Thursday, September 11, 2008
Complete DHS Daily Report for September 11, 2008
Daily Report
Headlines
The Associated Press reports that a GAO report has found that many of the nation’s largest and most seriously deficient bridges are not getting fixed because the federal Highway Bridge Program is unfocused and lacks sufficient standards. (See item 12)
12. September 9, Associated Press – (National) Bridge repair program unfocused, says GAO. Many of the nation’s largest and most seriously deficient bridges are not getting fixed because a federal program funding bridge repairs is unfocused and lacks sufficient standards, congressional investigators say. The Highway Bridge Program that provided more than $4 billion to states last year has become so broad that “nearly any bridge” is potentially eligible for federal aid, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report being released Wednesday. The number of structurally deficient bridges in the U.S. decreased 22 percent between 1998 and 2007 — from 93,118 to 73,519. But most improvements have been to locally owned and rural bridges rather than the largest bridges in urban areas that carry the most people and goods, the report said. The Federal Highway Administration, which administers the program, said in a statement that the agency has “long cautioned that Congress’ insistence on establishing over 100 federal transportation programs presents states with needless overlaps, conflicting guidance and cumbersome process requirements. That is why we have called on Congress to significantly reduce the number of federal programs so states can be provided with clearer direction on how to ensure that crucial infrastructure needs are fully met.” GAO’s managing director for infrastructure issues and author of the report said in testimony prepared for a hearing Wednesday by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that often “the largest and most critical bridges ... are too expensive to be funded.” Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnoQyupGB7NfNAh3chG95lNEUqVQD933HMVO0
According to the Associated Press, New York officials announced Tuesday that city hot lines are now able to receive photos and video from computers and cell phones. While hundreds of cities accept text messages to emergency hot lines, New York is believed to be the first with the capability to accept images. (See item 29)
29. September 9, Associated Press – (New York) NYC hot lines accept videos, cell phone pictures. New York officials announced Tuesday that city hot lines are now able to receive photos and video from computers and cell phones. Callers to the city’s 911 and non-emergency 311 lines will now be able to send in photos and video to report crimes and complain about quality-of-life problems like uncollected garbage. While hundreds of cities accept text messages to emergency hot lines, New York is believed to be the first with the capability to accept images, officials said. By next year, photos sent by bystanders will be made available to patrol cars, and pictures could even be used as evidence in prosecutions, officials said. More than 12,000 new computers have been installed in precincts around the city; technology in radio cars has been improved; and the department is better able to share information. It took about 18 months to develop the image software, which cost about $250,000, city officials said. Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXFr7QairkKlM8LvPKoLJOn2t3eQD933EMJG0
Details
Banking and Finance Sector
9. September 10, Israel News – (International) Police shut down giant con operation. The Tel Aviv, Isreal, District Police Fraud Unit arrested 10 people on Tuesday, on suspicion of conning American citizens out of $2 million. The suspects were charged with fraud, forgery, conspiracy to commit a crime and false representation. The Tel Aviv District Police Fraud Unit has been conducting a widespread investigation into the alleged sting. During the course of the investigation, police officers have been able to trace the suspects’ activities back to a Ramat Gan office, believed to be the base of operation. The suspects allegedly called thousands of US citizens, most of them elderly, presented themselves as lawyers and said they were calling to inform them that they had won the lottery. In order to collect the prize money, they told victims, they would be required to pay $10,000 in taxes. The victims in most cases agreed to wire the money to a bank account set up by the con artist. The con was discovered after several of the victims pressed charges with their local police departments. Those local investigations eventually led to the discovery of the Israeli connection, at which point, the Tel Aviv District Police became involved. Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3594632,00.html
