Corporate Security

Interphone has teamed up with Dahua Technology, a global video surveillance specialist, to help private and public sector organizations create a safer in-building environment and experience as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. As an accredited Dahua Integrator Partner, Interphone will have access to the latest innovations in thermal access control, temperature monitoring, people counting and flow control, which will be used to develop epidemic safety protection solutions all types of premises. Prevention and control measures “These technology solutions will assist in the identification of those persons who may be unwell, while controlling the flow of people in and out of buildings,” explains Julian Synett, CEO of Interphone Limited. Julian adds, “They will support effective prevention and control measures that will be required moving forward to protect occupants and visitors, as well as reduce the staffing requirement to carry out these monitoring and control functions at entrances and exits.” Temperature monitoring cameras Interphone will now have a range of temperature monitoring cameras available that includes free-standing, wall-mounted and integrated turnstile-mounted options. They are accurate up to a distance of three meters and to within ±0.3-0.5 degrees centigrade. They can be located at any entrance, all with easy installation and flexible deployment, to provide fast and non-contact screening, with extremely high passage efficiency. In fact, it takes just 0.2 seconds per person to identify any abnormal temperature and, if required, whether someone is not wearing a face mask. AI-powered people counting camera AI-powered people counting camera will be able to automatically and accurately calculate numbers in real-time Meanwhile, an AI-powered people counting camera will be able to automatically and accurately calculate numbers in real-time for those organizations that require limited people flow in and out of buildings. It will provide full visibility and control of the amount of people entering a building, making it possible to avoid congestion, maintain social distancing and mitigate the risk of infection and spread of the pandemic. Flow control solution When the number of people reaches a set limit, the flow control solution changes the digital signage located at the entrance, using a traffic light-style system, to automatically manage the movement of people. Anyone entering the building is alerted that the maximum capacity has been reached and asked to wait until space is available. As a result, there is no need to have added security staff located at the door to manually count people in and out of the building, which can help reduce workforce overheads and improve management efficiency. Epidemic safety protection solutions Synett further said, “With the world coming to terms with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, public and private sector organizations now face the challenge of how they operate in a safe, responsible and efficient manner as restrictions are lifted.” “Our epidemic safety protection solutions are suitable for any premises, so property operators and managers can take advantage of them to create a safer in-building environment and experience,” concludes Synett.

ExtraHop, the globally renowned provider of cloud-native network detection and response solutions, has announced the general availability of Reveal(x) 360, the first SaaS-based network detection and response (NDR) solution. Reveal(x) 360 NDR solution provides on-demand, unified visibility across multi-cloud and hybrid workloads, as well as distributed workforces and operations. Reveal(x) 360 SaaS-based NDR With ExtraHop Reveal(x) 360, security operations teams can harness the power of the cloud to improve security posture without compromising availability or core business objectives. Organizations around the world have experienced massive disruption as workforces rapidly transitioned to remote work and operations shifted off-premises. While the first phase of this shift focused primarily on making critical assets available to employees, the next phase will focus on how to enable that model long term and at scale. Cloud and IoT digital transformation Cloud, with its unlimited scale, OpEx pricing model, and global availability is suited for a distributed workforce At the center of that transformation are the Cloud and IoT. Cloud, with its unlimited scale, OpEx pricing model, and global availability zones, is ideally suited to enabling a distributed workforce. At the same time, the need to support IoT has already increased exponentially as security and IT Ops teams contend with a plethora of employee devices accessing network resources. Frictionless security With Reveal(x) 360, ExtraHop combines the power of network data with the scale and speed of the Cloud to provide frictionless security from the data center to the Cloud to the user and device edge. It is cloud-delivered, cloud-agnostic, and provides cloud intelligence for continuous protection across the entire attack surface. Fully-integrated workflow A fully-integrated workflow enables SecOps teams to manage detection, investigation, and response at scale and align to the demands of the business, even as IT and business realities continue to evolve. Cloud-Native Consumption Model - Reveal(x) 360 provides on-demand consumption, enabling customers to manage peak periods like Cyber Monday, fall course registration, and insurance enrollment periods without getting locked into annual contracts. On-demand consumption for index record search is available immediately, with additional on-demand purchasing options available in July. Centralized Management and Threat Visibility - A unified management pane provides complete visibility and control across multi-cloud workloads, data centers, remote sites, and users and devices all in one place. With centralized visibility, security teams can confidently detect, investigate, and respond to threats across the entire attack surface without switching between multiple point solutions trying to piece together the path of an attack. AI-Powered Threat Detection - Real-time intelligence and behavioral analysis derived from petabytes of anonymized threat telemetry collected daily makes Reveal(x) 360 cloud-based machine learning uniquely reliable, all without impacting sensor performance. Cloud-scale ML provides more than 1 million predictive models for a typical enterprise deployment to identify suspicious behaviors and potential threats. Real-Time Investigation - A cloud-based record store provides fully hosted and managed search capability for streamlined incident investigation with index record search and query of data from every segment of the hybrid environment. Continuous Intelligence - Reveal(x) 360 automatically updates detectors, threat intelligence feeds, and IoT profiles via the cloud, eliminating the need for manual intervention to ensure that policies or software on sensors are up to date. Securing data centers, remote sites & cloud workloads Over the past months, remote work, digital interactions, and online services have accelerated at an unprecedented rate" “Over the past several months, remote work, digital interactions, and online services have accelerated at an unprecedented rate,” said Jesse Rothstein, ExtraHop Co-Founder and CTO. Jesse adds, “And there is an increasing need to address significant gaps that have been exposed around both security and availability. Reveal(x) 360 is the culmination of a multi-year R&D investment to secure data centers, remote sites, and cloud workloads with frictionless deployment and actionable insights that can be securely accessed from anywhere.” Reveal(x) 360 for multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments is now available on AWS Marketplace. Flexible pricing plans include reserved instance and on-demand pricing options to align with individual customer budget requirements. Customer reviews “When you’re looking at investing in the rhythm of your business, there’s no other company that aligns to supporting the DevOps model—the speed, the lack of friction, than ExtraHop,” said Dan McDaniel, Chief Architect and Information Security Officer at Wizards of the Coast. “Before ExtraHop, we had limited visibility into what was going on in the cloud, but with Reveal(x), we can quickly identify vulnerabilities and exploits and understand how our applications are performing in the cloud,” said John Kreis, Senior IT Engineer at Ulta Beauty. Enhanced application, infrastructure security ExtraHop makes it easy to monitor our environment and secure it, from remote desktops to cloud workloads" “With ExtraHop, we’re able to monitor not only bandwidth and resources, but the security of our applications and infrastructure. With more and more of our workloads in the cloud, and now, with so many of our people working remotely, the level of visibility we get from ExtraHop in a single tool is just unmatched,” said a Senior Network Security Engineer for a large retail chain. “ExtraHop makes it straightforward to monitor our environment and secure it, from remote desktops to cloud workloads,” said a Senior Manager for Security and Infrastructure at a West Coast healthcare provider firm. Partner review “Now that the dust has settled a bit since the initial transition to remote work, many of our customers are now looking to the future, thinking about how to support this forced transformation long term,” said Jonathan Wharton-Street, Head of Government and Education Sales, SBL. He concludes, “Making sure you have a handle on every user and device accessing network resources is going to be critical to that. Reveal(x) 360 provides continuous visibility across every device and workload so that you never have to worry about what you don’t see.”

