Briefly …

The nation's electric power grid, telecommunications and computer network infrastructure are the most vulnerable to terrorist attack and therefore require increased security, concludes a recent report released by the National Research Council. The council, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences, also reported on security for nuclear and biological threats; information technology; energy and transportation systems; and systems analysis and engineering.

How to conduct successful business retreats is the topic of a new publication recently released by the Natick, Mass.-based market research firm ZweigWhite. In the book, the company's strategic business planning consultants present guidelines, such as selecting a diverse mix of participants; planning the retreat away from the office; soliciting employee input when planning the agenda; and having realistic expectations of the event's outcome.

More than $44.5 million in energy-efficiency program grants were recently awarded to all U.S. states by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. In the past, such grants have supported energy-efficiency improvements in more than 69,000 buildings nationwide.