Another news release now! - and you won't see us for dust!!! Eom

Xmas present for the longs tomorrow? Eom

You can now withdraw cash from an ATM with your mobile

(Little by little!)

Forget your debit card you can withdraw cash from an ATM using your mobile.

Customers can access the banking app on iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry Smartphones. Photo: Alamy

6:00AM BST 13 Jun 2012 UK

From today, people with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and NatWest mobile banking app can take money from an ATM by making a request on their mobile phone.

They will receive a six digit pin number after making the request, which can be entered at a cash machine for the money to be released.

The scheme aims to help people who may have lost or forgotten their card or those who might want to leave their wallet at home.

The service, named GetCash, works at NatWest and RBS ATMs, with a limit of £100 per use. The pin codes issued are valid for three hours and people can use the scheme as many times a day as they need to, as long as they do not go over their withdrawal limit.

It is available to around two and-a-half million customers who already have the banking app on their phone and those behind the initiative said it is a first for the UK.


Ben Green, head of mobile at NatWest and RBS, said: "We've heard countless stories from customers who've left their wallet behind, or parents who need a quick way to send money across to their children immediately."

Customers can access the banking app on iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry Smartphones.

G&D announces MobiCore® integrated security platform to support Samsung GALAXY S III in Europe

Munich, May 4, 2012 – Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) today announced that its MobiCore security platform will be integrated in Samsung GALAXY S III smartphones distributed in Europe. Thanks to MobiCore, the NFC-capable smartphone from Samsung will be the first mobile device to boast a protected area on its application processor in which security-sensitive applications can be securely run and downloaded dynamically. The MobiCore platform will provide a secure execution environment for mobile payments authentication, emails or corporate VPN access.

The first application installed in the Mobicore-protected area on the Samsung GALAXY S III is a digital rights management (DRM) application which provides digital content with effective protection against misuse. In addition, G&D’s Trusted Service Management (TSM) solution will enable organizations such as network operators and banks to install and customize additional security-critical apps in the protected area of the smartphone. Samsung GALAXY S III, with integrated MobiCore security platform, will be made commercially available first in Europe and will then be rolled out globally.

Press contact:
Stefan Waldenmaier
Press Spokesperson
Phone: +49-(0)89-4119 2985
E-mail: stefan.waldenmaier@gi-de.com
http://www.gi-de.com

About Giesecke & Devrient
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group has a workforce of around 10,500 employees and generated sales exceeding EUR 1.6 billion in fiscal 2011. 58 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide. Over 150 countries place their trust in G&D solutions when producing and processing their banknotes. The company primarily supplies central and commercial banks, cash-in-transit companies, and security printers with innovative technologies that render the cash cycle efficient and secure. G&D bank and SIM cards are used all over the world to make payments and telephone calls. As an end-to-end provider of smartcard and mobile security solutions, the Group develops and distributes hardware, software, and services to a client base that includes banks, mobile network operators, transportation companies, business enterprises, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Governments and public authorities turn to G&D for passport, ID card, and border control systems, ensuring reliable identity verification right around the globe. For further information, please visit www.gi-de.com

Caution urged over smartphone cashless payment apps

Page last updated at 09:14 GMT, Thursday, 16 February 2012
By Matt Cole
Newsbeat reporter Barclays' Pingit app

The growing number of cashless payment systems could provide opportunities for criminals, internet safety experts have warned.

Getsafeonline.org says as some online stores - particularly for Android handsets - don't verify downloads are safe, there's a risk of fake apps phishing for customers' bank details.

The warning comes as Barclays launches an app to send money simply by using someone's phone number.

Tony Neate, from Getsafeonline.org, explained: "Someone could decide to create a new app and call it something similar to the Barclays app and put it on a site that's uncontrolled, un-monitored.

"So making sure you've got the right app from the right place [and] that it's genuine is critical."
'Texting cash'

Barclays' Pingit app lets users transfer cash for free to anyone with a UK mobile phone number and current account.

There's no need to share details like account number and sort code.

"It's a bit like sending a text," said Barclays' spokeswoman, Elizabeth Holloway.
Window cleaner Pingit is useful for sole traders like window cleaners says Barclays

"The app is pin protected, but after registering it you can just go to your phone contacts' book and click on who you want."

The recipient then gets a text message to say they've been sent the money. They have 24 hours to register, else the payment won't go through.

To receive cash, anyone can register on the Barclays website or on a smartphone.

But for the first few weeks, only the bank's own customers can use the app to send cash.

It's being pitched as a handy service for sole traders - like window cleaners or plumbers - who can't take credit card payments.
Split bills

The app could also make life easier for some businesses, says London restaurant manager Dean Hughes.

He says big groups paying separately on multiple cards slow down his staff.
Continue reading the main story Nadine

It seems pretty secure... Normally I read reviews of apps and check it's safe before I download anything

Nadine, 17, A-level student

"If you get big parties of people coming in - 14 or 15 - wanting to pay individually, that's going to take up maybe 10, 15, 20 minutes," explains the restaurant boss.

He thinks the app could speed things up if one customer paid and the rest sent their share on their phones.

Seventeen-year-old shopper Nadine agreed she would be happy to use it: "It'd be so much easier for going out for birthdays, or for when I go to university and want to split bills with housemates."

But the A-level student says she would only use it if she was sure it was safe: "My phone has a pin, then the app has a pin, so it seems pretty secure.

"Normally I read reviews of apps and check it's safe before I download anything."

Getsafeonline.org's Tony Neate thinks that's a good idea and - despite his concerns - agrees that Pingit could be safe if users are careful.
Cashless future?

Other cashless payment apps are already available. PayPal, for instance, allows iPhone users to "bump" handsets to exchange funds.

But the success of cashless apps will largely depend on them being proven safe.

"I think there's just the same risk as with cash," says Barclays' Elizabeth Holloway. "If you lose the money from your wallet you're not going to get that back.

"But we have all the pin protections and other back up stuff, so if you lose your money on this or any other system you'll get it back."

Satellite phone encryption cracked

Security experts have warned that satellite phones can be monitored.
Photo: CLARE KENDALL
By Christopher Williams, Technology Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:34PM GMT 03/02/2012
Security researchers have warned that the satellite phones relied on by businesses, charities and government agencies in trouble spots and emergencies worldwide can be easily intercepted and deciphered.

German academics said they had cracked two encryption systems used to protect satellite phone signals and that anyone with cheap computer equipment and radio could eavesdrop on calls over an entire continent. Hundreds of thousands of satellite phone users are thought to be affected.

“We were able to completely reverse engineer the encryption algorithms employed,” said Benedikt Driessen and Ralf Hund of Ruhr University Bochum as they announced their report, "Don't Trust Satellite Phones".

The encryption algorithms are known as GMR-1 and GMR-2, and are standards used across satellite phone operators, including Thuraya, a leading providers. Their technology is widely used in the Middle East and Africa, including in some military applications.

