Infrastructure protection

University of Colorado announces first-in-nation PhD program
Degree to be offered as early as the fall, pending $1.9 million in federal funding; public policy program will focus on infrastructure threats
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Indiana receives $1.2 million for lake and river security
Money will be used to purchase powerboats, the trucks to tow them, thermo-imaging devices, and side-scanning sonar units
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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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