While HENSOLDT is a global pioneer of technologies that are designed for protecting armed forces, civilians, assets and borders, the company is also actively making a difference as a protector of endangered species.  South Africa is known for its iconic wildlife and is also home to one of HENSOLDT’s largest industrial sites. As a result, it came as a natural progression to protect the country’s wildlife using state-of-the-art defense and security technologies.   Rise in rhino poaching  In recent years, animals such as rhinos have been under increased pressure due to rising poaching levels, threatening the future of these animals. South Africa holds nearly 80% of the world’s rhinos and has been hit the hardest by poaching, with more than 1 000 rhinos killed each year between 2013 and 2017.  HENSOLDT celebrates three years of zero poaching on the world’s largest rhino conservancy HENSOLDT responded to this threat, and is now combining advanced intelligence, radar and optical surveillance systems with physical security for high-end wildlife protection.  This week, HENSOLDT celebrates three years of zero poaching on the world’s largest rhino conservancy, where HENSOLDT’s technologies have been keeping a large number of rhino safe. HENSOLDT South Africa designed and installed a surveillance and security system on the farm and since then, not one animal has been lost to poaching. “Before that, we had poaching every month, sometimes every week,” says John Hume, owner of Buffalo Dream Ranch.  Situational awareness  In 2017, Buffalo Dream Ranch, the world’s largest rhino farm, started a partnership with HENSOLDT to secure 8000 hectares of land, where some 1800 rhinos now live peacefully, protected by state-of-the-art HENSOLDT technology. The specially developed system combines a number of advanced sensors, including optical and radar sensors, to monitor the rhinos, farm and surrounding area.   Data from these sensors are fused using advanced analytics at a command and control center to provide complete situational awareness and early-warning of potential poachers approaching the area.  In combination with existing physical barriers and a team of security personnel, the system augments the total security approach to create a surveillance solution, with technology that is always on guard, never fatigues and which cannot be compromised. “We are for the first time in years feeling confident, with HENSOLDT, of perfecting the protection of our rhino,” says Hume.  Wildlife protection  The know-how acquired through these projects can be applied for protecting other wildlife “We are honored to be part of important initiatives such as the conservation of our wildlife and we aim to expand our efforts,” says Hennie Venter, Chief Executive of the HENSOLDT South Africa GEW business unit.   The know-how acquired through these projects can be applied for protecting other wildlife and national parks to safe-keep endangered species such as lions, elephants and even abalone.  HENSOLDT prides itself on its relationship with its clients. “For us it’s not putting down the equipment and getting the business, for us it’s rather a journey,” says Werner Muller, GEW’s Chief Executive of Spectrum Monitoring and Security.  Needs-based solutions  Because of this philosophy, and because each wildlife scenario is different, with its own unique set of challenges, HENSOLDT’s experts collaborate with each client to develop a solution that addresses their specific needs.  Through its business units, GEW and Optronics, HENSOLDT South Africa delivers solutions to clients across the world, and significantly contributes to South Africa’s export industry, while it is firmly grounded in its roots as a proudly South African company, operating in South Africa for South Africa. HENSOLDT is committed to continue innovating to protect the wildlife. 

