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Friday, October 25, 2013

Facebook Is Lifting Its Ban on Decapitation Videos (Updated)

Don't even think about posting cartoon nipples on Facebook. Decapitations, however? Go right ahead. Six months after establishing a ban on blatant, gruesome beheadings, Facebook has decided to (once again) keep videos of decapitations available to the masses.

Don't put all your faith in smart cards

Many companies react to APT (advanced persistent threat) attacks by implementing smart cards and/or other two-factor authentication mechanisms. Unfortunately, these schemes do nothing to stop APT. In fact, in my experience as a consultant, every organization that tried closing the barn door in this manner was successfully attacked again, despite putting two-factor authentication in place.

If they'd only talked to me first, I could have saved them a lot of time and money.

[ InfoWorld presents the Bossies 2013, the best open source software for security, data centers, clouds, and more. | Keep up with key security issues with InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter. ]

What makes smart cards so special?
A smart card is a piece of specialized cryptographic hardware that contains its own CPU, memory, and operating system. Smart cards are especially good at protecting cryptographic secrets, like private keys and digital certificates.

Smart cards may look like credit cards without the stripe, but they're far more secure. They store their secrets until the right interfacing software accesses them in a predetermined manner, and the correct second factor PIN is provided. Smart cards often hold users' personal digital certificates, which prove a user's identity to an authentication requestor. Even better, smart cards rarely hand over the user's private key. Instead, they provide the requesting authenticator "proof" that they have the correct private key.

After a company is subjected to a pass-the-hash attack, it often responds by jettisoning weak or easy password hashes. On many occasions, smart cards are the recommended solution, and everyone jumps on board. Because digital certificates aren't hashes, most people think they've found the answer.

Why smart cards aren't infallible
Smart cards may not use hashes as authenticators alone, but behind the scenes, a password hash representation is almost always involved. This is true in most Microsoft Windows systems where smart cards are accepted. That password hash can be stolen -- which means a smart card user's identity can be lifted and reused.

This surprises people. I don't blame them -- much of the world, including self-appointed experts, get it wrong all the time. For example, a few weeks ago a new client (and now friend) of mine texted me that a presenter at a well-known Chicago security conference was telling attendees to use smart cards because they don't need hashes to defeat APT. I wish I could have debated the presenter in person.

It's not that smart cards fail to reduce risk or add security to an environment. They do -- but not as much as most people think. For one thing, a very small percentage of successful attacks care about authentication. If you add up all the attacks that involve bypassing authentication (password guessing, cracking, MitM attacks, replay attacks, and so on) as the initial compromise, they probably amount to less than 1 percent of total breaches.

Most successful attacks happen because of unpatched software or because the user is tricked into running something they shouldn't. Smart cards won't help there at all. In the majority of effective attack scenarios, the bad guy gains access to the user's computer and can then authenticate as the user as if they had the smart card. Smart cards prevent access by fraudsters during the user's legitimate logon session, but after that (when most attacks happen), it's game over. Thanks for playing.

Once the smart card user's computer is compromised, it is highly possible for bad guys to steal the user's credentials and do whatever they want with them. This can be accomplished a number of ways, including by manipulating the card's client software (known as a cryptographic service provider in Windows), copying the digital certificate out of the local cache (if present), and keylogging the user's PIN (if requested).

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/dont-put-all-your-faith-in-smart-cards-229236?source=rss_infoworld_blogs
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Petrochemical plant shutdown averted in Britain

LONDON (AP) — A Scottish petrochemical plant threatened with closure will stay open after unions agreed to a survival plan.

The Grangemouth plant's owners threatened to shut the facility after unions initially balked at the terms.

The plant and adjoining oil refinery have been shut for a week because of the dispute.

With 800 jobs at stake, union leaders changed course Friday, agreeing to a pay freeze and pension changes.

Workers cheered as the announcement was made. Reliability manager John Convery says the last couple of days have been "hellish" for workers and the surrounding community.

He said workers and their families "have been staring into the abyss."

Plant owner Ineos said it was losing 10 million pounds ($16 million) a month. It says it will invest 300 million pounds in the facility.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/petrochemical-plant-shutdown-averted-britain-122416664--finance.html
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NIH funds development of novel robots to assist people with disabilities, aid doctors

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Oct-2013

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Contact: Margot Kern
NIBIBPress@mail.nih.gov
301-496-3500
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering

Robots enhance mobility for visually and physically impaired, improve treatment for atrial fibrillation

Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures. Funding for these projects totals approximately $2.4 million over the next five years, subject to the availability of funds.

The awards mark the second year of NIH's participation in the National Robotics Initiative (NRI), a commitment among multiple federal agencies to support the development of a new generation of robots that work cooperatively with people, known as co-robots.

