Month: August 2016

Laptops Most Often Stolen From Most Unlikely Place

From “Laptops Most Often Stolen From Most Unlikely Place”
CIO (08/15/16) Olavsrud, Thor. Posted by ASIS.

According to Kensington’s IT Security & Laptop Theft report, the No. 1 place employees had experienced IT theft was ‘cars and transportation’. The No. 2 response, coming in ahead of ‘airports and hotels’ and ‘restaurants’ was the office. Kensington, a supplier of desktop and mobile device accessories, surveyed 300 U.S. IT professionals from a range of industries for the report. The company found that 34 percent of organizations do not have a physical security policy in place for their laptops, mobile devices, and other electronic assets. Additionally, 54 percent of respondents do not currently use physical locks for IT equipment. “Since studies confirm that well-implemented security can significantly decrease laptop theft by as much as 85 percent, it’s important for IT personnel to consistently utilize physical locks for computing and mobile equipment to provide resistance to tampering and theft,” said Rob Humphrey, director of Global Product Management, Security, Kensington.

Police: Laptop Used to Reprogram, Steal More Than 100 Cars

From “Police: Laptop Used to Reprogram, Steal More Than 100 Cars”
Associated Press (08/05/16) Posted by ASIS.

Police have arrested two men in Houston for allegedly using pirated computer software to steal more than 100 vehicles. Michael Arce, 24, and Jesse Zelaya, 22, focused on new Jeep and Dodge vehicles that are lucrative on the black market in Mexico, authorities said. Using a laptop computer, the men allegedly reprogrammed the targeted vehicles’ electronic security so their own key worked. The stolen vehicles relied on a common software used by auto technicians and dealers, according to Houston police officer Jim Woods. Computer security expert Yoni Heilbronn says computerization and Internet connectivity increase vehicle security in some ways, but also increase the risk of theft and malicious disabling. Automakers are cooperating to develop best practices and to share information on cybersecurity threats.

A New Wireless Hack Can Unlock 100 Million Volkswagens

 08/10/2016

In 2013, when University of Birmingham computer scientist Flavio Garcia and a team of researchers were preparing to reveal a vulnerability that allowed them to start the ignition of millions of Volkswagen cars and drive them off without a key, they were hit with a lawsuit that delayed the publication of their research for two years. But that experience doesn’t seem to have deterred Garcia and his colleagues from probing more of VW’s flaws: Now, a year after that hack was finally publicized, Garcia and a new team of researchers are back with another paper that shows how Volkswagen left not only its ignition vulnerable but the keyless entry system that unlocks the vehicle’s doors, too. And this time, they say, the flaw applies to practically every car Volkswagen has sold since 1995.

See full story at  https://www.wired.com/2016/08/oh-good-new-hack-can-unlock-100-million-volkswagens/

Local Schools to Use New Security App Directly Connected to Police

From “Local Schools to Use New Security App Directly Connected to Police”
WSBTV.com (Atlanta, GA) (08/08/16) Petchenik, Mike. Posted by ASIS.

The Fulton County school district in Georgia recently launched the QuickTip app, which allows anyone to anonymously report something suspicious to Fulton County school police. School officials hope the app will help keep kids safe in class. Fulton County Schools Director of Safety and Security Shannon Flounnory said he hopes the app will stop a range of bad student behavior. Anyone can download the app on their smart phone through the Fulton County schools app or access it online. The district launched it quietly last year and Flounorry says they’ve had some success.

Full Story:  http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/north-fulton-county/local-schools-to-use-new-security-app-directly-connected-to-police/419250001