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The Secret Service Has Been Embarrassed Before

Allan Lengel
Contributor

WASHINGTON – The Salahis were hardly the first to embarrass the Secret Service by crashing presidential security. And it will probably happen again.

One man did it twice. The Rev. Rich C. Weber shook hands with President Clinton at his second inauguration, then was back four years later in 2001, welcoming President George W. Bush with a brief conversation. There were also more frightening incidents — a man who hopped the White House gate with a .38-caliber revolver and got within 50 feet of the residence. Another man crashed a plane into the White House.

But until Tareq and Michaele Salahi attended a state dinner uninvited last week, even posing for pictures, maybe none of the intruders displayed quite the aplomb that Robert Latta did on Jan. 20, 1985.

RELATED: List: Notable Breaches of Presidential Security

Latta, a 45-year-old water meter reader from Denver, sneaked into the East Entrance of the White House with the Marine Band about two hours before President Reagan was sworn in for his second term.

Then Latta walked around the White House unchallenged for almost 15 minutes. At one point, he wandered into the State Dining Room and sat at a chair at the president’s table. Reagan was not in the White House at the time.

And the meter reader didn’t even have to dress up like the Salahis did. The band members were in uniform. Latta was not. Band members carried their instruments. Latta carried a bag.

Reagan spokesman Larry Speakes at the time said the Secret Service Sentries thought Latta was with the band. The band leader thought he was a “staff member.”

“Obviously we made a mistake,” Speakes told the Chicago Tribune.

Ex-Secret Service Agent Joe LaSorsa was on the Reagan protection detail at the time of that security breach in 1985, but was not involved in the incident. He knows the challenges involved with protecting the president and the White House in a bustling urban area filled with tourists and in close proximity to Reagan National Airport.

Plus, he said, the White House requires “immeasurable access.”

“People need access. Reporters need access, government officials need access. You have employees,” said LaSorsa, who runs a private security consulting firm in south Florida called JA LaSorsa & Associates. “It’s an access control dilemma.”

LaSorsa declined to comment on the latest breach involving the Salahis. But he acknowledged that Latta’s intrusion was painful for the agency.

“None of us had positive feelings,” he said.

For every breach, however, he said an examination follows and security improves. Some improvements are discreet. Others are more blatant, like the decision by Clinton in May 1995 to close Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to all but pedestrian traffic. That move, which the Secret Service had pushed for, came several weeks after the truck bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City and several months after a man crashed a plane into the White House.

Still, “there is no such thing as perfect security,” James G. Huse Jr., retired assistant director of the U.S. Secret Service, noted in a column this week.

“Any security system for public dignitaries that depends on the discretionary judgments of humans has to accept the risk of human error as a variable. Indeed, in this incident the failure of these controls at a critical checkpoint allowed the Salahis their uninvited access,” he wrote.

“Nevertheless, what is not clearly reported,” he wrote of the latest incident, “is that other concurrent security operations were successfully performed at the state dinner that assured the safety of the President and his distinguished Head of Government guest.”

Huse also recalled a troublesome moment when he was a special agent.

“I remember the state arrival ceremonies on the South Grounds of the White House, in 1979 for the Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, that were disrupted by an unruly individual in the press pool who screamed out unflattering epithets at the visiting dignitary during his speech,” he wrote.

An investigation revealed that impostor had claimed affiliation with a nonexistent publication to gain the press credentials. “Neither President Carter or Leader Deng Xiaoping were endangered in any way,” Huse noted.

As an assistant director, he was also the chief investigator for the White House security review that followed the September 1994 small-plane crash on the South Grounds of the White House, and for the October 1994 incident when Francisco Duran fired semiautomatic weapons at people on the North Grounds of the White House.

Current Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan took full responsibility for the breach by the Salahis at a congressional hearing this week. But the agency feels the criticism has overshadowed the good work it has done.

“In spite of last week’s incident, the safety of those we protect has been and remains the agency’s highest priority,” Secret Service spokesman Malcolm D. Wiley Sr. said in a statement issued Thursday night. “In the last year alone, we safely cleared 1.2 million visitors through the White House without incident. However, we clearly understand that there is absolutely no margin for error, and we will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that this type of failure is not repeated.

“We as an agency are constantly in a state of self-assessment. We do not have the luxury of celebrating the successes we have had, but rather we have always scrutinized, studied and adjusted to mistakes and emerging threats.”

Author Ronald Kessler doesn’t think the agency is doing enough. He was highly critical of the Secret Service in his book “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect.” He also wrote an unflattering column on the security breach by the Salahis for Newsmax.com.

