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Congress proposes new regulations on the sale of fertilizer
Bill would force buyers to provide identification and require sellers to register with DHS or an appropriate state agency; a number of states already have similar laws intended to stymie another Timothy McVeigh; Farm Bureau continues to resist federal intrusion
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Rising energy costs threaten IT expansion
Power-hungry security solutions may face dark days; energy costs projected to eat up 50 percent of future IT budgets; Internet and software-based approaches gain an edge
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Federal IT security spending to drop 50 percent in 2007
Government to spend only $118 billion in the face of congressional belt-tightening; major contracts still to come include: GSA’s Alliant, Treasury’s Project Support Solutions, and Agriculture’s Multiple Award Information Technology Support Services
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DHS IT auditing office criticizes its own security procedures
Failure by the inspector general’s office to implement a standard laptop configuration that meets required DHS and federal guidelines; the failure Inspector general’s office cited for having failed to implement procedure to identify relevent software patches and update; lost and stolen laptops a major issue
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University of Texas wins $3.1 million DHS training grant
Award follows the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security’s participation in Cyberstorm and Dark Screen cyberterrorism exercises; grant to support state and municipal cybersecurity training efforts
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Social networking sites create security risks
Viruses and spyware as much a threat as identity theft; 46 percent of using adults access sites from work, and many more download unknown files; log-in credentials at risk, experts say
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Two companies' products protect security by self-destructing
VaporStream offers a Web-based e-mail service that leaves no trace once the message is read; copying, archiving, and forwarding are impossible; Philips applies for a patent on a tamperproof MRAM chip that wipes itself out if opened
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Homeland Security Corporation signs surveillance deal with Camp Pendleton
The Internet-based supplier will provide cameras, transmitters, and related devices; protecting military bases a big business these days as planners worry about terrorist intrusions and attacks
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Critical infrastructure companies form consortium for further work
Abeo Corporation, CT Solutions, and Vidient among firms looking to build on earlier successes with TSA; team previously completed airport infrastructure projects at Helena and Tallahassee airports
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Researchers find America's Internet resilient to terror attacks
Rich web of nodes and regional service providers make it hard to knock out Internet; even a succesful strike against multiple nodes not likely to succeed due to peering agreements; research at Georgia Tech looks into VoIP security with grants from BellSouth and Internet Security Systems
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Lockeed Martin names ObjectVideo as subcontractor for MTA project
Video analytic firm will help network 277 NYC subway stations with cameras programmed to detect suspicious behavior
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DHS awards $399 million in critical infrastructure grants
Winning states and municipalities eagerly await funding under Port Security Grant Program ($168 million), the Transit Security Grant Program ($136 million), and the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program ($9.5 million)
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Hardwire and Cold Spring to jointly-market Hardwire ArmorStone building reinforcement system
System incorporates Hardwire’s high-tensile steel reinforcement and blast-protective products with Cold Spring Granite Company’s granite; combination is augmented with proprietary coupling systems and chemistries; creating strong but beautiful buildings a major post-9/11 challenge, business opportunity
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EMC announces new security division to house recent acquisitions
RSA, a leader in online identity management, and Network Intelligence, known for real-time security analysis, come together in a single unit
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Republican leadership agrees on chemical plant safety plan; tougher on industry than earlier versions
The chemical industry managed to keep onerous safety regulations from being imposed on it thanks to loyal friends in the administration and Congress; even its most loyal friends, however, have come to believe that the “voluntary, industry-developed” safety standards were not good enough, so last December legislators began to push for more federal say in how the industry secures itself against terrorism and accidents
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More headlines
The long view
Falling Space Debris: How High Is the Risk I'll Get Hit?
An International Space Station battery fell back to Earth and, luckily, splashed down harmlessly in the Atlantic. Should we have worried? Space debris reenters our atmosphere every week.
Using Drone Swarms to Fight Forest Fires
Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change. Researchers are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires.
Strengthening the Grid’s ‘Backbone’ with Hydropower
Argonne-led studies investigate how hydropower could help add more clean energy to the grid, how it generates value as grids add more renewable energy, and how liner technology can improve hydropower efficiency.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.