NEWS : north america, June 2007

Achieving NERC CIP compliance utilizing ISO 17799:2005
By Dr. Jim Kennedy, MRP, MBCI, CHS-III, CBRM.
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•Date: 28th June 2007• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: ISM
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Zeus launches data center load balancing solution
Allows enterprises to seamlessly share traffic across globally distributed data centers.
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•Date: 28th June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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SBA reopens disaster loan program to small business owners affected by 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes
Gulf Coast small business owners who missed last July's application deadline for the US Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loans made available during the 2005 hurricane season have another opportunity to apply, SBA Administrator Steven Preston has announced. Pre-existing small businesses located in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas counties and parishes that were declared disaster areas after Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma can now apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans until December 31, 2007. http://www.sba.gov/
•Date: 28th June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Unified communications critical to disaster recovery and continuity of operations planning
According to Cisco survey.
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•Date: 26th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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Fire suppression system backup
Helps a company get back online quickly after a fire suppression system discharge occurs.
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•Date: 26th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC facilities
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‘Private Sector Preparedness Part I- Defining the Problem and Proposing Solutions’
The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration has held a session with the above title. Testimonies and presentations to the meeting can be found here.
•Date: 26th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing

Details of FEMA National Advisory Council published
FEMA Administrator David Paulison has announced the membership of the National Advisory Council.
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•Date: 22nd June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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NIST WTC recommendations spur new model building codes
Safer buildings that are more resistant to fire and more easily evacuated in emergencies are the goal of the first comprehensive set of building code changes recently approved by the International Code Council.
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•Date: 22nd June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC and Facilities
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Virginia Tech signs up with 3n
Agreement will significantly expand campus emergency notification system.
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•Date: 22nd June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis communications
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FBI wraps up unusual case of corporate identity threat
Late last month, the FBI helped wrap up an unusual case of identity theft where one company attempted to steal $23 million by pretending to be another company.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june07/idtheft061807.htm
•Date: 22nd June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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Lessons from the frontline
Dr. Barbara Hillenbrand had her business continuity skills put to the test in the most extreme way; the plans she worked on were invoked during the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. In this article Barbara shares her thinking on how to develop a good business continuity plan.
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•Date: 21st June 2007• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC plan development
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Sandia and FDA develop new food safety risk assessment system
Aimed at preventing possible contamination by terrorists.
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•Date: 21st June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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Egenera awarded N+1 disaster recovery patent
Entitled ‘Disaster recovery for processing resources using configurable deployment platform.’
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•Date: 21st June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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GlobalOptions Group expands business in Middle East and Northern Africa
GlobalOptions Group, Inc. has announced that its James Lee Witt Associates unit (JLWA) has formed a multi-year agreement with Kuwait-based International Investors Group Holdings k.s.c.c. (IGH), to jointly provide emergency planning, crisis management, business continuity planning, training and exercises, and continuity of government services to governments and corporations throughout the Middle East and North Africa. www.wittassociates.com
•Date: 21st June 2007 • Region: Various •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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Taking a serious threat seriously: FBI-led nuclear terrorism conference
Included an in-depth WMD table-top exercise.
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•Date: 19th June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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FBI cracks Botnet
The US Department of Justice and the FBI have announced successful results from Operation Bot Roast, an ongoing cyber crime initiative to disrupt and dismantle ‘botherders’ and to elevate the public’s cyber security awareness of botnets. More details: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june07/botnet061307.htm
•Date: 19th June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: ISM
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Additional Federal assistance made available to states impacted by the 2005 hurricane season
Increase in federal assistance is being made available to Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama to cover costs in connection with hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Dennis and Rita.