“The fact the couple was allowed in in this dangerous age is a disgrace and is symptomatic of lax standards at the Secret Service since it was absorbed by the Department of Homeland Security in 2003,” Kessler wrote. “What is needed is a shakeup of Secret Service management, including replacement of Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan with a director from the outside who will change the management culture.”

As for Robert Latta, he was charged with a misdemeanor but apparently never prosecuted. He had his brief moment of fame as a recurring gag by comedian Rich Hall on “Saturday Night Live.”

The Salahis certainly seem like an “SNL” skit waiting to happen.

5 cities where Americans are relocating

U.S. migration may be down overall, but these vibrant metro areas are still attracting newcomers.

By Forbes

Austin, Texas, is No. 2 on the list of cities where Americans are relocating. © Brandon Seidel/Shutterstock

Unemployment is on the rise, credit is tight and consumers aren’t spending — which means they aren’t picking up and moving much, either. Very few places in America saw significant population growth in 2008.

Despite the overall economic slowdown, some parts of the country keep on moving ahead, attracting more and more newcomers — even if it’s at a slower pace than in more sound economic times. These places still offer a semblance of stability, as well as great weather, cultural life and, in many cases, affordability. Behind the numbers To determine the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, Forbes used 2008 population estimates for metropolitan statistical areas with a population of more than 1 million, released March 19, 2009, by the U.S. Census Bureau. MSAs are geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics. Read: America’s downsized cities Forbes then compared the 2008 population estimates to the previous year’s data to see which areas had grown the most, percentagewise.

The cities that made the list share similar qualities: more business opportunities, better weather and more affordable housing. The top three areas according to the data are Raleigh, N.C., ranking first, which jumped 4.29% to nearly 1.9 million; Austin, Texas, which came in second, with a 3.77% increase to almost 1.7 million; and Charlotte, N.C., which moved up 3.36% to 1.7 million.

What’s your home worth?

All these areas’ increases were smaller in 2008 than they were in 2007 (Raleigh increased by 4.7% in 2007, Austin by 4.29% and Charlotte by 4.2%), but a slight slowdown is not necessarily a bad thing, says William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, an independent research and policy group based in Washington, D.C. “Part of the story here is the rapid rise in growth in the middle of decade,” he says. “That growth was unnatural.”

The in-migration that happened in the middle of this decade certainly had a lot to do with the housing boom. When that went bust, so did those crazy population balloons. But these particular places are still growing because instead of building an economy that relies heavily on one industry, most of the metro areas on Forbes’ list serve as headquarters for a diverse range of companies.

For example, Austin’s biggest employers include the University of Texas, Advanced Micro Devices and Dell. That wide range might have something to do with the area’s relatively low January 2009 unemployment rate of 6.4%.

This is the opposite of what happened in true housing boom-and-bust towns like Las Vegas. In 2004, Las Vegas — a foreclosure mecca — saw a population increase of 4.6%, followed by 3.66% in 2005, 3.98% in 2006 and 3.22% in 2007. In 2008, that number fell to 2%.

The power of business
When it comes down to it, a buzzing business community is a metro area’s most important characteristic, says Sean C. Safford, a professor at the University of Chicago and author of “Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown: The Transformation of the Rust Belt.” He studies the social economics of U.S. cities and metro areas.

“Perception is driven by the vibrancy of the companies in an area,” he says.

Home affordability calculator

However, that doesn’t mean that these metros won’t suffer from a slowdown in population growth when 2009’s numbers are released next year. Charlotte, for example, reported a 10.5% unemployment rate for January 2009, likely related to the fact that Bank of America is headquartered there. That high unemployment rate almost guarantees stunted growth in 2009.

“We don’t quite yet know what the impact (of the ongoing recession) will be for 2009 populations,” Frey says. “But we do know it’s not going to get any better.”

Indeed, where Americans are relocating today has little to do with where they’ll be moving tomorrow.

Top 5 cities where Americans are relocating

1. Raleigh, N.C.

2. Austin, Texas

3. Charlotte, N.C.

4. Phoenix

5. Dallas

Click here for the full slide show of 10 cities where Americans are relocating.

This article was written by Lauren Sherman for Forbes.

America’s top 5 most dangerous cities

America’s top 5 most dangerous cities

The greater likelihood of suffering a violent crime sets these U.S. cities apart from the rest of the country. Did your town make the list?

By Forbes

Las Vegas ranks No. 4 on Forbes’ list of most dangerous American cities.

more on Forbes.com

In March 2008, Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with eight felonies, including perjury and obstruction of justice. In August, he violated his bail agreement and was thrown in jail. His actions were deplorable for anybody, but Kilpatrick was no Average Joe — he was the mayor of Detroit.

