Emerging Issues
Quick, Concise & … Flawed? Truth & Lies In The Twittersphere
June 17, 2013 11:19 pm | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Blogs | Comments“A little birdie told me” has taken on a whole new meaning since Twitter first launched in 2006. A decade later, Twitter has emerged as a multifaceted social media machine, as users post and share everything from pictures of their lunch to life-saving advice. In this fast-paced world, a tweet is the epitome of efficiency, but that efficiency — while advantageous — presents its own set of problems.
Italy Confirms Three Cases Of New Respiratory Virus
June 3, 2013 11:17 am | News | CommentsThree people were being treated Saturday for a new respiratory virus that is alarming global health officials, in the first cases in Italy, the country's health ministry said. A 45-year-old man who had recently returned from a 40-day visit to Jordan was hospitalized in Tuscany with a high fever, cough and respiratory problems, the ministry said.
Staying On Track When Trains Derail
June 3, 2013 10:26 am | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Blogs | CommentsRecords show that rail safety is steadily improving, but the month of May unfortunately highlighted the vulnerabilities of America’s railways. These recent derailments highlight the importance of planning for anything and everything.
Saudi Arabia: Three New Deaths From Virus
June 3, 2013 9:17 am | News | CommentsSaudi Arabia has reported that three more people have died from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 24. The Ministry of Health said Sunday the three deceased were among 38 infected in the kingdom with the respiratory virus called MERS.
Saudi Arabia Reports Three More Deaths From New Virus
May 30, 2013 11:53 am | News | CommentsSaudi Arabia has reported that three more people have died from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing the total number of deaths globally to 30. The Ministry of Health said Thursday the three deceased, ranging in age from 24 to 60, had chronic diseases, including kidney failure.
Train Derailment Near Baltimore Damages Businesses, Closes Streets
May 29, 2013 9:47 am | by BEN NUCKOLS,Associated Press | News | CommentsA CSX freight train crashed into a trash truck, derailed and caught fire Tuesday in a Baltimore suburb, setting off an explosion that rattled homes at least a half-mile away and sent a plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles.
Sprint Deal Could Open Up U.S. Networks To Hacking
May 28, 2013 8:00 am | by PETER SVENSSON,AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsSen. Charles Schumer urged regulators to "use extreme caution" when reviewing the proposed acquisition of No. 3 cell carrier Sprint Nextel by Japan's Softbank, saying the Japanese company's use of Chinese networking equipment could open up U.S. networks to snooping and hacking.
Continuity Q&A: Walt Thomasson On Balanced Testing Exercises
May 24, 2013 12:31 pm | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Articles | CommentsContinuity Insights sat down with Walt Thomasson, Managing Director at Rentsys Recovery Services to find out more about the best testing strategies and current industry trends. "We see a large gap in the market right now when it comes to creating a well-balanced exercise program."
WHO: 22 Deaths Worldwide From Coronavirus
May 24, 2013 10:54 am | by JOHN HEILPRIN,Associated Press | News | CommentsWorld Health Organization officials said Thursday that their probe into the deadly new coronavirus that has now claimed 22 lives is being delayed because of a dispute over the ownership rights to a sample — a claim disputed by the researcher at the center of the issue.
Smartphones Increasingly Targeted By Hackers
May 20, 2013 11:48 am | by TONY WINTON,Associated Press | News | CommentsResearch involved 20 computer servers that were used to send out more than 100,000 "phishing" emails. About 2,200 of the 3,000 responses the scam artists received came from smartphones. Doug Johnson, vice president of risk management for the American Bankers Association, said he expects those numbers to get worse.
Residents Tweeted As 5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hit Ontario
May 20, 2013 11:43 am | News | CommentsIt was felt as far west as Toronto, Canada's largest city, but no damage was immediately reported. Twitter erupted with reports of buildings shaking in Ottawa for several seconds. Ontario's premier, who lives in Toronto, tweeted that her house was shaking.
Swine Flu Found In Elephant Seals Off California
May 20, 2013 11:27 am | News | CommentsResearchers have detected swine flu in elephant seals off the Central California coast, saying it was the first time a human pandemic strain has been found in marine mammals. The researchers raised the possibility that seabirds may have passed on the virus.
Mutare Vital Link™ Smart Notification Platform Tackles $8 Billion Healthcare Communication Problem
May 20, 2013 10:44 am | News | CommentsMutare has announced the General Availability of Vital Link 2.0, the game-changing smart notification system that supports 2-way secure communication, mass/group notification and patient engagement messaging in a single closed loop platform.
