Security software - Expert commentary
At the end of last year, we anticipated that data gathering and analysis would continue to be a strong trend, and that certainly proved to be the case in 2016. More and more organizations are seeing the value of the intelligence provided by diverse systems’ data. The number and variety of networked systems and devices – both security and non-security – continued to grow steadily in the last year, and the data these disparate sources create has proven highly...
Overall, 2016 has been a great year for AxxonSoft. We have seen great progress in the industry on an economic level as well as in development. Europe’s economy has been on the rise and particularly the United Kingdom. As a result, we have seen new technologies emerging in the market and a lot more opportunities. Benefits Of Cloud Services And Future Trends From a software stance, we have noticed the benefits of cloud service, and requests are becoming more regular. In the UK, Brexit ha...
SourceSecurity.com’s Expert Panel covered a lot of ground in 2016 about a variety of topics in our Roundtable discussions. The very most-clicked-on Roundtable discussion in 2016 was about how to choose between a cloud-based system and a server-based system. Other hot topics that made the Top-10 list of Roundtable discussions included edge-based video storage, the challenges of commoditization, and mistakes customers make when buying and installing security systems. He...
Over the last year, we have continued to see the rise of manufacturers from China in the mid- to low-end market for video surveillance - a trend that currently shows no signs of tapering. Additionally, the shift from analog to IP systems has remained consistent, with end users increasingly looking to network-enabled devices to mitigate risk from both a physical and cyber perspective. Complex network attacks in 2016 demonstrated the need for increased network security for network-connected devic...
With security, as with any business cost-center, business leadership wants to find savings where they make sense. As a result, one of the trends we are seeing is that security departments are teaming up with other departments - IT, operations, marketing - to maximize their investment in security systems and leverage the data collected by their physical security sensors to inform their business strategies. Rise In Cyber-Attacks We have also seen a worrying increase in cyber-attacks, like the hi...
The past year has seen growth in the deployment and use of edge analytics, plus a significant emphasis placed on robust cybersecurity. The expectation for 2017 is that these two trends will continue to be a driving factor for value-based decision making of large, influential customers. IP camera product lines from reliable and well-regarded brands that include edge analytics and offer a trusted, secure platform will be at an advantage over those that don’t. Looking back at the expectation...
2016 was a year of fast-paced changes in the market for video surveillance, especially for higher-resolution and panoramic cameras. We spoke with Scott Schafer, Arecont Vision’s Executive Vice President, for his thoughts on 2016 and the year ahead. SourceSecurity.com: Did your predictions for 2016 match up with what you thought back at the end of 2015? How has the intervening year changed the thoughts? Scott Schafer: Looking back on our predictions for industry trends...
New construction has continued to grow as a result of low interest rates in 2016 and that has positively impacted the security marketplace. Yet the limited availability of skilled labor is becoming a large issue as it leads to higher cost of labor. This also creates a challenge in recruiting, training, and retraining a capable staff in building construction and maintenance activities. As a result, there is a continued desire to improve our efficiency in production, commissioning and the manageme...
The single largest group of consumer IoT devices being deployed is for home automation and residential security Business and technology analysts are in unanimous agreement that the number of IoT devices will explode into the many 10’s of billions within the next five years. These billions of new computing devices will produce enormous volumes of data about ourselves, our society, and our physical environment. The security industry is at ground zero of this upheaval. In f...
All access information can be stored and managed by highly trained professionals operating from a remote operations center The security and safety industry has seen tremendous advances in cloud-based access control recently as cloud computing has opened up a world of possibilities for security and access control. Whether controlling access for a single door or for an entire enterprise spread out over multiple locations, cloud-based hosted or managed solutions allow security de...
If all the components within a security and wider IT network have the ability to interact together, they can offer so much more than their individual capabilities The widespread use of open protocol systems is one of the most important developments in the security and safety sector for decades. With a heavy reliance upon various security softwares (even for physical security), using open systems has gone from being a desirable selling point to a necessity in the security indus...
Multi-modal biometrics refers to a technology that combines a number of biometrics working together as a multifactor solution Global terrorism is on the rise. For many years, the West felt immune to these incidents, often asserting that these were problems felt only in countries with heated conflicts, such as Syria, Iraq, Israel and Nigeria. However, recent terror attacks have taken place in both Europe and the United States: Belgium, France (Paris and Nice), Orlando, various...
Access levels of individuals based on their roles can be cross compared with their normal access patterns, it is also useful to look for anomalies in device behavior Threats to an organization’s physical and logical security are increasing in number and financial impact, according to several recent surveys. To combat this problem, security and IT professionals are fighting back with system upgrades and software solutions including advanced analytics. Using the analytics...
Features such as height-adjustable tabletops and adjustable monitor options can fine-tune the workstation The security market is one of the most demanding AV applications. Each environment in the security field presents its own unique set of challenges and requirements that revolve around advanced AV systems and the operators that utilize them. For monitoring and control room operators, that means continuous vigilance with little to no downtime away from their stations. Becau...
The Hugs Infant Protection Solution tracks the location of babies and provides protection anywhere the infant may be transported Wireless tracking and radio frequency identification (RFID) continue to improve dramatically in range and reliability, allowing Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) pinpointing people, places and things with impressive accuracy. Systems integrator Advance Technology Inc. (ATI), Scarborough, Maine, recently installed a comprehensive, hospital-wide soluti...