To meet the evolving design needs of the diverse and growing market for biometric access control solutions, the globally renowned biometrics company, Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) has announced the expansion its fingerprint authentication touch sensor portfolio for physical and logical access devices and applications. FPC1025 sensor access module To enable maximum flexibility in product design, the new FPC1025 sensor version from Fingerprints has a smaller footprint than the other models in the series. The FPC1025 sensor has also been optimized for access control devices where every millimeter counts. This is the fourth addition to Fingerprints’ growing access control solutions portfolio, which focuses on offering high performance biometrics with the lowest power consumption and enabling a variety of form factors. Expansion of biometric solutions portfolio Demand for biometrics in access control solutions is expanding and diversifying" “Demand for biometrics in access control solutions is expanding and diversifying. With the further expansion of our biometrics solutions portfolio, we are enabling those with even tighter design requirements to enhance new products with market-renowned biometric authentication technology,” said Michel Roig, Senior VP of Payments and Access at Fingerprints. Michel Roig adds, “By leveraging our expertise from the mobile world, we’re committed to tailoring our solutions to meet the power, cost and design challenges of the latest physical and logical access control use cases.” Support for devices with streamlined user-authentication Like the rest of the portfolio, the FPC1025 can be used by devices and applications where secure, streamlined user-authentication is required. All sensors in the portfolio come with unique features that enable an excellent and secure daily user experience. The access sensor series combines Fingerprints’ proven technology to make life simple for device makers and end users.

Organizations globally are facing an urgent need to rapidly onboard hundreds of key employees, such as medical staff, nursing staff and other staff members, on a daily basis across multiple facilities and sites. HID Global, a worldwide renowned provider of trusted identity and identity management solutions, has introduced an emergency badging solution to help manage the secure issuance and administration of staff badges and access control credentials for employees as they navigate the current global health crisis. HID FARGO Connect solution HID Global’s offering combines its award winning HID FARGO Connect solution for cloud-based ID card printing with its latest innovation for cloud-based identity management solution to equip organizations with a convenient “touch-free” system that minimizes the impact on overwhelmed credential issuance departments and drives a more secure work environment. Administrative and security challenges that have emerged among industry sectors such as healthcare institutions, government agencies and other organizations providing emergency services include: Inefficient access management processes that require manual sign-in and sign-out process. Overwhelmed IT departments that have had to adjust their credential issuance systems. Restricting access to in-demand items such as medical equipment and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and safeguarding against theft. Emergency badging solution HID Global’s emergency badging solution includes the tools required to issue secure credentials to temporary employees, such as: HID FARGO desktop card printer for ID and card issuance. FARGO Connect Console for badge issuance and management. A free, six-month subscription to HID FARGO Connect and the company’s cloud-based identity management platform. Consumables, cards, and subscriptions to HID Global’s applications and secure cloud environment for quick and convenient badge operations deployment.

With many employees continuing to work from home during the lockdown, a new service from bluedog Security Monitoring offers a fast and low-cost way for companies to monitor remote devices and manage their cyber security. Enhanced cyber security The Microsoft Office 365 monitoring service can detect risks ranging from suspicious account logins and data downloads to phishing emails arriving in an employee’s inbox. The service, which is the only one of its type that is overseen by a live cyber security team, costs from just £1 per user per month and can be switched on remotely. The bluedog service integrates with the Azure Active Directory and matches the company’s internal network data with its Office 365 usage to identify abnormal behavior. Any suspicious incidents will automatically alert the team at its security operations center who can then investigate and act upon it. Microsoft Office 365 monitoring service Office 365 monitoring service offers a quick and easy way to effectively bring these into the network from a security perspective" Launched in 2019, bluedog aims to revolutionize the cyber security market by making monitoring services accessible to businesses of all sizes. The company Co-Founder, Paul Lomax said that the Office 365 monitoring service was developed before the lockdown but its launch has been timely. “The sudden switch to homeworking has caused a headache for many companies as it is very difficult to monitor devices which are not on the company premises,” explains bluedog Security Monitoring Co-Founder, Paul Lomax, adding “Our Office 365 monitoring service offers a quick and easy way to effectively bring these into the network from a security perspective”. Detecting breaches in cloud-based systems Paul said, “It will also detect breaches of cloud-based systems which would not trigger conventional defenses such as anti-virus solutions and firewalls. The service highlights unusual login locations or lateral movement so the team will be able to spot the attacker navigating across the network”. Lomax adds, “Having a human on hand to check and interpret data can make all the difference in circumstances like this. Our Office 365 monitoring service is the only one of its type that is backed by an expert team who has full sight of all alerts and can make an informed decision.” Restricted data access The service also allows companies to see which files and emails have been accessed, downloaded, deleted and from which account and location so they can check if data has been stolen. To ensure companies’ privacy, bluedog is only able to see the filenames and locations, and not the contents of files. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020, which was carried out before the global lockdown, corporate staffs in 53% of the businesses were regularly using their own laptops or devices. Rethinking IT security Paul Lomax further stated, “The use of employees’ own devices has long been a problem for businesses. However, with home working likely to become the norm in the foreseeable future, they now need to rethink their IT security. Microsoft Office 365 monitoring offers a low-cost and convenient solution for the post-Covid world.”

