March 19, 2013 — Charity Menefee and Capt. Nate Allen presented planning recommendations on preparing for and responding to workplace violence or “active shooters,” and facilitate some group discussion on those subjects.  Charity Menefee is the Regional Hospital Coordinator for the Emergency Preparedness Department of the Knox County Health Department.  Capt. Nathaniel Allen works in Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security with the Knoxville Police Department.

May 9, 2013 — During the last decade the greatest terrorist threat has comes from what is referred to as ‘jihadist terrorism’. Certainly since 11 September 2001, many bloody terrorist attacks have been carried out under pretext of a religious armed struggle, known as the ‘jihad’.

 At the start of 2007, jihadists were using the Internet widely as a resource for propaganda, for example, or to recruit people. The threat of terrorist attacks against the Internet (Internet as a target) or via the Internet (Internet as a weapon) were being investigated. Both the Internet and jihadism are continuing to develop. In a Congressional Research Service report titled American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a  Complex Threat, Jerome P. Bjelopera,  Specialist in Organized Crime and Terrorism, states “The Web may also play a role in the experiences of many would-be and actual terrorists, just as it does in the lives of so many people. The interactivity of chat rooms, blogs, social networking sites, message boards, video hosting sites, and e-mail blurs the lines between readership and authorship that previous generations of terrorists and sympathizers encountered with pamphlets, newspapers, and newsletters.101 This blurring possibly encourages people who interact in such forums to more easily see themselves as part of broader jihadist movements and not just casual readers or online spectators. They may eventually engage in more substantive activity—actual propagandizing, financial support, or joining a terrorist network.

The Knoxville chapter of InfraGard was pleased to have SA Nicole Hembree and SA Scott Peterson, FBI Intelligence Analysts, to shed more light on the Internet jihadists and an update on insider threats. SSA Robert Kosky was on hand to set the stage for this presentation.

A lasagna lunch will be offered to attendees for $8, so please RSVP by replying to Richard Scheuch (rscheuch@embarqmail.com)  so that we can be sure we will have lunch for all who want it.

 Note the change in time and location.  This meeting will be held at Fountainhead College of Technology’s campus at 10208 Technology Drive in West Knoxville.  This is not a members-only meeting, so visitors are welcome.

Following the InfraGard Members Only meeting in January, social media “Smart Cards” produced by the FBI were sent out via email.  The goal of the cards is to provide some social networking Do’s and Don’ts to minimize the threat of cyber attack or cyber crime by awareness and consciousness while ensuring the security of your personal data with a very minimal effort.

Jonathon Underwood, a cyber security professional at ORNL, gave a presentation at that meeting demonstrating how easy it is to gleam information from social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn. He did it with no cyber tools or sleight of hand.

Jonathon has agreed to bring his show-and-tell presentation to the TriCities InfraGard meeting which will be on Thursday, February 21, in the Forum Room in the D. P. Culp Center on the main campus of East Tennessee State University. The meeting will begin at 5:30 PM.

Jonathan Underwood is a cyber security professional specializing in protecting information and information systems from both internal and external threats. He has a background that includes network engineering, software development, and cyber security. In addition to these technical aspects, Jonathan has studied the human component of the insider threat and shares his expertise across organizations and agencies at local, regional, and national levels.  Jonathan is a 2003 graduate of East Tennessee State University.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this informative session. This meeting is open to InfraGard members and guests. Bring someone with you.

If you have any questions about the meeting or InfraGard in general, please contact Richard Scheuch at 423-439-5356 or rscheuch@embarqmail.com.

Mr. Tim Walsh, CEO at SimCenter Enterprises, will be the guest speaker at the InfraGard meeting on Wednesday, September 19^th at 9:30 AM in auditorium at the Fountainhead College of Technology. Mr. Walsh will speak about the application of high performance computing to public safety. He will also demonstrate a tool used to simulate a Radiation Dispersal Device (RDD) detonation in Los Angeles.

Special Agent Brent Watkins will be on hand with his “intel” report.

SimCenter Enterprises is a non-profit organization representing collaboration between  the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the SimCenter, and private enterprise. Their mission is to identify, develop, and promote practical and commercial applications of the technologies developed within the SimCenter and facilitate the advancement of business by harnessing applicable capabilities and technologies.

Modeling and simulation using high performance computing is a critical component at the core of manufacturing in the 21st Century. Advancements in computing power and efficient computational methodology now allow both small and large businesses to solve challenges and problems that were previously beyond reach.