Even though ISC West 2020 was canceled, many of the product introductions planned for the trade show still happened. For example, physical security and secure identification company Identiv introduced the Hirsch Velocity Cirrus and MobilisID. Hirsch Velocity Cirrus is a cloud-based Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) solution. It is an optimal solution for both end-users and integrators, with lower upfront costs, reduced maintenance, enhanced portability, and the future-proof assurance of automatic security updates and feature sets. Smart mobile physical access control solution Identiv’s MobilisID is a smart mobile physical access control solution that uses Bluetooth and capacitive technologies to allow frictionless access to a controlled environment without the need to present a credential. We caught up with Jason Spielfogel, Identiv’s Director of Product Management, to discuss the new products and other topics. Q: How is Identiv positioned in the market as a whole? What philosophy drives your product offerings? What vertical markets do you target? Every customer needs every one of these components Spielfogel: Identiv provides a total solution. Our platforms provide access control hardware and software, video surveillance and analytics, door access readers, and ID credentials, both cards and mobile, for a variety of vertical markets: Federal government, state, local and education government agencies (SLED), healthcare, schools, banks/financial services, retail, airports and transportation, and infrastructure. Every customer needs every one of these components in every physical security deployment, and we ensure that all parts are working together at all times, even as technology continues to evolve. With that said, our philosophy is very customer-centric, and we position ourselves as a trusted partner. Our products and technology platform always strive to reflect and anticipate the environment our customers are facing, both in terms of technical requirements and functional capabilities. Q: How does the MobilisID system eliminate "friction?" Spielfogel: Identiv’s MobilisID eliminates the “friction” of access control by forgiving the user from presenting a physical credential to the reader. A simple wave of their hand over the MobilisID reader establishes a connection, and the reader reads their mobile device’s credential from the MobilisID app.  No badge or access card to read, and no contact with the reader, makes this a frictionless access control experience. Administrative friction is also eliminated because there is no physical credential to issue or withdraw; it’s all done via the MobilisID Manager. Q: Discuss the advantages of Bluetooth over competing technologies. Bluetooth offers a blend of reliability and specificity Spielfogel: There are two primary competing technologies: WiFi and Near Field Communication (NFC). The problem with WiFi is that it’s not location-specific. In other words, the WiFi router can’t tell which door the user is near. NFC has the opposite problem in that it’s impossible to get credential reads unless the phone is presented within an inch or two of the reader. Bluetooth offers a blend of reliability and specificity to create frictionless access. Q: "Touchless" has always been a big selling point. Doesn't the coronavirus improve the outlook for these systems even more? Spielfogel: The coronavirus certainly highlights the value of frictionless access. But the vast majority of access systems today use proximity which was already touchless. But for systems using touchpads or contact-based credentialing, certainly frictionless is offering some alternatives that would help keep employees and visitors safer in the current climate. Q: How else might the current pandemic change the security market forever (i.e., more teleworking?) Spielfogel: Permanent changes are not likely, but it does force security directors to rethink how their employees interact physically with systems for both physical and logical access. As a result, we might see accelerated adoption of some emerging technologies, such as greater use of mobile logical access solutions, as well as frictionless physical access control. We’ve already seen an uptick in our smart card reader and token line and our Thursby enterprise and personal mobility offering during the coronavirus pandemic. Q: There are a lot of cloud systems in the access control space. How is your Cirrus cloud product different? Velocity already has all those features Spielfogel: Cirrus is different from many others in that it’s built on one of the most mature, feature-rich, secure physical access solutions available today – Hirsch hardware and Velocity Software. While many competitors are scrambling to add features to their relatively new ACaaS platforms, Velocity already has all those features. While they are building up their encryption capabilities and cybersecurity testing, we’ve already been doing that for two decades. We certainly have some more development ahead of us for Cirrus, but most of it is just surfacing features we already have into the Cirrus interface. Q: How do you guide customers as their needs change? Spielfogel: Whether users want solutions that are on-prem, in the cloud, or anything in between, Identiv’s full architecture ensures that customers can adopt and migrate to new solutions as they see fit. No two customers are alike, so providing the flexibility to gradually update or change systems is a real differentiator. Our competitors either want customers to jump all at once to the cloud or push to keep everything on-prem/legacy. CSOs and CISOs live in a different world: They've got it all to deal with.  We're there with them across all of it, because that's the true reality.

Video is widely embraced as an essential element of physical security systems. However, surveillance footage is often recorded without sound, even though many cameras are capable of capturing audio as well as video. Beyond the capabilities of cameras, there is a range of other audio products on the market that can improve system performance and/or expand capabilities (e.g., gunshot detection.) We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How does audio enhance the performance of security and/or video systems? 

