Critical Infrastructure
Essentials for the functioning of a society and economy:
* electricity generation, transmission and distribution;
* gas production, transport and distribution;
* oil and oil products production, transport and distribution;
* telecommunication;
* water supply (drinking water, waste water/sewage, stemming of surface water (e.g. dikes and sluices));
* agriculture, food production and distribution;
* heating (e.g. natural gas, fuel oil, district heating);
* public health (hospitals, ambulances);
* transportation systems (fuel supply, railway network, airports, harbours, inland shipping);
* financial services (banking, clearing);
* security services (police, military).
See: Wikipedia: Critical Infrastructure
By John Walker on December 3, 2010
Responding to the implications of the heavy recent snowfalls, Barclays Business is offering a financial support package to all of its affected business banking customers.
Travers Clarke-Walker, Director of Product and Marketing, Barclays Business, said: “Snow is impacting across the UK, making it impossible for some businesses to operate. We can take some of the worry [...]
Posted in Business Banking, Business Continuity Planning, Critical Infrastructure, Customer Support, Financial Resources, Scotland, UK |
By John Walker on November 15, 2010
Incident and vulnerability research points to anticipated information security trends
Imperva, the global leader in data security, announced today its predictions for the top ten information security trends expected in 2011. The report, compiled by Imperva’s Application Defense Center (ADC), led by CTO Amichai Shulman, is based on analysis of incident and vulnerability data from the [...]
Posted in Business Continuity Planning, Business Software, Critical Infrastructure, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Forecasts, IT and Telecommunications Services, Industry Reports, Information Security, Information Technology, Intellectual Property, Regulatory Compliance, Technology, UK, Worldwide | Tagged Advanced Persistent Threat, Amichai Shulman, CISOs, Cloud Computing, cyber security, data breaches, data theft, Hacker Intelligence Initiative, Imperva, Information Security, malware, Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) Attacks, Open Source, social networks, Stuxnet worm |
By John Walker on October 22, 2010
Commenting on the recent Comprehensive Spending Review, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said;
“The cuts announced in the Government’s spending review are a retrograde step and will have a devastating impact on vital public services, including education.
“The Government may talk about protecting schools, but schools are not [...]
Posted in Construction, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Employment Levels, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Organized Labour / Unions, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Recruitment, UK | Tagged Building Schools for the Future, Christine Blower, Comprehensive Spending Review, cuts, National Union of Teachers, NUT, public services, public spending cuts, Sure Start |
By John Walker on October 19, 2010
The Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 will deliver the biggest budget cuts since the Second World War, according to leading economists. In anticipation of the Treasury’s announcement on 20 October, Advanced Computer Software Group plc (the leading supplier of software and IT services to the public, not-for-profit and commercial sectors) is urging the public sector to [...]
Posted in Business Software, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Equipment & Operational Resources, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Health and Social Care Services, Human Resources, IT and Telecommunications Services, Information Technology, Intangible Resources, Not-For-Profit Sector, Outsourcing, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Technology, UK | Tagged Advanced Computer Software Group, Cost Cutting, ICT, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Outsourcing |
By John Walker on July 1, 2010
Some interesting results from a survey by Insurantz.com showing Small businesses are still not catching on to social networking.
Just 16% of UK SMEs embrace sites like Facebook or Twitter as essential tools for business
56% of businesses put off by lack of understanding
65% have yet to see any benefit from social networking
Leisure and tourism industry most [...]
Posted in Brands, Critical Infrastructure, Customer Support, Distribution Channels, Equipment & Operational Resources, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Ideas and Innovation, Information Technology, Internet Services, Market Research, Marketing, Marketing Facilities, Product Research and Development, Recruitment, Reputation, Sales, Surveys, Technology, Telecommunications Services, UK |
By John Walker on April 20, 2010
Met Office scientists have been working with the Universities of Reading and Hertfordshire to gather comprehensive data about the potential danger to aircraft from the volcanic plume that has been emitted from the recent eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.
The volcanic dust was measured using newly-developed probes that attach to meteorological balloons that can be used [...]
Posted in Business Continuity Planning, Critical Infrastructure, Customer Support, Environmental Issues, Equipment & Operational Resources, Europe, Scotland, Surveys, Transport and Distribution, UK | Tagged Eyjafjallajökull volcano |
By John Walker on April 20, 2010
Barclays and Barclaycard are taking some additional measures to support their personal and business customers who are affected by the travel restrictions in place due to the cloud of volcanic ash moving across Europe.
Contacting Barclays
Barclays customers who are stranded abroad, have family stranded abroad or who may be affected by the volcanic eruptions should call [...]
Posted in Business Banking, Critical Infrastructure, UK |
By John Walker on March 25, 2010
The UK Treasury has released further information following the Chancellor’s Budget Statement (Wednesday March 24th 2010). The following is an excerpt from the notice that outlines the particular measures for supporting business and growth.
The Government took decisive action to support the economy during the financial crisis and its aftermath. As the UK emerges from [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Farming and Farming Support Services, Arts and entertainment, Bars, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Energy and Utilities, Environmental Issues, Financial Resources, Food, Drink and Tobacco Manufacturing, Food, Drink and Tobacco Retail, Food, Drink and Tobacco Wholesale, Forecasts, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Media and Creative Services, Monetary Policy, Petroleum and Fuel Products Wholesale, Political and Economic Philosophies, Public Spending and State Aid, Real Estate Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Taxation, UK, UK Budget, Waste Management and Environmental Services | Tagged Accelerated Development Zones, Annual Investment Allowance, Better Regulation measures, Energy Market Assessment, Entrepreneurs’ Relief, Green Investment Bank, Higher Education Modernisation Fund, small business rates relief, The Treasury, Time to Pay arrangements, UK Finance for Growth, University Enterprise Capital Fund |
By John Walker on March 17, 2010
TOKYO, March 16, 2010—Canon Inc. announced today that it will begin the acquisition process for the top-level domain name “.canon,” based on the new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) registration system.
The non-profit organization ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which maintains and regulates the Internet’s addressing system, has rigorously evaluated the current gTLD [...]
Posted in Awards and Accreditations, Brands, Critical Infrastructure, Design and Photographic Services, Distribution Channels, Electrical Equipment Manufacturing, Electronic Equipment and Computer Manufacturing, Information Technology, Internet Services, Marketing Facilities, Registries, Technology, Telecommunications, Telecommunications Services, Worldwide | Tagged Canon, Dot Canon, gTLD, ICANN, WHOIS |
By John Walker on January 4, 2010
Housing Minister John Healey has hailed the start of the biggest council house building programme in nearly two decades as work began today on the first of over two thousand new homes to help tackle waiting list pressures.
Mr Healey saw work get underway today in Tyneside on the first new site for Government funded council [...]
Posted in Architectural and Other Building Services, Building Construction, Building Materials Manufacturing, Building Materials and Hardware Wholesale, Building Trades, Critical Infrastructure, Public Spending and State Aid, Real Estate Services, Social Care Services, Timber and Timber Products Wholesale, Transport and Distribution, Tyne & Wear | Tagged Hebburn, John Healey - UK Housing Minister, South Shields |
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