SITC News Articles

SITC Newsletter - Winter 2009-2010

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:46:26 +0000

New SITC Project Manager Role Advertised

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:47:02 +0000

Having recently secured additional funding from SEEDA, SITC is now in a position to recruit a new team member to work alongside the existing SITC Executive Team in a Project Management role.

The new SITC Project Manager will take responsibility for driving forward the activities of SITC's six Special Interest Groups, supporting the delivery of SITC's new Security Knowledge Network, and providing project support to the CEO.

The Job Description for the SITC Project Manager is attached below.

SITC would welcome applications from suitably energetic and experienced individuals who wish to join the SITC team and help to shape the future of innovation in the security sector.

SEEDA Funding Supports a New Security Knowledge Network

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:48:33 +0000

SITC is in the process of setting up a new Security Knowledge Network which will focus on developing collaborations between companies and universities, as well as fostering European collaborative research and development projects, both in partnership with other European Security cluster organisations. SEEDA has granted £100K of funding over two years to SITC to support this new initiative and enable it to provide the sustained impetus needed to build strong international partnerships.

With these extra resources in place, SITC is now in a position to recruit a new member of staff and will be advertising this post in the next few days.

Crisis Management C2 Training Contract

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:10:33 +0000

SITC believes that the following recently published contract may be of interest to its members.

Please contact the SITC team on 01793 785164 and/or use the SITC website discussion forum or SITC's LinkedIn group if your company has relevant capabilities and is interested in forming a consortium to bid for this contracts and would like to identify other SITC members to partner with.

Magnox North – C2 Training and Related Services
To help protect the public from any harmful effects that may arise during or following an incident, Magnox North wish to engage the services of a suitable contractor to provide:
Primary Needs: Command and Control (C&C) training across ail Magnox North and Magnox South sites to maintain their capability to deliver C&C; Consultancy services to help us with our continuous review of C&C processes; Collect and disseminate lessons learned from real events and industry exercises.
Secondary needs: Develop, establish and implement processes for the systematic surveillance of the training.
It is important the contractor has well documented and verifiable expertise in all these areas and can demonstrate experience of working in this field and for organisations of comparable size, complexity, safety demands and regulatory control.
Closing Date: 22 Feb 2010
Size: Estimated value £525,000 excluding VAT
Contacts: Mr John Gould, Magnox North Ltd, Berkeley Centre, Gloucestershire GL13 9PB - Tel: +44 1453813014 - Email: john.z.gould@magnoxnorthsites.com - Web: www.magnoxnorthsites.com/suppliers

GSC Cloud Security Challenge

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:51:46 +0000

Background:

As cloud computing is rapidly picking up traction with businesses, its inherent security risks are becoming more apparent. Corporate customers struggle with the open questions of how to protect access to the cloud, regulatory compliance and data integrity.

Governments and large enterprises, from around the world, are especially attracted to the benefits of the cloud or are thinking about creating their own mini-clouds, but are hesitant because of security and privacy risks.

The Competition:

In response, Global Security Challenge (GSC) and its partners are launching the first Cloud Security Challenge competition in partnership with HP Labs who have agreed to sponsor this award with $10,000 for the winning idea. (Both GSC and HP Labs are SITC Members).

The challenge aims to illicit radically new ideas and game-changing solutions from around the world in order to make cloud computing more secure. Entrants must have a working prototype of a technology that can be used to prevent, defend against, cope with or recover from terrorist incidents and other criminal acts in the ‘cloud’ and to be eligible they should have received less than £3 million GBP in annual sales revenues in 2009.

Entry for this award is free and the deadline for submissions is Monday 15 March 2010.

As well as the $10,000 cash award, sponsored by HP Labs, winners will also receive mentoring from an industry expert (tbc) and up to three finalist will also be invited to test their technology in a HP Labs cloud test-bed.

How to enter:

Eligible entrants are invited to apply on the Global Security Challenge website: www.globalsecuritychallenge.com (n.b. applicants must register (for free) as a member of the GSC Online Community in order to access the application form).

New UK Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Strategy

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:22:52 +0000

As part of the UK Government’s new Science and Technology Counter Terrorism Strategy scientists are being asked to come forward with state-of-the-art ideas that could be used to identify new threats and develop ways to counter the challenges we face from international terrorism.

