Everything you need to know about China's cyber-warriors

An ongoing campaign of computer attacks on the U.S. has been traced to China. What are the hackers after?

Who has been hacked?
Government agencies, newspapers, utilities, and private companies ? literally hundreds of targets. The?cybersecurity?firm?Mandiant, which has been tracking these attacks since 2004, says data has been stolen from at least 140 companies, mostly American, including Google, DuPont, Apple,?The New York Times, and?The Washington Post, as well as think tanks, law firms, human-rights groups, and foreign embassies. A company that provides Internet security for U.S. intelligence was attacked; so was one that holds blueprints for the nation's pipelines and power grids. Hackers even stole classified information about the development of the F-35 stealth fighter jet from subcontractors working with the plane's producer, Lockheed Martin. Congressional and federal offices have reported breaches. In 2007, the Pentagon itself was attacked ? and it won't say what was stolen.

Who's doing it?
Ten years ago, Chinese patriots working independently were behind many of the attacks. These young hackers were outraged by the 1999 U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, an accident during the Kosovo War. Using the name Honkers, or Red Guests, they launched a series of denial-of-service attacks on U.S. government websites. But within a few years some of them had begun working with the Chinese government, targeting Tibetan and Taiwanese independence groups, the religious group?Falun?Gong, and anyone in the West who communicated with Chinese dissidents. In recent years, says anti-malware specialist Joe Stewart, the number of hackers has doubled, with 10 major hacking groups in China. "There is a tremendous amount of manpower being thrown at this from their side," Stewart told?Bloomberg?Businessweek. China's government now appears to be directing the attacks. "We've moved from kids in their bedroom and financially motivated crime to state-sponsored?cybercrime," said Graham?Cluley, a British security expert.

Why is China doing this?
China sees?cyberwarfare?as a valid form of international business and military competition, and is pursuing what it calls "information dominance.''?Mandiant?has traced many of the U.S. attacks to a Shanghai office building that appears to be the home of the People's Liberation Army's?cyberwarfare?unit. Thousands of hacks, including ones by two of the prominent aliases, Ugly Gorilla and?SuperHard, were traced definitively to the district, and in recent years, that building has installed super-high-tech fiber-optic cables able to handle massive data traffic. About 2,000 people are estimated to be working in the building. This group appears to specialize in English-language computers, and hackers seem well versed in Western pop culture; one of the hackers used?Harry Potter?references for his passwords. China has issued a blanket denial, calling?Mandiant's?claims "groundless" and "irresponsible."

How do the hackers get access?
Mostly by the technique known as "spear-phishing." They send an email with a link that an employee of a targeted company then opens, activating malware programs that sweep through databases, vacuuming up information, including emails, blueprints, and other documents. Some phishing emails are recognized as spam by the recipients ? but the Chinese are getting better at disguising them, sometimes using email accounts with real people's names that are known to the recipient, and using colloquial English, so the emails read as plausible company business.

What does China do with the information?
The corporate secrets are worth a lot of money to Chinese business. Blueprints of advanced plants or machinery could help many Chinese industries, and so could data on corporate finances and policies. Energy companies, for example, can benefit from knowing what their foreign competitors are willing to bid for oil field sites. Chinese companies have already been sued for allegedly stealing DuPont's proprietary method for making chemicals used in plastics and paints. More ominously, some of the information could be used to disrupt U.S. industry or infrastructure (see below). And while China is the main source of attacks, other countries also frequently hack U.S. sites, including Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

What is the U.S. doing to protect itself?
Congress refused to pass a comprehensive?cybersecurity?act last year because of opposition from business groups, which complained that new computer regulations would be costly and onerous. As a result, President Obama recently issued an executive order requiring Homeland Security to identify "critical infrastructure where a?cybersecurity?incident could reasonably result in catastrophic regional or national effects on public health or safety, economic security, or national security." Those companies will have to beef up their?cybersecurity?by installing multiple layers of protection for the most sensitive systems. Right now, some companies have only a single firewall, and once that is breached, all the data is available. "The dirty little secret in these control systems is once you get through the perimeter, they have no security at all," said Dale Peterson of security company Digital Bond. Hackers "can do anything they want."

