BTW, more responses to this guy are appropriate. He's trying to
shut the thread down.
Excellent story. Thank you.
I bet we could answer some of his "why" questions.
Department of Homeland SecurityIAIP DirectorateDaily Open Source Infrastructure Reportfor 07 July 2004 Current NationwideThreat Level is For info click here www.whitehouse.gov/homeland
Daily Overview · The Boston Herald reports that area health officials are studying the first batch of data from the city's newly enhanced system designed to detect a bioterrorist attack that will give the city a good baseline to compare potential health threats in the future. (See item 30)· The Department of Homeland Security announces funding for social and behavioral scientists to study terrorism in a university-based Center of Excellence in Behavioral and Social Aspects of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. (See item 32)· CNET News reports the author of mass-mailing worm Bagle has begun distributing its source code and two new variants which could trigger another summer of difficulties for Windows users. (See item 37)· vnunet reports mobile operators have six to twelve months to prepare for a major phone computer virus because of the continued proliferation of Java-powered devices, making them an attractive target for hackers. (See item 41)
Production Industries: Energy; Chemical Industry and Hazardous Materials; Defense Industrial Base
Service Industries: Banking and Finance; Transportation; Postal and Shipping
Sustenance and Health: Agriculture; Food; Water; Public Health
Federal and State: Government; Emergency Services
IT and Cyber: Information Technology and Telecommunications; Internet Alert Dashboard
Other: Commercial Facilities/Real Estate, Monument & Icons; General; DHS/IAIP Web Information
Energy Sector
Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: Elevated, Cyber: ElevatedScale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES-ISAC) - http://esisac.com]
1. July 06, Reuters — Security back to normal at largest U.S. refinery. Exxon Mobil Corp. restored the largest U.S. refinery to normal security levels on Tuesday, July 6, after tightening anti-terrorism precautions over the Independence Day weekend. Beginning on Friday, July 2, non-employees weren't allowed on the grounds of Exxon Mobil's 538,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery and its adjoining chemical plant in Baytown, TX, on the east side of the Houston metropolitan area. "As of 6 a.m. (CDT) this morning we're totally back to normal," said Exxon spokesperson Tricia Thompson. "Nothing untoward happened." Security at the refinery was tightened because of advisories issued last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation calling for heightened vigilance by U.S. law enforcement and major infrastructure installations during the U.S. holiday.Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040706/energy_exxon_baytown_1.html
2. July 06, Reuters — Nigeria union protest halts crude output. Oil major Total has shut in its 225,000 barrel per day (bpd) of Nigerian oil production over a union protest, a company spokesperson said. Total, Nigeria's fourth largest oil producer, was forced to stop production late last Friday, July 2, due to workers' protests over a reorganization plan. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member Nigeria is the world's seventh largest crude exporter, producing around 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) and exporting almost all of that. Nigeria is a major supplier of crude to the United States, which has been importing more than one million bpd of Nigerian crude this year. Oil markets, already on heightened alert over supplies due to disruptions to Iraq's exports, climbed strongly after news of the Nigerian outage, with U.S. crude back at one-month highs near $40 a barrel. General labor strikes in Africa's biggest oil producer over the past few years have typically been resolved quickly, with no impact on its crucial oil exports, but the oil unions now appear to be putting renewed pressure on major operators there.Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040706/energy_nigeria_total_shutdown _1.html
3. July 06, Associated Press — Fire causes Sun City substation shutdown. The fire is out at a major power substation near Sun City, AZ. Nevertheless, Arizona Public Service (APS) and the Salt River Project (SRP) utility are asking customers to conserve electricity during peak-use hours, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., to avoid blackouts. Rural-Metro Assistant Fire Chief Kore Redden says while there no longer is active fire, the temperature inside the four transformers that burned is still extremely high. Firefighters are continuing to try to cool the transformers so that the mineral oil inside won't re-ignite. Authorities suspect the fires and an explosion Sunday, July 4, at the substation were caused by a mechanical problem. APS and SRP say they have adequate energy to meet the electricity needs of the Phoenix, AZ, area. However, the problem is finding ways to route it to homes and businesses while the substation is shut down.Source: http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=2002822
4. July 04, Reuters — Crude oil quality a growing issue for U.S. refiners. The quality of the world's crude oil that will be produced in the near future is falling and some U.S. refiners may soon have to invest millions in their plants to refine the changing flow of crude, experts said on Thursday, July 1. Production of sweet crude, which is low in sulfur and easier to refine, is increasing slightly from a few places. However, that gain will be more than offset by declining production of light, sweet crude from the North Sea, said Sarah Emerson, director of Energy Security Analysis Inc. The United States' appetite for crude oil is increasingly fed by Mideast nations, which produce light and heavy sours, Russia and Canada, which produce a range of sour crudes. The boost in the amount of sulfur in what goes into refineries comes at the same time that governments are cutting sulfur levels in what comes out of them. The result, analysts said, is that refining is an increasingly polarized game between refiners that invested before or during the first wave in cokers and desulfurizers, the $500 million to $600 million units that break down sour crudes, and those that are playing a purely sweet game.Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124623,00.html
5. July 04, Bay City News (CA) — Refinery problem prompts warning. A damaged boiler emitted a black cloud of smoke at Tesoro's Golden Eagle refinery in Martinez, CA, on Sunday, July 4, and may take at least 24 hours to be repaired, Contra Costa County hazardous materials specialist Paul Andrews said. The boiler's stack was releasing carbon monoxide and health officials warned the emission could cause some discomfort for those with respiratory problems. Andrews said that more steam has been added to the boiler, which will lighten the color of the smoke. Tesoro spokesperson Jon Ballesteros said the problem involved a unit that transforms hydrocarbons into gasoline using heat. The affected unit has been shut down, he said. "With that shut down we have to make some operational changes and that resulted in some visible smoke," Ballesteros said, explaining that the changes entailed redirecting the materials away from the affected boiler.Source: http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1998187
Chemical Industry and Hazardous Materials Sector
Nothing to report.