Disaster preparedness and recovery is another area expected to blossom with life saving implications. Advising residents where to seek safety in the event of chemical spills or other possible disasters is a real possibility with smartphone alerts from the plume analysis taking into account the wind conditions and specifics of the hazard.

The SimCenter: National Center for Computational Engineering is a state-of-the-art facility located at UTC dedicated to solving complex problems using computational methodologies. A research project for the SimCenter that was commissioned by the Department of Defense after 9/11 was recently declassified. The Department of Defense used the SimCenter to simulate catastrophic events. More importantly though, the SimCenter research was vital in finding ways to quickly contain a public catastrophe, limiting casualties and losses and protecting first responders as best they could.

Directions to Fountainhead College can be found on the location page of the FCT website.

If you have any questions about the meeting or InfraGard membership, please contact Pat Payne (pjzz@comcast.net) or Richard Scheuch (rscheuch@embarqmail.com).

As many of you may know, changes to the InfraGard secure web site have been in the works.  The FBI Public/Private Alliance Unit (PPAU) is getting ready to deploy a new secure website called the InfraGard Network (IGN).  While the exact deployment date is unknown, they anticipate a “go live” sometime in August. There will be subsequent guidance as we draw closer to deployment, but in the meantime, there are two issues of high importance that you should be aware of:

1. InfraGard.org email and listservs are going away.
2. Existing passwords will not be able to be migrated from the old system to the IGN.

InfraGard.org email

Due to several factors, existing infragard.org email will not be migrated over to the new IGN system.  Therefore, if you currently use infragard.org email, it is recommended you take measures to download any messages you deem important prior to the end of July as they will not be retrievable afterward IGN deployment. LSU will subsequently be sending out guidance with instructions how to do this.

Passwords

Since the current passwords are encrypted and are unable to be migrated, a solution has been created whereas users logging into the system for the first time will receive login and password reset instructions via email.  If members do not have their preferred email address in the current system, they will not receive the instructions. This means that you should confirm your current email address with the secure web site so that you will receive these instructions.

Please ensure your preferred email address is up to date by the end of July.  This can be done two ways – either

• Log into the current system and update their email address on their profile, or
• Contact the LSU Help Desk for assistance.  (Domestic – 877-861-6298; International -  225-334-5952; Email – infragardhelpdesk@infragard.org)

While this does not necessarily need to be done prior to the deployment of the IGN, it will make for a much smoother transition for the members if they are proactive.

More information about the new IGN will be coming out soon.

In the early 1900s, patients began to use insulin injections to maintain their blood glucose levels. Today, modern implantable subcutaneously injected insulin pump infusion systems programmatically help patients control diabetes and its complications. Newer implanted cardiac devices can now be updated wirelessly to avoid infections that could be introduced by open heart surgery. With new beneficial device features, security is now an important component of medical device system design. In this talk, Nathanael will discuss recent research results in insulin pump system security, and introduce potential solutions to address identified potential security breaches in implantable medical devices.

Nathanael Paul is a research scientist leading the Center for Trustworthy Embedded Systems (CTES) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and he holds a joint appointment as an associate professor with the University of Tennessee. His research focuses on security and privacy for embedded systems. Paul received a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Virginia, a M.S. in Computer Science from Clemson University, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Bob Jones University. For more information, see http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~pauln/.

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In other news, the East Tennessee Cyber Security Summit has opened registration.  The Summit is scheduled for October 23-24, 2012 in downtown Knoxville.  Find more information at the web site (www.etcss.org).

The National InfraGard Congress will be held in Atlanta during August.  Look for an update on the activities at Congress in the future.

Muslim Americans are loyal to the US and positive about their future even as they continue to face high levels of discrimination. They embrace American values and democratic principles but aren’t sure if the rest of American embrace them. A recent Gallup poll found some 56% of Protestants said American Muslims had no sympathy for Al Qaeda, the lowest number of any faith group. By comparison, 63% of Catholics and 70% of Jews thought Muslim Americans had no sympathy for Al Qaeda.

“That’s certainly a challenge for the [US Muslim] community – to have their loyalty questioned by such a large number of their fellow Americans.”

Nearly six-in-ten adults say that Muslims are subject to a lot of discrimination, far more than say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians, atheists, or Mormons, according to a new report based on a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life (www.pewforum.org) and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press (http://www.people-press.org).

In a 2007 Pew survey, 53% of American Muslims reported that it was more difficult to be a Muslim after the 9/11/01 attacks. Asked to name the most important problem facing them, the options named by more than 10%of American Muslims were:  discrimination (19%), viewed as a terrorist (15%), public ignorance about Islam (13%), and stereotyping (12%). 54% believe that the U.S. government’s anti-terrorism activities single out Muslims. 76% of surveyed Muslim Americans stated that they are very or somewhat concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world, while 61% express a similar concern about the possibility of Islamic extremism in the United States.

