Latest news with #NIST
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Investigation Into Florida Condo Collapse Is Expected To Finish In 2026
More than four years after a Florida condominium collapse killed 98 people, federal investigators have yet to make a final determination of the cause – but they do have some leading theories. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the agency handling the probe, said this week it hopes to conclude the investigation in 2026. 'We intend for our investigation of this failure to have a lasting impact, save future lives, and ensure this never happens again,' NIST investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser said in the agency's latest report. Most residents were asleep in the 12-story Champlain Towers South when the beachfront condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed into a huge pile of rubble at 1:22 a.m. on June 24, 2021. As the investigation continued, a Miami judge approved a more than $1 billion settlement for personal injury and wrongful death claims from the disaster. Meanwhile, a new luxury condominium is going up at the Champlain Towers site a few miles north of Miami. What caused the collapse? NIST has zeroed in on what it calls 'three higher-likelihood scenarios,' all related to construction flaws that date to the beginning of the 40-year-old structure. 'These conditions existed from the time construction was complete 40 years before the partial collapse,' said Glen Bell, co-lead investigator on NIST's National Construction Safety Team. One possibility is the failure of a connection between a building column and the pool deck slab that never met building code standards. Another is that steel reinforcement was not placed where it should have been, which meant the column and pool deck were far too weak. And a third theory is that work done later around the pool – when heavy planters, sand, and pavers were added – increased the weight load on a deck that was already functionally and structurally inadequate. The NIST report also notes that support columns in the building's basement parking garage had been exposed to frequent flooding, which causes corrosion in steel reinforcements and concrete deterioration. Are there other theories? Investigators did not find evidence of voids in the ground under the building known as karst. Using satellite data, the NIST team found there was no sinking or settling underneath Champlain Towers, which would indicate existence of karst. In addition, investigators found the limestone upon which the condo was built was sufficient to carry the building loads and that testing of the concrete supporting Champlain Towers had adequate material strength. One challenge for investigators was the lack of any available records from the original building construction and not many from its earlier years. How are other condo buildings handling new rules? After Surfside, state legislators enacted a law in 2022 requiring condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs. Some residents were caught off guard by hefty fees imposed to cover years of deferred maintenance expenses required to bring their buildings into compliance with the law's standards. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed new legislation allowing some condo associations to fund their reserves through a loan or line of credit. It also gives residents more flexibility to pause payments into reserve funds while they prioritize needed repairs. It extends the deadline for condo associations to complete structural integrity studies and exempts some smaller buildings from those studies. 'Now it's time to make the change,' state Sen. Ed Hooper said. 'Elderly people are losing their condos because they could not afford to make the increase in their monthly HOA fees. That's just wrong.' What is being built on the site? It's a luxury condo building dubbed the Delmore, with 37 'mansions in the sky' and a starting price of $15 million. The site was purchased at auction by Dubai-based DAMAC International for $120 million. According to the company, there will be amenities such as a see-through swimming pool, an indoor pool, an outdoor kitchen, a fitness center, and a meditation garden. The new condo is expected to be completed by 2029. Will there be a memorial to the victims? A design for a memorial to the 98 victims and that honors their families was approved earlier this year by Surfside officials and a family committee. But the city's planning and zoning board objected to its appearance and recommended that alternatives be considered. The existing proposal envisions a tall wall of water and exhibition of materials from the collapsed building. Surfside officials say they want to keep the project on track but will consider additional input, especially from the family committee. 'I understand the urgency. But this memorial is going to be here long beyond anyone in this room,' said planning board chair Lindsay Lecour at an April city commission meeting.
