The government will announce the standards on Wednesday to show federal computer engineers how to alter Microsoft`s Windows 2000 operating system to make it more secure. Government experts hope that the benchmarks will solve an embarrassing problem that affects both federal and private computer networks, largely by plugging security holes most hackers already know about.…

These days, it doesn`t take a computer expert to become a hacker. There are over 30,000 hacking-oriented sites on the Internet, offering easy to use click-and-hack programs and scripts for anyone to download. These easily accessible hacking tools have opened the door for a multitude of new exploits. Full Story

IT managers will have a hard time guarding their networks against unscrupulous employees using hacker tools to steal sensitive data, according to a security expert. Hacker tool Camera/Shy permits the hiding and viewing of sensitive or incriminating data inside innocuous picture files. Full Story

Investigators have had to become Web-savvy and acquainted with cybertechnology to adjust to an evolving crime world that includes Internet porn, sex predators in chat rooms and possible terror plots. Full Story

A 34 year-old Hertfordshire man has been arrested over allegations that he hacked into the phone line of television presenter Angus Deayton. The man is thought to be a BT engineer. Full Story

The most influential e-mail list among computer hackers is going corporate. BugTraq, the place where most of the world’s most influential computer hazards are made public, was purchased Wednesday by Symantec Corp. for $75 million cash. Full Story

Yahoo! Inc. confirmed on Wednesday that its e-mail software has automatically changed certain words — including evaluate — in a bid to prevent hackers from spreading viruses. Full Story

Statistics compiled by the Safeware insurance company say that in 2001, about 600,000 laptops were stolen, up 53 percent from the previous year. By contrast, thieves nabbed only 15,000 desktop computers. Even spies aren`t immune from missing laptops. In 2000, Britain`s Ministry of Defense admitted it lost 67 laptop computers during the previous three years,…

PDA security is a critical issue. Most PDAs offer password protection, but passwords alone aren`t always enough. The IT department should take a look at several products for encrypting sensitive data stored on company PDAs. Full Story

Terrorism in Algeria is conducted by a number of indigenous Islamic militant groups seeking to overthrow the current secular regime and establish an Islamic state. Algerian violence began following the ouster of President Bendjedid in 1992 and the follow-on regime`s voiding of the Islamic Salvation Front`s (FIS) victory in parliamentary elections of December 1991. Following…

Rumors inside the beltway indicate that Richard Preston`s new book, The Cobra Event, scared the President so much that it served as a catalyst for Presidential Decision Directives 62 and 63. Despite the rumors, this book is an interesting read for all those interested in ChemBio terrorism. While the TRC rarely recommends works of fiction,…

August 12-13, 2002 — Boston, MAParticipants will examine: * Terrorist Attack Profiles * Terrorist Training * Terrorist Tactics * Terrorist Targeting * Emerging Technologies * Threat of Cyberterrorism * Newest Aviation Security Threat Information This class led by nationally recognized terrorism experts. Participants will learn first hand about the current threats from both domestic and…

07/19/1979Nicaragua – Sandinista Regime Established. The post-Sandinista government of Violeta Chamorro has retained this date as a national holiday marking the fall of the Somozas. 07/19/1982Lebanon, United States – David Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, was kidnapped. He subsequently was released on July 19, 1983. 07/20/1974Cyprus – Turkey Intervenes In Civil War…

The FBI`s chief of counterterrorism sent ripples through the Bush administration Wednesday by declaring that he believes Osama bin Laden is dead. The remark by FBI Executive Assistant Director Dale Watson represents the first time a ranking administration official has publicly expressed an opinion on the al-Qaeda leader`s fate. It contrasts sharply with the White…

Zacarias Moussaoui swore his allegiance to Osama bin Laden this afternoon and told a federal judge that he wanted to plead guilty to his role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying it would save his life, but the judge said she would give him another week to see if he changes his mind. Full…

U.S. officials have seized $22.8 million since Sept. 11 that they say was destined for terrorist organizations and criminal enterprises worldwide. “One of the most important things to weaken and ultimately destroy international terrorist organizations is to cripple and cut off their ability to sustain themselves,” U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner said Wednesday. Full Story

More than 600 immigrants nationwide have been jailed and subject to secret immigration hearings since Sept. 11, according to new Justice Department statistics. The numbers, in a department letter written to U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., are the first accounting of the magnitude of closed-door legal proceedings conducted as part of new, sweeping anti-terrorism laws,…

A veteran House committee chairman indicated a willingness today to consider a compromise that would allow the Coast Guard to be moved to the proposed Department of Homeland Security. Full Story

The Central Intelligence Agency`s failure to penetrate the leadership of Al Qaeda before Sept. 11 was due to a risk-averse culture that made the agency hesitant to aggressively recruit informers inside the terrorist network, leaders of a Congressional inquiry into the American intelligence community said today. Full Story

