The Department of Homeland Security has launched a Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign to raise public engagement on the issue. They have announced a competition seeking ideas from industry and individuals on how to best tackle the problem of engaging the general public in understanding the importance of securing digital devices from threats. A public education campaign for a Web 2.0 world seems to the goal. Deadline for submitting ideas is April 30, 2010, submit proposals to cyberchallenge@dhs.gov. If you have questions they should go to challengequestions@dhs.gov

The Electronic Privacy information Center has obtained documents, from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under a Freedom of Information Act request, disclosing that passengers were not informed prior to being subjected to whole body scanning. The TSA has claimed that air travelers when given a choice prefer the experience of the digital strip search of whole body scanning machines to medal detectors and the pat down option. The TSA claimed that where the machines were in use passengers were fully informed about the technology before undergoing screening. There are ongoing challenges from consumer rights, privacy, and civil liberties organizations over the use of the controversial devices on persons because of health, privacy, and civil liberties questions yet to be answered by an independent evaluation of the technology.

Travelers file complaints over TSA body scanners, Jaikumar Vijayan, Business Week, March 8, 2010

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined LifeLock, a prominent ID theft protection company, $12 million for deceiving customers regarding the effectiveness of its service. The FTC fined the company $11 million and an additional $1 million for state cost of investigating the company. The $11 million will go to customers who file reimbursement claims against the settlement. Last year the Consumer Federation of American published a report on identity theft prevention services, which raised questions about their effectiveness.

LifeLock settles false advertising action for $11M, Tampa Bay Business Journal, March 10, 2010

Employees at the Jet Propulsion Lab run by NASA are seeking help from the Supreme Court in a case about long-time employees being subjected to invasive background checks to continue to be employed at the agency. The case began in California, but has been approved for a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case can have consequences for private sector employees due to the push for mandatory use of E-verify an employment verification system to be run by the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Background Screening Case, Teresa Anderson, Security Management News, March 9, 2010

Robert A. Harding, a retired major general of the U.S. Army was named by the President to be the next head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Harding has 33 years of experience with the Army and if confirmed will take over one of the more prominent sub-agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Transportation Security Administration was created post-September 11, 2001, and assigned to the Federal Transportation Administration, but later moved to DHS when it was formed. The TSA has been very high profile because of its policies related to Secure Flight, Whole Body Scanning, and laptop searches.

Robert A. Harding, a retired major general of the U.S. Army was named by the President to be the next head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Harding has 33 years of experience with the Army and if confirmed will take over one of the more prominent sub-agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Transportation Security Administration was created post-September 11, 2001, and assigned to the Federal Transportation Administration, but later moved to DHS when it was formed. The TSA has been very high profile because of its policies related to Secure Flight, Whole Body Scanning, and laptop searches.

Two vacancies on the Federal Trade Commission were filled when the Senate confirmed President Obama's appoints to the agency. Julie Brill, former Vermont Assistant Attorney General, to fill a vacancy for FTC Commissioner. Brill served for over 20 years as Vermont's Assistant Attorney General for Consumer Protection and Antitrust, and currently serves as Senior Deputy Attorney General and Chief of Consumer Protection and Antitrust for the North Carolina Department of Justice. Brill has had experience with several important consumer protection issues, including tobacco, food and drug, antitrust, and privacy and identity theft. Brill will help revitalize an FTC that has languished while consumers' interests have given way to special interests."

Senate confirms Julie Brill for FTC, Vermont Press Bureau, Times Argus

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a "friend of the court" brief in the United States Supreme Court, urging the Justices to protect the privacy of those who sign petitions. In Doe v. Reed, the Court has been asked to determine whether the state of Washington may force disclosure of the names of citizens who have signed petitions for ballot initiatives. EPIC's brief argues that revealing the names would subject signatories to the risk of retribution, that signing petitions constitutes anonymous speech, and that signing petitions is similar to casting a vote and should be protected accordingly.

Religious reasons were given for why a woman refused to undergo whole body scanning at a Manchester airport. The woman was "selected at random" to undergo the screening prior to boarding a flight to Pakistan. Her female traveling companion also female declined undergo the screening citing 'medical reasons' and also did not board the flight.

Muslim woman refuses body scan at airport, Will Pavia, London Times Online, March 3, 2010

The Obama Administration released an outline of the federal government's policy regarding its cyber-security strategy. The strategy was geared around protecting federal and privacy computer networks from cyber attacks. The details related to the outline would allow an evaluation of what the federal government would consider important, and what actions are approved for protecting the covered networks. The Electronic Privacy Information Center is pursuing the release of National Security Presidential Directive 54, in an effort to assure the public better understands the goals and objectives of U.S. cyber-security strategies. The details of the Direction would put into perspective whether the content of individual e-mail or only e-mail routers or servers would potentially be involved. Further, questions regarding circumstances such as 24 hours a day or under special circumstances might be determined by release of the document.

U.S. to Reveal Rules on Internet Security, John Markoff, New York Times, March 1, 2010

The New York Police Department between 2004 and 2009 have stopped over 1 million persons on the street for questioning without probably cause. There is a proposal to formalize the practice by logging persons stopped into a database. Over 90% of the people stopped are innocent, but the practice continues. The majority of those involved are poor Latino or African American males. The practice has increased while crime in the city has declined.

Watching Certain People, Bob Herbert, Opinion New York Times

Groups call for the end of whole body scanning at U.S. Airports. They said that the technology has not been independently reviewed for effectiveness and health impact. Further, they charge that privacy protections must be assured in a way that prevents changes in policy, without public notice. At the beginning of last year the TSA announced plans to replace medal detectors with whole body scanning technology.

Suspend airport body scanner program, privacy groups say, Jaikumar Vijayan, Computerworld, February 26, 2010

Students and parents were shocked to learn that laptops issued by local public schools included alleged plans by the school to use web cams to spy on students while at home. The allegations emerged after a student was disciplined based on evidence that was collected while the student was alone. Parents filed a class action lawsuit against the school district.

Did School Spy on Kid at Home via Webcam? CBS News, February 19, 2010

Surprise is an understatement for the reaction to Google's roll out of its social networking application "Buzz." Many wondered what was Google thinking when it set up social networking connections within its Buzz application based on Gmail users' e-mail contacts. Google's social networking application bypassed the expected registration process for potential users by setting up accounts with a ready made list of contacts. Privacy advocates had for years focused on the non-privacy policies associated with the G-mail application that scanned e-mail content for key words for the disclosed purpose of serving ads. The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on the Google Buzz incident.

Anger Leads to Apology From Google About Buzz , Miguel Helft, New York Times, February 14, 2010