This in an advertisement from Hyundai, but it has a really cool message. Enjoy!

I have been using the TSA PreCheck service since soon after its inception in 2011, without paying an enrollment fee, after being invited by US Airways to participate. This has allowed me to use the simpler and faster TSA PreCheck lane at airport security, rather than joining the majority of fliers in regular security lines. However a couple of weeks ago, I received a notice from American Airlines, which is merging with US Airways, that I now needed to register for a “Known Traveler Number” (KTN) so I can continue to use the PreCheck service. I don’t really know why my gratis status is no longer acceptable, but it apparently it is.

So, I filled out a pre-registration form at Universal Enroll last week, booked at a screening appointment at a registration center a few miles from my house, and went through the final process today. 

Today’s registration process was unexpectedly painless. It took less than 15 minutes, including a short wait in the lobby, fingerprinting, stepping through a series of Identity Proofing steps and paying the $85 fee. Alas, I still don’t have a KTN.  That is supposed to be issued in a week or two after some big computer in the sky processes my information. Then, I am supposed to be set up to use the PreCheck lane every time.

The downside?  The government has me in yet another identity database.  My KTN will be linked to my SSN, as well as to my fingerprints and other personal identification data. Big Brother seems closer than ever before!

Next step after the KTN?  I will need to get a new Arizona drivers license that is Real ID compliant before January if I want to continue flying. Yet another Federal tentacle into my life! 

Forty five years ago today, the embattled crew of Apollo 13 safely returned home. Against great odds, aided by terrific ingenuity from crews on the ground and undoubtedly by divine providence, the Apollo 13 crew survived an oxygen tank explosion and resultant failure of other systems through improvisation, steely dedication and pure grit.  

I was just finishing my junior year of high school when this occurred. Apollo 13 has been an inspiration to me ever since.

 

Photo: Astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise are shown soon after their rescue still unshaven and wearing space overalls. 

NASA astronaut Terry Virts, wearing a replica Jackie Robinson jersey in the cupola of the orbiting International Space Station, is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, with a weightless baseball.

April 15th (Baseball’s opening day in 1947) has now come to commemorate Jackie Robinson’s memorable career and his place in history as the first black major league baseball player in the modern era. He made history with the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Congratulations, Jackie, for your courage!  Thank you, Terry, for a memorable celebration!

The new Verizon 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report has been published.

It is interesting to note … 

The year 2014 saw the term “data breach” become part of the broader public vernacular, with The New York Times devoting more than 700 articles related to data breaches, versus fewer than 125 the previous year.

And there are undoubtedly more to come. Consider one of the scariest charts in the report:

[The chart] contrasts how often attackers are able to compromise a victim in days or less (orange line) with how often defenders detect compromises within that same time frame (teal line). Unfortunately, the proportion of breaches discovered within days still falls well below that of time to compromise. Even worse, the two lines are diverging over the last decade, indicating a growing “detection deficit” between attackers and defenders.”

Enjoy the read! We in the information security industry have a lot of work to do.