The State of Illinois has enacted a ‘stay at home’ order effective as of Saturday, March 21, at 5pm to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This means all residents are mandated to ‘remain at home’ and only essential businesses may remain open to provide critical services. Everybody fully supports this measure as it will hopefully slow the spread of the virus. Securing critical infrastructure Under the order, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has mandated that all Illinoisans stay in their homes except as needed to maintain continuity of business critical operations. This coincides with Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21): Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience that advances a national policy to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure. BCD plays an important role in the information technology sector. The sector's complex and dynamic environment makes identifying threats and assessing security vulnerabilities difficult and requires that these tasks be addressed in a collaborative and creative fashion, especially as it directly affects both the public and security infrastructure.BCD plays an important role in the information technology sector Working with security integrators and OEMS In addition, it is imperative to maintain the supply chain in this unprecedented time of need. They work hand-in-hand with a number of security integrators and OEMs that work directly with the Federal Government. Most importantly, they supply life safety equipment that is used by first responders to help and keep them safe. Therefore, BCD Illinois build centers will remain open and operational, as the support technicians and engineers will remain available to continue to support all customers to fulfill the critical technology needs of the nation’s federal, state and local governments, healthcare facilities, and education, industrial and financial services sectors. It has also been notified that all shipments to US States currently in "stay at home" status may be delayed by the freight carriers; this includes the State of Illinois. BCD build centers Jeff Burgess, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BCD said, “We continue to implement strict precautionary measures in all our logistics and integration centers, in accordance with government and public health requirements, to reduce risk for colleagues who are performing their duties. Our Illinois-based technical operations will continue as long as we can confidently protect the health and well-being of these dedicated two dozen team members. All other BCD staff will continue working from home until further notice.”

AI technology solutions firm, Athena Security is rolling out a line of artificial intelligent thermal cameras, which will be critical in the coming weeks. Containing Covid-19 spread With voters congregating at the primary polls in three US states, exponential spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is inevitable. The infected voters, many of whom will be ignorant that they have the contracted the virus, will spread it to countless others. In the coming weeks, those infected with the virus will need full awareness of their state of health to prevent further spread of the infection. High-tech AI thermal cameras AI thermal cameras can be life-saving by giving instant warning to the person that they could have the virus Taking into consideration that high temperature is one of the first symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection, these high-tech AI thermal cameras can be life-saving by giving instant warning to the person that they could have the virus and encouraging that person to take serious steps to self-quarantine immediately. Although many voters are bound to contract Coronavirus (Covid-19) when casting votes, steps taken in the coming weeks could prevent those infected from spreading it to loved ones and strangers alike. Some details surrounding the AI thermal cameras include: The cameras capture video accurately within 1/2 a degree They detect 12 different points on the body These cameras are perfect for mass congregation locations, such as airports, grocery stores, hospitals and voting locations The AI thermal cameras are ‘Ethical’ and feature no facial recognition or personal tracking Athena Security is the first A.I. technology company to accurately detect guns to mitigate mass shootings back in 2018 The first deployment of the AI thermal cameras is in Austin, Texas, USA

Link11, renowned European firm in the field of cyber-resilience and cyber security, is offering its DDoS protection solutions free of charge to public sector health, government and public education organizations during the highly contagious phase of COVID-19. Public sector organizations are particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and the availability of critical public infrastructures is more important than ever as people look for genuine sources of information related to the virus outbreak. Remote working policies Governments all over the world have taken necessary actions to lower COVID-19’s spreading curve, including implementing remote working policies, resulting in significant growth in internet traffic, leading to an increased risk of social engineering, business email compromise, ransomware and DDoS attacks. According to Link11’s research, during the three-week period Monday 17 February to Monday 9 March, Link11’s Security Operation Center (LSOC) defended 20,349 minutes of attacks (over 2,860 hours), which is more than 30% up compared to the 15,612 minutes of attacks mitigated during the same period in 2019. Link11 Cloud Protection Platform Marc Wilczek, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Link11 said, “It takes only a small effort these days to overload servers and online services, and organizations need to protect their infrastructures. To help them deal with the evolving threat landscape, Link11 is offering government, public health and education organizations a solution that proactively identifies, blocks, and mitigates DDoS attacks within the Link11 Cloud Protection Platform, free of charge until September 2020.” Link11’s integrated Cloud Security Platform ensures cyber-resilience of the entire IT infrastructure On Sunday 15 March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suffered a cyber-attack, designed to slow the agency’s services amid the government’s rollout of a response to coronavirus, with the aim of overloading HHS servers. Officials assume a hostile foreign actor was behind this campaign. Cloud-based DDoS protection Traditional on-premise DDoS defenses, which are still widely used, and load-balancing products, are not able to protect individual websites, APIs or cloud applications against Layer-7 attacks, as these malicious data tsunamis can create big damage with little total bandwidth, bringing everything to a standstill instantly. Cloud-based DDoS protection, such as Link11’s integrated Cloud Security Platform, uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, strict automation and real-time analytics to ensure cyber-resilience of the entire IT infrastructure and application landscape supporting hybrid as well as cloud-native deployments.

