911 — Black Hawk down with SMS

Black Hawk County, Iowa has become the first in the nation to start accepting text messages sent to 911.

For now, the service only works for T-Mobile customers, and only those in the Black Hawk County area. Also, the physical hardware and software does not allow emergency operators to automatically locate callers, like they can using the E-911 (Enhanced-911) capabilities of most cellular and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines–so dial-access is still the way to go for most people, in most circumstances. But, for those with physical impairments (all-thumbs?), or even temporary physical restraints (think hiding under a desk during an armed robbery), this could literally be a life-saver.

“Texting” has another advantage: it tends work where and when voice calls often can’t, and requires very little battery life. Even stranded outside coverage area with a near-depleted battery, a text message is far more likely to “connect” than a voice call, and doesn’t require a sustained signal to get the point across. Which, coincidentally, makes T-Mobile customers good candidates for the service.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not going to do anything for response times, or T-Mobile’s subscriber numbers. But, if it saves just one subscriber’s life, that could make it all worthwhile–at least for T-Mobiles stockholders.

Via HazDat (http://hazdat.com/293)

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Jeff Michael Fischbach is a Forensic Technologist specializing in digitally-recorded electronic evidence, electronic tracking and discovery. He has advised law enforcement, foreign government representatives, judges, lawyers and the press. You can read more from Fischbach at HazDat <http://hazdat.com>.

Officials Look to Solve Social Network Risks Without Ban

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 6, 2009 - As Pentagon officials weigh the benefits and risks of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, they hope to craft a policy that shores up security vulnerabilities without requiring a ban. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps has clarified its guidelines on social networking, and officials said they would consider the findings gleaned in the Pentagon policy review due out in late September.

Defense officials have said the policy review will attempt to balance the pros of social networking – such as its value for recruiting, public affairs and communication between troops and their families -- against the potential security risks they create, which include violations of operations security, network vulnerability and bandwidth drain.

Asked if the Pentagon is leaning toward a policy that doesn't require a departmentwide ban, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman replied, "I think certainly it is."

"We need to do this comprehensive review, determine what the vulnerabilities are, match that against the benefits we receive from being able to use these new tools and capabilities, and then try to establish a policy that will accommodate all of that," Whitman said in an interview yesterday.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to receive a report on the threats and benefits of Web 2.0 tools before the end of the month, and a departmentwide policy is due in late September. Both Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have embraced the new technologies.

The Pentagon's chief information officer is taking the lead on the review, which was prompted by concerns raised at U.S. Strategic Command, officials said. Stratcom is responsible for overseeing the use of the "dot-mil" network.

For many junior-ranking troops, Youtube, MySpace and Facebook are more than mere diversions; they are the primary means through which young servicemembers communicate with friends and families while on deployments. They also represent avenues for recruiting efforts and dialogue between commanders and military personnel and families, Whitman said.

"So it is a part of our society; it is pervasive," he said. "But we also have to be mindful that we don't do things that will impede our ability to do our core missions here."

Concern for maintaining operations security exists in cyberspace as it does in other social arenas, Whitman said. He added that the military's operations security training regimen -- which emphasizes practicing security at the source -- also translates to social networking.

"Whether I'm communicating over the Internet or I'm talking to somebody at a local establishment socially," he said, "I should be mindful of [operations security] and what I say, and whether or not it's going to compromise any aspect of a military operation."

In the midst of underlying tension between social networking's pros and cons, the absence of a standing Defense Department policy has led to differing interpretations of how to mitigate threats, Whitman said.

"It's an unevenness in the way in which people have applied -- locally -- policies associated with how they have assessed the threat," he said. "And it reflects the tension that exists between wanting to use these social networking tools and wanting to protect our networks.

"I think that tension ... is important for us to resolve at a department level so that commanders have some guidance when they're looking at how to use these tools, as well as how to protect the networks," he added.

No departmentwide directives ban the use of social networking and other Web 2.0 applications. But the Marine Corps' block on social networks underscores the unevenness Whitman described.

Since early 2007, the Corps has blocked Marines from accessing sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube through the Marine network. While Marines at home and abroad may use the sites on nonmilitary networks, only those with a waiver are exempted from the standing policy, Marine Corps officials said.

"Right now, the [Defense Department] has yet to come up with a policy on this," said Ray Letteer, senior information assurance official for the Marine Corps. "So we ... are just maintaining what has been the policy since 2007."

The Marines this week issued a statement clarifying the service's policy on social networking sites and spelling out guidelines for obtaining waivers in cases where access to such social networks is essential for a Marine's military job.

