Application security

Security and Safety Things GmbH is pleased to announce that 21 new and innovative applications are currently in development as part of its App Challenge to create new solutions for the retail, transportation and manufacturing sectors. Developers from 16 different companies have been working on apps that can provide solutions to COVID-19 specific needs or common industry pain points. The apps will run on cameras powered by the operating system developed by Security & Safety Things. AI-Enabled analytic apps A total of 11 of these new AI-enabled analytic apps have already been loaded onto the company’s open Application Store, and will now be rated by a jury of prominent integrators. Another 10 applications are expected to follow over the coming weeks. The Application Store already features close to 70 camera applications from which integrators and end users can choose to suit their particular use case. Using the Security & Safety Things OS, multiple applications are capable of running simultaneously on a single camera so end users can accomplish several different functions with one device. Also, apps can be replaced over the camera’s lifetime, allowing users to flexibly repurpose cameras and source more value from the hardware investment. Anonymize sensitive data An app example in the manufacturing and logistics category is parcel detection For example, retailers can install apps that can track occupancy levels and detect facial coverings, and later install apps that perform heat mapping or customer traffic flow. Some will assist in preventing shoplifting or address COVID-19 specific challenges, such as the detection of proper face protection, occupancy management and adherence to social distancing. Applications in the transportation and smart city category will, among other things, assist municipalities in assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 restrictions or anonymize sensitive data by masking PIN pads, phones, laptops and humans to provide a greater level of privacy. An app example in the manufacturing and logistics category is parcel detection, which will inform building owners when a package is left unattended. This seeks to solve a pain point brought on by the lack of onsite staff in a variety of verticals, due to COVID-19. Developers creating new apps The developers who are creating new apps as part of the App Challenge include: Retail: Link Analytix Thirdeye Labs Eagle Eye Network B.V. A.I. Tech TNG Technology Consulting GmbH Impact Analytics VI Agents Solutions, LLC. Transportation & Smart Cities: GoodVision Ltd. Shapes AI Sparkline, Inc. OpenALPR Software Solutions, LLC. ConPDS ApS VI Agents Solutions A.I. Tech TNG Technology Consulting GmbH Manufacturing & Logistics: Hxd3 Vallum Software VI Agents Solutions, LLC. Sparkline, Inc. Impact Analytics Most innovative proposals The challenge, which launched in April, offers developers the chance to present their solutions to industry players and compete for three prizes of 10,000€ as well as the opportunity to present their winning application at one of the upcoming Security & Safety Things events. Earlier this spring, a jury of experts including Securitas, G4S, Kings Secure Technologies, Bosch, Ateksis, Convergint Technologies, Vision Technologies and Security & Safety Things reviewed the best and most innovative proposals and selected 24 applications to enter the App Challenge. Developers had until July 31 to complete their applications and upload them to the Application Store. The jury, which now also includes Prosegur, will review the 11 applications uploaded by the deadline and choose the best in each vertical category. The three winners will be announced in September. Another 10 apps are confirmed to be added to the Application Store in the coming weeks.

Sectigo, a provider of automated digital identity management and web security solutions, announces the launch of Sectigo Quantum Labs to help organizations prepare for the time when quantum computers render existing standard encryption algorithms obsolete. As part of the company’s quantum initiative, Sectigo has partnered with ISARA Corporation, a provider of crypto-agile quantum-safe security solutions, to provide enterprises with tools for issuing quantum-safe certificates for users, applications, servers, DevOps, code, and more. Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit is the first solution born of this new partnership. Digital signature algorithms In roughly the next decade, advances in quantum computing will eliminate the commercial viability of RSA and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) encryption and digital signature algorithms, by which time all secrets must be protected by new quantum-resistant algorithms to remain secure. At standard key sizes, RSA and ECC algorithms are effectively impossible to crack using brute force methods on a traditional computer. Quantum computers are able to attack these algorithms many orders of magnitude faster than is possible However, quantum computers are able to attack these algorithms many orders of magnitude faster than is possible with 1/0-gated computing architecture. Over time, that means all secrets protected with RSA or ECC will be exposed to potential theft. Quantum computers therefore threaten all of the world’s communication, commerce, finance, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, research, education, and governmental functions. These consequences are so severe that they sometimes are referred to as the Quantum Apocalypse. Valuable industry resource To help computer security experts and IT practitioners understand and prepare for this changing landscape, Sectigo launches Sectigo Quantum Labs. This valuable industry resource kicks off initially to provide enterprises and other certificate users with information to understand the quantum cryptographic landscape and how to ensure continued security through the advent of production quantum computers and beyond. Sectigo has made more than 40 videos, webinars, white papers, podcasts, and other educational assets, available at no cost for anyone to peruse and download. As the cryptographic community standardizes on quantum-safe algorithms, Sectigo Quantum Labs will offer the tools, platforms, and guidance necessary to rapidly and correctly phase in this new cryptography across their systems and services. Quantum-Resilient PKI solutions “The implementation of any new encryption technology carries risk before it has a chance to mature. The larger focus for organizations should be on building cryptographic agility, so that they’re able to shift to new ciphers as they become available and the impact of quantum capabilities become real,” wrote Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst, 451 Research, an S&P Company, in a recent report titled, ‘Quantum Computing: Countdown to a Quantum Leap.’ Sectigo also announces its partnership with ISARA Corporation by incorporating quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms from ISARA to create quantum-resilient PKI solutions for deployment in advance of the Quantum Apocalypse. Quantum-Safe certificates Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit includes the basic tools needed to create quantum-safe certificates The first solution born of this new partnership, Sectigo’s Quantum-Safe Certificate Toolkit includes the basic tools needed to create quantum-safe certificates for a variety of use cases, along with sample applications showing the use of quantum-safe algorithms. It contains scripts, algorithms, and other information needed for enterprises to issue private-root TLS certificates using candidate quantum-safe cryptography. Developers and security professionals can use these certificates to evaluate, build, and test systems as they prepare to roll out quantum-safe systems. “Our partnership with ISARA provides Sectigo with a wealth of practical understanding of leading quantum-safe candidate algorithms and how to implement them,” said Jason Soroko, CTO of PKI at Sectigo. “Combining our resources enables enterprises to prove their crypto agility and build concrete plans to roll out quantum-safe certificates as soon as they are commercially available.” Certificate automation platforms “Sectigo’s broadly adopted certificate automation platforms are the deployment channel for quantum-safe cryptography,” said Scott Totzke, CEO and Co-Founder at ISARA. “Automation allows IT teams to identify and replace traditional certificates with their quantum-safe equivalents quickly and without error.” “Once we know which algorithms to use in each specific circumstance, CISOs will want the ability to push them out quickly. Sectigo’s and ISARA’s technical capabilities combine to make that possible,” Soroko added.

