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Allan Friedman, Austen Mack-Crane and Ross Hammond say they developed a preliminary model to look at the long-term consequences of data theft on diverse economic sectors. Their approach depends on treating cyber theft not as a problem of stolen assets worth an intrinsic value, but as one of diminished future growth. When so framed, the effect that stolen data has on companies within a sector--the ones the preliminary model investigates are the chemical, pharmaceutical, financial, consumer mobile phone and semi-conductor industry--depends on what type of data is stolen and the competitive nature of those sectors.

Each year, public safety professionals learn more about the complexities of firefighting. Technology has advanced with that knowledge, allowing first responders to capture critical data and use it to inform future calls. Faced with budgetary and personnel shortages that hamper management of that data, however, fire departments stand to benefit from adoption of cloud-based solutions. Taking on the burden of hardware and software maintenance, Software as a Service (SaaS) greatly mitigates the technical overhead for a firehouse. Cloud computing improves performance, increases access to important information, and lowers the total cost of ownership for software. For fire departments, that efficiency translates into more effective emergency response.

Record levels of terrorist attacks and fatalities occurred worldwide in 2012, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism says. START released data for 2012 in its Global Terrorism Database, which now contains data on more than 113,000 attacks since 1970. 2012 saw 8,441 terrorist incidents, up from 5,009 the year before, which at the time was the most on record.

"[P]eople still choose comfort over security.  If you don't enforce a password policy, don't expect your users to do it for you." A fairly large instance of the Pony Botnet Controller produced so much data, we thought it would be interesting to look into some statistics regarding this particular attack. ~1,580,000 website login credentials stolen ~320,000 email account credentials stolen  ~41,000 FTP account credentials stolen ~3,000 Remote Desktop credentials stolen ~3,000 Secure Shell account credentials stolen

The Internet of Things--a state in the not distant future when hundreds of billions of objects now disconnected from computer networks will routinely transmit data across the web--will require a new privacy paradigm, says the Future of Privacy Forum.

Technology makes tasks exponentially easier and opens up opportunities to people around the world. However, innovation brings with it new areas of weakness. Data breaches or computer viruses can threaten any networked device, from a personal smartphone to enterprise server farms. This presents a major risk to organizations, as adoption of new technology can leave them susceptible to hackers.

AT&T Inc. says it will publish reports on the number of requests for customer information that it receives from law enforcement agencies, the latest move in the telecommunications industry toward fuller disclosure amid debate over government surveillance programs. The announcement Friday by the nation's largest telecom company came a day after rival Verizon Communications Inc. said it will make public the legal demands it has received. Dallas-based AT&T says it will publish a report twice a year online. The first one, covering requests received this year, will be out early next year.

The number of law enforcement line of duty deaths in the U.S. dropped to its lowest level in six decades in 2013. Preliminary data released Monday in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's annual research bulletin noted that this was also the second year in a row the number of fatalities dropped and that the fewest number of officers were killed in firearms-related incidents since the 1800s

Military leaders, government workers and industry professionals recognize that cybersecurity cannot be understated. Last month, many of these minds-including leaders from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)-gathered in San Diego at the C4ISR Symposium to discuss how to improve cybersecurity for the fleet. Personnel on board U.S. Navy ships must work hard to overcome technical limitations. With a significant number of older vessels failing cybersecurity checks due to outdated software, onboard systems are susceptible to a data breach-an event that could put lives and military operations at risk.

Driven by shrinking public coffers, state and local governments face a growing number of challenges. Law enforcement organizations are particularly at risk due to legacy technologies that compound costs through implementation expenses, maintenance fees, software upgrades and hardware purchases. More and more, this hidden price is motivating law enforcement departments to try cloud computing-Software as a Service (SaaS), in particular-to bring down costs and increase flexibility. To gain those benefits, however, departments must be able to overcome new issues involving information security, data management, and protecting confidentiality.

As public funds continue to shrivel, state and local governments are increasingly turning to the Internet to trim technology costs and better manage information services. Cloud computing not only makes it possible to access information from anywhere at any time, but also to shed internal IT infrastructure in favor of renting software applications from remote providers. There are essentially three types of cloud computing services: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). All three provide computer servers, data storage and communications capabilities at a central location, allowing clients to access software applications remotely. However, each is designed for a specific business need. Which type of service an organization needs comes down to two basic questions: How much internal technical expertise will be supported by the department? Is the department prepared to invest in ongoing maintenance of software? Often, government agencies benefit by freeing up these resources to address greater needs.

Advancing technology affords police departments the opportunity to make their operations faster and more effective. Some departments are exploring using cloud computing-data stored securely on a third-party system that is accessible instantly across remote locations-to provide digital evidence storage. Although traditional bunkers are still needed to protect physical evidence, the proliferation of digital videos, photos and other records can be easily stored on the cloud to the advantage of law enforcement agencies.

Over the past few years, cybersecurity has grown into a major concern for federal government and law enforcement. Two-thirds of federal CIOs and CISOs place cybersecurity as one of their top priorities, and FEMA listed it among its five core capabilities in the organization's latest preparedness report. Although high-profile data breaches involve larger organizations, there is growing concern that smaller agencies will be targeted with greater frequency in the future.

In a crisis, the difference between life and death is often having knowledgeable people on the scene with quick access to accurate information. With smartphone penetration in the U.S. up to 56 percent, mobile technology is an increasingly effective pathway to these facts. Mobile applications are now making it easier to find and share essential information during emergencies.

As I analysed various breaches I kept finding user accounts that were also disclosed in other attacks - people were having their accounts pwned over and over again. So I built this: HaveIBeenPwned.com

New technology is changing the way law enforcement agencies fight crime. Wearable tech is already being tested in police departments, and the next wave of gadgets could consist of applications that predict crime before it even occurs.

During the summer and early fall, hurricanes become a major threat to a significant portion of the U.S. The combination of high winds, heavy rain and potential impact on coastlines can have far-reaching implications for communities, as was evident during storms like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. Many agencies look to scientific forecasts to help prepare for natural disasters, but regardless of what these reports say, first responders must formulate plans and protocols to prepare for the worst.