Adobe confirms it suffered a password disclosure breach via SQL injection attack. Skype disables password reset to fix account hijacking vulnerabilities. Symantec warns that Instagram exposes users to phishing. Symantec also checks Windows 8 and finds it vulnerable to Trojan.Ransomlock.U, a piece of ransomware designed for older versions of Windows. The Home button on the iPhone and iPad can leak data.

Two US Government agencies have a rough week. NASA warns employees that it lost a laptop on Halloween. The space agency is now rushing to full-disk laptop encryption. Department of Energy unclassified networks are found vulnerable to exploitation. (One Energy unit, Iowa National Laboratory, positions itself as a national SCADA security leader.)

Identity fraud rings grow in profitability, and cyber organized crime generally continues to spread internationally. One piece of good news on cyber crime: the Russian vorVzakone mob has called off its announced campaign against US banks. Too risky, too much publicity.

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Are you a company CEO or decision-maker? Don’t miss Cyber101™, an executive session being held on October 21 during the inaugural MDC3 – the Maryland Cyber Challenge and Conference – at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Designed specifically to inform leaders of Maryland companies on how the growth of the cybersecurity industry will impact their businesses, Cyber101™ will use a recently-awarded contract to illustrate how Maryland businesses might benefit from cyber-related contracts.

“This unique presentation will demystify and define cybersecurity,” said Maryland’s Economic Development Secretary Christian Johansson. “By attending Cyber101™ company executives will learn about contract opportunities that could be available to their firms and gain insight into the industry’s impact on the Maryland’s workforce.”

MDC3 will convene Maryland companies and organizations, as well as teams of high school, college and professionals who will compete for prizes and scholarships on October 21-22 in Baltimore. The conference is part of the CyberMaryland initiative, launched in January 2010 to position Maryland as the epicenter for cybersecurity. For information or to register, visit www.mdc3.org.

by Maureen Kilcullen
October 7, 2011

Brothers Kevin and John Powderly had a dream – to take what they learned in more than a decade with GE and launch a company dedicated to keeping clients’ computer networks and data secure. It was a gamble, for in those days – the late 1990s – cybersecurity was a mere blip on the radar screen of technology companies. Today, it’s a multi-billion-dollar global industry employing more than 60,000 in Maryland alone.

Today, CyberCore Technologies – the company Kevin and John Powderly launched in 2000 – employs more than 200 Marylanders with expertise in cybersecurity, systems integration and secure supply chain management, who serve a client roster that includes some of the most recognizable names in both the government and commercial markets. In the 11 years since its founding, CyberCore has grown at double-digit rates annually. The company anticipates more than $200 million in sales in this year.

Yesterday, Governor Martin O’Malley joined the Powderly brothers and more than 300 guests at CyberCore to kick off National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

“John and Kevin are just two of the amazing Marylanders who are working at the forefront of the Innovation Economy,” said Governor O’Malley, “creating jobs by advancing the cures, sciences, technologies and discoveries that are remaking our world for the better.”

If there was any doubt that Maryland is indeed the epicenter of cybersecurity, Governor O’Malley’s remarks – and the breadth of talent and expertise evident among those gathered at CyberCore – dispelled that doubt. From defense industry behemoths like Lockheed Martin that are protecting the security of our nation and our cyberspace, to educators like the University of Maryland that are turning out the next generation of cyber warriors, Maryland’s leadership in discovery, detection and defense was on display.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open CyberCore’s new state-of-the-art integration center and lab, the Governor met with a representative group of industry leaders – including CSC, Eagle Alliance,  Lockheed Martin and Lexmark – for a roundtable discussion on cybersecurity’s challenges and opportunities for Maryland. Participants in the roundtable commented on policy and law, education and workforce, investment and economic development. Dr. Patrick G. O’Shea, the University of Maryland’s Vice President for Research and Senior Research Officer, touted the innovative cybersecurity curricula developed by the university and its sister institutions, UMBC and UMUC.  These institutions – and ten others in Maryland – have been designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as National Centers of Academic Excellence.

Maryland cyber industry leaders gather in front of the CyberCore Integration Center

The visit to CyberCore was one in a series of events to commemorate National Cybersecurity Month in Maryland. The state’s economic development chief, Christian Johansson, wrapped up a business development mission to Silicon Valley Thursday. Maryland is a founding sponsor – along with SAIC and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County – of the inaugural Maryland Cyber Challenge (MDC3) at the Baltimore Convention Center on October 21 and 22 and featuring high school, college and professional teams competing for scholarships and prize money. A new exhibit showcasing Maryland’s cyber strengths will be launched at MDC3, and a CyberMaryland advertising campaign debuted this month on WashingtonPost.com.

“There is an axiom in business that you should only compete when you have a competitive advantage,” said Governor O’Malley. “When it comes to the emerging growth sector of cybersecurity, Maryland has a whole host of competitive advantages. I would argue that no state is better positioned than Maryland to lead the nation’s defense against cyber crime.”

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Join Maryland’s best government, industry and academic minds in celebrating National Cybersecurity Awareness Month at the historic Maryland Cyber Challenge & Conference (MDC3), October 21 and 22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Go to www.mdc3.org for more information.

Here’s a preview of what’s in store at this cutting-edge cybersecurity event:

Dynamite Speakers

Hear from prominent industry thought leaders, including:

• The Honorable C. A. Ruppersberger
• The Honorable Ben Cardin
• Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive and Ira Levy, Howard County CIO
• Chris Inglis, NSA Deputy Director
• Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, UMBC President
• Dr. Ernest McDuffie, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Director
• Larry Clinton, Internet Security Alliance President
• Ira Winkler, Author of Spies Among Us
• Jay Bavisi, EC-Council Founder/CEO
• Walt Havenstein, SAIC CEO

Customizable Learning Tracks

• Exchange ideas in breakout session tracks designed to fit your learning goals:
• Cyber Maryland, an inside look at doing business in Maryland’s cyber industry
• Operational Cybersecurity, an expert track on today’s cybersecurity challenges
• Cyber Paths, a primer on cyber education, certification and career opportunities
• Cyber Technology, an exploration of today’s latest cyber capabilities

Valuable Networking Opportunities

Meet with the industry’s top corporate and government employers, including:

• Hewlett-Packard
• CyberCore Technologies
• Cyberpoint
• EMC
• General Dynamics
• NSA
• Venable, LLP
• BAE Systems
• Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)
• Federal Business Council
• Lockheed Martin Corp.
• Northrop Grumman
• SafeNet, Inc.
• SC&H Group, LLC
• SRC
• White Oak Technologies, Inc.
• Worldwide Information Systems, Inc.
• World Wide Technology
• Onyx Point

Plus! Watch Maryland’s top talent compete live in the Maryland Cyber Challenge.

One- and two-day passes available! Online registration closes October 17^th. Onsite registration will be available.

www.mdc3.org