A security system upgrade at one of Australia’s most prestigious universities has seen Gallagher’s solutions installed at campuses across Melbourne. According to the University of Melbourne, Gallagher was selected for the upgrade due to their strong integration capability, commitment to supporting the university’s long-term site plan, and investment in development. Gallagher worked in partnership with the university and Gallagher Channel Partner MGA Electronic Security to roll out the upgrade in over 150 buildings across seven campuses. The partnerships were integral to the success of the rollout, ensuring the system was configured to best meet the university’s needs. System flexibility “We’re impressed with not only the flexibility of the system, but the support from Gallagher,” says Adam Leach, Security Systems Coordinator at the University of Melbourne. Project Leads from the university visited Gallagher’s head office in Hamilton, New Zealand, prior to the project beginning. The upgrade included access control for over 3,000 doors, over 177,000 cardholders, and thousands of inputs “The opportunity to visit Gallagher and see their investment in R&D showed us that they are committed to growth and future developments. We were looking for a long-term business relationship, and we are definitely confident we have chosen the right solution.” Complete site control The upgrade included access control for over 3,000 doors, over 177,000 cardholders, and thousands of inputs. Gallagher Command Center software, a powerful solution offering complete site control from one central platform, runs at the heart of the university’s security system. “The integration capabilities of Gallagher’s Command Center are second to none,” says Leach. The university has integrations with Active Directory, Unicard, Syllabus Plus, IndigoVision and Schindler. People safety One of the key decisions in choosing the Gallagher system for their upgrade was its flexibility to grow with the university. “Our security solutions are designed to protect sites now and into the future,” says Scott Johnstone, Gallagher’s National Sales Manager, Australia and Papua New Guinea. “We’re pleased to be able to support the University of Melbourne with their long-term plans, all while ensuring the safety of their people, assets and information.” MGA Electronic Security completed the upgrade project quicker than expected and on budget, undertaking the entire system changeover in under 18 months.

Air Partner plc ('Air Partner"), the global aviation services group, has launched a unique new product, Air Partner Protect, in response to the emergence and spread of COVID-19 ("coronavirus"). The Group has recently carried out a number of evacuations on behalf of the UK government, and has seen increased demand from customers looking for similar services with enhanced safeguarding measures in place. Air Partner Protect The fast-moving and widespread nature of the disease has presented a unique and challenging set of circumstances in which to travel around the world, and individuals, governments and businesses alike are facing unforeseen hurdles as new restrictions and regulations are put into place. Air Partner Protect has been specifically curated to mitigate risk for customers flying during the coronavirus outbreak Through its broad and varied service offering, Air Partner is able to provide customers with global tailored solutions that meet multiple aviation requirements at the same time. Air Partner Protect has been specifically curated to mitigate risk for customers flying during the coronavirus outbreak, while offering expert advice and reassurance. Enhanced Security Screening Air Partner's dedicated Safety & Security division Redline can provide its own security operatives and equipment to carry out security screening where it is not available through the normal channels due to infection concerns. Air Partner works with approved operators to ensure aircraft and crew comply with recommended procedures around coronavirus (in addition to the stringent health and safety processes already in place). This includes ensuring aircraft have been deep cleaned and crew is following strict hygiene precautions.  Quick response evacuation and emergency medical support Using its exceptional relationships with operators globally, Air Partner can offer an extremely fast solution to evacuate any number of people from anywhere in the world, as evidenced by its recent work with the government's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). Air Partner's partnership with Northcott Global Solutions (NGS) provides customers with a quick and professional response to medical issues, emergency or routine, wherever they are in the world, 24/7. COVID-19 monitoring, updates and advice Working with partner NGS, the Air Partner team is kept fully briefed on all coronavirus developments, so that they can keep customers up to date on all the latest information and advice relating to their flights. Air Partner always monitors all of its customers' flights from start to finish, and the team can be reached 24/7, 365 days a year, for added reassurance. Bespoke safety solutions Customers are concerned and we have launched Air Partner Protect in response to growing demand" Commenting on the launch of Air Partner Protect, Air Partner CEO Mark Briffa said, "Coronavirus continues to affect communities around the world and global travel and transportation are becomingly increasingly challenging as new measures are brought in to try and limit the spread of infection. Customers are understandably concerned and we have launched Air Partner Protect in response to growing demand." Mark adds, “As a global aviation services group, we are already able to offer bespoke solutions spanning Charter, Consultancy & Training and Safety & Security so that customers can source everything in one place. Air Partner Protect goes one step further by ensuring that customers are safeguarded as much as possible when using our services at this difficult time." Fully-integrated solution Air Partner's collaborative and holistic approach was demonstrated when the Group supported the FCO's recent evacuation and repatriation of UK and Irish nationals onboard the cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Yokohama in Japan. The Group Charter, Freight and Redline teams worked together to deliver a fully-integrated solution for the multi-faceted project, which involved evacuating 32 people in line with all Public Health England health and safety protocols, security screening these passengers and their baggage ahead of the flight from Tokyo to the UK, and transporting cargo.

Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia offers three daily commercial flights to and from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, along with general aviation. The airport contains three runways, two of which are used by commercial aircraft. The airport offers ground transportation, free parking, a Subway restaurant, and many other services such as hangar space and flight training to name a few. Previously, Valdosta Regional Airport operated a legacy Matrix access control system. The proprietary system, including the readers, panels and software, was outdated, making it difficult and expensive to obtain replacement parts. Building automation systems Looking for an open solution, Valdosta Regional Airport turned to Allcom Global Services for their expertise and upgraded to AMAG Technology’s Symmetry SR Retrofit Access Control system with HID readers. “Symmetry integrates into various video, intrusion and building automation systems,” said Kevin Cioffi, vice president, Allcom Global Services. Valdosta has more freedom to research competitive pricing and alternative options" “By choosing an open system, Valdosta has more freedom to research competitive pricing and alternative options. We are thrilled they have chosen Allcom. We gutted all the circuit boards and changed them to the Symmetry panels,” said Tim Register, operations manager/airport security coordinator, Valdosta Regional Airport. “We kept the antennas and how the data was transmitted. All the mounts stayed the same; we just swapped in Symmetry and it worked.” Integrating different technologies Symmetry controls access to the perimeter of the airport including the vehicle access gates and all outside doors facing the Security Identification Display Area (SIDA). The SIDA includes all areas that have access to the commercial apron and tarmac. The SIDA also requires a reader with a PIN-plus-card swipe to open, which make up 75% of the airport’s readers. The remaining Airport Operations Areas (AOA) require only a proximity card swipe to open, which are mostly internal doors and the main entrance. Thirty-two new HID proximity card readers were installed in total. To get the open system the airport required, Valdosta Regional Airport replaced older panels with Symmetry SR panels. As the Symmetry system changes or expands, integrating different technologies or adding more readers will be easy and less expensive. More economical approach The simple job of creating a badge for a user was cumbersome and time consuming with their old system The security operators found Symmetry much easier to learn and use, saving money and hours in training time. The simple job of creating a badge for a user was cumbersome and time consuming with their old system. With Symmetry, badges are created on demand, onsite, with no hassle or extra charge. “Symmetry provided us a more economical approach to facilitate the same thing we used to do with a more expensive, proprietary system,” said Register. “It is much easier to create a badge with Symmetry.” Life flight helicopter Airport authority employees, TSA, airline employees, fixed based operators, life flight helicopter and fixed wing aircraft are all protected by Symmetry. In addition to the perimeter, Symmetry controls access to all work areas within the airport and to the hangars located inside the perimeter fence. “An incident happened one Sunday morning where a car hit a pole and brought the power down,” said Tim Register. “If we were operating the Matrix system, it would have been down for hours. Our Symmetry system was only down minutes.”