Sentry Security Solutions a commercial and residential security provider headquartered in Texas now offers Human Temperature Scanners. This product line is designed for quick and easy deployment at scale across school campuses, businesses, and other commercial applications. Campus and Workplace Protection during COVID 19 requires new technology like Sentry Live HT thermal imaging. The solution is currently being utilized for hospitals, corporate campuses, airports, retail stores, train stations, event centers, grocery chains, schools, universities and restaurants. Providing temperature readings The technology is being deployed as a key mitigation tool to help school districts and its officials keep children and employees safe. Sentry Live HT provides temperature readings in real-time without close contact. The technology immediately informs workplace planners and school officials of abnormal temperatures allowing them to initiate procedures without having contact with an individual. "We are seeing a growing number of school districts and businesses who are looking for an easy-to-implement and effective technology to help them with the challenges of COVID-19," said Nick McAmis, CEO of Sentry Security Solutions. "Today, our technology is helping enhance workforce and campus safety planning while supporting physical distancing policies. The back end data our solution provides can also assist in campus safety by utilizing our facial recognition feature." The Benefits of Sentry Live HT are easy to see in Real-time: High Accuracy + 1º F variance High Efficiency Non-contact temperature detection Long distance, wide coverage Automatic early warning mechanism Strong Adaptability Applied to small and large scenes Dating Back Realize the historical data backtracking and data analysis

Kleard, an award-winning real estate tech company that provides self-tour technology (called Kleard Now), has partnered with Kangaroo Home Security to make self-touring real estate safer, more secure, and helps promote COVID social distancing. Property access works via the Kleard app (available on iOS and Android). The partnership between Kleard and Kangaroo will allow agents the ability to purchase a unique home security package created specifically for real estate listings with a starting price of only $64.99. The two package options will include a combination of a doorbell camera, door/motion sensors, and an indoor camera. Smart home technology Installation is simple, fast, and is done via the Kangaroo app. In-app notifications will inform agents when buyers arrive, when doors are opened, closed, when motion inside the home is detected, and will capture images and video to give agents visual updates when motion is detected. This helps make self-tours using Kleard safer and increases peace-of-mind. With Kangaroo's optional complete plan (1 month is included free), professional monitoring and premium features can be included. Kangaroo's smart home technology was designed to be affordable, extremely easy to set up" Dhruv Garg, Co-Founder and President of Kangaroo, says, "Kangaroo's smart home technology was designed to be affordable, extremely easy to set up, and respectful of user data and privacy. In partnering with Kleard, we are able to extend these core principles into action to enable more secure self-tour events and complete visibility of listed properties for agents - peace of mind for all parties involved." Powerful home security Kleard Now can be used by any licensed real estate agent on their listings in the U.S. The technology reduces friction and allows homes to be toured easily by verified buyers. Kleard requires that all self-tour requests be approved by the listing agent and is done via the app. Buyers simply download the app to find self-tour enabled homes. Social distancing is becoming normalized and with innovative Kleard's self-tour technology, buyers and agents can feel better knowing that homes can be toured without the need to meet in person. "We're excited to partner with Kangaroo. We love that their home security devices are easy to set up and affordable. With this new partnership, agents will be able to add powerful home security to all their listings that have Wi-Fi and will make homes that are self-tour enabled more secure," says Jonathan Martis, Kleard CEO and Co-founder. Both Kleard and Kangaroo are National Association of Realtors (NAR) Reach® Companies, created by Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of NAR.

SAFR® from RealNetworks, Inc., the pioneer in facial recognition and person-centric computer vision on live video, announces it has been awarded two Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts of approximately $950k each or $1.9M in total from AFWERX. These contracts provide funding to adapt the SAFR platform for use by the Air Force for perimeter security and secure access. Once developed for the USAF, the SBIR/STTR program allows for any other federal agency to award a sole-source contract for technology developed under the program. Enhancing situational awareness In partnership with Security Forces at a US Air Force base, SAFR will be enhanced to integrate real-time facial recognition across a range of fixed and mobile device embedded cameras to secure the perimeter and enhance situational awareness for those charged with securing some of the nation’s most sensitive assets. “Enabling Air Force Security Forces to detect persons of interest before they arrive at entry control points enhances force protection capabilities and the personal safety of our Defenders,” said 1st Lt Moore, USAF. In partnership with another USAF wing, SAFR will be further hardened against spoofing attacks to provide contactless secure access for authorized personnel using existing IP security cameras. This development will enable the elimination of touch-based keypads, a potential transmission surface of COVID-19 and contribute to force health and readiness. Biometric identity authentication SAFR is used by commercial customers around the world for tens of millions of recognitions per month" “Strong biometric identity authentication using face recognition has the potential to reduce the likelihood of contracting and spreading infectious elements including COVID-19 and seasonal flu into facilities, thus providing additional protection to our operational readiness,” said Mr. Donald Hudson, GG-15, Technical Director, USAF. “SAFR is used by commercial customers around the world for tens of millions of recognitions per month using on-premise and cloud deployments for secure access, perimeter security and a variety of other use-cases,” said Dan Grimm, General Manager of SAFR from RealNetworks. “As a US company, we are honored to partner with AFWERX and these two Air Force wings to adapt our technology for mission-critical use by the US Air Force and other DoD customers.” Real-World accuracy and performance The SAFR platform is distinguished by its focus on real-world accuracy and performance: Optimized for live video - Face detection and recognition of a subject moving through a video frame in under 100ms with 99.87% accuracy Low bias - The lowest accuracy difference due to skin tone bias of any non-Chinese verification algorithm, as reported by NIST in their January 2020 report on the topic. This is a result of a diverse training data and focused, intentional efforts to eliminate bias. Deployment flexibility - In addition to fixed live video feeds, SDKs support edge deployments on resource-constrained autonomous devices like UGVs and UAVs that support ISR missions and require a small footprint and offline operation. Commercial readiness - Tens of millions of recognitions per month globally with both on-premise and hybrid cloud deployments. These contracts are the result of a partnership between AFRL and AFWERX to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process and accelerate innovation by speeding up the experience, broadening the pool of potential applicants, and decreasing bureaucratic overhead.

Hanwha Techwin America, a supplier of IP and analog video surveillance solutions, will debut its next generation Wisenet 7 SoC (System on Chip). Built from 30 years of innovation in video surveillance solutions, the highly anticipated announcement sees the continuation of the Wisenet line of custom-built SoCs designed specifically to address the unique challenges of the security market. New key features include cybersecurity features, clear images in all lighting conditions, improved lens distortion correction and more. High levels of protection “Hanwha Techwin concentrated on image quality and cybersecurity when developing Wisenet 7. This enables us to make the smartest and most secure video cameras on the market today while giving us a platform for further innovation as we react to these challenging times,” said Ray Cooke, Vice President - Products, Solutions, and Integration, Hanwha Techwin America. Hanwha Techwin established its own device certification issuing system to embed certificates Wisenet 7 offers end-to-end cybersecurity with high levels of protection including secure boot, OS, storage, and JTAG, plus a signed firmware/open platform app and more. Hanwha Techwin established its own device certification issuing system to embed certificates and encryption keys into the product during the manufacturing process. When firmware is installed and a certificate is verified, it uses these encryption keys which can never be reprogramed. Forensic-Level image quality This creates a trusted platform module that separates the end-user side of the camera application from the network (Linux). This OTP (One Time Program) feature provides a unique level of cybersecurity that is secure by default and only possible when utilizing a custom chip. Wisenet 7 offers forensic-level image quality by utilizing multiple combined technologies. Digital Overlap and Scene Analysis technology reduces motion artifacts and improves picture quality in low light conditions. Dynamic Range is maximized and noise is reduced when composing multi-frame images captured at varying exposures by processing line by line vs. each frame. This minimizes motion blur and improves edge and color definition of objects, making them easier to identify when viewing live video and during forensic review. Hybrid motion detection Temporal filtering removes or attenuates frequencies within the raw signal that are not of interest XCE (eXtreme Contrast Enhancement) technology is utilized to analyze the back-light area of the image and enhance contrast by analyzing nearby pixel color values in the surrounding area. Wisenet 7 employs motion history-based temporal filtering to analyze the motion data of moving objects in low-light environments. Temporal filtering removes or attenuates frequencies within the raw signal that are not of interest. A new Noise Adaptive Hybrid Motion Detection algorithm significantly reduces sensor noise. These clearer images improve the results for object recognition performance in low light and offer maximum performance for machine and deep learning algorithms. Demanding security applications Wisenet 7 corrects barrel distortion common with wide angle lenses up to 100% at all resolutions. The correction is done in-camera to provide a video output more closely representing how humans perceive images across a wide field of vision. “The first Hanwha Techwin Wisenet SoC was released in 2010 in response to the unique requirements of security professionals. Our focused development efforts have continued as technology and business needs have evolved to where we are today. Our most powerful SoC ever, Wisenet 7, delivers a new level of quality, performance and cybersecurity to our industry,” concludes Cooke. The first Wisenet 7-based cameras (XNB-9002/8002, XND-9082RV/8082RV, XND-9082RF/8082RF, XNV-9082R/8082R, XNO-9082R/8082R) offer up to 4K high-resolution video providing clear and vivid images suitable for the most demanding security applications.