Mr Driessen told The Telegraph that the equipment and software needed to intercept and decrypt satellite phone calls from hundreds of thousands of users would cost as little as $2,000. His demonstration system takes up to half an hour to decipher a call, but a more powerful computer would allow eavesdropping in real time, he said.

By publishing details of how to break the encryption, the researchers hope to prompt ETSI, the organization that sets the standards, to create stronger algorithms. A major problem with GMR-1 and GMR-2, Mr Driessen said, was that their details were kept secret so security experts cannot test them.

“This is actually already happening for mobile phones after their encryption was shown to be weak,” said Mr Driessen.

“They are now disclosing the encryption algorithms rather than keeping them secret, so they can be tested. This did not happen with satellite phones.”

As a result, sensitive organisations deploy extra layers of cipher software in their satellite phones. Experts have long suspected that government eavesdropping agencies and other clandestine attackers are able to monitor satellite phone networks on a large scale, so using additional encryption software is quite common, but not standard.

"Many government agencies, including the military, make many of their communications through their own technology," said Bjoern Rupp, chief executive of GSMK Crytophone, an encryption software firm.

"However, they often still rely on satellite phones to communicate with locals, back to HQ or people at home.

"With this announcement, it has been shown that the satellite handsets’ built-in encryption on these calls is no longer secure, which could pose a considerable threat to the armed forces and civilians alike."

The Telegraph understands that the problem does not effect Inmarsat satphones as they do not use the ETSI GMR-1 and GMR-2 encryption.

Thuraya could not be immediately reached for comment.

'Anonymous' hackers intercept conversation between FBI and Scotland Yard on how to deal with hackers
A conference call between Scotland Yard and the FBI about the threat of hacking was intercepted and published by a member of the computer hacking group Anonymous.
Duncan Gardham

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent

2:47PM GMT 03 Feb 2012

Comments21 Comments

Police and the FBI discussed details of investigations into ongoing cases against Anonymous and other groups, dates of planned arrests, and potential evidence during the recording of the 17-minute conversation, which was posted on YouTube.

The recording also referred to the on-going court case against Ryan Cleary, who was arrested last June for his alleged role in the group LulzSec.

Anonymous also published an email, purporting to be from the FBI, giving details of the access code for the call and the email addresses of those invited to take part.

It read: "A conference call is planned for next Tuesday (January 17, 2012) to discuss the on-going investigations related to Anonymous, Lulzsec, Antisec, and other associated splinter groups."

Writing on its Twitter account, AnonymousIRC said: "The FBI might be curious how we're able to continuously read their internal comms for some time now."

It also refers to a 15-year-old listed as a member of CSLSec - meaning “can’t stop laughing security”- a copy-cat group of hackers with just three members.

The teenager was arrested before Christmas for an incident at his school dubbed “Operation Mayhem.”

“Basically he’s doing all this for attention, he’s a bit of an idiot,” one officer says.

The hacker apparently managed to access the call after getting into an FBI agent’s email which gave details.The email was also posted online.

The conversation concerned a young member of another hacking collective who was cooperating with the police in Britain.

The attack on the FBI was initially announced with a text post on the website Pastebin. A link to an MP3 recording of the conference call was later put up and publicised on numerous Twitter accounts.

The email referred to an investigation on both sides of the Atlantic into a number of hacking groups.

The FBI said the information "was intended for law enforcement officers only and was illegally obtained".

According to the leaked email, which appears to have been written by the FBI's Timothy Lauster Jr, the call took place on January 17.

During the call, the officers and agents discussed the names of people they were tracking, plans for legal action and requests for more time.

The Scotland Yard officers also joked about a conference on cyber-crime in Sheffield, telling the FBI that they had not missed much by not having visited the city before, adding it was "not exactly a jewel in England's crown".

One of the FBI agents also thanked UK police for their support and for trying to give the FBI more time, saying: "I just want to express our gratitude for being flexible on this. I know New York (FBI office) appreciates it, and the FBI as a whole."

One of the UK officers replied: "We're here to help. We've cocked things up in the past, we know that... It's not that much of a hardship."

A young man identified in the recording, who is not being named by the Daily Telegraph for legal reasons, has sent out a number of tweets responding to the posting saying: “lol [laughs out loud] I'm UK not USA, no FBI can touch me. Idiot...why wud FBI talk about me? I'm not even US & haven't been arrested. I'm still here ain't I? lol...I haven't heard it yet...& I haven't got a UK agent lol.”

Anonymous is a loosely-organised group of hackers which has claimed responsibility for attacks against corporate and government websites all over the world.

The group also claimed to have disrupted the websites of Visa and MasterCard in December 2010 when the credit card companies stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange.

The FBI confirmed hackers had intercepted a confidential phone call, and said it was hunting those responsible.

Odd! - We're moving on such little volume?eom

Anonymous attacks FBI website over Megaupload raids
American government and entertainment industry websites have been crippled after the “hacktivist” group Anonymous launched a series of cyber attacks in retaliation for the closure of Megaupload.com.

The filesharing website, which allowed users to freely exchange large video and audio files, was closed overnight and its operators were charged with criminal copyright infringement. They are accused of deliberately ignoring requests from film and music firms to remove pirated material, while making more than $175m from membership fees and advertising.

Anonymous supporters attacked the websites of the Department of Justice, the FBI and Universal Music group, among others. The hacktivists used a technique called a Distributed Denial of Service to overload their targets with web traffic and effectively force them offline.

The Twitter account @AnonymousIRC, one the most prominent of dozens associated with the "leaderless" group, taunted authorities.

“We sincerely hope you like your own medicine!,” it said in a comment directed at the FBI.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9027246/Anonymous-attacks-FBI-website-over-Megaupload-raids.html

Cisco, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Panasonic Security, Videx, Wave Systems and Biometrics Associates Discuss Security Solutions on SecurityStockWatch.com

WAVE SYSTEMS Wave Systems recently named Robert Frankenberg, 64, to the company's Board of Directors, increasing Wave's Board to six members. Mr. Frankenberg's decades of management experience in the software industry will help guide the company's business development strategy across key verticals including government, technology, healthcare, financial services, industrial and energy.

"Bob's extensive leadership experience and track record of success make him an ideal addition to our Board," commented John E. Bagalay, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman of Wave. "He has built a diverse and impressive rolodex of relationships across the public and private sectors. Of greatest significance, he shares our excitement and passion for the company's technology and is eager to help increase awareness of our security solutions as Wave enters a new phase of accelerated expansion and growth."

