From: William Knowles (wkC4I.ORG)
Date: Sat Apr 29 2000 - 00:56:12 CDT

• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/001887.htm

BY BRIAN ANDERSON
Valley Times

LIVERMORE -- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory officials have
identified a new security threat -- the Palm VII personal organizer.

While the Palm VII gives gadget junkies the power to check e-mail and
download stock quotes on the fly, security officers say it also makes
it easier for would-be spies to copy and ship guarded information.
None of the country's most sensitive material has been compromised,
but the lab is not taking chances.

``It's feasible to load a classified document or program into that,
point it out a window and transmit it to a receiver off-site or
outside of the classified area,'' said lab spokesman David Schwoegler.
``That's the reason these things have been prohibited.''

Under the Department of Energy's Technical Surveillance
Countermeasures directives, electronic devices that can transmit
information over radio waves are prohibited in protected areas. Since
the Palm VII is so small, lab officials are also banning it in
unclassified areas so that employees don't carry it into protected
areas by mistake. The device is about the size of a woman's wallet.

Energy department officials did not return a phone call seeking
comment.

This month, the lab had to return some of about 40 of the outlawed
organizers that it bought after realizing they violated the policy.

The Palm VII, which costs about $450 retail and can download
everything from homework applications to weapons schematics, has been
targeted specifically because it is the only such organizer that can
transmit using radio frequencies, Schwoegler said.

Greg Rhine, Palm's vice president of sales, said the lab's stance is
unfortunate and the security concern is based more in the human arena
than the technology.

``I presume they probably have the same feeling about wireless
communications on voice as well,'' Rhine said.

Earlier generations of the Palm Pilot that do not use the radio
frequency for transmission can still be used by lab employees. The lab
has not fielded any complaints from employees, officials said.

The policy also prohibits the use of cellular phones and some computer
watches. Other items prohibited without express permission from
security officials include cameras, binoculars, electronic address
books, radios and recording equipment.

*-------------------------------------------------*
"Communications without intelligence is noise;
Intelligence without communications is irrelevant."
Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
---------------------------------------------------
C4I Secure Solutions http://www.c4i.org
*-------------------------------------------------*

ISN is sponsored by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERVSecurityFocus.com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".

• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]