The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released its 2015 National Preparedness Report, which is for “anyone interested in seeing how preparedness can inform priorities and community actions.” It’s the fourth time FEMA has issued or updated the report. One of the preparedness trends included is “Incorporating Emergency Preparedness into Technology Platforms: Businesses and public-private […]
Video security cameras are beginning to raise questions over privacy rights. Security magazine looks at three court decisions “that law enforcement needs to bear in mind when targeting video cameras, using GPS systems and ‘pinging’ cellphones”. There are balances only beginning to be worked out in this new electronic age.
Cyber security trends aren’t encouraging – indeed, RSA President Amit Yoran thinks were still in the digital security dark ages. So much so that he began his RSA keynote last month by “speaking in pitch darkness, ‘stumbling around,’backed by the sound of an ominous, moaning wind.” Read on through Yoran’s remarks if you want to […]
Just when you thought you were getting used to the idea of drones being used for everything from aerial photography to deliveries (of packages, or something lethal), meet the ‘Cicada’ mini-drone. They can be sent in “swarms” and are awfully difficult to spot or track. “They are seen by their designers,” says In Homeland Security, […]
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is paying rightful tribute to the nation’s emergency medical responders during Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, adding an appropriate personal note: “We believe strongly in the balance of work and family life,” says Dr. Kathryn Brinsfield, Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and DHS Chief Medical Officer, “and encourage all […]
Brian Krebs advises that Microsoft and Adobe have issued “critical” security patches involving Windows, Flash Player, Adobe Air, Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Windows, Kreb says, has “roughly four dozen security vulnerabilities” and Adobe’s Flash Player and Adobe Air have a “slew of critical flaws” while Adobe Reader and Acrobat have a number of “holes”. If […]
A word to wise drivers: traffic enforcement cameras are likely to be loaded against you. That is, if you try to challenge a violation ticket awarded by a camera, the judge is likely to rule against you. That’s the view expressed on AmericanCity & County’s Viewpoints blog: The Constitutions’s “substantive due process protection” does not […]
Homeland Security Watch provides a link to the U.S. appellate court decision that Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act “cannot be used as the legal basis for bulk collection of domestic (telephone) calling records.” The decision, HSW notes, “would seem to put the entire program in legal jeopardy.”
Congress is considering proposals on the disclosure of computer security breaches. Companies would be given the choice of deciding whether a breach might lead to serious identity theft or fraud, says the Clearswift blog. Expect to hear of debate on the proposals before too long. “If companies believe there is no reasonable chance that a […]
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is concerned that many of us aren’t prepared should a disaster strike. Weather-related emergencies seem to be on the rise, but weather or whatever, it’s a good idea for businesses and households alike to have a disaster plan and to drill on it occasionally. Are you sure you have […]