Around 7,000 people pass through the Luminy faculty’s suburban campus every day. As part of a major project to modernise two buildings, university managers sought a retrofit-ready access control solution to upgrade security. Aperio locks University administrators selected Aperio locks to secure doors in the new buildings. With Aperio, facilities, the staff can deal with lost keys more efficiently. The laborious process of changing locks and reissuing keys — part of the daily workload with mechanical locking — vanishes. Luminy campus is equipped with 372 Aperio Electronic Cylinders & 42 Aperio Electronic Handles with built-in RFID readers The Luminy campus is now equipped with 372 Aperio electronic cylinders & 42 Aperio electronic handles with built-in RFID readers. Locks are integrated seamlessly, wirelessly and online with Luminy’s ARD access control system. One key goal was to deter theft, which was becoming a problem in teaching areas — especially those with computers. “Since we installed Aperio, we have not had a break-in,” says Cédric Lopez, Maintenance Manager at Luminy. Campus security and incident management In addition to theft deterrence, Aperio met broad, stringent criteria for the security upgrade. Staff and students carry individual access smart-cards. Doors and credentials are easily programmed and reprogrammed to accommodate everyone’s changing access needs. Luminy’s security team has complete control over access permissions and campus traffic — in real time. Because their new Aperio devices are integrated online, the staff can see a ‘live’ overview of the campus and respond proactively to incidents. Aperio is trusted to protect the most sensitive areas of the campus. “We have critical premises, including for the storage of chemicals, some with radioactive properties,” adds Lopez. Seamless integration with university’s scheduling system Aperio locks are built on an open platform for easy integration with the university’s scheduling system Aperio locks are built on an open platform, so they are flexible enough to integrate with the university’s room scheduling system. “Teachers are able to reserve their rooms. Students no longer have to wait for the teacher’s arrival, because they have access to the right rooms in defined time slots,” says Cédric Lopez. The credential students already carry automatically opens classroom doors, if they have pre-authorized access rights. For the facilities team, the ARD interface displays scheduling for all relevant rooms in real time. Aperio wireless technology Luminy site managers have already scheduled further real-time access control upgrades built around award-winning Aperio wireless technology. As Luminy staff discovered, the benefits of Aperio extend beyond just enhanced campus safety and student security. The Aperio for Universities Solution Guide explains how you can upgrade and streamline security at your campus. Learn more about Aperio® at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-university

National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain (the Bank) is a Public Shareholding Company incorporated in Umm Al Qaiwain by Amiri Decree Number (1) on January 5, 1982, issued by His Highness, the Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain and commenced its operations with effect from August 1, 1982. The Local government of Umm Al Qaiwain is the largest shareholder and promoter of the bank. The bank is engaged in providing retail and corporate banking services through a network of 14 branches in U.A.E. The Bank carries out Islamic banking operations through Islamic Banking window established in 2005 across its branch network. They were searching for a fool-proof solution that would help them in managing the Time-Attendance and overtime calculation. With offices spread over 14 locations in UAE, management of attendance data was a daunting task. centralized attendance data management All manual work for report generation was eliminated outrightly, simplifying the salary procedure Thus, centralized attendance data management and maintaining a complete record of their employees were a part of their key requirements. Moreover, their payroll processing deployed a software - RAMCO, wherein the attendance data was manually entered. After a comprehensive discussion with the customer, Matrix offered a centralized platform - COSEC CENTRA, to manage all the data centrally. Door controllers - COSEC VEGA FAX installed in all the office entrances. These door controllers are integrated with the central platform that pushes the event data to the server. Furthermore, the Matrix platform is integrated with the payroll system - RAMCO. All manual work for report generation was eliminated outrightly, simplifying the salary procedure. After implementing Matrix solutions, NBQ witnessed drastic changes while following their processes. Customized attendance policy formation Effortless attendance management of multiple locations from the Head Office was prominently one of them. The shift allocation and shift correction processes were streamlined. Their solution included some advanced features like customized attendance policy formation and real item alert on attendance related event & auto-scheduled reporting. This, in turn, ensured efficient employee database management improving productivity. Products and solutions offered: COSEC VEGA FAX A complete Time-Attendance and Access Control solution with a blend of aesthetics, size, connectivity, reliability and ease-of-use. Designed for large enterprises with multi-location organizations. COSEC CENTRA PLT A web-enabled application server that controls the entire system from anywhere in the world. It is the heart of the entire solution and acts as a bridge between applications and the devices. COSEC CENTRA TAM An enterprise-grade solution, designed for organizations the Time-Attendance and Leave Management processes like recording entries and exits, salary processing, etc.

