CIS 610 – Discussion Topics
1. Surveillance
Systems (biometrics, CCTV)
Focus: Can/how can biometric systems provide better security in the US?
What lessons can the US learn from Britain’s experience with CCTV?
Would CCTV surveillance systems provide security in particular US sites; e.g., Reagan National Airport?
Jeffrey Rosen, “A cautionary tale for a new age of surveillance,” 10/7/01, New York Times Magazine, (registration required) http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/07/magazine/07SURVEILLANCE.html
Bruce Schneier, “Biometrics in airports,” page 5+ of Crypto-Gram Newsletter, 9/30/01, www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0109a.html
Phil Agre, “Your face is not a bar-code: Arguments against automatic face recognition in public places,” version of 10/9/01, http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/bar-code.html
2. Vulnerability of US computer systems (including Internet, government, and critical infrastructure) to attack
Focus: Weaknesses/vulnerabilities
What can be done to protect?
Michael Vatis, Director of Institute for Security Technology Studies, Dartmouth College, to House subcommittee, “Cyber terrorism: the state of US preparedness,” 9/26/01, http://www.ists.dartmouth.edu/ISTS/counterterrorism/preparedness.htm
Cyber Protests: The Threat to the US Information Infrastructure, Oct 2001, NIPC, http://www.nipc.gov/cyberprotests.pdf
National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC): www.nipc.gov/
John Schwartz, “Securing the lines of a wired nation,” 10/4/01, www.nytimes.com/2001/10/04/technology/circuits/04SECU.html
Robert O’Harrow, “Key US computer systems called vulnerable to attack,” 9/27/01, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32105-2001Sep26.html
Jon Swartz, “Experts: Cyberspace could be next target,”, 10/17/01, http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001/10/9/cyberwar-usat.htm
Jennifer Jones, et al, “Feds make cyberassets protection a priority,” 10/12/01, http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/10/15/011015hngovreact.xml
Not directly related to critical infrastructure protection, bur rather focuses on the risks of disinformation: Will Knight, “Hacker rewrites Yahoo! news stories,” 9/20/01, http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991329
From the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), 7 tips for protecting small business and home computer users: http://www.nipc.gov/warnings/computertips.htm
Focus: What are the civil liberties concerns in the proposed anti-terrorist legislation?
Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), “Civil liberties concerns in the anti-terrorist bills as of 10/8/01: http://www.cdt.org/security/011008cdt.pdf
EPIC, “Analysis of provisions of the proposed anti-terrorism act of 2001,”, 9/24/01, http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/ata_analysis.html
latest news about anti-terrorism legislation at: www.epic.org
http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_ALERT_8.20.html has 10/12/01 issue of Epic Alert, with information on Senate approval of anti-terrorism legislation
Bruce Schneier, “Protecting privacy and liberty,” page 14+ of Crypto-Gram Newsletter, 9/30/01, www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0109a.html
Declan McCullagh, “Why liberty suffers in wartime,” 9/24/01, www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,47051,00.html
Anne Harrison, “Senate passes terror bill,” 10/12/01, http://www.securityfocus.com/news/265
Kevin Poulsen, “Hackers face life imprisonment under Anti-Terrorism Act,” 10/24/01, http://www.securityfocus.com/news/257