Home PSEPC Daily Brief DOB06-013

Daily Brief

The PSEPC Daily Brief is a compilation of summaries of publicly available and PSEPC information concerning critical infrastructure protection and emergency management.

DOB06-013 - 19 January 2006

News

Avian Influenza: Update
On January 18, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that laboratory tests conducted at Turkey’s national influenza centre in Ankara have confirmed an additional case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The newly confirmed case, a four-year-old boy, remains hospitalized. This brings the total number of human cases in Turkey to 21, of which four were fatal. A number of samples have been sent to a WHO laboratory in the United Kingdom for verification. WHO stated that the virus is now known to be present in birds in many parts of the country and some additional human cases should be anticipated in the immediate future. However, the number of these cases is expected to decline as high-risk behaviours become less common and culling operations, which are presently under way, reduce the number of infected birds.
(Source: World Health Organization, 18 January 2006)
Source article

Ice build-up causes power failures in the Northwest Territories: Update
Further to PSEPC Daily Brief DOB06-011, media reports that the Northwest Territories’ community of Behchoko is still without hydro power, five days after frost build-up collapsed a power line. The community of about 1,900 lost the power line on Saturday, January 14, when the tip of a tower fell over under the weight of heavy frost and ice. Hydro authorities initially estimated to fix the damage by the end of this week. It is now estimated to take up to two weeks. Currently the community is supplied with diesel power.
(Source: CBC News, 18 January 2006)
Source article

In brief

Crash spills methanol onto highway in Alberta
Media reports that on January 18, a one-tonne truck and a semi-trailer collided on Highway 2 just south of Slave Lake, Alberta. Approximately 52,000 litres of methanol, a flammable liquid used in lacquers and antifreeze, spilled from the tanker. The RCMP and officials from Alberta Environment are investigating.
(Source: CBC News, 18 January 2006)
Source article

PSEPC Geomatics provides a map (148 kb) of the affected area.

Roads closed due to flooding in New Brunswick
On January 19, the New Brunswick Department of Transportation advised the travelling public that several roads are closed or have water over them due to last weekend's heavy rainfall.
(Source: New Brunswick, 19 January 2006)
Source article

PSEPC Geomatics provides a map (193 kb) of the affected area.

Cyber risk assessment

Over the course of the past 24 hours, Oracle has released Critical Patch Update - January 2006. These updates address more than eighty vulnerabilities in different Oracle products and components. CCIRC recommends that sites running Oracle review the Critical Patch Update, apply patches and take other mitigating action as appropriate. The Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) has not detected any significant new threats and no significant incidents with the potential to affect critical infrastructure have been reported. Accordingly, based on the information available to CCIRC, the cyber risk facing Canadian critical infrastructure is assessed as low. Personnel responsible for information, systems and network security should continue to apply appropriate security precautions and monitor their systems.

Recent cyber alerts and advisories issued by CCIRC can be viewed under “Recent analytical releases” at www.psepc.gc.ca/ccirc.

See also...

• The Weather Office
• FAC - Travel Updates

Note to readers

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) collects information related to cyber and physical threats to, and incidents involving, Canadian critical infrastructure. This allows us to monitor and analyze threats and to issue alerts, advisories and other information products.

Any suspected criminal activity should be reported to local law enforcement organizations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Operations Centre (NOC) provides a 24/7 service to receive such reports or to redirect callers to local law enforcement organizations. The NOC can be reached at (613) 993-4460. National security concerns should be reported to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at (613) 993-9620.

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