Technology & Trends - Access control systems & kits

H.265 compression, apps and the inherent security of security systems were some of the themes to be gleaned on the first day of IFSEC International. Almost every video exhibitor I saw on day one of the show mentioned that many of their products use H.265 compression in these days of high definition, bandwidth-hungry cameras. Over at Vivotek’s stand, for example, Emilio Sanchez, project consultant, spoke of the company’s H.265 Smart Stream compression algorithm. He said this saves an...

There is a contrast between high levels of security inside Westminster and little to no security outside the safe environment The fatal attack on 41-year-old Jo Cox, a Labour member of the British Parliament, on the street in her district in West Yorkshire in Northern England, is increasing calls for greater security of Members of Parliament (MPs). Cox was stabbed and shot to death June 16th outside a library in Birstall, where she was meeting with constituents. There have be...

A “smart home” featuring networked security devices and other home automation products will be new to IFSEC International 2016 in June. This replica smart home will be at the heart of the new home automation zone at IFSEC International (London, 21-23 June). The smart home will feature CCTV, intruder alarms, biometric readers, door entry solutions and locks, as well as wireless blinds, lighting and heating control, and 4K video and audio distribution. “These features, along wi...

A public facility with too much security or the wrong kind  of security can discourage the public from visiting (Photo credit: Steve Williams Photography) The lethal November 2015 terrorist attacks against several soft targets in Paris have inspired changes in security at facilities considered soft targets across the United States and around the world. Today’s security directors well understand that “it can happen here.” To be clear, it probably won&rs...

ONVIF's 1.0 Core Specification debuted in 2008 at Security Essen The adoption of the ONVIF protocol by manufacturers continues to grow. Last year, the number of member companies in the ONVIF forum exceeded 500 and more than 5,000 products are currently certified on the ONVIF website. How did ONVIF achieve this amazing result and experience this wild adoption? More than a decade ago, every manufacturer was defining their own protocols and pushing for Video Management Software...

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...

There are resources to help guide an organisation’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, unauthorised use or modification, or exploitation.&rdquo...

The right security system can add great value when used as anintegral part of business processes When buying a security system, primary consideration is often given to short-term issues such as technical capability and how current risks are covered. However, this approach doesn’t account for a security system being a longer-term investment, often spanning around ten years. During this time a lot can change, both in terms of technical development and an organisation&rsquo...

If anyone tells you that the use of Mass Notification Systems (MNS) is a new trend, it is likely that they do not fully understand it. You have been impacted by mass notification your whole life. Surprised? Every time there is a fire drill at an elementary school, or a bell chimes noon or a blinking light announces a snow-related parking ban, an MNS is being deployed. Ultimately, mass notification is just mass communications. What has changed is the distribution methodology, the granularity and...

Many operators don’t know what’s actually transpiring on their OT networkand,even if hacked, have no knowledge of the assault Innovation in the oil and gas, utility, healthcare and transportation industries is heavily reliant on connectivity - between devices and systems, machines and data, people and processes. This connectivity is great for productivity upstream, mid-stream and downstream, but is also exposes these systems to greater cyber threat. Furthermore, as...

The report says almost 50% of the public transport organisations are willingto broaden the type of video analytics used A detailed survey of public transport operators shows a growing demand for networked/IP systems and video analytics to help cope with the requirements of large surveillance systems. The report, Video Surveillance in Public Transport, published by the international public transport association UITP and Axis Communications, is based on 74 respondents across 30...

Awareness against fake fingerprints prevent fingerprint from becomingthe choice of biometrics despite their benefits Apple’s refusal to the US government’s request to unlock Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone has triggered public interests in personal and information security. Ever since the introduction of Touch ID by Apple, fingerprint technology has been implemented into more and more mobile devices by different manufacturers. It is being adopted as the authentic...

PIAM solutions ensure that credentials are onboarded to all the right systems The number of credentials people are carrying is on the rise. At any given time, an individual may be carrying badges, cards or other ID devices for their office, the gym, public transit and more, not to mention credit cards and government-issued identification. The more credentials people carry, the greater the challenge of managing and tracking these credentials poses, and the more likely that they...

Stringent security policies are necessary in an organisation to prevent incidentsof misplaced trust leading to an attack from intruders Trust is a word closely associated with both physical and logical security, after all, knowing who to trust is a key part of any security policy. However, when trust is wrongly assumed it rapidly becomes a key problem and a significant weakness in the security regime. Often the weak link is human nature itself. This means that to begin...

What effect will the attacks in Brussels have on aviation security? Screenings inpre-security airport areas have been uncommon, but may become standard practice Will the Brussels airport attack herald a new era of aviation security? Like the bombing of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport in 2011, the Brussels attack took place “landside”, meaning that security precautions would have been low-key and limited to spot checks and the general watchfulness of police office...

Access control and visitor management are evolving and becoming more rooted in an organisation’s overall physical security structure Government regulations are driving increased security levels for visitor management. Private industry, where the need to manage and monitor visitors is an equally high security priority, is following suit. As a result, access control and visitor management are evolving and becoming more rooted in an organisation’s overall physical sec...

