US Environmental Protection Agency highlights the role of HVAC systems in pandemic flu transmission In a presentation given in June 2009 the US Environmental Protection Agency has discussed pandemic flu infection mechanisms and the role that building HVAC systems can play in this. Read article •Date: 30th June 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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‘Facilities Physical Security Measures Guideline’ New ASIS International guidance document. Read article •Date: 30th June 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC facilities
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Virtualization and disaster recovery: survey results Virtualization can play major role in disaster recovery – but doesn’t provide a complete solution. Read article •Date: 26th June 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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'Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States' New report provides authoritative assessment of national, regional impacts of global climate change. Read article •Date: 26th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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NIST study offers detailed look at the progress of a wildland-urban fire To better understand wildland-urban interface fires and how best to prevent or fight them, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have issued an in-depth study on fire behavior and defensive actions taken in a community during a such a fire. Little previous research has been conducted on understanding WUI fire behavior and on the effectiveness of current risk mitigation strategies. http://fire.nist.gov/wui •Date: 26th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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UK Met Office predicts quiet north Atlantic tropical storm season Only six tropical storms (which includes hurricanes) are forecast for the July to November period, compared to 15 last year. Read article •Date: 25th June 2009• Region: N.America •Type: Article •Topic: Warnings
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Disaster Recovery Institute of Canada presents 2009 Award of Excellence MTS Allstream recognized for leadership in disaster recovery planning. Read article •Date: 24th June 2009• Region: Canada •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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The keys to effective pandemic communications
Recommendations on how best to communicate during severe pandemic conditions. Read article •Date:19th June 2009• Region:US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis communications
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DHS coordinates national continuity plan exercise 'Eagle Horizon’ continuity of operations exercise took place on June 17. Read article •Date: 18th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC test & exercising
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NIST issues latest guidelines for teleworking security ‘Guide to Enterprise Telework and Remote Access Security (Special Publication 800-46 Revision 1)’. Read article •Date: 18th June 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Telecoms continuity
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Canadian Business Continuity Awareness Week The Business Continuity Institute has published final details of the Canadian Business Continuity Awareness Week which will take place from June 22 to June 26, 2009. Read article •Date: 18th June 2009• Region: Canada •Type: Article •Topic: Events
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DHS announces nearly $1.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2009 Preparedness Grants DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced nearly $1.8 billion in FEMA preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments and non-profit agencies improve their readiness by enhancing protection, prevention, response and recovery capabilities for all disasters. More details •Date: 18th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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US major disaster declarations FEMA has announced that major disaster declarations have been made as follows: South Dakota: for the area struck by severe storms and flooding beginning on March 11, 2009, and continuing. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11588 Arkansas: for the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on April 27, 2009, and continuing. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11589 •Date: 18th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Survey highlights disconnect between IT and business executives when it comes to business continuity and DR Many business executives do not understand how disaster recovery and business continuity contribute to organizational success. Read article •Date: 16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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Survey highlights disconnect between IT and business executives when it comes to business continuity and DR Many business executives do not understand how disaster recovery and business continuity contribute to organizational success. Read article •Date: 16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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DHS launches ‘The Blog @ Homeland Security’ The US Department of Homeland Security has launched The Blog @ Homeland Security, a new addition to the Department’s web presence designed to ‘increase transparency and facilitate the dialogue between DHS and the American public’. The Blog will include frequent updates on the Department’s activities, including breaking news, public events and new initiatives. http://www.dhs.gov/theblog •Date: 16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Call for investigation into small business hurricane recovery efforts United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Ranking Member Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, have written to Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the US Government Accountability Office, requesting a progress report on Gulf Coast small business recovery efforts. Read the letter. •Date: 16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Major disaster declared for Alaska FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the State of Alaska and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by flooding and ice jams beginning on April 28, 2009, and continuing. Douglas G. Mayne was named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11568 •Date:16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Kroll helps healthcare providers face looming red flag rules Kroll has launched an enhanced data breach preparedness program designed to help healthcare organizations guard against physical, cyber and security issues that may give rise to identity theft risks. The announcement comes just two months before the August 1 deadline for the Federal Trade Commission Red Flag Rules, which require the implementation of an ‘Identity Theft Prevention’ program by all organizations – including healthcare facilities – that extend lines of credit to consumers. The Red Flag Rules specifically call for the creation of a formal, written and revisable plan for identity theft prevention that includes provisions for identifying, detecting and responding to identity theft. Kroll’s breach preparedness program helps organizations create a customized plan to address the specific needs of their facilities and, in doing so, addresses many critical questions about how identity theft might affect their practices, including: How do we verify a patient’s or insured’s identity? What is our exposure to risk from third party vendors? How do we train employees to look beyond HIPAA to the threat of identity theft overall? www.krollfraudsolutions.com •Date: 16th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Pandemic phase six: what do business continuity managers do next? Many pandemic plans have build in escalation steps which are meant to kick in when a phase six pandemic alert is reached, however given the relatively low virulence of the virus and the current status of infection levels should BC managers reconsider their plans? Continuity Central asked various business continuity experts to give their views... Read article •Date:12th June 2009• Region:UK/US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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H1N1 