"These projects have the potential to transform common medical aids into sophisticated robotic devices that enhance mobility for individuals with visual and physical impairments in ways only dreamed of before," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. "In addition, as we continue to rely on robots to carry out complex medical procedures, it will become increasingly important for these robots to be able to sense and react to changing and unpredictable environments within the body. By supporting projects that develop these capabilities, we hope to increase the accuracy and safety of current and future medical robots."

NIH is participating in the NRI with the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NIH has funded three projects to help develop co-robots that can assist researchers, patients, and clinicians.

A Co-Robotic Navigation Aid for the Visually Impaired: The goal is to develop a co-robotic cane for the visually impaired that has enhanced navigation capabilities and that can relay critical information about the environment to its user. Using computer vision, the proposed cane will be able to recognize indoor structures such as stairways and doors, as well as detect potential obstacles. Using an intuitive human-device interaction mechanism, the cane will then convey the appropriate travel direction to the user. In addition to increasing mobility for the visually impaired and thus quality of life, methods developed in the creation of this technology could lead to general improvements in the autonomy of small robots and portable robotics that have many applications in military surveillance, law enforcement, and search and rescue efforts. Cang Ye, Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock (co-funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Eye Institute)

MRI-Guided Co-Robotic Active Catheter: Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. By purposefully ablating (destroying) specific areas of the heart in a controlled fashion, the propagation of irregular heart activity can be prevented. This is generally achieved by threading a catheter with an electrode at its tip through a vein in the groin until it reaches the patient's heart. However, the constant movement of the heart as well as unpredictable changes in blood flow can make it difficult to maintain consistent contact with the heart during the ablation procedure, occasionally resulting in too large or too small of a lesion. The aim is to develop a co-robotic catheter that uses novel robotic planning strategies to compensate for physiological movements of the heart and blood and that can be used while a patient undergoes MRIan imaging method used to take pictures of soft tissues in the body such as the heart. By combining state-of-the art robotics with high-resolution, real-time imaging, the co-robotic catheter could significantly increase the accuracy and repeatability of atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. M. Cenk Cavusoglu, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering)

Novel Platform for Rapid Exploration of Robotic Ankle Exoskeleton Control: Wearable robots, such as powered braces for the lower extremities, can improve mobility for individuals with impaired strength and coordination due to aging, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, or stroke. However, methods for determining the optimal design of an assistive device for use within a specific patient population are lacking. This project proposes to create an experimental platform for an assistive ankle robot to be used in patients recovering from stroke. The platform will allow investigators to systematically test various robotic control methods and to compare them based on measurable physiological outcomes. Results from these tests will provide evidence for making more effective, less expensive, and more manageable assistive technologies. Stephen G. Sawicki, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Steven Collins, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (co-funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Science Foundation)

These projects are supported by the grants EB018117-01; EB018108-01; NR014756-01; from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the National Eye Institute (NEI), and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and by award #1355716 from the National Science Foundation.

For details about projects funded by NSF, please see the announcement, National Robotics Initiative invests $38 million in next-generation robotics.

A program announcement, soliciting for NRI applications for fiscal year 2014, has recently been published: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14500/nsf14500.htm. In 2014, the participating NIH institutes are interested in targeting this solicitation to support the development of assistive robotic technology to achieve functional independence in humans; improve quality of life; assist with behavioral therapy and personalized care; and promote wellness/health.

###

About the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB): NIBIB's mission is to support multidisciplinary research and research training at the crossroads of engineering and the biological and physical sciences. NIBIB supports emerging technology research and development within its internal laboratories and through grants, collaborations, and training. More information is available at the NIBIB website: http://www.nibib.nih.gov.

About the National Eye Institute (NEI): NEI leads the federal government's research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs that result in the development of sight-saving treatments. For more information, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov

About the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR): NINR supports basic and clinical research that develops the knowledge to build the scientific foundation for clinical practice, prevent disease and disability, manage and eliminate symptoms caused by illness, and enhance end-of-life and palliative care. For more information about NINR, visit the website at http://www.ninr.nih.gov

About the National Science Foundation (NSF): The NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, its budget was $7.0 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $593 million in professional and service contracts yearly. http://www.nsf.gov

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

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NIH funds development of novel robots to assist people with disabilities, aid doctors

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Oct-2013

[

| E-mail

]

Contact: Margot Kern
NIBIBPress@mail.nih.gov
301-496-3500
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering

Robots enhance mobility for visually and physically impaired, improve treatment for atrial fibrillation

For details about projects funded by NSF, please see the announcement, National Robotics Initiative invests $38 million in next-generation robotics.

