Data Security - Security beat
The devil is in the details. The broader implications of the U.S. Government ban on Chinese video surveillance manufacturers are being clarified in the federal rule-making process, and a public hearing in July gave the industry a chance to speak up about the impact of the law. Ban on equipment The hearing centered on Section 889 of Title VII of the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) for FY 2019, specifically paragraph (a)(1)(B). The paragraph "prohibits agencies from entering into a con...
Physical security has been stuck in a forensic and siloed mindset for decades, while the rest of the enterprise has evolved and transformed into proactive, connected operations. A new security management platform based on artificial intelligence (AI) seeks to change that status quo by using modern tools for unification, analytics and controls. AI-based security management “Security teams are managing more moving parts than ever,” says Clayton Brown, Co-Founder of ReconaSense....
Workforce management systems gather and analyze information and anomalies from security officers in the field. The information ranges from direct observations entered via mobile or desktop apps by officers on duty to reports from cleaning staff, the maintenance department, and CCTV operators. Taken together, the information yields business intelligence and data analytics at no additional cost. Trackforce is a provider of workforce management solutions specific to the security industry and its...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding the capabilities of license plate readers and vehicle identification systems. Within a smart/safe city scenario, automatic license plate reader solutions are used to help analyze real-time video streams for site surveillance, inspection and public safety, and to offer actional information through a network of connected camera systems. Outside of law enforcement, this can include other public safety initiatives such as traffic tolls, car counting, and pa...
A high majority of Americans (83%) are concerned about a criminal attack causing physical harm at large-scale events such as sporting events or concert festivals. More than one in five (22% of) Americans say they have canceled plans or considered cancelling plans to attend large-scale public events due to concerns about physical attacks and the safety of their data. Across the pond, three in 10 Britons think twice about attending large-scale events due to data or physical security issues. Alth...
An area of technology that is shifting how we interact with our cities is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT already accounts for swathes of technology and devices operating in the background. However, we’re increasingly seeing these come to the forefront of everyday life, as data becomes critical. The decisions that this critical data is attached to must be made quickly. A living, breathing city must constantly be monitoring, assessing and utilizing data in order to ensure it keeps pe...
Several video manufacturers have participated in the development of a U.K. 'Secure by Default' baseline standard to ensure cybersecurity measures are included in equipment as it leaves the factory. The standard includes ensuring that passwords must be changed from the manufacturer default at start-up, that chosen passwords should be sufficiently complex to provide a degree of assurance, and that controls are placed around how and when remote access should be commissioned. The standard aims to e...
The basic need for public safety is one of the biggest forces driving the adoption of smart city solutions: approaches that seek to solve urban challenges through technological means. The thinking behind these initiatives is that with enough internet connectivity and real-time data, surely environmental, social, economic, and public health issues should become more manageable. However, just adding more technology is not the whole answer. Although technology is necessary for an urban area to tra...
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 outco...
The threat of drones is a growing concern around the perimeter and in the airspace surrounding airports. According to a UK Airprox Board report, the number of times a drone endangered the safety of an aircraft in the UK airspace rose more than a third in 2018 compared to the year before. The highest-profile recent drone incident was at UK’s Gatwick Airport, where a drone sighting last December triggered a three-day shutdown of the UK’s second busiest airport, disrupted the travel p...
While most security teams are focused on preventing malicious outsider attacks, recent data suggests that close to 30 percent of confirmed breaches today involve insiders. Today’s increasingly complex networks across physical, information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems make it difficult for security teams to detect and prevent insider threats. This is compounded by the proliferation of data, devices, applications, and users accessing networked resources. Rising i...
Among the cloud’s many impacts on the physical security market is a democratization of access control. Less expensive cloud systems are making electronic access control affordable even to smaller companies. cloud-based access control With the growing cloud-based access control market, integrators can find more opportunities in small businesses and vertical markets that typically wouldn’t be on the radar of their sales team. Large upfront costs for a server, software and annua...
Facial recognition has seen huge breakthroughs since the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) first began testing in 2010. Accuracy has seen massive gains, especially from 2013-2018. In the 2018 test, the most accurate algorithm was 20 times more accurate than the 2013 equivalent. Essentially, 95 percent of the matches that failed in 2013 now yield correct results. Compare that to 2010-2013, when the most accurate algorithm reduced its error rate by 30 percent. This reduc...
Managed services provided through the cloud offer multiple advantages for system integrators. These Include: Increased Recurring Monthly Revenue: Managed services are a new business model that generates more stable and predictable income streams for integrators. Stickier Customers: Managed services foster a more involved relationship between integrators and their customers, which can help boost customer retention. High Gross Profit Margins: Cloud managed services create an opportunit...
Virtualization offers multiple benefits to video surveillance systems, but the technology has been slow to adapt to the needs of video. However, the tide is turning. At ISC West, BCDVideo introduced a hyperconverged infrastructure tailored to video surveillance (HCI-VS) that answers the demand for higher and more efficient operating performance while also lowering the total cost of ownership for the integrator and end user. Hyperconverged Infrastructure Solution “ISC West attendees were...
