Archive for February, 2010

I’ve posted the abstract to a recent symposium article “A Cup of Coffee After the Waterboard: Seemingly Voluntary Post-Abuse Statements” to SSRN, but unfortunately I don’t have a .PDF of the final page proofs to post yet.  Here is the abstract of the article which appears in Volume 59 of the DePaul Law Review (official [...]

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By Kelly Liu and Ling-Mei Wong
2009/11/2
www.asmag.com

Water supply utilities are critical infrastructure, encompassing reservoirs, purification plants, wastewater and storm water facilities. “Dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions, and are evaluating security plans and measures since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,” said Roni Klein, VP of Sales of Video Solutions for APAC, Verint Systems.

Water is one of the most important natural resources, making water supply sites critical. A&S looks at how security guards these precious resources.

Water supply utilities are critical infrastructure, encompassing reservoirs, purification plants, wastewater and storm water facilities. “Dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions, and are evaluating security plans and measures since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,” said Roni Klein, VP of Sales of Video Solutions for APAC, Verint Systems.

In the wake of the attacks, water supplies became a priority for the US Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency. “Water management facilities which deal with supplying drinking water, control dams and storm drainage need to get extra attention, as these would be seen as prime targets,” said Jamie Finegan, VP of Business Development of Access Technology Systems.

International standards govern SCADA systems for cooperation between governments and industry, said Torsten George, VP of Marketing at ActivIdentity.

Water supply solutions have a common goal. “The basic security requirement is to deliver a remote monitoring solution that reduces vandalism and removes the threat of deliberate water contamination,” said Mariann McDonagh, Senior VP of Corporate Marketing and Investor Relations for Xtralis.

It is difficult to gauge how large the water supply market is. The average water treatment plant invests about US$50,000 to $300,000 in security, said Johan de Bleecker, Sales Manager of Fire and Security Solutions for Belgium, Johnson Controls.

Threats
Water facilities supply essential needs for people, facing security threats. hysical damage is one, along with water contamination. “Contamination and destruction of the structures are the main threats that water supplies are facing today,” said Paul Bodell, CMO of IQinVision.

Contamination problems include the theft of water purification chemicals and intrusion. “There are great risks with regards to dams and reservoirs being compromised and causing flooding, which in turn can result in losses of life and property damage,” Finegan said.

Natural disasters can also contribute to water contamination, such as floods, bush fires or earthquakes. “Natural disasters threaten public health and the environment,” Klein said.

Theft is an issue, such as people stealing important information, chemicals or equipment. “Rather than broader malevolent threats by terrorists, domestic or foreign, manmade threats are generally focused on purposeful acts, such as vandalism or theft by disgruntled employees or customers,” Klein said.

Other experts noted that intruders may not be malicious. “The most common threat is intruders, whether intentional or not,” said Ron Austin, Business Development Director of HGH Infrared Systems. “The key is to have early detection, and the ability to assess the intruder quickly.”

Solutions
A combination of security defends against threats at water supply facilities. “Security systems like video surveillance and access control are critical to address terrorist threats or vandalism,” Klein said.

These sites require a central management system for patrolling, perimeter,intrusion alarms and video surveillance. “Most of these sites have perimeter fencing in strategic locations and have started to implement security cameras in various locations to monitor the targeted areas,” said Wai King Wong, Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Axis Communications.

“Risk reduction standards for water, wastewater and storm water systems are an essential part of protecting infrastructure from potential terrorist threats, ultimately supporting our economy and public health,” Klein said.

Military water applications are at high risk for contamination, since they have limited fresh water compared to high volume dams, said Jouni Salmi, VP of Business Development for Environics, which specializes in detecting biological agents. “Smaller scale systems, like local water dams and containers, are important places and require more attention.”

Perimeter and Access Control
Perimeter and access control systems are the first layer of protection for large water applications. They integrate physical and logical access control to identify authorized individuals.

