ICISS Newsletter April 2012

1. Newsle
N etter: April 20
A 012
Let’s profe
s essionalize the pro
t ofessio
onals…
…
Security Budg
S y geting: Whos job is it?
se s
This time round ever security chief wor his ‘bel and boo must be trying
T r ry y rth lt ot’ e
to
t get respectable b budget all locations for his deepartment! There ar new
re
locks and racks to be bought, new torch and dra
r e hes agon light to be pro
ts ocured
and old windows an d almirahs to be rep
a s paired! An not to fo
nd orget the r
repairs
o perimeter lights a
of and roads! Then the are ne security systems to be
ere ew y s
installed and old sec
curity gadg gets to be upgraded Where fr
d! rom all the much
e
needed money wil come? Security is not profit making fun
n m ll y m nction.
Everywher it is co
E re onsidered as cost centre onl Yet the are bu
c ly. ere udgets
needed for security cannot be overlook or avo
n r e ked oided. And here com the
mes
manageme
m ents haggl ing for rea
alistic budg
get.
Fe years back Con
ew nfederation of Indian Industri
n n ies underttook a su
urvey on the policie and
t es
pr
ractices pr
revalent in Indian in
n ndustries regarding informati
g ion securi
ity. The survey sou
ught to
ssess the awarenes levels prevalent among organizatio
as ss o ons regardding inforrmation se
ecurity
ne
eeds and th level of implemen
he f ntation.
Th survey report title “Report on Inform
he ed t mation Sec curity Baseline 2005 also rev
5” vealed that “38%
t,
co
ompanies do not ha ave an info
ormation ssecurity policy of which 7% are indiffe
p w erent to se ecurity
po
olicy.” Exp
perts estim
mate that “nearly 80 per cent of all sma busines
“ all sses fail in their first three
n
ears. In mo cases, the cause is poor managem
ye ost , ment”. “One of the m
e most negle ected and poorly
maanaged asspects of s
small busin
ness operaation is se
ecurity and loss prev
d vention”.
Th cost of security breaches has, for years, been calcu
he f s r ulated bas sed on the direct c
e cost of
remediation. However classic models to determin the app
r, o ne propriate l
level of se
ecurity speending
we develo
ere oped befor compan
re nies had to publish press rele
o eases whe enever they had a se ecurity
br
reach. As industry r
regulations become ever more explicit in terms of best-p
e t s practice seecurity
pr
rocedures, so do pot
, tential liab
bilities.
We must als factor- in damage to compa
so e any brands, declines in stock price, cus
s stomer los (and
ss
the legal and notification costs). This all m
d means that adequate funding f data se
t e for ecurity mea
asures
be
ecome a re ecognized cost of doing busi
d d iness. For
rward-look
king Manag gement must keep this in
m
co
onsideratioon.
Capt S B Tyagi
C
For ICISS
r

