-----Original Message----- From: NIPC Watch To: daily Sent: 11/7/01 8:36 AM Subject: NIPC Daily Report, 7 November 2001 NIPC Daily Report, 7 November 2001 NOTE: Please understand that this is for informationl purposes only and does not constitute any verification of the information contained in the report nor does this constitute endorsement by the NIPC or the FBI. Significant Changes and Assessment - No Significant Changes Private Sector - A group of "white hat" hackers is putting out a call to other experts, asking them to deluge software vendors with bug reports. So far, only one prominent organization has signed on to the "Information Anarchy 2K01" initiative, a group known as Nomad Mobile Research Center. The call to arms comes as Microsoft convened its Trusted Computing conference in Mountain View, California., on 6 November, and is expected to further its push for an industry consensus against disclosing details on security vulnerabilities on 7 November. The company is expected to put forth a formal proposal this week in the form of a request for comment with the Internet Engineering Task Force, an industry standards-setting body. (Source: Newsbytes, 6 November 01) International - Companies are failing to track down and prosecute hackers because they find it too expensive and difficult to investigate attacks in the United Kingdom (UK). Security experts claim that UK firms are prepared to write off losses of up to £50,000 because of the difficulty of getting a conviction. "Primarily it depends on whether the damage suffered is equal to or less than the value of an investigation," said Nigel Layton, chief executive of UK security consultant Quest. "And in the UK, most companies do not think it is worth pursuing for less than £50,000, although if there is harm to the company's reputation they may choose to pursue it more vigorously." Layton said the government's controversial National Hi-Tech Crime Unit has worked with his company on a couple of investigations involving his clients, though none have yet gone to court. Quest has this week launched a service in the UK in conjunction with US-based Internet Crimes Group to help companies tackle cyber-criminals. (Source: Vnunet, 6 November) Government - NTR Military - NTR U.S. SECTOR INFORMATION: Telecommunications/Emergency Services - Wireless telephone users across southern Maine were unable to call 911 for most of the day on 6 November because of a malfunction in a telephone system. An early morning power surge burned out components at Pine Tree Telephone, which left cellular telephone users in Cumberland, York, Oxford and Androscoggin counties unable to get through to emergency response numbers. The problem may have occurred after wind toppled a tree over Route 26, temporarily interrupting electrical service which was followed by a power surge, public safety officials said. The surge then burned out two of three identical components that are used to convert electricity to the direct current needed for telephone service. A single remaining component could not handle the entire system and ultimately broke down as well, said Pine Tree president Robert Souza. Public safety officials said they were unaware whether the problems significantly interfered with the work of emergency responders or whether any members of the public suffered as a result. (Source: AP, 7 November) Electrical Power - Putnam County, West Virginia Sheriff Stan Farley announced that someone tried to enter the John Amos Plant facility. A female security guard spotted one man and chased him, then he turned and hit her. Farley says, "They were talking some type of foreign language. They got into the boat and took up the river." By the time police got there, only the ripples of the river remained. They are described as two dark skinned men, wearing dark clothing. Joe Haynes, with the John Amos Plant, says, "Our security reacted exactly the way we wanted them to." The Kanawha River is very close to the John Amos plant. Officials say from time to time people wander on to the property. A recent report from the Coast Guard adds to the concern. The guard says there is a boat masquerading as a guard vessel in the region. The Coast Guard is looking into this incident and will determine if there is any connection between the bogus boat and this incident. (Source: MSNBC, 5 November) Transportation - NTR Water Supply - NTR Gas and Oil Storage Distribution - NTR Government Services - NTR Banking and Finance - NTR
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