campus security: [july 2008]
Published: 06/21/2008
- Businesses and Universities to Be Advised to Secure Chemicals
From "Businesses to Be Advised to Secure Chemicals" by: Sullivan, Eileen, Associated Press - The federal government is warning 7,000 businesses, including universities, chemical plants, food processing centers, and hospitals, that they are at an increased risk of being attacked by terrorists because they contain significant quantities of chemicals. Therefore, they must review the vulnerabilities of their security so the government can decide on stronger regulations. Inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security plan on visiting the buildings they deem "highest risk" every year to check whether they are following the new security measures. Sites that are not in compliance could receive a sizable fine and may even be closed down until they meet federal security standards. When determining the risk level of a facility, DHS will review its physical security, cyber security, insider threat risk, how hazardous a chemical release could be to the surrounding communities, how dangerous the chemicals are if they are combined with water, and whether the chemicals could be easily taken from the sites and used in a deadly attack. U.S. intelligence officials said that al Qaeda is one of many terrorist organizations that find chemical attacks appealing since they can cause large amounts of damage.
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