As the Defense Department strives to find the right balance in its policy, the Corps also seeks to find harmony between security concerns and the Web capabilities' legitimate use.

"We want to balance that security to protect our Marines on the network [and] at the same time start looking into using this new technology, this exciting capability of communication," Letteer said, "but do it in a way ... where we move in smartly, carefully and do it the right way the first time."

He added that the Marines also will strive to balance the Defense Department's study results with its own social networking policy.

"As with all directives from the Department of Defense, we will have to adapt and take a look at the impacts on this and be able to execute it in a way that will meet with what the [Defense Department] wants us to do," Letteer said, "and still, of course, meet our Marine Corps mission."

FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE DIRECT LINE TO SUBMIT CAPABILITY GAPS AND INFORMATION REQUESTS TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate TechSolutions program has launched a new Web site, www.TechSolutions.DHS.gov, to provide a channel through which first responders can submit requests related to capability gaps that require technology solutions. TechSolutions provides first responders with a resource they can use to find solutions for these high-priority capability gaps. TechSolutions uses rapid prototyping, technical assistance and information sharing to save lives and maximize first responder preparedness. All submissions to the TechSolutions Web site must come from first responders. For more information on TechSolutions program, please visit www.TechSolutions.DHS.gov or www.FirstResponder.gov.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has a similar research, development, testing and evaluation process that aligns NIJ's portfolios with the technology needs of the criminal justice community. Principally working in partnership with technology working groups consisting of experienced practitioners from local, state, tribal and federal agencies and laboratories and the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council, NIJ identifies criminal justice practitioners’ functional requirements for new tools and technologies. Individual criminal justice practitioners are also encouraged to submit their technology needs and requirements directly through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system by e-mail to asknlectc@nlectc.org or by calling (800) 248-2742. For more information, visit www.JUSTNET.org.

Public Safety Technology in the News

Software Could Help Walworth County Cops Be More Efficient
GazetteXtra.com, (07/26/2009), Kayla Bunge

Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation offers BadgerTraCS, a software package installed on laptops in patrol cars that allows officers to fill out 10 forms involving traffic citations, municipal citations, warnings, accident reports and drunken-driving incident reports electronically. In operation since 2005, the software has gained use by nearly 200 agencies and three located in Walworth County (Delavan, Lake Geneva and Whitewater) plan to use grant money to sign up with the project. BadgerTraCS derives driver and vehicle data from a state database, thus facilitating completion of the forms. Officers can print copies for drivers and submit the files electronically, eliminating the need for manual data entry back at the station. Planned innovations for BadgerTraCS include the addition of forms for misdemeanor offenses and a mapping tool.
gazettextra.com/news/2009/jul/26/software-could-help-walworth-county-cops-be-more-e/

Mountain View Joins Online Crime Mapping Service, CrimeReports
Palo Alto Daily News, (07/24/2009), Diana Samuels
www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_12905364

Website Will Track Local Crime Online
Jackson Sun, (07/24/2009)
www.jacksonsun.com/article/20090724/NEWS01/907240317/1002/Website+will+track+local+crime+online

Residents of Mountain View, Texas, and Jackson, Tenn, recently gained access to the online service, CrimeReports. In Mountain View, users can use the online service CrimeReports to look up information on petty thefts, car break-ins and other crimes by accessing www.crime- reports.com or the police department’s Web site, tinyurl.com/mog9yt. Jackson residents can also access the service through the CrimeReports URL. All users may search the service, which is updated daily, by address and date range. They may also sign up for e-mail alerts letting them know that a crime has taken place near their home or business.

Mountain Home Police Web Site Offers Crime Mapping of City
BaxterBulletin.com, (07/24/2009), Janet Nelson

Staff at the Mountain Home (Ark.) Police Department have updated a Google map to create a crime mapping tool that local residents can access. Police Chief Carry Manuel and criminal investigator Robert Harden have added the tool to the department’s Web site, located at www.mtnhomepolice.com, on June 1. The information is added manually and includes a selected sample of crimes derived from daily incident reports. Only crimes within the city’s jurisdiction are displayed and the list can be filtered by crime type.
www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20090724/NEWS01/907240334/1002

Forensics on the Move
Officer.com, July 2009, Rebecca Kanable

Mobile crime laboratories allow crime scene technicians and analysts to drive to the perimeter of a crime scene to perform their work. These labs usually target homicides, meth labs and arson events and can also be used for blood alcohol testing. Their most common purpose is to help collect and properly store evidence; relatively few have sophisticated analysis capabilities, and their use is common among agencies serving areas with more than 150,000 residents.
www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/Forensics-on-the-move/1$47586

