Georgia's version of COBR
CCD Design and Ergonomics' David Watts describes how Georgia has turned to UK experts to help plan and install its version of COBR, the UK's national situation room.
In any emergency, a swift response is usually a basic need - providing that it is co-ordinated, well planned and based on good intelligence. National emergencies can, of course, take many forms – from natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes to man-made emergencies such as terrorism. For many countries, the infrastructure is not in place to deal with major emergencies – Government investment is more often focused in other areas that provide economic and social benefits on a day to day basis. Realising there is a need to be ready for a variety of emergency situations, the … More…
Emerging countries vote for fingerprint biometrics
According to DigitalPersona's Chris Trytten, there are an increasing number of instances where fingerprint biometrics has had a transformational impact on the electoral process in developing countries.
In emerging countries across the world, Civil ID programs are taking shape. For these countries, growth, prosperity and political stability depend on providing burgeoning populations with access to basic services, such as pensions, entitlements, education, banking, as well as secure voting systems. Unlike developed countries, emerging nations often lack an identity infrastructure, making it imperative that identifying and authenticating an individual be easy and resistant to fraud. Because other forms of identity such as personal identification numbers (PINs) or identity cards can be faked, s… More…
Disaster recovery and the mobile office
It is vital that the mobile office is placed at the forefront of any disaster recovery planning as these employees may be the key to providing rapid continuation of business services in the most productive, seamless and cost-effective manner, advocates Plan Net's Jennifer Norman,
As we are all aware, today's working culture has moved on from the traditional old 9 to 5 office work to a new concept where people are working flexible hours from flexible locations. As a consequence, both employers and employees expect more – in particular, the ability to work seamlessly from any device and from any location. Technology advancements in telephony, collaboration tools, virtualisation, security and application and desktop delivery have enabled the 'mobile office' concept to be embraced faster than a speeding freight train. Adoption is also driven by the many benefits ach… More…
People make the difference: Smart Grid security requires staff and time
Every employee must become a member of the security team recommends ENBALA Power Networks' Craig MacBride. This protects the company's assets and processes and keeps the electricity system reliable and resilient.
The Smart Grid is becoming a reality, and with it comes new concerns, and one of the most important is Smart Grid security. There are two fundamental reasons companies need to consider security now, instead of after significant attacks. First is that technology can no longer be isolated, and, second, it takes time and dedicated staff to create a truly secure system. Waiting until after attacks to take security seriously is not a smart move. Some would advocate that companies can keep their processes secure simply by not connecting in the first place, but isolation is not an option any longer… More…
