SM Digital December 2018

​Mass Communications

A new study from Rave Mobile Safety explores the use of mass notification systems at U.S. colleges and universities. Among the top uses for these systems at educational institutions were severe weather communication, active shooter emergencies, and class cancellations.

Grid Resilience

A report​ from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory urges government and industry to jointly outline a series of emergency operations in the event of a power grid attack.

Maritime Safety

Two reports involving U.S. maritime security were recently released​ by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Census 2020

The U.S. Census Bureau continues to face significant challenges and risks in its efforts to manage the schedules, contracts, costs, and cybersecurity of its 2020 census systems, according to a recent government report.​

Corruption

A former manager​ of a U.S.-based logistics company pleaded guilty to a foreign bribery charge for his role in a scheme to secure contracts and extensions for Venezuela's state-owned and state-controlled energy company.

Firearms

Tennessee enacted a new amendment​ that allows employers to limit the ability of employees and others to carry concealed firearms at work.

Cybersecurity

California's legislature passed a bill to set standards for privacy and data security for Internet of Things devices.

​Cybercrime

A Russian national pleaded guilty to his role in operating one of the largest botnets on the Internet that infected at least 50,000 computers.

​Elections

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order​ that allows the United States to issue sanctions in the event of foreign interference in a U.S. election.

Hacking

Peteris Sahurovs, 29, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for participating in a "scareware" hacking scheme targeting visitors to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's website​.

Excessive Force

Former Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police Department Officer Michael Kaim, 28, was sentenced to one year in prison​ and a fine of $1,000 for depriving a patient of his civil rights.

Representation

California's state Assembly passed legislation that would require companies to have more women on their boards over the next five years.

​Disclosure

The U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee passed a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create a vulnerability disclosure process.