Unfortunately for the Motor City, Kilpatrick, 38, is just one ripple in the area’s sea of crime. Detroit is the worst offender on our list of America’s most dangerous cities, thanks to a staggering rate of 1,220 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

“Detroit has, historically, been one of the more violent cities in the U.S.,” says Megan Wolfram, an analyst at iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, a Maryland-based risk-assessment firm. “They have a number of local crime syndicates there — a number of small gangs who tend to compete over territory.”

What’s your home worth?

Detroit was followed closely on the list by the greater Memphis, Tenn., and Miami metropolitan areas. Those three were the only large cities in America with more than 950 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people.

Behind the numbers
To determine our list, we used violent crime statistics from the FBI’s latest uniform crime report, issued in 2008. The violent crime category is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. We evaluated U.S. metropolitan statistical areas — geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics — with more than 500,000 residents.

Though nationwide crime was down 3.5% year over year in the first six months of 2008, the cities atop our list illustrate a disturbing trend: All 10 of the most dangerous cities were among those identified by the Department of Justice as transit points for Mexican drug cartels.

Run by crime lords like Joaquin Guzman Lorea, these gangs — and their violent turf wars — are spreading into the American Southwest and beyond. Places like Stockton, Calif., nearly 500 miles from Tijuana, have seen an uptick in related violent crime.

“Stockton is a major transit point along the I-5 corridor on the way to Seattle and Vancouver,” says Wolfram. “A lot of it is similar to crime happening in the Southwest. For the most part, it’s drug gang on drug gang.”

Motown blues
The situation in Mexico has escalated in recent years, but Detroit has been dealing with the same problems for decades. Detroit was an industrial boomtown during the first half of the 20th century, its population swelling from 285,000 in 1900 to 990,000 in 1920 and reaching a peak of 1.8 million in 1950.

Only half that number still live within city limits. Starting in the 1960s, Detroit began a precipitous decline. Most scholars blame rapid suburbanization, outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and federal programs they say exacerbated the situation by creating a culture of joblessness and dependency. Residents fled to the suburbs and to other regions of the country entirely, leaving behind a landscape littered with abandoned buildings.

“Factories that once provided tens of thousands of jobs now stand as hollow shells, windows broken, mute testimony to a lost industrial past,” wrote Thomas J. Sugrue in his book “The Origins of the Urban Crisis.” “Whole sections of the city are eerily apocalyptic.”

Detroit isn’t the only city on the list that’s suffering from abandonment issues.

Home affordability calculator

In Las Vegas, for example, the housing boom created loads of excess inventory. When the market tanked, homeowners suddenly found themselves with properties worth far less than the mortgages they’d taken out. In the worst cases, banks foreclosed, leaving people without homes — and with more debt than they’d had to begin with. As a result, Sin City is even emptier than Detroit.

“Detroit has trouble showing improvement in its crime rate because dedicated, desperately needed and appropriate resources are not invested in public safety. Painfully, it is not a priority,” says Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym L. Worthy. “I wish that those with the resources would view domestic terrorism like they do terrorism across the water. It used to be that we were keeping our head above water and treading quickly. Now we are drowning, and no one seems to really care. All they tell me to do is cut some more.”

Few signs of improvement
Making matters more difficult, as municipal budgets shrink during this recession, crime-fighting funds are often among the first casualties.

“There’s less public spending during downturns,” says Wolfram. “Police departments and incarcerations systems are tough to fund.”

The news has been bad for decades, but there may yet be hope for Detroit. The city just elected a new mayor, former Detroit Pistons player Dave Bing, who has created a lot of optimistic buzz.

The top 5 most dangerous cities

1.      Detroit

2.      Memphis, Tenn.

3.      Miami

4.      Las Vegas

5.      Stockton, Calif.

Click here for the full list of America’s most dangerous cities.

This article was written by Zack O’Malley Greenburg for Forbes.com.

The World’s Most Dangerous Waters

Shipping
The World’s Most Dangerous Waters
Forbes staff, 
The perilous rescue of captain Richard Phillips is just one episode in a worldwide renaissance of sea piracy that began a decade ago.

image

In Pictures: The World’s Most Dangerous Waters

Contrary to what many people think, piracy has not been relegated to the history books. On the contrary, it has risen sharply in the last decade: The global arms trade has made it easy to access cheap and powerful weapons, and globalization has filled the oceans with cargo vessels. The plunder has spawned a new era of piracy that is dominated by machine-gun-toting gangs equipped with rocket-propelled grenades and other modern weapons ready to board, kill crews, steal cargo and even hijack and resell ships. Here’s where they strike most.

When most Americans thought of sea piracy before last week, Johnny Depp came to mind, not Somalia. But the hostage taking and perilous rescue of captain Richard Phillips is only the most high-profile episode in a worldwide renaissance of sea piracy that began a decade ago.

