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AT&T shows RFID solution for schools
RFID-GPS solution will allow school district to monitor schools buses, but also school equipment, students and teachers, and visitors; it will also help in disaster response
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Early warning system for earthquakes
Shake, rattle, and respond: By analyzing earthquakes when and where they strike, a computerized system could save lives
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Companies should prepare for disasters even if no disaster is imminent
The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining; similarly, the best time to prepare for disaster is when no disaster is imminent; Sungard has a list it suggests you follow
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Business insurance may seem like a luxury, but it is essential
Insurance costs money, so many young companies figure they can go without it, at least for a while; this is a big mistake since the costs of accidents and mishaps can be prohibitive
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IBM bolsters business continuity offerings
Big Blue bets on the growing business continuity market: Its acquisition of Arsenal, a specialist in on-line data protection market, will complement IBM’s Tivoli solution
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How to secure the new data center
Virtualization is disruptive, and it changes the rules for how companies secure — or, rather, ought to secure — their data and their computing infrastructure
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DHS's inspector general to take a close look at FEMA
IG predicts that the number of FEMA investigations outnumber those planned for any of the ten other DHS divisions; for 2008, the IG plans to produce 173 management reports — 53 on FEMA and 31 on the department’s management division
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Flock of small UAVs to track storms
University of Colorado researchers develop a small UAV — weighing 250 grams and with a wingspan of half a meter; they plan to fly dozens, if not hundreds, of them in swarms for the purpose of early detection of storms; UAVs will eventually be connected to mini submarines
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Spyware poses greatest threat to enterprise
Spyware now poses the biggest security threat to organizations, while threats from worms, viruses, and browser-based attacks have lessened
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Security software may be posing security risks
Security maven Thierry Zoller says that file-parsing bugs in security software could become a big problem: Increasing your use of antivirus software only increases the chances that you could be successfully attacked
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Researchers find that pre-satellite hurricane counts are quite accurate
A statistical model based on the climate factors which influence Atlantic tropical storm activity shows that the estimates currently used are only slightly below modeled numbers and indicate that the numbers of tropical storms in the recent past are increasing
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Number of natural disasters quadrupled in last two decades
The number of natural disasters occurring now is four times larger than twenty years ago, Oxfam says; number of people affected by extreme natural disasters has surged by almost 70 percent
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Pay attention to the human element in IT security
As far as information security is concerned, even the world’s best technological solution cannot replace a piece of paper –- the company security policy
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VoIP can be made secure for business purposes
Many companies have security worries about VoIP, so they decide not to implement the technology even though it has many cost advantages over traditional telephony, Cisco’s Eric Vyncke argues that with proper attention and maintenance, VoIP can be made secure enough even for business purposes; A combination of secure switches, firewalls, and secure devices will not produce 100 percent security, but it can approach 99.9 percent,” he said
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U.K. employers not prepared for flu calamity
Fewer than a quarter of U.K. companies have made adequate plans for coping with a flu pandemic; 30 percent of businesses have no strategy at all, while 14 percent have but rudimentary continuity plans
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The long view
Strengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Trump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have “Scary” Consequences
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer. States, tribes and fire chiefs are preparing for a fire season with minimal federal support.