December 2011 issue of newsletter is out

Review of the Summer School and several excellent articles.

July 7 bomber's widow 'on the run' over links with terrorist cell

Alleged details of British citizens connected to al Shaabab being sought in Kenya. Original story named woman as Natalie Faye Webb, but this appears to have been a case of identity theft. Investigators now say she is the widow of one of the July 7th bombers. Lots of details in this piece.

Dozens of suspected Anonymous hackers arrested in worldwide sweep

Interpol claims to have coordinated the arrests in Spain and Latin America.

UN says Liverpool has drug-related 'no-go areas' like those in Brazilian favelas

Actually it wasnt just Liverpool that the UN was talking about. Some years ago there was an article in the Sunday Times that identified 40 "no-go" areas in the UK...Definitionally speaking, it meant places where the police only go when it's raining hard! Still, this can be part of my continuing focus on my home city.

Mexico's Security Initiatives Pass the 'Synthesis Test

News of growing violence and murder in Mexico was callously thrust upon an open world audience of information curiosity back in 2005, when narcoterrorism raised its sinister head on the US border with Mexico.

In what was essentially to become a war against drug gangs and rivals, the death toll that includes Mexican governing officials, police and military, media professionals, and other innocents would incredibly rise to over 50,000 deaths by 2012.

Georgia: Ways to Avoid Cyber Attacks

The FINANCIAL -- The computerization of Georgian society is resulting in an inevitable increase of cyber crime in the country. Specialists predict that there will be a growth of organized crime involved in cybercrime in the near future.



Cyber criminals can mislead consumers and carry out attacks via social networks. The most widespread methods are by creating false profiles of acquaintances and being added as a friend so as to get additional info, as well as sharing false, urgent information to mislead users and infect them with viruses.

People of Interest

Organised crime "routinely jamming GPS"

Not certain whether this is a conference paper predicting how jammers could be used or reporting research on how they actually are used.

Scotland: Criminal gangs look to renewables boom to launder millions

ORGANISED criminal gangs in Scotland are eyeing the renewables industry, including windfarms, as a potential way of laundering money, police have said.

The Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) is particularly wary after gangs targeted similar projects abroad.
The agency believes criminals may attempt to use legitimate businesses as a front so they are able to secure large grants that are available in what is a growing industry.

Cosa Nostra apartment seized in Padua

Assets for 800,000 euro and in particular an apartment belonging to the Muncivì family - linked to Cosa Nostra - has been seized in Padova (Northeast Italy). This is considered another evidence of the presence of the Mafia in the Veneto region.