Egypt beefs up security for Coptic Christmas Eve

Egyptian authorities beefed up security Thursday as Coptic Christians warily ushered in Christmas Eve after a New Year's Day bombing in front of a church that killed nearly two dozen of their members. The Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar and therefore will observe it Friday. "Police plan a large-scale security operation for tonight to protect Egypt's Coptic Christians and their churches." Col. Alla Mahmoud of the interior ministry said. In addition, hundreds of supporters gathered outside the prestigious Al-Azhar University on Thursday in a show of solidarity for the Coptic community. On Wednesday, Egyptian authorities released a sketch of a man they think may be responsible for the attack. "The man in the picture is unknown and authorities are trying to confirm his identity," said Col. Alla Mahmoud of the interior ministry.

The interior ministry used forensic technology to recreate the face of the suspected suicide bomber responsible for killing 23 people when he detonated a car bomb outside The Church of the Two Saints in the city of Alexandria, the al-Ahram newspaper reported Wednesday. The newspaper, which is majority-owned by the government, said the forensic experts estimate the suspected bomber was in his early 20s. Citing officials, the newspaper also said that the bomber had packed about 20 to 25 kilograms (40-55 lbs) of explosives in a traveling bag, indicating that he may have been planning to enter the church or wait for congregants to come out when the explosives went off prematurely in the car. About 9 percent of Egypt's 80 million residents are Coptic Christians, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.

Read more...

Australian agency preparing for rise in cyber crime

The rise of cloud computing has added new responsibilities to the Australian Crime Commission (ACC)—the country’s national criminal intelligence agency. According to the agency, there appears to be virtually limitless opportunities for organised crime to “go virtual”. John Lawler, Chief Executive of ACC, told FutureGov Asia Pacific that while the cloud offers numerous benefits, there are “significant vulnerabilities” with the technology that could lead to exploitation by organised crime.

“If we know anything about organised crime networks it is that they see this [cloud computing] and any future technological change as being ripe with the potential for profit,” said Lawler. “We know this because history tells us that the growth of organised crime has mirrored the growth of a more globalised world.” Lawler’s cloud computing concerns stem from the technology’s mobility of data—the information that people provide when they make a purchase, sign up for memberships, answer surveys and join competitions is now raw material for economic activity. Lawler explained: “This information can be analysed, augmented, used, sold or rented—not just locally but globally and with tremendous speed.”

For ACC, the data held in cloud computing is “vulnerable to exploitations by both individual hackers and organised crime groups seeking to collect and sell these information”. To deal with this potential threat, Lawler said that among ACC’s many approach is a focus on the common motivator for all organised crime: profit. “We need to continuously question our methods and approaches and ask if they remain viable in a virtual world. We need to ask whether we have the appropriate skill sets to tackle a new paradigm of organised crime,” he said. “And if not, how do we go about gaining those skills.”

Read more...

Australian police aim at lawyers, accountants

Detectives will target bent lawyers, accountants and underworld money launderers as part of the biggest intelligence reforms by Victoria Police in more than 30 years. Deputy Commissioner Sir Ken Jones told The Age police were committed to identifying groups and individuals never before linked to high-level criminal activities. ''Our mission is to get these people,'' he said. As part of the reforms, the 150-strong State Intelligence Division will gather information on serious and organised crime groups. Dossiers on major players will be handed to senior officers in the crime department to assign to specially selected taskforces.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Crime squad detectives have been told that organised crime will be given a higher priority in future investigations. More local crime will be handled at district level. Under the restructure, intelligence officers will also look at ''serious crime'', which includes violent street gangs, knife attacks, serial offenders and professional burglary groups. ''This will roll out across the state,'' Sir Ken said. The intelligence model has already found a spate of ethnic-related organised abductions where victims are held until relatives pay a ransom into secret bank accounts. The crimes are rarely reported to police. Organised crime targets will include syndicates linked to identity fraud, internet scams, blackmail and drug dealing.

Under the blueprint, finalised in recent months, investigations will be more nationally focused. Victorian intelligence officers will be assigned to work with other law enforcement agencies, including the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Federal Police. ''Organised crime works on national and international levels, and so will we be using 21st-century methods to deal with it,'' Sir Ken said. "They are sophisticated and well organised. But our gang is bigger and better resourced. We will co-ordinate our efforts with other law enforcement agencies.'' He said Victoria would host quarterly law enforcement meetings with partner agencies ''to see we are working together effectively''. Jeff Pope, Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Covert Support), said police would also work with prison authorities to monitor jailed gangsters who remain influential underworld figures. ''Prison intelligence is incredibly important. We know these people continue to be of influence behind the walls.''

Read more...