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<DIV>A piece from my favorite security wonk - John Robb of Global
Guerillas</DIV>
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<DIV><A
href="http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/">http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/</A></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Global Guerrillas<BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">RESILIENT COMMUNITY: Smart Local
Networks<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Posted: 01 Jul 2008 02:29 PM
CDT<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">One of richest pathways towards
improving the level of community coordination in the event of
disaster/disconnection, is through the > use of community Web sites that
provide actionable information (here's an example of how this worked in San
Diego during the recent fires) and reverse 911 data-sharing. Unfortunately,
community <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>emergency Web sites as
well as basic data services are extremely vulnerable to disconnection. What's
needed are smart local networks.</P>
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"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Smart Local Networks<BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">(a local Internet or community
Intranet)<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Most of the local loops (from
telco fiber to cable company coaxial) currently in place and/or being installed
in the US are dumb (I suspect it is the same globally). They simply route data
from local customers to regionally clustered corporate server farms and then
outwards/back. This means that any disconnection (physical or logical fault)
between local customers and these remote systems will result in a complete
cessation of service. To correct this deficiency, communities need to start to
think more like a <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>corporation:
security of data services are considered central to a company's survival. So, as
part of future negotiations with cable/telcos, communities should request that
companies allow them to piggyback on their "dumb" networks to create a smart
local loops. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">This would entail:<BR><BR>a.. A
high availability local network for emergencies. A local emergency network that
connects all homes and business in the area by accessing the local aggregation
nodes of cable/telco operators (which is actually a relatively
trivial/inexpensive network exercise). It should become the default network if
access to the greater Internet fails. Optimally, the network should sit astride
both cable and telco services to provide a seamless community "footprint."</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">b.. High availability servers
(computers that host Web sites) in the local loop. Servers that are on the
community network and located within the communities environs. Back-up power
should be provided to ensure that these servers maintain high up time.<BR
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">c.. (futures) Community
coordination software to sit on these servers. Easy to use and edit social
software: blogs, wikis, etc. If the market is large enough, there will be
software packages (hopefully open source) that replicate the functionality of a
fully <BR>functional emergency response system (i.e. locally cached Google maps,
etc.). In terms of operating this software, most communities could ask
schools/boy scouts/etc. to maintain the software, even during an emergency
(young people are much more likely to have the skill sets to do this w/o
specific training).</P></DIV>
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