Companies are following government guidance and getting as many people as possible working from home. Some companies will have resisted home working in the past, but I’m certain that the sceptics will find that people can be productive with the right tools no matter where they are. A temporary solution will become permanent. But getting it right means managing risk. Access is king In a typical office with an on-premise data center, the IT department has complete control over network access, internal networks, data, and applications. The remote worker, on the other hand, is mobile. He or she can work from anywhere using a VPN. Until just recently this will have been from somewhere like a local coffee shop, possibly using a wireless network to access the company network and essential applications. CV-19 means that huge numbers of people are getting access to the same desktop and files, and collaborative communication toolsBut as we know, CV-19 means that huge numbers of people are getting access to the same desktop and files, applications and collaborative communication tools that they do on a regular basis from the office or on the train. Indeed, the new generation of video conferencing technologies come very close to providing an “almost there” feeling. Hackers lie in wait Hackers are waiting for a wrong move amongst the panic, and they will look for ways to compromise critical servers. Less than a month ago, we emerged from a period of chaos. For months hackers had been exploiting a vulnerability in VPN products from Pulse Secure, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, and Citrix. Patches were provided by vendors, and either companies applied the patch or withdrew remote access. As a result, the problem of attacks died back.  But as companies race to get people working from home, they must ensure special care is taken to ensure the patches are done before switching VPNs on. That’s because remote desktop protocol (RDP) has been for the most part of 2019, and continues to be, the most important attack vector for ransomware. Managing a ransomware attack on top of everything else would certainly give you sleepless nights. As companies race to get people working from home, they must ensure special care is taken to ensure the patches are done before switching VPNs on Hackers are waiting for a wrong move amongst the panic, and they will look for ways to compromise critical serversExposing new services makes them also susceptible to denial of service attacks. Such attacks create large volumes of fake traffic to saturate the available capacity of the internet connection. They can also be used to attack the intricacies of the VPN protocol. A flow as little as 1Mbps can perturbate the VPN service and knock it offline. CIOs, therefore, need to acknowledge that introducing or extending home working broadens the attack surface. So now more than ever it’s vital to adapt risk models. You can’t roll out new services with an emphasis on access and usability and not consider security. You simply won’t survive otherwise. Social engineering Aside from securing VPNs, what else should CIO and CTOs be doing to ensure security? The first thing to do is to look at employee behavior, starting with passwords. It’s highly recommended that strong password hygiene or some form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is imposed. Best practice would be to get all employees to reset their passwords as they connect remotely and force them to choose a new password that complies with strong password complexity guidelines.  As we know, people have a habit of reusing their passwords for one or more online services – services that might have fallen victim to a breach. Hackers will happily It’s highly recommended that strong password hygiene or some form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is imposedleverage these breaches because it is such easy and rich pickings. Secondly, the inherent fear of the virus makes for perfect conditions for hackers. Sadly, a lot of phishing campaigns are already luring people in with the promise of important or breaking information on COVID-19. In the UK alone, coronavirus scams cost victims over £800,000 in February 2020. A staggering number that can only go up. That’s why CIOs need to remind everyone in the company of the risks of clickbait and comment spamming - the most popular and obvious bot techniques for infiltrating a network. Notorious hacking attempts And as any security specialist will tell you, some people have no ethics and will exploit the horrendous repercussions of CV-19. In January we saw just how unscrupulous hackers are when they started leveraging public fear of the virus to spread the notorious Emotet malware. Emotet, first detected in 2014, is a banking trojan that primarily spreads through ‘malspam’ and attempts to sneak into computers to steal sensitive and private information. In addition, in early February the Maze ransomware crippled more than 230 workstations of the New Jersey Medical Diagnostics Lab and when they refused to pay, the vicious attackers leaked 9.5GB or research data in an attempt to force negotiations. And in March, an elite hacking group tried to breach the World Health Organization (WHO). It was just one of the many attempts on WHO and healthcare organizations in general since the pandemic broke. We’ll see lots more opportunist attacks like this in the coming months.   More speed less haste In March, an elite hacking group tried to breach the World Health Organization (WHO). It was just one of the many attempts on WHOFinally, we also have bots to contend with. We’ve yet to see reports of fake news content generated by machines, but we know there’s a high probability it will happen. Spambots are already creating pharmaceutical spam campaigns thriving on the buying behavior of people in times of fear from infection. Using comment spamming – where comments are tactically placed in the comments following an update or news story - the bots take advantage of the popularity of the Google search term ‘Coronavirus’ to increase the visibility and ranking of sites and products in search results. There is clearly much for CIOs to think about, but it is possible to secure a network by applying some well thought through tactics. I believe it comes down to having a ‘more speed, less haste’ approach to rolling out, scaling up and integrating technologies for home working, but above all, it should be mixed with an employee education program. As in reality, great technology and a coherent security strategy will never work if it is undermined by the poor practices

Insider threat programs started with counter-espionage cases in the government. Today, insider threat programs have become a more common practice in all industries, as companies understand the risks associated with not having one. To build a program, you must first understand what an insider threat is. An insider threat is an employee, contractor, visitor or other insider who have been granted physical or logical access to a company that can cause extensive damage. Damage ranges from emotional or physical injury, to personnel, financial and reputational loss to data loss/manipulation or destruction of assets. Financial and confidential information While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organization Most threats are derived from the accidental insider. For example, it’s the person who is working on a competitive sales pitch on an airplane and is plugging in financial and confidential information. They are working hard, yet their company’s information is exposed to everyone around them. Another type of insider, the compromised insider, is the person who accidentally downloaded malware when clicking on a fake, urgent email, exposing their information. Malicious insiders cause the greatest concerns. These are the rogue employees who may feel threatened. They may turn violent or take action to damage the company. Or you have the criminal actor employees who are truly malicious and have been hired or bribed by another company to gather intel. Their goal is to gather data and assets to cause damage for a specific purpose. While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organization. They can cause brand and financial damage, along with physical and mental damage. Insider threat program Once you determine you need an insider threat program, you need to build a business case and support it with requirements. Depending on your industry, you can start with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, NERC CIP, PCI, etc. Talk to your regulator and get their input. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a program Next, get a top to bottom risk assessment to learn your organization’s risks. A risk assessment will help you prioritize your risks and provide recommendations about what you need to include in your program. Begin by meeting with senior leadership, including your CEO to discuss expectations. Creating an insider threat program will change the company culture, and the CEO must understand the gravity of his/her decision before moving forward. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a program and support it before its implemented. Determining the level of monitoring The size and complexity of your company will determine the type of program needed. One size does not fit all. It will determine what technologies are required and how much personnel is needed to execute the program. The company must determine what level of monitoring is needed to meet their goals. After the leadership team decides, form a steering committee that includes someone from legal, HR and IT. Other departments can join as necessary. This team sets up the structure, lays out the plan, determines the budget and what type of technologies are needed. For small companies, the best value is education. Educate your employees about the program, build the culture and promote awareness. Teach employees about the behaviors you are looking for and how to report them. Behavioral analysis software Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support The steering committee will need to decide what is out of scope. Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support. The tools put in place cannot monitor employee productivity (web surfing). That is out of scope and will disrupt the company culture. What technology does your organization need to detect insider threats? Organizations need software solutions that monitor, aggregate and analyze data to identify potential threats. Behavioral analysis software looks at patterns of behavior and identifies anomalies. Use business intelligence/data analytics solutions to solve this challenge. This solution learns the normal behavior of people and notifies security staff when behavior changes. This is done by setting a set risk score. Once the score crosses a determined threshold, an alert is triggered. Case and incident management tools Predictive analytics technology reviews behaviors and identifies sensitive areas of companies (pharmacies, server rooms) or files (HR, finance, development). If it sees anomalous behavior, it can predict behaviours. It can determine if someone is going to take data. It helps companies take steps to get ahead of bad behavior. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered User sentiment detection software can work in real time. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered. The SOC and HR are notified and security dispatched. Depending on how a company has this process set-up, it could potentially save lives. Now that your organization has all this data, how do you pull it together? Case and incident management tools can pool data points and create threat dashboards. Cyber detection system with access control An integrated security system is recommended to be successful. It will eliminate bubbles and share data to see real-time patterns. If HR, security and compliance departments are doing investigations, they can consolidate systems into the same tool to have better data aggregation. Companies can link their IT/cyber detection system with access control. Deploying a true, integrated, open system provides a better insider threat program. Big companies should invest in trained counterintelligence investigators to operate the program. They can help identify the sensitive areas, identify who the people are that have the most access to them, or are in a position to do the greatest amount of harm to the company and who to put mitigation plans around to protect them. They also run the investigations. Potential risky behavior Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful program You need to detect which individuals are interacting with information systems that pose the greatest potential risk. You need to rapidly and thoroughly understand the user’s potential risky behavior and the context around it. Context is important. You need to decide what to investigate and make it clear to employees. Otherwise you will create a negative culture at your company. Develop a security-aware culture. Involve the crowd. Get an app so if someone sees something they can say something. IT should not run the insider threat program. IT is the most privileged department in an organization. If something goes wrong with an IT person, they have the most ability to do harm and cover their tracks. They need to be an important partner, but don’t let them have ownership and don’t let their administrators have access. Educating your employees and creating a positive culture around an insider threat program takes time and patience. Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful program. It’s okay to start small and build.

