TJX data breach: At 45.6M card numbers, it's the biggest ever
Jaikumar Vijayan
March 29, 2007 (Computerworld) -- After more than two months of refusing to reveal the size and scope of its data breach, TJX Companies Inc. is finally offering more details about the extent of the compromise.
In filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, the company said 45.6 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from one of its systems over a period of more than 18 months by an unknown number of intruders. That number eclipses the 40 million records compromised in the mid-2005 breach at CardSystems Solutions and makes the TJX compromise the worst ever involving the loss of personal data.
In addition, personal data provided in connection with the return of merchandise without receipts by about 451,000 individuals in 2003 was also stolen. The company is in the process of contacting individuals affected by the breach, TJX said in its filings.
...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Iranians Had Showdown With U.S. Forces
Exclusive: Iranians Had Showdown With U.S. Forces
By Anna Mulrine
Posted 3/23/07
As the British government demanded the immediate release of 15 of its sailors whose boats were seized by Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf on Friday, U.S. News has learned that this is not the first showdown that coalition forces have had with the Iranian military.
According to a U.S. Army report out of Iraq obtained by U.S. News, American troops, acting as advisers for Iraqi border guards, were recently surrounded and attacked by a larger unit of Iranian soldiers, well within the border of Iraq.
Related News
The report highlights the details: A platoon of Iranian soldiers on the Iraqi side of the border fired rocket-propelled grenades and used small arms against a joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers east of Balad Ruz. Four Iraqi Army soldiers, one interpreter, and one Iraqi border policeman remain unaccounted for after the September incident in eastern Diyala, 75 miles east of Baghdad.
During a joint border patrol, both American and Iraqi soldiers saw two Iranian soldiers run from Iraq back across the Iranian border as they approached. The patrol then came upon a single Iranian soldier, on the Iraqi side of the border, who did not flee.
While the joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol was speaking with the soldier, according to the report, the patrol was "approached by a platoon-size element of Iranian soldiers." An Iranian border captain then told the U.S. and Iraqi soldiers that "if they tried to leave their location, the Iranians would fire upon them." During this conversation with the Iranian captain, Iranian forces began firing and continued when U.S. troops tried to withdraw.
...
By Anna Mulrine
Posted 3/23/07
As the British government demanded the immediate release of 15 of its sailors whose boats were seized by Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf on Friday, U.S. News has learned that this is not the first showdown that coalition forces have had with the Iranian military.
According to a U.S. Army report out of Iraq obtained by U.S. News, American troops, acting as advisers for Iraqi border guards, were recently surrounded and attacked by a larger unit of Iranian soldiers, well within the border of Iraq.
Related News
The report highlights the details: A platoon of Iranian soldiers on the Iraqi side of the border fired rocket-propelled grenades and used small arms against a joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers east of Balad Ruz. Four Iraqi Army soldiers, one interpreter, and one Iraqi border policeman remain unaccounted for after the September incident in eastern Diyala, 75 miles east of Baghdad.
During a joint border patrol, both American and Iraqi soldiers saw two Iranian soldiers run from Iraq back across the Iranian border as they approached. The patrol then came upon a single Iranian soldier, on the Iraqi side of the border, who did not flee.
While the joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol was speaking with the soldier, according to the report, the patrol was "approached by a platoon-size element of Iranian soldiers." An Iranian border captain then told the U.S. and Iraqi soldiers that "if they tried to leave their location, the Iranians would fire upon them." During this conversation with the Iranian captain, Iranian forces began firing and continued when U.S. troops tried to withdraw.
...
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Flaming Space Junk
Flaming space junk narrowly misses jet
28th March 2007, 11:15 WST
Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.
The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm last night.
According to a plane spotter, who was tuning into a high frequency radio broadcast at the time, the pilot "reported that the rumbling noise from the space debris could be heard over the noise of the aircraft.
"He described he saw a piece of debris lighting up as it re-entered (the earth's atmosphere).