2. Why is bu usiness still plagued by poor seecurity? Why do we constantly read stor
W y ries about security
breaches, data thef and cust
, ft tomer lawssuits stemm
ming from confidentia information getting lost or
al g
falling into the wrong hands? Basically it because many enterprise ma
o g B t’s e anagers viiew securit as the
ty
method fo protectin their inf
or ng formation o infrastru
or uctures, rat
ther than f
focusing on the proteection of
the data itself. Organizations, and theiir clients, are better served w when mana agement aand staff
establish a “culture o security protectin valuable data and infrastruct
of y,” ng e ture resources.
An ever-ggrowing gr rowing per
rcentage o compute crimes are being committe by prof
of er g ed fessional
“criminals who stea market-v
s” al valued sennsitive data – e.g. cre card d
a edit data and customer id
dentities.
Sometime the crim
es minals are inside an e
enterprise; sometime insiders and outsid
es ders work t
together
to steal aand resell valuable company data, as we’ve see recentlly in reports on cal center
en ll
fraudsters in India a Scotlan
s and nd.
Corporate executive for the most par continue to be mo “reactiv than “proactive” when it
e es, rt, e ore ve”
comes to securing c porate and customer data. When security breaches such as those of
critical corp d r y s
Bank of AAmerica an AOL make head lines, the mandate “keep us o of the press” is handed
nd m out
down to SSecurity Th mandate frequentlly carries no addition budget to deliver the securit that is
he e n nal ty
required f the task at hand.
for k
Even as more com mpanies de evelop inc
creasingly detailed security po
s olicies and hire com
d mpliance
officers, s
security managers continue to report that the regulations a
c o and securit policies are not
ty
translating into be
g ehavioral change. If anythin ng, security manag gers only report s
y sporadic
enforceme of sec
ent curity polic
cies and ggrowing coonfusion related to the owne
r ership of t
the data
protection problem in some larger ente
n erprises. In some or
n rganization there are many different
ns, a
departments and tea ams which own som e part of th data security / priv
h he vacy problem, with th result
he
being difficulty in rea
aching deccisions and deploying technolog and pro
d g gy ocess chan nge.
It is time t acknowledge that security p
to policies and technolog alone, w
d gy uy-in” by staff, and
without “bu
enforceme by ma
ent anagement will not resolve the needs for regulato compliance, and for the
t, ory d
safety of ccustomer, partner an employe informa
nd ee ation. Security tools w play the role in s
will eir securing
sensitive ddata from acquisition by the en
n nterprise un its stora and de
ntil age eletion.
However, it remains the task of manage ment to make real-w
s o world assesssments of risks to da how
f ata,
those risk are best mitigated and how t
ks these asseessment de ecisions ar promulgated and e
re enforced
throughou the enterprise. But ultimately as I see it, the real challenge is in establishing a genuine
ut t y, e
“culture of security” where staf and man
f ff nagement view their data resou
v urces as ce entral to th health
he
and succe of their organizat
ess r tion.
Food fo thought:
or
Alan Co
ohen:
It takes a lot of courag to rel
ge lease the familia and s
ar seemingl secure, to
ly
embrace the n
e new. But there is no real security in what is no lo
t r s onger
meaning gful. The is more secu
ere urity in the adve
t enturous and ex
s xciting, fo in
or
moveme there is life, and in ch
ent e a hange th here is po
ower.

3. Business out-sour
s rcing has become th harbinger of eco
he onomic chhanges in India! It h also
has
changed the Indian society! With tho
! ose nocturrnal office hours an dispos
e nd sable incoome, the
youngsteer’s zeal to spend th money on having good tim has cr
o he g me reated a cuultural imb
balance
where on half ha taken naturally the west
ne as tern concepts of ‘d dating’ an ‘living-
nd -in’ and
remaining other ha is yet to accept t
g alf o these as part of soc norms
p cial s.
The allied problem is that lib
d m beral beha
avior of a partner is often mis
s sundersto as con
ood nsent. It
also is m
male chauvinistic approach t that befor consen a woma must resists and bit of
re nt an r
force is p
part of the consequent agreem
e ment! Ala Both are farther from the truth. Th sharp
as! a r he
increase in the num mber of se
exual assa
aults repoorted ampl proves this fact.
ly
Some pe eople hav the wro
ve ong idea about seexual assaault. They think th assaila was
y he ant
overcome with sex
e xual desir the vic
re, ctim was dressed too seduc ctively or "asked fo it", or
or
that all vi
ictims wan
nted sexual contact
t!
These ide assum that se
eas me exual assa tivated by passion. It isn't. Se
ault is mot exual assa
ault is a
violent cr
rime, a ho
ostile attac an atte
ck, empt to hu and hum
urt miliate. Se is only the weapon!
ex
Sexual asssault is a crime, an it occurs with incr
nd s reasing fre
equency, b remains the mos under-
but st
reported crime. There is a rape victim every sixteen min
r m s nutes. A wwoman is beaten e
every 18
seconds; three to fo million are battere every year. Three out of fou women will be the victims
our ed y e ur e
of at leas one vio
st olent crime during t heir lifetim These statistics are repeated, in c
e me. countries
worldwidee.
one-half of reported rapes, the rapist is an acqua
In over o f e s aintance, neighbor, friend or relative.
Acquaintaance rape is less likely to b reported to the authorities than rap by a s
be d s pe stranger.
Acquaintaance rape frequently occurs un
y nder circum
mstances where the victim, the attacker or both
e r
have been drinking or are into
n oxicated. T victim of an acqu
The o uaintance rrape may not recogn
n nize it as
a crime or consider the inciden as a rap
r nt pe.
You ar a victim of a crime if you hav had unw
re e ve wanted se
exual conta Sexual assault
act. l
is no less serious just beca
s ause you know your assailant. Previou sexual contact w
us with your
assailant does not justify or excuse the crime. If you think sexual ass
e y s sault is motivated by passion
or happen because the victim asked fo r or wanted it, look at the facts . Sexual assault can happen
ns e m a
to anyone - you, your children, co-w workers or friends, or other members of your family.
o r s r
Perh
haps you think sexua assault happens only in cert
t al o tain high-risk situatio such
ons
as hitchhiking, walkking alone at night, o going ou socially alone. It's true that sexual ass
or ut s sault can
occur in s
such situat tions, but it also take place in ordinary, seemingly safe places. In fac about
i es n y ct,
one-third of all rapes occur in or near th e victim's residence. About one
e-half of ra
apes are by first or
casual daates or rommantic acquuaintances .
Imagin a typica rapist. W
ne al Whom do you picture A sex-c
y e? crazed man? A psyc chopath?
More ofte than no those stereotypes are wrong. Most rapists do
en ot, s s on't look peculiar or behave

