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Satellite images show early stages of Syrian nuclear reactor
On 6 September Israel stealthily destroyed a target deep inside Syria; examination of satellite images taken of the site before it was destroyed leads independent experts to conclude that Syria might have been building a gas-graphite reactor of about 20 to 25 megawatts, similar to the reactor North Korea built at Yongbyon
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Innovative self-contained water recycling system for megacities
German researchers develop a self-contained water treatment system which purifies waste water and collects rain to help cities with inadequate water supplies
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Massive sensor network to monitor Hudson River
The Hudson to become the world’s largest environmental-monitoring system; system may be used to monitor cities’ water systems
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DPW IPO could kickstart new Dubai bourse
Dubai Ports World made news last year when it became the operator of several major U.S. ports; DPW is floating $20 billion on fledgling Dubai stock exchange
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Following contractor's loss of laptops, TSA now requires encryption
Contractors for TSA must now encrypt all data on their computers; order issued after loss of laptops holding information on nearly 4,000 hazmat drivers
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U.S. power grid is increasingly vulnerable to attack
U.S. power system is worth more than $1 trillion, comprising more than 200,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 800,000 megawatts of generating capability; it serves more than 300 million; Congressional panel, describing industry-developed security standards as “woefully inadequate, “examines how well operators have implemented security measures developed by DHS, DOE
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Manhole security and U.S. critical infrastructure
Manholes are small, inconspicuous, and unattended; they offer easy access to vital underground infrastructure, so we had better think of ways to make them more secure, and do so quickly
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As offshoring development work grows, so do risks to intellectual property
More and more organizations are eager to enjoy the benefits and advantages of offhoring development work; they should be aware that this entails a growing risk of trade secrets’ thefts and leakage
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Topoff 4 Exercise underway
DHS-coordinated excercise involves 22,000 participants in Guam, Oregon, and Arizona from all levels of government, nationally and internationally, as well as the private sector in a full-scale simulated response to radiological dispersal device
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Acronis, AMD partner to offer recovery solution
Acronis True Image 9.1 Enterprise Server allows customers to create a precise image of a server; it will now be available on servers and computers running on AMD processors
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Michigan neighborhood, schools evacuated in wake of chmeical spill
About 500 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked into a containment area at a metal finishing services plant; 3,000 residents, two schools, trailer park evacuated; rain could complicate clean-up efforts
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Xerox shows software which automatically redacts sensitive data
The legal, health, and financial sectors should be interested in Xerox’s intelligent redaction software which, the company claims, automatically “understands” the content of documents and blocks, or censors, the more sensitive information before releasing the documents
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U.S. worried about proposed Yemen-Djibouti bridge
An engineering company owned by Osama bin-Laden’s half-brother announced it was planning to build the world’s longest bridge: A 17-mile span connecting Yemen and Djibouti; U.S. worries it will faciliate terrorist activity in the Horn of Africa
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SCADA protection should remain in private hands
Critics say that DHS’s plan to join with NSA to take the lead in protecting SCADA not only raises privacy concerns, but would be ineffective
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Security experts warn of race to the bottom on PCI certs
Did you know that an organization has no legal responsibility to fix a vulnerability? Current laws stipulate the requirement that people be informed when data is breached, but there is nothing forcing a company to fix something before it leads to data being compromised
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The long view
Accelerating Clean Energy Geothermal Development on Public Lands
Geothermal energy is one of our greatest untapped clean energy resources on public lands. Replenished by heat sources deep in the Earth, geothermal energy generates electricity with minimal carbon emissions. Interior Department announces new leases and pioneering project approval, and proposes simplified permitting.
Efforts to Build Wildfire Resilience Are Heating Up
Stanford’s campus has become a living lab for testing innovative fire management techniques, from AI-powered environmental sensors to a firebreak-creating “BurnBot.”
Reducing Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise in Virginia
As the climate changes and sea levels rise, there is concern that sinking coastlines could exacerbate risks to infrastructure, as well as human and environmental health in coastal communities. The Virginia Coastal Plain is one of the fastest-sinking regions on the East Coast.
The Fate of Thousands of U.S. Dams Hangs in the Balance, Leaving Rural Communities with Hard Choices
Dams across the country are aging and facing intensifying floods wrought by climate change. But the price tag to fix what’s broken is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Climate Change Threatens Bridges, Roads: Research Helps Engineers Adapt Infrastructure
Across America, infrastructure built to handle peak stormwater flows from streams and rivers have been engineered under the assumption that rainfall averages stay constant over time. As extreme weather events become more frequent, these systems could be in trouble.