Archive for the 'Security' Category
Every time I see a patrol car roll by, I look into its windows wondering what the heck it uses for a laptop. If you’re like me, then you may wish to read beyond the jump to get a better idea. Raytheon, known for it’s military rockets, missiles, and other objects of destruction, is the one behind the magic for LA’s Sheriff’s Department. Starting today, the LASD gets new MDCSes (mobile data computer systems) in their cars, trucks, and even motorcycles. While the press release gives no specifications on the system, it does state that officers will be able to, “access a variety of law enforcement information including fingerprint databases, Global Positioning System (GPS) expedited routing to emergency calls, and other critical resources peace officers need to efficiently serve the public.” The near $20 million – ya, million! – investment replaces equipment from 1987. Ya, 1987!! Crazy, huh?
Raytheon Partners With Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to Raise Public Safety In Nation’s Most Populous County
New laptop computer systems will increase efficiency of deputies, deliver information faster to patrol cars
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2, 2011 — Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) announced today that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) vehicles equipped with new mobile data computer systems (MDCS) are now rolling out on the streets, protecting residents. LASD patrol cars, motorcycles, prisoner transport vehicles and SUVs outfitted with the Raytheon-integrated computer systems were being unveiled today at a news briefing in Los Angeles.
The computer systems will enhance the access of more than 2,400 field units to new public safety technologies. Deputies will now be able to utilize the Sheriff’s Data Network, Intranet and other criminal databases from their vehicles with the state-of-the-art mobile data computers. They can also access a variety of law enforcement information including fingerprint databases, Global Positioning System (GPS) expedited routing to emergency calls, and other critical resources peace officers need to efficiently serve the public.
Sheriff Lee Baca, whose agency is the largest sheriff’s department in the nation with a county population of more than 10 million, said, “Raytheon worked closely with our sheriff’s deputies, engineers and technicians to integrate the latest public safety technologies and capabilities into our vehicles. This new mobile data computer system will greatly increase the efficiency of deputies in the field, providing them more knowledge at their fingertips, and enabling them to do more for the public now and in the years ahead.”
Daniel J. Crowley, president of Raytheon Network Centric Systems, said, “Linking the complex hardware and software in the vehicles required a skilled systems integrator like Raytheon. That expertise is what makes our company a leader in the public safety market. As a significant employer in Los Angeles County, Raytheon has a vested interest in improving public safety for the county.”
The LASD will have the added benefit of using Raytheon’s new Public Safety Regional Technology Center, opening in Downey this winter, to maximize the capabilities of the system as new technologies become available. This is in addition to Raytheon’s laying the foundation for the new UCLA Center for Public Safety Network Systems that will create a collaborative research forum that brings together academia, industry and public safety agencies.
The $19.9 million investment with Raytheon by the LASD and the County of Los Angeles will dramatically upgrade the 1987 mobile digital technology currently in use and is important to the future of public safety for the millions of people living in the greater Los Angeles area.
Visit Raytheon’s multimedia Web feature (http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/feature/rtn11_lsa/index.html) for photographs and videos showing the new mobile data computer systems in use.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @raytheon.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/02/4024341/raytheon-partners-with-los-angeles.html#ixzz1cZ59UOAJ
What is Apple’s Siri and should you be worried about your privacy?
Siri is a speech-recognition software application found on the iPhone 4S that acts as a “personal assistant.” As of right now, it’s only available in the iPhone 4S models, but it may eventually come to other Apple devices such as the iPhone 4 or iPad. Siri utilizes natural language processing to interpret questions and commands inputted through speech. There are two aspects of Siri that make it such a revolutionary technology when utilized on handheld devices such as the iPhone. First, its ability to interpret spoken natural language enables the user to give commands as if talking to a living person. This has potential to change the way in which we humans interface with computers.