is not the only infectious disease we should be concerned about While influenza pandemic planning has been in the headlines, there are other disease risks which planners need to be aware of, says John Glenn. Read article •Date:12th June 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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Protecting Our Employees: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and the Federal Workforce The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia is to hold a hearing with the above title. Taking place on June 16, it will review preparedness efforts in the federal government to protect and plan for a pandemic influenza outbreak. More details. •Date:12th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Fugate meets with US Chamber Of Commerce National Security Task Force Meeting discusses public-private partnerships in emergency management. Read article •Date: 11th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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Terror attack exercise held in NYC On Tuesday June 9, local authorities and federal agents took part in a full-scale terror drill that simulated a terror attack on the New York City. The exercise involved 400 FBI employees and an additional 300 NYPD personnel. Read the story. •Date: 11th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing
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New Homeland Security Advisory Council Members sworn in US DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has sworn in 16 members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council during her first meeting with HSAC in Albuquerque, N.M. Read article •Date:9th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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Florida gets new recovery facility 610 Corporation opens new Business Continuity Center at Inland Fiber and Data Technology Park, Winter Haven, Fl. Read article •Date:9th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Recovery facilities
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FEMA seeking comments on two radiological emergency preparedness documents FEMA is seeking public comment on two radiological emergency preparedness documents, published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2009. These documents will update emergency preparedness requirements for planning and response organizations surrounding operating nuclear power plants.The two documents are Supplement 4 to ‘Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants’ (NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev.1) and the proposed revision to the August 2002 Interim Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program Manual. More details. •Date:9th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefings
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Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption (MTPOD)
What is it, where did it come from and why is it important to your organization? Read article •Date: 5th June 2009• Region:US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC plan development
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Security considerations for US Smart Grid and Smart Metering deployment
Before the proposed Smart Grid is implemented there needs to be a review of the new information security and availability threats that such a system might engender. Dr. Jim Kennedy discusses. Read article •Date: 5th June 2009• Region:US •Type: Article •Topic: Power management
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Fugate meets with private sector representatives FEMA Administrator consults with private sector associations on disaster preparedness, the 2009 Hurricane Season and emergency management. Read article •Date:4th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Pitney Bowes to offer Stand-By Recovery Service Pitney Bowes’ Stand-By Recovery Service is designed for businesses with mail and print needs that are less complex than higher volume mailers. Read article •Date:4th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Major disaster declared for Alabama FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the State of Alabama and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and straight-line winds during the period of May 6-8, 2009.Albert Lewis has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11548 •Date:4th June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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AT&T publishes results from eighth annual US business continuity study Business continuity planning is evolving and investment is holding up. Read article •Date:2nd June 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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Many North American SMBs have poor quality business continuity plans According to the 2009 Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Survey conducted by Agility Recovery Solutions and Hughes Marketing Group. Read article •Date:2nd June 2009• Region: N.America •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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Are We Ready?: A Status Report on Emergency Preparedness for the 2009 Hurricane Season The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery is to hold a hearing with the above title.
Date: 6/4/09 Time (EST): 2:30 PM
Place: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rm. 342
More details •Date:2nd June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: 2009 Hurricane Season
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Major disaster declared for the Commonwealth Of Kentucky FEMA has announced federal aid to supplement Commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and mudslides during the period of May 3-20, 2009. The assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the commonwealth by President Obama. Kim. R. Kadesch was named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11528 •Date:2nd June 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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NIST defining cloud computing A working definition for cloud computing has been released by a team of computer security experts at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. Read article •Date:29th May 2009• Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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Separating fact from fiction when using synchronous replication for DR Jerome M. Wendt raises some important points to consider when planning a synchronous replication based DR system. Read article •Date: 29th May 2009• Region:US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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Business continuity salary and compensation reports now available BC Management has released more results from its annual survey into business continuity salaries, compensation and contractor fees. Read article •Date:28th May 2009• Region: Various •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season: information and updates This page will be updated with preparedness information and advice related to the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season as well as disaster recovery information during landfall incidents. Read article •Date: 28th May 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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SunGard Availability Services and Phoenix Health Systems partner to supply information availability services to community hospitals SunGard Availability Services has partnered with Phoenix Health Systems, a provider of healthcare IT outsourcing, consulting and revenue cycle management solutions, to help US hospitals improve information availability for electronic medical records and other technologies essential to quality of care. Read press release. •Date: 28th May 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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Major disaster declared for Florida FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for Florida to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, tornadoes, and straight-line winds beginning on May 17, 2009, and continuing. Jeffrey L. Bryant has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=11508 •Date: 28th May 2009• Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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