Perimeter is mandatory for water infrastructure security. “True security requires proactive surveillance of the perimeter, reliable intrusion detection with minimal nuisance alarms and immediate alarm notifications,” McDonagh said.

Facilities like water and hydropower sites are open to the public and can be vulnerable. To monitor recreational boaters, floating barriers can be used. “These floating barriers can also serve as a platform for video surveillance and intrusion detection systems in the water,” said Jonathan Smith, CFO of Wave Dispersion Technologies

Perimeter solutions can work as a unified whole. “Safeguards Technology uses a combination of fencing/barriers, surveillance and fiber intrusion detection systems,” said Ayal Vogel, VP of Sales and Marketing at Safeguards Technology.

For access control, management software enables flexibility. “With extended secure logical access to physical access control within the same device and credential management solution, it can prevent unauthorized access to physical water facilities,” George said.

Video can strengthen physical barriers. “It’s much easier to protect the entire perimeter of the water dam area, so there are a variety of technologies which can be applied, such as people patrolling the area, perimeter detection and fences with sensors on them,” Bodell said.

Video
The EYEfi solution watches for natural and man-made disasters. “The camera is wireless and solar powered, so we can install our cameras on fire-watching towers or existing buildings,” said Simon Langdon, MD of EYEfi. “Wireless provides more choice in terms of where to install the cameras and it’s more affordable than fixed-line communications.”

The migration to IP benefits security with video analytics, real-time streaming and wireless transmission. “Wireless video devices capture images along borders, throughout cities, on buoys and waterfronts — areas that are difficult or costly to wire,” Klein said.

Network cameras must deal with bandwidth constraints for video streaming. “With IP technology, video streaming is possible over the Internet and even on 3G networks,” Wong said. “This can be done with H.264 video compression that ensures high-quality images and better frame rates with lower bandwidth. Data redundancy can be achieved with local storage in the camera.”

To save bandwidth, some vendors focus on selected zones. “Instead of streaming the whole image back to the customers, we only pick the area of interest to send,” Bodell said.

“Video analytics provide accuracy with lower bandwidth, server and storagerequirements,” Klein said. “Video management software lets users manage and monitor their video surveillance system on-site, centrally or from remote locations.”

System Integration
System integration requires planning for the security devices to perform as expected, primarily made up of access control and video surveillance. A holistic solution can do more, such as integrate products and save energy.

Security solutions should be flexible and future-proof. “Technology is changing every day, and Safeguards believes that every solution should be able to integrate with other products and be very cost-effective to eliminate terrorist threats,” Vogel said.

The security should consider the site’s needs. “We’d look at the overall solutions applicable for the facility, like sonar for deep-water applications, monitoring for water intake or video analytics for objects left behind,” Vogel said.

Green equipment and energy conservation are also of concern, particularly how installations affect the surrounding environment. “For communication and power requirements for security-related devices, we’d opt for wireless and solar power,” Finegan said. “It’d cut back the carbon footprint on the environment, as we’re trying to integrate our equipment into the surroundings instead of changing the landscape to fit our needs.”

Future Outlook
Water is precious, making the protection of water utilities vital. According to the Associated Environmental Consultants, more than 90 percent of water and wastewater utilities have integrated security into budgeting, training and manpower responsibilities. “I believe this trend will continue and increase to include all water management facilities, as it should,” Finegan said.

Axis emphasized the importance of surveillance. “The need for security for these areas is increasing due to harsher weather conditions, which have resulted in ongoing issues with water supply and protection,” Wong said.

Trends in IP developments and environmental awareness could change the security landscape. “The trend should move toward greener IP-based solutions being integrated into their environments, using solar power and wireless communications,” Finegan said.

The water supply market will continue to grow. “We expect water infrastructure to be one of the potential markets for electronic security in the next few years,” Klein said.