Defense Industrial Base Sector
6. July 05, Associated Press — In global exercise, Navy tests out flexible new military plan. Amid the burning stench of exhaust, fighter jets catapult off the flight deck over the shimmering Mediterranean as part of the first test of a new strategy aimed at exploiting the U.S. Navy's fierce power while cranking up its speed. The Harry S. Truman heads one of seven Navy carrier battle groups in the groundbreaking Summer Pulse '04 exercise. A key goal is to show allies and enemies alike that American maritime might can be tough and nimble in many theaters at the same time. "Heretofore, we had always been on a pretty rigid and pretty stiff schedule," said the carrier's commander, Capt. Michael R. Groothousen. "Terrorists love predictability so if you can be unpredictable that gives us an added edge." Under the old system, lengthy maintenance and sailor preparation meant fewer ships were available to the Navy at any one time. However, the war on terror shifted thinking in the U.S. military command. Last year, the Navy announced a brand-new strategy called the Fleet Response Plan. Summer Pulse '04, which lasts until August, is the Navy's first chance to demonstrate the plan, with joint exercises involving allied nations, advanced training, logistical practice and port visits.Source: http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/apmethods/apstory?urlfeed =D83KO7081.xml
Banking and Finance Sector
7. July 06, Reuters — U.S. - Mexico resume financial intelligence. The United States has resolved an intelligence dispute with Mexico, allowing the two neighbors to resume exchanging financial information to fight huge dirty-money flows across the border, the U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday, July 6. The U.S. Treasury stopped giving financial intelligence to Mexico in April after confidential information provided by Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) leaked to the media in Mexico. A FinCEN statement said Mexico had implemented a series of measures demanded by the United States to ensure shared intelligence was disseminated in a secure manner. "We are encouraged by Mexico's commitment to address our concerns as both countries view our financial information sharing relationship as a very valuable and productive component in the international fight against terrorist financing and money laundering," FinCEN Director William Fox said. Among the steps Mexico has taken to address U.S. confidentiality concerns is the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with Mexico's attorney general's office outlining strict rules on disclosing intelligence, FinCEN said. Mexico has also designed a training program with FinCEN's assistance that established a protocol for the dissemination of financial intelligence.Source: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-security-us a-mexico.html
8. July 05, Asian Development Bank — ADB establishes regional fund. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has formally established a trust fund to strengthen assistance to its developing member countries in fighting money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Cooperation Fund for Regional Trade and Financial Security Initiative has been set up through initial contributions by the governments of Australia, Japan, and the United States. The fund will support technical assistance to enhance port security (including airports, cargo ports, and containers) and combat money laundering and terrorist financing in developing countries. The fund's scope will include the establishment of financial intelligence units and legal and supervisory regimes for anti-money laundering and promoting the upgrade of customs security and modernization. Terrorism poses a potential threat to economic development and ultimately poverty reduction efforts in Asia and the Pacific. For example, the Bali bombing in 2002 contributed to a decline in tourist receipts equal to about 1% of Indonesia's gross domestic product. The fund was proposed by the United States late last year to help assure sustainable economic growth in the region by enhancing and strengthening trade and financial security.Source: http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2004/nr2004073.asp
Transportation Sector
9. July 06, Star Tribune (MN) — Metro Transit card system delayed by computer glitches. A $16.5 million card system designed to make it easier for Minneapolis, MN, bus and light-rail passengers to pay fares has been delayed until this fall due to a software glitch. The smart card system will allow riders to pay fares by touching a programmed card to a football-shaped reader on buses or to stationary readers on train platforms. Rider cards and Metro Transit computers both track the value in each customer's account and are reconciled with each other regularly. To do that, the system is designed to read a rider's card, deduct the fare, and store the transaction on the bus' computer. After the bus returns to its garage, all transactions are transferred into a garage computer, which then sends them to a central computer that updates accounts. Software problems have centered on data transfer and internal account record keeping, said Bob Gibbons, director of customer service, and Tom Thorstenson, Metro Transit's manager of facilities engineering.Source: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4862181.html
10. July 06, Winona Daily News (MN) — Trains, buses used for drug transport. The Winona, MN, police's arrest of a man allegedly carrying bags of heroin and crack cocaine on an Amtrak train last Tuesday, June 29, is symptomatic of a growing drug trade phenomenon. Domestic drug trafficking on trains has spiked since September 11, 2001, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Officials say. Meanwhile, drug transporting is down at the nation's airports. "The train is a more desirable means to transport contraband because it's less scrutinized by security," said Gary Boertlein, a public information officer for the DEA Chicago field division, which includes Minnesota. Boertlein said transportation interdiction units stationed at cities like Chicago and Minneapolis look for suspicious drug activity, often confirmed by drug-sniffing dogs. They work at places like bus and train stations in centers of high population to prevent the flow of drugs elsewhere, he said.Source: http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2004/07/06/news/7-6% 20drugs.txt