In 2011, a Gallup poll found that 93% of Muslim Americans considered themselves loyal to the United States.

This is the picture across America. What does it look like closer to home in Knoxville, Tennessee?

The InfraGard Knoxville Members Alliance is extremely pleased to welcome Shadab and Nadeem Saddiqi to speak at our next meeting about Islam, Muslims, and what is currently happening within the local Muslim community in Knoxville. Both Nadeem and Shadab are very active in the Muslim community and represent the Muslim Community of Knoxville (www.muslimknoxville.org) organization. They are both learned authorities on the subject matter and are accomplished public speakers as well. From their unique perspective we can anticipate learning a great deal about our Muslim neighbors and have the opportunity to ask questions. This is an outstanding opportunity InfraGard highly encourages you attend.

You do not have to be an InfraGard member so please bring coworkers, family, and friends. Please mark your calendars and plan to be there for this special event.

The meeting will be held in the Auditorium of the Fountainhead College of Technology on Thursday, March 15^th, at 9:30 AM.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Richard Scheuch at 423-439-5356 or rscheuch@embarqmail.com

The Holiday Mail for Heroes program provides Americans the opportunity to send holiday greetings to our men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, our nation’s veterans and their families.  Between October 3 and December 9, the public can send a “touch of home” through holiday cards that contain messages of cheer and appreciation.

“By taking a few moments to express their gratitude to the men and women who serve our country, Americans can touch the lives of those whose sacrifice may have taken them far from home this holiday season,” said Sherri Brown, senior vice president, Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces.  “The men and women who receive these cards on military installations and in hospitals tell us time and again that they are touched by the warmth and gratitude expressed from people they have never met.”

For the fifth annual program, The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are also encouraging families, schools, youth, civic groups, scouting troops, places of worship, and other groups that are interested in participating in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program to organize and host card-making events.  For a list of tips and ideas, please visit: www.redcross.org/holidaymail

People are invited to send a message of thanks and holiday cheer from now until Friday, December 9 by mailing them to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Cards must be postmarked by December 9.  For reasons of processing and safety, participants are asked to refrain from sending “care packages,” monetary gifts, using glitter or including any inserts with the cards.  For more information and card requirements, please visit www.redcross.org/holidaymail.

Additional ways to become involved with the campaign include connecting with fellow card senders through Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcross and Twitter at www.twitter.com/redcross using the hashtag #holidaymail.

In 2009, the average company lost nearly 5 percent of its revenue to fraud perpetrated by employees, according to the 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse (PDF). Asset fraud — stealing company resources — represented 90 percent of the incidents, but only averaged $135,000 in losses per company. On the other hand, financial fraud makes up only 5 percent of all cases of corporate fraud, but it is the most damaging, with a median loss of more than $4 million, according to the report, which is published every two years by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

 The 2010 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon Business and the U.S. Secret Service reports that 48 percent of data breaches are caused by insiders, and that another 11 percent of breaches are caused by business partners. The report also found that 48 percent of all data breaches occur because of privilege misuse.

 Insider threats can come from well-meaning employees, as well as those who are disgruntled or malicious. Because employees often have access to sensitive business information, insider threats have become as complex and dangerous to enterprises as attacks that come from external malicious hackers. Insiders are not just employees: today they can include contractors, business partners, auditors… even an university alumnus with a valid email address. Not all insider attacks are malicious; the perpetrators may be unknowing pawns of a malevolent colleague or a poorly-tested system, or simply the careless initiator of unintended consequences.

 What is this threat? What can you do to protect yourself?

 To answer these questions, the InfraGard Knoxville Members Alliance at its next meeting will present “Betrayed…the Trusted Insider.”  This video is a compelling, thought provoking drama designed to show the the price of silence when employees see marked, sometimes subtle, changes in one on their coworkers.  A new girlfriend, divorce, working odd hours, “minor” security violations….it’s not like he is a spy.  But what if he is?  What is the price of silence?  The video also features former colleagues of convicted spies who reflect on the personal toll extracted by betrayal. 

 The meeting will be held in the auditorium at the Fountainhead College of Technology beginning at 6:00 PM on Thursday, October 20^th. This meeting is open to all who would like to attend. Note that this is an evening session.

 For further information on this meeting or the Knoxville InfraGard chapter please contact Pat Payne at pjzz@comcast.net or Richard Scheuch at rscheuch@embarqmail.com.