Structurally Sound - Institute for Homeland Security

We all depend on products delivered by trucks. Shipping industries are a vital part of critical infrastructure at risk of unique scams and fraud - even when goods themselves make it from Point A to Point B just fine. This week, we chat with Matthew Wood, vice president of strategic relationships and general manager of Cedar Bluff Companies, about proactive steps to detect and avoid freight fr...

This week, we give a fond send off to Grant Threat, transportation project manager and podcast co-host extraordinaire, who is moving to a new role in critical infrastructure. We also chat a bit about the devastating flooding in Kerrville, Texas. Here's a list of charities collecting donations: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/where-to-donate-help-central-texas-flood-recovery/

Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, emerging in a variety of programs and technologies in critical infrastructure. Michael Echols from MAX Cybersecurity argues that adoption needs to be measurable and intentional - not surprising or under the radar. We also touch on news that AI programs can  decline instructions to shut down  and Echol's  book on cybersecurity  and hi...

Embracing new technology brings risks and rewards. On the one hand, adopting the right emerging tech and tools can enhance, elevate and streamline your business. On the other hand, adopting the wrong new tools can be expensive and burdensome for employees or customers. The key is strategy - planning deliberately, not hopping on a bandwagon. This week, we explore that strategy in the transportation...

The Arctic environment is shifting - literally and figuratively. There are unique and varied opportunities and risks for critical infrastructure and national security in and around Alaska and the Arctic Circle. This week, we're joined by IHS program executives Scott McHugh and Robert Crane to chat about last week's Maritime Risk Symposium and the emerging arctic landscape.

How do you plan for a disaster? There's only so much you can do with paperwork and theory, but you also don't want to wait for an actual crisis to develop a strategy. That's where simulations come in - and, often, adaptive board games and training exercises. This week, we chat with James Meaux, the regional training and exercise coordinator for SETRAC, and John Suarez, project manager for the heal...

is recognizing when circumstances have changed and adapting to compensate, even if it means changing plans. We've got a short podcast today about responding honestly to curve balls.

Current computers use binary code, a series of ones and zeroes that are arranged methodically in lines of code. They're entirely linear - everything is step by step by step, a one or a zero at a time. That's not the case for quantum computers, the "weird" new computational technology that could shred conventional encryption methods and turn digital infrastructure upside-down. This week, we explore...

This week on Structurally Sound, we share our biggest takeaways from our water infrastructure mini-series and discuss the future of water in Texas. We chat with Reyna Loosmore, Water & Wastewater Sector Project Manager and feature the triumphant return of co-host Grant Threatt, Transportation Systems Project Manager.

The vast majority of community water systems in Texas are rural, with 10,000 or fewer residential connections. That's also where most of our population growth is headed. How can small water systems plan, update and adapt their aging infrastructure? This week, we chat with Ms. Lia Clark, Community Engagement Manager with the Water Finance Exchange, and Mr. Jason Knobloch, Deputy Executive Director...

What happens if the water goes out at a hospital? What if the tap dries up during a broader crisis, like a hurricane or a winter storm? With thoughtful planning and careful training, plus cooperation and coordination between sectors, some of those risks can be reduced. This week, we chat with Mike Mastrangelo, Emergency Management and Public Health Expert, and Elston Johnson, president and owner o...

There are at least two ways of approaching water challenges - conserving and maximizing the water we have and strategizing solutions for water we don't have. That's especially true in the Rio Grande Valley. This week, we chat about both with the newly appointed Chairwoman of the Texas Water Development Board, L'Oreal Stepney and Assistant Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Dan Hunter. We also explore...

Texas is big. So are our water challenges. This week, we chat with guests in the far corners of the Lone Star State about varied challenges and opportunities in water infrastructure and preservation. We're joined by Trey Gerfers, General Manager with the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District in Marfa and Dominik Sobieraj, Chief Operating Officer, with the Northeast Texas Municipa...

Water and wastewater are essential parts of our daily routines and our critical infrastructure. It only works, though, if talented employees sign up to build and innovate the field. How can we encourage folks to explore water careers? This week, we chat with Adelaida Mayorga, Continuing Education Professor at Houston Community College Northeast Campus, and Jacquelyn Knobloch, Appren...

Some security threats to water and wastewater security are new and unique. Others are the same threats faced by every organization in the digital age. This week, we talk about proactive security strategies in the water and wastewater sector with Dr. Narasimha Shashidhar, Dr. Cihan Varol and Robert Warren.  Additionally, our guests mentioned a 2021 cyberattack on a water treatment facility in...

You may not think much about your tap water until it stops working - but you should. Keeping clean water flowing is a vital and complicated part of our infrastructure. This week, we're launching a new mini-series on water security and critical infrastructure with Reyna Loosmore, a project manager for water and wastewater at the Institute for Homeland Security.

What's the difference between emergency management and crisis management, and how can someone get started in either? The short answers are internships, saying yes to career opportunities, and not as different as you might think. This week, we chat with Vincent Ng, the Chief Operating Officer at Prestige Analytics , about opportunities and changes in emergency management careers.

Critical infrastructure is constantly evolving. Public and private sector careers need dedicated and adaptable employees to innovate new strategies and solutions; often, military veterans and those transitioning out of active service are strong candidates for those jobs, although the transition out of uniform can feel daunting. This week, we chat about networking and career moves with Ret. Major G...

Are we over-reliant on global positioning satellites? The technology is an essential part of a spectrum of technologies, including in critical infrastructure, and losing access to it could be disastrous. This week, we chat with Jim Platt, president and CEO of Strategic Risk Integration, and Robert Crane, a project manager for the energy sector and Position-Navigation-Timing for the Institute for H...

Telemedicine has greatly increased opportunities for mental health treatment, especially in isolated and rural areas. Texas prisons have taken advantage of telemedicine options, but access is more limited and complicated in local jails. This week, we're joined by Dr. Eric Connolly, associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at Sam Houston State University, to explore his research on o...

Critical infrastructure depends on collaboration and teamwork - not distraction and hostility dividing employees. Political polarization presents a threat to the public and private sector's ability to develop and maintain critical infrastructure protections. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Myiah Hutchens, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Relations at the University...

In a hot or cold war, enemies have a say in defining the nature of the conflict. Experts at the second Thought Leaders Conference argued hostile nations are waging a disinformation war against the United States right now, often targeting critical infrastructure by encouraging hostility, polarization and chaos in the general public. We reflect on the conference with Scott McHugh, program executive...

Generative AI programs can create a surge of bogus images, videos and audio at a moment's notice, often damaging trust and credibility across critical infrastructure sectors. Our brains can't keep up, but what about AI detection software? This week, we chat with  Dr. Jason Davis of Syracuse University  and Dr. Tony Yao of Sam Houston State about how AI technology is outrunning our cognit...

Cyberattacks are becoming unavoidable in healthcare - and they're evolving quickly. Mike Mastrangelo, the associate vice president for institutional preparedness at the University of Texas Medical Branch, chats with us this week about clinical continuity frameworks and strategies for staying one step ahead of cybersecurity threats.

Is it worthwhile to invest in AI sensors to measure traffic flow and road stress? Alston German  says yes - and it could be a big benefit for predictive maintenance and transportation planning throughout Texas.  For a deeper investigation, read Alston's paper, AI in Critical Infrastructure for Transportation . For more information about the IHS Thought Leaders Conference coming in Octobe...