CRIME FW: NIPC Daily Report 20 June 2002

From: George Heuston (GeorgeH@private)
Date: Thu Jun 20 2002 - 08:40:15 PDT

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    -----Original Message-----
    From: Nipc Watch
    To: daily
    Sent: 6/20/02 6:09 AM
    Subject: NIPC Daily Report   20 June 2002
    Importance: High
    
    NIPC Daily Report   20 June 2002
    
    The NIPC Watch and Warning Unit compiles this report to inform
    recipients of issues impacting the integrity and capability of the
    nation's critical infrastructures.
    
    NIPC Advisory 02-005: Remote Vulnerabilities in Apache Web Server
    Software. The NIPC issued an advisory to highlight the significance of a
    vulnerability that could affect a majority of active Web sites. The
    advisory can be found at www.nipc.gov <http://www.nipc.gov> 
    
    White House briefly evacuated. The White House was briefly evacuated 19
    June night after a small plane failed to make radio contact with Reagan
    National Airport as it flew over the capital.  An F-16 military jet was
    scrambled and tracked the plane until it landed at an airport in
    Richmond, Va. Law enforcement officials said a Cessna plane was flying
    southwest in restricted airspace over the capital and failed to make
    radio contact with the control towers at Reagan National Airport. The
    plane then changed direction, prompting the Secret Service to end the
    evacuation. Within 15 minutes of the evacuation, staff was allowed to
    return to the building.  (Associated Press, 19 June)
    
    Ridge won't back direct aid to cities.  The nation's cities can expect
    significant federal help in fighting terrorist threats, but the money
    won't necessarily come in the form many Mayors want it. Homeland
    Security Director Tom Ridge did not endorse the group's position that
    the money be distributed in direct block grants to cities.  He also
    frowned on the idea of the money going toward overtime for police, fire
    and emergency personnel.  The Mayors have noted that police officers,
    firefighters and emergency personnel will be the front line of defense
    when it comes to responding to terrorist attacks and threats. (Milwaukee
    Journal Sentinel, 18 June)
    
    Cyberterror threat ignored. Silicon Valley firms are not taking adequate
    precautions against possible cyberattacks. The downturn in the economy
    has cut into information technology budgets to address the problem, and
    even if security gets more favorable treatment than other IT areas in
    budgeting, companies may still be underestimating the threat. This
    information was gleaned from a 12 June survey of more than 500 company
    risk managers and IT heads that were questioned as to the
    Internet-related and software-related companies' commitment to
    cybersecurity. The survey shows companies do not plan well enough to
    assess cybersecurity risks or work to protect against those risks. The
    survey shows many CEOs and risk managers falsely assume that the problem
    has been taken care of at their companies. (San Jose Business Journal ,
    19 June)
    
    Two kilograms of uranium discovered in car in central Russia.  Russian
    police and the Federal Security Service seized two kilograms of uranium
    found in a car in central Russia.  Police also discovered a fragment of
    a combustible bar used in nuclear reactors in the car. The United States
    and Russia set up a joint task force in May to prevent terrorists from
    acquiring radioactive substances for use in building weapons of mass
    destruction.  (Hindustan Times, 18 June)
    
    WWU Comment: This discovery follows the recent arrest of an individual
    accused of planning to build and employ a 'dirty bomb' in the US Small
    quantities of radioactive material dispersed via conventional explosives
    could have a severe affect on the nation's infrastructure.  
    
    Hong Kong urged to let US personnel observe cargo inspections. A US
    Customs official urged Hong Kong on 19 June to allow American officials
    to observe the inspection of cargo containers bound for the United
    States in a bid to detect potential terrorist threats.  Hong Kong is one
    of America's largest trading partners and one of the world's largest
    ports. Since the 11 September attacks, US authorities have been
    concerned about cargo containers potentially being used to carry nuclear
    or biological weapons or other dangerous material into the United
    States.  570,000 sea containers from Hong Kong entered the United States
    in 2001.  Many Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong exporters are now
    bypassing Hong Kong and using other Chinese ports. (Reuters Asia , 19
    June)
    
    WWU Comment: The last sentence, above, highlights the questionable
    value-added approach of applying resources to specific cargo origination
    ports.  Thorough inspections at major destination ports (see below) may
    make better use of resources.
    
    $3.8m awarded for port security.  The US Department of Transportation
    this week gave a total of $3.8 million to Boston and Everett police, the
    Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, and a
    start-up North Quincy company that is developing a device to better
    track cargo. The grants are part of $92.3 million in federal security
    money allocated to 51 ports nationwide. Boston Harbor, like many urban
    ports, is considered to be a prime target for terrorists, with liquefied
    natural gas storage facilities, Logan International Airport, sewage
    plants, and national symbols, such as the USS Constitution and the John
    F. Kennedy Library, easily accessible by water. (The Boston Globe, 19
    June)
    



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