Today, the world is connected like never before. Your watch is connected to your phone, which is connected to your tablet and so on. As we’ve begun to embrace this ‘smart’ lifestyle, what we’re really embracing is the integration of systems. Why do we connect our devices? The simplest answer is that it makes life easier. But, if that’s the case, why stop at our own personal devices? Connection, when applied to a business’ operations, is no different: it lowers effort and expedites decision making. Integrating security systems Systems integration takes the idea of connected devices and applies it to an enterprise Systems integration takes the idea of connected devices and applies it to an enterprise, bringing disparate subcomponents into a single ecosystem. This could mean adding a new, overarching system to pull and collect data from existing subsystems, or adapting an existing system to serve as a data collection hub. Regardless of the method, the purpose is to create a single, unified view. Ultimately, it’s about simplifying processes, gaining actionable insights into operations and facilitating efficient decision-making. Although integration is becoming the new norm in other areas of life, businesses often opt out of integrating security systems because of misconceptions about the time and resources required to successfully make the change. So, instead of a streamlined operation, the various security systems and devices are siloed, not communicating with each other and typically being run by different teams within an organization. Time-Intensive process When systems are not integrated, companies face a wide range of risks driven by a lack of transparency and information sharing, including actual loss of property or assets. For example, a team in charge of access control is alerted to a door being opened in the middle of the night but can’t see what exactly is taking place through video surveillance. Without integrated systems they have no way of knowing if it was a burglar, an equipment malfunction or a gust of wind. Without integration between systems and teams, the ability to quickly put the right pieces in front of decision makers is missing. Instead, the team would have to go back and manually look for footage that corresponds with the time a door was open to figure out which door it was, who opened it and what happened after, which can be a time-intensive process. Integrating access control and surveillance systems Theft and vandalism occur quickly, meaning systems and users must work faster in order to prevent it This slowed response time adds risk to the system. Theft and vandalism occur quickly, meaning systems and users must work faster in order to prevent it. Security systems can do more than communicate that theft or vandalism occurred. Properly integrated, these systems alert users of pre-incident indicators before an event happens or deter events altogether. This gives teams and decision makers more time to make effective decisions. Integrating access control and surveillance systems allows for a more proactive approach. If a door is opened when it’s not supposed to be, an integrated system enables users to quickly see what door was opened, who opened it and make a quick decision. Integrated solutions are more effective, more efficient and help drive cost-saving decisions. Ideally, companies should establish integrated solutions from the start of operations. This allows companies to anticipate problems and adjust accordingly instead of reacting after an incident has occurred. Security camera system Although starting from the beginning is the best way to ensure comprehensive security, many companies have existing security systems, requiring integration and implementation to bring them together. Typically, companies with established security systems worry about the impact to infrastructure requirements. Is additional infrastructure necessary? How and where should it be added? What financial or human resources are required? These concerns drive a mentality that the benefits gained from an integrated solution aren’t worth the costs of implementation. Thankfully, this is becoming less of a problem as security providers, like Twenty20™ Solutions, work to offer adaptable solutions. With flexible options, operators don’t worry about adding or replacing infrastructure to align with a provider’s model. This allows users to monitor camera footage and gate traffic from one system If a company has an existing security camera system, but identifies a need for access control, a modern integrated solution provider can supply the gates for access points and equip the gates and cameras with the technology to connect the two. This allows users to monitor camera footage and gate traffic from one system. This model also spares operators additional costs by using a sole vendor for supplemental needs. Overall management of security While a single, unified system is beneficial for cost saving, it can also help the overall management of security. The ability to view all operating systems in one dashboard allows security personnel to manage a site from any location, reducing the expense and effort required to manage a system. The mobile world today means security directors no longer need to be in a centralized operations center to see alerts and make decisions. This simplifies processes by allowing users to quickly see an alert, pull up a camera, delete a user or check an access log from a phone. Modern networks are secure and accessible to those with permissions, without requiring those users to be physically present. Consolidating security systems is the first step companies can take toward streamlining work, information and costs. The next step is integrating all sites, both remote and on-grid. Energy and communication technology The integration of sites and systems turns mountains of data and information into actionable intelligence Traditional methods demanded two systems: one for on-grid facilities and another for off-grid locations. With advancements in energy and communication technology, the need for multiple systems is gone. Data from remote sites can be safely and securely fed into an existing system. These remote locations may gather, distribute and manage data in a different manner than a connected system due to the cost of transmission via remote connections (i.e., cellular or satellite connection). The end result, however, is a consistent and holistic view of operations for the decision maker. The integration of sites and systems turns mountains of data and information into actionable intelligence. With connected devices monitoring occurrences at individual sites, as well as events across locations, the data tells a story that is unhindered by operational silos or physical space. Identifying patterns and trends Instead of providing 10 hours-worth of footage that may or may not be relevant, system analytics can provide users with the specific set of information they need. Incidents once discarded as ‘one-off’ events can now be analyzed and data-mapped to identify patterns and trends, directing future resources to the most critical areas first. Consumers are increasingly expecting everything they need to be right where they need it – and businesses are right behind them. The current generation of security professionals are increasingly expecting the simplicity of their everyday personal tasks to be mirrored in enterprise systems, which means giving them the ability to see what matters in one place. A unified system can provide just that, a single view to help simplify processes, promote cost saving and accelerate decision making.

