Disasters

DHS prepares for attack during transition
Elaine Duke, DHS’s undersecretary for management: “A lot of acts of terror take place in times of political change, and there’s an awareness of that…. So we’re looking at — when our political employees leave — who acts in their place … in case of an incident”
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New virus fights other viruses by spreading at their expense
Newly discovered virsu may help fight viral infections by hijacking the replication machinery of the lethal viruses; the new virsus — called Sputnik — is the first member of a new class they call “virophages”
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Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly
Serious DNS security flaw was discovered a month ago, a flaw which allowed criminals silently to redirect traffic to Web sites under their control; more details will be given at today’s Black Hat event
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New interim management service for the business continuity sector
One result of a disaster may be injured and traumatized employees who need time away from to office to recuperate; it may be relatively easy to replace a filing clerk, but about a manager? London-based company offers qualified temps for business continuity missions
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Bacteria were the real killers in 1918 flu pandemic
Medical and scientific experts now agree that bacteria, not influenza viruses, were the greatest cause of death during the 1918 flu pandemic
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FEMA's still struggles with IT security issues
DHS’s IG reports that “These issues collectively limit FEMA’s ability to ensure that critical financial and operational data is maintained in a manner to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability”
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Tuffin Technology's products win F&S award
Security and network operations are becoming increasingly complex. Large enterprises have multiple firewalls spread across different time zones and business units and are also required to comply with stringent regulatory requirements; Tuffin Technology offers management solutions to help businesses cope
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DHS releases national emergency communications plan
Seven years after 9/11, and three years after Katrina, DHS releases the U.S. first strategic plan aimed at improving emergency response communications
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Five ways for humans to trigger a natural disaster
Most scientists now agree that human activity contributes to a long-term changes in global climate, with serious consequences for humans, animals, and plants; human activity, though, can also trigger sudden “natural” catastrophes
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Sharp increase in "zero-day" exploits
Cyber-criminals are adopting new automation techniques and strategies that allow them to exploit vulnerabilities much faster than ever before
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Thales chooses e2v for Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite
Sentinel-3 will be used to study sea surface topography, sea, and land surface temperature, ocean color, and land color with a high level of accuracy
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New simulation tool for handling hazardous situations
Irish, Israeli companies develop new simulation tool which immerse trainees in a scene which has been designed for them; new tool will help first responders and law enforcement familiarize themselves with situations before they occur
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Worry: South Korean cat infected with bird flu
A cat found dead in a South Korean city was infected with a virulent strain of bird flu, the first mammal in the country known to have had the H5N1 virus; cats and dogs are usually not susceptible to the virus
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Floods strip Midwest of tons of valuable topsoil
Floods are stripping the Midwest of its most valuable resource: soil; farmers and environmentalists are at odds over what to do with erosion-prone land — take their chances planting crops on marginal land in hopes of good yields and high grain prices, or plant trees, native grasses, or ground cover that act as a natural flood buffer
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DHS awards $1.8 billion in preparedness grants
DHS will award approximately $3 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 for preparedness; department has provided roughly $25 billion in grants since Fiscal Year 2002 to state, local, and tribal governments, as well as non-profit organizations
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