11. July 06, Reuters — U.S. ports bar ships for security flaws. The United States denied entry to 42 foreign ships and detained 38 in port since July 1, under tough new United Nations security rules designed to thwart terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday, July 6. "The foreign vessels detained or denied entry failed to comply with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS)," the Coast Guard said in a statement, referring to the UN regulations that came into force on July 1. The statement did not say where the ships came from or what cargo they were carrying. Washington, fearing an attack or infiltration by al Qaeda from the sea, has vowed to police the new rules strictly by turning away ships that are not security-certified or delaying ones that have called at "contaminated ports." The regulations, signed by 147 governments, require ports, stevedoring companies and owners of ships larger than 500 tons to draw up plans for responding to a terror threat, implement tighter security around facilities and train staff.Source: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20040706_366.html
12. July 06, Associated Press — Germans worried over U.S. visa rules. U.S. security officials in Frankfurt sought to allay German worries over strict new visa requirements meant to combat terrorism -- including fingerprinting and the storage of personal data in passports. James A. Williams, director of the Department of Homeland Security's program that tracks entry to and exit from the U.S., faced a barrage of skeptical questions from German journalists, ranging from worries about personal privacy to the reliability of the technology. The new initiative requires most foreign visitors traveling to the U.S. on a visa to have their two index fingers scanned and a digital photograph taken to verify their identity at the port of entry. The technology, called biometrics, allows such data to be stored on machine-readable strips. The procedures are currently set to be expanded to include visitors from 27 countries that don't need visas, including Germany, before the end of the year, but a debate is ongoing in Congress to stretch the deadline. Williams said that the new system would help authorities track potential terrorists more efficiently. He said that, though there have been no studies, he did not believe that the new requirements would discourage tourism, or affect the $85 billion industry. Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/07/05/bt.germany.us.visa.ap/i ndex.html
13. July 06, Local10.com (Miami, FL) — 'Homeland Security issue' causes cruise ship lockdown. Federal Customs agents locked down the Regal Empress cruise ship after it docked at Terminal 21 at Port Everglades, FL, on Tuesday, July 6. Customs agents noticed a discrepancy in the passenger manifest so they did not let anyone off the ship until it was resolved, Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Lejedal said. The Regal Empress is operated by Imperial Majesty Cruise Line and can carry 905 passengers and a crew of 396. The ship specializes in short cruises from Fort Lauderdale, FL, to Nassau in the Bahamas, according to Imperial Majesty's Website. All the passengers were off the ship by 10:30 a.m., but they were held in Terminal 21 because of the "security issue," according to Port Everglades' spokesperson Ellen Kennedy. Everyone was allowed leave the ship and terminal by 12:30 p.m. The discrepancy that caused the lock down has not yet been explained. Source: http://www.local10.com/news/3498198/detail.html
14. July 06, Capital City Weekly (Juneau, AK) — Alaska Marine Highway incorporates National Maritime Security Plan. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is responding to new federal regulations requiring increased port, harbor and vessel security. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced Monday, July 5, that some 3200 port facilities, 9500 vessels and 40 off-shore oil and natural gas rigs must comply with new requirements under the Maritime Transportation Security Act and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code by the July 1, 2004 deadline. AMHS General Manager John Falvey says security increases will be noticeable, but not inconvenient. Many security measures will be physical improvements such as better lighting in terminals and parking lots, closed circuit cameras on car decks and checking in firearms. The Marine Highway’s fleet of nine vessels currently serves 34 ports of call in Southeast and Southwest Alaska, including the Bellingham, WA, and Prince Rupert, Canada. A tenth ship, the Fast Vehicle Ferry Chenega, is expected to begin service in Prince William Sound next spring. Source: http://newspapers.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localne ws&pnpID=475&NewsID=558506&CategoryID=9945&on=0
15. July 05, Reuters — British airport baggage handlers to strike. British airport baggage handlers have voted to go on strike, threatening serious disruption this summer at some of the UK's busiest hubs including London's main Heathrow and Gatwick airports, their union said on Monday, July 5. Workers for the ground handling group Aviance, which operates baggage handling and check-in operations at 17 UK airports, voted four to one in favor to strike in protest at the firm's 2.5 percent pay offer, representatives of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) said. The TGWU said any action would bring significant disruption at British airports, which also include Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Cardiff, and hit airlines for which Aviance provided ground services, such as Lufthansa, British Midland Airways, and Singapore Airlines.Source: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/07/05/baggage.strike.reut/ind ex.html
16. July 05, Associated Press — Power outage delays flights in Boston. A power outage at a Logan International Airport terminal shut down security screening systems and other equipment on the afternoon of Monday, July 5, delaying dozens of flights. The outage lasted more than four hours and was caused by a problem at two electric substations, according to Phil Orlandella, a spokesperson for Boston's Massachusetts Port Authority. The outage shut down security screening systems, the equipment used to process passengers and luggage, as well as elevators and escalators in Terminal E, Orlandella said. It also delayed 15 international flights and 13 domestic flights, he said. The Transportation Security Administration screened passengers and checked luggage by hand before power was restored Monday evening, Orlandella said. The cause of the outage was under investigation.Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRF_AIRPORT_OUTAGE?SI TE=VTRUT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