Two New Diseases Could Spark Global Outbreaks
May 13, 2013 10:30 am | by MARIA CHENG,AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsTwo respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials — a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China. Last week, the coronavirus related to SARS spread to France, where one patient who probably caught the disease in Dubai infected his hospital roommate.
Three Suspected Cases Of SARS-Related Virus In France
May 10, 2013 1:26 pm | by GREG KELLER,Associated Press | News | CommentsFrench health officials said Friday they are investigating three suspected cases of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, in people who had close contact in the hospital with France's only confirmed case. A nurse at the hospital where the man was hospitalized in late April has herself been under watch at the hospital in Douai since Thursday night.
Canada Not Planning H7N9 Vaccine Studies; Will Watch U.S. Result
May 10, 2013 10:51 am | by Helen Branswell, The Canadian Press | News | CommentsCanada currently has no plans to ask its pandemic flu vaccine manufacturers to make trial batches of vaccine to protect against the new H7N9 bird flu, senior officials of the Public Health Agency of Canada have revealed. While the U.S. government has said it will ask several flu vaccine manufacturers to start growing up batches of serum against the new virus this summer, Canada will watch, wait and learn from the work the U.S.
Speakers’ Soapbox: David Nolan On Social Media Misconceptions & Lessons From The Boston Marathon Bombing
May 7, 2013 9:31 am | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Articles | CommentsIn the leadup to the Continuity Insights Chicago Conference, June 18-19, Chicago O’Hare, Continuity Insights asks presenters about their chosen topics and critical business continuity skills. This week, David Nolan, CEO and founder, Fusion Risk Management, Inc. discusses social media and business continuity preparedness.
U.S. Regulators Looking At Dealing With Social Media
May 6, 2013 2:34 pm | News | CommentsCFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton suggested they consider imposing tougher cybersecurity rules for investment firms and others that trade. Firms could be held accountable and sanctioned if their security systems were inadequate to prevent a breech.
New Strain Of Bird Flu Found To Be Highly Lethal
April 26, 2013 12:12 pm | by GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press | News | CommentsA new strain of bird flu that emerged in China over the past month is one of the "most lethal" flu viruses so far, worrying health officials because it can jump more easily from birds to humans than the one that started killing people a decade ago, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday.
How Chinese Bird Flu Infects Humans Is Still A Mystery
April 19, 2013 3:36 pm | by GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press | News | CommentsAlmost three weeks after China reported finding a new strain of bird flu in humans, experts are still stumped by how people are becoming infected when many appear to have had no recent contact with live fowl and the virus seemingly isn't passing from person to person.
Hoaxes, Scams Abound After Disasters Like Boston
April 19, 2013 9:44 am | by LEANNE ITALIE,Associated Press | News | CommentsLike numerous disasters before, hoaxes and conspiracies have popped up in the chaotic first days after the tragedy, days when people want to jump in with help and support while investigations have barely begun. They're also days when thieves get to work setting up pleas for money via social media, phone calls and text.
B: Emerging Issues Track — 2013 Continuity Insights Management Conference
April 11, 2013 12:17 pm | by Jonna Mayberry, Editor | Events | CommentsA listing of Emerging Issues educational sessions at the 2013 Continuity Insights Management Conference and links to download presentation slides.
Crisis Communications 2013: Social Media & Notification Systems
March 27, 2013 1:54 pm | Articles | CommentsIn 2012, Continuity Insights published its first report into the use of social media as a crisis communications tool. This year, we dug a little deeper in an effort to learn more about the industry’s social media strategies. Over 315 participating organizations responded to the survey.
SunGard Availability Services Releases SunGard Assurance To Address Evolving BC Planning Needs
March 25, 2013 12:17 pm | News | CommentsThe solution, created in partnership with more than 100 SunGard Availability Services' customers, reduces user pain points surrounding operational resiliency and compliance, and instills a sense of confidence in business outcomes for business leaders and business continuity professionals alike.
xMatters™ Enhances Smartphone Access To Its BC & IT Notification Technologies
March 22, 2013 12:18 pm | News | CommentsxMatters, Inc. has announced enhancements to its mobile capabilities for business continuity and IT management communications. The company’s new Android and enhanced iOS applications build on the recent acquisition of the Bamboo mobile incident management application.