Lack of cybersecurity of video systems made headlines in 2016. The Mirai cyberattack that year impacted Internet service on the East Coast of the United States and kept several high-profile websites offline. Cybersecurity attacks later in the day were more global in nature. The cyberattacks were carried out by a botnet, a network of bots, which are software applications (in this case, computer viruses) that communicate with each other and run tasks automatically over the Internet. IP-Enabled C...
Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), simply stated, is a cloud-based video surveillance solution that is packaged and delivered as a service over the internet. The price varies depending on the features of the plan (i.e. number of cameras, amount of storage, software features, etc.), and customers pay a monthly subscription price to use it. Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are installed at site locations, and the video is captured and streamed to a service provider’s data centre via an i...
In today’s technology-driven markets, a platform is a business model that connects producers and consumers in an interactive ecosystem. Some examples of platforms are Uber and Airbnb, which have disrupted and transformed traditional markets. Isn’t it time to deploy the platform model in the physical security industry? That’s the goal of the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), a non-profit organization. Interactions And Exchange The book ‘Platform Revolution&rsqu...
Cybersecurity involves a variety of risks and vulnerabilities to the enterprise, from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to phishing to USB drives. Companies may also be at risk from use of interactive kiosks, or even from cyberattacks against traveling executives. Preventing Phishing And Cyberattacks The 'Management Hack' service is designed for C-level executives, such as CEO, CFO or event CIO Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to gain sensitive information such as user names, passw...
As physical security systems increasingly resemble the architecture of an IT (information technology) network, the cybersecurity risks are increasing. Sometimes hacks in physical security go unrecognized because of poor detection. Here's part two of our Cybersecurity series. Going forward, the physical security industry should adopt the same principles as the information security market, embracing new elements such as risk assessment and certifications. A change in culture is needed to align an...
Cloud platforms and applications are becoming prevalent across security solutions. In the simplest terms, cloud systems store and access data and programs over the Internet instead of using an on-premises computer server. The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. This technology helps security integrators provide managed services and the advantages of off-site systems and services to customers, which is why cloud computing is often mentioned among the 'megatrends' in the physical security indus...
Safety and Security Things GmbH (SAST) will be both a first-time exhibitor at ISC West and also feature a larger booth – 1,800 square feet. The Bosch startup is looking to make a big splash in its first-time appearance at the largest security trade show in the United States. The International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC West) will be held April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Founded in September 2018 and based in Munich, Germany, SAST is building a new Internet of Thi...
Recent technology advances – from the cloud to artificial intelligence, from mobile credentials to robotics – will have a high profile at the upcoming ISC West exhibition hall. Several of these technologies were recently designated by the Security Industry Association as the Top 8 Security Technologies for Security and Public Safety. Some of them will also be a focus at the ISC West conference program, SIA Education@ISC, April 9-11 at the Sands Expo Center. This article will highligh...
As the Internet of Things (IoT) and other trends drive the convergence of physical and information security, integrators and end users attending ISC West may be struggling to keep pace with new areas of responsibility and expanding roles in the larger security ecosystem. Help is here. The Connected Security Expo, co-locating with ISC West, focuses on building a holistic security strategy for the connected enterprise. Exhibitors will focus on how physical and information security can be used tog...
Application of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning in the physical security market runs a gamut from cloud computing to edge computing. A variety of hardware solutions enable AI to be deployed at any level of a system from the cloud to edge devices such as security cameras. Smarter AI-Powered Applications A distributed structure can incorporate cloud computing and edge computing. It extends the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm from the cloud, to an edge network of on-premises...
In the physical security industry, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning is most commonly associated with potential improvements in video analytics performance. However, AI is also applicable to a variety of content analytics beyond video. It will be interesting to watch how companies that take the next step beyond proving viability for security purposes to deliver true business applications to the market. Right now, we’re seeing organizations working hard to develo...
A futuristic alternative to plastic cards for access control and other applications is being considered by some corporate users in Sweden and the United Kingdom. The idea involves using a microchip device implanted into a user’s hand. About the size of a grain of rice and provided by Swedish company Biohax, the tiny device employs passive near field communication (NFC) to interface with a user’s digital environment. Access control is just one application for the device, which can be...
Constantly optimizing deep learning algorithms yields better video analytics performance, even in complex applications such as facial recognition or in scenarios with variable lighting, angles, postures, expressions, accessories, resolution, etc. Deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), holds the potential to enable video analytics to deliver on long-promised, but not often delivered performance. Our AI series continues here with part 2. Adapting Existing Hardware Today, low-co...
Choosing the right server for a video surveillance application comes down to one question: What does the customer expect from the system? Is it a retail location with two cameras that only needs video stored for 24 hours? Does the system need failover protection? What are the ramifications if a system goes down? Does business have to stop? How fast does the customer need to have access to video? Is it a regulated industry where immediate access is a requirement? How mission-critical is the vid...
A rapid string of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions as 2018 passed into 2019 suggests the physical security industry may be on the verge of a busy year of companies buying other companies. Observers have noted a large amount of investment capital currently available to be invested in security M&A, and plenty of entrepreneurial companies are looking to be acquired. Joe Grillo, CEO of ACRE, previously hinted at upcoming M&A activity for his company by the end of 2018, foreshad...