Second, Siri is exceedingly observant and even learns, perhaps more observant than many of us have yet to fully appreciate. Siri knows what you ask, when you ask it, how you asked it, even where you were when you asked it; Siri won’t forget. As time goes on, Siri will grow increasingly knowledgeable about you, your associations, and your habits. The computing power behind Siri isn’t sequestered on your iPhone – it’s in the cloud and, therefore, everything it learns about you may be utilized in ways you never intended it to be. Think of Siri as omniscient personal assistant who serves each and every one of the millions of iPhone users at once. Although Siri has promised to keep your secrets – perhaps she’s even signed a confidentiality agreement – Siri may rely upon something she learned from you today to assist your neighbor tomorrow. Is this a bad thing? Well, maybe not, provided you’re aware Siri is doing this.
Siri’s ability to learn is perhaps one of the most exciting traits the technology has to offer, but it’s also potentially alarming if privacy is one of your top priorities. This is because of the way Siri relies on cloud computing to understand all of the data it learns about you, which includes information you directly input (such as a question or command) as well as other contextual data that you may not think you are sharing (such as your location or even your tone of voice). Siri processes and analyzes all of this information using an amalgam of applications, which include voice recognition and output software, natural language searching algorithms, and an iteration of Wolfram Alpha (a sophisticated answer engine) to generate a relevant and seemingly sentient response. Over time, Siri builds a contextual understanding of you and what it learns about you is ultimately stored somewhere.
Like the movies we watched as a kid where those super top secret government buildings had those cool doors that could be opened or locked from a computer hundreds of miles away, we can now do the very same thing! CyberLock Flex System Door and I/O module allows you to “access capabilities of the key-centric CyberLock solution to doors: brisk communications, location graphics, access scheduling by the door and person, audit reporting of lock and key activity, email alerts, and more.” In other words, no door will be beyond your control with this solution! CyberLock’s system makes security affordable and accessible for any entity and takes the magic from Hollywood’s movies and puts it on your front door.
CORVALLIS, OREGON, October 4, 2011 — Videx will be showcasing the new CyberLock Flex System™ Door and I/O™ module at the Facility Decisions show in Las Vegas, October 11-12. The Flex Door and I/O module brings all the access capabilities of the key-centric CyberLock solution to doors: brisk communications, location graphics, access scheduling by the door and person, audit reporting of lock and key activity, email alerts, and more.
Behind the scenes is the Flex System Hub. The Hub’s robust structure has built-in communications for interoperating with the CyberLock access management software, Flex System access modules, other Wiegand access devices, and hardwired systems that use the Door and I/O module. Hardwired system hardware and CyberLock hardware can be mixed and matched to create a wholly integrated access control system. A facility can have Door and I/O modules on their exterior doors, CyberLock eCylinders on interior doors and cabinets, and smart padlocks on gated areas—all operating under one powerful, web-based access management software.
The CyberLock Flex System Door and I/O module can also activate a variety of relay-based devices, from electric door strikes to security cameras and safety lights to remote alarms that prompt a security response. In addition, the Door and I/O module can receive input from door sensors, Request to Exit (RTE), and Wiegand™ compatible access devices.
About Videx
Videx designs and manufactures CyberLock and Flex System access control products that are made in the U.S.A. and shipped worldwide directly from their headquarters in Corvallis, Oregon. For information about CyberLock and the Flex System, please contact Videx by phone at 541-738-5500, by fax at 541-738-5501, by email at sales@videx.com, or visit our web site at www.videx.com.
Do you find yourself at work wishing you could listen to that album on your home computer but you can’t bring it in and put it on your word PC due to policy? Of course, your library is so large, the cloud is an expensive option. Or what about sharing a file to your laptop while out of the office but it needs to be secure? What to do? Get a twin. An iTwin.
iTwin is an interesting new way to share files with two USB “keys” that are placed in on the host and the other on the client. In other words, plug in one side of the iTwin on your home Mac and then the other one on your work’s PC and you’ve got access to your music. (You caught the Mac/PC combo, right? 
) Of course, an Internet connection is required. Since this is between two devices, it will be a sunny day without any clouds.
Very interesting concept that has definite promise for those that need a secure and unlimited amount of transfer. Take a look at the video below.
iTwin – Works on Windows and Mac from iTwinCast on Vimeo.