...
28th March 2007, 11:15 WST
Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.
The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm last night.
According to a plane spotter, who was tuning into a high frequency radio broadcast at the time, the pilot "reported that the rumbling noise from the space debris could be heard over the noise of the aircraft.
"He described he saw a piece of debris lighting up as it re-entered (the earth's atmosphere).
...
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Compulsory State-Mandated Medical Treatment
This also includes an insecure tracking database.
House Bill HB-1347 – Concerning the immunization tracking system in Colorado,
takes the existing law for the tracking system and moves it into a new section
called “The Immunization Registry Act”.
Here are the key points:
- Immunization and epidemiological information can be gathered and shared
WITHOUT CONSENT,
- HB 1347 makes it clear that this tracking system applies to EVERYONE, not just
children. In other words, womb to tomb tracking.
- HB 1347 would allow the results of newborn screening and any follow-up testing
to also be sent to the immunization tracking system.
- Privacy is NOT protected by HIPAA. Contractors can directly contact YOU when
shots are due with reminders (e.g., post cards, phone calls, even show up at
your door step)
- There is NO true opt-out (only shot information can be removed) and puts
people who exempt out of the federal one-size-fits-all immunization schedule on
a list of “non-compliers”.
- Keeps the current law requiring people on public assistance provide
verification that each child in the household is being brought up-to-date with
immunizations as a condition of eligibility for aid and does not allow them a
personal exemption, only medical or religious.
- Amends the definition of the official “certificate of immunization” to be an
electronic file or a hard copy of an electronic file proved to the school
directly from the immunization tracking system. The “paper copy” that most
people currently use is not shown in the new bill.
House Bill HB-1347 – Concerning the immunization tracking system in Colorado,
takes the existing law for the tracking system and moves it into a new section
called “The Immunization Registry Act”.
Here are the key points:
- Immunization and epidemiological information can be gathered and shared
WITHOUT CONSENT,
- HB 1347 makes it clear that this tracking system applies to EVERYONE, not just
children. In other words, womb to tomb tracking.
- HB 1347 would allow the results of newborn screening and any follow-up testing
to also be sent to the immunization tracking system.
- Privacy is NOT protected by HIPAA. Contractors can directly contact YOU when
shots are due with reminders (e.g., post cards, phone calls, even show up at
your door step)
- There is NO true opt-out (only shot information can be removed) and puts
people who exempt out of the federal one-size-fits-all immunization schedule on
a list of “non-compliers”.
- Keeps the current law requiring people on public assistance provide
verification that each child in the household is being brought up-to-date with
immunizations as a condition of eligibility for aid and does not allow them a
personal exemption, only medical or religious.
- Amends the definition of the official “certificate of immunization” to be an
electronic file or a hard copy of an electronic file proved to the school
directly from the immunization tracking system. The “paper copy” that most
people currently use is not shown in the new bill.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Cramer Manipulating Stock Prices
CRAMER REVEALS A BIT TOO MUCH
By RODDY BOYD
March 20, 2007 -- Flamboyant Wall Street trader turned TV host Jim Cramer, not known for being the shy, retiring type, might have said too much in a video interview he did for a financial Web site.
The host of CNBC's daily program "Mad Money" had hedge fund-trading desks buzzing yesterday after he bragged about manipulating stock prices during his days as a trader.
...
By RODDY BOYD
March 20, 2007 -- Flamboyant Wall Street trader turned TV host Jim Cramer, not known for being the shy, retiring type, might have said too much in a video interview he did for a financial Web site.
The host of CNBC's daily program "Mad Money" had hedge fund-trading desks buzzing yesterday after he bragged about manipulating stock prices during his days as a trader.
...
FBI No-Emergency Emergency
FBI Issues New Rules For Getting Phone Records
By John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page A06
The FBI, which has been criticized for improperly gathering telephone records in terrorism cases, has told its agents they may still ask phone companies to voluntarily hand over toll records in emergencies by using a new set of procedures, officials said yesterday. In the most dire emergencies, requests can be submitted to the companies verbally, officials said.