Ping Identity, the globally renowned intelligent identity solutions provider for the enterprise, has announced that Candace Worley has joined the company’s leadership team as Global Chief Poduct Officer. Worley brings over 25 years of enterprise strategy and product development experience from some of the largest names in the technology sector. At Ping Identity, Worley will be responsible for advancing the global product vision, pushing technical product innovation efforts and bringing the company’s premier identity solutions to market. Cloud infrastructure expert Worley hails from Amazon Web Services (AWS) where she most recently led the enterprise strategists and vertical marketing teams. Additionally, she developed enterprise level messaging, marketing plans, and industry insights that help customers accelerate time to value for their cloud transformation projects. Prior to joining AWS, Worley held key product management and chief technologist roles at McAfee and Intel Security. There she served as GM, Chief Technologist, and VP, driving thought leadership and advancing technical innovation in McAfee security solutions, and led a sales specialist team responsible for evangelising Security Operations Center (SOC) solutions. Digital customer identity transformation solutions Candace has deep expertize in enterprise security strategy and an acute understanding of the innovations" “Candace has deep expertize in enterprise security strategy and an acute understanding of the innovations that businesses require to drive digital customer identity transformation, large enterprise hybrid IT models and workforce enablement in the new economy,” said Kris Nagel, Chief Operating Officer at Ping Identity. Kris adds, “As Ping Identity remains focused on the identity-defined security revolution, Candace’s product development leadership will be critical in evolving the company’s product suite and ensuring secure and trusted identity authentication is ubiquitous.” Trusted identity solutions “Identity is now the foundation of all things digital,” said Candace Worley, Chief Product Officer, Ping Identity. He adds, “Ping’s commitment to guaranteeing that all digital transactions are as secure in the digital world as they are in the physical world stands out as the type of mission that gets me excited. I’m looking forward to progressing Ping’s goals and pioneering enhanced digital, contactless and mobile product capabilities.”

Today’s environment has evolved into something that according to some may seem unexplainable. But in the context of video surveillance, this is something that we understand. Allow me to shed some light and understanding in terms of security and why it truly is a necessity. Security is not a luxury, it is a necessity. An essential practice now peaking the interests of all businesses small and large. A video surveillance system is a cost effective option that does not require monitoring fees. As business slows, temporarily shuts down or closes, an increase in vacant properties is inevitable. This pandemic will continue to put severe pressure on many businesses around the country. With so many considered non-essential, it is really sad to see how many must shutter their doors and lay off employees. Keeping an eye out for suspicious activity using a commercial grade surveillance system that supports advanced analytics, may end up saving your potential customers thousands of dollars down the road. Demand for video surveillance and security products We can certainly draw on the conclusion that security is a “need” more so than a “want”. Times like this just further cement that thought process. In today’s economic spiral, people aren’t actively looking for lighting controls or home theaters. What they look for is a way to keep their loved ones safe, protect their homes, businesses and property. Video surveillance technology provides added security for you, your family and your business In my opinion, you will see video surveillance and security product sales skyrocket in the coming months and years. It has been reported that response times for first responders may be impacted as a result of COVID-19, leaving those with bad intent more time to ransack a property knowing that law enforcement may be slow to respond. Criminals will always take advantage of the situation. All we can do as a community is use common sense, stay vigilant through these odd times and watch out for one another. For some of us that may mean mitigating risks with technology. Affordable video monitoring solutions Having a solution that can quickly and securely share video footage may be the difference between identifying a perpetrator and becoming a victim. Ella, a video search platform developed by IC Realtime, makes every second of video instantly searchable and shareable, either with the authorities or your neighborhood social apps. Plus it is compatible with any RTSP streaming device. To wrap this up, it’s not about pointing out the obvious, it’s really about bringing awareness as to how technologies can be implemented to provide peace of mind without breaking the bank. Video surveillance technology is a way to do that and provide added security for you, your family and your business.

