Though the H1N1 flu has been declared a national emergency by the U.S. President experts say that many companies remain ill-prepared for its potential consequences, which could include employee absentee rates of 40% or more.

While October’s emergency declaration is targeted mostly at helping health care providers and government agencies bypass regulatory requirements to provide critical care, experts say it should also be a red flag for the IT and business communities.

U.S. policies toward defending against cyber warfare need to take a different approach than the government has against other forms of attack, three cybersecurity experts said on October 29.

It will be difficult for the U.S. government to voice and follow through with a policy of cyber deterrence, like it has with nuclear attacks, said a senior management scientist specializing in cybersecurity at Rand, a nonprofit think tank. First, it’s difficult to identify attackers, especially when some nations appear to be sponsoring private attackers, he said during a meeting of the Congressional Cyber Caucus in Washington. But it may also be difficult for the U.S. to follow through with threats of counterattacks, when U.S. cyber experts don’t know how much damage the attacks could do, he added.