17. July 04, Department of Transportation — Cruise ship Pride of Aloha christened. U.S. Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert joined local official on July 4 as the cruise ship Pride of Aloha was christened in Honolulu. The ceremony signals the expected revival of the Hawaii cruise trade and the creation of new American jobs, said Capt. Schubert. According to an independent study by one of the nation's leading economic consultancies, the reflagging of the Pride of Aloha, the future U.S. flagging of two other Norwegian cruise ships planned for Hawaii are expected to create more than 20,000 U.S. jobs and generate more than $825 million of expenditures in the U.S. economy by the end of 2007. The Maritime Administration helped bring the Pride of Aloha, formerly the Norwegian Sky, into the U.S.-flag fleet by overseeing the implementation of the reflagging effort enabling the ship to meet the requirements established by Congress. NCL America's 2,000-passenger, state-of-the-art ship started flying the Stars and Stripes on June 7 when it began the voyage to Hawaii to embark on seven-day inter-island cruises. The Pride of America, and another cruise ship yet to be named, also will be flagged as U.S. ships. Source: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/marad1004.htm
Postal and Shipping Sector
18. July 06, DM News — Royal Mail, USPS will let contract expire. Royal Mail and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said Friday, July 2, that they agreed to let a contract expire December 31 in which USPS uses Royal Mail's pan-European delivery network to deliver Global Express Mail and Air Parcel Post to 23 countries. Under the contract, the USPS sends all Global Express Mail and Global Air Parcel Post packages in Europe to Frankfurt, Germany, where Royal Mail takes delivery. General Logistic Systems (GLS), Royal Mail's pan-European parcel company, is responsible for delivering the packages throughout Europe. The postal service had announced the contract in January 2002. The USPS said it will revert to the individual foreign postal administration for delivery of Global Express Mail and Air Parcel Post in each country that Royal Mail's GLS subsidiary served, effective January 1, while GLS will continue to focus on its core product: business-to-business deliveries using commercial customs clearance. Royal Mail, through its United Kingdom parcel arm, Parcelforce, will remain the postal service's provider for the UK to deliver parcels in that country. Source: http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=2935 6
Agriculture Sector
19. July 08, Beaufort Gazette (SC) — Sudden Oak spreads to South Carolina. A disease that kills oaks and other plants and has garnered national attention has reached South Carolina. Sudden Oak Death, was found last week in a plant at a nursery in Greenwood. A few weeks earlier, researchers found the disease in a plant at a North Augusta residence. Both plants were shipped from a nursery in California. Tests by state inspectors showed the disease did not spread beyond the two infected plants. South Carolina officials say evidence shows the disease has been contained and poses little risk, especially to the state's coastal regions, which are home to numerous oaks but also a climate that is not conducive to spreading the disease. Sudden Oak Death has killed tens of thousands of oaks in California. It was first found in the mid-1990s, when Californians noticed oaks suddenly losing their leaves and dying weeks later. Further research found the disease to be type of fungus that actually takes more than a year to kill an oak, with months of weeping canker sores and general ill health preceding the sudden death phase. There is no known cure. Source: http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/3676437p-327 9767c.html
20. July 06, Bloomberg — China reports new case of bird flu. China reported a new case of bird flu in the eastern province of Anhui, state-owned China Central Television (CCTV) said. The National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory confirmed the deaths of chickens on Saturday, July 3, in Chaohu city in Anhui province were caused by the H5N1 bird flu virus, the report said. The outbreak is under control, the report said. The government has slaughtered all poultry within a 1.9 mile radius of the outbreak and vaccinated all fowl within 3.1 miles, CCTV said. The infection is the first bird flu case since March 16. China first reported the outbreak in January.Source: http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aGtvzt jn_UW4&refer=asia
21. July 06, USAgNet — Thailand suspects new outbreak of bird flu. Thailand suspects a new outbreak of bird flu at a farm in a central province where thousands of chickens have died, the deputy agriculture minister said Tuesday, July 6. "I have received reports that there are suspected bird flu cases in Ayutthaya province and the result of lab tests will be confirmed in the next couple of days," Newin Chidchob told reporters. "It is possible that the outbreak will return." An outbreak in Ayutthaya would be the second since the government declared on May 14 that it was all but certain that Thailand was free of the disease following widespread outbreaks earlier in the year. An isolated outbreak in northern Chiang Mai province in late May also raised alarms. The deadly strain of bird flu that swept through 10 Asian nations earlier this year killed more than 37 million birds in Thailand and jumped to humans, killing eight.Source: http://www.usagnet.com/story-national.cfm?Id=699&yr=2004
22. July 06, United Press International — British mad cow safeguards criticized. A British House of Commons report says the country's system used to track mad cow disease is in urgent need of modernization. In the report by the committee of public accounts into the tracking of livestock in England, members of parliament said tracking not only for mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and all infectious animal diseases is inefficient and inadequate. Problems with the system have already resulted in $25.5 million of penalties from the European Commission, and the figure could rise to $90 million, Sky News said Tuesday, July 6. The committee found the cattle tracing system used in England is more expensive and less efficient than that used in other EU countries.Source: http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040706-082335-6202 r.htm