By William Tucker

“I certainly expect that we’ll be using the Tunisian example” in talks with other Arab governments. – U.S. Envoy Jeffery Feltman

From 2000 to about 2006, protests in multiple countries, many former Soviet states, succeeded in bringing pro-western governments to power through, what the media termed, color revolutions. Each opposition movement chose a certain color or flower to represent their group and many of the governments that sprang from these protests kept the symbol. The impetus behind the protests was familiar themes revolving around poor economic conditions and the excesses of government. Many of these protests were organized by opposition movements with the help of so-called nongovernmental organizations. Opposition movements in some of these states had a difficult time organizing because of a repressive security apparatus, but it has been reported that they managed to do so with the help of some foreign intelligence services. While not all of these revolutions have survived in the ensuing years, the methods used to bring down a government via a non-violent popular uprising was not lost among the populations of other nations with despotic or generational rulers.

It is in this vein that we again turn our attention to Tunisia and the recent Jasmine Revolution. The former government of Ben Ali was the first autocratic government in the Arab world to fall to a mass uprising which came forth following the self immolation of one individual. The underlying issues that prompted the self immolation and the following protests have not remained confined to Tunisia’s borders. Since the fall of the Ben Ali government there has been 13 reported cases of self immolation in the Arab world coupled with popular protests across North Africa, the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula. In typical despotic fashion, protesters have been fired upon in Yemen and Algeria, while riots have broken out in Lebanon. Egypt, the most populous nation in the Arab world, is experiencing large scale protests in the larger cities and thus far the police have not been able to stop the marches as the protesters have coordinated theirs movements via social networks on the internet ahead of time. How the affected governments handle this crisis will undoubtedly impact the region as a whole.

Most of the governments in the Arab world do not appear to be in danger of collapse, at least not yet. Egypt, Yemen and Algeria have large, capable security forces that can shut down the protests if they are given the bandwidth to do so, but with the region under such international scrutiny other, less visible methods may be employed. What is working in the favor of the ruling governments is the lack of political coordination on the parts of the opposition forces. We see this problem in Tunisia where holdovers from the previous regime are trying to put together an interim government until formal elections can be held. This has not stopped the protests as there is concern that Ben Ali may return – although that is a very remote possibility. In the meantime the holdovers will continue to work because there is no organized political movement that can fill the void. This is also the case among the protests in the other Arab nations. Although Egypt does have formal opposition parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the protests that are taking place represent a large cross section of Egyptian society. Protests in Yemen on the other hand, such as those representing the southern secessionist movement, are still spread out and have not yet coalesced into a force capable of marching on Sana’a.

Judging by the recent reports from the news media and local bloggers it doesn’t appear as if there is a foreign hand in organizing these uprisings, but that could change should it fit a regional or world power’s interest. While the regional powers are more concerned than the larger world powers in the short term, they appear to be willing to let events play out. In the meantime it would be best to keep a close eye on Egypt. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is in his eighties and reportedly in poor health. The country has a well established, and coordinated, opposition movement capable of controlling and guiding the protests; however this doesn’t mean they are capable of bringing down the government. Egypt is in a unique situation and it is certainly possible that these protests could spark something unforeseen. All told, these protests in the Arab world appear to be similar in nature to the color revolutions of the early 2000′s, albeit less coordinated. It is possible that these protests could lead to a color revolution redux, but success for the as of yet unorganized masses is anything but assured.

Photo of Egyptian demonstrations: Reuters

In Homeland Security – News & Analysis of Critical Issues in Terrorism & Homeland Defense

Disaster recovery requires speed and a great many hands working cooperatively. The sooner the first people arrive to help, and the more effective those people are, the better. In recognition of this, a regional charitable organization in Kentucky has developed its own rapid disaster response. The Christian Appalachian Project expanded its mission [...]
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Federal Computer Week reports that the Obama administration received less-than-stellar marks in a recent report card on its cybersecurity policies, earning grades in the B to D range. The administration received a D for the months of delay in appointing Howard Schmidt to the cybersecurity coordinator position, as well as another D for failing to [...]

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Greg McNeal – Law and Terrorism – Gregory S. McNeal » Blog