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New distance record for quantum encryption
Quantum encryption (or quantum key distribution [QKD]) holds the promise of unbreakable communication encryption; the technology has a weakness, though: the short distance of key distribution; researchers break distribution distance record by distributing keys over a distance of 250 kilometers (it may not look like much, but back in 1992 the record was 32 centimeters)
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Houston computer forensics lab accredited
Newly accredited Houston lab expands Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory Network (RCFL), a national network of sixteen FBI-sponsored digital forensics laboratories and training centers devoted entirely to the scientific examination of digital evidence in support of criminal investigations
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GSA adds more cybersecurity software to SmartBuy program
GSA estimates the contracts could be worth $20 million over five years
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Congress wants FCC cyber security updates
FCC among a list of eleven agencies which may have been affected by a 4 July service attack
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Questions raised about cost of, need for new electricity grid
A new national grid system for the United States would involve stringing 19,000 miles of high-voltage lines at a cost of$60 billion; some experts say this is too expensive — and unnecessary
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Glass fibers can make a building sturdier
Conventional means to reinforce concrete involve the use of steel bars; the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is emerging as a valuable option, owing to its natural resistance to corrosion, its high strength, light weight, transparency to electrical and magnetic fields and ease of manufacturing and installment
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U.S. secret service forms three new task forces
New task forces will deal with electronic crimes, and the agency says the partnerships will bring together law enforcement, academia, and private sector
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Cyber crime bigwigs using big-business tactics
Cisco cybercrime reports says “The novel thing is that [cybercriminals] have taken the Harvard Business School, General Electric board room business training and applied it to their old techniques”
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SAIC acquires Atlan
Large federal contractor acquires McLean, Virginia-based Atlan, a specialist in cybersecurity product testing and certification of FIPS 140-2 and 201 for product vendors
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Competition between Symantec, McAfee intensifies
With growing consumer awareness of cybersecurity threats, the competition between the two leading cybersecurity companies intensifies; McAfee has been lagging, but new leadership and willingness to take risks have improved its market position
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Inkjet printer technology to be used in biosensors
Researchers describe a method for printing a toxin-detecting biosensor on paper using a FujiFilm Dimatix Materials Printer; the method relies on a “lateral flow” sensing approach similar to that used in a home pregnancy test strip
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Practical guides to disaster recovery planning in SMEs
Gartner says that “40% of all SMBs will go out of business if they cannot get to their data in the first 24 hours after a crisis”; two papers aim to help SMBs prepare for disaster
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Using cell phones to predict floods
Researchers show that variations in microwave transmissions, specifically those used to connect up cell towers, can be used to measure humidity and thus predict flooding
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Experts: local and regional approach better for addressing radioactive waste
The Obama administration has stopped funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, so experts say it is now time for a regional and local approach to solving the nuclear waste problem
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South Korea says cyber attackers used IP address in 16 nations
South Korea’s intelligence agency — the NIS — said that the 4-8 July attacks on U.S. and South Korean Web sites and networks used 86 IP addresses in 16 countries; the NIS also briefed South Koran lawmakers on circumstantial and technical reasons for believing that North Korea could be behind the attacks
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The long view
Virtual Models Paving the Way for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
Computer models predict how reactors will behave, helping operators make decisions in real time. The digital twin technology using graph-neural networks may boost nuclear reactor efficiency and reliability.