Owners or operators of critical infrastructure systems would need to determine how to best meet performance requirements and to verify that that they were doing so, with owners having the ability to either “self-certify” compliance or use a third-party assessor.

“The proposed law ‘is the product of three years of hearings, consultations, and negotiations,” the statement announcing the measure says. “The bill envisions a public-private partnership to secure those systems, which, if commandeered or destroyed by a cyber attack, could cause mass deaths, evacuations, disruptions to life-sustaining services, or catastrophic damage to the economy or national security.’”

To read more: http://zd.net/x7MZUv

Recently, cyber hackers have been successful in creeping into the systems at Nortel Network Corp.  Apparantly, this does not surprise some of the cyber security experts, but how can corporations avoid having valuable passwords, data and spy software from being exposed?

“It makes you wonder if their problems as a business could be related to a loss of intellectual property,” says Richard Bejtlich, chief security officer at Mandiant, an information security firm that does work for the U.S. government, defence contractors and Fortune 100 companies. “Somebody clearly values it, because they’re stealing it.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/AeOAxN

“Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act”

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says new legislation to make it easier for law enforcement to conduct electronic surveillance “will slow down the proliferation of child pornography,” but the Opposition charges the bill will allow the government to spy on ordinary Canadians’ online activities.
To read more: http://bit.ly/yoM3sb
There is also a lively comments section to this article that seems to be a good cross section of Canadian opinion on this matter. As both netizens and Canadian citizens, we owe it to ourselves and our children to become much better informed on the intersection of the issues of personal privacy and law enforcement efficacy.

We will have a lot more to say on these matters in upcoming blog posts. Stay tuned!

Neither bill is dead yet, and could resurface at any time, but until this point, it is no longer hovering our horizon. However, some supporters still feel strongly about their demands, notables like: Rep. Lamar Smith, Mark Amodei, Joe Baca, John Barrow, Karen Bass, and a few others.

To read more: http://bit.ly/yTJWDi

Canadians aren’t clear from the threat of SOPA & PIPA, and should not only be aware of, but also join in the protest of these bills.

“First, the SOPA provisions are designed to have an extra-territorial effect that manifests itself particularly strongly in Canada… Second, Canadian businesses and websites could easily find themselves targeted by SOPA. The bill grants the U.S. “in rem” jurisdiction over any website that does not have a domestic jurisdictional connection…  Third, millions of Canadians rely on the legitimate sites that are affected by the legislation… Fourth, the U.S. intellectual property strategy has long been premised on exporting its rules to other countries, including Canada.”

Very important: “Write to your Member of Parliament to register one more objection to the digital lock rules in Bill C-11. The digital lock rules are the Canadian version of SOPA – overbroad, ineffective legislation that targets technology and that is widely opposed by most stakeholders. While many are frustrated by the sense the government simply ignores these objections, the SOPA protests are attracting attention and it is important to remind Canadian politicians of the similar concerns here.” Dr. Michael Geist

To read more: http://bit.ly/xzkTYv

In terms of Cyber Security, a subject that never goes dark, the US Senate continues to seek more regulation of Cyber Security.

“A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government’s ability to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and security experts who believe it should have even more teeth.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/yHhShT

Hacker talk: Recently, Hacker group Anonymous tapped into FBI’s conference calls and taped them for future reference.

“Earlier today, Anonymous released a confidential conference call between the FBI and law enforcement officers in the UK. The 16-minute call discusses ongoing investigations into hackers associated with Anonymous, AntiSec, and LulzSec.

From all appearances, Anonymous retrieved the sensitive access code information and a list of attendees from an FBI email account. The group released a roughly 15-minute-long recording of what appears to be a Jan. 17 conference call devoted to tracking and prosecuting members of the loose-knit hacking group.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/xChWab

And that is the week as we know it, or at least enough for you to sift through for the afternoon.  There is more, there will always be more… just be sure to keep yourself in the loop of the Federated Networks and our upcoming product launch.

Well, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) are likely off the legislative calendar, as reported by the Huffington Post and with whom we agree, but has the web won? Not yet.

“California’s two most prominent and powerful industries — Silicon Valley and Hollywood — are at war in Washington.”

Read more: http://huff.to/z3GhDK

In fact, the reality is that SOPA and Pipa are just postponed, not forgotten.  However, it is still a major success for “Free Web” supporters, with both SOPA and PIPA being indefinitely shelved, given that “no further action” will be taken until a general consensus has been made, and compromises sought.

To read more: http://zd.net/wNVRxW

Many people were surprised by the fact that the SOPA and PIPA bills were pulled in both the House and Senate after massive online protest, most notably former senator Chris Dodd, who clearly viewed these bills as critical to the online piracy he is actively opposed to.

At the Sundance Film festival today, Dodd seemed geniunely stunned by the force with which the internet hordes responded to the proposed laws.