The emergence of smartphones using iOS and Android is rapidly changing the landscape of the IT industry around the world. Several industries, such as digital cameras, car navigation, MP3, and PNP, have been replaced by equivalent or even better performance using smartphones. Smartphones provide increasing portability by integrating the functions of various devices into a single unit which allows them to connect to platforms with network-based services and offer new services and conveniences that have never been experienced before. These changes have expanded into the access control market. Although not yet widespread, ‘Mobile access cards’ is one of the terminologies that everyone has been talking about. RF cards used for access security are being integrated into smartphones just as digital cameras and MP3s were in the past. While people might forget their access cards at home in the morning, they seldom forget their smartphones. Using smartphones for access control increases entry access reliability and convenience. Mobile/smartphone access control A key aspect of mobile credential is that it makes it possible to issue or reclaim cards without face-to-face interaction As in other markets, the combination of smartphones and access cards is creating a new value that goes beyond the simple convenience of integration enhancing the ability to prevent unauthorized authentication and entrance. People sometimes lend their access cards to others, but it is far less likely they might lend their smartphone with all their financial information and personal information – to another person. This overcomes an important fundamental weakness of RF cards. Another valuable aspect of mobile credential is that it makes it possible to issue or reclaim cards without face-to-face interaction. Under existing access security systems, cards must be issued in person. Since card issuance implies access rights, the recipient’s identification must be confirmed first before enabling the card and once the card has been issued, it cannot be retracted without another separate face-to-face interaction. Mobile access cards In contrast, mobile access cards are designed to transfer authority safely to the user's smartphone based on TLS. In this way, credentials can be safely managed with authenticated users without face-to-face interaction. Mobile cards can be used not only at the sites with a large number of visitors or when managing access for an unspecified number of visitors, but also at the places like shared offices, kitchens and gyms, currently used as smart access control systems in shared economy markets. The market share of mobile access cards today is low even though the capability can offer real benefits to users and markets. While the access control market itself is slow-moving, there are also practical problems that limit the adoption of new technologies like mobile access cards. Use of Bluetooth Low Energy technology While NFC could be an important technology for mobile credential that is available today on virtually all smartphones, differences in implementation and data handling processes from various vendors prevents universal deployment of a single solution to all devices currently on the market. Accordingly, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has been considered as an alternative to NFC. Bluetooth is a technology that has been applied to smartphones for a long time, and its usage and interface are unified, so there are no compatibility problems. However, speed becomes the main problem. The authentication speed of BLE mobile access card products provided by major companies is slower than that of existing cards. Enhancing credential authentication speed Authentication speed is being continuously improved using BLE's GAP layer and GATT layers The second problem is that mobile access cards must be accompanied by a supply of compatible card readers. In order to use mobile access cards, readers need to be updated but this is not a simple task in the access control market. For 13.56 MHz smart cards (which were designed to replace 125 kHz cards), it has taken 20 years since the standard was established but only about half of all 25 kHz cards have been replaced so far. Legacy compatibility and the need for equivalent performance, even with additional benefits, will drive adoption timing for the Access Control market. While BLE technology helps resolve the compatibility problem of mobile access cards, it can identify some breakthroughs that can solve the speed problem. Authentication speed is being continuously improved using BLE's GAP layer and GATT layers, and new products with these improvements are now released in the market. Making use of key improvements allows Suprema's mobile access card to exhibit an authentication speed of less than 0.5 seconds providing equivalent performance to that of card-based authentication. AirFob Patch MOCA System's AirFob Patch addresses the need for technological improvements in the access control market in a direct, cost effective, and reliable way – by offering the ability to add high-performance BLE to existing card readers – enabling them to read BLE smartphone data by applying a small adhesive patch approximately the size of a coin. This innovative breakthrough applies energy harvesting technology, generating energy from the RF field emitted by the existing RF reader – then converting the data received via BLE back into RF – and delivering it to the reader. By adding the ability to use BLE on virtually any existing RF card reading device, MOCA allows greater ability for partners and end users to deploy a technologically-stable, high performance access control mobile credential solution to their employees, using devices they already own and are familiar with. Adding MOCA AirFob Patch eliminates the need to buy and install updated readers simply to take advantage of mobile credential, lowering costs and risks, and increasing employee confidence and convenience. Growth forecast of mobile access card market in 2020 In 2020, forecasts show that the mobile access card market will grow far more rapidly Several companies have entered the mobile access card market, but they have not set up a meaningful product solution stream until 2019. In 2020, forecasts show that the mobile access card market will grow far more rapidly. Reviewing new entries into the market allows identification of the latest products that provide improving solutions to compatibility and speed problems. MOCA AirFob Patch addresses development plans in process today that overcome the legacy installed base of card readers – allowing rapid creation of an environment that can make immediate use of BLE mobile access cards. Integrated mobile digital ID With proven usability and within suitable environments, mobile access cards will also begin to make inroads into other markets, not just the access control market. In the sharing economy market, which seeks access management without face-to-face interaction, the integrated mobile digital ID led by the 'DID Alliance' will serve as a technical tool that can be used in access authentication – forging increasing links between the access control and digital ID markets.

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

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be participating at ISC West in a big way. Representatives of the federal department will be taking part in more education sessions this year, and the DHS tech-scouting team will be on hand to view the latest technologies on display at the show. Exhibitors – and anyone else at the show – are invited to the “DHS Town Hall” on March 19 (Thursday) at 3:30 p.m. in meeting room Galileo 1001. The aim is for DHS to engage with the technology community and provide guidance as industry innovation moves forward. In the face of growing operational demands and complex threats, the need for homeland security technology solutions continues to rise. The Department of Homeland (DHS) is seeking new ideas and partners to safeguard public trust, save lives, reduce risks, and protect the flow of commerce and goods for the community. They will share information about the department’s problem sets, capability needs and business opportunities for accelerating technology development to ensure they are keeping pace with the speed of innovation and complex threats. Speaking at ISC West DHS seeks to challenge industry partners to develop technology to enhance security operations across multiple end user missions. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will jointly speak and exhibit at ISC West. Attendees can meet DHS professionals working in cyber security, critical infrastructure, resilience, aviation security, border and port operations, and first responder capabilities. Attendees are invited to visit the DHS exhibit booth #33040 in the Drones and Robotics Zone. The DHS Town Hall on Thursday, titled “Enhancing Security and Doing Business at the Speed of Life,” will be a “call to action” for show participants to help secure the future. DHS seeks to become more agile and to pursue new pathways to do business in a fast-moving world. Through strategic partnerships, DHS is mobilizing the innovation community to safeguard the public trust. Security sessions DHS will also be participating in these sessions at ISC West, March 17-20 at the Sands Expo, Las Vegas, Nev: You Say It’s Going to Change the World? Tues., March 17, 9:45 a.m., Sands 302. Security relies on anticipating what comes next and staying a step ahead. How will 5G increase secure capabilities and reduce threats from bad actors? How will blockchain secure personal and financial identity and when will quantum computing render all encryption obsolete? How is DHS investing in counter-drones? How does AI change the security landscape? The New Federal Security Landscape – Are You Prepared? Wed., March 18, 1 p.m., Sands 302. The federal security landscape is evolving alongside the private sector. What are the new high-risk areas of concern and how are emerging threats (cyber, UAS) changing the way federal facilities are protected? How are these new risks balanced against traditional ones? How is the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) responding? DHS panelists will discuss. CISA Special Guest Speaker at SIA Interopfest. Wed., March 18, 4 p.m., Sands 701. Daryle Hernandez, Chief, Interagency Security Committee, DHS, Infrastructure Security Division, will provide insights to complement the technology interoperability demonstrations. Enhancing Security Through UAS Technology, A DHS Perspective. Thurs., March 19, 11:30 a.m., Venetian Ballroom. What is DHS doing today to prepare for a future of increased visualization and automation? New questions are emerging around capabilities and vulnerabilities. Emerging technologies like AR, Next Gen Sensors, and UAS, provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with tools to become more responsive and adaptive to new threats.