4. strangely. Mainly, th want to hurt, hum
. hey o miliate and degrade another hu
d uman bein Rapists are not
ng. s
sexually d
deprived mmen; most have availa
h able sexua outlets. In addition , many are married a lead
al e and
normal liv prior to conviction and often come fro the sam socioec
ves o n n om me conomic baackground as their
victims. Rapists m may be repeaters and may continue to rap until they are caught.
r y pe t
"I thoug I could trust him; I thought he was my friend. I st
ght h tarted feeli uncomfortable,
ing
ored my feelings. I th
but I igno hought he would nev do any
ver ything to h urt me. Su uddenly, he was a
stranger. He was do oing something I nev thought he would be capab of - my friend was raping
ver d ble y
me." Donn - 20-yea old acqu
na ar uaintance rape survivvor.
Anyone c
can be a victim! Sexual ass
S sault awa
areness is based o environ
on nmental al
lertness.
Remembe alcohol dulls your reflexes. W
er, r When uncoomfortable trust you instincts!
e, ur !
Find out a
about new friends or acquaint
w o tances. As others who know or have dated the person.
sk w
Date with friends before acceepting a siingle date. Make definite plans in advan
. s nce. Don't leave a
group sett
ting with a person yo don't kno well.
ou ow
Set sexua limits and commun
al d nicate those limits. Te your par
e ell rtner clearlly what you intend. E
Establish
that any ssexual acti
ivity will be a mutuall decision. Speak up if you're getting confusing me
e p essages
from your partner. B forceful and firm; don't worry about being polite Don't fal for lines such as
r Be l e. ll
"You would if you lo
oved me." Consider o practice approaches such as "Stop this! I'm not e
C or s enjoying
it." Pay yo own w or share costs to avoid arg
our way o guments such as "Y You owe me - I spent all this
m
money on you." Bew
n ware of par rtners who disregard your requests.
o
Be asserttive. State what you really wa and ar feeling. Remembe alcoho and othe drugs
e u ant re er, ol er
compromi your ab
ise bility to ma decisio
ake ons. When you say "no", make your mes
n " e ssage clea When
ar.
you say "yes", be ssure you kn now what you're agr
reeing to. Don't be e
embarrasse to yell, make a
ed
scene or r away. Don't worr about of
run ry ffending yo partner remembe you are being hum
our r; er, e miliated.
If you are uncomfor
e rtable with a date, yo can cho
ou oose to end it. Take your own vehicle or meet at
nation. Carry money for a ph one call or fare hom Avoid parties where men greatly
the destin y o me. w n
outnumbe women. Don't acce rides fr
er ept rom newly made acquaintances s.
Be carefu when inviting som
ul meone to y your reside
ence or ac ccepting a invitatio to theirs Avoid
an on s.
secluded places wh
here you are put in a vulnerable position. Acquainttance rape often oc
es ccur in a
residence
e.
Take care of yourse - don't assume ot
e elf a ther people will take care of yo or prote you from harm.
e ou ect m
Trust your INSTINCCTS - believ your inn feelings when you get unco
ve ner omfortable about a pe
erson or
situation. Respond a soon as you feel u
as s uncomforta
able!
Anyone can be a victim of sex xual assau You should think about the kinds of defense yo would
ult. d ou
be willing to use. In some cas
ses, resista
ance can frighten off or discou
f f urage the attacker, but it can
a
also lead a rapis to bec
d st come mor violent or incre
re ease effor rts to subdue the victim.
Now is th time to consider your option there is little time to think d
he y ns; s e during an attack. Co
ould you
really hur an acqua
rt aintance who tried t hurt you Are you willing to yell? Are you able to run?
w to u? u o e

