Government & public services security applications - Security beat

How do you make a 63-year-old organisation even better? That’s the challenge for ASIS International as it continues an effort to be more transparent and inclusive, and to adapt to 21st century work environments. Transforming the focus of ASIS International “ASIS International is undergoing a tremendous amount of transition and reexamination, creating a lot of opportunities,” says Amy Fischer, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. There’s a new CEO and there h...

A technology poised to transform the physical security market is deep learning, which is a neural network approach to machine learning, differentiated by an ability to train using large data sets for greater accuracy. In effect, the system “learns” by looking at lots of data to achieve artificial intelligence (AI). Phases of deep learning I heard a lot about AI, including how it can transform the physical security marketplace, when I attended NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conferenc...

Project registration programmes are a benefit manufacturers provide to systems integrators and security dealers who are bidding on an upcoming installation project. In effect, the integrator registers a project he or she is bidding on with a manufacturer, which offers pricing discounts to that integrator for that specific project. Such a programme seeks to encourage an integrator to specify a manufacturer's products, while making it more difficult for a competing integrator to bid lower on a pro...

Axis Communications, the global provider of intelligent surveillance technology, yesterday held the official launch of the new Axis Experience Centre in Luton. The event was a chance for Axis’ partners to meet with the senior management team and explore how the new centre operates, all the while celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary over a glass of champagne. The centre was officially opened by Axis Communications co-founder Martin Gren, along with Bodil Sonesson, the comp...

Technology is a valuable tool for increasing security, but occasionally technology can create a threat. An example is the threat 3D printing technology poses to one of the most mature security technologies, mechanical locks and keys. The ability of 3D printing to duplicate keys presents new challenges for lock manufacturers, and new vulnerabilities to end users. Keys that could previously only be duplicated by skilled thieves can now easily be copied using off-the-shelf technologies and informat...

The enthusiasm of ISC West 2017 continued through to the final hours of Friday, reflective of a show jam-packed with new technologies to address industry trends. Exhibitors seemed happy enough with booth traffic, which held up even on the final day. Security industry trends Industry trends drove much of the technology. For example, cameras are getting less expensive, which means it’s more cost-effective to specify systems with higher camera counts. Also, cameras are providing more data...

For all its value in the security market, one has to wonder: How much captured video is actually used for security? Among hours and hours of video, only brief segments here or there are ever actually viewed or used for security applications, such as to review an incident or to provide evidence in court. But what about all that other video, much of it stored for 30 or 90 or 120 days or longer? Does it have to be merely a costly consequence of providing the security benefits of video? Not necess...

ISC West in Las Vegas kicked off Wednesday with an expanding focus on new technologies and new applications, including some that go beyond any narrow definition of “the security industry.” Qognify QBlock and Cloudscann “Technology is disrupting the market and executives are taking our solutions beyond security,” says Moti Shabtai, CEO and President of Qognify. “They are starting with security and quickly moving to other risk and business continuity issues in the...

The attack on Parliament in London is another reminder that a facility's security is only as strong as its weakest point. In this case, it was a frequently used gate in New Palace Yard that was left unlocked. Known as Carriage Gates, the entrance is generally monitored by police officers. Could the weakness have led to the attack? Could the attack have been prevented (or minimised) if the gate had been bolted shut? Planned ‘complete security overhaul’ Finger pointing in the wake of...

Using an asymmetric approach to perimeter security is more efficient and cost-effective. The approach, advocated by Applied Research Associates (ARA), involves strategic deployment of the company’s Pathfinder seismic-acoustic sensors. Asymmetric placement of the sensors is in contrast to typical perimeter security systems, which are linear: Sensors are distributed at specific intervals along a perimeter and require infrastructure to communicate back to a control centre. Instead, asymmetr...

“Mixed reality” may seem like a strange term to apply to the physical security industry, but it describes a new approach to enable the features of access control and video surveillance systems to be used by operators in the field. Mixed or augmented reality technology combines a real-time view of the world through Microsoft’s HoloLens headset, with placement of virtual devices and controls as holograms in a three-dimensional space. Virtual devices and controls In effect, a s...

Artificial intelligence and deep learning are poised to transform how video images are used and managed. In today’s surveillance systems, video from more and more cameras leave operators at risk of drowning in data, requiring hours of manual effort to track assets or persons of interest. They need more intelligent systems. Among the new tools is use of neural networks to create video analytics systems that are trained, not programmed. In effect, the systems have the ability to “lear...

Several of the hot trends in the physical security industry – robots, drones, video analytics – have one thing in common: The need for greater intelligence. More complex physical security systems that incorporate artificial intelligence, deep learning, speech recognition and other sophisticated functions depend on a higher-than-ever level of computing power inside embedded devices at the edge. Graphics processing unit Graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturer NVIDIA is empowering...

A gunshot localisation solution can turn a video camera system into a real-time safety system in the event of an active shooter. Called ShotPoint, the system is completely automated. Working with a video management system (VMS), it can enable a video image of an active shooter to be provided in seconds based on the location of a gunshot. “For responders, the police department doesn’t have to manage cameras, but has the instant availability of a camera feed,” says Kathleen Grigg...

Are the glory days of IP video behind us? Not by a long shot, if you listen to the upbeat message at ‘Milestone Community Days’ in San Antonio this month. Pledging to ‘Make the World See,’ the community of technology partners, distributors, integrators and customers joined in a celebration of past successes, with an emphasis on future possibilities, at the yearly gathering hosted by the video management system (VMS) vendor. Milestone software integrations "The industry...

