US sees ‘
huge
’ cyber threat
WASHINGTON:
Defence Secretary
Robert Gates warned on Tuesday
that potential cyber attacks posed a
“huge” future threat that had to be
tackled through joint efforts byUS
military and civilian agencies.
Asked to assess the danger
posed to digital networks, Gates
said: “There is a huge future threat
and there is a considerable current
threat.
“And that’s just the reality that
we all face.”
He said the Pentagon had
bolstered security for themilitary’s
networks and hoped to do the same
for defence industry contractors.
“We are working with our
partners in the defence industrial
base to bring themunder that
umbrella, to provide themwith
protection,” he said at a
Wall Street
Journal
conference of chief
executives.
Gates said the challenge for
cyber security efforts inside the
United States is that resources and
expertise are concentrated in the
military and the National Security
Agency (NSA), which raises thorny
legal questions about civil
liberties.
“The only defence the United
States has I think against nation
states and other potential threats in
the cyber world is the National
Security Agency,” saidGates,
referring to the secretive
surveillance agency.
“You cannot replicate the NSA
for domestic affairs, there isn’t
enough money, there isn’t enough
time and there isn’t enough human
talent.
“So howdo you let the domestic
side of the government have access
to the asset that the NSA
represents, while at the same time
taking into account the concerns
for privacy and civil liberties?”
Gates, a former CIA director,
touted an agreement approved by
President Barack Obama last
month between the Pentagon and
the Department of Homeland
Security that he said paved the way
for unprecedented cooperation
between the NSA and the domestic
agencies on cyber security.
The new approach allows for
legal and other officials from the
Department of Homeland Security
towork out of the NSA’s offices,
and to assign tasks to the NSA to
safeguard domestic networks, he
said.
“So you have the domestic
security agency, DHS, being able to
reach into the NSA in a real time
way to get the kind of protections
that we need,” he said.
The arrangement would
hopefully provide better security
for bothmilitary and civilian
networks, he said.
Civil liberties groups have
voiced concern over the role of the
NSA in cyber security efforts inside
the United States, saying privacy
rights could be jeopardised. – AFP
>Defence secretary says Pentagon hadbolstered security for themilitary’s networks
WASHINGTON:
Regularly
consuming high-caffeine
energy drinks significantly
increases the risk of becoming
alcohol-dependent and
engaging in bouts of heavy
drinking, a study published on
Tuesday found.
The study of more than
1,000 students at a US
university found that those
who consumed caffeinated
energy drinks on a weekly or
daily basis drank alcohol
more often and in greater
quantities, andweremore
likely to become alcohol
dependent than students who
used energy drinks
occasionally or not at all.
High consumers of energy
drinks also had greater risk
for alcohol-related problems
such as blackouts or missing
class because theywere hung
over, and weremore
susceptible to self-injury than
non- or light users of energy
drinks, said the study, led by
University of Maryland
researcher Amelia Arria.
The study, whichwas
released online ahead of
publication next year in the
journal
Alcoholism: Clinical
and Experimental Research
,
adds to earlier research that
found links between heavy
energy drink consumption
and substance abuse.
It comes as debate heated
up about the dangers of drinks
marketedmainly to young
people, which combine both
alcohol and caffeine in the
same can. The states of
Michigan,NewYork,
Oklahoma,Utahand
Washingtonhave takensteps
toban drinks that combine
caffeine andalcohol, as have
severalUSuniversities.
In August, an 18-year-old
girl went into cardiac arrest
and died after drinking a
beverage that contains
alcohol, caffeine, the
stimulant guarana and
taurine, an amino acid
thought to improve athletic
performance. The girl had
also taken a slimming pill on
the day of her death.
Last month, nine students
passed out andwere
hospitalised after drinking
the same brand of caffeine-
alcohol cocktail. – AFP
High-caffeineenergydrinks
linked toalcohol abuse
Frenchcuisinenamed ‘intangible’worldheritage
NAIROBI:
Unesco yesterday declared
French cuisine one of the world’s
cultural treasures, the first time
gastronomy has been added to a list
aiming to protect intangible slices of
a nation’s heritage.
Experts fromtheUNcultural
organisation, gathered thisweek in the
Kenyan capital, said France’smulti-
course gastronomicmeal, with its rites
and its presentation, fulfilled the
conditions for featuring on the list.
The “world intangible heritage”
list, whichuntil nownumbered 178
cultural practices – including the
Royal Ballet of Cambodia and
Mexico’sDay of the Dead festival, was
drawnupunder a 2003 convention,
nowratifiedby 132 countries.
It delivers grants to help fund the
protection of cultural practices in
much the same way that Unesco
protects sites of cultural value or
great natural beauty.
The Unesco experts singled out
French gastronomy as a “social
customaimed at celebrating the
most important moments in the lives
of individuals and groups”.
France’s ambassador toUnesco
Catherine Colonna hailed the
inclusion, saying it “makes a
contribution to cultural diversity”.
Howwines are pairedwith dishes,
how the table is dressed, the precise
placing of glasses, for water, red and
white wine, knife blade pointing in
and fork tines down, are all seen as
part of the rite. – AFP
60cities tosignclimatepact
MEXICOCITY:
Some 60 cities fromacross the globe
will this weekend sign a voluntary pact to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, Mexico Citymayor
Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday.
“For the first time we’ll sign a deal to establish
targets to reduce emissions in the atmosphere, which
themost important countries in the world have
refused to do,” Ebrard said.
Some sixtymayors will sign a document to be
presented to a UNworldwide climate conference in
theMexican beach resort of Cancun fromNov 29 to
Dec 10, city environment secretaryMartha Delgado
said. – AFP
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theSun ON THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2010
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