At its heart: the growth of global commerce in the past two decades that has crowded the oceans with cargo vessels, dry-bulk carriers and supertankers loaded with every good imaginable. The world currently transports 80% of all international freight by sea. More than 10 million cargo containers are moving across the world’s oceans at any one time.

In Pictures: The World’s Most Dangerous Waters

The heavy ocean traffic (and its cargo) spawned a surge in sea piracy and a new breed of pirates, the bloodiest the world has seen. More than 2,400 acts of piracy were reported around the world between 2000 and 2006, roughly twice the number reported for the preceding six-year period. Although pirate attacks have at least tripled during that time period, the actual number of attacks remains unclear. Shipping companies frequently do not report attacks out of concern that it could increase insurance premiums.

And nearly every group of government monitoring sea piracy believes that number is seriously undercounted. The Australian government estimates the actual number of piracy attacks is 2,000% higher. Piracy is estimated to cost between $13 billion and $16 billion every year and could cost substantially more in coming years.

“Piracy is not going away,” says Peter Chalk, an international security analyst at the RAND Institute. “In fact, it’s getting more serious and more violent, and it’s only a matter of time before you need to take it more seriously.”

That’s starting to happen. The potential of a disastrous environmental spill resulting from an attack finally forced the international community to clamp down on sea piracy. International law allows any government vessel to repress an act of piracy in international waters. On Oct. 30, 2007, two American destroyers, the USS Porter and the USS Arleigh Burke, attacked and sank two Somali pirate vessels after the pirates captured the Japanese tanker, Golden Mori.

On April 4, 2008, the luxury French yacht Le Ponant was crossing the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia when a swarm of speed boats surrounded the 32-cabin, three-masted vessel. A band of Somali pirates stormed the yacht, hijacking the vessel and taking all 30 of its crew members hostage.

A week of intense negotiations followed, ending with the release of the hostages to French military officials on April 11 in exchange for an undisclosed ransom. Shortly after the exchange, a team of French commandos tracked the pirates to a remote location in the Puntland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia. The commandos overtook them on an open stretch of desert road, attacking from helicopters and capturing six of them.

Expect more intervention. Last year, the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of a new measure that would allow the U.S. military to engage Somalian sea pirates.

But Somalia is not the only place with piracy outfits this organized. Somalia is a relative latecomer to contemporary sea piracy. Since 2000, southeast Asia has had the most dangerous waters in the world. Malaysia and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago have seen the lion’s share of sea piracy since 2000. Also troubling: the waters off Nigeria and Iraq.

Unlike the pirates of yesteryear, contemporary sea piracy is frequently carried out by highly sophisticated criminal organizations made up of seasoned fighters and equipped with speedboats, satellite phones and global positioning systems. Recently captured Somali pirates claim they belonged to an organized militia that engaged in piracy to raise funds. Organizations have started attacking from more than one ship simultaneously using a number of quasi-military tactics.

Violence has become an endemic feature of privacy, particularly over the last five to 10 years. The birth of the illicit global arms trade that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 made it easier for many (who might feel less inclined to pursue piracy if they lacked guns) to become pirates, according to Chalk. The arms trade has made cheap and powerful weapons available in many parts of the world.

Five to six years ago, when pirates attacked, they used machetes, knives and pistols. “Today,” says Noel Choong, the current director of the International Maritime Bureau’s anti-piracy office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, “they come equipped with AK-47s, M-16s, rifle grenades and [rocket-propelled grenades].”

This not only poses an enormous risk in terms of human security, but also endangers maritime security. Attacked ships can be left unmanned, turning into rogue vessels. “In many maritime choke points where attacks often occur, this creates a serious risk of a collision,” says Chalk.

“The truth is that modern piracy … is a violent, bloody, ruthless practice,” said Captain Jayant Abhyankar, deputy director of the International Maritime Bureau at a conference in Singapore, “made the more fearsome by the knowledge on the part of the victims that they are on their own and absolutely defenseless and that no help is waiting just round the corner.”

In Pictures: The World’s Most Dangerous Waters

CEOs Face Growing Threats at Home and Abroad

Friday, April 10, 2009

CEOs Face Growing Threats at Home and Abroad

FOXBusiness

Rising tempers in the U.S. about bailed-out banks, inappropriate bonuses and millions of layoffs have given a whole new definition to the term “job security” for Corporate America’s senior executives.

Given a string of high-profile kidnappings overseas and increasing confrontations with activists (see: CodePink) at home, many CEOs may now need to consider taking steps to protect their physical safety as the U.S. recession extends into its 17th month.