Pulse Secure, globally renowned provider of software-defined Secure Access solutions, has announced the delivery of a successful project at Warrington Borough Council (WBC), designed to help deliver taxpayer value and workforce flexibility through Secure Network Access. Warrington Borough Council is a unitary authority in the north west of England serving approximately 200,000 citizens across 22 wards. WBC provides a full range of local government services including council tax billing, libraries, social services, the processing of planning applications, waste collection and disposal and more, that are delivered through its own staff and third-party partners supporting council operations. This approach makes remote access to relevant areas of the network increasingly important for communication and productivity. Juniper VPN technology and RSA two-factor authentication WBC’s existing Juniper VPN technology and RSA two-factor authentication were up for replacement, prompting the council to put out a tender invitation for vendors to propose new technology to deliver secure, selective access to its network for third party associates. The tender required a secure access platform that could initially support 100 licenses, with the potential to scale to meet changing demand while offering easy ongoing management. WBC objectively tested the proposed solution before selecting Pulse Secure as the best fit for its needs with DXC, a Pulse Secure Elite partner selected as the solution provider including a three-year contract with built-in software and service support. Reliable, secure VPN access DXC team transitioned the council’s network from Juniper SAs to Pulse PSAs in on-site implementation project The DXC team seamlessly transitioned the council’s network from Juniper SAs to Pulse PSAs in a two-day, on-site implementation project with minimal interruption to user services. Now, the council can provide reliable and secure VPN access for its entire direct and indirect workforce, making remote and mobile working easier. “[I was] really impressed with how DXC were able to implement our remote access solution, no impact to our customers, and no complaints either,” said David Gallear, Technical Lead (Network), Resources and Strategic Commissioning Directorate at Warrington Borough Council. Remote and mobile access The council has gained a fully secure network and can grant selective access to third party partners as needed, with simple ongoing management keeping costs low. Giving third-party associates remote and mobile access has also helped the council to promote a better work/life balance for its entire workforce. The new solution also helps WBC provide a more responsive, streamlined and efficient service to customers. With secure remote access, productivity has remained high even during bad weather or travel disruption that would previously prevent staff from coming into the office.

Air Partner plc, the global aviation services group, worked alongside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to deliver a unique, fully-integrated and holistic solution for the evacuation and repatriation of UK and Irish nationals onboard the cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Yokohama in Japan. The project was complex, challenging and time sensitive, made more demanding by the requirement for the FCO to carry out the security screening of all passengers and their baggage in Tokyo before they could board the flight back to the UK. Throughout the planning phase and operational delivery, employees from across the Air Partner Group worked closely with the FCO, the operating airline, the Department for Transport (DFT) and the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority to obtain the numerous authorisations and approvals needed to complete the project on time. Optimally configured airline Air Partner’s Group Charter team chartered a Boeing 747-400 to carry out the flight from Tokyo Haneda to Boscombe Down in the UK, ensuring that the aircraft was optimally configured. The upper deck was designated for crew rest only to clearly segregate the evacuees and the flight crew, and there was also a separate section in the nose of the aircraft that could be used as an isolation zone for passengers. Redline mobilised its security experts from its rapid deployment team (RDT) within two hours of the project Redline Assured Security (“Redline”), Air Partner’s recently acquired Safety & Security division, endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and the UK Department for Transport (DFT), worked hand in hand with the FCO on all matters pertaining to security clearances and the security screening of passengers and their baggage in Tokyo. Rapid deployment team Redline mobilized its security experts from its rapid deployment team (RDT) within two hours of the project being given the go-ahead and arranged for them to be deployed to Tokyo on the positioning flight from Madrid on 20 February, along with the necessary scanning equipment. The Group’s Freight team worked alongside Redline to charter a Metroliner freighter to transport the equipment directly from Redline’s National Security Training Center at Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Madrid ahead of this. The operatives were appropriately attired in protective clothing at all times. The evacuation flight departed Tokyo Haneda at 07:57 on Friday 21 February (local time) and arrived into Boscombe Down in Wiltshire at 11:41 on Saturday 22 February (local time), carrying 32 passengers safely home. Fully-integrated solution  This was a multifaceted and time sensitive project and I am immensely proud of the work our colleagues undertook" Mark Briffa, CEO at Air Partner, commented, “Unfortunately, the spread of Coronavirus has continued at pace and our thoughts remain with everyone affected. We were pleased that we could play a role in the FCO’s mission to swiftly and safely repatriate British and Irish nationals quarantined on the cruise ship in Japan. Our Group Charter and Safety & Security divisions were in a unique position to deliver a fully-integrated solution to make this happen.” “This was a multifaceted and time sensitive project and I am immensely proud of the work our colleagues undertook to ensure 32 UK and Irish nationals onboard the ship could return to the UK. By offering this holistic solution, which combines Charter and Safety & Security, with appropriate international accreditations and approvals in place, we are ideally placed to meet our customers’ diverse aviation requirements in fast-moving crisis situations.” Yokohama cruise ship evacuation “We continue to work with customers to provide our range of aviation services in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and remain on standby to assist in any way we can.” The Yokohama cruise ship evacuation follows a project earlier in which Air Partner flew medical supplies to Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, and evacuated over 300 British and EU nationals from the city.

