National Infrastructure Protection Center NIPC Daily Open Source Report for 20 August 2002
Daily Assessment/Overview · The increasing availability of commercial, off-the shelf technology to terrorist groups and enemy states is creating new challenges for the U.S. military. (See item 18) · After Sept. 11, companies of all sizes have seen their insurance premiums for everything from workers' comp to general liability insurance rise while the coverage their policies provide has decreased. (See item 4) · US Dept of Energy ordered Cross Sound Cable to temporarily operate its underwater power transmission cable connecting New York and Connecticut. Activation of the 330-MW cable will alleviate the emergency supply situation caused by the area's recent heat wave. (See item 3) NIPC Daily Report Fast Jump [click to jump to section of interest] Power Banking & Finance Transportation Gas & Oil Telecommunications Food Water Chemical Emergency Law Enforcement Government Operations Information Technology Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities Internet Alert Dashboard General NIPC Information Power Sector Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: LOW, Cyber: LOW Scale: NORMAL, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES-ISAC) - http://www.nerc.com/~filez/cip.html] 1. August 15, The Straits Times – Computer glitch behind worst blackout in decade. A computer glitch caused the blackout that paralyzed parts of Singapore for 90 minutes last Monday, said power regulator Energy Market Authority yesterday. It is not clear what went wrong in Indonesian natural-gas supplier West Natuna's computer system during a routine check on Aug 5, but this malfunction prompted an emergency valve to close, cutting off the flow of the gas to one of two Singapore providers of the fuel, SembCorp Gas. The lack of gas tripped seven power plants. As a result, there was an 8 per cent shortfall in the amount of electricity needed. Source: http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/story/0,1870,137582,00.html? 2. August 16, Reuters – US power spending cuts may mean tight supply later. U.S. power producers, struggling to shore up balance sheets amid increased investor scrutiny, have scaled back plans for new generating plants, a move industry analysts warn could tighten electric supplies later in the decade. While shortages are not expected any time soon, analysts noted concerns about liquidity and questionable accounting practices after the collapse of Enron Corp. have forced power producers to cancel or delay some 80,000 megawatts (MW) of new generation. "My guess is that we'll have enough power supply for the next 3 or 4 years, then if nobody commits, things will get tighter," said Del Williamson, president global sales at General Electric Co.'s GE Power Systems. Source: http://www.energycentral.com/sections/newsroom/nr_article.cfm?id=3214914 3. August 16, Platts Global Energy – US Dept of Energy orders operation of Cross Sound Cable. US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham Friday issued an emergency order, at the request of the Long Island Power Authority, directing Cross-Sound Cable (CSC) to temporarily operate its underwater power transmission cable connecting New York and Connecticut. Activation of the 330-MW cable will alleviate the emergency supply situation caused by the area's recent heat wave. The order, which expires Oct 1, said the cable should be operated as a last resort after implementing demand-reduction and conservation measures. DOE said the order does not remove CSC's obligations to comply with necessary permits, after the order's expiration. Source: http://www.platts.com [return to top] Banking and Finance Sector 4. August 18, Boston Globe – Terrorism alters landscape of insurance. The insurance industry's fears of another Sept. 11 have greatly affected not just real estate transactions but normal business activities as well. Companies of all sizes have seen their premiums for everything from workers' comp to general liability insurance rise while the coverage their policies provide shrinks. The problem is especially acute in New York. According to the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit research firm, ''The Sept. 11 attack produced catastrophic losses in lines of insurance that had never before experienced catastrophes.'' These new lines included, most notably, workers' compensation, particularly reimbursement for medical expenses and lost wages related to injuries or disasters on the job. Source: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/230/business/Terrorism_alters_landscape_of_ins urance+.shtml [return to top] Transportation Sector 5. August 19, Associated Press – Waterfront highway in Seattle in need of major overhaul. The Alaskan Way Viaduct, which carries traffic above Seattle's waterfront, is falling apart, and one strong earthquake could take down the aging roadway and the crumbling sea wall that supports it. The 49-year-old Alaskan Way Viaduct has long been a concern. It carries 110,000 vehicles a day, nearly twice what it was designed to carry. And after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2001, the matter became more urgent. Engineers found extensive damage in both the viaduct and the 68-year-old seawall, which supports the viaduct and the waterfront. They estimate the viaduct has a 1-in-20 chance of failing within the next 10 years. Source: http://www.boston.com/dailynews/231/nation/Waterfront_highway_in_Seattle_:.shtml 6. August 18, Associated Press – Airports wary of baggage deadline. Managers at some major airports believe big travel problems could lie ahead come the Dec. 31 deadline to begin inspecting every piece of checked luggage for explosives. They also are raising questions about whether the bomb-screening equipment is sophisticated enough and in adequate supply. The prospect of long lines and finding space for the minivan-sized machines in already cramped airports have led Congress to consider delaying the screening requirement by a year. Source: http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=NATIONAL&STORYID=APIS7LFT7F0 