23. July 06, Eagle (TX) — Vesicular stomatitis detected at three more sites. Horses on a total of nine sites in Texas and four premises in New Mexico are known to be infected with vesicular stomatitis, announced officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission. Vesicular stomatitis is a painful blistering disease of livestock, such as horses, sheep, swine, and deer. The viral disease appears spontaneously and sporadically in the southwestern U.S. and is thought to be transmitted by sand flies and black flies. The cases this spring are the first to be confirmed since l998. The country’s first cases this year were confirmed May 19 in three horses which are confined to their Reeves County ranch in far west Texas. Signs of the disease include blisters, open sores or erosions in an animal’s mouth, on the muzzle, teats, or hooves and mimic those of foot-and-mouth disease, an extremely dangerous and highly contagious foreign animal disease that can affect cattle, sheep, swine, and deer, but not horses. Laboratory testing is needed to differentiate between vesicular stomatitis and foot-and-mouth disease, or to determine if the animals had contact with a toxic plant or poison. Source: http://www.landandlivestockpost.com/livestock/070604stomatit is.htm
Food Sector
24. July 05, Los Angeles Times — Food recalls. Each year, slaughterhouses and processors voluntarily recall millions of pounds of meat and poultry because of possible bacterial, viral, or parasitic contamination. In most cases of suspected contamination, no one gets seriously ill or dies. But it's impossible to know what happens to people who unknowingly eat recalled food that should have been sent back to the processing plants. While acknowledging that testing for microbes has become more sensitive and faster and that surveillance has improved, study co-author Neal Hooker says the findings suggest the food safety system isn't working well enough. The federal government in 1998 began the three-year phase-in of a program to reduce food hazards. Hooker, an assistant professor of agricultural, environmental and developmental economics at Ohio State University, reviewed federal records of meat and poultry recalls from 1998 to 2002. Although he expected more progress in improving recovery rates -- the amount of food that gets returned -- after the program went into effect, Hooker said those rates were "fairly consistent at about 50 percent over the whole period over all types of recall." Source: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/9073664.htm?1c
Water Sector
25. July 06, American City Business Journals — Regulators approve sale of Wicor to Pentair. The Federal Trade Commission has approved the $850 million sale of Wisconsin Energy Corp.'s manufacturing subsidiary, Wicor Industries Inc., to Golden Valley, MN, based Pentair Inc., the companies said Tuesday, July 6. In addition, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has approved a corporate restructuring of Wicor necessary to complete the sale. Wisconsin Energy and Pentair announced the deal Feb. 4, 2004, which will expand Pentair's water systems business into a two billion dollar unit. Wicor manufactures water systems, filtration, and pool equipment products. It had revenue of $750 million in 2003 and 3,500 employees at 24 locations worldwide. Pentair is a $2.7 billion diversified manufacturing company producing water storage and treatment systems, industrial and electronics enclosures, and professional and consumer tools. Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2004/07/05/dail y2.html
26. July 05, CTV (Canada) — Thousands in Montreal without clean water. People in the Montreal, Canada, suburb of Dorval are stocking up on bottled water after a water main break has left about 17,000 households without clean water. Residents in the Dorval borough received notices Monday, July 5, from the city not to drink their water. The notice advises residents to use only bottled water for drinking, washing food, and for dental hygiene until further notice. City officials are worried low water pressure could cause a back up allowing pollutants to seep back into the system. The city says it needs two days to clean out the system and also warns that boiling tap water is useless. Officials say it will be at least Wednesday, July 7, before tap water is again safe to drink. "Best case scenario is Wednesday night, because we have to go through two days of testing," city spokeperson Collette Gauthier said. "And the testing is a 24-hour process each time, so we have to have two days to clean water at 20 different sites throughout the city." Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/10890569 28651_5/?hub=Canada
27. July 02, Banner Graphic (IN) — Illegal dumping source of spill. An investigation into two separate chemical spills at the Cloverdale, IN, Waste-water Treatment Plant this week has led workers at the plant to seek help from the Cloverdale Police Department. On Monday, June 28, a citizen reported seeing a green substance floating in Rabbit Run Creek downstream from the plant. The creek runs south from the plant and eventually connects with Doe Creek. Then on Thursday, July 1, morning, workers arrived at the sewage plant to discover that sewage had backed up in the drains inside the plant itself. Both incidents are being blamed on illegal dumping. Normally, owners of businesses that pump out private septic systems are allowed to deposit the contents of their pumper trucks in the plant for a fee. Still, someone is believed to be coming to the plant and illegally pumping sewage and related chemicals into one of three manholes near the plant.Source: http://www.bannergraphic.com/copy/news/story6363.htm
Public Health Sector
