Transportation security applications - Expert commentary
For fleet managers, the control and management of your fleet begins with control and management of the keys that start the vehicles. For some, this critical task is left to a very basic – and incredibly low-tech – solution, such as hooks mounted on a pegboard with a notebook for signing vehicle keys in and out. There are a number of shortcomings with this type of “system,” most notably that employees tend to ignore it altogether. With this type of honor system approach,...
Cloud computing has many benefits, including greater flexibility, infrastructure cost savings, and enhanced computing performance. However, the cloud presents new security challenges that organizations need to address. A failure to implement security controls and adhere to solid data governance practices could result in a breach. Preventing Worst Case Scenarios Consider this scenario, a company begins their migration by getting excited about the possibilities the cloud can provide to their app...
What drives terrorism? It's a question asked by governments, individuals, militaries and businesses. Terrorist tactics and tradecraft constantly evolve to respond to external forces that enable, constrain and otherwise shape them. Tracking the influential forces that shape terrorism is crucial to understanding how attacks are conducted and placing an attack in context. But most importantly, understanding the drivers of terrorism helps security professionals anticipate terrorism trends so they...
If I asked you today how your video surveillance environment has changed over the past few years, how would you respond? I bet the answer could include the following options: An increase in the number of cameras The addition of more advanced technologies such as high-definition video, video analytics, 360-degree video devices, cloud-based services and more IT innovations. Demand for more video data to drive business, IT and security initiatives. Modern Video Surveillance The modernizati...
When a news story of global interest begins to break, reporters across the world will scramble to find CCTV footage of the event, however isolated the incident may seem. Given the average of one camera installed for every twenty-nine people on the planet, it is perhaps unsurprising how often a persistent journalist, investigator or member of the public will actually be able to uncover footage. In fact, this number is estimated to be as high as one camera for every eleven people in mature market...
PSIMs have had a bad rap in the pro security industry for a multitude of reasons; ranging from suppliers overpromising on integration and control capabilities to complexity of implementation and use. However, there is a silver lining to this story. Today, advanced PSIM solutions are being successfully deployed in commercial applications with the ability to integrate previously disparate professional access, video, notification, building operations and more onto a unified control and management...
Adoption of the cloud is not slowing down. In fact, what’s happening is quite the opposite. According to IDC, worldwide spending on cloud computing is expected to reach $162 billion USD in 2020, growing at a compound annual rate of 19%. This isn’t surprising when you consider that more organizations are looking outside their own environment for solutions that will help them become more agile, maximize resources and save money. Yet, while this study and countless others show that mo...
Today ‘terrorism’ has become a word we use and hear every day. The goal of terrorism is a media product - information delivered to nearly every house in the world. So, the weapon of terrorism is information. Therefore, the way we defend and prevent terrorism must also be based on intelligent processing of information - and an early awareness of potential threats and effective preventive action may eliminate most attacks. Video analytics, automated surveillance and AI decision-making...
Everybody has been hooked on the discussions about Analog HD or IP systems, but shouldn’t we really be thinking about WiFi and 5G connectivity, removing the need for expensive cabling? Are wireless networks secure enough? What is the potential range? Even the basic question about whether or not the network is capable of transferring the huge (and growing) amount of data required for High Res Video, which will soon be quadrupled with the advent of 4K and higher resolutions. The Future Of...
A childhood friend of mine has made a nice career in coaching college football. As with most coaching careers, he’s had to make several moves over the years. He was the Linebackers Coach at a national powerhouse FBS school for a few years before getting promoted to Special Teams Coordinator. From there, he moved into a Defensive Coordinator at another FBS school. Not a national powerhouse, but he was the D.C. – a huge promotion. Although I’ve kept up with his progress, and have...
Recent research shows most access control technology currently in use is not as secure or convenient as many security managers believe, according to day-to-day users of the system. In this HID Global white paper, you will discover what different companies look for in an access control system, why certain legacy access control systems may be vulnerable to attack, and why upgrading to a new access control system can result in huge benefit for enterprises and end users. Find Out M...
In a world where hacking and denial of service are everyday threats, many feel that it is about time for the world of the Internet of Things (IoT) to undergo a reality check over its strategy and promotion before disaster strikes, reputations are lost and investors pull up stakes and run for the hills. What Is New About IoT? Having made, lost and then re-made my fortune in and around the industry over the past 20-plus years, I cannot help but smile over the level of hype &md...
To say the surveillance industry has changed over the last quarter of a century is an understatement. From high-definition cameras and TVs to high flying drones and video analytics – the surveillance industry has shifted in ways we never expected to see in such a short space of time. What’s more, with such advancements in both quality and choice that’s now available in the market, it’s no wonder that revenue in the video surveillance market is set to double to $75.64 bill...
For many years, video analytics have enabled end users to detect specific people or vehicles entering restricted areas, capture license plate information, scan crowds for specific individuals and much more. Today’s Video Management Systems (VMS) and IP cameras are built with powerful processing capabilities, helping to drive the development of more advanced analytics to more accurately detect abnormalities in behaviors that trigger alerts – an important component of predictive analys...
A new study reveals that intelligent fire detection systems have the potential to unlock more than 30 percent cost-savings on routine maintenance checks through real-time, data-driven remote monitoring. Kevin Mears, Product Manager for Kentec Electronics, describes how remote monitoring and predictive maintenance can meet the competitive challenges of the digital age. Leading economists have identified the convergence and synergies delivered by The Internet of Things – the interconnection...