“The sorry fact is that too many executives are suffering from a denial syndrome that it’s never going to happen to them — until it does,” said Joseph LaSorsa, who drove former President Ronald Reagan as part of a 20-year career at the Secret Service and now owns security consulting firm J.A. LaSorsa & Associates.

Executives face a growing danger when traveling overseas and could be the victims of violence at home from angry shareholders, disgruntled employees and a disillusioned American public sick of a string of corporate bailouts.

“It’s pushing people off the deep end and it’s going to continue. We’ve added the ingredients to this makeshift bomb and it will explode,” said LaSorsa.

The biggest worry is that CEOs in the U.S. or their families could be kidnapped by criminal elements hoping to make a quick buck. These so-called “express kidnappings,” which have taken off in Mexico and Central America, are aimed at scoring a ransom from companies desperate to bring the situation to a conclusion.

“This is an increasing phenomenon occurring around the world, and as the economy continues to deteriorate we will be facing it here because it’s a quick, easy way to make money,” said LaSorsa.

While there haven’t been many high-profile cases of this type of kidnapping occurring here, angry workers in France have made locking up their managers over labor disputes become the norm, including recent examples involving 3M and Sony. Police have been apprehensive about intervening, and recent polls in France show nearly half of the population believes such a practice is acceptable.

Executive security ranges from $125 per hour to $4,000 per day, depending on the threat level. Companies typically pay for security of executives, their families and their homes. 

Kelly Klatt, CEO of Center for Security Solutions, an Orlando, Fla.-based consulting firm, said he has seen an uptick of interest in recent months from companies fearful of more outrage if the economy fails to recover soon.

“They are doing ‘what if’ planning. ‘What if it gets worse? What do we need to do to protect our management?’” said Klatt.

At the same time, LaSorsa said he is seeing companies growing more apprehensive about sending their executives abroad, with many instead opting to conduct teleconferences.

“If they don’t have to go, they shouldn’t go. If they’re not traveling with security the bottom line is they are going to be exposed,” said LaSorsa.

Even at home CEOs have proven to be easy targets. Earlier this week Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein was confronted at a recent speech by members of CodePink, a women’s anti-war activist group. The activists charged onto the stage and loudly protested against the bank bailouts, holding a sign that said “We want our $$$$$ back.”

And it’s not just the usual suspects of angry workers and angrier activists. Negotiators off the coast of Somalia are still trying to bring a peaceful resolution to the kidnapping of the captain of a hijacked container ship, which earlier this week became the first American hostage-taking by pirates in 200 years.

While his clients aren’t often in standoffs with pirates, LaSorsa said he has also seen a boost to business due to executives worried about their own security in the current environment.

LaSorsa charges $150 an hour, and said his firm provides bullet-proof vests (when needed), bodyguards armed with 9mm semiautomatic sidearms and armed chauffeurs. He said it’s also necessary to send advanced security agents to scout locations before clients arrive into what can quickly turn into a hostile environment.

LaSorsa said he sees a “domino effect” where the credit crisis has forced businesses to shut down and lay off thousands of workers, some of whom could be come threats to executives.

“That just fuels my business,” he said.

Choosing A Private Investigator or Private Investigation Agency

It is the information age. Information has become valuable in society today. The right piece of information can make or break a business or a marriage. The goal of private investigation is to track down information and people are more than willing to pay a good sum to get what they need. Information is why private investigation is a booming business and is why the internet has grown at such an amazing rate – information has become one of the most profitable commodities in the world today.

Because the demand for information is so high, agencies have been popping up all over to cash in. So that leaves you in the situation of making sure you find a reliable and reputable agency to work with if you ever need to hire one. What criteria can you use to judge a private investigation agency?

Availability of Resources

A private investigation agency is only as powerful as its resources. Actually, the resources are the only reason you actually need an investigation agency anyway. You need their access to private databases. You need their high tech surveillance and forensic equipment. You need their contacts on the street and those in high places. Besides fancy equipment and contacts, one of the most valuable resources of a private investigation agency is its people. A good agency has the manpower to work on your case around the clock until your case is solved. So it is important to consider the extent of resources the private investigation agency has to put to work on your case.

Expertise

Not all Private investigators are competent and experienced in all areas of the private investigative spectrum. So when choosing an agency to work with, make sure they are experienced in dealing with your type of case. Some agencies only specialize in certain type cases. You will certainly want an agency that has a lot of experience in the type of work you need. That way the chance of a positive outcome is higher and the work will probably be completed sooner which means you will have to pay less money.

Price

You probably already know that a good private investigation agency won’t come cheap. Still, there is no need to pay more than you have to. It is a good idea to shop around among different agencies and compare their qualifications against their rates so you can determine the best match for your situation and your pocketbook.