For more information: http://www.wave.com/news/

For our exclusive interview with Mr. Steven Sprague, CEO and President of Wave Systems: http://www.securitystockwatch.com/Interviews/Conversation_WAVE_trusted.html

See Wave's "White Paper" Network Security: How to Defend an Infinitely Expanding Frontier: http://www.wave.com/collateral/03-000273_TPM-SED_whitepaper.pdf

For more information about Wave: www.wave.com . WAVX +4.15% . Cisco, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Panasonic Security, Videx, Wave Systems and Biometrics Associates Discuss Security Solutions on SecurityStockWatch.com

Hackers, IT units focusing on smartphone security
Reuters – 16 minutes ago

By Tarmo Virki

BERLIN (Reuters) - Mobile phones, long seen as safe amid rising threats to computer security, have become a key target for hackers and an increasing worry for corporate IT departments.

While the first mobile virus dates back to June 2004, risks from hackers remained limited because of the relatively small size of the market.

But this has changed recently with the surge in the smartphone segment, which this year outgrew the PC market, and the new dominance of Google's Android software.

The emergence of mobile payments, which allows shoppers simply to swipe their phones at a cash register, is whetting the interest of hackers and data thieves.

"Mobile security has become a major concern since smartphone transactions are now of much higher value, including corporate data access, managing personal finances and online purchases," said Steven Nathasingh, chief of U.S. research firm Vaxa Inc.

Most consumers have not protected their smartphones. Fewer than 5 percent of smartphones and tablets are installed with security software, according to Juniper Research.

The research firm expects to see a surge in demand with the total annual market for mobile security software growing to $3.6 billion by 2016.

"With more and more mobile devices being hijacked without the owner's knowledge, the risk of identity theft and personal financial loss is intensifying," said Peter Davin, chief executive of Cryptzone.

A study by consultancy Deloitte this week showed that companies in the technology, media and telecom sector expect data stored on staff mobile devices to be their biggest security headache in 2012.

"Employees should be made aware that using a personal device to access corporate data may also have personal implications," said Cryptzone's Davin. "For example if the device is lost, stolen or clandestinely taken over, the organization may decide to wipe data."

In the United States alone, 113 mobile phones are lost every minute, according to research firm Gartner.

For most attacks criminals would need to install software on a victim's phone.

But at a hackers' convention this week Karsten Nohl, a well-known expert on mobile phone security, demonstrated how to get remote control of a phone and sent text messages and made calls from phones to which he had no access.

Nohl used a vulnerability in the GSM network technology -- which is used by billions of people in about 80 percent of the global mobile market -- which operators can patch in their networks, but which is not done by most carriers.

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/hackers-units-focusing-smartphone-security-121722659.html

Experts propose free access online to medical records
GP consultation Many GPs already show patients online records during consultations.

23 December 2011 Last updated at 12:55

Patients should be able to access their medical records and request prescriptions and appointments online, a government-backed group recommends.

The NHS Future Forum, which advises the government on its health reforms, says it would like to see the proposals implemented in England by 2015.

Prof Steve Field, who leads the forum, said the "vision" was that patients should feel they own their data.

Patient groups have welcomed the plan, but say data must be protected.

Medical test results and hospital discharge notes would also be available under the scheme, and patients would be able to obtain repeat prescriptions.

Prof Field told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Most of us share records during consultation, and 70 or so practices already allow free access to patients whenever.

"The vision is the patient should feel that they own their own data. That takes a shift in responsibility from, technically, the secretary of state who owns the data - to the patient.

"The idea is that the patient then feels more in control of their health."

He said he would like to see the plan implemented by 2015.

The proposals will form part of a major report from the NHS Future Forum due out in January.

The recommendations do not apply to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Confidentiality 'paramount'

The Department of Health said it "fully supported" the future forum plans.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "We want patients to feel they are really at the heart of decisions about care - 'no decision about me without me'.

We would not want online records to create a two-tier system whereby those who are less likely to use the internet system face the brunt of the costs”

Katherine Murphy Patients Association

Under the scheme, patients will be able to point out mistakes in their records or request a second opinion from their GP.

Patients can currently ask their GP for access to their records, but must explain their reasons for doing so - and the Patients Association says many people report problems doing so.

Its chief executive Katherine Murphy, said: "Allowing patients to access their records on line for free will be welcomed by many. Patients will be able to see entries on their records as well as re-order repeat prescriptions. However, patient confidentiality is paramount.

"There must be a guarantee that all patient data will be protected and that it will not be possible to trace back information to an individual."

And she said the focus on online access must not be to the detriment of those who do not have access to a computer.

"Patients often report the exorbitant charges they face when asking for paper copies of their records.

"We would not want online records to create a two-tier system whereby those who are less likely to use the internet system face the brunt of the costs."

There are also likely to be concerns about the implementation of the scheme following the long-delayed attempt to upgrade NHS electronic medical records.

The government said the commitment to patient access to GP records is a central focus of its forthcoming Information Strategy which will set out how and when this will be delivered.

remote! - Magic posting! eom

Encouragingly! - Reading through the latest UK Chatham House bumpf on cyber security, looks like they're pretty much gagging for some serious action Wavewise. Eom

http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/178171

Doma! - OK bro! ;?)

Doma! - No I don't feel like a turkey! - And I don't pump and dump either!!!! eom
;?)

Maybe Steven has a Xmas present waiting for us?
;?)

Web Security Expert Warns Of Cyber World War

Internet security expert Eugene Kaspersky at the London Cyberspace conference.

Internet security expert Eugene Kaspersky has told Sky a catastrophic cyber terrorist attack is likely

10:10pm UK, Tuesday November 01, 2011

Sam Kiley, security editor
A leading internet security expert has warned that a cyber terrorist attack with "catastrophic consequences" looked increasingly likely in a world already in a state of near cyber war.

Eugene Kaspersky is not given to easy hyperbole. But the Russian maths genius who founded an internet security empire with a global reach, clutched at his thick mop of hair with both hands.

"I don't want to speak about it. I don't even want to think about it," he said.

"But we are close, very close, to cyber terrorism. Perhaps already the criminals have sold their skills to the terrorists - and then...oh, God."

Speaking privately at the London Cyber Conference, Kaspersky told Sky that he believed that cyber terrorism was the biggest immediate threat to have emerged to confront nations as diverse as China and the US.

"There is already cyber espionage, cyber crime, hacktivisim (when activists attack networks for political ends) soon we will be facing cyber terrorism," he said.

There is already cyber espionage, cyber crime, hacktivisim (when activists attack networks for political ends) soon we will be facing cyber terrorism.

Internet security expert Eugene Kaspersky

Prime Minister David Cameron, talking at the conference, added to the growing chorus of world leaders sounding the cyber alarm.

"We are here because international cyber security is a real and pressing concern," he said.

"Let us be frank. Every day we see attempts on an industrial scale to steal government secrets – information of interest to nation states, not just commercial organisations.

"Highly sophisticated techniques are being employed ... These are attacks on our national interest. They are unacceptable."

