" at DHS.

12/04/2007 - The Roman satirist Juvenal famously asked, "Who will guard the guardians?" An equally pertinent question for today might be "Who will respond to the emergency responders?"

11/29/2007 - Despite its bulk, the final report of the 9-11 Commission couldn't cover everything. Two topics, terrorist financing and travel, receive detailed treatment in a pair of monographs released by the commission. One document explains how the 9-11 plot was funded and assesses efforts to disrupt the flow of terrorist money. The other notes that "border inspectors today still do not have basic intelligence and operational training to aid them in detecting and preventing terrorist entry...." @ SM Online has the monographs.

11/29/2007 - Despite increased attention, cargo security is still sorely lacking, according to cargo industry executives. A recent survey, shows that 62 percent of executives named background checks of workers and drivers as a very important measure, but only 14 percent said that industry performance in this arena was excellent. The disparity between importance and performance was vast for the other nine measures listed as well, such as cargo inspection (41 percent said it was very important, while only 4 percent gave the industry high marks on that measure) and improved operational procedures (50 percent versus 2 percent). More information on the survey of 103 executives, conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Deloitte & Touche LLP, can be obtained by contacting Deloitte via SM Online.

11/27/2007 - Scientists at the DOE's Argonne National Laboratory may be able to harness the power of T-rays for more effective checkpoint screening.

11/16/2007 - Hackers steal customer information and then demand money in return for not disclosing the compromise. How common is this scenario? A recent study shows that 17 of 100 companies surveyed have been so threatened, and many of those threats came from insiders. Almost a quarter of respondents said they would contact their legal department if so threatened, yet 59 percent were unsure whether their legal counsels were qualified to give advice (another 12 percent said they definitely were not). @ The Carnegie Mellon study, Enumerating and Reducing the Threat of Transnational Cyber Extortion against Small and Medium Size Organizations .

11/16/2007 - Almost one-third of companies outsource application-development tasks, as well as Web-site development and management, according to a new survey of 744 organizations carried out by Enterprise Systems, a provider of business and technology information for IT managers. Outsourcing: Who, Where, and Why? The 2004 Enterprise Strategies Outsourcing Survey is available at SM Online.

11/16/2007 - The United States is known for its scientific expertise and ingenuity. When it comes time to blending these with public policy, however, the science often takes a backseat. A report by the Henry L. Stimson Center, a think tank, proposes methods for incorporating expertise in science, technology, and health into the formation of national biological security policy. @ You can find the report, as well as an executive summary, through SM Online.

11/08/2007 - Is it feasible to outfit planes to defend against shoulder-fired missiles?

10/19/2007 - America's scientific community is worried government fears of terrorism will stop the flow of information, researchers, and students necessary for America's continued scientific supremacy.

10/16/2007 - Researchers say M.R.S.A., a virulent drug-resistant bacterium found in hospitals and nursing homes, could account for more deaths than HIV/AIDS.