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Terrorism spread in Mexico
Two weeks ago the EOR guerrillas bombed oil and natural gas pipelines, exhibiting intimate knowledge of the delivery infrastructure and its emergency backup procedure; this week the groups bombed a Sears Robuck store, vowing to continue a campaign against “the interests of the national and foreign oligarchy.”
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New technology allow earlier detection of sturctural vulnerabilities
ASI offers detailed visual simulation solution which would allow building owners, designers, architects, engineers, insurance underwriters, and security experts see what will happen to a structure before a disaster strikes
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Oil tanks on ships to be located inside double hull
IMO’s rule goes into effect Tuesday: It requires oil fuel tanks on ships to be located inside a double hull to help prevent spillages of oil fuel in case of collision, grounding, or terorist act
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Engineers look for causes of bridge collapse
Engineering experts puzzled by catastrophic collapse of Minneapolis bridge; may have been the result of a “prefect storm,” in which several causes combined
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The bumpy road to a better Internet
Would that we had an Internet which would cut online crime, tackle child pornography, halt crippling viruses, and get rid of spam; scientists are working on it, but with less government support than was the case 40 years ago, when the Internet was born
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Zero-day vulnerabilities are the top security concern
Most IT managers say that zero-day vulnerabilities are their main concern; 29 percent of organizations deployed critical updates within two hours during 2007 compared to just 14 percent in 2006
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DHS issues security guidelines for U.S. power infrastructure operators
Growing fears of physical and cyber attacks on U.S. power infrastructure lead DHS to issue detailed protection plans against for industry
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Homeland security legislation to affect water sector
Increasing security of transportation of dangerous chemicals, changing the formula governing the distribution of homeland security grants to states, and other clauses in homeland security bill will affect water sector
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U.K. unveils broad counterterrorism measures
Prime Minister Gordon Brown unvelis broad counter-terrorism measures, including unified border police, electronic exit controls at U.K. borders, biometric visas, better critical infrastructure protection, and more
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New quantum key system combines speed, distance
Detection stage of the NIST prototype quantum key distribution system: Photons are “up-converted” from 1310 to 710 nm by one of the two NIST-designed converters at right, then sent to one of two commercial silicon avalanche photo diode units to the left. Credit: NIST
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Mexican guerrillas who hit oil, gas pipelines had inside knowledge
Cause for worry: Bombers of crude oil and natural gas pipelines in Mexico had detailed knowledge of vulnerable energy installation — and of mitigation procedures, too
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Russia continues go-slow policy on Iran's Bushehr reactor
There are many reasons to criticize Russia, but close examination shows that its behavior on the issue of helping Iran’s nuclear effort has been more responsible and nuanced than surface impressions would allow
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Brits worried about critical infrastructure protection
Swaths of Britain are under water, with hundreds of thousands without power; some worry that the UK is not doing enough to proetct criticalinfrastructure
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DHS has spent $2 billion on private sector for critical infrastructure
Some 85 percent of U.S. critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and since 2003 DHS has provided nearly $2 billion for risk-based grants to protect private-sector critical infrastructure; $445 million have been given this year already
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Vortex's water purification technology potentially disruptive
DHS has identified chlorine gas as a top twenty domestic terrorist threat; most countries depend on chlorine as a primary water treatment disinfectant; Vortex offers an alternative
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The long view
Nuclear Has Changed. Will the U.S. Change with It?
Fueled by artificial intelligence, cloud service providers, and ambitious new climate regulations, U.S. demand for carbon-free electricity is on the rise. In response, analysts and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at a controversial energy source: nuclear power.
Water Is the Other U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis, and the Supply Crunch Is Getting Worse
The United States and Mexico are aware of the political and economic importance of the border region. But if water scarcity worsens, it could supplant other border priorities. The two countries should recognize that conditions are deteriorating and update the existing cross-border governance regime so that it reflects today’s new water realities.
Exploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.