You should take your time when evaluating private investigation agencies. No matter what your case entails, it will probably be a big expense for you. The more complicated the case, the higher the expense. You might have lot at stake if your case involves your business or family so finding a highly qualified agency is imperative.

J. A. LASORSA & ASSOCIATES (www.lasorsa.com) , FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT, Presidential Protection – the White House, providing worldwide discreet Executive Protection, Bodyguard, Bodyguards, Physical Security Services and Training to corporate executives, dignitaries, the public, and celebrities. Operating out of our home base in South Florida, our firm’s Security Services include, but are not limited to: Estate & Yacht Security, Systems and Safe Room – Design and & Construction, Corporate Security Consulting, Workplace Violence, School Violence, School Security Expert Consultant & Training and Debugging, Anti Wiretapping, Industrial Counter Espionage & general Audio Counter-Measures.

We provide Confidential Private Investigator Services to insurance companies, businesses, financial institutions, andprivate citizens. Our team of highly experienced private investigators can provide law firms of any size with the Litigation Support Resources necessary to secure the evidence they need for any case. We provide both domestic andinternational services, to include: Antigua, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Grenada, Montserrat, Netherland Antilles, Nevis, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Turks & Caicos and Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, New York, Los Angeles, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Mexico, El Salvador,Venezuela and South America, Europe, Italy, Rome, Milan, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Asia, China, the Far East, India, etc.

We also specifically provide Security Expert Witness and Litigation Support Services to the legal profession, as it relates to Premises Security, Security Negligence & Foreseeability. Negligence Security cases routinely involve: Parking Lot, Hotel, Restaurant, Bar, Night Club, Community, Sub-division, Condominium and Office Building. Additionally, our team has recently joined forces with one of the nations cutting edge Information Technologies companies to meet your Computer and Network Security needs.

Inside the Gadgets Protecting Obama

Friday, February 06, 2009

Matt Egan
FOXBusiness

Whether it’s a souped-up BlackBerry, the most fearsome Cadillac on the planet or a suit that stops speeding bullets, the businesses behind protecting the world’s most powerful person have received widespread attention from an international audience in recent weeks.

Waterloo, Ontario-based Research in Motion (RIMM: 59, -0.17, -0.29%) landed an endorsement beyond its wildest dreams when President Barack Obama refused to enter the White House without his BlackBerry device.

Detroit’s recently-bailed out General Motors (GM: 2.83, -0.01, -0.35%) scored some badly needed positive PR when the president’s new tank-like Cadillac was unveiled last month.

And a Colombian fashion designer whose bullet-resistant line of clothing has been dubbed the “Armani of Armor,” drew international attention after Obama reportedly wore a bullet-resistant suit at last month’s Inauguration.

“I can assure you there is no more difficult challenge in the world than to protect the president of the United States. It was the biggest challenge I was ever involved in,” said Joseph LaSorsa, who drove former President Ronald Reagan as part of a 20-year career at the Secret Service and owns security consulting firm J.A. LaSorsa & Associates.

RIM has easily scored the biggest marketing coup, given the intense publicity Obama’s fight to hold onto his BlackBerry received since the election.

“In just the first few weeks, I’ve had to engage in some of the toughest diplomacy of my life. And that was just to keep my Blackberry,” Obama joked last week, according to AFP.

“You can’t buy that kind of coverage in an advertising campaign,” said Kevin Restivo, senior software analyst at IDC. “A company typically has to spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. In this case, RIM has done nothing other than produce something that it’s already been producing.”

Obama’s insistence on keeping his BlackBerry underscores not just his own tech savvy, but also the ubiquitous nature of the device.

“I like the fact that we have a president who uses information technology to his benefit. It means we actually have the first information-age president,” said Bruce Schneier, a security technologist and author.

But the move doesn’t come without risks as Obama’s communications are potentially subject to illegal access from hackers and spies as well as unwanted legal access from subpoenas. To combat the illegal threat, Obama’s messages have been restricted to a tight circle of friends and will likely be re-routed to avoid RIM’s headquarters in Canada.

“Nothing is hacker-proof,” said Kevin Mitnick, a security consultant and formerly one of the world’s most famous hackers. “The National Security Agency probably put in a crypto add-on so that even if the communications were intercepted, they would be unintelligible.”

Of course there are perks included in Obama’s BlackBerry usage that most Americans live without.

“There are a lot of benefits. For example, he will never lose it. You and I have to worry about the NSA eavesdropping. The president can call the NSA and say, ‘Don’t do that,’” said Schneier.