There is a growing trend towards more outsourcing of the monitoring function among security companies. Technology developments are accelerating and increasing the need for monitoring companies to invest. The barriers to entry are higher than ever. These are some of the trends covered in a discussion at Securing New Ground 2019 titled ‘Monitoring: New Models and New Monetization Strategies’. A panel of monitoring company executives addressed topics centered on how the industry is changing and evolving. New entrants in the monitoring space New entrants in the monitoring space face barriers to entry, in particular the need for more investment"“New entrants in the monitoring space face barriers to entry, in particular the need for more investment in infrastructure and expertize,” said Spencer Moore, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Rapid Response Monitoring. ”Because of the expense of new technologies, more full-service monitoring companies are outsourcing the monitoring function to existing wholesale monitoring companies.” “The cost of entry has gone up, and companies are trying to preserve capital,” agreed Jim McMullen, President/COO at COPS Monitoring. “Larger companies are realizing wholesale monitoring does a better job from a customer service viewpoint. We are more focused on monitoring and the quality of service. It takes a lot of money to keep up with the cyber world,” added McMullen. Wholesale monitoring companies Wholesale monitoring companies are finding that they need petabytes of storage space, among other expensive requirements. “The trend is toward technology evolving quicker, and that often requires investment and training in a monitoring center,” said Daniel Oppenheim, CEO of Affiliated Monitoring. “Because trying out new technology is so important, wholesale monitoring centers often find that they serve as a ‘laboratory’ to experiment with newer technologies. Limited trials often expand later to broader outsourcing of a company’s monitoring services”, said Oppenheim. Automated Secure Alarm Protocol “What people miss out on is that monitoring is quite complex, and there are specialized services and skillsets, and barriers to entry from a regulatory perspective,” said Moore. Adding value to the monitoring function is The Monitoring Association’s ASAP-to-PSAP service Adding value to the monitoring function is The Monitoring Association’s ASAP-to-PSAP service. The national service saves time, improves accuracy and increases efficiency in communications between monitoring centers and public safety answering points (PSAPs). The service uses the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Public Safety Answering Points Up to 60 PSAPS have joined the program, although the low number is misleading, given that a single PSAP could represent the ‘City of Houston’. (There are an estimated 6,000 total PSAPs nationwide). It has taken six to eight years to develop the program from its genesis to where it is today, when more participation is finally creating a critical mass. Technology is fundamentally changing monitoring companies. “We used to be a services company powered by a little bit of technology, but we’re now moving toward a technology services company,” said Moore. Critical ‘filtering service’ Monitoring provides a critical ‘filtering service’ between public requests for emergency service and those tasked with providing the services. In effect, monitoring centers work with manufacturers to make them more resilient to false alarms. Monitoring companies also provide a human touch in a time of need, and emotional empathy. Today, emergency information is being transmitted to PSAPs electronically, which saves time and money. The current low-taxation environment means there are fewer resources for municipal governments, so cost savings make a difference. Monitoring, a specialized skillset Increasingly, monitoring is becoming a business that requires a more specialized skillset Increasingly, monitoring is becoming a business that requires a more specialized skillset. Regulation, and the need for increasing investment, is driving consolidation. “With a decreasing number of monitoring companies, there are fewer customers for software developers and other tools. Less outside innovation makes it more likely monitoring centers will have to ‘go it alone’ and develop software and other tools internally,” said Oppenheim. Importance of monitoring systems “In effect, consolidation will serve to limit technology choices, and to increase the need to in-source a lot of expertize”, agrees Moore. Tying monitoring systems into other software systems is another continuing challenge. “People want our system tied into their system,” said McMullen. “I have two people who focus full time to tie our systems into other systems. There will be more computers talking to computers.”

A larger proportion of cyberattacks in the first half of 2019 can be attributed to electronic criminals (eCrime adversaries) compared to state-sponsored or unidentified attacks. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company that provides the CrowdStrike Falcon endpoint protection platform, observes that 61% of targeted cybersecurity campaigns in the first half of 2019 were sourced from eCrime adversaries, compared to 39% from other sources. Technology was the top vertical market targeted by cyber-attacks in the first half of the year CrowdStrike Falcon Overwatch platform The eCrime portion more than doubled since 2018, reflecting an escalation of criminal players in search of more and larger payouts. The trend is among the information presented in CrowdStrike’s Overwatch 2019 Mid-Year Report: Observations from the Front Lines of Threat Hunting. Falcon OverWatch is the CrowdStrike-managed threat hunting service built on the CrowdStrike Falcon platform. Technology was the top vertical market targeted by cyber-attacks in the first half of the year, followed by telecommunications and non-governmental organizations (including think tanks). Other targets (in decreasing order) were retail, financial, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, gaming, entertainment and engineering. Hospitality disappeared from the list so far this year, although Crowdstrike expects an increase in intrusions aimed at the hospitality industry to put it back in the top 10 by the end of the year. Intrusion adversaries In terms of intrusion adversaries, the top players so far in 2019 are Spiders (eCrime) and Pandas (China). Regarding initial access techniques, the most common remain, in order of prevalence, valid accounts, spear-phishing and exploitation of public-facing applications. 2009 is proving to be an active year with a significant increase in eCrime and the inter-relationships occurring across different groups as they strengthen their organizations, forge alliances and expand their footprint. Need for a proactive security posture Basic hygiene form the foundation for a strong cybersecurity program Many of the techniques used by eCrime actors are easily defensible through strong security products and a proactive security posture, says CrowdStrike, which recommends the following measures to help maintain strong defense in 2019: Be attentive to basic hygiene such as user awareness, asset and vulnerability management, and secure configurations, which form the foundation for a strong cybersecurity program. User awareness programs can combat the continued threat of phishing and related social engineering techniques. Asset management and software inventory ensures that an organization understands it footprint and exposure. Vulnerability and patch management can verify that known vulnerabilities and insecure configurations are identified, prioritized and remediated. Multifactor authentication (MFA) should be established for all users because today's attackers are adept at accessing and using valid credentials. A robust privilege access management process will limit the damage adversaries can do if they get in and reduce the likelihood of later movement. Implementing password protection prevents disabling or uninstalling endpoint protection that provides critical prevention and visibility for defenders. Countering sophisticated cyber attacks As sophisticated attacks continue to evolve, enterprises face more than a "malware problem" As sophisticated attacks continue to evolve, enterprises face more than a "malware problem." Defenders should look for early warning signs that an attack may be underway, such as code execution, persistence, stealth, command control and lateral movement within a network. Contextual and behavioral analysis, when delivered in real time via machine learning and artificial intelligence, effectively detects and prevents attacks that conventional "defense-in-depth" technologies cannot address. "1-10-60 rule" in combating advanced cyber threats CrowdStrike recommends that organizations pursue a "1-10-60 rule" in order to effectively combat sophisticated cyberthreats. That is, they should seek to detect intrusions in under one minute; to perform a full investigation in under 10 minutes, and to eradicate the adversary from the environment in under 60 minutes. A source at CrowdStrike said "Meeting this challenge requires investment in deep visibility, as well as automated analysis and remediation tools across the enterprise, reducing friction and enabling responders to understand threats and take fast, decisive action."

