Forwarded from: William Knowles <wk@private> http://www.al.com/redstone/index.ssf?/base/news/1132827506165260.xml&coll=1 By KARI HAWKINS Staff writer The Redstone Rocket November 24, 2005 As a government employee, you've heard it all before * lock your computer screen, protect your computer password, shred unwanted government documents, be careful about what is discussed in unclassified phone calls and e-mails, and practice vigilance in all matters related to workplace security. But when you put a personal face on security issues, a whole new dimension is added. Two speakers who presented to thousands of government employees in Bob Jones Auditorium during Redstone Arsenal's Security Awareness Week added the "personal factor" to the security precautions employees are routinely reminded of in the workplace. For Brian Miller, the community programs branch chief at the Defense Security Service Academy, Security Education and Awareness Directorate, Defense Security Service, that "personal factor" came through to his audiences in the faces of two Soldiers * his sons-in-law * and their families, who were shown on the auditorium's video screen. It also came through in a picture of the rows and rows of tombstones marking the gravesites of heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery and in a picture of Walter Reed Hospital where veterans are cared for after being injured in the line of duty. "Whatever you do all comes back to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines that we have deployed abroad," Miller said. "They are defending our way of life and we need to do whatever we can to protect them. When you do anything to jeopardize security it bothers me." For Don Sadowy, that "personal factor" was evident in his experiences as a member of the New York Police Department Bomb Squad, as a World Trade Center survivor and as a foremost expert on Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorism. Sadowy currently works as a special deputy for the U.S. Marshal's Office in the Southern District of New York. "9-11 was our Pearl Harbor to this generation," Sadowy said. "We must all be vigilant. Don't keep security concerns to yourself. Look around and evaluate, and be aware." Miller spoke to audiences on matters pertaining to Security Awareness in the Workplace while Sadowy addressed Counterterroism, both related to the theme "Awareness Today for a Secure Tomorrow * Are You Doing Your Part?" They spoke to employees of Integrated Materiel Management Center, Acquisition Center and primary organizational elements; Research Development and Engineering Center; Space and Missile Defense Command; Program Executive Office for Aviation, PEO for Missiles and Space, and Missile Defense Agency. Both men shared the same message * U.S. adversaries are getting smarter and more desperate in their attempts to undermine freedom around the world, and they will use any means * from looking through the garbage of government employees to reading thousands of unclassified government e-mails * to gain bits of information that can help them plan their next destructive act. Miller, an Army retiree who has worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, told his audiences that he wasn't concerned about their politics or whether they agree with the war in Iraq. What he is concerned about is their allegiance to their country. "You come to work because you've got to have food on your table and a roof over your head," he said. "But you've also got to come to work because you believe in your country and what you do. It all comes back to the war fighter." Basic computer security skills, such as locking computer screens when not in use, are important because espionage is everywhere. "Is the reality that everyone who works for the federal government is a trusted employee?" Miller asked. "Think of all those who have committed espionage over the last 30 years. They didn't cut a hole in the fence and come in. They were you and me. They were insiders that had access to government systems." Viruses that can destroy computer systems are often brought into the workplace by unaware employees who carry them on a personal disk, Miller said. "If you want to bring something from home into the workplace, see your security manager," he warned. "A personal disk can do damage to a computer system and it can do it very, very quickly." Miller also warned employees to not use personal information, such as birthdates and anniversaries, as passwords. Once a password is chosen, it should be properly secured as should all sensitive information. "Dumpster diving is alive and well," Miller said. "You'd be surprised the amount of information you can get from someone's trash. Unclassified information can be most damaging in the hands of adversaries who can put pieces of information together like a child puts together a puzzle." He urged employees to shred information, to use burn bags when available, to properly protect classified information, to secure materials properly, to report unaccounted for or lost items, and to use proper communication devices. "Our adversaries listen to what you talk about. They listen to unclassified calls," Miller said. "They get most of their