Infrastructure protection

Critical infrastructure employees to receive vaccine in influenza pandemic
HHS, CDC, and other government agencies conduct three-day public discussion on how to prioritize allocation of vaccine during an influenza pandemic; majority of discussants emphasize need to distribute vaccines first to employees in critical infrastructure
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Early warning system for earthquakes
Shake, rattle, and respond: By analyzing earthquakes when and where they strike, a computerized system could save lives
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Georgia to consolidate IT infrastructure
The State of Georgia spends $617 million a year on IT; governor wants to consolidate IT spending, eliminating 1,100 jobs in the process
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Fiber optics no obstacle to cyber crime
Fiber optics are an ideal transmission medium, and the length of cable installed around the globe is estimated at more than 300 million kilometers; fiber optic networks are employed by many banks, insurance companies, enterprises, and public authorities as their communication backbone, supporting critical business activities; fiber optic cables are as vulnerable to hacking as traditional copper wires
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Spain tightens security of nuclear plants
There are eight active nuclear power plants in Spain; recent incidents — Greenpeace activists breaching security in one plant; an employee trying to smuggle out uranium tablets in another — convinced the authorities that more must be done to secure them
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Water consumption by thermoelectric plants to grow 35.7%
Water shortages loom as one of the major problems in the next two decades for both developed and developing countries; it does not help that water consumption by thermoelectric power plants will increase by nearly 40% during this period — and even more if carbon capturing technologies are adopted
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Systems integrator Adesta is making a bigger impression
Adesta is a versatile and innovative systems integrator specializing in the construction and maintenance of stand-alone or integrated communication networks and electronic security systems
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New York opposes extending Indian Point license
Indian Point nuclear plants in Westchester County are surrounded by 20 million people within a 50-mile radius, more than any other reactor in the country; plants’ operator applied for a 20-year extension license, but the State of New York says plants pose too much risk and should be shut down
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FLIR Systems received $2 million contracts to boost airport security
Thermal imaging specialist finds its cameras in demand at U.S. airports; cameras are suitable for securing the long perimeters typically associated with major airports
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Bulgaria to build the first Russian-designed nuclear reactor in the EU
Bulgaria will be the first EU country to build a nuclear power plant based on Russian design; the plant will be built at a site deemed unsafe two decades ago because it was prone to earthquakes
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Cities worry about toxic substances in freight cars
Water treatment facilities in Baltimore no longer use chlorine, but city residents are still exposed to risk because trains carrying the toxic substance to facilities elsewhere go through the city; city officials want to change this situation
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Europeans install radiation detectors as U.S. question detectors' efficacy
U.S. legislators raise questions about DHS’s $1.4 billion program which aims to deploy nuclear radiation detectors in U.S. ports; GAO raises questions about test methodology of latest technology; Europeans, though forge ahead with port deployment
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How real is the nuclear threat for the United States?
Graham Allison: “Based on current trends, a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States is more likely than not in the decade ahead”
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Acoustic sensors to protect borders, critical infrastructure
Two British companies offer an intriguing border, perimeter, and critical infrastructure protection solution: Sensors, using optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR), continuously monitor the length of existing or installed cable to detect, locate, and categorize security breaches every 10 meters over a 40 km length of optical fiber
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How to pay for greater chemical plant safety
Critics point to the price tag of the chemical plant safety measure as a reason why it should not be imposed on the chemical industry; they are wrong: Meaningful safety standards should be imposed on chemical plants, but since it is a public good, the taxpayers — not the industry alone — should shoulder the cost
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