The three-year strategy aims to:

Understand future threats and opportunities
Develop effective solutions
Work with the UK's international partners on counter terrorism-related science and technology

Alongside the strategy, an 'Ideas and Innovation' brochure has been produced for science and technology experts, to put them in touch with key contacts (the strategy and brochure are attached below).

The strategy and accompanying brochure set out key challenges and invite commercial experts to get in touch to see if they can work towards meeting the operational needs of the wider counter-terrorism community as well as our traditional partners such as the police, military and security services.

The strategy has three principle objectives:

To use horizon scanning to understand future scientific and technical threats and opportunities and inform our decision making on counter-terrorism
To ensure the development and delivery of effective counter-terrorism solutions by identifying and sharing priority science and technology requirements.
To enhance international collaboration on counter-terrorism related science and technology.

The brochure sets out some of the challenges faced by Government:

Reducing the vulnerability of crowded places
Protecting the national infrastructure
Protecting against cyber terrorism
Improving analytical tools
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

It also describes some of the key technologies critical to counter-terrorism:

Knowledge management
Biometrics
Screening
Physical protection
Countering improvised explosive devices

And it explains who to contact for more information and advice.

UK Cyber Security Strategy Launched

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:11:45 +0000

Today the UK Government announced a new cyber security in conjunction with its first annual update of its National Security Strategy.

Its publication is a sign of the growing recognition within government of the need to bolster defences against a growing threat.

In line with a wider focus within the National Security Strategy on not just protecting the state but also citizens, the cyber-strategy encompasses protecting individuals from forms of fraud, identity theft and e-crime committed using technology as well as defending government secrets and businesses.

Two new bodies will be established in the coming months as part of the strategy:

An Office of Cyber Security (OCS) to provide strategic leadership for and coherence across Government. The OCS will establish and oversee a cross-government programme to address priority areas in pursuit of the UK’s strategic cyber security objectives.

A Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) that will bring together existing functions: to actively monitor the health of cyber space and co-ordinate incident response; to enable better understanding of attacks against UK networks and users; and to provide better advice and information about the risks to business and the public.

For further details see the Cyber Security Strategy document attached below:

Technology Partners Sought by Telstra for Australian MoD

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:22:03 +0000

Telstra Enterprise & Government based in Sydney, Australia have made UK Trade & Investment - Team South East aware of an opportunity for UK companies to work with them to deliver solutions to the Australian DoD.

Telstra is the largest Telecommunications Company in Australia and one of the largest in the Asia Pacific region and Telstra Enterprise & Government (TE&G) is the leading provider of network based solutions and services to enterprise and governments in Australia and New Zealand.

Networking Infrastructure
Next Generation IP
Unified Collaboration
Encryption
Voice & Carriage
Network Operation Support

TE&G would like to hear from any SITC Members with relevant defence-related capabilities in these areas as soon as possible (and would especially appreciate an initial contact before 14 May).

If you believe your company has relevant capabilities and has the resources necessary to partner with Telstra to supply services to the Australian DoD, please contact Telstra directly. Click here for contact details (members only access).

NG seeks SME partners for integrated Airport Security Solution

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:00:00 +0000

SITC has been asked by Northrop Grumman (NG) to help them to identify SMEs with complementary capabilities to partner with them on their new ‘Airtight' Integrated Airport Security Solution.

The Airtight solution, which was launched at ATC Global in Amsterdam in March, is being developed by Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Fareham. It builds on NG's proven COPEX technology developed for the US Military and links to the installed base of Ground Movements Radar supplied by NG Subsidiary Park Air Systems to the majority of the world's airports.

More details of the Airtight proposition are available in the attached flyer.

Richard Mears, Director of Business Development at NGMS described the types of SMEs they were keen to hear from:

We are now seeking new partnerships with SME's to help us present a value proposition to our emerging customers. In the first instance we wish to partner with companies providing risk assessment services. This will be a sold service and one that with us will inform the customer on the considerations they need to factor into their specification.

Also we require details of SME's providing services to other aspects of security and will want to seek partnerships for mutual benefits. Companies that are already selling to Airports and that currently don't work with large integrators are of specific interest.

Any SMEs who believe they meet NG's requirements are encouraged to contact Roberto Clementi - rclementi@ngms.eu.com - or Peter Boxall - pboxall@ngms.eu.com - at NG for further information.