Video, access control and visitor management are among the technologies that are enabling greater safety and security at hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Video surveillance systems enable hospital management and security professionals to know what goes on in and around a medical facility. Recording images in high resolutions (megapixels and gigapixels) is becoming more and more important in healthcare, says Jason Ouellette, Product Line Director – Access Control, Tyco Security Products. Video event management software Video analytics are now being leveraged for patient tracking, asset tracking, and operational purposes If an incident occurs in a medical facility, the security staff has to be able to identify faces easily and accurately. Storage and costs have to be considered, of course. With technology improving and prices decreasing, video solutions can even be used for purposes beyond traditional security. For example, video analytics are now being leveraged for patient tracking, asset tracking, and operational purposes, and captured video can be used to defend against liability claims. What’s next? Video analytics will continue to be a valuable addition to any surveillance infrastructure due to its ability to address patient needs, operational efficiencies and early risk detection, says Brandon Reich, Senior Director of Surveillance Solutions, Pivot3. Through video event management software (VEMS), hospitals can customize the statistics that are relevant to their individual buildings or campuses without having to spend extra time or money on rigorous employee training. Data capture form to appear here! Real-Time access control security updates Furthermore, once healthcare facilities are able to digitize all of their patient records, secure any of their ingress and egress points with real-time access control security updates, and fully transition from analog to IP video surveillance cameras, VEMS systems that house analytical software will be able to multiply the benefits offered to hospitals, not just in real time, but in planning ahead for future risk, expansion and safety protocols. It is vital to implement integrated and innovative access control solutions With large, complex facilities, directors of security at hospitals struggle with controlling access to various levels of the facility, according to Eric Widlitz of Vanderbilt Industries. To manage the risks that hospitals face and ensure a comprehensively protected atmosphere for patients and staff, it is vital to implement integrated and innovative access control solutions. For example, ease of access with controlled entrances is vital to medical crash teams, as is the need for a zonal access control lockdown in the event of a contagious disease outbreak. Strict access limitations Different hallways, rooms, floors and waiting areas within a hospital require different amounts of restriction, and sensitive materials, such as medical files, controlled substances and sterile environments (such as operating and procedure rooms) all necessitate an additional layer of protection. Access control in particular has advanced significantly to offer healthcare facilities the ability to control access remotely, through mobile applications, confirm identity quickly and easily and program varying levels of access for visitors, patients, doctors and staff. One area that is recently experiencing rapid growth – and drastic change  –is the securing of narcotics within healthcare facilities, says Robert Laughlin, CEO and Chairman, Galaxy Control Systems. In the past, all medicine was controlled in a central pharmacy located somewhere in the hospital or health facility. These pharmacies were highly secured areas, with strict access limitations; only authorized staff could get near the medicine stocks. Fiber optic communication lines For vehicle access control, medical centers and hospitals prefer beam barricades and shallow foundation barriers To improve the speed of delivery, and to have the necessary medicines ready at hand for in-patients without retaining a large delivery staff, the current trend is to have distributed pharmaceutical closets or carts that hold medicines much closer to the intended patients. For vehicle access control, medical centers and hospitals prefer beam barricades and shallow foundation barriers, according to Gregg Hamm of Delta Scientific. Manual beam barricades are installed at the Fort Bragg Veterans Administration Hospital in North Carolina to shut down certain areas of the facility when a higher alert is sounded. They will stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling 50 mph. The Navy Hospital in San Diego uses high speed, high security and very shallow foundation barricades to control all vehicles going in and out of the facility. With their extremely shallow foundation, they obviate the concerns of interference with buried pipes, power lines and fiber optic communication lines. They will stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling 50 mph. At the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, even stronger shallow foundation barriers are used for traffic control and protection. These barriers will destroy a 65,000-pound (5.4 million foot-pounds) dump truck traveling 50 mph and continue to stand. Physical access control systems Controlling visitors to hospitals and healthcare facilities can directly impact security Controlling visitors to hospitals and healthcare facilities can directly impact security. Traditional methods of visitor management, such as paper visitor logs and handwritten badges are insufficient given today’s variety of security challenges. A hospital using paper-based systems cannot easily cross-check information, confirm patient information, check visitor names against up-to-date watch lists, or visually confirm identity. An increasingly popular and important application is secure and simplified visitor management, integrated with the physical access control systems (PACS). Today’s visitor management systems enable the screening, badging and tracking all visitors or, at a minimum, those visiting critical areas or during ‘after hours’ periods, Quickly identify inappropriate visitors One other growing technology is the ability to link to internal or governmental watch lists, to quickly identify inappropriate visitors before they gain access to the facilities. For example, Visitor Management systems can be configured to perform a Sex Offender search in both Children’s Hospitals and Pediatric areas, further decreasing the likelihood that someone of the list could gain access. Wayfinding is indoor navigation to guide a person step-by-step on the way to a desired destination HID Global and Phunware Inc. are addressing the need of healthcare institutions to deploy standardized technology to provide a better wayfinding and visitor engagement experience inside the hospital, across campus and even in parking lots. The companies are collaborating to improve the experience for hospital patients and visitors to find their way within medical facilities, using wayfinding on their mobile phones. Wayfinding is indoor navigation to guide a person step-by-step on the way to a desired destination. Enterprise-Level mobile wayfinding “It’s easy for visitors and patients to get lost in hospitals, and every time they do it puts appointment times and patient satisfaction at risk,” says Rom Eizenberg, Vice President of Sales, Bluvision, part of HID Global “With our location-aware app on a mobile device, we equip the visitor to get instant, turn-by-turn navigation that creates a better experience than that which is currently available on the market.” HID’s healthcare IoT solution-enablement platform simplifies the delivery of real-time location of clinicians, patients and devices. The platform is enabled by Bluvision (part of HID Global). Phunware’s Multiscreen-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform also provides enterprise-level mobile wayfinding, engagement, data and more for other vertical markets, including retail, residential, hospitality, media and entertainment and more .Missed the rest our healthcare mini series? Read part one here and part two here.

A video analytics system that provides ‘behavioral understanding’ can yield more meaningful and actionable data for a range of applications. In public safety and security, such a system can alert on violent or suspicious behaviors, such as people fighting, vandalism, people with weapons, etc. In advanced traffic surveillance and monitoring, it can provide alerts to vehicle collisions (accidents), traffic hazards or vehicle that aren’t using the road properly, such as a car that stops in the middle of the junction. For enterprise and campus security, it can provide advanced anti-tailgating and detect unauthorized activity. Video surveillance infrastructure viisights was founded by a group of entrepreneurs with track records in developing technology businesses These uses are among the benefits of viisights’ video analytics technology based on behavioral understanding of video content. “It means we can extract more meaningful data from the huge amount of video content that is captured, and we can transform that data to actionable insights that eventually justify the massive investment in video surveillance infrastructure,” says Asaf Birenzvieg, CEO of viisights. Their behavioral understanding systems for real-time video intelligence leverage artificial intelligence technology. viisights was founded by a group of serial entrepreneurs with track records in developing technology businesses. The Israeli company’s founders recognized a growing global need for intelligence to make physical and virtual public areas safer – and realized the role that smart video understanding technology can play. Developing artificial intelligence technologies viisights is committed to developing artificial intelligence technologies that facilitate human-like video understanding, which in turn serves as the basis for fully autonomous video intelligence systems powered by pattern prediction technology. “Behavioral recognition is the future of video analytics and the next generation of the object classification analytics systems that hold the majority of the market today,” says Birenzvieg. viisights has developed a video understanding technology for real-time video processing “To date most video analytics systems still base their product features on static analysis of objects from images using image recognition, even the ones that use ‘AI analytics.’ Products built using such object classification technology are extremely limited.” For example, object classification analytics cannot recognize behavioral events in a video such as people fighting or a car collision because such behaviors can’t accurately be concluded in large scale from analyzing a single static image/frame. Video understanding technology viisights has developed a video understanding technology for real-time video processing. The technology can process live video feeds. In addition to recognizing a particular object (e.g., person) and its attributes (e.g., red shirt), the system can understand an object’s actions, interactions with other objects (events), the scene being viewed (i.e., crowd is gathering, riots) and the context (a car is driving on the road or on the sidewalk). The main verticals are smart cities, enterprises and campuses, banks and ATM security“Basically, we are able to extract more meaningful data from a live video feed and therefore create actionable insights and greater ROI,” says Birenzvieg. The company focuses mostly on security and safety use-cases. The main verticals are smart cities, enterprises and campuses, banks and ATM security, security guard companies and transportation hubs. The company is working on a new product for in-vehicle monitoring mostly for security, safety, vehicle protection and proper vehicle use; it monitors passengers’ behavior inside a bus, train, or taxi. The product will come to market next year. Video management system viisights’ video analytics offering is currently optimized for server-side deployment, and the integration architecture is similar to most video analytics systems. From one side it is integrated with the video management system (VMS). They are a Milestone verified partner and soon will be part of Milestone's marketplace. From the other end, it is connected to a command-and-control system for processing the data and presenting the alerts to the end-user. The analytics company makes most sales through system integrators. They have partnerships with big system integrators like Motorola Solutions and NEC and are also working with smaller ones. They are looking to expand their system integrator network, mostly in the USA and Europe. Behaviors can have many variations and they can be very diverse Cloud video surveillance “We will continue to invest in performance and accuracy, meaning higher recall and lower false positive rate,” says Birenzvieg. “Since our major value proposition is in behavior recognition, behavior events many times are not clearly defined, which is very different from object classification. Behaviors can have many variations and they can be very diverse.” An example is a simple behavior like a person falling on the floor. A person can fall on the floor in many ways, but the challenge is to ignore similar behaviors that are not a person falling and that confuse the system, such as a person bending over to tie his shoelaces. With cloud video surveillance becoming a trend, viisights is also looking into offering some of their advanced functionalities in a video-analytics-as-a-service-model.