He warned that "we will respond to them as robustly as we do any other national security threat".

Britain announced £650 million of extra funding for cyber defence in the Strategic, Defence and Security Review last year and took the threat to 'tier one' making it a top priority.

Prime Minister David Cameron at the London cyberspace conference.

David Cameron speaks at the London cyberspace conference

In the last fortnight two items of malware have been identified which targeted industrial processes and infrastructure.

Duqu, identified by McAfee and Symantec, is believed to be a spyware worm specifically targeting the manufacture of industrial items in European companies.

It shares code with the notorious Stuxnet work which wrecked the uranium enrichment cylinders at Iran's nuclear facilities last year.

This week Symantec published details on Nitro, a piece of malware used to spy on chemical industries, defence contractors and other elements critical to national security, mostly in the UK, the USA and Bangladesh.

Using hacked email accounts and social networking it was injected into systems by unsuspecting workers getting apparently benign emails from people they knew.

It then transmitted stolen information to a 'command and control' location identified as Chinese.

Such attacks are becoming so commonplace that many cyber experts believe that it is certain that they will be used to attack critical national infrastructure - which could mean anything from traffic lights to nuclear power plants.

Foreign Secretary William Hague set up the conference to deal with the problem that there are no international norms or processes to call nations to account for their actions in cyber space. Nor any transnational structures to deal effectively with cyber spies and even criminals.

He has insisted that there would be no British support for suggestions from countries, like China, to impose restrictions on the use of the internet by political activists and social networks.

But delegates will be wrestling with how to deal with one another in this new sphere of foreign and defence policy.

That could be a turn up for the books! - The Britts hitting the fast track cyber security button first, 'cus they certainly know plenty about little ol' Wave Systems. ;?)eom

GCHQ chief reports 'disturbing' cyber-attacks on UK

Cyber security analyst in the US The UK says cyber crime is as serious a threat as international terrorism

Cyber attacks on the UK are at "disturbing" levels, according to the director of Britain's biggest intelligence agency.

Government computers, along with defence, technology and engineering firms' designs have been targeted, Iain Lobban, the head of GCHQ, has said.

China and Russia are thought to be among the worst culprits involved in cyber attacks.

On Tuesday, the government hosts a two-day conference on the issue.

Foreign Secretary William Hague convened the London Conference on Cyberspace after criticism that ministers are failing to take the threat from cyberwarfare seriously enough.

It aims to bring together political leaders, such as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and EU digital supremo Neelie Kroes, with leading cybersecurity experts and technology entrepreneurs such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Cisco vice-president Brad Boston.


The threats from cyberspace are growing increasingly complex and sophisticated.

They range from cybercriminals seeking to steal credit cards to groups of hackers seeking to cause trouble. Equally, it can involve states seeking to steal secrets or even carry out attacks, as happened on Iran's nuclear programme with the Stuxnet virus.

The overlap between these groups - with states sometimes subcontracting work out to criminal networks - only increases the problems of working out who is behind any attack.

Governments have been struggling to keep pace with what is taking place and London is playing host to a major conference on the subject starting Tuesday with delegates invited from around the world.

Part of the aim of the meeting is to seek ways of making cyberspace more secure.

Mr Hague believes a "global co-ordinated response" is required to forge policy on cyber development.

Baroness Pauline Neville Jones, the prime minister's special representative to business on cybersecurity, said Russia and China were some of the worst culprits involved in cyber-attacks.

"It's damaging in the end to try and play both sides," she said.

"If you are a company that comes from a country like China you can suffer if in the end people believe it's threatening to employ your products."

Writing in the Times, Mr Lobban said: "The volume of e-crime and attacks on government and industry systems continues to be disturbing".

"I can attest to attempts to steal British ideas and designs - in the IT, technology, defence, engineering and energy sectors, as well as other industries - to gain commercial advantage or to profit from secret knowledge of contractual arrangements.

"Such intellectual property theft doesn't just cost the companies concerned; it represents an attack on the UK's continued economic wellbeing."

Mr Lobban added that government online taxation and benefits services could be targeted in future, and said a black economy had already developed which saw UK citizens' credit card details offered for sale.
'Rich pickings'

The Ministry of Defence foiled more than 1,000 cyber-attacks in the last year from criminals and foreign intelligence services.

The Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed in February that computers belonging to the government had been infected with the "Zeus" computer virus, after users opened an e-mail purporting to come from the White House and followed a link.

He said cyberspace was providing "rich pickings", with UK defence contractors also being targeted.

In January, three Foreign Office staff were sent an e-mail apparently from another colleague in the Foreign Office.

In fact, Mr Hague said, the e-mail was "from a hostile state intelligence agency" and contained "code embedded in the attached document that would have attacked their machine."

'Unacceptably' high risk

But the government has been criticised for failing to take a strong lead in protecting critical systems such as power and water from cyberattack.

The vast majority of critical infrastructure in the UK is privately owned.

A leading think tank, Chatham House, has said there is a reluctance by government to share information with the private companies that might be targeted.

It also criticised those same companies for putting up with an "unacceptably high level of risk".

Professor Peter Somer - a cybersecurity expert at the London School of Economics - said it may be necessary to force major infrastructure companies to invest in protecting themselves against cyber attack.

"We may need to get to the point where we say .... you have to have a licence and a condition of the licence is going to be having adequate protection and having contingency plans. They are not going to like it."

The government says it ranks cybersecurity as a top priority.

Last year it announced £650m of additional funding to help tackle computer-based threats.

Around £130m, or 20%, is specifically earmarked for critical infrastructure projects.

Well there it is in spades!!! eom

tkc!- Not sure about Lord R thingy? but Foreign Secretary William Hague, was certainly banging about Wave Systems on radio 4 the other night.


Philip Hammond now appointed Defence Secretary. eom

Oh What Next! - (The UK could well have a slacker trigger finger) With losing poor old Dr Fox (defense secretary) we certainly needed him helping shove Haigs initiative in pushing for governmental 'root of trust' over here!! Eom

Giesecke & Devrient Supplies SIM Cards for Groundbreaking NFC Project in Russia

Munich, October 11, 2011 - Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is to manufacture and personalize the NFC-capable SIM cards for an innovative mobile payment system in Russia, in cooperation with Sitronics Smart Technologies (SST), the company's technology partner there. The first commercial NFC project in the Russian Federation was implemented by Lukoil, Russia's biggest oil company, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), the country's leading mobile network operator and SST. The collaboration will give customers of MTS the convenience of paying their bills at Lukoil filling stations by cell phone. A wide range of commercially available mobile devices can be used for these contactless payment transactions. G&D's commercially available NFC-capable SIM cards are being deployed in the project.