5. Remembe rape is a crime of violence, not passio You've got to ass ume that a rapist is w
er, f on. willing to
ence. If you are attacked, your main conce
use viole m ern must always be your safety.
Because a people and all situ
all uations are different, there is no ONE wa for you to protect y
e ay t yourself.
People ha differe capabilities, and y
ave ent you must decide for yourself tthe best de
efense me ethod for
you.
The goal of passive resistanc is to th
e ce hink and ta your way out of the situat
alk w f tion. With passive
resistance you can:
e, :
 Try to calm th attacker Try to pe
y he r. ersuade him not to ca out the attack.
m arry e
 Cla to be s
aim sick or pre
egnant. Te him you have a sexually tra
ell u ansmitted disease. T
d This may
intimidate the attacker.
e
 Try to disco
y ourage him. Pretend to faint, cry hysterically act ins
h y, sane or m mentally
inccapacitated
d.
 you're at your residence, tell th attacker a friend is coming over or th your sp
If y he hat pouse or
rooommate will be back soon.
sistance is intended to distract or tempora
Active res t arily injure your attac
cker to cre
eate an oppportunity
for escape Nobody can tell you whethe or not active resis
e. y y er a stance will be the "rig
ght" thing to do. A
decision t resist actively, ho
to owever, is irreversible Your go is to es
e. oal scape, not to win. HHere are
some pros and cons regarding the mo
r ost comm mon type es of active res sistance:
 Yelling: It ca surprise or frighten an attack away if he fears p
an n ker f people will come to h help. But
yelling won't help in isolated or no
oisy areas.
 Strruggling a and fightin back: A forceful struggle may also discourage an attac
ng e cker, but
mo will reta
ost aliate and have the po
h otential to inflict serio injuries Howeve you mus not be
ous s. er, st
afra to hurt an attacker. All kic and blows must be forcef and sh
aid cks b t ful hould be a aimed at
vulnerable ar reas such as the groiin, eyes, or instep.
a r
 Maartial arts: Special self-defens skills such as ju
: se s udo or karrate are po opular. If you are
pro
oficient in s
such techniques, they can be very effectiv But pro
y ve. oficiency re
equires praactice.
 Weeapons: m people carry weap
me c pons such as guns, knives, or spray che emicals to ward off
atta
ackers. Un nless you are trained and not afraid to use these weapons, they can be very
d u
danngerous. T The attack might be able to turn them against you. Also some w
ker o t o, weapons
cannnot legally be carrie so chec with loca law enfo
y ed, ck al orcement a
authorities.
If you beli
ieve you m
might get severely hu defending yoursel or if you''re afraid to fight bac don't.
urt lf o ck,
Sexual asssault is st an assa and st a crime, even if you do not have a single cut or bruise.
till ault till
Victims who do not resist shou never fe guilty; it is the assailant who committe the crim
uld eel o ed me.
 If a
attacked, escape
 If tr
rapped, sta alive
ay
 If a
assaulted, memorize details
***
*

6. …with "
… "The Tri
iangle of Life"
o
"Triangle of Life": Simply by looking a the follow
e y at wing self-exxplanatory photos, you can lea more
y y arn
than in a t
thousand w
words abou how to p
ut protect you
urself durin a major earthquak
ng ke...
If you are in
y nside a veehicle, com out an sit or
me nd
lie down ne to it. If someth
ext hing falls on the
vehhicle, it will leave a empty space alo
w an ong the
siddes. See below:
b