0 7. August 18, New York Times – Two railroads, one company and a need for money. Until the last few days, the consensus on Amtrak was that it was two railroads: a long-distance system doomed to carry tourists at a loss, and a bustling Northeast Corridor line that could meet its costs, or even make a profit, competing with the airlines for business travelers. But that impression was always a myth, the experts say, and last week showed how badly both Amtraks are in trouble. But the Northeast Corridor — the tracks between Washington and Boston — needs money, too. Many of its trains meet their operating costs, but Congress also gave Amtrak the tracks, and they need $5 billion to $12 billion worth of improvement. Kenneth Mead, the inspector general of the Transportation Department, testified recently that all trains on the corridor, even the Acela Express trains that were sidelined last week will have to start slowing down if investments are not made soon. The timing of the Acela problem is bad because Amtrak will be broke again on Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, unless Congress passes a new appropriation. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/18/national/18AMTR.html [return to top] Gas and Oil Sector 8. August 19, Dow Jones Newswires – OPEC cuts 02 oil demand growth forecast by 46.7%. OPEC is now forecasting that oil consumption will rise by 0.16 million barrels a day in 2002 to 76.16 million b/d. This latest figure translates into a downward revision of 0.14 million b/d, from the group's previous growth estimate. OPEC says oil demand for the first half of 2002 was weaker than projected in its previous oil market report. Although OPEC expects some recovery for oil demand in the second half of 2002, it says that this will be "compounded" by forecasts for a downward revision in economic growth, especially in the U.S. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20020819_001171,00.html 9. August 19, Dow Jones Newswires – Russia to take part in developing four Kuwaiti oil fields. Russian firms will participate in developing Kuwait's oil fields, the nation's energy minister said Monday as a bilateral commission opened discussions on expanding economic and technical co-operation. In addition to the oil and gas sectors, it said, Russian firms are interested in working in the areas of construction, irrigation, agriculture and infrastructure development. They are also in a good position to increase shipments of energy equipment, rolled metal and other metal products, timber, trucks, and equipment for the oil and gas industries, it said. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20020819_000846,00.html [return to top] Telecommunications Sector 10. August 19, Federal Computer Week – The Navy Marine Corps Intranet has reached another critical milestone, with the Pentagon giving the Navy the go-ahead to connect about 40,000 users working on the Defense Department's classified network. "It absolutely is a significant milestone," said Capt. Chris Christopher, NMCI's deputy director of plans, policy and oversight. "We have a whole bunch of classified seats that we have to be able to roll out," which would have been impossible without getting this authority. In a memorandum from the Joint Staff, dated July 16, NMCI was granted a six-month "interim authority to operate," giving NMCI the authority to connect to DOD's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, called SIPRNET. Source: http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0819/news-nmci-08-19-02.asp 11. August 19, VNUNET – Feds tell companies to check network security. The FBI is warning against the popular practice of using chalk marks to show the location of wireless networks. The marks, or 'warchalks', are cropping up in cities and suburbs across the world. The FBI has told companies that, if they see the marks outside their offices, they should check the security of wireless networks and ensure that they remain closed to outsiders. "If you notice these symbols at your place of business, it is likely that your network has been identified publicly," said the agency. Although the warning is not an official advisory, the agent responsible for it said that it was information worth passing on. Source: http://www.vnunet.com/News/1134451 [return to top] Food Sector Nothing to report. [return to top] Water Sector 12. August 16, The Patriot News – Pennsylvania may let German conglomerate buy state's largest water company. The state Public Utility Commission has tentative plans at its Aug. 29 meeting to consider approval of the acquisition of Pennsylvania-American Water Co., the state's largest water company, by a German utility and mining conglomerate. Administrative Law Judge Wayne L. Weismandel has recommended approval of the acquisition, rejecting many, but not all, of the consumer and environmental protections sought by state Consumer Advocate Irwin Popowsky and Penn Future Director John Hanger. RWE AG of Essen, Germany, announced last September that it was acquiring American Water Works, the parent of Pennsylvania-American Water Co., in a $7.6 billion deal that would create one of the largest water companies in the world. Source: http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=query_displaynews&q=WATER&so=&dc=&ro=&; ed=&sd=&s=11&boldtext=WATER&sym=&doc_id=NR200208161180.3_ecc7000fc80f733a [return to top] Chemical Sector 13. August 19, Platts Global Energy – Spolana decontamination could cost $94.6-mil. Decontamination of two polluted Spolana chemical plant buildings and a nearby warehouse is expected to cost between $78.8 to $94.6-mil, a spokesman for the Czech National Property Fund (FNM) told Platts Monday. The Czech government plans to announce a tender for clean-up of the plant buildings later this month. Floods last week engulfed Spolana's polyvinyl chloride plant, but Unipetrol spokesman Tomas Zikmund said it is still too early to determine the extent of the damage. Zikmund said firefighters and specialists from Spolana and other workers are examing possible damage to five storage tanks. The tanks reportedly contained 140mt of chlorine which, after a pipe was ruptured, started to leak into a Spolana building. Source: http://www.platts.com [return to top] Emergency Law Enforcement Sector 14. August 19, Associated Press – NYC police, fire depts. vow changes. Police and fire officials pledged Monday to improve command procedures and communications as they released two reports examining emergency response in the wake of the World Trade Center attack. The roughly 100-page fire department document also recommends that the department bolster its single hazardous materials unit with new staff and equipment, allowing the FDNY to better respond to potential chemical, biological or radiological attacks. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35697-2002Aug19.html [return to top] Government Operations Sector 15. August 19, US News & World Report – The dirty half dozen. Based on new intelligence assessments of al Qaeda's organizational structure, the Pentagon believes that there are six or seven men responsible for the network's major operations and that these half dozen are the most likely to mastermind future attacks against the United States. "When you go down the list of the major attacks around the world, you always come back to these guys," says one Pentagon official. These "middle managers," as Pentagon brass call them, are the biggest remaining threat in an organization that has been hammered hard since the war on terrorism began. Not only do they have potential to rise to leadership positions in al Qaeda," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers tells U.S. News, "but their involvement is such that they are key guys to big operations." Source: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/020826/usnews/26hunt.htm 16. August 19, New York Times – Bush calls security meeting at ranch. President Bush will meet at his ranch here on Wednesday with top national security advisers, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, in what is likely to include a discussion of a potential United States campaign to topple Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq, administration officials said today. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/19/international/19RANC.html [return to top] Information Technology Sector 17. August 15, ComputerWorld – Several major airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are turning to the Internet, with all of its inherent security vulnerabilities, to improve antiterror information sharing and the safety of flight operations. In the wake of last year's terrorist hijackings and the near success of the shoe-bomb plot on an American Airlines flight on Dec. 22, American and other airlines have turned to the Internet as a way to keep pilots informed of critical federal security warnings in a more timely manner. In addition, the FAA in recent weeks has established a public Web site that commercial and general aviation pilots can use to download visual-range data for most of the nation's major airports. Visual-range data is used to plan alternate landing routes in the event of bad weather. Source: http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2002/0,4814,73508,00.html 18. August 16, National Journal's Technology Daily – The increasing availability of commercial, off-the shelf technology to terrorist groups and enemy states is creating new challenges for the U.S. military, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday in his annual report to the president and Congress. "Maintaining the U.S. technological edge has become even more difficult as advanced technology has become readily available on the world market," Rumsfeld wrote "Technologies for sensors, information processing, communications, precision guidance, and many other areas are rapidly advancing and are available to potential adversaries." Rumsfeld said some adversaries are using those high-tech tools to develop "offensive information operations" that could disrupt military information systems, such as those that enable U.S. troops to engage in "network-centric" warfare with other combat units and foreign allies. Source: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0802/081602td1.htm [return to top] Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities 19. August 19, Associated Press – The number of FBI agents working in Oregon will grow significantly in the coming months to staff expanded cyber-crimes, counterintelligence and counterterrorism squads. Portland is one of only 20 FBI field offices nationwide that will create a squad of agents and support staff whose main mission will be to investigate cyber-crimes, said Charlie Mathews, the special agent who heads FBI operations in Oregon. The cybersquad will investigate everything from Internet fraud and online child pornography to terrorists and rogue computer hackers. The directive to create the teams is part of a restructuring of the Justice Department, which includes the FBI. Source: http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=46907 Internet Alert Dashboard Current Alert Levels Internet Security Systems AlertCon: 1 out of 4https://gtoc.iss.net/ Security Focus ThreatCon: 1 out of 4www.securityfocus.com Last Changed 7 August 2002 Last Changed 5 August 2002 Current Virus and Port Attacks Virus: #1 Virus in USA: WORM_KLEZ.HSource: http://wtc.trendmicro.com/wtc/wmap.html, Trend World Micro Virus Tracking Center [Infected Computers, North America, Past 24 hours, #1 in United States] Top 10 Target Ports 80(http); 1433(ms-sql-s); 21(ftp); 139(netbios-ssn); 39213; 43981; 25(smtp); 111(sunrpc); 22(ssh); 53(domain);Source: http://isc.incidents.org/top10.html; Internet Storm Center [return to top] General Information 20. August 19, New York Times – Al Qaeda videos seem to show chemical tests. A vast cache of videotapes from Afghanistan provides the clearest evidence yet to corroborate United States government charges that Al Qaeda developed and tested chemical agents, according to experts who have seen some of them. Last night, CNN began broadcasting portions of tapes it obtained, one of which shows what appears to be the agonizing death of three dogs exposed to a chemical agent, apparently before Sept. 11. The archive includes instruction tapes on bomb-making and on how to shoot surface-to-air weapons, as well as the first meeting of Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders with foreign journalists in May 1998, and other tapes — often violent — contributed by affiliated groups in Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/19/international/asia/19CHEM.html?tntemail1 21. August 19, Washington Post – Cruise missile threat grows, Rumsfeld says. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has sent the White House a classified memo warning of the spread of cruise missiles among hostile nations and urging an intensified government-wide effort to defend against them. The memo, delivered last month, reflects heightened concern by Rumsfeld and senior aides about the ready availability around the world of cruise missile technology and the continued vulnerability of U.S. troops and population centers to attack by the low-flying, hard-to-detect weapons, according to officials familiar with the memo. Capable in some cases of taking off from ships close to shore and maneuvering below radar scanners or behind terrain, cruise missiles present a particular worry as potential platforms for delivering nuclear, biological or chemical warheads. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31153-2002Aug17.html 22. August 18, BBC News – Anthrax killer is US defense insider. Professor Don Foster - who helped convict Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and unveiled Joe Klein as the author of the novel Primary Colors - says the evidence points to someone with high-ranking military and intelligence connections. Speaking about the investigation for the first time, Prof. Foster told the BBC he had identified two suspects who had both worked for the CIA, the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID) and other classified military operations. Controversally, Prof Foster says the killer is likely to be highly patriotic individual who wanted to demonstrate that the US was badly prepared for an act of biological terrorism. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2196008.stm 23. August 19, New York Times – Israel begins vaccinating health workers for smallpox. With concerns mounting that an American attack on Iraq could provoke some form of retaliatory strike against Israel, the Health Ministry has begun vaccinating about 1,500 health workers against smallpox, a spokesman said today. The spokesman, Ido Hadari, stressed that the vaccinations were a preliminary measure, involving those who, if Israel decided on broader measures, would be charged with administering the vaccine to others. He said the security cabinet would meet on Wednesday to discuss whether to extend the vaccinations to "first responders": police officers, soldiers, emergency medical personnel and hospital workers who would be involved in an immediate response to a biological attack. These could number as many as 150,000. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/17/international/middleeast/17MIDE.html 24. August 19, Washington Post – Suicide bombers change Mideast's military balance. The suicide bomber has become the Palestinian version of a smart weapon, Israeli military officers said. Moreover, it is cheap, unpredictable and abundant. It is relatively easy to hide, transport and store, and therefore difficult to detect and defend against despite the Israeli military's high-tech prowess and long experience. Since January, 198 people have been killed in suicide attacks in Israel, more than twice the 84 deaths recorded in suicide bombings during all of 2001. In the last 12 months, suicide bombings accounted for about 40 percent of all deaths from attacks by Palestinians, according to databases maintained by the Israeli government, think tanks and human rights groups. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31236-2002Aug17.html [return to top] NIPC Products & Contact Information The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) serves as a national critical infrastructure threat assessment, warning, vulnerability, and law enforcement investigation and response entity. The NIPC provides timely warnings of international threats, comprehensive analysis and law enforcement investigation and response. The NIPC provides a range of bulletins and advisories of interest to information system security and professionals and those involved in protecting public and private infrastructures. By visiting the NIPC web-site (http://www.nipc.gov), one can quickly access any of the following NIPC products: 2002 NIPC Advisories - Advisories address significant threat or incident information that suggests a change in readiness posture, protective options and/or response. 2002 NIPC Alerts - Alerts address major threat or incident information addressing imminent or in-progress attacks targeting specific national networks or critical infrastructures. 2002 NIPC Information Bulletins - Information Bulletins communicate issues that pertain to the critical national infrastructure and are for informational purposes only. 2002 NIPC CyberNotes - CyberNotes is published to support security and information system professionals with timely information on cyber vulnerabilities, malicious scripts, information security trends, virus information, and other critical infrastructure-related best practices. 2002 NIPC Highlights – The NIPC Highlights are published on a monthly basis to inform policy and/or decision makers of current events, incidents, developments, and trends related to Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). Highlights seeks to provide policy and/or decision makers with value-added insight by synthesizing all source information to provide the most detailed, accurate, and timely reporting on potentially actionable CIP matters. IWS INFOCON Mailing List @ IWS - The Information Warfare Site http://www.iwar.org.uk