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Science
- Washington Post
Investigation into Florida condo collapse is expected to finish in 2026
More than four years after a Florida condominium collapse killed 98 people , federal investigators have yet to make a final determination of the cause — but they do have some leading theories. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the agency handling the probe, said this week it hopes to conclude the investigation in 2026.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Investigation into Florida condo collapse is expected to finish in 2026
More than four years after a Florida condominium collapse killed 98 people, federal investigators have yet to make a final determination of the cause — but they do have some leading theories. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the agency handling the probe, said this week it hopes to conclude the investigation in 2026. 'We intend for our investigation of this failure to have a lasting impact, save future lives and ensure this never happens again,' NIST investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser said in the agency's latest report. Most residents were asleep in the 12-story Champlain Towers South when the beachfront condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed into a huge pile of rubble at 1:22 a.m. on June 24, 2021. As the investigation continued, a Miami judge approved a more than $1 billion settlement for personal injury and wrongful death claims from the disaster. Meanwhile, a new luxury condominium is going up at the Champlain Towers site, a few miles north of Miami. What caused the collapse? NIST has zeroed in on what it calls three 'higher-likelihood' scenarios, all related to construction flaws that date to the beginning of the 40-year-old structure. 'These conditions existed from the time construction was complete, 40 years before the partial collapse," said Glen Bell, co-lead investigator on NIST's National Construction Safety Team. One possibility is the failure of a connection between a building column and the pool deck slab that never met building code standards. Another is that steel reinforcement 'was not placed where it should have been,' which meant the column and pool deck were far too weak. And a third theory is that work done later around the pool — when heavy planters, sand and pavers were added — increased the weight load on a deck 'that was already functionally and structurally inadequate.' The NIST report also notes that support columns in the building's basement parking garage had been exposed to frequent flooding, which causes corrosion in steel reinforcements and concrete deterioration. Are there other theories? Investigators did not find evidence of voids in the ground under the building, known as 'karst.' Using satellite data, the NIST team found there was no sinking or settling underneath Champlain Towers, which would indicate existence of karst. In addition, investigators found the limestone upon which the condo was built was 'sufficient to carry the building loads" and that testing of the concrete supporting Champlain Towers had 'adequate material strength.' One challenge for investigators was the lack of any available records from the original building construction and not many from its earlier years. How are other condo buildings handling new rules? After Surfside, state legislators enacted a law in 2022 requiring condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs. Some residents were caught off guard by hefty fees imposed to cover years of deferred maintenance expenses required to bring their buildings into compliance with the law's standards. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed new legislation allowing some condo associations to fund their reserves through a loan or line of credit. It also gives residents more flexibility to pause payments into reserve funds while they prioritize needed repairs. It extends the deadline for condo associations to complete structural integrity studies and exempts some smaller buildings from those studies. 'Now it's time to make the change,' state Sen. Ed Hooper said. 'Elderly people are losing their condos because they could not afford to make the increase in their monthly HOA fees. That's just wrong.' What is being built on the site? It's a luxury condo building, dubbed the Delmore, with 37 'mansions in the sky' and a starting price of $15 million. The site was purchased at auction by Dubai-based DAMAC International for $120 million. According to the company, there will be amenities such as a see-through swimming pool, an indoor pool, an outdoor kitchen, a fitness center and a meditation garden. The new condo is expected to be completed by 2029. Will there be a memorial to the victims? A design for a memorial to the 98 victims and that honors their families was approved earlier this year by Surfside officials and a family committee. But the city's planning and zoning board objected to its appearance and recommended that alternatives be considered. The existing proposal envisions a tall 'wall of water' and exhibition of materials from the collapsed building. Surfside officials say they want to keep the project on track but will consider additional input, especially from the family committee. 'I understand the urgency. But this memorial is going to be here long beyond anyone in this room," said planning board chair Lindsay Lecour at an April city commission meeting.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- General
- Associated Press
Investigation into Florida condo collapse is expected to finish in 2026
