ASIS Organizational Resilience Standard Receives Safety Act Certification
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded ASIS International a SAFETY Act certification for its organizational resilience standard, ANSI/ASIS.SPC.1:2009, Organizational Resilience: Security, Preparedness and Continuity Management Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use. This American National Standard establishes a comprehensive management systems approach for security, preparedness, response, mitigation, business/operational continuity, and recovery for disruptive incidents resulting in an emergency, crisis, or disaster.
By designating the standard a "Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology," the DHS SAFETY Act provides legal liability protections for providers of products or services using the standard. By providing legal liability protections for providers of Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies, the SAFETY Act is designed to encourage the development and deployment of new and innovative anti-terrorism products and services.
In 2010, DHS selected ANSI/ASIS.SPC.1:2009 as one three standards for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep) to promote improved preparedness performance in the private sector. [see related news item] The ASIS standard was also used to develop the recently published international standard ISO 28002:2011, Security Management Systems for the Supply Chain.
An American National Standard Institute (ANSI) member and accredited standards developer, ASIS International is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals and advocating the role and value of the security management profession. Visit www.asisonline.org for more information.
DoE Seeks Comment on Draft of Cybersecurity Risk Management Process Guideline
The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), has released for public comment a draft of the Electricity Sector Cybersecurity Risk Management Process (RMP) Guideline.
Open for public comment until October 28, 2011, the RMP guideline is designed to help utilities better understand their cybersecurity risks, assess severity, and allocate resources more efficiently to manage those risks. Feedback provided by industry, vendors, and other electricity sector stakeholders will be used to further refine and improve the RMP Guideline prior to final publication.
"Addressing cybersecurity is critical to enhancing the security and reliability of the nation's electric grid," said Patricia Hoffman, assistant secretary for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. "The RMP guideline will provide utilities with consistent, adaptable solutions that help them manage their cybersecurity risks more effectively." Click here to learn more.
New Tool from ASHRAE Helps Predict Consistent Thermal Comfort
Just in time for autumn's cooler temperatures to set in, ANSI member and accredited standards developer ASHRAE has developed a user-friendly tool to help predict thermal comfort.
The ASHRAE Thermal Comfort Tool, Version 2, is based on the American National Standard ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2010, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, which specifies the combinations of personal and indoor thermal environmental factors that produce thermal environmental conditions acceptable to a majority of occupants.
The tool makes thermal comfort predictions using several existing thermal comfort models. These models can potentially improve occupant comfort by allowing engineers to more easily fine tune their comfort analysis to the particular needs of the occupants in a building.
Founded in 1894, ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing, and continuing education.
ISO and Global Reporting Increase Cooperation on Sustainable Development
On September 5, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation in the area of sustainable development. The MoU is intended to leverage the activities of the two organizations related to sustainable development reporting and benchmarking by sharing information on ISO standards and GRI programs, teaming up with other partners, and joint promotional initiatives.
ISO and GRI will also support mutual involvement in relevant events such as the Rio+20 conference in Brazil in 2012, as well as programs hosted by the United Nations Global Compact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the United Nations Environment Program.
The developer of one of the most widely used sustainability reporting frameworks worldwide, GRI was among the 42 organizations that participated in the development of the international standard ISO 26000, Guidance on social responsibility.