Customer service is a vital part of any vendor’s business approach – from theplanning stages, to installation to maintenance of the access control system In today’s highly competitive and technology-rich security marketplace, an organisation’s customer service is as important as the product solution they offer. Let’s face it, you will always remember if the customer service was terrible – or if it was great. Do they go the extra mile or do t...

Accurately confirming a person’s identity is one key to improving security forour workplaces, communities, and our nation Perhaps I’m sensitised to the term, but it seems to me that I’m hearing the word “identity” a lot lately.   Identity comes up in current news stories about Syrian refugees, for example. Candidates for the U.S. presidency debate how long it should take to confirm the identity of immigrants before allowing them to ent...

IP hardware is enabling customers to break free from proprietary security systems,to embrace the system integration available on open platforms Proprietary, closed systems are the bane of security. Yet they still exist. Robert (Rob) G. Lydic, Global Vice President of Sales for ISONAS, Boulder, Colorado, addresses the importance of open platforms in access control and what it means to systems integration in this exclusive Q&A. Trends in access control technology SourceSec...

Many transformations have occurred that have caused PSIM’s true definition to be misunderstood and miscategorised The evolution of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) over the past ten years has been rapid and transformative. In fact, according to a recent report from marketsandmarkets.com, the global physical security market, estimated to be $65.41 billion in 2015, is expected to reach $105.26 billion by the year 2020. At the forefront of this movement...

UK citizens will vote on June 23rd 2016 on whether to remain within the European Union A significant aspect of the four-month operation leading to the capture in March of Salah Abdeslam, Europe’s most wanted man, is that French and Belgian police worked alongside each other with minimal protocol complications since the countries are not only geographical neighbours but members of the European Union. Abdeslam was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Paris attacks o...

ISC West educational sessions bring into focus some of the challenges, issues and opportunities faced by systems integrators What will be the hot technology at ISC West 2016 this year? Devices to detect drones, more affordable biometrics, or cameras with 360 degrees of clear vision? You’ll probably see some of the above and much more if you’re attending the security industry’s largest trade show, scheduled for April 6 through 8 at the Sands Expo Center in Las...

Working with accurate and detailed product specifications saves time andreduces the possibility of errors throughout a project They’re coming from every angle. Things that zap your company’s profitability: lower hardware margins, escalating labour costs, simply the cost of doing business. So systems integrators have been looking — and finding — new ways to increase revenues. New sources of revenue are emerging from services and even the administration...

Festivals bring together a huge number of people, often to large open areas andvenues, which requires a high level of security and protection fromthe organisers Festivals might be all about fun, but the fact that festival goers are out for a good time is an extra reason why the responsibility for safety and security lies predominantly with the organisers. Security during festivals plays an important role in ensuring safety of citizens. Since festivals witness congregation of...

Important biometric capabilities include multispectral imaging, superior liveness detection, and tamper resistance Technology developments are enabling a range of new functionality for biometrics in the security market. Early biometrics solutions had poor performance (high failures during enrolment or acquisition that meant significant percentages of users could not use biometrics), says Phil Scarfo, VP worldwide marketing, biometrics, HID Global. Early solutions were not able...

The development of PSIM security systems and the move towards smart buildings and cities holds huge potential for environmental performance in the security industry Is the drive to give clients improved CCTV, perimeter protection, intruder alarms and access control making our industry any greener? Is technological innovation consistent with reducing security industry’s carbon footprint? In any case, green operating practices are more a side effect of current developments...

A biometrics-embedded tablet can tag a guard upon entering the building & feed videoof what’s happening beyond secure doors as he/she moves through the facility The best way to make the case for biometrics is to consider a physical and logical access control scenario, according to biometrics vendor SRI Identity, a program from SRI International, one biometrics company. With advances in security technology, access control systems have come to play a bigger role in org...

Led by European nations, there is a global shift to e-passports, with over 100 countries using these technologies With the number of global international tourist arrivals standing at over 1 billion and increasing migration in Europe, good border and passport security means having a layered approach and plenty of co-ordination among countries, says David Belchick, VP of Government Solutions at Entrust Datacard. Ever-growing border security challenges “More than one bil...

The FSMA Final rule will protect the food supply against intentional contamination due to sabotage, terrorism, counterfeiting, or other illegal harmful means The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is due to release the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) Final Rule on Intentional Adulteration on May 31, 2016. Food Industry Security Professionals will soon be tasked with assessing their facilities to reduce supply chain food adulteration vulnerabilities. Food Secur...

Proving ROI, setting proper customer expectations and training is imperative tothe success of biometric implementation End user customers increasingly expect their security systems to provide measurable benefits beyond protection of people, facilities and assets. The biometrics sector is undergoing a similar shift in mindset: The benefits of using biometrics to drive business operations and other corporate functions are becoming part of the return on investment (ROI) “e...