More than four years after a Florida condominium collapse killed 98 people, federal investigators have yet to make a final determination of the cause — but they do have some leading theories. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the agency handling the probe, said this week it hopes to conclude the investigation in 2026. 'We intend for our investigation of this failure to have a lasting impact, save future lives and ensure this never happens again,' NIST investigator Judith Mitrani-Reiser said in the agency's latest report. Most residents were asleep in the 12-story Champlain Towers South when the beachfront condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed into a huge pile of rubble at 1:22 a.m. on June 24, 2021. As the investigation continued, a Miami judge approved a more than $1 billion settlement for personal injury and wrongful death claims from the disaster. Meanwhile, a new luxury condominium is going up at the Champlain Towers site, a few miles north of Miami. What caused the collapse? NIST has zeroed in on what it calls three 'higher-likelihood' scenarios, all related to construction flaws that date to the beginning of the 40-year-old structure. 'These conditions existed from the time construction was complete, 40 years before the partial collapse,' said Glen Bell, co-lead investigator on NIST's National Construction Safety Team. One possibility is the failure of a connection between a building column and the pool deck slab that never met building code standards. Another is that steel reinforcement 'was not placed where it should have been,' which meant the column and pool deck were far too weak. And a third theory is that work done later around the pool — when heavy planters, sand and pavers were added — increased the weight load on a deck 'that was already functionally and structurally inadequate.' The NIST report also notes that support columns in the building's basement parking garage had been exposed to frequent flooding, which causes corrosion in steel reinforcements and concrete deterioration. Are there other theories? Investigators did not find evidence of voids in the ground under the building, known as 'karst.' Using satellite data, the NIST team found there was no sinking or settling underneath Champlain Towers, which would indicate existence of karst. In addition, investigators found the limestone upon which the condo was built was 'sufficient to carry the building loads' and that testing of the concrete supporting Champlain Towers had 'adequate material strength.' One challenge for investigators was the lack of any available records from the original building construction and not many from its earlier years. How are other condo buildings handling new rules? After Surfside, state legislators enacted a law in 2022 requiring condo associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs. Some residents were caught off guard by hefty fees imposed to cover years of deferred maintenance expenses required to bring their buildings into compliance with the law's standards. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed new legislation allowing some condo associations to fund their reserves through a loan or line of credit. It also gives residents more flexibility to pause payments into reserve funds while they prioritize needed repairs. It extends the deadline for condo associations to complete structural integrity studies and exempts some smaller buildings from those studies. 'Now it's time to make the change,' state Sen. Ed Hooper said. 'Elderly people are losing their condos because they could not afford to make the increase in their monthly HOA fees. That's just wrong.' What is being built on the site? It's a luxury condo building, dubbed the Delmore, with 37 'mansions in the sky' and a starting price of $15 million. The site was purchased at auction by Dubai-based DAMAC International for $120 million. According to the company, there will be amenities such as a see-through swimming pool, an indoor pool, an outdoor kitchen, a fitness center and a meditation garden. The new condo is expected to be completed by 2029. Will there be a memorial to the victims? A design for a memorial to the 98 victims and that honors their families was approved earlier this year by Surfside officials and a family committee. But the city's planning and zoning board objected to its appearance and recommended that alternatives be considered. The existing proposal envisions a tall 'wall of water' and exhibition of materials from the collapsed building. Surfside officials say they want to keep the project on track but will consider additional input, especially from the family committee. 'I understand the urgency. But this memorial is going to be here long beyond anyone in this room,' said planning board chair Lindsay Lecour at an April city commission meeting.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Quantum Threats Reshape Commvault's Vision For Data Security
Commvault is incorporating post-quantum cryptography to address future data security risks. Data protection provider Commvault announced earlier this month that it is adding more quantum-safe capabilities to its platform to build out defenses against post-quantum cryptography. This is important because, as quantum computing shifts from theoretical to practical use, it brings a new class of cybersecurity threats. To help organizations prepare, Commvault has incorporated NIST-recommended PQC algorithms into its data protection offerings, covering both cloud and on-premises environments. The goal is to ensure long-term data security by protecting backups made today from potential decryption by future quantum systems. Over the past year, Commvault has introduced multiple post-quantum cryptography capabilities to safeguard data against future risks posed by quantum computing. PQC has important implications for customers, competitors and the broader industry, and all organizations should prepare for a quantum-driven — and quantum-safe — future. (Note: Commvault is an advisory client of my firm, Moor Insights & Strategy.) Understanding The Quantum Threat To Enterprise Data First, a little background on why this is so important. Quantum computers apply principles of quantum mechanics to process information in fundamentally different ways from classical computers. While this could unlock incredible advances in medicine, materials science, finance, AI and more, it also introduces new security concerns. This is because current encryption methods such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography depend on mathematical problems that are very hard to reverse — unless a powerful quantum computer is involved. Once quantum computers that powerful are launched, probably in the next few years, these algorithms can potentially be broken quickly, compromising these widely used encryption methods. A crucial concern today is the 'harvest now, decrypt later' tactic, where bad actors can intercept and store encrypted data to decrypt it in the future once quantum capabilities mature. HNDL protection is especially critical for sectors with long-term data sensitivity, such as healthcare, finance and government. (Think of any setting in which sensitive information — names, dates of birth, government ID numbers, bank account numbers, medical histories and the like — remains unchanged for many years.) A survey by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association found that 