Man has trespassed repeatedly
Access Hollywood Dec 2, 08 7:35 AM CST
(Newser)
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Kirsten Dunst won a restraining order against a stalker who has repeatedly trespassed on her property, Access Hollywood reports. Christopher Smith said he has a “spiritual connection” with the actress, and went to her house multiple times because, according to a police statement, “I’m in love with Kirsten.”
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Luxury establishments are becoming terrorist targets
New York Times Dec 1, 08 9:32 AM CST
(Newser)
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The Mumbai attacks have provided world travelers with a new cause for concern, writes the New York Times : Increasingly, luxury hotels in developing countries are becoming terrorist targets. The raids on the Taj and Oberoi hotels come only 2 months after a car bomb blew apart the Islamabad Marriott, and American hotel chains are now actively discussing changes to their security policies.
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OPINION
Many arguments to lose the phone; all are silly
BusinessWeek Nov 18, 08 12:10 PM CST
(Newser)
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This weekend was full of stories about how Barack Obama will have to give up his beloved Blackberry as president—but that’s wholly unnecessary, writes Stephen Wildstrom in BusinessWeek . The only good reason to dump the phone would be because it's a timesuck, but “Obama has shown himself to be nothing if not disciplined,” Wildstrom notes. Other arguments to lose it are “specious” or misinformed.
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Hitachi system is faster, more secure than fingerprinting, retinal scans
Times (UK) Nov 11, 08 3:52 PM CST
(Newser)
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A new technology that scans finger veins to authenticate identity claims to be quicker and more reliable than fingerprinting, retinal scans, or facial recognition, the Times of London reports. Japanese company Hitachi's system shines infrared light through the network of capillaries in the index finger, capturing a unique 3D “vein profile” that's converted into a simple code.
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X-ray technology that can spot bomb materials may be ready by year's end
Wall Street Journal Oct 2, 08 2:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The oft-frustrating 3-ounces-in-a-baggie restriction on carrying liquids through airport security could be gone within a year, the Wall Street Journal reports. After testing out X-ray technology that detects bomb-making fluids, the Transportation Security Administration’s only remaining step is making sure the software works. “It’s not ready yet, but we are highly confident it will be effective,” the TSA head says.
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ICBM facility is 1-2 years from completion
AFP Sep 11, 08 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Pyongyang is building a new intercontinental ballistic missile launching facility, the AFP reports. Satellite imagery of the new site, on the west coast of North Korea, shows it to be larger and more sophisticated than the country’s current launch pad, security analysts say —though it won't be operational for at least a year.
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Col. Sanders' heavily guarded paper moves for security upgrade
Associated Press Sep 9, 08 12:48 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Usually guarded like Fort Knox, KFC’s 68-year-old recipe is being whisked away from company headquarters today while its vault gets a top-secret security upgrade, the AP reports. The yellowed document —handwritten and signed by Colonel Sanders himself —is stored with vials of the 11 herbs and spices."The smell is overwhelming when you open it," said one of only two finger-lickin' execs allowed access.
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But others think it's the 'neighborly thing to do'
San Francisco Chronicle Aug 18, 08 2:10 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Failing to protect personal wireless service with a tough password and encryption can open the door to disaster. That's the warning from "wardriver" security gurus who cruise the streets looking for unguarded service to highlight the problem, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Wardriving was also used by an international ring of hackers recently busted for snatching 40 million credit card numbers from poorly safeguarded wireless networks operated by retailers.
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Incapable of large strikes, insurgents aim to strike fear into populace
Newsweek Jul 27, 08 8:35 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan lack the firepower to spark a massive attack, but they’re doing their best to wage psychological warfare on Kabul, Newsweek reports. Creating a sense of instability through frequent small-scale attacks, “we can create panic and undermine the last vestiges of support for the regime,” said a Taliban spokesman. Kabul threatens to become the "new Baghdad."
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Visitors vanish as China boosts security
New York Times Jun 24, 08 6:31 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Heightened visa restrictions in China have shrunk tourism ahead of the Beijing Olympics, the New York Times reports. Numbers of foreign visitors to Beijing fell 14% last month when government officials tightened the rules to bolster security.
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Washington shocked
as US firms sell
gizmos to Beijing
New York Times Apr 27, 08 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A police trade show packed with Western goods is thriving in Beijing despite worldwide outrage against China, the New York Times reports. DuPont and Motorola are among big-name companies selling items like bulletproof Kevlar and wireless systems for cops. Washington, which forbids the sale of police technology to China, was shocked to hear about items on the show floor.
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City 'surprised' by terror response ranking
Washington Post Apr 5, 08 7:53 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Boise, Idaho, may be better known for hosting the World Potato Congress than topping terrorist target lists, but it was the only city west of the Mississippi to make the top 10 in a Homeland Security-funded study ranking cities by vulnerability to terror attacks, the Washington Post reports. "To be honest, we're a little bit surprised," a spokesman for the city said.
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FBI and Homeland Security don't cite a specific threat in warning
ABC News Mar 5, 08 9:15 AM CST
(Newser)
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March Madness should have security forces on high alert, the FBI and Dept. of Homeland Security warned in a joint statement yesterday, as crowded sporting events are “potential targets” for terrorists. College basketball games are just some of the many sporting events that "regularly bring tens of thousands of fans...into large open-access facilities” that are hard to secure, the agencies note.
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California and Washington take action to block some uses of RFID tags
Ars Technica Feb 27, 08 9:02 PM CST
(Newser)
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Radio Frequency ID tags—data-loaded microchips that track everything from shipping containers to cars to humans—increasingly are raising concerns with privacy advocates who worry the “spychips” could reveal too much about our lives, reports Ars Technica . Tech-savvy states such as Washington and California are trying to legislate RFIDs, banning non-consensual chip reading and regulating how RFIDs are used.
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Security stepped up on nation's rail system
Associated Press Feb 19, 08 5:33 AM CST
(Newser)
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Amtrak is stepping up security, with random screening of carry-on bags and security teams packing machine guns and leading bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains, reports AP. The new system, beginning this week, echoes stricter security procedures at the nation's airports. Amtrak insists there should be no additional departure delays .
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