Auto aficionados have also drooled over “The Beast,” the president’s new fortress-like Cadillac limousine. GM, which was rescued from collapse by the Bush Administration last year and reported a 51% sales drop in January, had the honor of designing and manufacturing the Obamamobile.

“Although many of the vehicle’s security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car’s security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world,” Nicholas Trotta, an assistant director at the Secret Service, said in a statement.

The new presidential limo likely rides on a medium-truck GM chassis, is encased in several inches of military-grade armor, has a floor blanket made of Kevlar, ballistic-resistant windows and tires and a sealed air-circulation system to defend against gas attacks, according to an LA Times analysis.

“There’s no way to know for sure” exactly what kind of attacks it can withstand, “unless you start firing mortars at it and hopefully that never happens,” said Karl Brauer, editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com, who spotted a prototype of the vehicle in Colorado in July.

There was no guarantee that GM would land this high-profile deal as Mercedes and BMW already specialize in armored vehicles, said Brauer.

“It’s nice to see a very clearly American brand serving a very clearly American role like this. Obviously General Motors wanted the visibility they would get from this,” said Brauer.

Meanwhile, speculation has swirled that Obama was wearing a bullet-resistant coat or suit when he took the oath of office last month. Officials haven’t confirmed the reports but experts said they wouldn’t be surprised if it were the case.

True or not, the speculation has been a boon for Colombian designer Miguel Caballero, whose garments offer three levels of ballistic protection and are seven times more flexible than Kevlar vests. Caballero’s clothing can protect against anything from a 9mm pistol to fire from a Mini Uzi or an MP5 submachine gun.

In an interview with FOX Business last month, Caballero said the bullet-resistant fabrics costs $2,000 to $6,000 and are designed to “absorb the energy of the bullet.” He also said his line of clothing is catching on as they have dealers in 28 countries and have been worn by Alvaro Uribe, the president of Colombia, and Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador.

“Protective garments are used all of the time,” said LaSorsa. “Everything in the world of protection has changed since 9/11. The protection of the president has probably been the most dramatic change.”

25,000 Deploy for Security at Inaugural

25,000 Deploy for Security at Inaugural

Most protected event ever includes 5,265 security cameras, snipers

NBC News and news services
updated 12:46 p.m. ET, Mon., Jan. 19, 2009

WASHINGTON – Security in downtown D.C. was high Monday after officials promised the largest inaugural security operation in history, with 58 federal, state and local agencies working together.

Some 25,000 police, military troops and law enforcement agents — including plainclothes officers roaming the crowds — will be on hand to handle the potentially 2 million people who could descend on the nation’s capital Tuesday.

The far-reaching security includes thousands of video cameras, sharpshooters and air patrols to safeguard President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in.

In addition, 155 intelligence teams will be mingling with the crowds and taking public transit to keep an eye on the situation. Snipers trained to hit a target the size of a teacup saucer from 1,000 yards away have also been deployed.

Along the Potomac River, the U.S. Coast Guard had patrol boats watching the waters and all river traffic was to be cut off Tuesday.

Some 150 city blocks will be closed to traffic on Tuesday, and while buses will be allowed into the city, private vehicles will not.

The Army National Guard 2nd Brigade of Washington, Penn., is securing the bus routes to and from the inauguration Tuesday morning. “It’s great to be part of it,” said Scott Bukovec of Johnstown, Penn., who has worked inaugurals before, but none like this. “This is a much greater scope.”

The security forces include bomb-sniffing dogs like Samson, a 125-pound black Labrador assigned to patrol the National Mall overnight. He’s even wearing a bullet-proof vest made from a decommissioned human flak jacket.

Command center, 5,265 cameras
A multi-agency command center, run by the Secret Service eight blocks from the White House, is receiving video feeds from the 5,265 surveillance cameras spread around the city.

The center has more than 100 officials monitoring inaugural activities and public areas via live video feeds from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Metropolitan Police Department, National Park Service, District of Columbia Transportation Department, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and others.

Under the plan, if the Metropolitan Police Department needs to speak to someone at the Federal Aviation Administration, those officials are already in the same room. And each person there will have a list of radio frequencies so that one agency can easily communicate with another in the field.

The command center has five 8-foot-square monitors that can display anything from street maps to newscasts, situation reports and live camera feeds. There’s a so-called “burn bag” at every desk for disposal of classified information — and a list of nearby fast-food options.

On Sunday, snipers watched over the inaugural concert and officials responded to some suspicious packages around Washington, but all were eventually determined not to be dangerous.

“This is to be expected over the next few days, considering the security level surrounding the inauguration,” FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said.

There were also a few protesters Sunday, one group at 17th and Constitution, protesting gay rights, according to the FBI.