This month, the bureau sent field agents a new "emergency letter" template for seeking the records, shortly before the public release of a report by the Justice Department's inspector general that documented abuses of emergency phone-records collection by counterterrorism agents, officials said. That report created a furor on Capitol Hill and prompted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to take personal responsibility.
The report documented instances in which agents gathered phone records between 2003 and 2005 using emergency powers when no emergencies existed. It also reported that agents did not follow basic legal requirements, such as certifying that requests for phone records were connected to authorized FBI investigations.
...
By John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page A06
The FBI, which has been criticized for improperly gathering telephone records in terrorism cases, has told its agents they may still ask phone companies to voluntarily hand over toll records in emergencies by using a new set of procedures, officials said yesterday. In the most dire emergencies, requests can be submitted to the companies verbally, officials said.
This month, the bureau sent field agents a new "emergency letter" template for seeking the records, shortly before the public release of a report by the Justice Department's inspector general that documented abuses of emergency phone-records collection by counterterrorism agents, officials said. That report created a furor on Capitol Hill and prompted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to take personal responsibility.
The report documented instances in which agents gathered phone records between 2003 and 2005 using emergency powers when no emergencies existed. It also reported that agents did not follow basic legal requirements, such as certifying that requests for phone records were connected to authorized FBI investigations.
...
$38 Billion
Computer technician accidentally wipes out info on Alaska's $38 billion fund
The Associated Press
Published: March 20, 2007
JUNEAU, Alaska: Perhaps you know that sinking feeling when a single keystroke accidentally destroys hours of work. Now imagine wiping out a disk drive containing information for an account worth $38 billion (€29 billion).
That is what happened to a computer technician reformatting a disk drive at the Alaska Department of Revenue. While doing routine maintenance work, the technician accidentally deleted applicant information for an oil-funded account — one of Alaska residents' biggest perks — and mistakenly reformatted the backup drive, as well.
There was still hope, until the department discovered its third line of defense, backup tapes, were unreadable.
...
The Associated Press
Published: March 20, 2007
JUNEAU, Alaska: Perhaps you know that sinking feeling when a single keystroke accidentally destroys hours of work. Now imagine wiping out a disk drive containing information for an account worth $38 billion (€29 billion).
That is what happened to a computer technician reformatting a disk drive at the Alaska Department of Revenue. While doing routine maintenance work, the technician accidentally deleted applicant information for an oil-funded account — one of Alaska residents' biggest perks — and mistakenly reformatted the backup drive, as well.
There was still hope, until the department discovered its third line of defense, backup tapes, were unreadable.
...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Exercise Boosts Brainpower
Study shows why exercise boosts brainpower
POSTED: 7:46 p.m. EDT, March 12, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss, U.S. researchers reported Monday.
Tests on mice showed they grew new brain cells in a brain region called the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that is known to be affected in the age-related memory decline that begins around age 30 for most humans.
...
POSTED: 7:46 p.m. EDT, March 12, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss, U.S. researchers reported Monday.
Tests on mice showed they grew new brain cells in a brain region called the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that is known to be affected in the age-related memory decline that begins around age 30 for most humans.
...
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Real ID Revolt
States Challenge Nat'l Driver's License
Feb 4, 9:36 AM (ET)
By LESLIE MILLER
(AP) Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, listens to debate Monday, May 1, 2006, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP...
WASHINGTON (AP) - A revolt against a national driver's license, begun in Maine last month, is quickly spreading to other states.
The Maine Legislature on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly passed a resolution objecting to the Real ID Act of 2005. The federal law sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases.
Within a week of Maine's action, lawmakers in Georgia, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington state also balked at Real ID. They are expected soon to pass laws or adopt resolutions declining to participate in the federal identification network.
...
