New York Security at the United Nations General Assembly 2018

This week in New York, strict security operations are underway at the United Nations General Assembly 2018. Safety is the highest priority as President Donald J. Trump and other world leaders prepare for high level meetings and discussions, at the UNGA stage, which began on 18th September.

Diplomatic security is busy facing the largest protective effort of the year, as important dignitaries descend on the United States of America and visit New York in motorcades. The majority of attendees in attendance arriving from countries globally.

With safety being the most important factor on the streets of Manhattan, some key roads are closed, and heightened law enforcement and state department police are placed in strategic positions. Protestors of various international groups are a concern and have to be carefully managed, so the city avoids caotic disruptions, and harmful demonstrations.

According to reports, nine months of planning go into this 10-day UN General Assembly. Security official are responsible for setting up monitors and vast surveillance systems to oversee the event, and be vigilant for threats to the members and dignitaries.

Fifteen state and federal partners are tasked at working with 750 other team players to establish a significant band-with of security. Threats to the UN General Assembly are varied; in addition to camera monitoring security, there is a need for physical protection as well high security for potential cyber hacking.

Last year, the cost of the efforts to protect the UNGA were stated to be close to 30 million US dollars. New York Police Department Officers (NYPD), the cornerstone of Manhattan safety, is coping with the arduous management of barrackading entrances with concrete blocks, and blocker vehicles.

BRITISH AIRWAYS APOLOGIES TO CUSTOMERS FOR RECENT CYBER ATTACK

Recent reports state that cyber officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), are investigating a data breach which has affected thousands of British Airways customers.

British Airways’ chairman and chief executive, Alex Cruz, has apologized for the “sophisticated, malicious attack” that hacked into customer credit card details. It is feared that the criminals have had access to utilizing the personal information to the point that people have had to cancel their credit cards. Seemingly 380,000 payments have been affected due to the two-week hack.

Since the recent introduction of the new Data Protection Act, under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the long-time British international airline could face fines in the millions. Although no passport, frequent flier details, or travel information has been invaded it is confirmed that the names, addresses expiration dates, security numbers, and credit cards numbers have been compromised. Concerns loom over the fact that this type of incident can lead to secondary data hackings.

British Airways suggests all customers who have made purchases via the British Airways app or website should notify their financial institutions immediately.

BAE SYSTEMS AND FLEXERA FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO HELP U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Reports from the BAE newsroom has announced that BAE has formed “a new strategic partnership with Flexera, to help government agencies moving to the cloud better manage their software licenses and more accurately plan and budget for their future information technology (IT) needs”.

A statement by Cindy Grogan, Vice President of Global Alliances at Flexera, expresses excitement at the partnership, “Together with BAE Systems, we are providing government agencies with a secure mission-ready cloud that arrives fully-embedded with the tools necessary to mitigate the complicated and potentially costly hardware and software license management challenges many agencies fear when moving to cloud environments”.

The U.S.governments and U.S. military rely on BAE Systems for national security related to cyber, as well as on the ground, in the air, and on the oceans. Flexera, who was named a 2018 Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Software Asset Management tools, oversee and help companies buy and sell the necessary software and cloud services, which are suitable for reducing risks to security.

Government agencies will be able to analyze details, and data as they collaborate, confident that information shared, will be conducted under the highest security standards available in IT technology.

PERSONAL SAFETY APPS FOR APPLE IOS AND ANDROID PHONES

With the famous yearly Apple launch taking place tomorrow September 12th, and the exciting buzz about all the latest tech features on the soon to be released newest devices, whether it be a high-resolution camera, developed screen size or image definition, there are those out there who are thinking about one thing only – safety.

Digital facial recognition technology has become extremely prevalent in relation to the security of an individual’s phone and personal data kept within, however, should there be an emergency and one needs a line of defense, many are relying on downloaded applications for personal safety.

Some options of free apps that offer private alerts are choices that can be easily installed into one’s mobile device and are becoming increasingly popular displays in the directory on a person’s phone screen.

bSafe
A personal safety app in which users create a “social safety network” of individuals who are notified in case of an emergency or in situations where the user feels unsafe.

Circle of 6
An app for everyone. It’s fast, easy to use and private. Originally designed for college students to prevent sexual violence, we also know it’s handy for teenagers, parents, friends, or all communities seeking to foster healthy relationships and safety. Need help getting home? Need an interruption? Two taps let your circle know where you are and how they can help. It’s the mobile way to look out for each other on campus or when you’re out for the night. A simple tool to prevent violence before it happens.

Kitestring
This app checks up on you with a simple text message. Reply to the message to check in. Stay connected. If you don’t check in, Kitestring sends your emergency contacts a personalized alert message. Nothing to download. And you don’t even need a smartphone. Best of all, it’s totally free.

Life360
A family net-working app released in 2008. It is a location-based service designed to allow friends or family members to share their location with each other and communicate with each other.

React Mobile.
This is a powerful personal safety app that turns your smartphone into a powerful lifeline. Our safety app features a “Follow-Me” feature that lets you share your GPS location with friends and family so they can track your whereabouts in real-time and follow you to safety.

Red Panic Button.
Contact various emergency services or your panic contact list. Red Panic Button app features include SMS panic message, email panic message, Twitter or Facebook panic statuses with your GPS location.

Scream Alarm.
As the name suggests, a loud scream in a woman’s voice starts if you press the button on the screen. You have to push the button again to stop the screaming. There are no other features, just press the button on your Android phone and let the woman scream in the offender’s ear.

SOS – Stay Safe
This is an innovative discreet personal safety app for women, elderly citizens and anyone who needs assistance in an urgent situation. Using revolutionary patent-pending technology, you’re able to request assistance with no effort.

Watch Over Me
An ingenious app that turns the smartphone into an emergency alert system. It’s just the latest mobile tool that is helping people reach out for help when they need it. Different from other safety apps

HURRICANE FLORENCE: SAFETY ALERTS FOR U.S. SOUTH EAST COASTLINE

The PEAK of the Atlantic hurricane season is known to fall anywhere between mid-August to the end of October and this week is proof of that, as Hurricane Florence emboldens its way towards the Carolinas. Predicted to be a close catastrophic category 5, Florence is speeding towards the South East coast of the USA.

What is most unique about this hurricane, is the havoc it will create as it arrives head-on into land bringing with it extraordinary high rising sea levels and dangerously severe wind gusts, in the range of 150mph (230 kph). Officials are calling it “life-threatening”.

Security concerns are not just for the safety of residents in the area, but there is fear that the storm direction will fall close to multiple power plants, industrial waste facilities, coal ash pits, as well as poultry and hog farms.

As Hurricane Florence crosses a warm Atlantic ocean, all the components of nature are in place, to fuel its intensity. Governors of South Carolina and Virginia have ordered mandatory evacuations for coastline residents and those in low-lying areas. President Trump approved a state of emergency for North Carolina on Monday. Other states that have been declared emergencies are South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. More than a million people are being impacted by this storm.

Meteorologists are fearing wide-spread heavy rain, lightning, thunderstorms, along with flooding and tornadoes from tropical cyclones caused by this weather pattern. The communities affected could be without power for weeks and need to take cautionary measures.

People are being warned to be proactive and take this hurricane advisory seriously. It is important to fill up cars with gasoline, and store up on emergency supplies and provisions that will last at least 3 days, if not more.

Weather forecasters are keeping an eye on other hurricanes, following the wake of Florence, namely, Helene and Isaac.

Some experts are predicting that Hurricane Florence could be one of the largest and most dangerous hurricanes in the history of the United States.