Mayflex, the distributor of converged IP solutions, has installed Thermal Elevated Temperature Screening solution from Hikvision to improve the health and safety of their employees and visitors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Elevated Temperature Screening The system works by automatically checking the forehead skin temperature in real time as employees pass by, maintaining a 2 meter gap in accordance with the UK Government’s social distancing advice. If a person is over a normal temperature threshold, an audible and visual alarm is given and they will be asked to verify their body temperature using a medical thermometer. If in the future face masks become mandatory, the system can also verify if a visitor or employee is wearing a mask. Hikvision Thermographic Bullet and Turret Cameras The system includes the Hikvision Thermographic Bullet and Turret Cameras" James Vian, Technical and Training Manager at Mayflex said, “The temperature screening solution has been installed in our main reception as well as the warehouse entrances at both the Head Office and our Environ House warehouse. The system includes the Hikvision Thermographic Bullet and Turret Cameras with the addition of the Hikvision Blackbody Calibrator that increases the accuracy of the readings from ±0.5 degrees Celsius to ±0.3 degrees Celsius.” Andy Cooper, Supply Chain Director at Mayflex said, “It’s a non-contact means of quickly and consistently measuring the skin temperature of a person’s forehead, while maintaining social distancing in line with current Government guidelines”. Enhanced staff security in COVID-19 period He adds, “In doing so, we can reduce the likelihood of someone with an elevated temperature coming into contact with other building occupants. This also reduces the possibility of losing an entire shift for 14 days, ensuring that we can deliver on our customers’ needs even in these challenging times.” Andy concluded, “It gives me confidence that we are doing everything we can to ensure the wellbeing of staff and protecting the business during the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Hikvision are highly regarded as one of the major manufacturer of security products, which are distributed by Mayflex in the United Kingdom.