As a security service provider with a rich history in manguarding, Allied Universal is launching a new technology platform to increase productivity and accountability of security officers and to transform guard service operations from an ‘observe and report’ mission to a ‘detect and respond’ function. Mark Mullison, Allied Universal’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), says the new Heliaus platform also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data, predict outcomes, and prescribe optimum responses. The platform includes a smart phone app that guides security officers to ensure post orders are followed and provides a ‘virtual’ coach or supervisor to guide security officers throughout the day. “The walls between technology and people need to come down in the future,” says Mullison. “We need an ecosystem in which people and technology can cooperate well and respond to threats and drive outcomes.” Real-Time situational awareness Technology plays an increasing role in security and safety, but it will never replace humans"Heliaus is a step in that direction. It has two components – the mobile app used by security officers; and a cloud-based portal, like a command and control center that compiles information from the app and other inputs and performs AI analysis of data. Heliaus is an add-on for Allied Universal customers and is offered for a per-device subscription fee of $199 per month. A customer company’s managers can also access the portal for data visualization tools and real-time situational awareness, or to input data such as ‘approving’ an incident report or action. “Technology plays an increasing role in security and safety, but it will never replace humans,” says Mullison. “It will augment and enhance the workflow and make people more effective.” “We are focusing on delivering better outcomes for safety and security,” he adds. “The impacts are as broad and diverse as the clients we serve.” Customization of forms enables the system to collect and use any information that was previously collected on paper. Monitoring and Response Center (MaRC) A system is effective only to the extent that it is used, and Allied Universal has engineered the user experience to make the mobile app easy – almost fun – to use, says Mullison. Elements of ‘gamification’ drive greater user adoption. “It is designed to support the work [security officers] do and make information collection a by-product of people doing their jobs.” The system brings together rich data, AI, location-aware workflow automation, and friendly user experience design Effective AI depends on data, and Heliaus pulls data from Allied Universal’s Monitoring and Response Center (MaRC), where a cloud server integrates the company’s managed security services, including access control, video surveillance and video analytics. It also incorporates current weather information and forecasts, and information specific to the industry segment. Additional data is generated as officers enter data through the mobile app. The system brings together rich data, AI, location-aware workflow automation, and friendly user experience design. It provides insight into the drivers of risk, makes recommendations about how to reduce incidents, and, through dynamic workflow automation, ensures that those recommendations are implemented. Location awareness is a combination of the global positioning system (GPS), Bluetooth beacons, and near-field communication (NFC) tags. Improves the accuracy of responses AI understands the data and applies reasoning capabilities to predict an outcome and prescribe a response“Information is organized to facilitate AI analysis. If you have the right knowledge representation then problem-solving is easy,” says Mullison, echoing a common principle of artificial intelligence. AI works to analyze data and make predictions and recommendations to guide responses by security personnel. AI understands the data and applies reasoning capabilities to predict an outcome and prescribe a response. The AI system also learns and improves the accuracy of responses with more data and over time. Responses come much faster than older ‘trial and error’ models of analysis. Another element of Heliaus is a ‘robust workflow engine’ that ensures recommendations are carried out, either by a security professional on site or by the client. Mullison says implementation of the system can result in a 20% reduction of security and safety incidents. Multiple applications of Heliaus Heliaus is already being used by some Allied Universal customers. For example, a major Hollywood production studio is using it to identify and address workplace hazards such as stray electrical cords, dripping water hoses, etc., across a 50-acre area. In the logistics sector, Heliaus is being used to facilitate checking delivery vehicles in and out of a truckyard A manufacturer created a custom compliance application using the platform to track more than 140 unique incident types, such as monitoring elevated temperature in a truck trailer or drivers without proper identification. In the logistics sector, Heliaus is being used to facilitate checking delivery vehicles in and out of a truckyard. The flexibility of the platform can enable expansion to incorporate other technologies in the future, too. For example, sources of data for the system could include robots, drones or various Internet of Things (IoT) sensors; or workflow engines could be used to dispatch a robot or drone to handle a situation (rather than a human).

Genetec Inc., a technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, announces that the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an iconic amusement park in California, has recently upgraded its security infrastructure with the Security Center platform. By unifying video and access control park-wide, the park’s security team is able to speed up investigations and emergency response. Touted as the ‘Coney Island of the West’, the seaside park features about 40 rides, 30 restaurants, 15 retail shops, arcades, miniature golf, bowling, and conference and banquet facilities. Video surveillance technology As an admission-free park, guests can enter through multiple entrances to buy food, purchase ride tickets, or simply walk around and enjoy the surroundings. Unlike gated parks which typically have a main security checkpoint, the park’s security team must be hyper-vigilant to spot potential security threats before they can develop. Security operators constantly monitor video cameras and work directly with field officers to handle issues. While video surveillance technology helped security teams watch over the large park, aging equipment began compromising their efficiency. As the search for a new video management system began, the team prioritized openness, reliability, and a vendor’s reputation in the market. Moreover, their aging access control system would soon need replacing too. Actively monitoring cameras The team at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk uses the Security Center platform to manage over 400 cameras and 220 doors The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk team chose the Genetec Security Center platform because of its unique ability to unify video surveillance, access control, and other systems and sensors. The flexibility of the platform was a key selling point and enabled them to choose their preferred cameras and door hardware. Today, the team at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk uses the Security Center platform to manage over 400 cameras and 220 doors across the entire amusement park. From one single interface, operators actively monitor cameras and doors, respond to alarms, handle investigations, and export and share video evidence. This ensures that every security incident is effectively resolved without having to switch applications. Video surveillance system “Like any busy amusement park, our guests sometimes become separated from their groups. When this happens, we are now able to use the Security Center Omnicast™ video surveillance system, along with assistance from our field officers, to quickly reunite guests with their parties,” said Will Graham, Security Technology Administrator at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. If motion is detected near a perimeter after opening hours, the platform will trigger an alarm and display live video and a 10-second replay of the event on a dispatcher’s monitor. This allows them to quickly identify if it’s an actual threat. Unique access privileges The team has also expedited investigations by sharing system access with other departments. This includes food service, loss prevention and ticket sales who can handle their own preliminary investigations, if needed. The team has set up different door schedules and rules and created over 200 cardholder groups “Using the Security Center platform, all door events are linked to video which means our team can quickly gather the information needed and solve cases faster,” said Graham. With Security Center, operators get an instant view of an event as it’s unfolding. So before sending an officer to check on the area, they can quickly identify if it’s a threat or a false alarm. Using the Synergis system, the team has set up different door schedules and rules and created over 200 cardholder groups with unique access privileges for various roles and responsibilities. Managed software maintenance For added peace-of-mind, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk team receives fully managed software maintenance and monitoring via the Genetec Advantage maintenance package to help ensure their systems always available and up to date. “Using Security Center has definitely heightened our response efficiency at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Everything from video surveillance and access control to alarm management has been consolidated into one solution—it’s just a better, more effective way to work. And we’re confident that with this unified platform, we’ll be keeping our guests happy and safe well into the future,” concluded Graham.

