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"It's 10 A.M. Do You Know Where Your Workers Are?"
Even with an increasing number of workers performing their jobs from the privacy of their homes, employers can monitor their activities. Companies can take advantage of new technologies to track their phone calls and Internet usage, deny them access to certain Web sites, make sure they are working in specific applications, and take note of every keystroke. Employers can even monitor workers whose performance is not easily measured, concentrating on finished tasks or employing collaboration software to make sure the job is progressing as planned. Research shows that telecommuting can boost productivity and improve job satisfaction by eliminating distractions, and companies that implement Web-monitoring tools can experience additional productivity gains. Oklahoma-based Chaparral Energy, for instance, saw the time employees spend online decrease from one hour to under 15 minutes per day after the company began tracking their Internet activities. Though companies benefit from tools that gauge performance and restrict Web usage, experts note that spying on employees can hurt morale and hinder productivity.
www.wsj.com
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"Fla. Sheriff Adds Biometrics to Bookings"
The Pinellas County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office has installed a biometrics-based ID authentication system from Viisage Technology for its 3,000-bed county prison. When a person is arrested and taken to the Sheriff's office, his or her digital picture is taken and checked against a collection of more than 525,000 other previously booked people since 1994. The system works by converting a person's facial traits into sets of numbers using algorithms. The tool then searches through the Oracle9i database, providing the best 50 matches in 3 seconds, according to Lt. Jim Main with the sheriff's office. More digital pictures are taken after the initial one, including a side view and close-ups of distinguishing marks. All the images are then placed in a protected, statewide police network accessible by more than 2,500 police officers via a browser. The images conform to regulations set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology since they are in JPEG form and have a resolution of 640 dpi by approximately 420 dpi, according to Main. The database has been accessed some 329,000 times since its unveiling about 18 months ago, he reveals.
www.gcn.com
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"Risk Stalks U.S. Campuses"
University risk managers address many of the same liability issues as other institutions, but on a broader scale. Topping the list of employee practices risk issues at universities is gender discrimination. Jean Demchak, Global Practice Leader for Higher Education at Marsh, says professors file an average of 900 tenure claims a year. There is also the matter of student risk, which Demchak notes tend to be higher the younger the student. Janice Abraham, president and CEO of United Educators, says the types of risk people in this age bracket pose are unique and should be handled in "a special manner." Athletics, alcohol, automobiles, assault, and suicide are the top liabilities among students at the university level, Abraham says.
www.riskandinsurance.com
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"Screening Easier for Air Travelers"
Airline passengers who trigger alarms as they pass through metal detectors at airport security checkpoints are being allowed to pass through the metal detectors a second time before being subjected to a more comprehensive search by hand-wand metal detectors. Previously, all passengers who triggered the initial alarm were immediately sent to a different screening area, where they were subjected to the more extensive search. The new, relaxed policy by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was implemented Dec. 27, and aims to provide better customer service while also increasing the efficiency of the screening process, according to a TSA spokesman. The new policy allows passengers who set off the initial alarm to remove their shoes, belt buckles, and items in their pocket in lieu of being screened by hand-wand. The removed items are then placed through an X-ray screening process. The TSA estimates that three minutes in wait time is saved for each passenger who is not forced to undergo the secondary hand-wand screening process.
www.washingtonpost.com
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"Threats Fray Nerves but Spawn Innovation"
As the nation braces for a possible future terror attack, the vulnerability of public spaces and critical infrastructure is getting more attention than ever. "Most are starting with easy stuff; new fences, new locks, ingress and egress control, " explains Laguna Beach, Calif.-based consultant Vic Opincar, referring to recent efforts to secure key locations. Among the technologies being employed are high security fences integrated with sensors, which can range from tensioned wires and strain gauges on existing fences to imbedded sensor loops that detect the movement of metal objects. Pure Technologies of Calgary, Alberta, has developed sensors that monitor sounds in structures to give early warning of corrosion. This tool is now being used on fences and bridge cables to detect cutting and climbing. The problem with such techniques lies in analysis, with the vast amount of data collected from sensors and cameras requiring the screening out of false alarms. Sarasota, Fla.'s Guardian Solutions is selling cameras that can analyze data using built-in processors. The devices can be programmed to detect anomalies, comparing referenced images to live shots; when unusual activity occurs, the camera tracks the target and sends alerts to handheld computers.