Houston’s New Simulator Trains Deputies for Real Situations
The SunNews, (07/27/2009), Becky Purser

Officers with the Houston County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Office are learning about the proper use of force thanks to a $52,000 training simulator purchased earlier this year. All deputies who carry weapons have undergone mandatory training, wherein they interact with scenarios projected on a life-size screen. Training officers can branch the scenarios into several different endings depending on the officer’s actions. The simulator, bought with recovered funds from drug-related cases, includes more than 300 scenarios that include hostage-taking, robberies and confronting aggressive individuals in a variety of situations as diverse as a courthouse and a fitness center.
www.macon.com/197/story/789910.html

Law Enforcement Gets Real Time Data to Track Offenders
EyeWitness9News, (07/27/2009), Jennifer Canada

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation provides instant access to driver’s license photos, probation and parole records and other critical information to law enforcement officers through the Division of Criminal Information network. This services gives new access to critical information previously unavailable to officers on the street, such as a driver’s license photo to check identity or whether someone is on probation. This access is the result of cooperation between the SBI, the state Department of Corrections, the Division of Motor Vehicles and national authorities. The DCI network is run through the North Carolina Department of Justice and previously provided access to state and national wanted person and missing person files, protection orders, criminal history records and sex offender registrations, and state-specific files such as court records and concealed handgun permits. Probation and parole information only recently became readily available and appr! oximately 10,000 related inquiries have been made on a weekly basis in the early weeks of the project. North Carolina is the first state to pilot use of a new information sharing infrastructure to provide driver’s license photos and corrections information. This structure eventually will become available nationwide.
www.wnct.com/nct/news/local/article/law_enforcement_gets_real_time_data_to_track_offenders/46120/

Cops Go High-Tech to Find Missing Kids
Gwinnett Daily Post, (08/01/2009), Heath Hamacher

The Auburn (Ga.) Police Department has joined in a formal agreement with A Child is Missing, a nonprofit organization that helps recover children and other missing persons across the country. Whenever an individual is reported missing, the department calls the organization’s headquarters and makes a report to an information and mapping technician. The technician in turn initiates phone calls to local residences and businesses. Alert messages go out at the rate of 1,000 every minute and include a description, last known location and other information. The program automatically calls only listed numbers, but individuals can sign up cell phone numbers or unlisted numbers at http:// www.achildismissing.org. The organization provides assistance related to cases of missing children, college students, individuals with disabilities and the elderly.
www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=6&ArticleID=62771&TM=797.185

Initial Interest High for Carbon Motors E7 Police Car
WCPO.com, (07/31/2009), Tom McKee

Carbon Motors officials say police departments have already expressed interest in ordering at least 10,000 of the new E7 “super car” slated for production in Connersville, Ind., beginning in 2012. The E7 will come with bulletproof door and dash panels, radiation and biological threat detectors, an automatic license plate recognition system and integrated emergency lights, and run on diesel fuel.
www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Initial-Interest-High-For-Carbon-Motors-E7-Police/ZBCw-8_5z0SirHu0DcXBhg.cspx

Cell Phone-Sniffing Dogs on Patrol Prison
KOMONews.com, (07/30/2009), Joel Moreno

The Monroe County (Wash.) Correctional Complex uses the services of Jesse, a Labrador mix, and her handler to help in the war against cell phones. The dog detection program began in October 2008 and has proven highly effective, according Scott Frakes, superintendent of the Monroe Correctional Complex. Inmates can use cell phones for a number of illicit activities and often share them around a cell block. In Monroe County, inmates caught with a cell phone face a number of sanctions.
www.komonews.com/news/local/52131892.html

Arkansas Prisons Plan Biometric Checkpoints for Guards
Associated Press, (07/30/2009)

The state of Arkansas plans to begin using fingerprint scanners (presently used to track only visitors) to monitor guards. The initiative was triggered by an escape in which two convicted murders wearing guard uniforms walked out the front gate of one of the state’s institutions in June 2009. Scanners will first go into operations at the Cummins Unit, from which the two convicted murderers escaped in June. They were captured in New York several days later. Plans also call for possible installation of radio tags in ID badges.
www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20090730/NEWS01/907300328/1002/Arkansas-prisons-plan-biometric-checkpoints-for-guards

Finally--Twitter blocks malware!

Remember when Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of choc'o'lates. You never know what you're gonna' ge'ut"? Well, same goes for the ever-popular Twitter. At least, when it comes to shortened links.