A worst-case scenario
Derailed trains. Air traffic control systems suddenly shut down with thousands of planes in the air. Exploding chemical plants and gas pipelines. Blackouts over large parts of the country, lasting weeks or even months. These are some of the apocalyptic events?cybersecurity?experts fear ? hacks that could kill people and sow widespread panic. But what might be even more damaging, the experts say, is a coordinated attack on multiple banks in which hackers alter ? not wipe ? much of the financial data stored on their computers. With balances, debts, and other data changed, no transaction would be trustworthy. Nobody's bank account or mortgage statement could be deemed accurate. "It would be impossible to roll that back," said?Dmitri?Alperovitch?of the computer security company?CrowdStrike. "You could wreak absolute havoc on the world's financial system for years." Leon?Panetta, the outgoing defense secretary, warns that hackers are now testing the defenses of banks, utilities, and government agencies, and figuring out how to launch a paralyzing attack. "This is a pre-9/11 moment,"?Panetta?recently told business executives in New York. "The attackers are plotting."

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/everything-know-chinas-cyber-warriors-090000371.html

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U.S. Rules Climate Change Won't Be a Threat to the Keystone Pipeline ? and Vice Versa

Good news for environmentalists who might otherwise be lamenting the State Department giving initial environmental approval for the Keystone XL pipeline: The government determined that the pipeline itself won't be damaged by climate change.

RELATED: Obama Administration Pushes Keystone Pipeline Decision Until After the Election

The highly controversial pipeline, lambasted by critics as a tremendously risky project for the environment, won a key victory with the release of the State Department's draft environmental impact assessment by the State Department. Release of the draft report late this Friday afternoon kicks off a 45-day period of public comment. You can read the executive summary of the report here if you plan to comment ? and if the history of the proposal has taught us anything, it's that there will be a great deal of comment indeed.

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At question is whether State should grant TransCanada, the Canadian firm hoping to build the pipeline, authorization to bring it across the U.S.-Canada border. TransCanada hopes to complete a route from the tar sands deposits of Alberta, Canada, down the middle of the country, and to the Gulf Coast. Proponents of the project tout the short-term job creation potential of such a major project, as well as the possible reduction of oil from Middle East if imports from Canada increase. Critics argue (generally in much stronger terms) that the project would substantially increase the use of an energy source that is much more carbon intensive than conventional oil sources ? setting aside concerns over the possibility of a spill. The worst on-land spill in American history resulted from the rupture of a tar sands pipeline in Michigan.

RELATED: So There Is an Upside to the Oil Spill

TransCanada's initial proposal for the pipeline brought the pipeline across an environmentally sensitive region of Nebraska, prompting even that state's Republican governor to experess concerns about the project. A revised plan from TransCanada changed the proposed route to largely avoid those regions, prompting the state to approve the project ? and removing a key reason for the State Department to nix the proposal.

RELATED: How Will GOP Gains Affect Climate Policy?

As one would expect, the report is thorough. It notes that some 15,493 acres would be disturbed during construction ? an area of about 24 square miles ? and that the pipeline would cross over 1,000 bodies of water. It articulates the native species of plants and animals that would be effected by construction. And ? of most concern to environmentalists ? it considers how the project will affect and be affected by climate change. The project will create 240,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas while being built, and another 3.19 million metric tons each year thereafter ? a figure that is less than one percent of the emissions from the country's coal-fired power plants.

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Perhaps the most ironic part of the report is its assessment of what damage the pipeline might see at the hands of climate change. After outlining what climate change is expected to bring to the United States (warmer temperatures, more wildfires, etc.), it notes:

The pipeline would be buried deep enough to avoid surface impacts of climate changes (freeze-thaw cycles, fires, and temperature extremes).

This will no doubt be a great relief to activists.

But, as with nearly every part of this hard-fought issue, the report released today isn't a clear cut victory for either side. The Washington Post notes that the report undermines one of the key economic arguments made by pipeline proponents.

[T]he detailed environmental report ? which runs close to 2,000 pages long ? also questions one of the strongest arguments for the pipeline, by suggesting America can meet its energy needs over the next decade without it. The growth in rail transport of oil from western Canada and the Bakken Formation on the Great Plains and other pipelines, the analysis says, could meet the country?s energy needs for the next decade, even if Keystone XL never gets built.

The on-going delay in construction of the pipeline has led to a significant over-supply of tar sands oil in Alberta, causing prices to plummet and, according to some analysts, threatening the long-term economic viability of the project. The State Department's analysis above offers another reason for pessimism: even if built, the market may not return.

Critics will also cite the report's determination that construction would create about 42,000 jobs ? but only 35 long-term.

