FBI has 10 Computer Forensic Centers

News - IT Security News - SC Magazine UK: "'Radical changes in the information environment have exposed a requirement for significant changes in the way law enforcement organisations address the ever-higher workloads brought about by the increasing use of technology in all areas of crime,' says Dr Andrew Jones of BT. ‘The US has created a total of 10 Regional Computer Forensic Laboratories led by the FBI which act as a one-stop, full-service, fast-turnaround forensics laboratory and training centre devoted entirely to the examination of digital evidence in support of criminal investigations.' "

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Court Dismisses Complaint as Discovery Sanction for "Extensive and Egregious Misconduct" : Electronic Discovery Law

Plasse v. Tyco Elecs. Corp., 2006 WL 2623441 (D. Mass. Sept. 7, 2006).: "In this wrongful termination case, defendant Tyco sought to prove that plaintiff had misrepresented his credentials when he applied for employment. At issue were several versions of plaintiff’s resume, some of which had indicated he held an M.B.A.; plaintiff suggested those may have been submitted by “someone else,” possibly a recruiter or headhunter, and claimed he would have indicated he was only a “candidate” for an M.B.A. Previously, Tyco had filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that plaintiff had lied at his deposition and fabricated documents. The court denied the motion without prejudice, finding that the evidence was not sufficiently clear and convincing to justify such a serious sanction.

Tyco then moved to compel the production of plaintiff’s laptop and further deposition testimony. The court granted Tyco's motion over plaintiff's objection, and ordered that plaintiff to submit to a further deposition by July 22, 2005, for the sole purpose of identifying computers and other media storage devices used by him during relevant time periods, and produce, by July 29, 2005, all computers and media storage devices presently in his possession, under his control or accessible to him, for inspection by Tyco’s expert.

The forensic inspection of plaintiff’s laptop and disks showed evidence of tampering, including: deleted resumes, system date and time manipulations, access histories showing that various relevant documents were accessed after the court’s order and before plaintiff’s second deposition, and other fragments of relevant documents and emails that had not been produced. Tyco filed a renewed motion to dismiss the complaint, alleging that plaintiff: (1) testified falsely during his deposition; (2) fabricated a resume to support his false testimony; and (3) deliberately deleted, destroyed, or concealed documents after he was put on notice that such documents were relevant. Tyco argued that the only appropriate sanction for plaintiff’s acts was dismissal of his complaint and an award of attorney's fees and expert costs.

The court agreed . . . ."

Cybercrime and Cybersecurity

A Cybersecurity Pro Talks Shop: "Small businesses are increasingly being targeted with viruses and identity theft. This former White House adviser offers tips on playing defense . . . Howard Schmidt, former White House cybersecurity adviser (he served as vice-chair of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board for 15 months, from 2002 to 2003) and current president and CEO of R&H Security Consulting, which works in both the public and private sectors, knows computer security inside and out.

He started working in the industry before it was big, as a city police officer in 1983, and spearheaded cybersecurity innovations in the both the public and private sector, most notably at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, where he established the first dedicated computer forensic lab in the government. Schmidt also served as chief security officer for Microsoft (MSFT) from 1997 to 2002, and was vice-president, chief information security officer, and chief security strategist for eBay (EBAY) from 2003 to 2005.

Schmidt says that while small businesses have been slow to catch up to the security advances made by their larger counterparts, new technology allows them to employ the same level of protection affordably. Further, he says that now is the time to do it, since criminals are increasingly targeting small businesses with viruses, spamming, bot networks (where computers are co-opted and used to send spam or take over other systems), and identity theft (see BusinessWeek.com, 7/17/06, 'The Plot to Hijack Your Computer'). "

Is this the sign-off for the signature?

No Signature on Credit Cards

"The signature, that individual mark of integrity, will soon suffer another blow as shopping loses its personal touch. In the name of cutting down on fraud, credit-card users will be required to key in their personal identification numbers instead of signing sales receipts.

The change, which is expected to be rolled out in Canada by 2010, is another step in the decline of the business signature, which has been waning in recent years because of the increase in e-mail, online shopping, automated signature generators and gasoline retailers' pay-at-the-pump systems. 'The almighty signature is disappearing,' said Ruth Holmes, a Michigan-based handwriting examiner who does forensic analysis and personality assessments for clients across North America. "

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