We love our Dropbox here at SvenOnTech which allows us all to communicate and share files and ideas easily no matter where we are in the world. But one thing we’ve never been a fan of is the lack of security on Dropbox due to the absence of encryption. Well, there’ a new kid in town and he’s got “Military-grade encryption” so says the Zen. ZenOK puts money where its talk is with a $100,000 USD data protection guarantee, too. Nice!
Currently available for Windows – Mac, Linux, iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry support forthcoming – you can start backing up, syncing, sharing, publishing, and if needed, restoring today. Zen Master Diego Gutierrez, Link Manager of ZenOK, tells SvenOnTech, “We are launching 21GB free online storage for users upon invitation for home-users.” To get that invite, travel to free.zenok.com for that invite and tell them SvenOnTech sent ya!
Password protection is a crafty and difficult task. One easy password used across many web sites can lead to a bad nightmare for you. So how does one avoid such a horror? One password for many. That is, create difficult passwords for all your various sites and protect that database with one easy to remember password. mSecure 3.0 lets you do this over various platforms to help with this task. Give the video a play and read the details below from its pre-release.
mSeven Software is announcing the launch of mSecure 3.0, offering additional security, accessibility and ease-of-use features for iOS, Android, Mac OS and Windows. mSecure 3.0 now supports groups for categorizing records, the ability to mark favorite records for fast access and a new Security Everywhere™ architecture for improved data security when syncing with cloud services such as Dropbox and iCloud (Q4).
mSecure 3.0 introduces the Security Everywhere sync architecture to accomplish three main goals:
Sync securely without concern about the security of the cloud system.
Sync anywhere using a general Internet connection without the hassle of firewall and router settings.
Sync anytime keeping all mobile and computing devices in sync without a sync server.
mSecure’s Security Everywhere architecture adds additional encryption and compression to its proven 256-bit Blowfish encryption such that a brute-force attack by supercomputers would take 200 years to extract the data.
Another key feature in the 3.0 release is the support for Groups (a.k.a “Categories”). The group feature enables users to assign records to personal, business or custom-defined groups. The user can also also mark any record as a favorite from multiple groups making it simple to access the most-used records quickly and easily.
Other new mSecure features include:
· Sharing of records via email, SMS or clipboard
· Sync button on main toolbar to make it easy to keep records in sync with other platforms.
· Record counts by group, type and record name
· Sync reports to track changes in synced data.
· Email backup/restore for iOS and Android for quick backups.
· New convenience menus and toolbars to access most-used functions.
mSecure for iOS is available via the iTunes App Store as a Universal app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. mSecure for Android is available in the Google Marketplace, Amazon App Store and Verizon Media Store. The price of mSecure for iOS and Android is on sale for $6.99 during an introductory period after which the price will be $9.99.
mSecure for Mac OS is available in the Mac App Store for $14.99 and mSevenSoftware.com, where the Windows version is also available, both for $19.99 each. A $5 off coupon for mSecure MacOS/Windows is available to mSeven Software Facebook fans (not applicable on Mac App store). Details on this special offer can be found on the company’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/mSevenSoftware.
“We place a great deal of importance on portability and security,” said Johnny Hou, Founder and Chief Designer at NZXT. “Whether you’re transporting your rig to a LAN party or would like more peace of mind in the dorm, Bunker will ensure that your peripherals and media remain secure.”
Bunker will be available in March for the MSRP of $24.99. For more information visit www.nzxt.com/new/products/case_accessories/bunker.
Cédric Hutchings, co-founder of Withings says: “We’ve already established the most seamless interface with smartphones such as the iPhone, so transitioning this technology to other devices is ideal for us. The old-school classical baby monitor with its redundant receiver could not stay away from an unavoidable move to the Internet of Things. That is why Withings revisited it and created an object in line with our current time.”
Unlike traditional monitors, the Withings Smart Baby Monitor was made for iPhone users in mind. It does not consist of two physical objects (the camera and the receiver), however it’s a smart sensor (camera) alone that can communicate with any existing connected screen (iPhone, iPad, Smartphone, PC, Mac, tablet, eBook reader, LCDTV, etc.).
The Smart Baby Monitor features a high-resolution 3MP camera, extra wide view lens and night vision with infrared LEDs. The Smart baby Monitor can detect any event in the room without being moved.