7. Where to Go D
During an Earth
a hquake
Reemember that stuff about
f
hid
ding unde er a ta able or
sta
anding in a doorway Well,
y?
forg it!
get
Moostly every yone who simply
o
ucks and covers' when
'du
buiilding colla
apse are crushed
to death. People w
P who get
undder object like desks or
ts,
car are crus
rs, shed.
Get near the outer walls of buildings or
r
outside o them if possible - It is mu
of uch
better to b near the outside of the build
be e o ding
rather tha the inte
an erior. The farther ins
f side
you are fr rimeter of the
rom the outside per
building tthe greate the pro
er obability t
that
your esca route w be blocked.
ape will
This is a real eye opener! It could sa
ave
your life s
someday.
Identity s
systems a powerf and pro
are ful rofitable business to
ools, but o
only takes one brok link
s ken
in the ide
entity chai to foul the whole works up
in t p..."
James Va Dyke
an
Presi elin Strate
ident, Jave egies & Re
esearch
A person I know su uddenly lea
arned that he was a debit-card identity theft victim - while h debit
t m his
card was locked in a bank safe deposit b
e box!
He immeddiately info
ormed his debit-card issuer, a major ban but the branch re
d nk, e epresentat tive said
there was nothing s
s she could do. I direc
cted him quickly to an identity theft hotl
q y line, buried on his
d
bank's We site.
eb
Such a slow respon by you bank co uld lead yo to suffe a greate financial loss if an identity
nse ur ou er er l n
thief targe you. So it could pay when y open your bank account to find out exactly wh steps
ets o p you y o e hat
your bank takes to c
k curb identit theft.
ty
While many credit a debit-c
and card accou
unts promis consum
se mers zero lliability if th credit or debit
heir
card is los and stol
st len, that do
oesn't mea you can suffer. Your bank may not buy your st
an n't Y b tory and
you may be forced to hire an attorney. Many vic
n . ctims don't prosecute because thieves o
e e often are
family me embers. So you still could suf
o ffer un-reim osses, lost wages and legal
mbursed financial lo
f t
fees.
Warning: Some 12% of majo banks la ck a zero-
: or -liability policy for deb cards th require access
bit hat e
via a pers
sonal identification nu
umber or P
PIN, accord
ding to ‘Jav velin Strate & Rese
egy earch’ a m
marketing

8. research organization based in USA. So learn how your bank protects against identity theft,
particularly before opening a PIN-accessed debit card.
In USA, federal law limits card holder’s losses on a lost or stolen credit card to $50. In India there
appear to be no such guidelines. Even if there is one, it is not widely publicized. You may have
some protection for credit / debit cards - provided that you promptly notify your bank.
Nevertheless, losses when your identity is stolen, according to Javelin's 2008 Identity Fraud
Survey Report, can escalate the longer the fraud goes undetected. Victims who detected the fraud
within one day spent an average of $428. But those who took up to five months lost three times as
much -- $1,207, its report says.
Meanwhile, if somebody opens a new account in your name and nobody contacts you, you risk
suffering greater losses. You might not hear about it until a debt collector calls or you're suddenly
denied credit. This gives thieves a maximum amount of time to do their damage.
Your bank can take precautions
There are certain things your bank can do to nip an identity theft in the bud. It could pay to make
sure your bank takes certain precautions, advocated in the Javelin Strategy survey:
 Provides you with the ability to create restrictions - either online, by phone or in-branch -- on
particular transactions. Don't think you'll ever conduct any wire transfers outside the United
States? Bank only with institutions that let you limit those transactions.
 Eliminates distribution of your personal information and limits use of your Social Security
number to the last four digits.
 Offers to email or text message you if there's ever a change of personal information,
including a change of address, addition of a cardholder or unusually low balance on your
account.
 Has a centralized fraud resolution department.
 Lets you quickly freeze your account.
 Requires at least two ways to confirm your identity both by telephone and online banking.
 Regularly educates employees on how to properly secure sensitive information.
 Regularly examines employees for insider collusion.
 Encrypts your personal identification numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers and
other private data.
 Uses no hyperlinks in emails. This way, you can determine which emails don't come from
your bank.
Meanwhile, Javelin Strategy & Research reports increased theft via mail order or telephone order
purchases. It cites a newer tactic, "Vishing," or using the Internet to place phone calls. Internet-
placed calls are tougher to trace.