When President Bush proposed a Department of Homeland Security, some members of Congress and intelligence experts predicted it would become the primary intelligence center for the war on terrorism. But as a new department is debated on Capitol Hill, administration officials are outlining a much narrower role. Full Story

House and Senate negotiators met Thursday to put the finishing touches to a $28.9 billion package for beefing up anti-terrorism programs that has been a source of contention between President Bush and Congress for some four months. Full Story

Accused shoe-bomber and self-avowed Muslim militant Richard Reid lost his legal bid on Thursday to keep incriminating statements he allegedly made to agents from being used at his upcoming trial. A federal judge denied Reid`s motion to suppress the statements, meaning prosecutors will be able to use them as they try to prove that the…

A prominent civil libertarian sued the U.S. government and two major airlines on Thursday, claiming that security requirements that compel U.S. citizens to show identification before flying are unconstitutional. Full Story

French and Spanish police arrested 14 members of Spain`s far-left guerrilla group GRAPO Thursday during a coordinated sweep in Paris and Madrid, French and Spanish news media reported. The arrests of suspected top members of the group were made in raids on more than half a dozen apartments in the two countries. The group, whose…

Thousands of marchers and mourners took to the streets Thursday to commemorate the 8th anniversary of a terrorist attack on a Jewish center that killed 86 people, injured more than 200 and destroyed a seven-story building. Full Story

Two suicide bombers, standing 15 meters apart, blew themselves up at the entrance to the Neve Sha`anan Quarter near Tel Aviv`s old central bus station in Tel Aviv last night, killing three and wounding 40. The two bombers were killed in the double attack. Full Story

Iraq`s main opposition forces have begun coordinating their military efforts and would welcome U.S. air support in their bid to topple President Saddam Hussein, according to the leaders of one of the groups. Full Story

The Spanish police yesterday arrested a fourth Syrian they called part of a Qaeda cell, less than 24 hours after arresting three men accused of working with Osama bin Laden`s terrorism network. Full Story

In a major breakthrough against the elusive November 17 terrorist gang, Greek police announced Thursday that three members of the group confessed to a series of bombings and other killings, including the murders of military attaches from both the United States and Britain. Full Story

Thai police defused a powerful timebomb on Tuesday placed in front of a food shop in the country`s Muslim-majority south, the latest in a string of violent incidents that have shaken the region. Police said the time bomb, made from about 10 kg (22 lbs) of plastic explosive connected to a clock, was left in…

The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group called on God to help it punish the United States for working with the Philippines government in its drive to wipe out the al-Qaida linked organization. “Sooner or later, may Allah will it that you will get his punishments through us so that you may be tilted into your senses,”…

Indian security forces killed three suspected Islamic militants during the siege of a mosque in disputed Kashmir on Thursday, police said. Ten people — four soldiers and six rebels — have been killed in at least three clashes in the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir state, the Himalayan region at the centre of…

Under increasing domestic political pressure for a tough response to a deadly attack Saturday night in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government renewed its call today for the United States to declare Pakistan a terrorist state for failing to dismantle a “terrorist infrastructure” inside its borders. Full Story

A Haitian radio journalist is missing and feared kidnapped after he reported on a notorious murder case in which a member of the ruling Lavalas Party is implicated. The journalist, Israel Jacky Cantave, disappeared Monday night after leaving the Radio Caraibes station where he works. Cantave`s car was found abandoned Tuesday morning in the capital,…

Hundreds of unarmed women seized control of at least four more ChevronTexaco facilities in the Niger Delta Wednesday, even as the 10-day occupation of an oil terminal by other village women ended. Full Story

In an effort to halt growing tensions, Spain said Thursday it would withdraw its armed forces from a small, disputed island if Morocco promises not to reoccupy it. Full Story

On the heels of plans for new powers to patrol people`s Web use, the U.S. government is again turning to technology to monitor suspicious activity in the name of fighting terrorism. Full Story

The President’s Critical Infrastructure Board plans to release its National Strategy for Defending Cyberspace Sept. 11 in the Silicon Valley, board chairman Richard Clarke said. The document, which will outline a broad agenda for protecting national and global information resources, will be a companion piece to the president’s National Strategy for Homeland Security, released yesterday.…

While much of it comes off as alarmist speculation, one hard-to-prove fact has slowly gained a patina of credibility: that terrorists are hiding coded messages in the image files on eBay and other sites that allow public posting. These images would appear normal to most eBay shoppers, but they are actually brimming with guile. A…

According to an affidavit filed by Officer Charles J. Wilson, Insler called human resources employees at the school and requested a new password for each instructor, then logged into the system. Insler also gained access to the system by guessing another teacher`s password, according to court documents. Full Story

