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FCC orders creation of public safety network in 700 MHz band
It has taken some time, but finally the FCC says a portion of the soon-to-be-auctioned-off 700 MHz spectrum will be used for public safety; law enforcement, first responders, industry (largely) welcome decision
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Sydney installs emergency loudspeakers
Providing citizens with updated information during emergencies is a crucial aspect of preparedness; some cities build elaborate systems which “push” information into citizens’ PDAs, laptops, and cellular phones; Sydney installs old-fashioned loudspeakers
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Zero-day vulnerabilities are the top security concern
Most IT managers say that zero-day vulnerabilities are their main concern; 29 percent of organizations deployed critical updates within two hours during 2007 compared to just 14 percent in 2006
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Report of a major 2005 accident offers business continuity insights
The Buncefield oil depot accident of December 2005 provides an example of the impact major accidents can have on business continuity
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Total insured loss for summer U.K. floods estimates at up to £3.25 billion
Massive June and July floods in the U.K. may coast insurers between £2.25 billion and £3.25 billion in total
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Floods show gap between those who plan for disaster and those who do not
The massive floods in the U.K. offer vivid examples of the difference between planning and lack of planning by companies for disasters; companies which could invoke a disaster recovery plan fared much better
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FCC puts 700 MHz item on 31 July
Since 9/11 there have been calls for making part of the 700 MHz spectrum a dedicated public-safety band; the FCC is inching toward a ruling on the issue
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Terror insurance bill -- with lower trigger -- clears House subcommittee
Threshold triggering federal reinsurance coverage for terrorism damage would be dramatically reduced: The bill’s original plan was to lower program’s trigger to $50 million from its current $100 million level; subcommittee’s measure would lower it to $5 million
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Security Standard Conference to explore effects of 9/11 on business
Second annual Security Standard conference to examine whether business have learned how to protect themselves from debilitating threats, and and other questions relating to the health and safety of corporations in the age of terror
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Peach releases 12-step compliance certification scheme
We note that compliance monitoring is a growig industry, and a U.K. company issues a 12-step compliance certification tool you may find useful
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Start-up offers tool to validate disaster-recovery implementations
Every time a change is made in the production environment it must be implemented in a similar way in the disaster-recovery environment; new toll helps do just that
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IBM acquires Watchfire, expands governance and management unit
Compliance monitoring and risk management are growing industries, and IBM continues its aggressive acquisition of innovative — and complementary — companies to bolster its offerings
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IBM offers business continuity solution
IBM’s resiliency Maturity Index quantitatively assesses the ability of an organization to recover from different disasters; it also looks at the human aspect of business continuity
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DHS unveils plan for protecting trade after terrorist attack on ports
In visit to L.A., Chertoff outlines a strategy for rapid resumption of commerce in the event of an attack on a U.S. port
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Europeans stress emergency communication interoperability
ORCHESTRA is an EU-funded project aiming to develop an IT architecture that defines how proprietary IT systems can interact
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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.