“It’s actually been a very quiet day,” Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said Sunday. The Secret Service is the lead agency for inauguration security operations.

No specific threats
Intelligence officials say there are no specific threats to the inauguration. But the high visibility of the event, the presence of dignitaries and the significance of swearing in the first African-American president make it a vulnerable target.

The security forces include 10,000 national guardsmen, 8,000 police, and 1,000 National Park police. Some 4,000 police are from 99 departments outside Washington, D.C.

Not only is the inauguration security the most intense ever, the inauguration will be the most heavily secured public event in U.S. history. And it’s expected to shatter the previous attendance record of 1.2 million for President Lyndon B. Johnson.

For the first time, the president declared an emergency in the District of Columbia in advance of the inauguration. That will cover 100 percent of eligible local inauguration costs for emergency protective measures on Tuesday. It is in addition to the $15 million Congress set aside for inauguration security costs.

International Security Expert Bill Stanton Supports the Use of BigString Corporation’s New Secure Instant Message

International Security Expert Bill Stanton Supports

the Use of BigString Corporation’s New Secure

Instant Message

Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:55am EDT
RED BANK, NJ, Apr 24 (MARKET WIRE) —
BigString Corporation (OTCBB: BSGC), an innovator in secure online
technology and communication, today received the support of national security
expert “Wild Bill” Stanton. Stanton, a former New York City Police officer and
security expert, has advised a host of corporations and A-list celebrities
on personal security and protection. His insightful tips and strategies for
success
have been featured on the “Today Show,” CNBC and many other news programs, as
well as in New York Magazine and a host of other print publications. BigString
launched its secure online Instant Message platform on April 16, 2008, as an
evolutionof BigString’s recallable email and messaging products.

    “Everyday we hear stories of people, from celebrities to the average
personon the street, whose online communication is used in a way that was not
intended, whether that is identity theft or instant messages copied and
passed along to third parties without consent,” Stanton said. He added,
“BigString’s new technology returns privacy and security to the consumer and
should be used by anyone who communicates in real-time online.”

    BigString IM users can send instant messages (IMs) that self-destruct
afterbeing sent.  Additionally, IMs sent via BigString’s service cannot be
copied, logged or screen-printed.

    BigString IM is a free advertising supported service available at
https://www.bigstring.com. It is available as a web version or as a free
plug-in for AOL’s AIM.

    The patent-pending technology leaves no trail or copy of the IM on any
server
once the message self-destructs. The time for self-destruction is set by the
sender, and can be set to disappear in as little as a few seconds to over an
hour.  The sender can also choose a number of visual effects for the
self-destruction. A message will disappear in real time simultaneously from
both the sending and receiving IM screens.

    About BigString

    BigString Corporation, owner and operator of BigString.com, is a provider of
social networking messaging applications and user-controllable email services.
In addition to permitting users to send recallable, erasable, self-destructing
emails and video emails, BigString’s patent-pending technology allows emails and
pictures to be rendered non-forwardable, non-printable and non-savable before or
after the
recipients read them, no matter what email service provider is used.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements about the future expectations of BigString Corporation, and all
other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act
of 1934, as amended, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. BigString Corporation intends that such
forward-looking statements shall be subject to the safe harbors created
thereby. Since these statements involve certain risks and uncertainties and
are subject to change at any time, BigString Corporation’s actual results could
differ materially from expected results.

EU eyes December launch for Somalia anti-piracy

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union aims to launch a planned air and naval force in December to combat piracy threatening sea lanes off Somalia, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Tuesday.

Piracy has soared off the coast of Somalia, with at least 30 ships hijacked this year, earning an estimated $18-30 million in ransom payments and turning the area into the world’s most dangerous waterway.

EU envoys decided Tuesday that British navy vice-admiral Philip Jones would head the bloc’s planned operation and kick-off planning with the aim to launch the operation in December, Javier Solana said in a statement.

The operation’s headquarters would be in London, the statement said.

“Javier Solana is confident that these undergoing preparations will allow the EU, in due time, to make an important contribution to the World Food Program, to the protection of vulnerable vessels off the coast of Somalia and to the fight against piracy,” the statement said.

The World Food Program requires military escorts to bring food aid to the 2.4 million people it feeds in the war-torn Horn of Africa country.

France said earlier this month that at least 10 EU countries were willing to take part in the anti-piracy operation and that it hoped the plan could be finalized next month.

The countries included France, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden and probably Britain, French Defense Minister Herve Morin said after talks among EU defense ministers in Deauville, France.

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said EU states planned to deploy three frigates, a supply ship and three surveillance ships. He said Germany planned to send a frigate.

The sealane in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia links Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal and is critical to Gulf oil shipments.

(Reporting by Ingrid Melander)