The contactless payment system, which is being set up in Perm, a city of around one million inhabitants in the Ural region, involves equipping the cell phones of MTS customers with an NFC-capable SIM card and a special NFC antenna solution. In order to pay their filling station bills, all that the users have to do is hold their cell phones against the card reader. The invoice amount is debited via an electronic cash function on the SIM card that MTS customers can activate with the provider. The service can be used with a wide range of currently available mobile phone models, for example those of manufacturers Samsung, Nokia, HTC, Sony Ericsson, RIM, Motorola or LG. Following active pre-commercial tests, MTS and Lukoil will launch the commercial phase in November, 2011

As Willem Bulthuis, Group Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Sales Mobile Security at Giesecke & Devrient, states: “The NFC project in Perm is the first of its kind in Russia. It demonstrates how G&D's innovative SIM card technology enables NFC-capable SIM cards to be used for contactless payments on a wide variety of cell phones. The Russian project thus represents another important milestone toward boosting acceptance of mobile devices in electronic cash applications.”

NFC-enabled devices can communicate wirelessly over a range of a few centimeters, making the technology suitable for a host of new services, such as payment by cell phone, the sale of travel tickets, or the access to buildings. These services require special SIM cards, ensuring reliable identification of the person using NFC services.

About Giesecke & Devrient:
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group now has a workforce of over 10,000 employees and generated sales of EUR 1.7 billion in fiscal 2010. 61 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide.
In all its markets, G&D is a global leader and pioneering innovator in the production and processing of banknotes and banknote paper, security documents, identification systems and smartcard-based solutions. As an end-to-end provider of mobile security applications, G&D develops and sells hardware, software, and services for banks, mobile network operators, public transportation companies, business enterprises, and OEM. For more information, please visit: www.gi-de.com

Press contact at G&D:
Stefan Waldenmaier
Press Officer
Phone +49 (0)89-4119 2985
mailto: stefan.waldenmaier@gi-de.com
http://www.gi-de.com
______________________________________________________________

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Dr. Peter-Alexander Wacker
Geschäftsführer: Dr. Karsten Ottenberg (Vorsitzender, CEO),
Michael Kuemmerle, Hans Wolfgang Kunz,
Dr. Walter Schlebusch, Dr. Peter Zattler (CFO)
Gesellschaftssitz: München, Handelsregister Amtsgericht München HRB 4619.

Mig! - I reckon I've been invested in wave for as long as yourself, again although I do share your present concerns my gut feeling is that our correct stock price should really be up around the 3.5 mark, given the cards presently shown the table. OK strange times and we all have a stack of dough riding here, but for what it's worth - we may have to endure a few ups and downs but IMHO this stock will steadily continue to rise. eom

Hmmm seems Infineon has a strong foot in the door here!

Completion of European Research Project “BioPass” to Enhance Chip Card Security for Future Electronic ID Documents with EU-Wide Validity

Munich, Germany – August 1, 2011 – The handover of the final research report to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the end of July marked the completion of the biggest chip card research project in the European Union.

The research results of the “BioPass” project lay the technical foundations for future electronic ID documents in the EU. There are estimated to be 380 million ID cards currently in circulation in the 27 EU member states with their total population of about 500 million. The technologies developed in the BioPass project will help to replace time-consuming and costly paper correspondence between citizens and the state by electronic communication, hence reducing the administrative expenditure of states and the EU.

They also contribute to raising the security level of future elec-tronic ID cards and passports, while accelerating the data transfer between ID document and reader device and simplifying usage of electronic services for citizens.

The chip card maker Giesecke & Devrient GmbH (G&D) and chip manufacturers In-fineon Technologies AG and NXP Semiconductors Germany GmbH (NXP) were three of altogether eleven companies from six EU member states who – as from February 2008 – conducted research into the development of high-security chip card technologies in the BioPass project. The German Federal Government attaches great importance to IT security and data protection, and therefore the research project received BMBF support.

The research activities encompassed the further development of the security chips and their encryption technologies through to the development of the card operating system and security software for the Internet PCs used by citizens and public authori-ties alike. The research partners demonstrated that the data transfer rate between electronic ID document and reader can be increased from 848 kbit/s so far to about 6.8 Mbit/s and theoretically could be further increased to up to 12 Mbit/s. The chip card operating system developed by G&D proves that the use of future electronic ID documents on the Internet is possible without the need to install additional software components on the PC.

A number of European nations – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland – plan the introduction over the next few years of electronic ID cards that conform to international standards and can use technologies developed in the BioPass project.

The handover of the final report end of July 2011 marked the completion of the BioPass research project. The budget totaled some Euro 13 million, half of which was provided by the participating partners from business. The other half was covered by funds from the European EUREKA cluster CATRENE/MEDEA+, which are provided by the national governments. The German BMBF supported the BioPass project with about Euro 2.8 million under the “Information and Communications Technology 2020” (ICT 2020) program as part of the German Federal Government’s High-Tech Strategy. One of the aims of the ICT 2020 program is to consolidate and strengthen Ger-many’s position as a technology leader in the ICT and ICT security sector.

Further information on the BioPass project and the project partners is available at www.biopass.eu

Press contacts:

Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
Stefan Waldenmaier, Media Relations
Phone: +49 89 4119-2985
Email: stefan.waldenmaier@gi-de.com

NXP Semiconductors Germany GmbH
Michael Maader, Media Relations
Phone: +49 40 5613-3371
Email: michael.maader@nxp.com

Infineon Technologies AG
Monika Sonntag, Media Relations
Phone: +49 89 234-24497
Emai: monika.sonntag@infineon.com

About Giesecke & Devrient
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquar-tered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group now has a workforce of over 10,000 employees and generated sales of EUR 1.7 billion in fiscal 2010. 61 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide. In all its markets, G&D is a global leader and pioneering innovator in the production and processing of banknotes and banknote paper, security documents, identification sys-tems and smartcard-based solutions. As an end-to-end provider of mobile security applications, G&D develops and sells hardware, software, and services for banks, mobile network operators, public transportation companies, business enterprises, and OEM. For more information, please visit: www.gi-de.com

About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) provides High Performance Mixed Sig-nal and Standard Product solutions that leverage its leading RF, Analog, Power Management, Interface, Security and Digital Processing expertise. These innovations are used in a wide range of automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications. For the identification mar-ket, NXP is a top global supplier of chips in eGovernment applications, such as electronic passports, ID cards, or health cards. A global semiconductor company with operations in more than 25 countries, NXP posted revenue of $4.4 billion in 2010. Additional information can be found by visiting www.nxp.com.