###

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| E-mail

Share

]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/niob-nfd102413.php
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Obamacare Contractors Head To Capitol Hill For House Hearing

House lawmakers got their first chance to grill government contractors Thursday about the botched rollout of the health insurance website under the Affordable Care Act. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle wanted to know what went wrong and why. For the most part, the contractors pointed fingers back at the federal government.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

On Capitol Hill, it was a day of tough questions and finger-pointing. Lawmakers got their first chance to grill government contractors over the botched rollout of the new government health insurance website. It was the first in a series of hearings. And as NPR's Ailsa Chang reports, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle directed their anger at the contractors and at each other.

AILSA CHANG, BYLINE: If you took each of the contractors' word for it, what doomed the launch of the federal health care exchanges wasn't any of them individually. Each was feverishly prepping and testing its own portion of the project, but in near isolation until the last moment. And that was the problem. After more than three weeks of watching delays and crashes on the website, Republican Mike Burgess of Texas asked if there might be someone higher up to blame.

REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BURGESS: It seems like we've got several fingers but no palm here. Was there anyone involved in sort of overseeing the entire - the entirety of this to make sure it worked from A to Z?

CHANG: The answer he got over and over? The federal government - or to be exact, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, otherwise known as CMS. On the hot seat today were four companies that contracted with CMS. CGI Federal was the main contractor. And Democrat Anna Eshoo told its representative, Cheryl Campbell, don't even try to escape blame for the website's logjams. Eshoo said, in Silicon Valley where she's from, that's usually not a problem.

REPRESENTATIVE ANNA ESHOO: There are thousands of websites that carry far more traffic, so I think that's really kind of a lame excuse. Amazon and eBay don't crash the week before Christmas, and ProFlowers doesn't crash on Valentines Day.

CHANG: But lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee weren't singularly focused on the quality of the technology. At one point, Republican Joe Barton of Texas wanted to talk about privacy. He interrogated Campbell about a warning on the website that visitors might have to disclose more information than they were used to on other medical forms. At that moment, Democrat Frank Pallone of New Jersey jumped in.

So once again, here we have my Republican colleagues trying to scare everybody, hoping...

REPRESENTATIVE JOE BARTON: Will the gentleman yield...

REPRESENTATIVE: No, I will not yield to this monkey court or whatever this thing is.

BARTON: This is not a monkey court.

, DEMOCRAT, NEW JERSEY: Do whatever you want. I'm not yielding.

CHANG: Monkey court or not, this panel wanted to get to the bottom of why a massive government project spread out over 55 contractors and five government agencies didn't start testing the fully integrated product until two weeks before the October 1st launch date, even though the companies said they should have gotten months.

REPRESENTATIVE FRED UPTON: Did any of you come forth to the administration and said, this thing may not be ready on October 1st, we might want a delay until we can get it right? Any hands up? No.

CHANG: Republican Fred Upton, who chairs the committee, asked CGI's Campbell, did you know about any problems and just decided not to tell the government?

CHERYL CAMPBELL: It was not our decision to go live.

UPTON: It was not your decision to go live?

CAMPBELL: It was not our - it was CMS' decision. It was not our decision one way or the other.

UPTON: Did you ever recommend to CMS that perhaps they weren't ready and they might want to delay the date?

CAMPBELL: It was not our position to do so.

CHANG: Other contractors, like Optum, said they did try to say something to the government about needing more time to test the product. Committee members asked Optum's Andrew Slavitt if administration officials responded with any concern.

ANDREW SLAVITT: We never - I never got a depiction from them. But we did fully talk about the risks that we saw and we passed those along, all along the way.

CHANG: And Slavitt noted another reason the website jammed up in the beginning was because the government made too many last-minute changes.

Ailsa Chang, NPR News, the Capitol.

Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=240559699&ft=1&f=1014
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With Red Sox in World Series, TV ratings rebound

IN this image taken with a fisheye lens, Boston Red Sox players take batting practice as a rainbow appears in the sky above Fenway Park Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, in Boston. The Red Sox are scheduled to host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of baseball's World Series on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Players line up for the national anthem before Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

BOSTON (AP) — With the Boston Red Sox back in the World Series, television ratings jumped for the opener.

Boston's 8-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals drew an 8.6 national rating, a 14 share and 14.4 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said Thursday.

The rating was up 13 percent from the 7.6/12 for San Francisco's 8-3 victory over Detroit last year, which was a record low for a World Series opener. Wednesday night's game was seen by 14.4 million viewers, an 18 percent increase from 12.2 million last year and the most-watched Series opener since the Giants' 11-7 win over Texas in 2010 was seen by 15 million.