To a large extent, today is only a sideshow to the main event, which will come with a final decision on the all-important cross-border permit. The State Department also indicated today that a final decision won't come until July or August. After all, the government needs to get through the 45 days of public comment the report requires ? and then further public comment on news shows and at protests and in Congressional offices every hour until a decision is made.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-rules-climate-change-wont-threat-keystone-pipeline-222608735.html

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Ultrasound Certification in Northern Virginia

The sole imaging facility in Nothern Virginia is the Ultrasound Associates. Their accreditation includes various ultrasound services which include those in obstetrics, gynecology, breast and in the abdomen. It is a comprehensive inspection of the the practice which also includes the certifications of the personnel, doctors and sonographers, in the field as well as their education, procedures in examination and others.

Enrolling oneself in an accredited school with accredited programs puts one in the right place. Establishing a career as an ultrasound technologist is no laughing matter as it tackles almost all science subjects as well as subjects that one thought would deem to be too unnecessary yet prove to be of high importance; examples of which include computer science, information technology, physics, allied health, healthcare and ethics. Organizations like the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) are accredited and give out certifications to those willing participants to go through their application process.

When it comes to any kind of tests, preparation is always the key; without preparation, one wouldn?t be able to focus, especially it the test just so happens to be the test that greatly resembles a ?make it or break it? situation. The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography or ARDMS is the top organization that provides those looking for a career in the field of sonography a chance to jump start their careers. Other organizations would include the American Registry for Radiologic Technologists, the CCI or the Cardiovascular Credentialing International and teh JCAHPO or the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology.

Patients seeking the best health care facility want to be sure that beyond the licensing requirements of the state they are receiving accurate readings by the technologists or sonographers. After all, the correct readings of the exams and the proper handling of the procedures will ensure that your doctors get the proper information needed for your care. Any facility, therefore, that performs diagnostic ultrasound would give their patients piece of mind by having their accreditations by such bodies as the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), the American College of Radiology (ACR) or from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) which are the gold standard in ultrasound and gives patients the assurance that they will be receiving the best quality examination for the technicians there.

Source: http://www.cdbmd.com/ultrasound-certification-in-northern-virginia/

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Real Estate Weekly - 3/1/13 | Maryland Daily Record

St. John Properties completes new office building at the GATE

St. John Properties Inc. has completed construction of 6190 Guardian Gateway, a three-story, 75,000-square-foot, Class A office building located in the Government and Technology Enterprise (GATE) project, a 416-acre business community inside Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. The building, which is presently 35 percent leased, is the 10th office or research and development building completed by St. John Properties within the past 3? years at the GATE, totaling more than 625,000 square feet of space. Two additional buildings, containing 47,000 square feet of space, are currently under construction by the company. The newly completed building was designed and constructed to meet LEED Silver certification standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

NAIOP Maryland wins award at Washington, D.C., meeting

NAIOP Maryland captured the National Merit Award for ?Special Event of the Year? at a recent NAIOP Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat in Washington, D.C. NAIOP Maryland was recognized for the successful execution of its Awards of Excellence program. Held every other year, the Awards of Excellence recognize developers and vendors for the highest quality and most innovative commercial real estate achievements in the Maryland area. Shown here accepting the award are, from left, Connie Rhodes, of Rhodes Development, co-chair of awards committee; Kate Sanft, associate director of NAIOP Maryland; and Nichole Wilhelm, of Heath Design Group, NAIOP Maryland programs chair.

Charter school leases space in Frederick business park

The Frederick Classical Charter School, a new institution intent on offering a well-rounded liberal arts and science curriculum to Frederick County-area students, has selected Riverside Technology Park as its inaugural location. The K-8th grade school signed a lease with St. John Properties Inc. for 28,620 square feet of space within the 490,000-square-foot business community, located between MD Route 40 and Interstate 70 on Monocacy Boulevard in Frederick. The school, which is using a random lottery system for student enrollment, plans to open in August. The school will open initially with approximately 280 students in grades K-6, with grades seven and eight added in subsequent years. Rocky Mackintosh, president of MacRo Ltd. represented the school. Danny Severn of St. John Properties represented his company in the lease negotiations.

Forrester Construction begins work on historic hotel building

Forrester Construction Co., of Rockville, said it has started work on an addition to the Morrison-Clark Inn, at 1015 L St. N.W., in Washington. Originally built in 1864 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Victorian era hotel will be expanded by 43,000 square feet, incorporating neighboring historic structures into the overall design. The new addition requires preservation of a circa 1700 carriage house, one of the oldest buildings in Washington, keeping the exterior intact while completely renovating the interior. The fa?ades of a neighboring rectory and 1880-era townhouse will also become part of the space. The hotel addition will be six stories above ground level with 56 guest rooms featuring high-end finishes and a central courtyard that connects the buildings.