What happens to a company’s data in the case of a disaster such as 9/11 or Hurricane Sandy? How can a company recover from a disaster and continue their business uninterrupted? It’s a complicated challenge – and one many security professionals and risk management professionals must consider. Companies like Recovery Point provide resources to help a company survive a catastrophic event and keep its computer programs and business processes running. Their customers include large,...

Veracity, the Scottish company specialising in IP video transmission, storage and display, has made a small but significant acquisition that has the potential to impact its business profoundly, according to the company. Known for its COLDSTORE surveillance storage system and other video products, Veracity is expanding its scope with the acquisition of I-Comply Ltd. (icomply), a provider of command-and-control software whose UK customer base includes universities, hospitals, cities and power and...

Consumer electronics are closely related to physical security. For one thing, electronics consumers increasingly see security as one of the functions they want their smart home systems to perform. We have heard the Internet of Things (IoT) buzzword in our market, and it is also a major force in the changing consumer electronics arena. Because consumer electronics are increasingly tied in with security, many in our industry keep a close eye on developments at the huge Consumer Electronics Show...

The latest challenge to facial recognition technology is “anti-surveillance clothing,” aimed at confusing facial recognition algorithms as a way of preserving “privacy.” The clothing, covered with ghostly face-like designs to specifically trigger face-detection algorithms, are a backlash against the looming possibility of facial recognition being used in retail environments and for other commercial purposes. Increasingly common facial recognition technology It’s a...

If you want more security, you have to give up some privacy. The familiar trade-off will be tested to new extremes in the United Kingdom in 2017 when the recently ratified Investigatory Powers Bill, a.k.a., the “Snooper’s Charter,” takes effect. Based on the levels of high-tech government surveillance of UK citizens ushered in by the bill, Britons should be very secure indeed. Britain’s new law is the latest reflection of the struggle to balance intelligence agencies&rs...

Long-predicted consolidation in the video surveillance market seems to have slowed somewhat lately – no big mergers or acquisitions have been announced. However, the announced “partnership” between industry giants Bosch and Sony this week presents a new variation on the theme. No companies changed hands, but the result is one fewer player selling video equipment into the market. In the latest deal, Bosch will handle the sales and marketing globally for all of Sony’s vide...

Arecont Vision created the category of multi-sensor panoramic cameras back in 2006. Now the market is taking off, and many manufacturers now offer panoramic cameras. I recently spoke with Jeff Whitney, Arecont Vision’s Director of Marketing, on the current market for panoramic cameras, and also about some other hot topics – from cybersecurity to making the installer’s job easier. SourceSecurity.com: Where do you see the category of multi-sensor panoramic cameras going from he...

A big cyberattack on Friday impacted Internet service on the East Coast of the United States and kept several high-profile websites offline. Cyber security attacks later in the day were more global in nature. But Oct. 21, 2016, will also be remembered as the day our physical security industry’s legacy of apathy toward cybersecurity came back to haunt us. Denial of service attack The cyberattack last week was carried out by a botnet, a network of bots, which are software applications (in...

The future of drones in the security and safety industry is sooner than you think. Tyco Integrated Security and Percepto offered a glimpse of that future at ASIS 2016: Autonomous drones that can patrol a perimeter 24 hours a day, seven days a week, managed remotely and able to perform multiple tasks on-site. The technology was developed by Israeli-based Percepto, based on innovation with roots in the Israeli military. Percepto has sharpened its focus on computer vision and applied it to allow d...

Perimeter security has evolved in recent years from an emphasis on fences and low-cost sensors to a broader systems approach that incorporates a variety of technologies. Protech is among the companies leading the transition and positioning itself as a one-stop systems provider at the perimeter. Mergers and acquisitions In 2014, U.S.-based Protech merged with Sorhea, a French manufacturer of perimeter security systems. The combination expanded Protech’s business from one product to the a...

The amount of data generated by today’s video systems – whether resulting from increasing camera counts and/or higher resolutions such as 4K – is presenting new challenges when it comes to storing the data and making it instantly accessible to end users. The surge in data is opening the way in our market for new, more sophisticated IT systems to manage and store the data. In fact, the sheer volume of video data and increasing application demands make some legacy approaches obso...

No doubt about it, the ASIS International show is smaller than in years past. And there is (the usual) grumbling about slow attendee traffic (and the also predictable counter-arguments about “the quality of the leads.”) Some of the security and safety technology being featured was introduced earlier at ISC West, but there is still plenty to see in the exhibit hall. Growth of mobile credentials Mobile credentials are a hot topic again, and Lenel has joined the growing number of comp...

The security of courtrooms throughout Florida has gotten the attention of the chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court, who has appointed a “state-wide courthouse security workgroup” to seek solutions to the problem. It’s interesting that there are no security professionals appointed to the group – only lawyers, most of them other judges, and an administrative staff member. Hopefully the workgroup will leverage the expertise of security professionals in their deci...

The power of video as evidence in a court of law is often seen as a function of specific variables: How clear is the video? What exactly does it show? Can it be authenticated? Possibly lost in the discussion is the fact that the value of video as evidence is decided almost completely by people, specifically by a small group of people; that is, the jury. Is there a gap between what the video “shows” and what people “see?” Are there psychological or even physiological vari...

Foot traffic remained at respectable levels during Day Two of IFSEC International 2016 at ExCeL London. Attendees are bombarded with sensory overload as manufacturers look for new ways to stand out from the crowd. The result sometimes seems more like a lot of noise. Everyone is looking for ways to stand out from the noise of competing product features and claims at the show. One exhibitor, Tyco Security Products, is taking a different approach at this year's show, abandoning traditional emphasi...