Haier Group, China’s renowned home appliance manufacturer, has built a new industrial park in Russia to cope with the growing demand in Europe. Covering a total area of about 124.9 hectares, the new site is located in Naberezhnye Chelny, an important industrial city in Tatarstan, Russia. Intelligent system With the gradual completion of its factories in the industrial park, Haier is looking for an intelligent system to realize multiple tasks within the whole industrial park. Firstly, the smart system should be able to prevent theft and timely detect people climbing over the perimeter fence. Secondly, the intelligent security system should provide comprehensive monitoring in the whole industrial park and inside the factory unit, which includes, monitoring of production line and employees’ smoking behavior during working hours at office areas, efficient employee attendance management, vehicle identification at the entrance and exit areas of the park, and the overall management of all the devices, data report outputs, and other facilities at the industrial park. Total smart solution The Dahua Russia team designed a complete smart solution incorporating AI cameras, perimeter cameras, ANPR system The Dahua Russia team designed a complete smart solution incorporating AI cameras, perimeter cameras, ANPR system, access control, time attendance system, face recognition barrier, DSS PRO platform and EVS storage for Haier’s industrial park. Notably, all of the devices were integrated in one central management platform, making it easier for operators to control and manage the system. In addition, the intelligent system also supports further device upgrade based on customer’s future plan for the next several years. Dahua 5MP WDR IR Bullet AI Network Cameras To help Haier solve the first problem, Dahua 5MP WDR IR Bullet AI Network Cameras were chosen to safeguard the perimeter of the Haier industrial park. Featuring active deterrence, the cameras are able to proactively warn intruders to leave before users take action. Once an intrusion is detected, a white light will turn on, accompanied by a buzzer to warn off the intruder. Additionally, its AI-powered perimeter protection function can greatly reduce false alarms caused by irrelevant objects. AI-powered perimeter protection The combination of advanced AI analytics and real-time alerts to desktop or mobile clients reduces system requirements and resources, thereby improving the efficiency of the surveillance system. The office areas and the interior of the washing machine factory are covered with Dahua 4MP WDR IR Dome Network Cameras, while public areas are monitored by 2MP 25x Starlight IR PTZ Network Cameras. As a member of Dahua Eco-savvy product family, the Dahua 4MP WDR IR Dome Network Cameras adopt upgraded H.265 encoding technology to provide starlight, Smart IR technology, as well as intelligent image analysis techniques. It saves bandwidth and storage, with energy-saving design to enhance monitoring performance of the system. Intelligent Video System analytic algorithm As for public areas, Dahua 2MP 25x Starlight IR PTZ Network Cameras have powerful optical zoom With built-in Intelligent Video System (IVS) analytic algorithm, these dome cameras also support intelligent functions to monitor a scene for tripwire violations, intrusion detection, and abandoned or missing objects. In the future, it can respond quickly and accurately to events in the monitored areas. As for public areas, Dahua 2MP 25x Starlight IR PTZ Network Cameras have powerful optical zoom and accurate pan/tilt/zoom performance that can provide a large monitoring range and rich details. Through the latest Starlight technology, the cameras can achieve excellent low-light performance. In addition, these cameras are equipped with smooth control, high quality image and good protection, which meet the requirements of most industrial parks. Dahua face recognition barriers Dahua face recognition barriers were deployed at the entrance of the Haier industrial park and its office building, allowing quick and touchless passage of registered Haier employees without using employee cards or other identification documents. The system is based on a deep learning algorithm powered by AI, which compares facial images captured by the camera with those stored in the library to verify a person’s identity and grant permission. Access will be denied for unregistered people. 2 Megapixel Full HD AI Access ANPR cameras The industrial park’s entrance and exit use 2 Megapixel Full HD AI Access ANPR cameras to identify entering and exiting vehicles. Boasting a capture rate of over 99%, the cameras can automatically recognize the number plate of a vehicle in low speed less than 40 kmph, and capture vehicle data such as vehicle direction, vehicle size and vehicle color detection (in daytime) based on deep learning algorithm. Aside from these capabilities, the cameras can also control the barrier according to the whitelist set by users and let registered vehicles pass without stopping. Dahua DSS PRO management platform The Dahua DSS PRO management platform integrates all cameras and the stated devices At the management center, all the information collected by font-end cameras will be transferred to a 16-HDD Enterprise Video Storage. With Seagate HDD, the device offers unparalleled capacity performance for users to store massive videos and obtain evidence when needed. The Dahua DSS PRO management platform integrates all cameras and the aforementioned devices, allowing operators to easily control and manage the system. Smart industrial park solution Dahua Technology’s smart industrial park solution has assisted Haier in creating a modern intelligent industrial park in Russia. The up-to-date Dahua AI equipment provides Haier a long-term smart security system with upgraded security level and enhanced management efficiency. “The traditional personnel management system requires manual registering of employee information and cards to enter and exit office areas, which is inefficient and difficult to manage, and often high in cost,” said Zhao Shengbo, Regional Director of Dahua CIS. Upgrading access verification system Zhao adds, “Upgrading the access verification system is crucial for modern companies like Haier in order to increase the security level of its industrial park and office building. We look forward to our future cooperation.” “During the requirement discussion, solution design, and engineering survey, Dahua shows professionalism and excellent communication skills. Haier is satisfied with the first step cooperation and looking forward to the second step of the project,” said Liu Wei, Overseas Regional Project Manager of Haier Group.

International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) is receiving new orders for its crypto solutions for cellphone telephony, smartphones and the blue-light operations’ communication network TETRA from several European government authorities. Order bookings for Sectra’s Secure Communications operating area amounted to approximately SEK 35 million in April 2020. With solutions from Sectra, authorities that handle sensitive information are able to maintain their operations even when faced with exceptional circumstances.“Communication is pivotal for an operation in times of crisis. If information is unreliable, it is impossible to lead the operation,” says a spokesperson for a European security authority. cellphone encryption solutions During the COVID-19 pandemic, many operations are being run from the employees’ home offices During the COVID-19 pandemic, many operations are being run from the employees’ home offices. Currently, opportunities to work remotely are extensive in many work categories, but for individuals who are privy to classified information, working from home is not always an option. This means that certain critical operations risk coming to a standstill if employees are unable to meet each other or access their usual working tools. To uphold operations, many European government authorities have now implemented cellphone encryption solutions from Sectra. Measures taken include providing their key employees with smartphones and tablets that are protected with Sectra’s crypto solution. With these tools, they are able to exchange information in encrypted calls and chat, as well as gain access to important applications like email and calendar via a secure connection. Maintaining security and integrity Without such a solution, classified information belonging to the authorities cannot be exchanged at all outside of the walls of their official facilities. Other authorities that are closer to the field are taking advantage of Sectra’s crypto technology for the TETRA network. The TETRA network is used by blue-light operations and other emergency services and is usually operational on a national level. One country in Europe has elected to expand its access to Sectra’s crypto solution to ensure that, for example, healthcare professionals are able to discuss sensitive information while maintaining security and integrity for both healthcare services and the individual.

Sepura’s Italian partner GEG has donated vital critical communications equipment to an emergency hospital in Italy, to aid the country’s medical support during the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 health facility The rapidly deployed Fiera di Bergamo hospital is situated in an event venue in Bergamo, the worst affected region in Italy and is managed by staff from a nearby permanent hospital. The facility was constructed in just a week, supported by private and corporate donations and volunteer support from the region. The facility comprises 142 beds including over 70 intensive care beds and access points for both ambulances and helicopters. As a mark of the community endeavor behind the construction, the canteen is being run by the locally-based Michelin-starred chef Vittorio Cerea, with his family volunteering to provide meals to the emergency staff. Sepura SC21 TETRA radios To ensure that all medical staff, logistic support and volunteers can communicate effectively, GEG have donated a complete critical communications system to the site, comprising of 50 Sepura SC21 TETRA radios, programming software and a TETRA base station from DAMM to provide the local network. The radios have been provided with individual battery chargers and belt clips to reduce the amount of contact with hands and to reduce the risk of cross contamination. For the control room, GEG have provided a desk mounted SRG3900, multiple charging units and desktop programming devices to ensure that the radios are correctly set up for emergency use. Training to radio fleet administration GEG also delivered training to all radio fleet administration staff on basic radio use After performing a full site inspection and installing the base station, GEG also delivered training to all radio fleet administration staff on basic radio use, including switching between talk groups and making full duplex calls. Ian Gotti, Sales Area Manager for GEG said, “Communication is particularly important in this environment, as many of the key workers in this highly pressured environment are not used to working together; on site there are member of both the Italian and Russian armies, volunteers from international emergency response and civil protection organizations, nurses and medical staff from all across Italy and many maintenance staff across site covering many functions.” He continued, “We are proud for GEG to have played our part in enabling Italy to fight back against the coronavirus and we stand with the emergency teams on the frontline that are providing the expert medical help patients desperately require.” TETRA radio communication systems Due to the protective masks worn on the mouth, communication over a critical communications device was the only available solution to the workers. The Sepura radios allow for a very quick configuration and programming of the fleet and also an efficient way to link the fleet to the control room which was vital in this situation. The radios have the additional advantage of being easy to clean and sanitize, capable of functions with minimal use of hands and provide guaranteed secure coverage even in the deepest parts of the building. Enhancing communications Victor Rodrigues, Strategic Account Director for Sepura said, “GEG have many years’ experience in selling TETRA systems into environments such as hospitals and it is a tribute to their dedication that the system was up running so quickly to support the emergency operation. We pass our best wishes to the medical staff on the frontline.”