information from employees who work in unclassified areas. You are their primary targets because you are more accessible * Some of you working in unclassified environments have more information than you understand." Federal employees who have financial problems, who use illicit drugs, who abuse alcohol, who are facing personal issues (marriage, divorce, adoption, etc.) or who travel abroad are all vulnerable to being recruited to participate in espionage. Federal employees working at Redstone Arsenal are, indeed, recruiting targets for the enemy. "Bad people can get on the Arsenal and do bad things. Huntsville is a very, very significant site for foreign intelligence sources," Miller said. "What you do every day in support of the security office is absolutely necessary. Every employee should provide security assistance * When you see things unusual you have an obligation to report them." In everything federal employees do, they should be vigilant in their security awareness, said Sadowy, who, as one of the few Americans who have graduated from the Israeli Bomb Disposal School in Jerusalem, stressed that the prevention of terrorism acts, especially suicide bombings, require the awareness of all citizens. "I want to give you insight into what we're dealing with and what we may have to deal with here in the states," Sadowy said, mentioning the recent suicide bombings of hotels in Jordan. "I'm not here to make anyone a bomb technician. I want to give you a view of the big picture of what is coming at us. This has been an evolving field since 1984-85. We develop countermeasures to deal with problems that are current, that are today. By next week, the bad guys are shifting gears, changing directions. Countermeasures don't underestimate the enemy, but they have to be able to change." Terrorists often choose explosives to wreak havoc and death rather than chemical, radiological and biological weapons because of easy availability and because "they want to kill as many people as they can, not just one here and one there. They want to kill large groups of us," Sadowy said. Explosives also bring the combat time to zero, with a terrorist showing up in a crowded area and then exploding a deadly bomb with no warning, making it difficult for friendly forces to deal with the threat. With no combat time and with terrorists finding ways to conceal explosives and blend into crowds, terrorists are usually an unanticipated threat no matter where they strike. "They are going to wear their hair like us, their clothes like us," Sadowy said. "They want to blend in, they want to fit. They want to keep a low profile." A recent U.S. trial of an Arabic terrorist emphasized for Sadowy the difficulty of recognizing the threat. The terrorist had lived in the U.S. for 20 years, becoming a U.S. citizen and working as a government employee for 16 years. He had an American wife and three children. Despite all that, the terrorist told authorities "when called upon by my Muslim brothers, I will step forward and leave everything else behind," Sadowy said. "A man like this may not carry out an attack, but they will do everything they can to support the one who will carry a bomb, hijack an airplane and kill us." Terrorists use whatever means to execute their plan. They may carry an innocent-looking TV crate or a PC computer box into a public area, under which bombs are concealed. They may hide explosives under two inches of bird droppings in a dirty birdcage. "The profile of a suicide bomber is not clearly defined," Sadowy said. "But there are some suspicious signs. They may have on irregular dress for the time of year or there may be protrusions under their clothes. There are things to look for in their human nature." Things like always checking or patting their body, irregular or heavy luggage or baggage, hands hidden in pockets or luggage, irregular glances, hidden communications with others, a pale face from a recent shave, not cooperating or reacting to calls from law enforcement, movement without purpose or walking in a determined manner to a target, speaking with an Arab accent and just a "gut feeling that something is unusual" are all telltale signs of a possible terrorist, he said. "If you see something and you have a gut feeling, tell somebody," Sadowy urged. "This country is at war and it's a different kind of war that we need to be prepared to fight. I think we are still a big target, whether in New York or at a military base that supports our troops. We have to be vigilant and take security seriously." © 2005 The Redstone Rocket. *==============================================================* "Communications without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC ================================================================ C4I.org - Computer Security, & Intelligence - http://www.c4i.org *==============================================================* _________________________________________ Earn your Master's degree in Information Security ONLINE www.msia.norwich.edu/csi Study IA management practices and the latest infosec issues. Norwich University is an NSA Center of Excellence.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Mon Nov 28 2005 - 01:53:05 PST