Security Briefs - Nov. 28 - Dec. 4
The Latest Headlines:
- War Game Assesses Impact of 'Dirty' Bomb in Ports
- Postal Workers to Get Anti-Radiation Medication
- U.S. Offers Guidance on Terror Insurance
- Postal Workers to Get Anti-Radiation Medication
War Game Assesses Impact of 'Dirty' Bomb in Ports
The Conference Board and the consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton said a simulation showed that a potential nuclear attack through U.S. ports could cost U.S. businesses more than $58 billion.The two-day port security war game took place Oct. 2-3 in Washington, Booz Allen said in a release.
In the scenario, a "dirty" bomb slipped through security at the Port of Los Angeles but was discovered when it fell off a truck. Also, a second dirty bomb was unpacked from a container in Minneapolis, and three individuals on the FBI’s terrorist watch list were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of cargo theft.
"The game revealed that port security is everyone's concern, and everyone's responsibility," said Mark Gerencser, vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton. "The key to securing our ports is to maintain security throughout the whole supply chain, from the factory to the end user. The ports serve as a checkpoint, but they cannot provide a foolproof security screen. And we have seen that disruptions caused by security breaches can create enormous economic consequences." Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
Postal Workers to Get Anti-Radiation Medication
U.S. postal workers are being given potassium iodide pills to protect them against thyroid cancer in case of a radiological emergency, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.The U.S. Postal Service said it is buying nearly 1.6 million of the pills to give to workers who want them if an emergency occurs, AP said.
Potassium iodide is the only medication approved for internal radiation exposure and would help only if a dirty bomb used iodine rather than other radioactive substances, and even then, it would only be useful to people close to the explosion, AP reported.
The tablets are being offered to all 750,000 employees of the service. Each worker who wants them will get two pills, AP said. Transport Topics
U.S. Offers Guidance on Terror Insurance
The Treasury Deparment offered some guidance to insurers and the insured on how to handle new terrorism insurance legislation, the Associated Press reported.Among the new guidelines from the department is a directive that companies have 90 days to notify policyholders of any changes in premiums or coverage as a result of the new law, AP said.
Treasury also said that insurers must disclose information about the new program to their policyholders and it launched a study to see whether affordable terrorism insurance is available for companies that offer group life insurance, AP reported.
The agency would also be setting up a new office, AP said, to handle terrorism insurance and a new Web site has been set up to provide information on the subject. Transport Topics