28. July 05, News-Medical — Scientists make breakthrough in study of anthrax. Scientists have determined a three-dimensional (3-D) molecular image of how anthrax toxin enters human cells, giving scientists more potential targets for blocking the toxin, the lethal part of anthrax bacteria. The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). "This elegant work provides important new leads for the development of novel antitoxins to protect people from anthrax, a dangerous and serious bioterror threat," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci. "It also leads us closer to therapies that could save lives late in the disease when large amounts of toxin are present and antibiotics are less effective." Using an intense X-ray beam to determine the position of atoms in a crystal form of the protein complex, a scientific team mapped the 3-D structure of one of the anthrax toxin's proteins docked to a human anthrax toxin receptor. Anthrax toxin uses a protein known as protective antigen to gain entry into human or animal cells. The protective antigen protein can bind either of two different cell receptors: CMG2 and TEM8. In this study, scientists solved the puzzle of the molecular structure of the protective antigen protein and CMG2 bound together.Source: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=3073
29. July 05, Reuters — New rotavirus vaccine. A new vaccine against rotavirus, one of the world's chief killers of children, is due to be launched in Mexico as soon as this year. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) submitted its oral vaccine Rotarix to Mexican authorities for approval and conducted clinical trials with more than 60,000 children in one of the largest such studies ever, Bruce Innis, vice president for Latin America research and development at GSK, said. In launching the vaccine in Mexico, the company "reverses the history of vaccine development in the last 50 years, in which new products are introduced in the U.S. and Europe and then to the developing world," Innis said. The highly infectious disease can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea leading to dehydration. It kills 400,000-600,000 children a year worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Some 15,000 children die from it in Latin America every year. Almost every child is exposed to rotavirus by age five. But 82 percent of rotavirus deaths occur in less developed countries, where children have limited access to health care and often arrive at the clinic too late.Source: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&sto ryID=5590293
30. July 05, Boston Herald — Boston health officials get look at data for bio alert. Boston, MA, health officials are poring over the first batch of data from the city's newly enhanced system designed to detect a bioterrorist attack. The computerized network, which went online June 1, records dozens of pieces of detailed information from every emergency room visit at nine of the city's acute care hospitals and feeds it daily to the Boston Public Health Commission. "When we are looking for a cluster of illness or unusual cases, the sooner you get information, the more quickly you can introduce public health measures," said Anita Barry, the commission's director of infectious disease control. Barry said the first month's data will give the city a good baseline to compare potential health threats in the future. The system logs seven specific diseases or syndromes and breaks the patient data down by age, gender, and even by ZIP code. The commission can cross-check the data with other computerized systems logging information from death certificates and poison control centers.Source: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid =34473
31. July 04, KATV (AR) — Texas to give post-exposure rabies treatments. Texas health officials say about 100 people will be given post-exposure rabies treatments. The treatments follow the discovery of a Texarkana man whose rabies infected organs were transplanted to others. Three people infected by organ transplants from the rabies-afflicted man have died. The Texas department of health said those to be treated for rabies in that state include 61 health-care workers and 29 family members.Source: http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0704/157147.html
Government Sector
32. July 06, Department of Homeland Security — Department of Homeland Security announces $12 million funding for social and behavioral scientists to study terrorism. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday, July 6 the release of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) calling for proposals that will focus on research efforts for a university-based Center of Excellence in Behavioral and Social Aspects of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. The new Center should focus on both the behavioral and social aspects of the terrorists themselves as well as the behavioral and social effects of terrorist threats and attacks on populations. The notice invites colleges and universities to submit letters of intent by July 30, 2004, and full proposals are due on September 30, 2004. Through this program, Homeland Security and partner universities will bring together the nation's best experts and focus its most talented researchers on a variety of threats that include agricultural, sociological, chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological, explosive and cyber terrorism. For details on the announcement go to http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interweb/assetlibrary/S_T_BAA06 July2004.pdf,Source: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3803
Emergency Services Sector
33. July 06, Blytheville Courier News (Blytheville, AR) — Disaster workers to test skill with drill. The Arkansas Office of Emergency Services and emergency operation personnel met Thursday, July 1, at the Emergency Operations Center on the Aeroplex to make plans for an upcoming drill that will involve emergency agencies from across the county and the Arkansas Army National Guard. Arkansas' Mississippi County has received large amounts from Homeland Security grant funding to supply equipment for the Blytheville Fire Department Hazmat team. The U. S. Army is writing the disaster scenario that will be used in the drill in August. Emergency operation personnel will not know what the scenario is until 7 a.m. the morning of the drill when they are called to respond to an emergency. All the Office of Emergency Services and emergency personnel know is that the scenario will involve a combination of a chemical and biological incident. Emergency agencies from across the county will be involved. Pat Lendennie, emergency operation personnel member, said that this drill will involve mostly countywide response agencies, which means the majority of the people involved will be units that would actually respond if this scenario really happened. Units from municipalities other than Blytheville will also be involved. Source: http://www.blythevillecn.com/articles/2004/07/06/news/news04 .txt