The smart sensor gives parents access to a multitude of information, including audio/video (day & night vision) and ambient parameters (temperature & humidity) remotely from anywhere in the world.
The Smart Baby Monitor is also equipped with a microphone that allows parents to interact and sooth their child even when they are not physically in the room. Another feature allows parents to control the music (lullabies) that plays in the room through the monitor and can change songs or play-lists right from the living room, the office or from anywhere in the world. Alarms may also be set to alert parents of baby sleep disruption based on parameters such as activity/movement, audio levels and temperature/humidity. These alarms are completely customizable by the user.
Connectivity is made easy for users so the user never has to get anxious with configuring his product. The Withings Smart Baby Monitor will adapt itself to the best network path, be it local with Bluetooth, WiFi or wire.
The design of the product is sleek, modern, simple and unobtrusive. The monitor’s hinge design allows parent to open the camera to activate it or adapt it to the vision angle. People simply flip the camera shut to turn it off and stop camera monitoring. The camera is then protected for transportation.
Because the Smart Baby Monitor is a communicant product, it will be enhanced with additional services made by Withings and third parties.
Smart Baby Monitor received two awards from Observeur du Design 2011 and two awards during the Consumer Electronics Show 2011. The Withings Smart Baby Monitor will be available in late March 2011.
BullGuard, specialists in user-friendly PC & Mobile security solutions, rocketed to the top of the AV-Test Labs October list when its brand new security suite was submitted to the independent lab. Now, BullGuard can celebrate the holiday season firmly seated at the head of the table as the results for November are in, and BullGuard came out first yet again.
These are the test results which prove that BullGuard’s security products are superior in virus detection.
Protection against 0-day (“Real World”) attacks:
BullGuard result: 100%
Industry average (based on 23 security products): 81%
Blocking malware (Dynamic Detection Testing):
BullGuard result: 95%
Industry average (based on 23 security products): 45%
Detection of AV-Test Labs “representative malware set”:
BullGuard result: 98%
Industry average (based on 26 security products): 96%
Detection of Wildlist malware:
BullGuard result: 100%
Industry average (based on 26 security products): 100%
“We’re of course absolutely thrilled to establish our position like this,” said Claus Villumsen, BullGuard CTO.
“The secret behind these outstanding results is the structure we have chosen for our security suite. We carefully establish a maximum security environment with an architecture based on layered defences and technologies.
The layers include a variety of web scanning, behavior blocking and traditional signature detection tools. BullGuard’s unique way of combining the different technologies guarantees that any malicious code that gets through one layer will be caught by the next,” Villumsen explained.
AV-Test’s results will be published on its website, http://www.av-test.org, in Q1 2011, along with the results for the rest of the industry. However, reviewers are welcome to request BullGuard’s test results.
Independent test results from AV-Test lab put BullGuard Internet Security version 10 at the very front of the security industry. See the results here
ZoomSafer announced today at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show that its innovative safe driving software is now available for Android phones, the fastest growing smart phone platform in the world.
³Governments throughout the world continue to pass new laws to combat distracted driving, but drivers still endanger themselves, their passengers, and their employers by texting, emailing and talking without using hands-free services,² said ZoomSafer CEO Matt Howard. ³Android-based smartphones are surging in popularity and we are excited to offer our patented software to Android users seeking to prevent distracted driving.²
ZoomSafer® client software installed on smartphones automatically launches when you begin to drive and automatically turns off when you are finished driving. ZoomSafer¹s patented on-device software can be configured to trigger using in-vehicle telematics or Bluetooth systems, as well as phone-based GPS services. Once triggered, the ZoomSafer software disables emailing and texting and manages other inbound and outbound communications based on client-controlled and administered policies. Popular policy options include the ability to make and receive hands-free phone calls and an auto-reply function, which sends messages to let others know that the user is driving.
Those interested in participating in the beta should click on the ³Android Beta² link on the ZoomSafer website.
ZoomSafer software is also currently available on BlackBerry devices. For more information or to participate in the Android beta, please visit ZoomSafer at CES in the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall, Booth #2334 or at www.zoomsafer.com.