About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, mobility, and security. In the 2010 fiscal year (ending September 30), the company reported sales of Euro 3.295 billion with approximately 26,6501 employees worldwide. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY). Further information is available at www.infineon.com. Mentioned number of employees contains about 3,075 employees of the Wireless mobile phone business (Wireless Solutions), which was sold to Intel Corporation.
______________________________________________________________

PayPal shows off mobile tap-to-pay
by Roger Cheng
July 13, 2011 11:34 AM PDT

PayPal's Laura Chambers demonstrates the tap-and-pay move at the MobileBeat conference today in San Francisco with VentureBeat editor in chief and moderator Matt Marshall.
(Credit: Video by James Martin/CNET, screenshot by CNET staff)

PayPal on Wednesday showed off the ability to transfer money and pay by tapping two phones together as it looks to secure its role in the burgeoning mobile-payments area.

PayPal's senior director of mobile operations, Laura Chambers, demonstrated the tap-and-pay move at the MobileBeat conference in San Francisco by placing together two Nexus S smartphones (see video below). The phones are equipped with a near-field communications, or NFC chip, which allows for a quick transmission of information--in this case data about the amount of money transferred. The transfer happens through a special PayPal widget.

The demonstration shows PayPal is jumping on the NFC bandwagon, which has been embraced by the likes of Google, payment systems manufacturers such as Verifone, and credit card issuers such as Visa and MasterCard. The growing number of players also indicates the crowded room through which a payments provider like PayPal must navigate.

Google also used the Nexus S when it demonstrated its Google Wallet mobile payment capability. Bank of America, MasterCard and Research in Motion are testing their own payment system using NFC. The wireless carriers have a joint venture that plans to begin holding NFC trials next year.

PayPal, meanwhile, already handles mobile payments through an application that communicates via a Wi-Fi or a cellular network, or through the mobile browser or text message. It has also experimented with NFC stickers placed on the back of phones, but the tests were limited in scope.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20079179-94/paypal-shows-off-mobile-tap-to-pay/#ixzz1S4I3Dfzh

All hell has broken out over here in the UK, with mobile phones hacked willy nilly.

Seems we need a dose of Google tech here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8623597/News-of-the-World-to-close-following-phone-hacking-scandal-James-Murdochs-statement-in-full.html


"The Secure Element has many features designed to protect the security of the data it stores. It's separate from the phone's main operating system and hardware, which enables encrypted protocols to enforce access control. Only authorized programs like Google Wallet can access the Secure Element to initiate a transaction."

Getting closer?

Giesecke & Devrient Supplies Turnkey NFC Solution for Norwegian Mobile Contactless Payment Project

Munich, July 1, 2011. Leading Norwegian financial services provider DnB NOR and the world’s sixth largest mobile operator Telenor have launched a trial of a new mobile payment solution. The project, called Tap2Pay, is based on innovative Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and utilizes infrastructure provided by Giesecke & Devrient (G&D). Other companies involved in the project include MasterCard?, provider of the MOTAPS system and the PayPass™ payment product, as well as Nets, one of Northern Europe's biggest providers of payment solutions. The pilot trial in Oslo is aimed at collecting feedback from consumers and store owners about making contactless payments using mobile phones.

The trial – in which 250 consumers have been provided with Samsung S5230 mobile phones equipped with NFC short-range wireless technology and a SIM card containing a G&D payment application – is being carried out in the Oslo district of Majorstua. Kaffebrenneriet coffee bars, outlets of the Vita cosmetics chain and Deli de Luca Group restaurants have all been equipped with the new payment terminals. The NFC solution behind the Tap2Pay project is provided as a complete end-to-end solution by G&D.

In the Tap2Pay project, contactless payment with NFC-enabled mobile phones offers users a number of advantages. Paying for items in a store is both fast and easy – customers simply hold their mobile phone against the payment terminal and the amount is immediately debited to their MasterCard?. This speeds up the checkout process while enforcing high security standards equivalent to those of a conventional card payment.

The mobile phones are equipped with G&D’s ProxSIM®Taurus SIM card, an innovative type of 3G/GSM mini SIM card which supports NFC technology and offers special security features. The payment application, personalization of card credentials, and updates are loaded onto the SIM cards over the air (OTA) via the mobile network. For this pilot trial, G&D is installing the MasterCard? PayPass™ payment application on the NFC-compatible SIM cards using its secure Trusted Service Manager (TSM) service. G&D’s TSM is connected with MasterCard? Mobile Over-The-Air Provisioning Service (MOTAPS) and is the world’s first deployment of the system supporting contactless EMV payment on the NFC SIM and mobile phone.

The technology G&D uses to provide its Trusted Service Manager service is based on G&D’s high-security, scalable, and high-availability SmartTrust NFC Service Manager. Building upon G&D’s SmartTrust DP OTA platform, SIMs and any other Secure Element or mobile device can be managed independently of the network technology used. G&D’s SmartTrust NFC Service Manager software offers a broad range of management functionalities designed to meet the specific requirements of service providers and mobile operators regarding scalability, performance, reliability and interoperability.

“The Oslo test is one of the first in Scandinavia and will be an important milestone towards our use of mobile phones as wallets. We are certain that contactless payment via mobile will become extremely widespread, because we all take our mobiles everywhere we go, and because it’s a secure and easy way to pay,” says Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO in Telenor, who will be one of those taking part in the test.

“One of DnB NOR's ambitions is to lead the way in the development of digital bank services. If we are to succeed in a market in which more and more services are being integrated into mobile phones, we need to have a good, innovative partner like Telenor. The test will show how we can work together to bring the payment systems of the future to Norway,” says Rune Bjerke, CEO of DnB NOR.

Michael Kuemmerle, Member of the Management Board Group Executive, Mobile Security at Giesecke & Devrient says: “We experience a strong worldwide demand to roll out NFC payment solutions. Working with DnB NOR, Telenor, and the other participants in this project is helping us to further understand end-user adoption. Such projects are important to further enhance G&D's international technological leadership in the NFC area.”

Press Contact at Giesecke & Devrient:
Stefan Waldenmaier
Phone +49 (89) 4119-2985
Email: stefan.waldenmaier@gi-de.com

About Giesecke & Devrient
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group now has a workforce of over 10,000 employees and generated sales of EUR 1.7 billion in fiscal 2010. 61 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide.
In all its markets, G&D is a global leader and pioneering innovator in the production and processing of banknotes and banknote paper, security documents, identification systems and smartcard-based solutions. As an end-to-end provider of mobile security applications, G&D develops and sells hardware, software, and services for banks, mobile network operators, public transportation companies, business enterprises, and OEM. For more information, please visit: www.gi-de.com

Hackers 'steal entire 2011 census'
The entire 2011 census database has been stolen by hackers and will be published online, it has been claimed.
Computer hacker: Hackers hijack 1.9 million computers worldwide
The ONS is investigating the claims Photo: CLARE KENDALL

By Christopher Williams, Technology Correspondent

12:59PM BST 21 Jun 2011


Ryan Cleary, an alleged member of the hacking group behind the claim, LulzSec, was arrested in Essex this morning by specialist cyber crime officers from Scotland Yard.

The 19-year-old was taken to a central London police station and remains in custody on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act and Fraud Act offences.

