Infrastructure protection

Questions about possible sabotage of a Mozambique dam
Four men were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of trying to pour corrosive chemicals into turbines at the large Cahora Bassa hydroeolectric plant in Mozambique; technicians at the dam say plot would not have succeeded
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Industry group urges creation of cyber czar post
Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a coalition of defense, intelligence, and IT security companies, urges President Obama to create a cyber czar post with cabinet rank
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Critics: Cybersecurity standards for grid do not go far enough
Legislators introduce the Critical Electric Infrastructure Protection Act, would require FERC to issue updated regulations for the U.S. power grid within 120 days of enactment, but critics say the bill is too limited
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Smart Grid offers savings, vulnerabilities
A bill to be presented in Congress today aims to stop utility hackers; experts, legislators call for regulations on smart power meters to reduce new grid’s vulnerability to hacking
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Experts: Levees will not save New Orleans from Katrina-like storm
National Academy of Engineering panel says that even the strongest levees and flood walls cannot be guaranteed to save New Orleans from another hurricane like Katrina
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Radioactive spills in Scotland
U.K. Ministry of Defense reveals a series of serious radioactive leaks in 2004, 2007, and 2008 into the Firth of Clyde
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Studying U.K.'s transportation system's resilience
The U.K. government funds a four-year study to examine whether the U.K. transportation system is resilient enough to withstand climate changes
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Many U.S. naval bases not prepared for terror attacks
Auditors visited 22 of 66 naval installations last year and found only one base that adhered to the Navy directive requiring an antiterrorism plan
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U.K. considering joining EU cyberwar effort
U.K. government says it is considering taking part in the EU equivalent of the U.S. Cyber Storm drill, but is worried not all EU members are ready
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Self-healing concrete for safer, durable, and cheaper-to-maintain infrastructure
Wolverines researchers develop self-healing concrete; the concrete self-heals itself when it develops cracks; no human intervention required — only water and carbon dioxide
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Self-powered monitoring system for bridges developed
More than 70,000 of the U.S. bridges are structurally deficient; funds from the administration’s stimulus package will be going to shoring up these bridges; how do agencies responsible for keeping an eye on the health of tens of thousands of bridges do so? University of Miami researchers offer an answer
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Counterintelligence expert not worried about Chinese hacking
Joel Brenner, national counterintelligence executive, says is less worried about Chinese hacking of U.S. banking system and somewhat more worried about such hacking of U.S. critical infrastructure;
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Seismologist predicts earthquake in south Iran at the end of the month
A Chinese seismologist who relies on unusual cloud formations as a predictor of earthquake says that at the end of the month a powerful earthquake will shake south Iran; debate about basing emergency policy on such predictions intensifies in light of similar predictions before the earthquake in Italy two weeks ago
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Using a long tether to deflect threatening asteroids
An asteroid-tether-ballast system could effectively alter the motion of an asteroid to ensure it missed hitting Earth; the tether, though, is on the long side: between 1,000 kilometers to 100,000 kilometers
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The security of the U.S. communications network, II
A few vandals, equipped with pliers, last Thursday cut fiber-optics cables in the San Francisco Bay area, paralyzing wireless, Internet, phone, and emergency communication for more than twelve hours; what does this tell us about the vulnerability to disruption of the .S. communication network?
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