34. July 06, Cincinnati Enquirer Online — Kentucky emergency crews call for updated radios. If terrorists or tornadoes struck Northern Kentucky, police, firefighters and emergency medical workers wouldn't be able to talk to each other. Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties have 69 law-enforcement and emergency-services agencies. Because of incompatible and outdated communication equipment, many of those agencies couldn't talk to each other quickly and easily in a major disaster. But a grant from the state office of Homeland Security could change that. Local emergency management officials applied for an $11.2 million grant that will allow them to build a communication system connecting every first-responding agency in Northern Kentucky. "It'll give our first responders the ability to talk to each other more effectively and cross-patch frequencies," said Dan Maher, Boone County emergency management director. "Our communications centers at this point can't even talk to each other except through phone lines," he said. The federal Department of Homeland Security has given Kentucky $26 million to award to first responders this year. The Northern Kentucky proposal would take nearly half of the state's pot. Source: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/04/loc_kyhomeland04 .html
35. July 06, High Plains Journal (KS) — Funds for rural first responders. Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman on Tuesday, July 6 announced that $100 million is committed for a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) First Responder Initiative to support rural emergency responder efforts by prioritizing the financing for needed equipment and services, according to a USDA press release. Veneman said that as part of USDA's First Responder Initiative, a minimum of one dollar of every five dollars of fiscal year 2004 community facility funding available, will be dedicated to first responder type requests. USDA Rural Development provides financing of a variety of community facilities, such as: libraries, courthouses, fire and rescue facilities and equipment, police and emergency vehicles and services and other community focused facilities and services. The initiative will prioritize the funding of at least $100 million to specifically strengthen the ability of rural communities to respond to local emergencies. Source: http://www.hpj.com/dtnnewstable.cfm?type=story&sid=12119
36. July 06, Wichita Eagle (KS) — Using 311 could ease flood of 911 calls. As calls to 911 continue to increase, Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita, KS, are discussing the possibility of having a joint 311 number and call center to answer non-emergency calls. It's among a few new phone systems the city and county are considering. The idea for the 311 number is to reduce calls coming in to 911 that aren't urgent, said Kathy Sexton, assistant county manager. Residents instead could call 311 to report potholes, damaged road signs or other problems. One county estimate says that about 43 percent of calls to 911 are not emergencies and take more than three full-time dispatchers to handle. Bob Lamkey, the county's director of public safety, said that number may be lower. More than $71,000 is needed to start a 311 number, Sexton said. Sexton, also the county's director of information and operations, asked county commissioners to pay for technology and licensing next year. Source: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/9085909.htm
Information Technology and Telecommunications Sector
37. July 06, CNET News — Bagle source code unleashed. The author of mass-mailing worm Bagle began distributing its source code and two new variants on Sunday, July 4, which could trigger another summer of misery for Windows users. The Bagle worm first appeared in January as an e-mail attachment. Within months, there were more than 25 variants. Infected PCs download a Trojan that effectively enlists that computer into the worm author's army of zombie PCs, which can be used to distribute spam and other malware and to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks. Mikko Hypponen, director of antivirus research at F-Secure, said he believes the source code is genuine. He added that it is written in pure assembly language, also known as assembler, which indicates the author responsible is a serious programmer and not a script kiddie. Hypponen said that although the assembly language is difficult to master, it will not take an expert to modify the code and create new Bagle variants, so Windows administrators should expect a busy summer. Source: http://news.com.com/Reheated+Bagle+comes+with+side+of+source +code/2100-7349_3-5258179.html
38. July 06, IDG News Service — iPods pose security risk. The iPod poses such a major security risk for businesses, that enterprises should seriously consider banning the iPod and other portable storage devices, according to a study by research firm Gartner Inc. The devices, using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or FireWire (IEEE 1394), present risks to businesses on several fronts: from introducing malicious code into a corporate network, to being used to steal corporate data, the research company said in its report "How to Tackle the Threat From Portable Storage Devices." The report pointed to a variety of devices, including pocket-sized portable FireWire hard drives, like those from LaCie Group SA or Toshiba Corp., or USB hard drives or keychain drives, such as the DiskOnKey from M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. Gartner also named disk-based MP3 players, like Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod, as a security risk as well as digital cameras with smart media cards, memory sticks, and compact flash. Gartner advised companies to forbid employees and external contractors with direct access to corporate networks from using these privately owned devices with corporate PCs. Companies should also consider a "desktop lockdown policy," disabling universal plug and play functions after installing desired drivers, to permit the use of only authorized devices. Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/07/06/HNipodsrisk_1.html
