Daily Report Monday, December 4, 2006

Daily Highlights


The Associated Press reports the first major snowstorm of the season forced a plane off a runway, canceled hundreds of flights, and closed highways in the Plains and Midwest; crews from 14 states were called in to help repair the power outages. (See item 1)
·
Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, will soon test a new federal screening system called backscatter that takes X−rays of passenger's bodies to detect concealed explosives and other weapons. (See item 14)

Information Technology and Telecommunications Sector

36. December 01, Associated Press — Companies face new rules on keeping data. U.S. companies will need to know more about where they store e−mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees in the event they are sued, thanks to changes in federal rules that took effect Friday, December 1, legal experts say. The changes, approved by the Supreme Court's administrative arm in April after a five−year review, require companies and other parties involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored information" as part of discovery, the process by which both sides share evidence before a trial. Companies still could routinely purge their archives if the data aren't relevant to cases companies have pending or expect to face, though specific sectors such as financial services remain governed by other data−retention rules. The new rules make it more important for companies to know what electronic information they have and where.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_hi_te/storing_emai ls

37. December 01, CNET News — Company challenges FCC rules on cell phone−jamming gear. A small Florida company is taking on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change regulations prohibiting the sale of equipment used to scramble cell phone signals to local and state agencies. The company, CellAntenna, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 11th Circuit in Atlanta on November 22 challenging the Communications Act of 1934, which is enforced by the FCC. The 1934 act and the FCC regulations that go along with it prohibit the use of cellular and radio frequency−jamming equipment, except by federal agencies. This means that local and state officials are not permitted to use such equipment, which could be used to help prevent terrorist attacks. CellAntenna argues that the Communications Act and the FCC regulations that interpret the law are unconstitutional because they are in conflict with the Homeland Security Act of 2002, adopted by Congress in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Although it's widely known that cell phones can be used to remotely detonate some types of bombs, local and state law enforcement agencies, which would be the first responders to a U.S. terrorist attack, are prohibited by law from obtaining such gear.
Source: http://news.com.com/Company+challenges+FCC+rules+on+cell+phone−jamming+gear/2100−1036_3−6139854.html?tag=nefd.lede

38. December 01, CNET News — Another suspected NASA hacker indicted. A Romanian man was indicted Thursday, November 30, for allegedly breaking into more than 150 U.S. government computers. The indictment charges Victor Faur, 26, of Arad, Romania, with leading a hacking group called the "WhiteHat Team," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. The group allegedly hacked into the government systems because of their reputation as some of the most secure in the world. "After hacking into and taking control of the government computers, Faur allegedly caused the compromised machines to display screens that flaunted the computer intrusion," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Faur is charged with conspiracy and nine counts of computer intrusion.
Source: http://news.com.com/Another+suspected+NASA+hacker+indicted/2100−7350_3−6140001.html?tag=nefd.top