Wednesday's game peaked with 16.9 million viewers during the second inning, when the Red Sox scored twice and took a 5-0 lead.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a program, and the share is the percentage tuned to a broadcast among the TV households with sets on at the time.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-10-24-World%20Series%20Ratings/id-e25148f047da40729bf65be626c5bc7a
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Thursday, October 24, 2013

More victims of online abuse reach out to parents

Sarah Ball, a victim of cyber bullying during her high school years, sits for a portrait at her home on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, in Spring Hill, Fla. Ball, now a student at a nearby community college, maintains a Facebook site called "Hernando Unbreakable", an anti-bullying page and mentors local kids identified by the schools as victims of cyberbullying. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

Sarah Ball, a victim of cyber bullying during her high school years, poses for a portrait at her home on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, in Spring Hill, Fla. Ball, now a student at a nearby community college, maintains a Facebook site called "Hernando Unbreakable", an anti-bullying page and mentors local kids identified by the schools as victims of cyberbullying. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Ball was a 15-year-old high school sophomore at Hernando High School in Brooksville, Fla., when a friend posted on Facebook: "I hate Sarah Ball, and I don't care who knows."

Then there was the Facebook group "Hernando Haters" asking to rate her attractiveness, plus an anonymous email calling her a "waste of space." And this text arrived on her 16th birthday: "Wow, you're still alive? Impressive. Well happy birthday anyway."

It wasn't until Sarah's mom, who had access to her daughter's online passwords, saw the messages that the girl told her everything.

More young people are reaching out to family members after being harassed or taunted online, and it's helping. A poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found incidents of "digital abuse" are still prevalent but declining somewhat. It found a growing awareness among teenagers and young adults about harm from online meanness and cyberbullying, as well as a slight increase among those willing to tell a parent or sibling.

"It was actually quite embarrassing, to be honest," remembers Ball, now an 18-year-old college freshman. But "really, truly, if it wasn't for my parents, I don't think I'd be where I'm at today."

The survey's findings come a week after two Florida girls, ages 12 and 14, were arrested on felony charges for allegedly bullying online a 12-year-old girl who later killed herself by jumping off a tower at an abandoned concrete plant.

The AP-NORC/MTV poll found that some 49 percent of young people ages 14 through 24 in the U.S. said they have had at least one brush with some kind of electronic harassment, down from about 56 percent in 2011. Of those who have encountered an incident, 34 percent went to a parent, compared with 27 percent just two years ago. And 18 percent — up from 12 percent in 2011 — asked a brother or sister for help.

"I feel like we're making progress," said Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and professor at Florida Atlantic University. "People should be encouraged."

When asked what helped, 72 percent of those encountering digital abuse responded that they changed their email address, screen name or cell number and it helped, while 66 percent who talked to a parent said it helped too. Less than one-third of respondents who retaliated found that helpful, while just as many said it had no effect, and 20 percent said getting revenge actually made the problem worse.

Girls were more likely than boys to be the targets of online meanness — but they also were more likely to talk to reach out for help.

The poll also indicated that young people are becoming more aware of the impact of cyberbullying. Some 72 percent, up from 65 percent in 2011, said online abuse was a problem that society should address. Those who think it should be accepted as a part of life declined from 33 percent to 24 percent.

Hinduja credits school programs that are making it "cool to care" about others and increased awareness among adults who can help teens talk through their options, such as deactivating an account or going to school administrators for help in removing hurtful postings.

That was the case for Ball, whose parents encouraged her to fight back by speaking up. "They said this is my ticket to helping other people," she said.

With their help, Ball sent copies of the abusive emails, texts and Facebook pages to school authorities, news outlets and politicians, and organized an anti-bullying rally. She still maintains a Facebook site called "Hernando Unbreakable," and she mentors local kids identified by the schools as victims of cyberbullying.

She said she thinks if other teens are reaching out more for help, it's as a last resort because so many kids fear making it worse. That was one reason Jennifer Tinsley, 20, said she didn't tell her parents in the eighth grade when another student used Facebook to threaten to stab and beat her.

"I didn't want them to worry about me," Tinsley, now a college student in Fort Wayne, Ind., said of her family. "There was a lot of stress at that time. ... And I just didn't want the extra attention."

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, every state but Montana has enacted anti-bullying laws, many of which address cyberbullying specifically. Most state laws are focused on allowing school districts to punish offenders. In Florida, for example, the state Legislature this year passed a provision allowing schools to discipline students harassing others off campus.

In Florida's recent cyberbullying case, the police took the unusual step of charging the two teen girls with third-degree felony aggravated stalking. Even if convicted, however, the girls were not expected to spend time in juvenile detention because they didn't have criminal histories.

The AP-NORC Center/MTV poll was conducted online Sept. 27 through Oct. 7 among a random national sample of 1,297 people between the ages of 14 and 24. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Funding for the study was provided by MTV as part of its campaign to stop digital abuse, "A Thin Line."

The survey was conducted by the GfK Group using KnowledgePanel, a probability-based online panel. Respondents were recruited randomly using traditional telephone and mail sampling methods. People selected who had no Internet access were given it for free.

___

AP Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

___

Follow Anne Flaherty on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AnneKFlaherty

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-10-24-Poll-Online%20Bullying/id-4127f7d92633479790f6a36174bca0ef
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