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•Date: 15th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Disaster recovery
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OSHA implements National Emphasis Program to reduce hazardous chemical risks in the petrochemical industry
The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a directive implementing a National Emphasis Program to help eliminate workplace hazards associated with the release of highly hazardous chemicals at petroleum refineries. Under this program, OSHA will conduct 81 inspections over the next two years. This National Emphasis Program will provide guidance to OSHA national, regional and area offices as well as states that choose to implement similar programs. The directive is available online at www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_03-00-004.pdf
•Date: 15th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Office Depot launches hurricane preparedness contest for small businesses in South Florida
Office Depot has launched the ‘Office Depot Hurricane Preparedness Contest for Small Business’ which invites small businesses in Florida's Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to submit a 500-word essay explaining why their business is most in need of a hurricane preparedness makeover. Three deserving businesses will receive a $5,000 Office Depot gift card and a special on-site consultation with a business continuity expert. Winners will be selected based on need and uniqueness of entry. From now until June 23, 2007, small businesses in South Florida can enter online at www.officedepot.com/hurricanecontest
•Date: 15th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing
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September will be Fourth Annual US National Preparedness Month
625 national, regional, state, and local organizations pledge support.
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•Date: 14th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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President declares major disaster for Missouri
FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Missouri to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of May 5-18, 2007. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=36929
•Date: 14th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Retrofitting buildings to reduce chemical and biological hazard risks
New guide can be used to determine how to harden existing buildings against accidental chemical releases or possible terrorist threats.
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•Date: 12th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Facilities and buildings
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Continuity Software launches US Operations
Continuity Software, the Israel-based provider of disaster recovery management solutions, has announced that it has launched operations in the United States, with a Boston headquarters office and a New York sales office. In conjunction with the US company launch, the company formally introduced its RecoverGuard replication infrastructure gaps and configuration vulnerabilities detection solution. www.continuitysoftware.com
•Date: 12th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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Northeastern Pennsylvania to provide back-up location for Wall Street firms
Federal and state-funded program will include a fiber optic network connecting lower Manhattan with northeastern Pennsylvania.
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•Date: 8th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Recovery facilities
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Senate Committee to review federal government’s telework policy
US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing will take place on 12 June.
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•Date: 8th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Teleworking and BC
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Blackberry business continuity paper published
Designing and implementing an adequate Blackberry infrastructure is a significant challenge. Is your organization adequately prepared?
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•Date: 8th June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Telecoms continuity
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SBA briefs Congress on new disaster recovery plan
Updated plan an integral part of SBA disaster assistance reform agenda.
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•Date: 7th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Major disaster declared for Nebraska
FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Nebraska to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes during the period of May 4-19, 2007. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=36810
•Date: 7th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Teneros' Application Continuity appliances Selected as CRN '2007 Emerging Tech Dynamo'
Teneros has announced today that Computer Reseller News has named Teneros as an ‘Emerging Tech Dynamo’ for its application continuity appliances for high availability and disaster recovery of Microsoft Exchange. CRN's Emerging Tech list captures companies that are delivering high channel partner margins with innovative and easy-to-use technology unavailable from industry giants. http://www.teneros.com
•Date: 7th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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‘The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why’
A report that recommends steps to reduce hurricane damage in New Orleans has been released by an expert engineering panel of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
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•Date: 5th June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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How has the SBA changed since Hurricane Katrina?
The US Small Business Administration has published a document which sets out how it ‘has reengineered the Disaster Assistance program’ since Hurricane Katrina and how it now offers ‘a significant focus on customer service, direct accountability, and new technologies that have quadrupled processing capacity’. Read the document (PDF)
•Date: 5th June 2007• Region: US •Type: Article •Briefing: DR general
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Some considerations for choosing a consultant
Need consultancy help for your business continuity or crisis management program? Joseph Desplaines provides some advice…
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•Date: 1st June 2007• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Maturation of business continuity practice in the Intel supply chain
A paper from the Intel Technology Journal which provides an interesting case study.
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•Date: 1st June 2007• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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FEMA issues basic disaster recovery planning advice
Guidance and a checklist for business owners.
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•Date: 1st June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Scientists discover method to better forecast damaging solar radiation storms
Radio ’screams’ from the Sun provide an early warning.
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•Date: 1st June 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Telecoms continuity
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How can businesses prepare for biological warfare threats?
What if the Bubonic Plague was used as a weapon of mass destruction? Asks NCTA.
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•Date: 1st June 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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