IT access control offers significant cost savings per unit or door as less hardware is required to cover a large area Over the last several years, there has been a revolution in access control methodologies including increased integration with video management software and video surveillance capabilities that better protect businesses and enterprise applications. But nowhere is the integration space more progressive in scope than the collaboration between the IT department and...
Dennis Sage Home Entertainment, Phoenix, is a best-in-breed audiovisual contracting services firm that gradually began expanding its offerings to security several years ago. After testing the waters, hiring experienced technicians and learning about the parallels with its current business, the company made a successful transition. Now, Dennis Sage, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is also counting on heightened customer engagement and stickier clients as he moves into the role of t...
(Image credit: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.com) The era of the “killer robot” hasn’t arrived, exactly, but it may not be far off. Police and the military have been using these machines for decades now to disarm bombs and provide reconnaissance in areas where it would be risky to send officers or soldiers. When Dallas Police equipped a robot with an explosive device and sent it in to take out a sniper who had killed five officers, it raised eyebrows and conjured images...
Insider threat is primarily focused on malicious threats to the company either by, or to, information technology assets For the past several years, information technology security concerns and priority regarding insider threats have steadily risen as evidenced by a variety of surveys across the IT security industry. Companies are becoming increasingly worried about insider threats. From the cyber security perspective, insider threat is primarily focused on malicious threats...
Workplace mobility is on the rise, which means organizations have an increasing number of employees who travel or work from home. In fact, there were 96.2 million mobile workers in 2015 and IDC predicts that mobile workers will account for nearly three quarters (72.3 percent) of the total U.S. workforce by 2020. While the growth of mobile workers is a boon to productivity both inside and outside the workplace, it also creates unique communication challenges – especially in emergency situat...
Part 6 of our Security in Healthcare series Lockdown capabilities are an important aspect of safety and security for hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical facilities Hospitals and healthcare institutions increasingly face a reality of workplace violence, attacks on patients, and threats to doctors and other support staff. When these types of conflicts arise, there is an urgent need to lock the facility down quickly. Security professionals and their teams need...
Strong passwords are the most basic security measure, but unfortunately ignored by many users Keeping surveillance networks secure can be a daunting task but there are several methods that can greatly reduce risk, especially when used in conjunction with each other. Below are 13 tips security and IT professionals can follow in order to keep an IP video surveillance network secure. 1. The Stronger The Password The Better Strong passwords are the most basic security measure...
Time and attendance has proven to be a successful use of biometric technology traditionally used for controlling access to highly sensitive areas Security technology is increasingly being used to help organizations tackle challenges going far beyond controlling access to office buildings and monitoring parking lot activity. Video, in particular, has become the darling of many markets. Retailers use live and recorded video to assess promotional sales efforts. Manufacturers con...
As a society, we have been studying crime for years, with an eye to prevention. Now that mass shootings have seized our attention, experts have begun studying this particularly violent crime, again with an eye to prevention. “Our view is that inside a large enterprise — a corporation or government agency — anyone can be the risk you may face someday,” says Bryan Ware, CEO of McLean, Virginia-based Haystax Technology, a business that identifies risks b...
DIY—the fastest-growing segment of the residential alarm market—has evolved from a niche trend into a major event in which the big dealers are “in” but the small dealers are not. But the good news is that new partnership programmes emerging from central stations are leveling the field so that even the smallest dealers can get themselves an “in.” Why board the DIY train in the first place? It’s become clear the DIY craze is here to stay, with capital inv...
The landscape for end-to-end solutions is not designed to address thelong-term evolving needs of customers The video surveillance industry has reached an important crossroads where manufacturers can choose to continue in one direction that solely focuses on their own products and profits, or to move forward in another direction that emphasises building partnerships for the greater good of the community. On one side lies the short road of end-to-end, proprietary solutions fro...
The integration of H.265 technology may be hindered by the availability of optimized H.264 best encoding for surveillance systems Video compression technology has been a crucial element in surveillance system design since the advent of Internet Protocol (IP) in the 1990s. Since that time, standards for video encoding have been explored in various capacities. Currently, the industry is all abuzz around H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding – the next iteration beyond H.264,...
There are resources to help guide an organization’s management of cybersecurity risks, most prominently from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NIST defines cybersecurity as "the activity or process, ability or capability, or state whereby information and communications systems and the information contained therein are protected from and/or defended against damage, unauthorized use or modification, or exploitation.&rdquo...
Cloud connectivity can provide a linkage between the mobile users and the facilities and systems they want to interact with From enterprise applications to small businesses, schools, health care facilities and beyond, investments in physical security systems provide valuable resources to help protect people, property and assets – and ultimately the financial security and well-being of the organization. As need and demand for better security has dramatically increased ove...
Automated CCTV lip reading is challenging due to low frames rates and smallimages, but the University of East Anglia is pushing the next stage of this technology Scientists at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, are working on the next stage of automated lip reading technology that could be used for deciphering speech from video surveillance footage. The visual speech recognition technology, created by Dr. Helen Bear and Professor Richard Harvey of UEA’s...