enr.construction.com
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"Keeping Light Fingers Out of the Store"
A survey of 118 retailers in 22 U.S. markets commissioned by the National Retail Federation found that in 2002 retailers lost $31 billion to "shrinkage," with employee theft and shoplifting accounting for $15 billion and $10 billion, respectively, in losses. The rest of the shrinkage is attributable to vendor fraud and administrative errors. December is widely recognized as the top month for theft, and December 2002 was no exception, according to security expert John Nolan, noting that the holiday season tends to bring out the "opportunistic" criminal. Many retailers do not like to talk about the sensitive issue of theft, but Preston Turco, owner of the specialty grocery store Turco's Market, speaks candidly about the problem. Turco's Market has two locations in New York, both of which feature top-notch security measures, including handprint identification systems that employees are required to use to clock in and out. The cash registers at Turco's Market are enabled with fraud-detection software, and hidden cameras and store detectives provide additional security. Turco, noting that new hires are responsible for most incidents of employee theft, says that the best prevention for employee theft is to be careful about hiring the right employees and to keep employees happy and loyal over many years. Allan Schwartz, owner of security consulting firm Safeguards International, advises companies to conduct extensive background checks of prospective hires and to hire store detectives, who provide "an atmosphere of management knowing what's going on."
www.nytimes.com
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"It Takes a Thief"
There has been an increase in the number of schools offering courses in hacking and network penetration techniques, so that companies can bolster their defenses against such intrusions. "If we want to improve computer security, we have to teach how attacks work, how viruses work," contends Counterpane Internet Security founder Bruce Schneier. Some courses cover hacking fundamentals, such as cracking passwords and spying on data as it passes through the Internet; others emphasize the exploitation of human weakness, such as sifting through an organization's garbage to find nuggets of useful information such as passwords and where employees live; still others focus on ethical hacking. Foundstone, which claims to have 3,500 students annually, offers courses oriented around structured query language injection attacks, whereby intruders manipulate data on an e-commerce Web site. Meanwhile, the University of Calgary has attracted controversy for offering a course that teaches virus- and worm-authoring methods, the purpose of which is to help students design more effective anti-virus and anti-hacking strategies, insists computer science department head Ken Barker. Critics condemn such courses as opening up the potential for more harm than good: "We've got enough idiots out there writing viruses without training any more," argues David Banes of the MessageLabs security-software firm. Also fueling opponents are the sometimes questionable credentials of the instructors--while some are well-regarded security professionals, others include notorious hackers such as Kevin Mitnick, who did time for his activities. E2 Labs Information Security in India offers a course in hacking co-authored by a teenager.
www.wsj.com
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"Save That Parking Space"
When Parametric Technology Corporation moved its headquarters to a new location in the Boston suburbs, the company's corporate security manager, Don Aviv, already had a plan in place for providing security for the building's parking areas. Security for those areas, which included a five-story parking garage and three surface parking lots, focused on the placement of security cameras, lighting, and emergency call boxes, with an emphasis on openness, flexibility, and scalability, Aviv says. The cameras in the garage were positioned in areas where they would receive the best possible lighting and the best unobstructed pan-tilt views, and the cameras in the surface lots were also positioned for the best possible sight lines. The parking garage and surface lots feature emergency call boxes in the most trafficked areas, the areas where someone would most likely try to "run to or escape to" during an emergency, he says. The CCTV system is linked to the call boxes; when a call box is used, nearby cameras automatically tilt and pan to the box being used. Some employees will use the call boxes to provide security personnel with helpful information about a vehicle with its lights left on or a potentially hazardous spill within the garage. Parametric Technology's security personnel are on the job 24/7 and are available to perform after-hours escorts to the garage or any other type of "life-safety concern," states Aviv. All new employees at the company are provided with parking-lot safety information and other security briefings.
www.securitymanagement.com
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"Planes Still Have Many Dangerous Objects"
Aviation security experts and airline pilots say that potential weapons that could be used by terrorists can easily be found inside planes or are permitted to be brought aboard by passengers. For example, passengers are allowed to bring canes, knitting needles, ball point pens, shoe laces, and hangers aboard commercial airliners, while inside the planes themselves are ice picks, metal silverware, and mirrors, all of which could potentially be used by terrorists. Airline industry analyst Michael Boyd of the Boyd Group claims that the government is fixated on preventing passengers from bringing "pointy objects" aboard planes, while little has been done to increase security elsewhere, such as at a plane's back doors or at airport perimeters. Airport workers, including mechanics, fuelers, and caterers, should be screened for weapons, and security needs to be increased at air cargo installations, Boyd says.
www.ajc.com
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"Wireless Networks Gain Acceptance in Corporate America"
While wireless local area networks (WLAN) gain increased acceptance in Corporate America, experts warn about the security risks that come along with using wireless networks. They cite the May 2002 incident when retailer Best Buy discovered that its lack of wireless security allowed anyone, including hackers and criminals, to access credit card numbers via the company's wireless network. Research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. says WLAN users will grow from 4.2 million in 2003 to over 31 million in 2007. While WLAN offers users convenience and better access, experts warn that hackers often try to gain entry into unguarded wireless networks and steal customers' or companies' information. Although some experts note that the security risks of WLAN are no more than those found with wired networks, they advise companies to take steps to educate themselves about protecting their WLAN from intruders Experts advise companies to hire outside experts to help them beef up their WLAN security and to develop comprehensive security plans for their wireless networks.
www.corporatelegaltimes.com
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