Information sharing and data mining will be integral IT components of the White House’s newly released national strategy for homeland security, said Steve Cooper, CIO of the Homeland Security Office, during a July 16 administration briefing. Cooper also said three new pilot projects have already been identified by the office to ramp up new technologies.…

The FBI is nearing completion on two of three major steps to improve its information infrastructure, FBI project management executive Sherry Higgins said in written testimony at a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Judiciary Administrative Oversight Subcommittee. Full Story

One year ago this week, the Code Red worm caused a national panic that compelled Microsoft and the FBI to conduct a joint press conference. What`s changed in the past year? According to Ryan Russell, senior threat analyst at SecurityFocus, Internet worms have become much more robust since Code Red. And that doesn`t bode well…

A dramatic increase in the number of reported computer system vulnerabilities has the global IT industry spooked, but the world`s leading security authority said there is an upside to this threat. Full Story

Egypt`s largest militant group, active since the late 1970s; appears to be loosely organized. Has an external wing with a worldwide presence. The group issued a cease-fire in March 1999, but its spiritual leader, Shaykh Umar Abd al-Rahman, incarcerated in the United States, rescinded his support for the cease-fire in June 2000. The Gama`a has…

Bruce Hoffman`s book “Inside Terrorism” is one of the best books concerning the fundamentals of terrorism available. The book is detailed and academic, yet highly readable. While dealing with terrorism of the past, “Inside Terrorism” also looks at new methods and motivations that are changing face of terrorism. “Inside Terrorism” should be required reading for…

August 12-13, 2002 — Boston, MAParticipants will examine: * Terrorist Attack Profiles * Terrorist Training * Terrorist Tactics * Terrorist Targeting * Emerging Technologies * Threat of Cyberterrorism * Newest Aviation Security Threat Information This class led by nationally recognized terrorism experts. Participants will learn first hand about the current threats from both domestic and…

07/17/1976Indonesia – Incorporation of East Timor 07/17/1968Iraq – Baath Party Seizes Power 07/17/1988Pakistan – An airplane carrying President Zia Ul-Haq and U.S. ambassador Arnold Raphel crashed, killing everyone aboard. 07/19/1979Nicaragua – Sandinista Regime Established. The post-Sandinista government of Violeta Chamorro has retained this date as a national holiday marking the fall of the Somozas. 07/19/1982Lebanon,…

President Bush on Tuesday proposed a strategy to protect America from terrorism that includes using the U.S. military to enforce quarantines during a biological attack and “red teams” of agents thinking like terrorists to pinpoint weaknesses. Full Story For full report – click here.

This document is the first National Strategy for Homeland Security. The purpose of the Strategy is to mobilize and organize our Nation to secure the U.S. homeland from terrorist attacks. This is an exceedingly complex mission that requires coordinated and focused effort from our entire society — the federal government, state and local governments, the…

High street banks are to check the identities of every account holder in the country in a new initiative to root out money launderers, financial criminals and terrorist financiers. In the coming months the big six banks – Abbey National, Barclays, HBOS, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland – will trawl their existing…

Millions of Americans — from utility workers to ship captains — would be asked to watch for suspicious activity and report it to the government under a program being organized by the Justice Department. Full Story

Police doubled patrols near San Francisco`s Golden Gate Bridge after three suspected al-Qaida terrorists were arrested in Spain with videos of the bridge and other landmarks. Full Story

U.S. intelligence agencies didn`t adequately use traditional spying networks or high technology to penetrate Osama bin Laden`s terrorist network, a House panel said in a report Wednesday. Full Story

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is considering the appointment of a prime minister to share the running of day-to-day government affairs once a Palestinian state is declared after a planned January election, a senior Palestinian official said Wednesday. Full Story

The emerging market for homeland security looks like a gold mine for defense companies and other contractors, but industry is reluctant to rush in unless government protects it from multi-billion-dollar lawsuits that could follow another terror attack. Full Story

Two military jets escorted a civilian passenger plane into New York after a report of suspicious passengers, but they turned out to be performance artists from India, officials said on Wednesday. In an incident of post-Sept. 11 jitters, a passenger aboard American Trans Air Flight 204 from Chicago to New York`s La Guardia airport on…

Spanish police said they arrested a fourth suspected member of Osama bin Laden`s al Qaeda network Wednesday, a day after seizing three others with videotapes of U.S. landmarks including the World Trade Center. Full Story

Several countries have refused to take back al Qaida prisoners arrested in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the collapse of the Taliban regime in November last year, Pakistani officials told United Press International. Full Story

The Republic of Georgia has become home to illegal immigrants from several Arab countries and Afghanistan who enter the country on fake passports and use it as a stepping stone to move farther into Europe, a top official in the Georgian government said Wednesday. Full Story