10. September 9, WALA 10 Mobile – (Florida) Attorney General urges credit and debit activity monitoring. Florida’s attorney general issued a consumer alert Tuesday following a significant loss of data from the Bank of New York Mellon Shareholder Services. More than 742,000 Florida residents may have had their personal data disclosed as a result, out of a total of 12.5 million consumers nationwide whose data was involved in the breach. The attorney general cautioned consumers who are or have been clients of BNY Mellon to closely review their accounts for unauthorized charges and monitor their bank and credit card statements. All consumers who have received a notification from BNY Mellon should promptly review bank statements and transactions to check for unusual activity and report fraudulent charges to banks or credit card issuers for investigation, reversal, or card re-issuance. Source: http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7393750&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.1.1
11. September 9, Associated Press – (National) Billions to be shared by Enron shareholders. Enron Corp. shareholders and investors will split about $7 billion from financial institutions accused of participating in the fraud that caused the once-mighty energy company to collapse. The settlement amount was listed at $7.2 billion, a sum that has been accruing interest since 2002 and includes $688 million plus interest in attorneys fees. The deal, approved late Monday by a U.S. District Judge, and the attorneys fees are the largest in history in a U.S. securities fraud case. About 1.5 million individuals and entities will be eligible to share in the distribution under the settlement plan. Besides the University of California, other plaintiffs who will share in the proceeds include pension plans from New York City and Hawaii, various investment firms and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The distribution plan was part of a $40 billion lawsuit filed by shareholders and investors, who claim Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and others participated in the accounting fraud that led to Enron’s downfall. Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hdE7khcb30E48EoMCNifVBa9-hngD933GEUG0
Information Technology
30. September 9, Computerworld – (International) Microsoft patches 8 critical bugs in Windows, Office. Microsoft Corp. Tuesday patched eight vulnerabilities all rated critical, in four security updates for Windows, Office, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer 6, SQL Server, and other programs. Unlike last month, when Microsoft issued 12 bulletins that fixed 26 flaws, Tuesday’s patched vulnerabilities did not include any that have already been exploited in the wild. The update in that bulletin, highlighted by Storms and other experts as the one most crucial to apply immediately, fixes a total of five vulnerabilities in the Graphics Device Interface (GDI+) component of Windows. GDI+ debuted in Windows XP and is a core part of Windows Vista and the current server-side operating systems, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. Hackers could exploit the GDI+ bugs by sending specially-crafted image files in a variety of formats, including EMF, GIF, WMF, and BMG, to a user via e-mail or by convincing users to visit sites that contain malicious image files. By triggering the vulnerabilities, attackers could then follow up with additional malware to hijack a system or steal data. Source: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9114368&intsrc=hm_list
Communications Sector
31. September 9, KING 5 Seattle – (Washington) Verizon adds cable, internet service to Puget Sound. Verizon is planning to add cable and internet service in the Puget Sound area in Washington. Verizon workers are laying fiber optic cables directly into people’s homes for its new service FiOS. The company claims it is creating a better experience for internet and cable customers and creating competition with Comcast. The move is a blow to Comcast’s dominance in the local market. Verizon said it has laid fiber optic lines to 75,000 homes in northern King County and most of Snohomish County and plans to add 50,000 more in those areas by the end of the year. There are no plans to bring the network to Seattle because of the city’s contract with Qwest. Source: http://www.nwcn.com/business/stories/NW_090908WAB_verizon_fios_TP.5e33eee9.html
32. September 9, Forbes – (International) Google, HSBC offer cheap Internet. Google and HSBC launched a plan Tuesday to provide a cheap and fast Internet connection to three billion people in an area from Spain to South Africa, a move to bridge the digital divide between developed and emerging markets. Google has joined forces with the bank and cable operator Liberty Global to back a group called O3b Networks, which stands for the “other 3 billion” people who do not have access. It will provide high-speed backhaul for telecoms operators and Internet providers, which can then sell services to businesses and consumers. The project, which is expected to cost $650 million until the launch, intends to offer fiber-optic performance over at least 16 satellites to parts of the world where Internet access is limited or not commercially viable. Source: http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/09/09/hsbc-google-internet-markets-equity-cx_je_0909markets18.html
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