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Aussies debate creation of DHS-like super-department
Kevin Rudd, leader of Australia’s opposition Labor Party, has proposed the creation of a DHS-like agency to coordinate responses to terrorism and natural disasters; critics say that the current, decentralized Australian first-response system is better
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IBM's largest acquisition ever: $5 billion deal for Cognos
IBM is making its largest acquisition ever: It is buying Cognos for $5 billion in cash, hoping to keep pace with rivals in business intelligence software
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TI licenses Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) technology
TI prepares for the future: Company notices two trends — growing shift toward e-documents, and increasing need for NIST-based security protocols compliance; TI licenses Certicom ECC technology
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U.K. says avian flu strain in Suffolk and Norfolk highly pathogenic
Government confirms the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 strain in south-east U.K.; protection zone imposed, full epidemiological investigation continues
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Teenager drills a hole in ammonia pipeline, forcing evacuation
Three teenagers believed money was hidden in 6-inch-diameter ammonia pipeline, so they drilled a hole in it; cloud of amonia forces evacuation, road closure
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Australia launches counterterrorism Web site to provide information
Aussies launch Web site to provide information about what to do in case of terrorist attacks; site would provide information on preparation, mitigation, evacuation routes, and more
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Book shows importance of geospatial technology in homeland security
Geographic information system (GIS) technology proves to be of growing importance in protecting the nation from natural disasters, diseases, and terrorist threats
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More tools for preplanning, premapping emergency response
Emergency preparedness software gives first responders a better view of the rescue scene with new mapping technologies
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FitzPatrick nuclear power station
Upstate New York nuclear power plant shut down for the third time in two months owing to wind blowing debris into the plant’s water intake
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Private disaster relief services boom
AIG offers members of its exclusive Private Client Group a deal: For $19,000 a year, AIG’s “mobile units” would rush to a customer’s home during wildfires, spray the building with fire retardants, and extinguish flames which get too close to the structure; unlike municipal or state firefighters, the mobile units will protect only insured buildings, letting neighboring homes go up in flames
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DataCore unveils SAN disaster recovery bundle
New addition to VIF line brings SAN disaster recovery features such as automatic failover and failback to smaller organizations
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Business continuity is also about preparation for everyday, small disasters
Businesses should prepare for the more common, everyday “disasters” like a broken water pipe that floods the building, or an ice storm that keeps employees from traveling to the office
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Jermyn Consulting and Moody International offer BS 25999 certification
More companies develop business continuity plans, and more governments develop continuity standards companies must meet; one result: More companies offer continunity certification programs to help enterprises meet these government standards
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California fires test companies' business continuity plans
The fires raging in southern California forced many companies to involve their business continuity plans; companies with solid business continuity plans seem to be weathering the disaster fairly well
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Latest Microsoft research on trends in cyber crime
Cyber criminals increasingly target personal information to make a profit and are threatening to impact people’s privacy; key to corporate security: inter-departmental collaboration.
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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.