Big Screen Store, Sofa Store combine in single location

The Big Screen Store and The Sofa Store, both owned by the Luskin family, have consolidated their separate retail locations in Towson into one space. The two stores were located across the parking lot from each other atop the high hill at 1113 Cromwell Bridge Road in Towson. The Sofa Store opened last April in 50,000 square feet of space vacated by Syms three years ago, selling sofas, loveseats, chairs, ottomans and other home furnishings and accessories. The Big Screen Store occupied a 4,000-square-foot store across the parking lot, selling large-screen televisions and home theater systems. Together, the two retailers employ 20 people. Just to clear up any confusion, a spokesperson said only the stores have combined, not the businesses, which remain separate entities. Also, all other Big Screen stores ? there are 14 of them in Maryland and Virginia ? will keep their current retail locations.

Hogan Cos. brokers sale of 2 subdivisions

The Hogan Cos., an Annapolis-based land brokerage, announced the sale of two subdivisions in Baltimore County. The McDonogh Green and Cillian?s Crossing subdivisions closed Jan. 25 and Feb. 15, 2013, respectively. Working Jake Ermer of the Hogan Companies was the sole broker in both transactions, with home builders as purchasers. McDonogh Green, located in Randallstown, was purchased by Lennar, a national home builder. Cillian?s Crossing, located in Perry Hall, was purchased by Procopio Family Homes.

LEASES?

Florida firm leases space in downtown office building

Tindale-Oliver & Associates Inc. has signed a lease for 1,500 square feet of office space at 10 S. Howard St., a 270,000-square-foot office building in downtown Baltimore, it was announced by the Baltimore office of Cassidy Turley, a national commercial real estate services provider. TOA provides infrastructure engineering, planning, and innovative financing programs for local government entities and private entities throughout the U.S. Among its range of specialties are transit planning and ADA compliance and accessibility services. The Florida-based firm, with offices across the state, currently is expanding its services to the mid-Atlantic region by conducting performance and compliance monitoring services for the Maryland Transit Administration?s multimodal public transit system through its Office of Service Oversight. Cassidy Turley Senior Vice President/Principal Matthew L. Seward represented TOA in the transaction. Transwestern represented the landlord, City Crescent LLC.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company

Annapolis Shakespeare Company?takes up residence in renovated building MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, of Lutherville, brokered a deal that resulted in The Annapolis Shakespeare Company leasing 2,173 square feet of space at 111 Chinquapin Round Road in Annapolis. The nonprofit theater company plans to use its new home for rehearsal space, classroom space, a costume shop, and executive office space. The 36,000-square-foot, recently renovated building, located one block off West Street at the gateway of the Annapolis Design District, features unique space with high ceilings, exposed ductwork and large bay windows. The theater company is the fourth tenant to lease space in the building, which is currently 66.5 percent occupied. About 7,000 square feet of loft/showroom space is still available, along with a variety of smaller suites. MacKenzie?s leasing team of Christopher C. Bennett, Patricia B. Farrell and J. Scott Wimbrow represented both the tenant and the landlord, The Bernstein Cos.

Three leases signed at GATE office buildings

St. John Properties Inc. announced the signing of three new leases totaling more than 6,000 square feet of space within the Government and Technology Enterprise (GATE) project, a 416-acre business community located inside Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. Mission 1st, a minority woman-owned small business that provides program management, mission operations, system engineering and technical assistance to a worldwide client base, leased space at 6180 Guardian Gateway. TeleCommunication Systems Inc., which is headquartered in Annapolis, agreed to lease space at 6210 Guardian Gateway. TCS provides secure mobile communication technology, including text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications. Also, ViaSat, a Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of innovative satellite and other wireless networking systems and services, will occupy space at 6165 Guardian Gateway. ViaSat was represented in the lease negotiations by David Fritz of NAI KLNB.

Busboys and Poets signs for space at Takoma Central

Federal Capital Partners, of Chevy Chase, and Level 2 Development, of Washington, have signed Busboys and Poets, a popular and fast-growing restaurant/bookstore/market concept, to a 6,500-square-foot lease at Takoma Central in the Takoma neighborhood of Northwest Washington. B&P will occupy a large portion of the 9,000-square-foot retail ground floor of the $36 million, mixed-use development at the corner of Carroll and Maple streets. The development will feature 150 rental apartments adjacent to the Takoma Metrorail station on Washington?s Red Line. This will be B&P?s fourth location in the D.C. metro area. The Takoma Central store is expected to open in late 2014, soon after completion of the building.

