Hackers target energy industry. According to government cyber-terrorism officials and private security experts, computer attacks at power companies are up substantially. Power and energy companies are fast becoming a primary target of computer hackers who have managed to penetrate energy control networks as well as administrative systems. Some experts say energy power systems have ironically become a choice target because of efforts to modernize them for greater efficiency. While others cite terrorism, industrial espionage, and malicious mischief for the Increase in hacker attacks. (Los Angeles Times, 8 Jul) Suspicious incidents on ferries reported. Twice in the past ten days, the Washington State ferry system has reported incidents to law enforcement authorities concerning suspicious-looking men that were observed videotaping while aboard the boats. The first, which occurred 24 June, involved four men as walk-on passengers during two round trips aboard the "Spokane", which operates between Edmonds and Kingston. Reportedly, the men videotaped the interior of the "Spokane", while one talked on a cellular telephone and another took notes. All four men were irate that they had to get off the Spokane once it had docked. The second report came 3 July, when five or six men were seen videotaping while aboard the "Tacoma" during its Seattle-to-Bainbridge run. The men appeared to be tourists. The ferry system told the Coast Guard and the Washington State Patrol about both incidents, said Susan Harris, a spokeswoman for the ferry system. Harris added that the ferry system sent out an advisory to its employees, urging them to be vigilant and to report suspicious incidents immediately to help investigators. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 6 Jul) US should widen smallpox protection. According to researchers who have analyzed the number of deaths that would follow smallpox vaccinations, government should consider abandoning plans to vaccinate a limited number of people after a smallpox bio-terrorism attack and instead adopt mass public vaccinations. Interim guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now call for "ring" vaccination: Quarantine the smallpox victims and vaccinate and monitor people they might have contacted. Only the CDC director can allow mass vaccinations about four weeks after a large outbreak. As the threat of bio-terrorism rises, the government plans to have about 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine available by 2003. In May 2002, a University of Michigan analysis suggested that widespread vaccination of the U.S. population, about 280 million people, would cause 200 to 300 deaths from vaccine side effects. On 7 July, a New York Times article said that the government plans to inoculate 500,000 health care and emergency workers with the vaccine. (USA Today, 8 Jul) Preparations underway for radiation attack. The New York Stock Exchange has built two auxiliary trading floors at secret locations to ensure that trading can continue if the city's financial district is attacked. Further, they plan to open secret communications centers around the country. These new communications hubs will be equipped to handle the more than 1 billion daily buy and sell orders between investors and brokers. To keep the locations secret, the exchange can move them without brokerage firms' knowledge. The Securities Industry Association, the trade association for Wall Street, has set up a command center and a backup site at an undisclosed location. If there is an emergency, the group will contact about 150 executives in charge of business continuity at the top Wall Street firms. Together, they will determine how to respond. (USA Today, 8 Jul)
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