• Government admits accidents at Plum Island biolab

    The biolab on Plum Island, off the tip of Long Island, is the only lab allowed to do research on the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease; DHS officials admit that since 1978 here have been several accidental releases of the virus into cattle in holding pens

  • Researchers develop nasal anthrax vaccine

    Current FDA-approved vaccine is given as an injection and must be administered in three doses, scheduled two weeks apart; then, to remain effective, booster shots must be given at six, twelve, and eighteen months, and then again each year after for maximum protection; University of Rochester researchers “detoxify” the one of the three toxic proteins of anthrax in an effort to simplify vaccination process

  • FCC approves national mobile alert system

    U.S. wireless carriers will transmit to their subscribers alert and emergency messages during disasters; carriers will transmit text-based alerts to their subscribers; as technology evolves, the CMAS may eventually include audio and video services to transmit emergency alerts to the public

  • Japanese firms to begin IT security rating

    Eighteen Japanese firms announced they were creating the world’s first ratings agency looking at data security, which they said was a rising concern for companies

  • Underwater ears offer information about hurricane strength

    MIT researchers find that hydrophones planted on the ocean floor can “listen” to hurricanes as they form; the sound hurricanes make varies with their intensity — so early listening to hurricanes would help first responders better prepare

  • Anxiety: Human-to-human bird flu infection in China

    A 24-year old man in China probably infected his father with the H5N1 strain of bird flu before dying, renewing concerns that the disease may soon spread easily among humans

  • SyTech Corporation and communication interoperability, I

    The lack of communication interoperability among first response, rescue teams, and law enforcement during the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina was only the most dramatic and poignant demonstration of a persistent and debilitating flaw in U.S. agencies’ planning for disaster — and performing during disaster; communication interoperability is essential not only in disasters, but for routine, every-day operations of law enforcement; SyTech’s comprehensive approach to interoperability offers a solution

  • Predicting earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

    New satellite will measure anomalies in the Earth’s gravitational field; such anomalies allow scientists to predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and allow communities to better prepare for them

  • Cisco shows Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security

    New solution facilitates business continuity and force protection mission alike; in addition to incorporating Cisco’s own surveillance and network security technologies, new solution supports sensor integration and management, video analytics, geographic information system (GIS) framework for common operating picture, enterprise mass emergency notification, and physical access control

  • Riding the Next Wave -- WiMAX versus LTE // by Peter Howard

    By 2011, it is estimated that 1.5 billion people will have broadband; which technology will better serve their needs — WiMAX or LTE? WiMAX is already here, and LTE will take time to roll out — but when it does, it will give WiMAX a run for its money; LTE offers spectrum flexibility, significant added capacity, and a platform for delivering premium applications cost effectively

  • Private-sector support for telecommuting grows

    Heightened concerns about traffic congestion, air pollution, and gasoline prices — and worries about business continuity — increase the attraction of telecommuting; new CDW report reveals that support for telecommuting grows, but is offset by security concerns

  • Hardware failure biggest threat to business continuity

    Hardware failure was the top disruption threat to U.K. business operations in 2007; lessons of the 2007 floods are yet to be absorbed

  • BCI offers stand-alone continuity credentials

    New entrants to the business continuity arena may have knowledge and understanding of the topic, but lack the experience required for full Business Continuity Institute membership; BCI offers a solution

  • Landscape of business intelligence market changes in six months

    A campaign of acquisitions by IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP has changed the look of the business intelligence market in the last six months; The Big Four’s market moves were driven by the growing BI hype, the need for self-preservation, and even some fear

  • Company profile: Aralia Systems

    In a recent demonstration, utilizing standard IT servers, the company’s Aster video analytics software performed an automated forensic retrospective search of twenty years’ worth of recorded video data in twenty minutes