63% of cybersecurity professionals believe quantum computing will shift or expand cyber risks, and half expect it to create compliance challenges. This image shows how users can enable PQC within Commvault's CommCell environment by selecting a ... More checkbox in the group configuration settings. Commvault's Post-Quantum Cryptography Response Commvault has taken a practical, multi-stage approach to quantum-era risks. In August 2024, it introduced a cryptographic agility framework, which is meant to allow organizations to adopt new cryptographic standards for PQC without major system changes. The framework includes several NIST-recommended quantum-resistant algorithms — CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, SPHINCS+ and FALCON. (My colleague Paul Smith-Goodson, who has been covering quantum computing for years, went into more detail about these algorithms in the context of IBM's PQC efforts, also in August 2024.) Commvault's announcement earlier this month builds on last year's release by adding support for the Hamming Quasi-Cyclic algorithm, which uses quantum error-correcting codes to resist quantum decryption. But rather than focusing only on algorithm support, Commvault also emphasizes operational integration. Its Risk Analysis tools help organizations identify sensitive data, allowing quantum-resistant encryption to be applied where it's most needed. The crypto-agility framework offered by Commvault allows organizations to shift between cryptographic methods via relatively simple configuration changes, without needing to overhaul their existing environments. This flexibility helps minimize disruptions and lowers the costs associated with adapting to new standards as they emerge. Securing Critical Industries For The Quantum Era Commvault's PQC features should be especially helpful to organizations in healthcare, finance and government as they address compliance needs, ensure continuity and — most importantly — protect data that is held for decades. As touched on above, these industries are especially at risk for deferred decryption attacks, so implementing PQC features now should help address the risk of HNDL exploits later. Besides the benefits already mentioned, this could help organizations using Commvault maintain trust among regulators, customers and partners for the long haul. As data protection standards in these industries become stricter in anticipation of quantum threats, solutions that incorporate quantum-resistant encryption are increasingly necessary. Forward-looking IT organizations are already adopting these technologies. For instance, the Nevada Department of Transportation has adopted Commvault's PQC tools to meet government security requirements and protect sensitive information. The company also cited Peter Hands, CISO of the British Medical Association, who said, 'Commvault's rapid integration of NIST's quantum-resistant standards, particularly HQC, gives us great confidence that our critical information is protected now and well into the future.' The adoption of PQC is accelerating as both technological developments and regulatory requirements create a framework for organizations to address emerging threats from quantum computing. In the United States, for instance, federal agencies have been instructed to integrate post-quantum standards into their procurement and operational practices. Similar regulatory efforts are taking place in the European Union and other jurisdictions, where updates to data protection frameworks increasingly include provisions for quantum-safe encryption. To maintain security and compatibility during the transition, many organizations are implementing hybrid encryption methods that combine traditional and quantum-resistant algorithms. This approach allows for gradual migration to fully quantum-resistant systems while enabling protection against both current and future threats. PQC Challenges And The Push For Wider Adoption Commvault's phased introduction of PQC capabilities is a step forward, but current support is mostly limited to cloud-based customers using particular software versions. This creates a gap for organizations relying on hybrid or on-premises environments, which are still widely used in sensitive sectors like those already mentioned. To address this, Commvault would benefit from providing a clear roadmap for extending PQC support across all deployment models. Such a roadmap should outline which software versions will be supported, specify the technical requirements and offer a realistic timeline for implementation. The broader data protection market is also shifting as major technology providers such as IBM and Microsoft integrate quantum-safe features into their platforms. Other data protection vendors, such as Cohesity, Veeam and Rubrik, are expected to follow suit as industry standards become more established. This means Commvault will likely face growing competition in offering robust PQC solutions. Keeping pace will require not only technical expansion but also practical guidance for customers on how to adopt and apply PQC in various enterprise scenarios. Flexibility and clear communication about available features and best practices will be important for supporting a wide range of customer environments and needs. Aligning Data Security Strategies For A Quantum Future Commvault's early efforts in post-quantum cryptography and crypto-agility demonstrate a commitment to long-term data security. However, maintaining progress will depend on expanding access to PQC features for all customers, providing transparent information about costs and continuing to work closely with regulatory bodies. Quantum computing presents both new risks and opportunities. As traditional encryption methods become more vulnerable, the need for quantum-resistant security will grow. Commvault's PQC features offer a practical way for organizations to protect data that must remain secure for years. By focusing on adaptability, compliance and targeted encryption strategies, Commvault helps customers build stronger defenses for the future. The timeline for quantum decryption could be shorter than many anticipate, making it important for organizations to start preparing now. For enterprises, taking early action is important to avoid exposure and regulatory issues. For vendors, ongoing improvements in accessibility, transparency and alignment with emerging standards will determine long-term success. Simplifying the path to quantum readiness will be a key factor in supporting customers through this transition.