La Maison Royale, Nairobi, is a 4-star superior boutique business hotel with a ‘French taste’, State-of-the-art facility and close to the entertainment in the Westland neighborhood, La Maison Royale is a unique experience. La Maison Royale prides itself with friendly staff and the practical touches that make being away from home easier, whether a person books their rooms by the day, week or longer. Traveling for business, looking for temporary or corporate housing, needing short-term housing during relocation, or planning a weekend getaway? La Maison Royale has a solution that will fit everyone’s budget. Unified communication server La Maison Royale has their prominent presence across several locations in Nairobi. Considering this, they required seamless connectivity within sites. A system for call accounting, budgeting and routing with hospitality features was their primary requirement. Furthermore, a comprehensive and scalable solution that does not need a transformation in the coming years was their main challenge. Matrix addressed these challenges by proposing SARVAM UCS The hotel infrastructure required a centralized communication management of all business communication. Besides, they were looking for a multi-site connectivity with call accounting and call budgeting. Matrix addressed these challenges by proposing SARVAM UCS, which is a unified communication server for modern enterprises that manages all business communications from one place. SARVAM UCS is an enterprise-grade Unified Communications solution that offers La Maison Royale the much needed collaboration, communication, messaging and mobility between multi-locational sites. Unifying all the communication networks and devices provides users with the flexibility of accessing the calls, messaging and voicemails from any of the devices irrespective of their location. Better customer responsiveness Unified communication for workforce collaboration and better customer responsiveness Call Management and the ability to connect from anywhere, anytime and with anyone Simple administration and management due to web-based configuration Enhanced customer responsiveness to customer/clients Scalability to expand their business footprints in the future Leverages existing infrastructure and connect on a common communication platform IP-solution at core and application upgradation paths that renews and extends investment Efficient call management SPARSH Series of IP extensions are elegantly designed to offer reliable performance SARVAM UCS SME is a server software which runs on ETERNITY GENX– The next-generation hardware platform. The next-generation platform supports up to 99 VOIP (SIP) trunks, 40 GSM ports, 8 T1/E1 ISDN PRI ports, and 64 analog trunks with up to 999 UC users, 96 digital users and 240 analog users. Both AC and DC power supply options are available. SPARSH Series of IP extensions are elegantly designed to offer reliable performance, quality of business communication and efficient call management. It provides high quality speakerphone, programmable feature and DSS keys, corporate directory, message wait lamp, voice mail and intuitive user interface. Hotel management software Matrix offered complete hotel management software with built-in hospitality features like: web-based front desk management, check-in/check-out, guest-in/guest-out, room shift, wake-up calls and reminders, mini-bar, built-in call cost calculation, emergency call detection and more. Matrix VARTA application essentially shifts all of the desk phone functionalities to the smartphone or desktop computer which makes the desks wire-free and clutter-free. Place or receive calls through the extended communication endpoints and give a chance to effective communication without the mess. Furthermore, softphone offers additional features using smartphone or desktop computer hardware that adds to staff productivity and easy call management.

Installation company Nessence recently integrated Vanderbilt’s ACT365 cloud-based access control and video management system with Mobile BankID in Sweden. Mobile BankID is a citizen identification solution that allows companies, banks, and government agencies to authenticate and conclude agreements with individuals over the internet. The integration with ACT365 comes together to solve a brief put forward by the supermarket chain, ICA Sweden. Web API for integration Tobias Olofsson, Project Sales Manager at Vanderbilt, explains that ICA Sweden is a retailer with a focus on food and health, and they wanted to be open earlier in the morning and later in the evening. “It would be too expensive to hire staff to stay open during these times in smaller locations. This is because the number of customers shopping early in the morning or late at night is minimal. But the store wants to be able to provide its customers with this value-added service,” says Olofsson. ACT365 was the perfect solution for this project due to its easy deployment, easy operation To solve this, the supermarket wanted to open unmanned and needed a solution to allow customers to enter the store in a functioning and approved manner by the insurance company. In Olofsson’s opinion, ACT365 was the perfect solution for this project due to its easy deployment, easy operation, and a smooth web API for integration. Increased accessibility and convenience “The success of this project means it is now possible for shoppers to open the supermarket’s entrance door by digitally signing into the Mobile BankID on their phone and presenting it to the ACT365 reader located on the outside of the door,” states Olofsson. Moreover, good accessibility is maintained as all customers do not need to have specific cards or tags for the access system to be able to enter the supermarket. “A new modern solution has been developed to facilitate trade for private individuals, especially in smaller towns where food stores do not tend to stay open for as long as in the big cities. This project has resulted in increased profits for the supermarket, as well as increased accessibility and convenience for its customers,” concludes Olofsson.

Global professional services provider Equiom has 14+ offices across the globe with more than 600 employees. In 2014, Equiom employed just 200 people across two offices in two jurisdictions and had ambitious plans to grow into a global business. But while the business had plans to scale, its infrastructure was that of a small business and not able to support its ambitions. As such, the company undertook a review of its entire IT infrastructure, including the network, software, and servers, with a key focus on cybersecurity, to develop systems that could support the business’ growth strategy. External vulnerability testing Furthermore, Equiom believed its security had to be robust enough to provide peace of mind to regulators, investors, and shareholders. To address this challenge Equiom wanted to work with a specialist cybersecurity partner that could both help identify any weaknesses and vulnerabilities within the infrastructure and provide recommendations and training for improving its security posture. Equiom selected SureCloud to provide services globally including cybersecurity penetration testing services Following a competitive process Equiom selected SureCloud to provide services globally including cybersecurity penetration testing services, internal and external vulnerability testing and management, social engineering including simulated phishing exercises and simulated ransomware attacks and physical social engineering. All services were delivered as part of our Pentest-as-a-Service, which provides a centralized platform for managing of all elements of the projects, including Equiom’s vulnerability remediation program. Cloud-Based platform Stephen Roberts, Global Chief Information Officer for Equiom Group, commented: “SureCloud was the obvious choice as the team is extremely knowledgeable, and the company had invested heavily in its cloud-based platform to create a technical solution that is far more developed than anything else in the marketplace.” “We felt working with SureCloud would enable us to provide a single snapshot of our security posture at any given time. Ultimately, the platform offered us the ability to simplify the overall management process, which was a key differentiator for us. SureCloud takes what is, in reality, a highly complex set of requirements and makes it as simple as possible.” Accurately monitor progress “Through centralization of all reports and data, including output from penetration tests, vulnerability scans and social engineering exercises, we have complete visibility over our infrastructure and can develop remediation action plans and accurately monitor progress in real time,” said Roberts. SureCloud provides peace of mind to our stakeholders and customers" “As we continue to grow, SureCloud provides peace of mind to our stakeholders and customers. When we compare new acquisitions to those parts of our business that have gone through the SureCloud process, we can see a very clear difference in the respective postures. This is a testament to SureCloud’s success in keeping our security posture in excellent health,” commented Roberts. Overall security posture “We have also worked with SureCloud to address additional challenges in the business. We are currently using its GDPR application, which feeds data back into the platform enabling us to assess our compliance status against our overall security posture. Now we have complete oversight of our infrastructure,” said Roberts. “The fact that SureCloud is easy to use and highly scalable means that as we work to triple the size of the business over the next four years, we can do so while confidently relying on the platform to ensure that security is not compromised during that process. Through SureCloud we have raised our security posture to a level where our systems can help detect threats so that we can prevent attacks before they impact the business”, concluded Roberts.

