Security communication - Expert commentary
Siklu further expanded its presence in the video surveillance market in 2015. The company released the world’s smallest outdoor Gbps radio to address the issue of densified coverage, which results in the need for high capacity connectivity in surveillance networks – a trend that has snowballed in past years. Growing Video Surveillance Networks Demand Greater Bandwidth Capacity Developments in video analytics and resolutions, requiring high-quality video at the surveillance ne...
The role of today’s security leader continues to evolve as they are faced with an ever-expanding risk environment that includes active shooters, crime, natural disasters, liabilities and cyber threats. Most recently, the terrorist attacks in Paris and the active shooter violence in California once again served as reminders of the threats organizations face on a daily basis. Intelligent Technologies For Proactive Security Management Over the past year, the increased fo...
Observers suggest asking open-ended questions and focusing in on specific details as the conversation moves ahead If a trained interviewer has ever questioned you, you may have started out by promising yourself to keep certain information secret. Then during the interview, you spilled it all. Police detectives, officers and savvy security professionals have learned how to talk to people in ways that will elicit information that subjects prefer to conceal. How do they do th...
Social media channels have active and consistent users and may constitute a promising audience for security integrator’s marketing efforts If you have any lingering doubts about the impact of social media, consider this: Worldwide, there are over 1.44 billion monthly active Facebook users, which is a 13 percent increase year over year, according to the social media giant. In addition, 936 million people log onto Facebook daily (as of March 2015), whi...
For high value individuals such as the Pope,agencies have access to unlimited publicresources in terms of money and people The Pope’s visit to the United States reminds us that protecting big-name executives, celebrities and dignitaries is a highly specialized security function. Public and private executive protection groups begin preparing for the visit of major world figures months ahead of time. “It is a task of massive proportions,” says Tom M. Con...
Police intelligence can help security directorsto understand the criminal trends across theirarea or city Corporate security has changed dramatically over the last few years. Traditionally, security has always been associated with physical protection and installation of security systems. In this article, Tom M. Conley, president and CEO of The Conley Group, discusses the importance of information received from law enforcement. A good rapport with law enforcement can help...
Once home automation – controlling everything from HVAC to door locks to lights to security cameras – was solely the providence of the high-end home. Custom systems were pricey – some ranging upwards of $100,000 or more. That was before widespread access to broadband internet and before everyone started carrying a powerful internet-connected mini-computer – called a smart phone – in their pocket. Home Automation Goes Mainstream These days the Smart Home has gone...
Security and technology are rushing to offer home automation solutions and build out the Smart Home of connected devices and applications. As cameras, alarms, as well as, thermostats and other appliances become controllable and programmable using Internet-enabled smart phones, they are becoming part of a vast web called the internet of things (IoT). Achieving Greater Value Through Smart Data Exchange This network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors and...
Affiliated Monitoring’s UL-Listed monitoring center with a second floor dedicated to areas for security company meetings Central monitoring stations have innovative approaches to assist security installing companies in growing their account base, adding value and boosting recurring monthly revenue (RMR). These companies do much more than simply monitor accounts – today they provide a host of services to give security installing companies the added edge in an extrem...
New notification appliances from Silent Knight provide code-required low-frequency output Just before the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) World Safety Conference and Expo, June 22-25 in Chicago, Honeywell unveiled new solutions and features designed to boost life safety and provide more intuitive installations. S3 Series Control/Communicator A “virtual press conference” unveiling the announcements was kicked off by Beth Welch, manager of publi...
In the vast center of the hall almost none of the randomly shaped stands display their index number I enjoy IFSEC each year, spending three days walking the halls. I do feel frustrated by the acres of "me too" products prompting a "meh" response. So often I’m left feeling the "big news" is that hype and lies are growing and continue to drown out the truth. If companies' marketing budgets were simply given over to their product development departments, we would find thing...
Security is a big concern for local government buildings, but there are measures that can make a difference Back in August of 2013, Rockne Warren Newell, armed with a rifle and a handgun, stormed a township meeting in the Ross Township Municipal Building in Saylorsburg, Pa. Witnesses say he fired through a wall into the meeting room and then burst into the room itself, guns blazing. Three people died, and two sustained wounds before citizens attending the meeting restrained hi...
“Better, Faster, Cheaper – choose any two” is the old adage for computerised systems. When it comes to businesses subjected to federal or industry security regulations, the equivalent saying might be, “mitigate risk, achieve compliance, or reduce cost – choose any two.” So if there were a way to have all three that would get your attention. Complying With Regulations More and more industries are subjected to some form of regulation....
Ethics and the security industry is a balancing act Most of us have a basic instinct as to what is and is not ethical behavior. But is instinct enough? “Ethics and the security industry is a balancing act,” says Mike Hurst, vice chairman of the UK Chapter of ASIS International. “Most people will have an instinct as to what ethical behavior is, but there’s an absence of hard and fast rules.” Examples often crop up in video surveillance situa...
Petrow began her career at Vector Security in 1982, and was appointed senior vice president of the Central Stations and Information Services Group in 1997 Pamela J. Petrow, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vector Security Inc., Warrendale, Pa., has been appointed President of CSAA International, the industry’s leading, 65-year-old central station monitoring organization. Petrow is the first woman in the organization’s history to hold this top leadership...
