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Vigilon opens operation center in Chicago
The State of Illinois is actively seeking homeland security and business continuity companies; the latest to embrace the Windy City is Israeli enterprise security specialist Vigilon, which opens an operation center in Chicago
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DoD medical records system goes down temporarily
An auditing function is to blame for the 20 minute shutdown of the Clinical Data Repository; records of 8.6 million soldiers and their families at risk; DISA is working hard to create redundancy with local caches and renote data storage
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AT&T completes IT continuity project for Whitney National Bank
$2.1 million contract includes off-site data mirroring and storage, as well as multiprotocol label switching to allow bank officials to prioritize traffic among branches; effort is a model of responsible bank security
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Citrix and IBM team up on disaster gear
It is typically the case that employees disperse in the immediate aftermath of disaster — they stay with their families, or they cannot get to work, or the company’s facilities are damaged; two companies are jointly developing a product to connect such dispersed employees to each other — and to the company’s back-up data centers
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Unisys launches new business security ad campaign
Targeted at C-level executives, initiative includes a Fortune magazine cover featuring the recipient’s photograph; company hopes to sell IT security and continuity as competitive advantages, not as reactive responses to threats
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TransUnion joins CIMIP IT protection center
Company joins LexisNexis, IBM, and others at Utica College to help develop a national research agenda on identity management, information sharing and data protection
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IBM and Citrix to offer USB-based remote access service
When disaster strikes, an emergency response team inserts their keys into any available computer, automatically sending a message to employees that they are to follow suit with their own; employees then have access to remote versions of their desktop and can continue on as usual; system also allows for ongoing monitoring, scheduling, and communications
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Physical and IT security teams merge
Guards on patrol are now instructed to keep an eye out for open wireless networks and passwords written on sticky pads; $1.1 billion spent each year on bringing the two cultures together, but problems remain; integrating building and network access an emerging trend
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Survey finds replication at top of business continuity wish lists
A $2 billion industry looks to the future as demand grows for real-time data imaging; BakBone leads the way with a replication service that works across platforms and operating systems to achieve large-scale security at a low-scale cost
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Ireland leads neighbors in business continuity planning
Much remains to be done, but the Emerald Isle is far ahead of France, Germany, and Italy; half of Irish firms have no plans in place, compared to 75 percent elsewhere
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Continuity planning requires ongoing vigilence, experts say
Smart procedures are not enough; companies must constantly reevaluate and upgrade their systems; dedicated middle management and emergency drills are good approaches; many companies create emergency response teams to handle the load
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Highway association finds major problems with city evacuation plans
Major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta fail the grade; Kansas City shines; opportunities abound for the traffic management industry
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Alabama guardsman makes good with homeland security masters degree
Lt. Col. Butters takes advantage of distance learning, DHS funding, to add value to the Guard’s emergency recovery efforts; Naval Postgraduate School provides great education at a good value in a stunning locale
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RAE Systems strikes a deal with the National Guard
Company will supply portable gas and radiation detectors to fifty-five Guard Civil Support Teams; agile Rapid Deployment Kits consist of four specialized monitors and sensors
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OASIS and ITU to demonstrate CAP communications system in Geneva
Common Alerting Protocol is gaining ground as international interoperability standard; National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey have already adopted the text-based system for daily use; conference in Geneva will include demonstrations and discussion with national and international communications authorities
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The long view
Scientists Find Evolutionary Explanation for “Irrational” Dread Risk Behavior
People often respond to low-probability, high-consequence events like terror attacks or nuclear accidents with a Dread Risk response, leading them to engage in extreme avoidance behavior, which often exposes them to higher risk of dying in more common incidents like traffic accidents.