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Experts say utilities need to do much more
Electricity and gas plants may be the first to suffer the consequences of disrupted service; alongside barriers and surveillance systems, companies should make sure to work with local authorities to develop emergency response plans
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NICE Systems to protect Eiffel Tower
NiceVision video analytics software will help authorities sort through the monument’s six million annual visitors; globetrotting company is also working in Philadelphia and Beijing
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Congress proposes new regulations on the sale of fertilizer
Bill would force buyers to provide identification and require sellers to register with DHS or an appropriate state agency; a number of states already have similar laws intended to stymie another Timothy McVeigh; Farm Bureau continues to resist federal intrusion
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Homeland Security Corporation signs surveillance deal with Camp Pendleton
The Internet-based supplier will provide cameras, transmitters, and related devices; protecting military bases a big business these days as planners worry about terrorist intrusions and attacks
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Critical infrastructure companies form consortium for further work
Abeo Corporation, CT Solutions, and Vidient among firms looking to build on earlier successes with TSA; team previously completed airport infrastructure projects at Helena and Tallahassee airports
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Lockeed Martin names ObjectVideo as subcontractor for MTA project
Video analytic firm will help network 277 NYC subway stations with cameras programmed to detect suspicious behavior
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DHS awards $399 million in critical infrastructure grants
Winning states and municipalities eagerly await funding under Port Security Grant Program ($168 million), the Transit Security Grant Program ($136 million), and the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program ($9.5 million)
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Hardwire and Cold Spring to jointly-market Hardwire ArmorStone building reinforcement system
System incorporates Hardwire’s high-tensile steel reinforcement and blast-protective products with Cold Spring Granite Company’s granite; combination is augmented with proprietary coupling systems and chemistries; creating strong but beautiful buildings a major post-9/11 challenge, business opportunity
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EMC announces new security division to house recent acquisitions
RSA, a leader in online identity management, and Network Intelligence, known for real-time security analysis, come together in a single unit
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Republican leadership agrees on chemical plant safety plan; tougher on industry than earlier versions
The chemical industry managed to keep onerous safety regulations from being imposed on it thanks to loyal friends in the administration and Congress; even its most loyal friends, however, have come to believe that the “voluntary, industry-developed” safety standards were not good enough, so last December legislators began to push for more federal say in how the industry secures itself against terrorism and accidents
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RiskWatch to release nuclear safety software in October
System will permit automatic risk assessment of infrastructure problems and outside threats; software created with DoD and DoE financing
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Lumenera selects Pixim to provide digital imaging chip set for new camera line
Pixim’s Digital Pixel System technology converts light to a digital signal directly at the point of capture in the image sensor; 128 MB of on-board memory makes chip set ideal for temporary video storage; technology a boost to Lumenera’s low-light surveillance cameras
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ISAlliance and ANSI announce IT security standards documents
Publications help IT security planners extend their internal security to their contractual realtionships; contracting for information security often overlooked in negotiation
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Fuel cells' promise for low power, long run-time devices
Two New Jersey companies demonstrate a fuel cell-powered wireless camera prototype system with infrared sensing and audio capability; the device is ideal for perimeter defense, border monitoring, batlefield observation, and more
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DHS release report on Operation Cyber Storm
DHS’s report on a large-scale simulated attack on U.S. government and critical infrastructure assets offers mixed results; no grades were assigned to specific performances, but the over-all impression is that the government’s — and industry’s — response to such an attcak could be much improved
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The long view
Preparing National Security Officials for the Challenges of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of several rapidly emerging technologies that promise to disrupt not only multiple sectors of the U.S. economy but also the manner in which the U.S. government carries out its foundational responsibility to protect national security consistent with the rule of law and constitutional values. Steve Bunnell writes that “The United States’ national security apparatus is not known for nimbleness, nor is the law that governs it. When it comes to AI, the risk is not just that our generals will fight tomorrow’s war with yesterday’s strategy but also that the United States will lack the legal and policy guardrails that are essential to a lawful, accountable, and ethical protection of the nation’s security.”
Food Production Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
Wide-ranging use of smart technologies is raising global agricultural production but cyber experts warn this digital-age phenomenon could reap a crop of another kind – cybersecurity attacks.
The "Rock-to-Metal Ratio" of Critical Minerals
A new metric to quantify the amount of waste rock generated by mining for minerals essential to 21st century society has been created by the U.S. Geological Survey and Apple.
Challenges to Tidal Flats Pose Risks to 41M Americans Living in Coastal Counties
About 29 percent of the United States’ population live in coastline counties – more than 41 million are in Atlantic counties. This high population density poses a critical challenge to sustainable developments in coastal areas.
Boosting Efforts to Predict Harmful Solar Weather Events
When big blasts of energy from the sun envelop the Earth, they can very strong: a 2015 event so weakened Earth’s protective magnetic field that it penetrated to the atmosphere, posing a threat to everything from circling space station astronauts to delicate electronics and communication systems.
Mitigating Flood Disasters
Engineers have proposed a flood control measure which recommends designing permeable pavements to specifically suit local rainfall and soil conditions and reduce flood impacts.