HID Global, a worldwide renowned company in trusted identity solutions, has announced that it has been selected by Jakarta-based service office provider, Werkspace Indonesia, to power its access control system, allowing several hundred users to access their co-working space conveniently and securely. Established in 2017, Werkspace is one of the fastest growing co-working space providers in Jakarta, and currently serves both startups and established businesses that need professional, reliable and secure working space. Secure access to working space Werkspace currently operates four offices in Jakarta, at SOHO Capital, Eiffel Tower PIK, Pluit and Kota Kasablanka. These four locations comprise 5,500 sq. meters of floor space in total, and include private offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms, dedicated desks, co-working hot desks and event areas. “Indonesia has a vibrant start-up sector, with the co-working business leading the charge. While a strong spirit of collaboration exists, secure access to the workspace is also an important consideration,” said Jessica Sa’ied, Werkspace Community Manager. Seos credential technology Seos credential technology allows us to quickly and easily grant or revoke building access for a new set of people" She adds, “By using HID Global’s access control system, we have been able to achieve this, allowing our clients to access Werkspace facilities conveniently and securely. Every day, we have a lot of clients and customers that come in and leave from the office, making a secure access system a very important criterion to Werkspace.” Jessica further said, “Thus, we require a robust, secured and trusted solution that is able to deliver this benefit. HID Global’s Seos credential technology allows us to quickly and easily grant or revoke building access for a new set of people on a regular basis. The system also provides insights on client traffic in our buildings, which is value information for our expansion plans and new centers in the future.” Seos smart cards Alex Tan Hoe Keat, Director of Sales, ASEAN, Physical Access Control, with HID Global  stated, “HID’s Seos smart cards provide the ideal mix of security, mobility and flexibility for any organization. Powered by highly advanced encryption and a software-based infrastructure, it secures trusted identities on any form factor and can be extended for applications beyond physical access control." Alex adds, “It is ideal for co-working spaces like Werkspace that require high security and nimble ID management in cases where building access needs to be granted and revoked for a new set of people on a regular basis.”

Asian Banker magazine recently selected Qatar National Bank for having the “Best Biometrics Initiative, Application or Program in Qatar” for its use of iris recognition systems from Iris ID in some QNB branch ATMs.   The bank is the one of the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, with branches, subsidiaries and associate companies in 31 countries on three continents.  Biometric Eyes (IRIS) Scan ATM program  The deployment of QNB’s Biometric Eyes (IRIS) Scan ATM program, a first-of-its-type in Qatar, is part of the bank’s commitment to innovative solutions to deliver premium services to customers in a safe, fast and convenient way. Mohammed Murad, Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, Iris ID, congratulated QNB on the award.  “QNB should be applauded for staking out a futuristic, leadership position when it comes to improving the security, convenience and safety of its customers as they access their accounts via bank ATMs” he said.   “The ease and speed of our contactless iris-based recognition system makes it ideal for use in the financial industry. Our contactless systems have taken on added importance with the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 virus.”  Iris ID authentication systems  The bank launched its use of the Iris ID biometric solution in ATMs in late 2016. The system enables QNB customers to access their accounts at ATMs without the need of a bank card or PIN.  To use the Iris ID solution the bank’s customers, participate in a one-time registration at a QNB branch office. The two-minute process involves taking a digital photo of the iris, which is converted into a small template stored in a secure database. At the ATM, customers need only a second to look into a built-in reader and have their iris pattern confirmed.  In addition to the QNB deployment, Iris ID authentication systems are currently used worldwide for access control, time and attendance, national ID programs, border crossings, voter registration and many other applications. 

Statistically speaking, incidents of terrorism are unlikely to impact most businesses and institutions. However, the mere possibility of worst-case-scenario attacks is enough to keep security professionals awake at night. Compounding the collective anxiety is the minute-by-minute media coverage when an attack does occur. The immediacy of the shared experience of global tragedy impacts us all – including security system decision-makers. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is the rise in terrorism impacting the physical security market?

Employee turnover is a problem for many companies, especially among younger employees who have not developed the philosophy of employer loyalty that was common in previous generations. Nowadays, changing jobs is the norm. The idea of spending decades working for a single employer seems almost quaint in today’s economy. However, excessive employee turnover can be expensive for employers, who are looking for ways to keep their brightest and best employees happily toiling away as long as possible. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can the physical security market promote better employee retention in a competitive employment environment? 

In today’s global economy, goods are manufactured all over the world and shipped to customers thousands of miles away. Where goods are manufactured thus becomes a mere detail. However, in the case of “Made in China”, the location of a manufacturer has become more high-profile and possibly more urgent. The U.S. government recently banned the use in government installations of video system components from two Chinese manufacturers, presumably because of cybersecurity concerns. A simmering trade war between China and the United States also emphasizes other concerns related to Chinese manufacturing. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Should "Made in China" be seen as a negative in the video surveillance marketplace? Why or why not?