Interface Security Systems, a managed services provider delivering managed network, asset protection, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, provided RMH Franchise, the world’s second-largest Applebee’s franchisee, with secure SD-WAN over broadband, 4G/LTE wireless WAN backup and VoIP solutions. A significant update for RMH’s aging network environment, the solutions are boosting RMH’s application performance, wireless failover capabilities, and providing a seamless voice solution that has proved to be particularly useful during times of lockdown and social distancing. Stricter compliance rules Founded in 2012, RMH Franchise operates more than 131 restaurants across 14 states. While it traditionally has offered in-house dining, additional Applebee’s options such as Carside To Go, online ordering and delivery have proved invaluable throughout the current health crisis. “I had been mainly keeping our IT in-house and managed our own Internet connections, routers, security, etc.,” explained Roger Somers, Executive Director of IT, RMH Franchise. “As our footprint was growing, the requirements for a secure network were also increasing, and it made sense for us to outsource. PCI (Payment Card Industry) requirements also became more stringent and businesses were required to adhere to stricter compliance rules.” Cost-Effective solution Interface implemented a next-generation Secure SD-WAN network architecture with broadband upgrades Somers was looking for a managed services provider who could quickly deliver a cost-effective solution for managing and securing their IT network and voice communications across all locations. Interface, a preferred provider for CSCS, the purchasing agent for Applebee’s, perfectly fit the bill and customized a scalable solution bundle. Interface implemented a next-generation Secure SD-WAN network architecture with broadband upgrades. Additionally, Interface combined managed 4G/LTE wireless capability with terrestrial circuits in areas with low-speed broadband to deliver an improved restaurant and guest experience. The 4G/LTE service automatically takes over should the primary network connection fail. It offers seamless fail-over for POS transactions, credit card processing, inventory management and other key processes to continue to perform without interruption or store personnel involvement. Consolidating several vendors Interface also implemented its VoIP phone service and consolidated several vendors, migrating all RMH’s locations from legacy phone systems to a fully hosted cloud model, saving long distance costs and standardizing all locations. As the worldwide health crisis became an ever-increasing concern and more restaurant guests were staying home, RMH leveraged these solutions for Carside To Go, and online delivery. Apart from the significant cost savings realized through Interface’s managed VoIP services, another benefit Somers sees is the cloud auto attendant feature. “The remote recording plays our business hours, curbside delivery or take out specials and can dynamically route calls. This reduces a lot of the call volume directly into the restaurants, has increased our efficiencies, and saved us time and money,” he explained. Providing business continuity Somers added that Interface has made spinning up secure networking and voice services ‘simple, fast and scalable’ with a fully configured proprietary cabinet that includes all of the franchises’ managed services. The Interface Cloud-Powered Remote Reboot feature power cycles equipment without any onsite intervention" He continued that the wireless backup has become “Increasingly important as we continue to layer more critical services on our Internet connection like tabletop devices. The Interface Cloud-Powered Remote Reboot feature power cycles equipment without any onsite intervention, before employees or guests realize there may be an issue. If an Internet provider is down or there is any sort of network failure, rolling over to 4G/LTE is automatic and provides for business continuity. That has become critical for us.” Alarm monitoring services Since implementing the Interface solutions, RMH has increased agility, gained operational efficiencies, and augmented security, all while realizing 10X cost savings. RMH is planning on further strengthening the partnership with Interface by adding alarm monitoring services to Interface’s powerful bundle of managed services for networking, voice and security. “RMH Franchise has been at the forefront of implementing technology that delivers a superior experience to their clients. We are proud to be their managed services provider and look forward to our continued partnership,” said Brent Duncan, Chief Revenue Officer at Interface Security Systems.

Eagle Eye Networks, the provider of cloud video surveillance, announces one of the fastest completions of a large scale, fully integrated citywide surveillance program, installing 13,720 cameras in 4 months. This project has been a large success for Mexico City C5, contributing to Mexico City's larger ‘Citizen Safety’ mobile application. This mobile application facilitates content sharing for more effective neighborhood watch and a panic SOS button. “Effective citywide surveillance is more than installing cameras in a few key locations, it’s about creating a platform that meets the unique needs of each municipality.” Unique web application The cameras are all operational, remotely monitored, and providing safety and security to citizens today “In partnership with Eagle Eye Networks we leveraged the Eagle Eye Video API and SDK to customize a unique web application that is designed to integrate fixed, mobile body worn, and vehicle cameras into one interface, providing an unprecedented level of insight and awareness into our cities operations, ” said Jaime Abad Valdenebro, CEO, Omnicloud.mx. 4G connectivity with Eagle Eye Networks’ bandwidth optimization was utilized in order to facilitate this quick deployment, installing approximately 250 cameras per day at its peak. The cameras are all operational, remotely monitored, and providing safety and security to citizens today. Integration of new technologies This fast-paced install occurred amidst the global supply chain challenges caused by COVID-19, however, Eagle Eye Networks’ strong partnership with both the Reseller, Omnicloud.mx, and suppliers provided alternatives and solutions to keep the project on schedule. Eagle Eye Networks solution was chosen because the Eagle Eye Cloud Video API Platform provides an open solution that allows integration of new technologies (AI, advanced analytics, search, license plate recognition), new suppliers, and new cameras at any time. Future and cybersecurity proofing the city’s investment and eliminating the headaches associated with managing large premise based data centers was crucial in their decision. City-Wide surveillance project Eagle Eye’s cloud video retention and massive on demand scalability make it ideal for large scale deployments" “When deploying a city-wide surveillance project, scalability, retention, and cellular transmission must be considered. Eagle Eye’s cloud video retention and massive on demand scalability make it ideal for large scale deployments. To operate your own large data center system for video recording is expensive and challenging.” “With Eagle Eye’s subscription service we provide a more robust and lower cost answer for large scale deployments. Furthermore, our open platform provides a future proof solution, integrating AI, video analytics, and advanced search at the click of a mouse,” said Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. Cost-Effective solution “More than half of the world’s population resides in cities, creating an increased demand for smart, accurate insights to help streamline everyday operations including public safety, traffic flow management, infrastructure and transportation. Enormous amounts of data collection, aggregation, and storage are necessary to drive the deep analysis that is required to produce these smart insights.” “The only way to efficiently manage this data is to aggregate and analyze in the cloud,” said Jeff Kessler, Managing Director of Imperial Capital and Publisher of the Security Industry Annual Report. The Eagle Eye Cloud is a robust, scalable and cost-effective solution, purpose-built to support the data storage and analysis demands that city-wide deployments require.

Ten years is a long time, but it seems to pass in an instant in the world of security. In terms of technology, 2010 is ages ago. Changes in the market have been transformative during that decade, and we called on our Expert Panel Roundtable to highlight some of those changes. We asked this week’s panelists: What was the biggest change in the security industry in the 2010-2019 decade?  

Ethical hackers are familiar to the world of cybersecurity. As cybersecurity awareness increases in physical security, they are also playing a larger role to ensure the safety of networked and information technologies used in our market. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the role of ‘ethical hackers’ to ensure cybersecurity of networked products in the physical security market?

The new year 2019 is brimming with possibilities for the physical security industry, but will those possibilities prove to be good news or bad news for our market? Inevitably, it will be a combination of good and bad, but how much good and how bad? We wanted to check the temperature of the industry as it relates to expectations for the new year, so we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How optimistic is your outlook for the physical security industry in 2019? Why?