“Netflix,” “twerk” and “selfie” were added to the dictionary. Boston Marathon bombing. Activist Nelson Mandela and actor Paul Walker died. Edward Snowden gave NSA classified documents to Wikilinks. These events may seem like they happened only yesterday, but they are some of the top news headlines from four years ago. Four years can feel like a very short time, and in four short years, every security panel installed by dealers to date will go dark. The curren...
Security and systems integrators across the nation are recommending and providing long-term security solutions to their customers. But when it comes to physical security entrances, integrators can easily fall into the trap of simply fulfilling an end user’s exact request without much pushback. Why? We believe the complexity and variety of entrances available makes it difficult to consult on the best solution, but also because there are a lot of assumptions at play. 1) Ask Questions To De...
The security industry as we all understand it today is due for a much-needed paradigm shift. The solutions that security dealers and integrators are installing and deploying today have advanced considerably and for many, those systems do an excellent job safeguarding the homes and small businesses of their customers. However, all of those installed solutions have one inherent flaw: traditional fire alarms and security systems are only reactive in nature. By reactive, we mean that although today...
Recent developments in physical security systems have enabled us to expand access control using IT infrastructure. By eliminating the need for hard wiring to a central panel or controller, IP-based systems enable installations that are non-proprietary, flexible and scalable. This means not only a more versatile solution, but also a more cost-efficient one. A network-based system can be enlarged by one door, and one reader, at a time, unlike some traditional systems where controllers or panels o...
Securing potentially hazardous sites, which contain gas or oil storage facilities, is becoming increasingly important to UK industry. While other businesses are investing in enhanced access control solutions, such as electronic key-centric access management, many sites containing hazardous materials are left stuck in the dark ages, with basic and impractical mechanical locking systems. This is due to the potential risks associated with using an electronic device, which could cause a spark, in cl...
Nowadays, there is a lot of hype around data and its utility for almost any industry – from security and law enforcement to business operations and retail. While we are inundated with information about data and its significance to business success, technological development and fulfilling the promise of the Internet of Things, we don’t always get practical feedback as to how to obtain this valuable data from the resources available to us. Security teams feel this challenge acutely....
The need for interoperability, which is making different types of devices or technologies communicate with one another, is certainly nothing new in our industry. At Anixter, we have been testing interoperability in our Infrastructure Solutions Lab for many years, connecting devices and clients from different suppliers to our test server site to ensure that integrations and multi-supplier solutions are going to work correctly for our customers in real-world scenarios. Open Standards In Access Co...
Sea ports have a long tradition of handling important cargo, including equipment for oil and gas fields. These critical sites require complex security to protect vulnerable areas such as storage locations and unloading areas, as well as monitoring the surrounding waterways for emergency situations. Often, upgrading these sites with a future-proof security system can prove challenging, as there are likely to be expansive legacy systems in place. New systems may also need to be integrated w...
There has never been closer integration between physical and logical security systems, so there has also never been greater importance when it comes to defining and maintaining the security culture within an organization. Unfortunately, with increasingly complex security protocols required on a daily basis (and used by every employee), a security regime can easily become lax through apathy – which offers the perfect opportunity for potential intruders to take advantage. While securi...
In today’s world, businesses face a growing threat landscape. Looking back on just the past few months, there have been increased incidents of workplace violence (e.g. the recent New York city hospital shooting), terrorist activities (e.g. London Bridge attack, Manchester attack), and cyberattacks (e.g. Petya and WannaCry). While critical events have become more frequent, more complex, and costly to businesses, organizations’ emergency communications systems, plans and processes have...
The corporate mantra “Utilize TCO instead of purchase price when making purchasing decisions” means evaluating a project’s Total-Cost-of-Ownership over its lifetime period as the primary cost factor. It requires the corporate buyer to scrutinize the entirety of the investment as opposed to just the upfront purchase price. Like an iceberg, where the majority of the ice is below the surface, the total cost of ownership of a security system is typically much larger than the upfro...
Workplace violence (WPV) cannot be 100% prevented. However, we know from experience that well-placed preparedness and prevention measures can significantly diminish the probability and severity of potential workplace violence. A prime example comes as an outgrowth of the multiple “going Postal” shootings at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) by employees or ex-employees (mostly in the 1990s). Out of necessity, USPS implemented a comprehensive workplace violence program throughout t...
Robots have been in the spotlight lately, as tycoons like Elon Musk discuss the perils of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and roving robots meet their watery demise. These recent events have unmasked a particularly interesting topic: The value of robots in the broader sense, especially as a security tool. The emergence of robotics, automation and AI is not new, but the ongoing discussion about how best to use these continues to fuel critics and supporters alike. Seattle-Tacoma Inte...
Can you imagine what it would be like if you could only look at your CCTV cameras eight hours after an incident, when your security team finish their shift? That is what 99% of current body cameras offer. Most body cameras can only record video, which limits them to settling arguments after the fact – who said what first in an altercation with the police? What sparked an incident with the door security team at a nightclub? This leads to a curious asymmetry of video and immediacy between m...
With 60 percent of all of the world’s data expected to be created and managed by enterprises by 2025 according to IDC, it’s not surprising to learn that enterprise players have moved swiftly to help their customers and organizations maximize the opportunity around this massive data growth. However, when it comes to one of the most significant drivers of this growth in information—surveillance data— many enterprises struggle to understand how they can apply it to do more f...