ASAP-to-PSAP technology automates communications between alarm monitoring companies & PSAPs and dispatches emergency service In April 2015, Cary, N.C., adopted a technology called Automated Secure Alarm Protocol to Public Safety Answering Point (ASAP-to-PSAP), but currently they are among only a handful of emergency 911 call response locales that use ASAP-to-PSAP technology in the United States. Commander Scott Edson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, sp...
Beyond the need to install new systems, often overlooked is how schools are going to pay for security upgrades Limited financial resources are a common pain point for K-12 schools looking to implement cutting-edge security technology. But security needs persist despite scarce resources. All school administrators want to do everything in their power to secure their facilities against threats. More schools are recognizing the benefits and, in some cases, requirement of upgradin...
The industry has to advance in terms of attracting experienced people and paying for that experience Time was, security officers patrolled with walkie-talkies, responding to dispatchers monitoring cameras in the control center. The post of security officer was a minimum wage job requiring little more than a high school diploma, if that. Educated And Experienced Security Officers A Prerequisite No more. “Today, when we read our requests for proposal (RFPs), we’re...
Too often a valid assumption turns out to be the opposite in practical operation It’s easy to misinterpret product specifications of IP video transmission products to the detriment of system functionality. We have seen how this problem relates to port speed, power over Ethernet (PoE) and transmission media. Now let’s look at some additional aspects of product specifications – and how they can be misinterpreted. Importance Of Temperature Rating What about te...
Supply chain risk management involves identifying and dealing with supply chain uncertainties that pose a threat to business continuity Today’s complex world needs risk managers, business people that think about the bad things that might happen and lay plans to eliminate or at least mitigate those risks. This article explains the need to identify and respond to risks involved in a supply chain. Manufacturers should make efforts and develop strategies to enhance supply ch...
A true IoT platform is the confluence of Internet, business and sensory data The era of IoT - the Internet of Things - is upon us. A deluge of urban sensory data is flowing into data centers every minute, putting pressure on data-center resources and accumulating at a rate faster than anyone can process. Is the proliferation of sensory data simply evidence of an increasingly intrusive world, or can IoT be used for the improvement and development of intelligence-equipped cities...
PoE power is a complex issue in itself made even more complex by the lack of standardisation Standards are like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. They make us feel safe and warm. A standard tells us the devices we use within our systems will interact with each other regardless of manufacturer. For IP-powered PoE devices, we depend on standards such as 802.3af for devices requiring up to 15.4 watts and 802.3at for devices powered up to 30 watts. We depend on the devices...
Organizational resilience takes all appropriate actions to help ensure the organization’s continued viability In this day and age, the traditional components of security officers, cameras, access control and alarm systems aren’t enough to protect a company or organization. No matter how good your preparations, security sometimes breaks down, and bad things happen. That can take a toll on a business. Today, security’s role extends to organizational resilience...
The number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather What does the industry consider to be its most severe threats the U.S. electric grid? There is no shortage of nightmare scenarios. According to the Department of Energy, the number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather, which costs the economy between $18 billion and $33 billion every year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and damage to grid infrastructure....
Whether you are a contractor, installer, dealer or systems integrator depends on where you live and how you are perceived by the real world Because I have been in the industry for a considerable amount of time, I have seen quite a few changes, albeit the bulk have come over the last five or so years. Before that, the advent of the digital dialer was our big innovation – that tells anyone with any history in the industry just how far back I go! But today, change is fast a...
Drone is a toy with a bright future—until it causes a catastrophe Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are today’s gizmo du jour. A recent Bloomberg article reported that Amazon alone is selling more than 10,000 a month, and with prices as low as $50, it’s a toy with a bright future—until it causes a catastrophe. Consider the January incident at the White House when a drunken National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency employee lost control of a quad...
Research report from ASIS Foundation and University of Phoenix declared that cyber-security would rank as top security risk for next five years Check out the research available from the ASIS Foundation. It is proving to be right on the button.When the Guardians of Peace hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment late in 2014, they crashed the studio’s email, leaked films and scattered personnel data across the Internet. By mid-December, four class-action lawsuits had hit...
NFC can strengthen security by turning smart phones into physical and logical access control credentials The trouble with access control cards is that people lose them, lend them to friends who use the cards, or lose them, or lend them to someone else. Losing a card is bad enough, but people that lose cards often make it worse: “When someone loses an access fob or card, he or she doesn’t always tell the security department right away,” says Paul Timm, pr...
Marshall Marinace is on a mission - to continue to infuse value into ESA If you haven’t met Marshall Marinace, you probably will soon. He’s the new President of the Electronic Security Association (ESA), and he’s instantly likeable. He’s a homespun security dealer with decades of service who knows that the new world of systems integration requires change and involvement of every member at the association level. Marinace was sworn in as the 41st Preside...
Grants continue to be available for schools to purchase products such as our intercoms and communication systems 2014/2015 Aiphone Review and Forecast: Video surveillance, audio, access control and locks are the four security solutions that typically work together as part of an overall security plan. Demand for video may have been the prime driver, but 2014 was a solid year for each of these solutions as the economy improved noticeably. Also, federal and state governments mad...
