E-Commerce @ Brown: Taking Care of Business...Online

Main Entry: e-com·merce
Pronunciation: 'E-"kä-(")m&rs
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
: commerce conducted via the Internet (from Merriam-Webster Online)

A growing percentage of business is transacted on the web. According to the US Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, the estimate of U.S. adjusted retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2006 was $26.3 billion, an increase of roughly 23.0% from the second quarter of 2005, and accounting for 2.5% of total sales.

Departments at Brown are also beginning to sell their wares over the web -- including tickets to arts and sporting events, conference registrations, and educational products -- and like the rest of the industry, Brown will ensure that online purchases and the confidential information used to make them are protected and that third-party providers handling credit card information are compliant with PCI-DSS Standards (PCI (Payment Card Industry)) Data Security Standards).

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Cyber Security Awareness Month: October 2006

Take advantage of several opportunities to enhance your information security IQ when CIS observes National Cyber Security Awareness Month this October. The annual observance is sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (www.staysafeonline.org).

This year's key event is a half-day event on October 25. Entitled Cyber Security Awareness Colloquium: Privacy, Piracy And Protection, the colloquium will be presented in three afternoon sessions, each focusing on a different topic: identity theft, social networking web sites, and balancing global security and individual privacy.

Visit our Cyber Security Awareness month site for more details on the event which includes a free raffle and giveaways.

InfoSec Courses This Fall

CIS's information security specialists will offer a full curriculum of in-depth, hands-on courses this fall. Popular classes such as Computer Networking and Advanced Security Topics will fill up early, so register now. Links to descriptions and registration forms are provided below. New for fall 2006:

» Staying Safe & Secure Online has been expanded into two 3-hour, hands-on sessions to fully cover Windows desktop security.

» Wireless class now expanded and hands-on.

• Wireless Network Security?
  Wed, 9/27 (register now)
• Hands-On Computer Networking, Tue, 10/17 (register now)
• Staying Safe & Secure Online - Pt I, Tue, 10/24 (register now)
• Staying Safe & Secure Online - Pt II, Wed, 10/25 (register now)
• Advanced Security Topics, Thu, 11/2 (register now)
• Securing Mac OS X, Thu, 11/16 (register now)
• Understanding and Managing Firewalls, Thu, 11/30 (register now)

Check out all the classes at training.brown.edu

Inside IT Security at Brown: Paul Asadoorian, Lead IT Security Specialist

Paul Asadoorian joined CIS in 2001 as a senior systems programmer for the UNIX Systems group, moving to the Network Technology group the following year to be part of the network security team and is now a Lead IT Security Engineer. While at CIS he has developed a comprehensive security training program, been a key member of the wireless project team, led the VPN implementation, built some of the first security monitoring infrastructure for the University, and continues to maintain the campus intrusion detection systems.

Paul has been an instructor for the SANS Institute as well contributing writer to its InfoSec Reading Room library, SecurityFocus, recently presented at the MIT Security Camp, and co-hosts a weekly security podcast. When not surrounded by computers, he relaxes in front of a classic Kung Fu flick.

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Securing Your Department's Sensitive Information

In 2004, the Medical School’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA) put into place a departmental security plan to address issues of sensitive information and compliance. We asked OAFA's Director, Kathleen A. Baer, to share her department's story and advice for others who are working on their own security issues.

Q: What changes in secure practices have you made over the last couple of years in your department that you feel others might benefit from learning?

A: Two years ago, the Medical School’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA) prepared a detailed information security plan. The goals of this exercise were to ensure that OAFA met University standards for the protection of all sensitive information and that we were in compliance on federal legislation that protects the confidentiality of individuals’ personal information.

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