The Government of Jersey has appointed SureCloud to manage its government-wide cyber security transformation program, which aims to maintain the reputation of Jersey as a safe place to work and live. The new two-year deal forms part of the government’s Cyber Security Strategy, announced in 2017, to enhance its cyber resilience during its period of modernization. Cyber Security Strategy The Government of Jersey provides key operational services to more than 106,000 citizens and 7,000 businesses in Jersey. All of its services, including tax, healthcare, waste management, social services and education, depend on the security and availability of IT and Operational Technology (OT) systems. The financial services and tourism industries also heavily rely on the availability and security of the government’s services. Cyber Security Program Management Service SureCloud to deliver a Cyber Security Program Management Service,  includes establishing governance SureCloud will deliver a Cyber Security Program Management Service which includes establishing governance and reporting processes for all elements of the government’s cyber security program. This will involve providing risk and issue management, program governance, information security processes as well as financial, quality and information management. It will also coordinate, lead and communicate business change across cyber security projects. This will be led by a dedicated Program Director who will proactively manage the day-to-day management of the government’s cyber security program and proactively monitor overall progress, as well as resolving any risks and issues that may arise. Cyber Security solutions “The Government of Jersey wants the island to remain a stable and attractive place to live and do business, in both the physical and digital world,” comments Ben Jepson, Vice President of Risk Advisory at SureCloud. “Cyber security is a prerequisite for this, which is why the government is investing in this cyber security programme. With our experience, knowledge and hands-on team, we are confident we can help them enhance their cyber security and move their transformation programme forwards.” The Cyber Security Program Management Service, which launches on 3rd March, will be delivered in two 12-month tranches. The first is split into six distinct projects: Program Management, Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), Governance Improvement, Identity and Access Management, Asset Management and People Security. The second includes preparing for, and developing, procurement documentation for tranche two projects. Cyber Security expert Stuart Powell, CISO at Government of Jersey, concludes, “As we embark on a period of extensive change and modernization, cyber security is a critical enabler for delivering government services to the citizens and businesses of Jersey. We were impressed with SureCloud’s offering for improving our cyber security capability in quality and scale as well as their Program Director who we are looking forward to working with.”

Revader Security has supplied its Transit mobile CCTV cameras to Argoed Community Council in Flintshire, North Wales. The cameras are operated on a daily basis by the local police, primarily for the purposes of tackling antisocial behavior and street crime. The Transit range of mobile cameras are ruggedized outdoor surveillance solutions which have been proven over many years to deter crime and secure the vital video evidence necessary for prosecution. Local police forces are actively using the fleet of mobile cameras in the Argoed and surrounding area to combat long-running issues of antisocial behavior and criminality in the community. Mobile CCTV cameras combat crime Police are able to regularly reposition each camera around the locality to respond to the movement of crime hotspots, and only minimal planning is required prior to deployment, since the units can be installed in virtually any location within minutes. Rhodri Hampson-Jones, Clerk to the Council, said, “The mobile CCTV cameras supplied by Revader Security have proven to be highly effective. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to CCTV operators seeking to combat antisocial behavior and criminality in the community.” Following successful results in the local area, Argoed Council placed repeat orders to increase their stock of mobile cameras. The council is fully supported by Revader Security’s technical team throughout the life cycle of the products.