39. July 06, Government Computer News — NIST offers technical guidance for e-authentication. The technology required for verifying the identity of remote users accessing government systems has been outlined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The NIST addresses only widely implemented authentication methods based on secrets such as passwords or cryptographic keys shared by the user and the verifying party. The agency expects in the future to address other forms of authentication, such as biometrics or extensive knowledge of private but not secret information. Level one requires no identity proofing and allows any type of token, including a simple PIN. Little effort to protect the session from offline attacks or eavesdroppers is required. Level two requires some identity proofing. Passwords are accepted, but not PINs. Attacks and eavesdropping are prevented using cryptographic methods meeting Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 requirements. Level three requires stringent identity proofing and multi-factor authentication, typically a password or biometric factor used in combination with a software or hardware token. Level four is the highest level of assurance, requiring multi-factor authentication with a hardware token. Source: http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/26502-1.html
40. July 06, Associated Press — UN aims to bring spam epidemic to end. The United Nations (UN) is aiming to bring a "modern day epidemic" of junk e-mail under control within two years by standardizing legislation to make it easier to prosecute offenders, a leading expert said Tuesday, July 6. "(We have) an epidemic on our hands that we need to learn how to control," Robert Horton, the acting chief of the Australian communications authority, told reporters. "International cooperation is the ultimate goal." The International Telecommunications Union is hosting a meeting on spam this week that brings together regulators from 60 countries as well as various international organizations, including the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization. The UN agency said it would put forward examples of anti-spam legislation which countries can adopt to make cross-border cooperation easier. Many states currently have no anti-spamming laws in place, making it difficult to prosecute the international phenomenon.Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/aptech_story.asp?cate gory=1700&slug=UN%20Spam%20Summit
41. July 05, vnunet — Mobile virus alert. Mobile operators have six to twelve months to prepare for a major phone computer virus because of the continued proliferation of Java-powered devices. Trevor Brignall, director of business development of Capgemini's telecom, media and entertainment practice, believes that as the number of Java phones expands they will become a target for hackers. "Increasingly, most of the phones coming out will carry Java and, once it gets to over 150 million, that's an attractive target for hackers," he predicted. "Unlike computer viruses you can monitor networks to stop them, but with a Bluetooth connection there's no observable network. They also open the door to new styles of attack, like making the phones dial a premium-rate number, for example." But there are signs that the industry is already moving on the issue. In January telecoms and mobile software companies formed the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG). Its job is to examine the total security of mobile infrastructure. "Basically we need a three-tier approach," said Johan Othelius, vice president at mobile application software house OpenWave, one of the founding members of MAAWG. "You must have protection at the network edge, then add in filters within the network to pick up unusual activity. Finally, user devices should have a protection system internally."Source: http://www.vnunet.com/news/1156395
Internet Alert Dashboard
DHS/US-CERT Watch SynopsisOver the preceding 24 hours, there has been no cyber activity which constitutes an unusual and significant threat to Homeland Security, National Security, the Internet, or the Nation's critical infrastructures. Watch Synopsis: Keylogger trojans such as Download.JECT, Scob and Berbew have garnered national attention by both the media and incident response teams. Microsoft has released an out-of-band fix for Internet Explorer to prevent future exploits of client machines using the ADODB vulnerability. See Microsoft's security bulletin here: http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/download_ject.msp x
Current Port AttacksTop 10 Target Ports 9898 (dabber), 135 (epmap), 5554 (sasser-ftp), 445 (microsoft-ds), 1434 (ms-sql-m), 137 (netbios-ns), 1023 (Reserved), 4899 (radmin), 21 (ftp), 3127 (mydoom)Source: http://isc.incidents.org/top10.html; Internet Storm Center
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US-CERT at soc@us-cert.gov or visit their Website: www.us-cert.gov.Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center) Website: https://www.it-isac.org/.
Commercial Facilities/Real Estate, Monument & Icons Sector
Nothing to report.
General Sector
42. July 05, icWales — Experts warn of bioterror threat. Al Qaeda linked terrorist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah could try to launch biological or chemical attacks against U.S. allies and secular Muslim governments in Asia using widely available materials, security experts warned Monday, July 5. Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is believed to be exploiting anti-western sentiment over Iraq to recruit new members and raise funds that could be used obtain or develop such weapons, top Japanese security official Shinsuke Shimizu told a conference on terrorism. Warning signs include the discovery last October of manuals on bioterrorism at a JI hideout in the southern Philippines, and the arrest in June 2003 of a man who tried to sell cesium 137 -- a radioactive material used in industry that could be used to make dirty bombs. Zainal Abidin Zain, the director-general of the U.S.-backed Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counterterrorism, said terrorists may try to adapt chemicals that are widely available commercially for use in weapons. "Deadly chemical agents, including various insecticides, industrial chemicals, and potent toxins are relatively easy to produce or acquire," he said. Also, "It is possible to harvest deadly pathogens from nature with unsophisticated equipment and limited expertise."Source: http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0700world/tm_objecti d=14394279%26method=full%26siteid=50082%26headline=experts%2 dwarn%2dof%2dbio%2dterror%2dthreat-name_page.html
Just when I thought there was nothing to read. :)
Any word on the type of "problems" there were at the two substations that took out Logan?