Read more: http://bit.ly/ylogVz

Can you live without Facebook for a day or so?  Because… you may have to.  Everyone’s favourite hackers plan to bring down everyone’s favourite social site, as their way of protesting the SOPA and PIPA bills.

A video illustrating these threats was posted on Youtube on Monday, where the narrator begins his appeal by saying: “  An online war has begin between Anonymous, the people and the Government of the United States.”  He sites SOPA, PIPA and other Internet threats as the reason for this move.

Read more: http://bit.ly/xipU5U

Stay tuned – the SOPA/PIPA saga is not likely over…

What a day today has been.

CNET.com reported that Google will participate by adding a link to its homepage with information about SOPA, but it will not blackout its page or change its prominent logo.

Wikipedia, however, joined the SOPA blackout, reports MSNBC, along with Reddit and MoveOn.org.

This is all in protest of SOPA/PIPA bills… two terms the average consumer still is not familiar with. I thought Pippa was Kate Middleton’s younger sister… guess there are two, does the Queen know?

Mashable.com also recognized this and illustrated an informative way for people who may not be in-the-know can find out, read up and learn more about these bills. I mean, hey, if your computer blacks out for the day… you kind of want to understand why, right? Right.

Read more at mashable.com

“Tutorspree founder Aaron Harris is one of many who can’t articulate the reasons behind the backlash to his satisfaction — but he matches tutors and students for a living. He launched a new website on Tuesday that sets up self-proclaimed SOPA/PIPA experts with people who want to learn more about SOPA and has signed himself up as a student.”

“Anyone who signs up on the “Explain SOPA” website to teach or learn will receive an email on Wednesday with a match’s contact information. As with Tutorspree’s standard service — which hosts about 4,000 tutors of various topics– they can then arrange a private SOPA/PIPA lesson themselves.”

Amazong-owned, e-commerce firm, Zappos, has just announced that 24 million customer accounts have been hacked.  Doesn’t sound like small potatoes this am, and was definitely a late Sunday evening shocker for Zappos customers.

“Though the company says that no complete credit card numbers were revealed in the breach, the intruders may have accessed customers’ names, e-mail addresses,  phone numbers, addresses, the last four digits of their credit card numbers, and encrypted passwords.”

Read more: http://onforb.es/wYkHqX

What were you doing at 19 years old?  Most young adults are in first year university at 19 years old: discovering the perils of beer bongs and the complexities of the opposite sex… but not young Nicholas Allegra.

“…he’s been spending his days on a hobby that periodically sends shockwaves through the computer security world: seeking out cracks in the source code of Apple’s iPhone, a device with more software restrictions than practically any computer on the market, and exploiting them to utterly obliterate its defenses against hackers.”  – Forbes

Like editing an English paper, Allegra power drives through the popular device, but tries to keep a low-profile in the cyber world as, “Comex”.

To read more: http://onforb.es/oPbLlP

Top American prosecuter reaches out to companies, and urges them to come forward if they have been hacked.

“Cyber security experts say that corporations rarely acknowledge breaches, and often keep them secret from law enforcement out of fear that news of a compromise will damage their reputation, hurt stock prices and possibly lead to further attacks.”

To read more: http://reut.rs/AxUxAJ

And so this is Monday, check in again next week for the latest and greatest in the Cyber realm.  Have a safe, protected, and

One thing we have no tolerance for is Cyber Bullying.  It is hard enough being a kid these days, to have to be faced with 24hr online insults and abusive behaviour.  Even as an adult, how do you know when boundaries are being crossed, when is enough and enough and your tolerance is breached?

Insults, put downs or any negative comments that stand out are never okay; in real life, and in the cyber world, this should never be tolerated.  You usually have the option to “report” someone who is using abusive tone, or you can of course de-friend them, and stop subscribing to their tweets/posts.

Crossing the line depends on your threshold and what you deem okay, and is subject to change for each individual, but any comment that is generally disrespectful, vulgar and hurtful, should always be reported and noted on file for reference if needed in the future.

No one wants to see their child being bullied and stressed, when there are enough stresses for a youth these days, but it is important to keep the lines of communications open, and discuss what sort of language is appropriate on and offline.  Children need to know what to not accept, and how to deal with threatening situations online.

Online is a platform can be a dangerous playing field, but keep your eyes open, your privacy settings on and keep a watchful eye on your children and their online or social media activity.

Federated Networks to the resuce soon enough, where you can easily protect your children from the perils of online bullying and teach them how to be secure

According to Bloomsberg, today Obama presented the revised strategy that calls for more investments in cyber security “to defeat electronic attacks, in expanded space- based intelligence platforms and for “developing a new stealth bomber.” At the same time, it raises the possibility that U.S. “deterrence goals can be achieved with a smaller nuclear force” and says the U.S. presence in Europe “must evolve,” without providing specifics.”

