Sony has hired a former Department of Homeland Security official to head up its cybersecurity efforts, the company announced today.

Philip Reitinger has been named a senior vice president and chief information security officer at Sony. In his role in the newly created post, Reitinger will be charged with defending the company’s “assets and services” from any security or privacy threats they might face.

Reitinger became a deputy undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security in 2009 and soon after became the director of its National Cybersecurity Center. He stepped down from those roles in June, citing personal reasons.

Reitinger’s new appointment comes just months after Sony was hit with the worst security breach its PlayStation Network service has faced. The online platform, which lets people play games with others and access multimedia content, was hacked earlier this year , revealing the personal information of millions of users. Sony quickly took its service offline and brought it back weeks later after its security was bolstered.

However, by then, the damage was done. The company was forced to offer disgruntled users a ” welcome back ” package, complete with free games and movies. In addition, it offered customers a $1 million identity-theft insurance policy in the event the stolen personal information, which included encrypted files containing credit card data, was used for illegal purposes.

Late last month, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer commented at the IFA trade show in Berlin on the difficulties his company faced with the PlayStation Network breach , but said the trouble is now behind the company.

“I’m pleased to tell you that the PSN is more secure and better than ever,” Stringer said. “We are aggressively expanding its content. We have more than 3 million new customers since the network came back online, and sales are exceeding what we had before the cyberattacks.”

He continued: “This year, we at Sony have been flooded, we’ve been flattened, we’ve been hacked, we’ve been singed. But the summer of our discontent is behind us.”

In Reitinger, Sony has found a new security chief with a strong pedigree. In addition to working at the Department of Homeland Security, Reitinger has had jobs at Microsoft as chief trustworthy infrastructure strategist and at the Department of Defense as executive director of its Cyber Crime Center.

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The risks of identity theft are accentuated with rapid growth of wireless communications such as the Wi-Fi. What once appeared to be a harmless and time efficient activity, browsing the web or checking your email at your favorite book store, library, coffee shop or in hotels when traveling has become extremely dangerous because you can very easily lose your own personal information. Many unscruplous persons hang around these places with wireless sniffers along with other gadgets to hack into your computer and steal your personal information such as your social security number, charge card numbers, bank account information, drivers license number and your computers IP address.

However, due to extensive coverage in the media plenty of people are now getting serious about preventing Identity Theft. Most, computers have one of the many Internet Security Software available out there place today. What started as software to shield computers from viruses has grown into very detailed suite of security features.

These days top Internet security software include features that stop viruses, spy ware and computer hacking attempts; set parental controls and even alert you of phishing attempts. Offered with parental controls, advanced firewall options and also network monitoring for wireless networks. A lot of them have tools to clean up accumulated unwanted files and clutter and cookies from the internet, erase traces of personal information and surfing history. Some of the latest features introduced in top internet security software now include some type of Identity Theft Protection measures for instance password protection and authentication of trusted sites.

Are these methods enough and fool proof? Not necessarily. It is a ways from a total secure environment.

The 2 main hurdles to cross for a more secure internet continue to be the security vulnerabilities of the browser along with the router. It is important in order to keep your computer

Phishing emails (which try and steal your personal information by pretending to be from a company or service provider) often run in waves. The rapid rise of social networking means that there’s been a lot of emphasis recently on protecting your Facebook and Twitter accounts from phishing attempts. While that’s still important, right now phishing mail is once again concentrating on data that’s easy to profit from: bank account and eBay login details.

At Bitdefender’s security conference in Bucharest which I attended this week, analyst Bogdan Botezatu noted that Bitdefender’s own data showed a change in the pattern of phishing distribution. “A couple of years ago financial institutions were on top,” he said. “Last year they fell down and social networking phishing gained ground. But this year it’s finance again. It’s much more profitable to get your eBay credentials than your social networking account.”

One notable change though is that phishers are expanding their range of distribution mechanisms, using social networks and other options such as blog comments. Bitdefender’s analysis suggests that phishing-centric and spammy blog comments generally originate from the same IP addresses as email spam, suggesting that the same operators are using both methods.

Angus Kidman travellled to Bucharest as a guest of Bitdefender.

Aventis school of management in collaboration with the Centre for Behavioral Science jointly award the Graduate Diploma in Counter Terrorism and Security which is cater to improve professional standards by deepening students’ understanding of the history and motivators of terrorism, and thereby developing their ability to critique current (and anticipate future) terrorist threats and possible counterterrorist measures. Assessment items will encourage the application of theory to practice, with the aim of having students articulating ways in which their learning can be applied to their own professional practice. Students will also acquire practical knowledge in security risk, security technology and lost prevention knowledge.

Participants Profile ranges from Senior members of both public and government organizations that are involved in security related areas, facilities managers ,Security managers/ Security Supervisor , Security consultants, Intelligence investigations personnel and Custodial and loss prevention specialists Graduates of the program will developed an understanding of the contemporary issues and challenges in the areas of policing, counter terrorism and security. Attained knowledge and skills associated with developing responses to political, security and law enforcement threats. A comprehensive understanding of the current trends in terrorism and policing. Understanding of National Security refers to the requirement to maintain the survival of the national state through a range of protective measures. Identify and distinguish between different types of terrorism according to the ideology of the terrorists.

Up to date Curriculum includes Security and Risk Management which introduce the student to security and risk management concepts. It will examine the development of security, and the application of criminological theory to security. Students will be introduced to risk theory, and the assessment, analysis and management applied to risk. Students will consider the requirements for conducting and documenting security surveys. An introduction to crisis management theory, security planning, policy and procedures will be presented.

Another hot subject is Counter Terrorism & Current Threats where students learn about the various terrorist organizations which operate on an international level and can be distinguished by their opinions, motives, and geographical locations. Current threats and recent terrorist attacks by means of explosive devices will also be highlighted in the unit e.g. USA-WTC 9/11, Bali Bombing & Mumbai Terrorist Attacks. This unit will also explore the evolution of national security and counterterrorism and evaluates approaches to formulating effective counterterrorist strategies. The unit includes operational case studies to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of counterterrorism methodologies.

Security and Lost Prevention will addressed on the security professional’s fundamental responsibilities, such as planning, compliance, applicant screening, and workplace safety. Retail lost Prevention e.g. Shop lifting, embezzlement, credit card theft, check/cheque fraud will be highlighted in this unit.

Last but not least Criminology and Behavioural Psychology will equip students to understand the key areas of criminology and psychology. As the crime problems today become an increasingly central focus, you will acquire the methodological skills and theoretical tools that criminology practitioner’s use, and lstudy specific ways of understanding people and their behaviour.