URL-shortening is popular with Twitter users because--well--it's hard enough to make your point in 140 characters, or less. Let alone, add in some outrageously long URL. But, up until now, when you clicked on one of those shortened links, you never knew what you were going to get. What you might have gotten was a browser-full of malware (malicious-software)--that icky code that takes over your computer and makes it do things you didn't want it to do.

So, if you love to click on all those up-to-the-minute Twitter links, today is a good day! Because Twitter is FINALLY scanning for malicious links.

Hallelujah! It's about time! Your turn Facebook.

Via Techie Buzz (http://hazdat.com/289)

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Jeff Michael Fischbach is a Forensic Technologist specializing in digitally-recorded electronic evidence, electronic tracking and discovery. He has advised law enforcement, foreign government representatives, judges, lawyers and the press. You can read more from Fischbach at HazDat <http://hazdat.com>.

Scientists Use Virtual World to Support Troops

By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 3, 2009 - Scientists are using virtual online worlds to improve the flow of information and support to servicemembers returning from deployments. Jacquelyn Morie of the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies discussed the "Transitional Online Post-deployment Soldier Support in Virtual Worlds" project during a July 29 webcast of "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military" on Pentagon Web radio.

Also known as "Coming Home," the project will create a space within Second Life -- a 3-D online virtual community -- dedicated to providing camaraderie, support and resources for returning soldiers trying to reintegrate into civilian life.

"Second Life is unique because it allows users to build things and own the things they build," Morie said. "It has a huge range; whatever people can imagine and dream, they can build there. You're represented by a 3-D avatar, so you can represent yourself however you feel is appropriate for who you are."

The project incorporates immersive games, virtual world expertise and virtual human intelligence. Coming Home will be populated with artificial, intelligence-driven virtual characters that can aid veterans in finding support and therapies.

"You can think of it as the VFW hall of the 21st century," Morie explained. "Most veterans, when they come back, are not collocated into neighborhoods the way people were in World War II. So this gives people a chance to be together, even if they're widely dispersed."

Morie's research team also is developing an online veterans center that focuses on social activities and complementary and alternative medical interventions that can help prevent stress and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We're working with the Mindfulness Center in San Diego, and they'll be running classes in Second Life in our land with veterans," Morie said. "We'll see how the veterans respond to that and how the facilitators work."

Morie said that the center also will create artificial, intelligence-based avatars that will populate Second Life's veterans' center.

The institute is widely known for its research on "virtual humans," realistic, online characters that can converse, understand, reason, and even exhibit emotions. These virtual humans will provide services for users that otherwise might require a real person to be logged into Second Life and available at all times.

"We have virtual humans you can negotiate with, we have virtual humans that serve as patients to therapists in training, and we have virtual humans with emotional models that can be very defensive," Morie said. "Part of the research in the veterans' center is to take those virtual humans -- their intelligence -- and put them into avatars that can be helpers in the virtual space."

Much of what the institute does in its work is to merge cutting-edge technology with social and psychological study. The institute's artificial intelligence "agents" are being developed for use in the Army as coaches or teachers in a classroom setting, Morie said, as well as in the Second Life environment.

"If we can supplement [simulation or real-life exercises] with continued training within a virtual space, we're offering something of a lot more value," Morie said.

In the end, the institute's goal in Second Life is to create an environment for veterans to network and find information and assistance when dealing with the stresses of returning from deployment, she said.

(Ian Graham works for the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

Managed Internet Security Subscriptions: Wave of the Future? (Part 3 of 7)

Someday, just as one buys a subscription to an Internet service provider, a DSL service, and/or telephone service, everyone will purchase a subscription to managed security services to protect themselves from Internet threats.

The social implication seems to indicate that the average person has to:

1. be educated about the attacks, dangers, risks, and threats of the cybercriminals;
2. become familiar with the type of protection services they will have to implement according to their needs; and
3. supervise and train their families about safe surfing, safe sites, and safe software.

On the part of government, the social implications seem to indicate that continued education, legislation, prosecution, are warranted. While for business, it appears that more comprehensive managed Internet security services are what would be required. More of these services need to be made available on a subscription basis.

Soon, the demand for Internet security products and services will reach a frantic pace, and Internet security will become a fundamental part of using a computer. In the future, security-in-a-box will go away, and Internet security services will become a giant industry, much like phone, cable, power, and other utilities. Everyone will have their own personal Internet security service subscription.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

© MMIX, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Internet Safety Advocate and Educator

About the Author:

Etienne A. Gibbs, Internet Security Advocate and Educator, consults with individuals, small business owners, and home-business entrepreneurs regarding online protection against spyware, viruses, hackers, and other pc-disabling cybercrimes. To obtain more information and receive a free evaluation, visit him at www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com.