Source: http://thedailyrecord.com/2013/03/01/real-estate-weekly-3113/

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Debi Austin, Woman Who Smoked Through Hole In Throat, Dies At 62

LOS ANGELES -- A woman who smoked a cigarette through a hole in her throat to illustrate her struggle with nicotine addiction in a California public service advertisement has died of cancer, health officials and her family said Wednesday.

Debi Austin died Feb. 22 at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, according to family friend and spokesman Jim Walker. She was 62.

Austin first appeared on television in 1996, telling viewers she began smoking at age 13 and could never quit. In a quiet, halting rasp, Austin told the camera, "They say nicotine isn't addictive," before inhaling from a lit cigarette held to a hole in her throat.

"How can they say that?" Austin asked viewers, as cigarette smoke wafted from the hole.

Called a stoma, the hole in her throat allowed her to breathe after her larynx was removed at age 42.

The TV spot was "the most-recognized and talked about California tobacco control ad," according to the state health department.

"Debi was a pioneer in the fight against tobacco and showed tremendous courage by sharing her story to educate Californians on the dangers of smoking," said Dr. Ron Chapman, who heads the health department. "She was an inspiration for Californians to quit smoking and also influenced countless others not to start."

Four months after the ad, Austin quit smoking ? halting a two- to three-pack-a-day habit. She fought various forms of cancer for the rest of her life. She starred in other ads and spent the rest of her life advocating against the use of tobacco.

"True to Debi's spirit, she was a fighter to the end and leaves a big hole in our hearts and lives. Debi will be remembered fondly by those who love her to be caring, courageous, very funny and always there to offer advice or lend a hand," the family's statement said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/debi-austin-dead-woman-who-smoked-through-hole-in-throat-obituary_n_2786529.html

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Should Your Retail Sales Training Be In-House or Online? -

The long-held belief for getting your retail sales team on the same page has been that in-person retail sales training is the only way to do it.

Bring in managers, assistant-managers, team-leaders, training-staff or some combination thereof and tell them to bring back your training to their staff.

That is the way that it?s done; that?s the way it has been done.

Which was fine.

For awhile.

But this strategy was inherently flawed. If you?re telling your top sellers what they need to know then you have got to appreciate that they will take their own spin for how they think your instructions should be interpreted.

That was a flawed fact that before now was just the reality of in-person training; all this in an age before online retail sales training.

What does online retail sales training give you that this tried-not-necessarily-true method doesn?t?

Two larger things really; accountable knowledge transfer and a strategy to turn this information into action.

Information

This is key; no facts get lost from person to person. With just in-person training, it could be like the?momma?bird feeding her biggest baby birds first then the smaller ones then the smaller ones. There is a reason the runt baby birds often don?t survive.

What you get in my online retail sales training is you get to put that worm right into every baby bird?s mouth.You?re welcome for the visual.

Here?s what else you receive:

• Ability to track the uptake and effectiveness of your programs down to region, district and store levels.
• Employees can send questions and receive real-time answers.
• Actionable, impactful videos designed for today?s learner.
• All content taught by top retail sales trainers.
• Certificate of completion to ensure they know their stuff.
• Engaging, entertaining user-friendly interfaces that focus the learner.
• Everyone from your newest part-timer to seasoned veteran learn the exact same information at their own pace.

For your managers there are added tools to bring the online training onto your salesfloor:

• Courses just for managers so they can make the retail sales training stick.
• Instant access to a suite of measurable features and tools to track how your employees are doing for reward or counsel.
• One-on-one training delivered to your units anywhere in the world.
• Scorecards to see how your employees are progressing.

Strategy

Another bonus of this virtual training is giving your employees a strategy to use the information they?ve been given; so that the result is consistent across your brand. Your associates will learn how to:

• Be genuine, know how to approach, engage and sell the customer.
• Be more human in an increasingly inhuman world.
• Build rapport.
• Get customers to return.
• Get your merchandise out the door.
• Make every stage of a sale meaningful.
• Meet a customer?s needs.
• Move through every step of a sale.
• Open a sale, present your merchandise, handle objections, add-on and get the customers to say ?Thank you? instead of beat them-up for a discount.
• Sell from confidence.

The true magic happens when your managers can have the bulk of the program taught one-on-one online so they can inspect what is expected on the sales floor. ?It doesn?t have to be either online retail sales training or in-person training, they should be both be used to grow your sales and help present an exceptional experience for each customer that also moves your merchandise.

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Posted by Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor on February 28, 2013.

Source: http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/should-your-retail-sales-training-be-in-house-or-online/

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