There’s a lot going on in the world of physical risk and vulnerability; it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the latest news and developments. We’ll keep you informed with the best content to keep your organization safe and secure. Check out the top news and headlines from the past month.
Trump survives shooting at rally
From ABC: Federal authorities are investigating after former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
The shooter, who shot from a nearby rooftop, was killed by snipers. One spectator was killed and two were hurt, officials said.
Our take: As security professionals, we’re concerned about the handling of this incident. We cannot fathom how a civilian with a weapon was able to get on a rooftop wearing camouflage, or why law enforcement didn’t respond as soon as other civilians reported him. He should have never even gotten a single shot. It also appeared that there was not enough equipment on hand to protect the former president after the shot. There were no bulletproof blankets, for example. This incident should simply never have been able to happen.
"Cocaine sharks": Predators off coast of Brazil test positive for drug, scientists say
From CBS News: Sharks in the waters off Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, marine biologists said in a new study, marking the first time the drug has been found in the free-ranging predators.Thirteen sharpnose sharks were taken from the coast off of Rio de Janeiro and tested for the cocaine and benzoylecgonine, the primary molecule in cocaine. Each shark's liver and muscles tested positive for high levels of cocaine, the study found, and the female sharks tested had higher concentrations of cocaine in their muscles than male sharks. The scientists — who dubbed the study "Cocaine Shark" — posited that this may show a correlation between a shark's weight and size and how it metabolizes cocaine, but the study noted that more research was necessary.
Our take: It probably shouldn’t be surprising that cocaine is entering the water, either through dumped drug shipments or other means, but the idea of sharks on cocaine is fairly terrifying. Governments must take steps to protect the water, although it’s unclear what the first steps should be. In the meantime, be careful in the water.
Microsoft says that a cyberattack triggered the hours-long outage impacting Azure customers
From The Associated Press: A global Microsoft Azure outage that impacted a range of services for consumers Tuesday — from reports of stalling Outlook emails to trouble ordering on Starbucks’ mobile app — was triggered by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattack, according to the tech giant. Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing platform used by companies and organizations worldwide, confirmed the attack in an update — and said that an initial error in the platform’s defense response may have “amplified the impact” rather than mitigating it.
Our take: This is a perfect example of a major supply chain attack affecting the business continuity of several organizations. It’s surprising that a DDoS was able to trigger an outage at Microsoft, but it also shows that it doesn’t necessarily matter how big a vendor is - it’s important to plan for business continuity to maintain your supply chain.
Drowning is the number one cause of death among young children
From The Washington Post: Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death among young kids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. In 2022, the latest data available, 461 children ages 1 to 4 drowned, an increase of 28 percent from 2019. The disturbing report also documented significant racial disparities. This is consistent with a 2023 analysis from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which found that 21 percent of all drowning deaths were among African American children. Among 5- to 14-year-olds, African Americans made up 45 percent of deaths.
Our take: The stories of young children drowning at camp illustrate the devastating findings of this report. There is no reason for kids to be drowning in camps: supervised settings where swimming should be taught and lifeguards should be on duty.
July Top Security Grants
Mine health and safety state grants: The Secretary of Labor, through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), may award grants to state, tribal, and territorial governments (including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to assist them in developing and enforcing state mining laws and regulations, improve state workers’ compensation and mining occupational disease laws and programs, and improve safety and health conditions in the nation’s mines through Federal-State coordination and cooperation. MSHA recognizes that state training programs are a key source of mine safety and health training and education for individuals who work or will work at mines. MSHA encourages state training programs to prioritize health and safety training for small mining operations and underserved mines and miners within the mining industry, and to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. MSHA is also interested in supporting programs that emphasize training on miners’ statutory rights, including the right to be provided a safe and healthy working environment, to refuse an unsafe task, and to have a voice in the safety and health conditions at the mine. The Agency encourages grantees to address, in their training and education programs, occupational health hazards cause by exposures to respirable dust and crystalline silica, powered haulage and mobile equipment safety, mine emergency preparedness, mine rescue, electrical safety, contract and customer truck drivers, improving training for new and inexperienced miners, managers and supervisors performing mining tasks, pillar safety for underground mines, and falls from heights. Grant closes: August 20, 2024
National Incident Management System, Emergency Management Assistance Compact Program: In support of the National Preparedness Goal, State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) recipients must belong to, be in, or act as a temporary member of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC’s unique relationships with states, regions, territories, and Federal organizations, such as FEMA and the National Guard Bureau, enable it to move a wide variety of resources to stabilize community lifelines immediately after an incident. Among other things, EMAC assists states in sending personnel, equipment, and commodities to support disaster relief efforts in other states. Grant closes: August 26, 2024
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