The law's supporters say it is needed to prevent terrorists and illegal immigrants from getting fake identification cards.
States will have to comply by May 2008. If they do not, driver's licenses that fall short of Real ID's standards cannot be used to board an airplane or enter a federal building or open some bank accounts.
...
The above paragraph implies that people will not be able to board airplanes without the ID. Actually, a passport will still suffice so there is no need to be concerned about being compelled to acquire a driving license.
A Real ID revolt
By Nate Anderson | Published: February 05, 2007 - 01:33PM CT
The Real ID Act will come into force next year unless Congress takes action to alter the law, but it won't happen without opposition from the very states charged with implementing it. That's bad news for the bill's supporters, who argue that Real ID will make it eaier to fight crime and catch terrorists, but the growing surge of momentum against the law is sweet music to the ears of libertarians, civil-liberties organizations, and budget-conscious state officials.
Feb 4, 9:36 AM (ET)
By LESLIE MILLER
(AP) Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, listens to debate Monday, May 1, 2006, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP...
WASHINGTON (AP) - A revolt against a national driver's license, begun in Maine last month, is quickly spreading to other states.
The Maine Legislature on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly passed a resolution objecting to the Real ID Act of 2005. The federal law sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases.
Within a week of Maine's action, lawmakers in Georgia, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington state also balked at Real ID. They are expected soon to pass laws or adopt resolutions declining to participate in the federal identification network.
...
The law's supporters say it is needed to prevent terrorists and illegal immigrants from getting fake identification cards.
States will have to comply by May 2008. If they do not, driver's licenses that fall short of Real ID's standards cannot be used to board an airplane or enter a federal building or open some bank accounts.
...
The above paragraph implies that people will not be able to board airplanes without the ID. Actually, a passport will still suffice so there is no need to be concerned about being compelled to acquire a driving license.
A Real ID revolt
By Nate Anderson | Published: February 05, 2007 - 01:33PM CT
The Real ID Act will come into force next year unless Congress takes action to alter the law, but it won't happen without opposition from the very states charged with implementing it. That's bad news for the bill's supporters, who argue that Real ID will make it eaier to fight crime and catch terrorists, but the growing surge of momentum against the law is sweet music to the ears of libertarians, civil-liberties organizations, and budget-conscious state officials.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Repeating Radio
Stations agree on anti-payola settlement
By JOHN DUNBAR Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Radio listeners weary of hearing the same songs over and over may have something to cheer about: Broadcasters have tentatively agreed to anti-payola settlements that could shake up music playlists at some of the nation's largest radio chains.
...
By JOHN DUNBAR Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Radio listeners weary of hearing the same songs over and over may have something to cheer about: Broadcasters have tentatively agreed to anti-payola settlements that could shake up music playlists at some of the nation's largest radio chains.
...
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Crime falls after streetlights cut out
Crime falls after streetlights cut out
Published: 1st March 2007 17:56 CET
Thefts and burglaries fell by half in a northern Swedish town after an electricity company cut off power to its streetlights.
Roadside lighting in the municipality of Övertorneå was cut off by Ekfors Kraft in the autumn, following a dispute over price rises. Contrary to expectations, the dark streets have been accompanied by a fall in crime.
During the third quarter of 2005, when Övertorneå was fully illuminated, around a hundred thefts and burglaries were reported. In the same period of 2006, after the town was plunged into darkness, police only 50 received reports of similar offences.
...
Published: 1st March 2007 17:56 CET
Thefts and burglaries fell by half in a northern Swedish town after an electricity company cut off power to its streetlights.
Roadside lighting in the municipality of Övertorneå was cut off by Ekfors Kraft in the autumn, following a dispute over price rises. Contrary to expectations, the dark streets have been accompanied by a fall in crime.
During the third quarter of 2005, when Övertorneå was fully illuminated, around a hundred thefts and burglaries were reported. In the same period of 2006, after the town was plunged into darkness, police only 50 received reports of similar offences.
...
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