Google Defends Plan to Digitize Books

Google defended its book digitization program to Congress yesterday. David Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer at Google, expressed Google’s plans as an open platform that will work to help independent bookstores and will work with publishers and device manufacturers.

In a statement Google said, “In this open platform, readers can find and purchase digital books from any bookstore and read them on any device,…

President Nearing End of Search for Cybersecurity Coordinator

It is estimated that President Obama will announce the appointee to the cybersecurity coordinator position within the next two weeks. A source disclosed that the current front-runner for the position is Frank Kramer who served as assistant defense secretary under the Clinton Administration, although the source wished to remain anonymous at this time.

Aneesh Chopra, U.S. CTO, confirmed to reporters he has been interviewing potential candidates and a decision…

$10 Million Contract Awarded to General Dynamics

The Defense Department has awarded a $10 million, one-year contract with four options, to General Dynamics. The contract outlines a plan for the Special Operations Command to receive assistance from the firm in the implementation of the Trans-Regional Web Initiative. This initiative will allow the Special Operations Command to reach out to international communities through the Internet.

General Dynamics plans to carry out the terms of the contract by creating…

Navy to Form Information Dominance Directorate

Adm. Gary Roughhead, chief of naval operations has disclosed in his yearly guidance paper, that the Navy has announced plans to form an Information Dominance Directorate in charge of supervising information, cyber and space capabilities.

The position calls for a three-star admiral to oversee the operations, although the individual has not yet been chosen. The new position would combine the duties of the current deputy chief of Naval Operations for…

Revised Cybersecurity Emergency Bill

Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W. VA), has written a revised draft of the proposed cybersecurity bill. The bill had initially caused alarm among interested parties due to language allowing the President to shut down the Internet in the case of a cybersecurity emergency. The current draft still gives the President the ability to declare a cyber emergency as well as the right to alert in the event of cyber attacks.

President…

IBM Releases Report on Phishing Attacks

IBM has conducted a study evidencing the number of overall phishing attacks has gone down so far this year to 0.1 % of all spam email as compared to a range of 0.2-0.8% at the same time in 2008, however criminals are learning new methods of attack. IBM also asserted that spam email has not increased this year as it has in the past.

Kris Lamb, IBM Internet Security Systems…

White House Announces New Tool to Aid in Cybersecurity Reporting

The White House has announced an initiative that will make it mandatory for federal agencies to report compliance with cybersecurity regulations. This will be accomplished through a new software tool which will be released this month in a test version. The tool will collect information that is required under the Federal Information Security Management Act.

Required information includes an inventory of systems, assessments of system sensitivity, description of security methods…

Cyber ‘Czar’ Position of Concern to Langevin

Jim Langevin (D) Congressman from Rhode Island has expressed concern over the delay in selecting a cybersecurity “czar.” Speculation on who will be appointed to the position has resumed since Melissa Hathaway, acting senior director of Cybersecurity under the White House National Security Council, has announced her resignation. She was being considered for the permanent role.

Langevin is chair of the House Cybersecurity Caucus and co-chair of the CSIS…

Webinar on Future of Broadband in Public Safety and Security

The FCC is scheduled to host a webinar, on Tuesday, in order to educate and examine how broadband technology can be utilized by public safety entities and for homeland security purposes.

In the first of two panels members of the public safety community, government agencies, industry, and academia will come together to discuss interoperability, redundancy, cyber security, 911, and pandemic response. Of particular interest will be uses of broadband applications…

Lackland Air Force Base Chosen for Cyber Command

Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio has been chosen as the site for the 24th Air Force, part of Space Command, after four years of deliberation. The inauguration, activating the Cyber Command, was held today for the facility whose goal is to prevent cyber attacks on military bases and systems. The Base borrows from three wings, including: the 688th Information Operations Wing, the 67th Network Warfare Wing, and…