9. Bottom line: Never provide personal information -- even over the telephone. If you get a
communication from your bank, call only the telephone number you already have -- not the one in
the communication.
ID thefts: up or down?
It seems comforting that Javelin Strategy reports a 12% decline in identity theft in 2007. But not
everyone agrees with that company's study, sponsored by Visa, Wells Fargo Bank and CheckFree
Services Corp.
For one thing, the Federal Trade Commission reports a 32% rise in identity theft complaints to
258,427 during the 2008 calendar year. Chris Jay Hoofnagle, senior fellow at the University of
California-Berkeley law school, complains that consumers, regulators and businesses have no
reliable way to assess identity fraud at major financial institutions.
"Lending institutions should publicly report basic statistical information about identity theft events,"
he says. Information they should disclose: The number of identity theft events suffered or avoided;
the form of identity theft attempted; the targeted product, such as a mortgage loan or credit card;
and the amount of loss suffered.
When Radha Baijal checked her email on November 3 last year to see if there was any response
to her application for a job in the UN, she couldn't believe her eyes. In her inbox lay a letter saying
she had landed her dream job. As it turned out, Radha shouldn't have believed her incredibly good
luck. For though she had posted her application on the genuine UN site, the 24-year-old
schoolteacher from the Capital today finds herself poorer by Rs 1.5 lakh and smarting with the
realization that she' has been had. Here is what happened. Radha received a signed reply from
one Dr Christy Owen, "Chief Administrative Officer, US Committee for the UN", confirming her
appointment. The email communication carried the UN logo and address. As instructed, she
contacted one Kate Bruce at the given email address for instructions before she was to fly off for a
"training program in Seattle".
Radha was instructed to transfer Rs 1.5 lakh into a US bank via a given swift account number. The
unsuspecting victim delved into her father's retirement benefits and sent the money. Radha
smelled a rat only when she responded to a second request for money - this time for Rs 70,000 –
by saying she had none and asking that it be deducted from her promised salary of $152,678 per
year. That's when all communication from the other end stopped. Radha isn't the only victim of this
scam. N.Y. Suresh Kumar, a zoology scholar in Kerala, received a similar letter saying he'd been
"selected" for the post of environmental officer in the "United Nation Center for Development
Initiative" and a request for $2,280. Luckily for him, Suresh Kumar got the letter checked by the UN
Information Center’s office in Delhi and was told that the UN had no such outfit.
In the last six months, a number of people from across the country have approached the Delhi
office to verify the authenticity of "job confirmation letters" sent to them by email and post. These
letters come complete with the UN logo and address of the United Nations headquarters in New
York. In all cases, the letters have turned out to be fake. Shalini Dewan, UN representative for
India, says these cases "have been brought to the notice of appropriate authorities for suitable
action". Cautioning those who have received offers for jobs and training, invitations to conferences

10. and reque
ests for fun
nds, she says that it is misuse of the UN name by tricksters using the Internet.
gency asks for funds in exchan for training or em
"No UN ag s nge mployment, Dewan says.
,'
The racke has bee going on for some time. Th Geneva office of U
et en e he UNAIDS' had in' September
h
last year issued a w worldwide alert warn
ning people to verify the authe
y enticity of emails and letters
d
carrying it logo or a
ts address be
efore meetting any request for money. It h also re
m had equested p
people to
provide deetails of su
uspect com
mmunicatio to help investigate the fraud
ons e d.
How they duped
y're d
 All letters cam with UN logo and address of UN head
me N o dquarters in New Yor
n rk
 Job offers we followed by reque
b ere ests for mo
oney
 The were a
ere also invitations to con
nferences and training program
a m
 The Delhi off
e fice of UN Informatio Centre has receiv severa requests for verific
on ved al s cation of
the authentic of such 'job confir
e city rmation lett
ters' in last six month
t hs
Prior warrning: The Geneva office of U
e o UNAID had in Septem mber issue a worldw
ed wide alert warning
people to verify the authentic of ema
e city ails/letters carrying its logo or a
s efore meeting any
address be
request fo money.
or
Notic some
ce ething in the ph
hotogra
aph!
See th helme it is there but not where it could h
he et, w t have sa
aved the life!
e
Surely th
here are st few pe
till eople who will quest
tion the ut
tility of a helmet!
h

