22-Jan-10 1:00 PM EST

Firestorm Newsletter 22-Jan-10

January 22, 2010

Disaster Due Diligence January 22, 2010

Public Law 110-53, Title IX

The Department of Homeland Security is implementing a certification program for the private sector. This program, labeled PS-Prep, is defined in Public Law 110-53, Section 524. Failure to comply with these regulations may have serious consequences for you and your company.

More information about Public Law 110-53 Title IX

Communicable illness

HEADLINE: Pandemic H1N1 spreads despite claims threat fabricated

SUMMARY: WHO officials this week dismissed charges that the H1N1 pandemic was manufactured or overblown to benefit the pharmaceutical industry as “absurd.’’ Outbreaks of the flu virus continue to erupt in parts of the world and a potential third wave could involve a more virulent strain. “Inestimable lives have been saved because of the vaccines,” one top official said, downplaying the naysayers as being “out of touch with reality … even science.”

STORY LINK: http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/11843/149/

ANALYSIS: The concept of a global conspiracy mounted by public health officials to benefit the pharmaceutical industry is as convoluted as it is fantastic … in the original meaning of that word, i.e. relating to fantasy. There is no denying that H1N1 influenza spread rapidly around the world. The unknown has been, continues to be, and will always be whether the virus will evolve to a more deadly strain, lessen in virulence, or stay the same. So far, luck has been with us. The impact of H1N1 has been far less than it might have been, certainly nowhere near the deadly and oft-cited 1918-19 strain of so-called “Spanish Flu.”

Yet, to dismiss health warnings as a ruse to generate profits reveals a cynicism that borders on cruel fiction. Using this line of reasoning, because there has not been a rash of fires in my neighborhood the recommendation to change the batteries in my smoke alarms when changing clocks to and from Daylight Savings Time is a national conspiracy to benefit battery manufacturers. While we have been quite fortunate that H1N1 has not evolved into a more serious threat, that is undoubtedly small comfort to the families of the 255 American children and nearly 11,000 others who have died from H1N1 since April 2009.

The potential for a deadly strain of influenza remains, as does the current H1N1 pandemic. Immunization against influenza offers widely proven, safe, and highly effective protection against an illness that is at best annoying and at worst deadly. Avoiding this protection because of some imagined conspiracy simply invites needless risk.

--Don Donahue, Director, Firestorm Healthcare Response Team

HEADLINE: CDC: 1 in 5 Americans vaccinated against swine flu

SUMMARY: Approximately 20 percent of Americans have been vaccinated against swine flu, according to the CDC’s first detailed estimate. Officials said that rate was good, considering they conducted a hurried campaign against a novel flu virus, using a vaccine that did not become available – then in limited supply -- to the general public until early October. The report followed the recent update from the CDC that more than 11,000 Americans have died from swine flu since it was first identified in April.

STORY LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011501812.html

ANALYSIS: Although officials report being pleased with a rate of one in five, those numbers also reflect the reluctance of a portion of the population to avail themselves of the protection offered by a safe and effective vaccine. Estimates are that some 246,000 Americans have been hospitalized from H1N1 influenza and 11,160 died from it or related complications. The question must be posed as to how many of these illnesses and deaths might have been avoided. More significantly, further illness and fatalities are avoidable, given the now widespread availability of H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.

Every individual, every household, every business, and every community accepts a certain level of risk. As with prior planning for an emergency, the cost-benefit analysis of prevention far outweighs the impact of not preparing. Why someone would accept an easily avoidable risk remains a mystery.

--Don Donahue, Director, Firestorm Healthcare Response Team

Data security

HEADLINE: Companies fight endless war against computer attacks

SUMMARY: Once mainly pesky viruses and worms targeting personal computers, today’s malware is more subtle and selective, nesting inside corporate networks to enable industrial espionage such as transmitting digital copies of trade secrets, customer lists, future plans and contracts. In a survey of 443 companies and government agencies published last month, the Computer Security Institute found that 64 percent reported malware infections, with an average loss of $234,000 per organization.

STORY LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/technology/internet/18defend.html

ANALYSIS: Computer security in today’s world is a lot like driving in heavy, fast-moving traffic. You do your best to avoid problems you can see, but the reality of the situation is that you are at the mercy of the “other guy.” In this case, as this article points out, the “other guy” is China, hackers, malware, phishing, the Internet, exploitable software and Microsoft. Taken as a whole, this formidable group of “issues” consolidates down to a single point in my opening analogy --when driving on unsafe roads among “other” unsafe drivers your risk of getting into an accident increases proportionately. That point is driven home by the survey results mentioned above where 64 percent of the companies surveyed are getting the chance to get back on a first-name basis with their auto insurance agent after having a “malware accident” on the Internet.

While I could go on for pages about what you can do to protect yourself, any suggestion I could make would pivot on a single theme. That theme would be this: Never forget that the bad guys (Chinese hackers) are smarter than anyone at your company when it comes to beating the system. On top of this add in the fact that browser software (Microsoft) that should be secure isn’t, and the Internet was never designed to be secure and you should understand the threats you face on a daily basis are a constant challenge, much like driving in heavy, fast-moving traffic. So don’t let down your guard and plan for the fact that at some time in the future you may be in a collision because the “other guy” got in the way.

--Bill Spernow, Firestorm Expert Council member

Corporate communications

HEADLINE: YouTube era’s new risks: companies have to get with it ... or get burned

SUMMARY: Social media are becoming increasingly central to corporate communications, but with the opportunities come equal risks. Besides seeking to capture the attention of potential customers, companies must learn to manage the conversation and myriad of legal liabilities that accompany the exposure. "You're not going to enable social [media] to happen, it's happening without you so you might as well have a piece in the conversation and be part of the conversation," social media pioneer Erik Qualman said.

STORY LINK: http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202437916469&YouTube_Eras_New_Risks_Companies_Have_to_Get_With_It__or_Get_Burned