To read more: http://buswk.co/wcsblx

Coordinated by the NCSA, expect to see and potentially become involved with Data Privacy Day, an international celebration that promotes privacy awareness and education across the United States, Canada, Council of Europe member countries, and a host of other countries across the globe. The annual international awareness initiative focuses on educating people about the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information and promotes individual control over private data.

To read more: http://bit.ly/wIZkYd

Pop icon (Yes, I just said that…) Miley Cyrus is using her twitter popularity to shed light on a roaring dilemma, Cyber Bullying.  She asks her fans to ban specific users for cyber bullying and signals them out.

After her stand against cyber bullying via the social network many fans of Cyrus reached out to her. Cyrus responded,” so proud of all the my fans responding to my last tweet!!You guys will make a difference! Take a stand! Let’s trend #STOPCYBERBULLYING“

To read more: http://bit.ly/zAFDjv

This one is a threat that looms over us as we all get more and more divulged in social media sites, and our lives become more dependent on online activity.

Some people deny the opportunity of a Cyber War or Cyber attacks in general, but we aren’t talking about fairies and UFOs here, this is an obvious reality we can all be susceptible to if we don’t take necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our identities online.

Headlines spread and multiply daily on the cyberwar between the US and Iran or the cyberwar in China.

According to the Washington Times, US officials are now investigating reports that authorities from Iran and Venezuela plotted cyber attacks against America’s military, in what comes as the latest revelation in a quickly unraveling story of cyber war escalating between Tehran and Washington. In the most recent news break, however, a front to the south of the United States could be opening up as Iran tries to take down the American military with the aid of hackers living only next door.

To read more: http://bit.ly/rMFC0a

CHINA IS waging a quiet, mostly invisible but massive cyberwar against the United States, aimed at stealing its most sensitive military and economic secrets and obtaining the ability to sabotage vital infrastructure. This is, by now, relatively well known in Washington, but relatively little is being done about it, considering the enormous stakes involved.

To read more: http://wapo.st/rX9g9h

Stay up to date with the latest headlines, and look forward to the upcoming offerings from Federated Networks that will keep you and your loved ones safe in this unpredictable playing field.

“If someone were to think about attacking another nation, the first thing they’d do is take out the power grid, since it’s the hub around which other infrastructure spokes revolve,” Patrick Miller, president and CEO of the National Electric Sector Cybersecurity Organization (NESCO), told TechNewsWorld.

Some say the problem is that there really is no one specific in charge.  One person needs to be elected to oversee cyber security for the electric power system, but Obama administration and Congress have different suggestions; leaving the situation at a stand still.

Size matters, apparently.  Techjournal recently mentioned that Cyber criminals will be targeting smaller businesses, the cloud, mobile and social networks in 2012.  Happy New Year to you.  Read more: http://bit.ly/sVpY4n

Because Hackers like television too: The hacktivist group Anonymous shut down a website rallying against the show “All-American Muslim,” as political protest shifts to the online arena.

The Anonymous hacktivist group gained past notoriety for several attacks against media outlets, businesses and governments it views as suppressing free speech, spreading intolerance or infringing basic rights.

The FFA website has been restored, but Anonymous says they aren’t quite done yet… Read more: http://onforb.es/rQBCYg

Happy Holidays from @fednetworks!  Have a safe (hack-less) holiday season with loved ones!

@fednetworks

The next security obstacle seems to be the power lines running to homes and businesses around the U.S.   Attacks on these power lines create a greater risk than that of air pollution.

“If regulatory policies and the technologies employed in the grid do not change, it is likely to be difficult to maintain acceptable reliability and electric rates,” the scientists from MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said in today’s report.

To read more: http://buswk.co/udQeyP

Will guidance and stricter regulations be helpful to stay cyber secure?

“It’s well known that the majority of organizations puts compliance first, not security. Unfortunately, being compliant does not equate to being secure, as compliance lacks the correlation to risk and is conducted periodically, rather than continuously. Thus, only regulations that mandate prioritizing security in the overall picture will really move the needle.”

To read more: http://zd.net/vXbFUg

It is no doubt that the 2012 Olympic games in the UK will be a historical event, but will it also be a time where we see stronger cyber attacks on security?  It is assumed so, and the country prepares to protect themselves so as not to be subject to unprecendented damages.

“Without giving any other details, the national security advisor said that there were around 12 million “cyber security incidents” during Beijing Olympics, reported The Telegraph.”
Read more: http://bit.ly/sAPRvx

What do you see as Cyber Security trends for 2012?  Business Computing World explores theirs hypothesis’ for the coming year:

To read more: http://bit.ly/sGVxOl

We feel safe knowing there is a product hot on the market like Federated Networks, and we cheers to that this holiday season.