A “significant amount of material” was also seized from an address in Wickford, Essex.

The “pre-planned intelligence-led operation” in collaboration with the FBI followed claims online that the 2011 census database had been stolen and would be published in full.

“We have blissfully obtained records of every single citizen who gave their records to the security-illiterate UK government for the 2011 census,” a posting purportedly by LulzSec said.
Related Articles

Hackers shine light on hidden insecurities
16 Jun 2011

Fears for patients' data after NHS hack
09 Jun 2011

“We're keeping them under lock and key though... so don't worry about your privacy (...until we finish re-formatting them for release),” it added.

The posting said the database will be published via The Pirate Bay, a file sharing website.

The Office of National Statistics said it was investigating the claims.

“We are aware of the suggestion that census data has been accessed. We are working with our security advisers and contractors to establish whether there is any substance to this,” it said.

“The 2011 Census places the highest priority on maintaining the security of personal data. At this stage we have no evidence to suggest that any such compromise has occurred.”

The US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, which collected the 2011 census data, was also preparing a statement.

Graham Cluley, of the British computer security firm Sophos, said more evidence of a breach was required.

"I don't think we should believe someone has hacked UK census purely on basis of a post to PasteBin [the website used by LulzSec for its announcements]," he said.

LulzSec first emerged in May and mounted a series of Distributed Denial of Service and hacking attacks on high profile organisations. Sony, the CIA, the US Senate, the NHS, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and security companies linked to the FBI have all been targeted.

The group claims to be acting purely for amusement."Lulz" is a derivative of LOL, the abbreviation for "laugh out loud" commonly used online.

Big fish and small fish! - All caught in the same net - gotta laugh! ;?)

Northrop Grumman and Academia Cite Progress in Tackling Nation's Most Pressing Cybersecurity Threats
Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium Discusses Advances and the Road Ahead in Addressing Critical Infrastructure Protection, Secure Software Design, Cyber Ranges and More

WASHINGTON, Jun 1, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and three of the nation's leading cybersecurity research universities, Carnegie Mellon University, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Purdue University, announced today the progress they have made in developing solutions for pressing cybersecurity threats during a briefing at the National Press Club.

As part of the Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium, this unique industry/academia partnership set out in December 2009 to advance research, facilitate collaboration among the nation's top scientists and accelerate solutions to counter the fast-changing cyber threats.

"The threats continue to increase in both number and sophistication," said Dr. Robert Brammer, vice president and chief technology officer, Northrop Grumman Information Systems. "Our research is significant in that it is directly focused on major issues impacting our customers' needs and is already achieving some significant results. The collaboration among our industry professionals and the university researchers has been exciting, and I look forward to the Consortium being a significant factor in the race to counter the growing threats in cyberspace."

Representatives highlighted progress in several key areas including large-scale information systems operations, where the consortium has developed approaches to improve the security of cloud computing. The Consortium has also developed new approaches for organizing and evaluating experiments performed on cyber test ranges. This approach will allow customers to better evaluate large-scale cyber attack and defense strategies in a cost-effective manner.

"The Consortium has also developed automatic techniques to analyze computer software designs to look for potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities," added Brammer. "If successful on a large-scale, these techniques will significantly improve software security for customers while reducing the time and cost it takes to develop, certify and accredit these systems for government operations."

The Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium members maintain laboratories and centers recognized globally for their research in this area. They include Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and Purdue's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS).

Northrop Grumman is transitioning the results of the research to the marketplace through its Independent Research and Development (IR&D) program as well as through contract research and development and customer projects. The Consortium continues to provide graduate student fellowships and has expanded the portfolio of research from ten to 13 projects to cover the emerging challenges in cyberspace.

"Cybersecurity is vital to economic prosperity, personal privacy and national security; and academic research is vital to the advancement of cybersecurity," said Richard Power, distinguished fellow, director of strategic communications for Carnegie Mellon CyLab (Silicon Valley Campus). "The Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium provides us with a new research model, emphasizing technology transition. This process of transitioning academic innovation to industry delivers social value, for example creating jobs, spurring further innovation and of course, enhancing cybersecurity."

"The Cybersecurity Research Consortium, led by Northrop Grumman, plays a very important role in fostering the development of new security technologies in academia and facilitating their transition to real-world use," said Professor Ronald L. Rivest, lead of MIT's CSAIL. "We believe that such industry/academic collaboration is essential for successful action against the increasingly serious and effective cyber-attacks we are witnessing today."

"The Cybersecurity Research Consortium has proven to be a wonderful initiative," said Eugene H. Spafford, executive director of Purdue's CERIAS. "For more than two decades, Purdue has been leading research and education in information security. Our mission has been to build collaborative relationships with industry, government and other academic entities to advance the state of information assurance, security and privacy. Northrop Grumman has been our partner in these efforts for many years. This consortium has enabled us to work even more closely with them, as well as with a few of our academic peers, on solutions to current and future threats to cybersecurity. We are pleased to be part of this on-going, vital partnership devoted to advancing the states of knowledge and practice in cybersecurity."

Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in all aspects of computer network operations and cyber security, offering customers innovative solutions to help secure the nation's cyber future. For more detailed information about these projects and progress in other key research areas including critical infrastructure protection, digital watermark technologies, securing mobile devices, and more, go to www.northropgrumman.com/cybersecurity.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Northrop Grumman Corp.

CONTACT: Marynoele Benson(703) 556-1651marynoele.benson@ngc.com

PayPal alleges that Google and Osama Bedier "have misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers". Mr Bedier, Google's vice president of payments, was formerly a senior Paypal executive.

Google Wallet will use Near-Field Communications chips built into Android handsets to allow users to "wave and pay" at retailers that have MasterCard's contactless point of sale equipment. Launch partners include Macy's department store and the sandwich chain Subway.

