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epcSolutions solves the tailgating problem
Company’s Tetragate software combines video, iris scans, and RFID to prevent unauthorized entry by piggybackers; system counts the number of people near an entry point before and after card authorization; “any asset, one network” approach allows objects to be tagged to a person, thereby preventing theft
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Navy scientists use minute manufacturing differences to detect counterfeit IDs
Approach relies in variation among transistors and wires that make up compuuter chips; two may work in the same way, but differences in threshold voltages make all the difference in detecting a fake
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ManTech spins-out NetWitness division to private investors
Company will retain a share in the company while hoping its new freedom will spur on the creativity needed to dominate the network forensics market; financial terms remain secret
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IBM anounces Clipped Tag technology for retail RFID
Customers nervous about surveillance can cut off a portion of the tag, thereby restricting the range to a few inches; system maximizes the utility of RFID for check-out management while respecting privacy; remaining RFID range permits product returns
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IDC says Middle East IT security market is booming
With $4.7 billion in spending in 2005 alone, analysts predict 15 percent annual growth through 2009; Dubai leads the way, and prepares for the massive GITEX 2006 trade show and conference
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Vigilon opens operation center in Chicago
The State of Illinois is actively seeking homeland security and business continuity companies; the latest to embrace the Windy City is Israeli enterprise security specialist Vigilon, which opens an operation center in Chicago
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DoD lays out 2008 IT security priorities
Redteaming — modelling the enemy’s thought process — leads the way when it comes to defending communications lines; biometric control of military bases a major focus; other priorities include technologies to track terrorists and predict social outcomes of military engagement
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Garda purchases Securite et Protection Secpro
Deal just the latest in major acquisitions for the Canadian firm and follows on purchase of Vance; Securite a major Quebec-based provider of guard services
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Smiths Detection moves forward with Tunnel of Truth
Scheduled for deployment at the 2012 London Olympics, the system incorporates a slew of automated measures to detect explosives and weapons; scheme resembles GE’s Checkpoint of the Future, including the use of the much-maligned puffer machines
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DynTek snaps up Sensible Security Solutions
Deal gives DynTek a pre-established foothold in the booming Canadian IT security market; SSS a leader in enterprise level security, a perfect match for Dyntek’s mid-market approach
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GAO criticizes government cybersecurity R&D procedures
Problems include the failure to define a federal cybersecurity agenda and properly utilize an established coordinating repository; spread out over multiple agencies, R&D requires a stronger coordinating authority
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CACI announces $230 million in new defense IT contracts
Deals cover a range of communications and analysis systems; 90 percent are for new projects rather than extensions of earlier ones
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The long view
Training Students to Succeed in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”
Transformational changes are already underway in the manufacturing industry as technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart devices from the “fourth industrial revolution” or Industry 4.0., inspire a digital-first approach to engineering. University of Missouri researchers are using a $1 million grant to support the development of an Industry 4.0 lab, training engineering students for the future of digitization in manufacturing.
Tech Breakthrough Could Increase States’ Use of Geothermal Power
Lawmakers in some states have been laying the groundwork to add geothermal power to the electrical grid and pump underground heat into buildings. Now, a technological breakthrough could dramatically expand those ambitions — and perhaps unleash a new wave of policies to tap into geothermal sources. If the technology’s promise is fulfilled, geothermal could power as much as 20% of the U.S. grid.
State Pension Fund is Helping a Middle Eastern Firm Export Arizona’s Precious Groundwater
As rural Arizonans face the prospect of wells running dry, foreign firms are sucking up vast amounts of the state’s groundwater to grow hay for Saudi Arabia and other wealthy nations. The state’s retirement system invested heavily in a private land deal that allowed a foreign company to effectively ship Arizona’s scarce water supply overseas.
Climate Change and U.S. Property Insurance: A Stormy Mix
Accelerating risks and damage from climate change are spurring private insurers in the United States to limit coverage in a growing number of areas, thus imposing mounting stress on local communities and straining the country’s overall economic health.
Wastewater Can Help Tackle Water Shortages
Europe has experienced severe heat and drought over the last few summers, and 2023 has been no different. Vast swathes of Central and Southern Europe are simply too dry from a lack of rainfall. Water shortages are causing tensions in some countries. But, for now, there’s enough water to go around. Using the precious resource more efficiently is key.
Sediment Movement During Hurricane Harvey Could Negatively Impact Future Flooding
Enormous amounts of sediment, or sand and mud, flowed through Houston waterways during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, due in part to modifications made by humans to bayous, rivers and streams over the past century. Harvey was the largest rainfall event in U.S. history, and it moved 27 million cubic meters of sediment, or 16 Astrodomes, through Houston waterways and reservoirs. This could seriously impact future flooding events and be costly to the City of Houston.