• D.C. tests interoperable public safety system

    Interoperability between radio and mobile Internet sought, and new technology — called Radio Over Wireless Broadband, or ROW-B — has the potential to save first responders time in an emergency

  • China quake forces rethink over hazard maps

    Following the Sichuan earthquake, in which more than 65,000 people died, researchers say that similar regions may also be in danger and that seismic hazard maps should be redrawn

  • Cyber war fears grow after Georgia Web sites attacked

    Analysis of the attacks on official Georgia’s Web sites during and following the 8 August Russian incursion lead experts to suspect that rather than initiated by the Russian government, the attacks were the result of cyber “militias” or “hacktivists”; this is worrisome because it highlights the ability of small bands of hackers, let alone governments, to disrupt communication networks and critical infrastructure

  • Data breaches in U.S. already surpass 2007 total

    The number of reported data breaches in the United States has already surpassed 2007’s total; more states now require breach reporting; experts also say that the development of SQL injections made breaches much easier

  • Canada's crumbling infrastructure reaching critical point

    New study says $200 billion needed to shore up Canada’s infrastructure in order to keep private sector competitive

  • Pennsylvania power grid not keeping up with needs

    Upgrades to the state’s power grid critical for energy reliability, advocates say; they argue that electricity infrastructure has taken a backseat to alternative energy and rate caps

  • Bay Area's FasTrak road tolls easy to hack

    Toll transponders can be cloned, allowing fraudsters to travel for free while others unwittingly foot the bill; more seriously, criminals could use the FasTrak system to create false alibis by overwriting one’s own ID onto another driver’s device before committing a crime

  • New analysis of earthquake zone raises questions

    Oregon State University researchers offer a new analysis of an earthquake fault line that extends some 200 miles off the southern and central Oregon coast that they say is more active than the San Andreas Fault in California

  • Aussie student has answer to save Earth from asteroid attack

    The bomb dropped on Hiroshima had an explosive yield of 12.5 kiloton; asteroid Apophis, which is now hurtling toward Earth and which will come uncomfortably close to our planet in 2029, packs a punch of 1,375,000 kilotons; competitions are being held to find the best way to stop it in its tracks

  • New system thwarts Internet eavesdropping

    The growth of wireless networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications; Carnegie Mellon researchers develop a low-cost system that can thwart these Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks

  • Making precast concrete structures safer

    Precast concrete helps builders save time and money, and also increase buildings’ durability; new research aims to make them better able to withstand earthquakes

  • ManTech acquires ETG

    ETG is a privately held and highly specialized company providing computer network operations and computer forensics; in acquiring it, ManTech signals its intent to expand further into the cybersecurity counter-terrorism technology support market

  • Britain "under constant attack in cyberwar"

    The U.K. government warns a cyberwar is being waged against Britain with key computer networks coming under attack every day

  • Earthquakes endanger New York more than previously believed

    A study by a group of prominent seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults makes the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed; among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones

  • NIST 9/11 investigation finds building fires caused collapse

    After three years study, NIST experts say fire caused the collapse of the 47-story World Trade Center building 7; this is the first known instance of fire causing the total collapse of a tall building