PayPal, which is the leading payment system on the web, is developing its own smartphone payment system for retailers, to compete with Google and others. Apple is also expected to enter the fray this year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/8541229/Google-Wallet-technology-faces-legal-attack-by-PayPal.html

May shake things up a bit! Eom

Seagate Tops 1 Million Mark in Shipments of Self-Encrypting Hard Drives for Laptop PC's and Data Center Servers Customer adoption swells as more computer makers ship systems powered by Seagate(R) SEDs, Seagate's security alliances grow, and more SEDs win key government certification
Published: Monday, 14 Feb 2011 | 7:59 AM ET
Text Size

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Seagate (NASDAQ:STX) today announced that it has shipped more than 1 million self-encrypting laptop and enterprise hard drives. Sales of the Seagate(R) hard drives with built-in encryption continue to surge as more computer makers offer the drives to protect against unauthorized access to sensitive data, more independent software vendors team up with Seagate to provide the management capabilities required for company-wide installations of self-encrypting laptop PCs, and more of the drives win U.S. government certifications: Six original equipment manufacturers -- Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM, LSI and Network Appliance -- now offer products powered by Seagate enterprise self-encrypting drives (SEDs). All told, Seagate now ships 24 products in a family of enterprise drives that includes Savvio(R), Cheetah(R), Constellation(R) ES and Constellation(R) SEDs. Dell, Lenovo and Panasonic are shipping or qualifying standard-sized or thin laptops with Seagate Momentus(R) and Momentus(R) Thin SEDs as optional features. Seagate's independent software vendor (ISV) partnerships have grown to include security leaders Credant, McAfee, Mobile Armor, Secude, Softex, Symantec, Wave Systems and WinMagic. With management software from these providers, organizations can easily and affordably manage and protect encryption keys and passwords to simplify deployments of Momentus and Momentus Thin SEDs. Seagate's family of Savvio, Cheetah, Constellation and Momentus SEDs have secured FIPS 140-2 certification from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This key government certification clears the way for deployments of Seagate self-encrypting drives by all U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, many state and local governments, and regulated industries such as healthcare, finance and defense required to use FIPS-certified gear to help protect sensitive data on PCs and computer networks and in data centers. The Seagate laptop and enterprise hard drives are the first with native encryption to earn the FIPS certification.

Dell and Panasonic now offer laptops featuring FIPS-certified Momentus SEDs.

Several major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are now qualifying Momentus SEDs that are compliant with the Trusted Computing Group's Opal specification. The Trusted Computing Group, an international body that promotes open standards for computer security, issued the Opal specification in 2009. The specification is focused on enabling the ecosystem for self-encrypting drives and increasing their adoption. Seagate enterprise SED shipments have tripled over the past two quarters, while the company's laptop SED shipments have doubled in each of the past three years.

"Companies and government organizations worldwide increasingly are securing confidential information on self-encrypting hard drives, recognizing that this commonsense yet powerful approach simplifies the deployment of security for data at rest," said Charles Kolodgy, research director of security products for analyst group IDC. "As storage and security continue to converge, solutions like Seagate's self-encrypting hard drives are leading the way by providing organizations with the strong, easy-to-use security they need to protect their data assets." Seagate(R) Enterprise Self-Encrypting Drives Deliver Government-Grade Security Seagate offers a full lineup of enterprise SED options within its Savvio, Cheetah, and Constellation families. Strong enough for national security, yet easy enough for the one-person IT department, Seagate enterprise SEDs simplify decommissioning and preserve hardware value for returns and repurposing by eliminating the need to overwrite or physically destroy the drive, securing warranty and expired lease returns, and enabling drives to be repurposed securely.

Laptop Lockdown with Momentus(R) Self-Encrypting Drives Momentus(R) SEDs give organizations of all sizes a simple, cost-effective way to protect against unauthorized access to data on notebook PCs and a powerful tool for complying with the growing number of data privacy laws calling for the protection of consumer information using government-grade encryption. The AES encryption chip in the Momentus SEDs automatically and transparently encrypts all drive data, not just selected files or partitions. The 2.5-inch drive also eliminates disk initialization and configuration required by encryption software, allows IT administrators to instantly erase all data cryptographically so the drive can be quickly and easily redeployed, and delivers full inline-speed encryption with no impact to system performance.

Momentus SEDs keep all security keys and cryptographic operations within the drive, separating them from the operating system to provide greater protection against hacking and tampering than traditional software alternatives, which can give thieves backdoor access to encryption keys and are otherwise more vulnerable to key theft. Momentus SEDs are offered in capacities up to 500GB.

Seagate at RSA Conference See Seagate(R) SEDs in demonstrations at the following booths of Seagate's ISV partners at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, site of this year's RSA Conference: Softex -- #750 Wave Systems -- #939 WinMagic -- #839 http://seagate.com/twitter http://seagate.com/facebook http://media.seagate.com About Seagate Seagate is the worldwide leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions. Learn more at http://www.seagate.com.

Copyright 2011 Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Wave to Present at ROTH Capital Growth Conference on March 16 at 9:00 a.m. PT in Laguna Niguel, California



Lee, MA March 3, 2011 Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVX; http://www.wave.com/) announced today that Gerard Feeney, Chief Financial Officer, and Brian Berger, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, will present at the 23rd Annual ROTH OC Growth Conference on March 16, at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, CA. The annual three-day conference brings together over 400 small- and mid-cap growth companies across sectors including software and technology.

One thing's for certain! - That's now once the $5/6 rails been greased, with all the good positives, we'll find it a lot easier to slide right back. IMO eom

Giesecke & Devrient Concludes Major International Contract for Payment Solutions with UniCredit

Munich, January 17, 2011. Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has been awarded an international contract by the UniCredit Group for the supply of electronic payment system solutions. The three-year contract was put out to international tender and took effect on January 1, 2011. G&D will be a UniCredit group-wide strategic partner for providing the full spectrum of modern payment cards, including dual-interface cards, as well as comprehensive payment services. The UniCredit Group is an internationally active financial institution and one of Europe’s biggest banks, with 160,000 employees.

Besides supplying state-of-the-art debit and credit cards to the UniCredit Group, G&D is able to provide a wide range of services including technical consultancy and card personalization. The successful partnership between Giesecke & Devrient and the UniCredit Group, especially with Germany’s HypoVereinsbank, has been existing for many years.

UniCredit Group stated that they were looking for a solutions provider with a global presence and a wide portfolio of innovative products who could offer them the highest levels of quality and reliability.

Michael Kuemmerle, Group Executive of Mobile Security at G&D, said: “This sign of trust adds new depth to our existing partnership with UniCredit. We will use our pioneering solutions and our expertise to make UniCredit’s services even more convenient and secure. This includes the development and rollout of new services.”

UniCredit’s three most important markets are Germany (HypoVereinsbank), Italy (UniCredit) and Poland (Bank Pekao SA). In addition, UniCredit has subsidiaries in a further 19 countries and an international network of around 9,500 branches – including the largest international branch network in central and eastern Europe.

Press Contact at Giesecke & Devrient:
Stefan Waldenmaier
Phone: +49 89 4119 2985
Email: stefan.waldenmaier@gi-de.com
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

About Giesecke & Devrient
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a leading international technology provider headquartered in Munich, Germany. With a headcount of more than 10,000 employees, the Group generated sales of EUR 1.7 billion in fiscal 2009. Founded in 1852, G&D is a global market leader and pioneering innovator in banknote production and processing, smart card solutions and services for telecommunications and electronic payment, and security documents and identification systems. 65 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide. For more information, visit our website at: www.gi-de.com.

4.35 looks promising.Eom

OT -You've gotta'love this board! - Nobody knows what the hell's really going on with wave trading....and reading all the various hypothesis on the action, thro' the day is just one of life's many treasures! ;?) IMO Eom