11. Courtesy: Prof. K. Ganapathy MS (Neuro) MNAMS (Neuro) FACS FICS Ph.D, Secretary of the Asian
Australasian Society of Neurological
Helmets have not suddenly arrived At least 50 years of research in various fields have led to this
development. Helmets have been designed based on cadaver studies, animal experiments,
computer simulation studies, biomechanical studies and study of crash injury patterns. Sir Huge
Cairns was the first person to understand the role of helmets in preventing severe head injuries
and deaths. Before a helmet is certified it has to pass through four main tests namely:
1. Shock absorption – Cushioning capabilities of the padding test.
2. Resistance to penetration-to make sure the shell of the helmet is strong.
3. Strength of the retention system-to test the stretching of the chin strap.
4. Rigidity-to test the structural and safety performance. Most injured motorcyclists who do
not wear helmets report that they did not expect to be injured; yet 40% of the head
injury-associated deaths were ascribed to the motorcyclist’s loss of control, not, apparently,
to some action of the driver of another motor vehicle.
5. Studies have shown that when helmet use is voluntary, it is used by 40-50 %; when it is
compulsory it is almost 100 %; no other approach has succeeded in raising helmet use to
anything close to these levels.
How is a helmet useful?
 The brain is the only organ in the body with its own safe deposit vault.
 When a major impact occurs, the skull however thick cannot absorb the entire force!
The impact only slightly attenuated is still transmitted to the underlying brain. When
direct injury occurs, the damages to brain are very serious - often irreversible.
 A helmet considerably increases the thickness of the container. The blow gets
absorbed, spreading the impact over a larger region. The intensity at any one point is
considerably diminished. The time lag also reduces the ultimate intensity reaching the
brain through the helmet, hair, skin, skull and the meninges of the brain
REASONS FOR NOT WEARING HELMETS
 “I am a good driver. How can an accident ever happen to me “?
 “But, it is not compulsory “
 “I use the scooter for very short distances” (If only the bus driver knew this
 “Where do I keep it“ (Where there is a will there is a way )
 “I may loose my hair“(How many bald motor cyclists does one see?)
 “It is so hot and uncomfortable“(If only you knew how much hotter it can get without
one!!!)
 “I may get headache and neck pain” ( at least you will still have a head )
 “Neck & Spinal Cord injuries may increase , reduced hearing &, vision, increased
fatigue & overconfidence ( Detailed studies have shown that this is not true)
 “Ungainly appendage on a beautiful feminine head” (and we talk about equality and
women’s liberation!)
 “What is to be will be” (Alas the bereaved family does not subscribe to this oriental
fatalism)
 “What about the family” (Buy three for the price of two?)
 “I have just not had the time” ( Time and tide wait for no Man)
 “A helmet is expensive” ( Obviously the contents are not )

12.  Addventure, recklessn ness, mis splaced enthusiasm particu
e m ularly in the youn –
ng
heelmets wor only by “sissies ( Knowle
rn y s” edge is lea
arning from one’s kn
m nown mistaakes,
wissdom is lea
arning from another’ s mistakes – alas se
m s elf-acquired knowledge may be too
d e
late )
e
 “WWhat abou protecting other body par
ut rts” (death & major disability is due to b
h brain
inju – prote
ury ecting the brain is eas pragma and eff
b sy, atic fective)
Suggestions:
 Ple
ease recon nsider your decision n to wear helmet.
r not r
 Young ladies please decide to u helmet while you comforta
s, d use t u ably sit at the back sseat. On
the Women's day, ple
e s ease take some po
e ositive decisions an convinc your b
nd ce brothers,
hussband, frieends, fathe etc. to u helme I am su you do not bothe about yo hair-
er, use et. ure er our
sty and use helmet yo
yle e ourself.
 Ca drivers, u seat be avoid m
ar use elt, ones while driving.
mobile pho
 Folllow all traf rules, even if som
ffic e meone is not watchin you. And do not ce
n ng d elebrate w
when you
dod a traffi man, ultimately we will suffer
dge ic e r.
 ease do no try to sa some petrol by driving on wrong sid to avoid taking a U-Turn
Ple ot ave n de
som distanc away.
me ce


uggestion & feedb
Su ns back may b sent to us on e-m
be o mail: capts
sbtyagi@y
yahoo.co.
.in
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