Government & public services security applications - Security beat

Leadership roles are changing inside enterprise companies, where higher profiles of roles like CIO and CISO are blurring the lines separating legacy security departments from the larger enterprise. The role of security – protecting the company – now overlaps with broader concerns such as business optimisation. The changes are impacting how technology is used; what was once considered a “security system” can now impact the company in larger ways. It’s not just prot...

The Middle East security market provides a healthy opportunity for manufacturers who can capitalise on the region’s key verticals. Intersec’s 20th edition show focused more on solutions than on products, including solutions for the growing retail sector and an infrastructure market requiring ruggedised equipment to stand up to harsh environments. Intersec hosted security, safety and fire protection exhibitors from over fifty countries at Dubai’s spacious International Conventi...

Security solutions today do more than merely observe and prevent criminal activity. Systems are increasingly tasked with making sense of the world around us. At Intersec 2018, which took place 21st - 23rd January in Dubai, manufacturers set out to show how predictive analytics and artificial intelligence are already being used in real world applications: predicting criminal behaviour, managing traffic, and streamlining smart city operations. Dubai smart city initiatives Dubai is a particu...

There’s a new big player – and familiar household name – coming into the security marketplace with the announcement of Motorola’s intent to acquire Canadian video manufacturer Avigilon Corporation, provider of video surveillance and analytics. Motorola Solutions points to an “avalanche of video in public and private sectors” as a motivation for the acquisition.   Motorola Solutions’ dominance in the public safety market – where t...

  The cloud and deep learning are two technologies on the verge of transforming the video surveillance market. You often hear the two technologies mentioned as separate trends, but lately, I have been hearing about how interdependent they are. Economies of scale provided by the Cloud (Software as a Service, or SaaS) are making the sophisticated capabilities of deep learning affordable to a wider audience. Meanwhile, deep learning augments cloud systems with capabilities that...

A downside of our thriving economic times is a shortage of skilled personnel to work in the physical security marketplace. Strong economic growth translates into a low unemployment rate, and greater competition among employers to attract the best talent. The field of cybersecurity, in particular, is seeing a serious talent shortage, but any physical security company can also attest to our own challenges finding and keeping the best talent; not to mention the obvious - that cybersecurity is now...

Information can be a scarce commodity in the midst of terrorism or a mass shooting incident. Information can also save lives during the first critical moments of such events. The general public can now download a free smartphone app that provides instantaneous real-time information as a terrorism or mass shooting event is unfolding. TerrorMate crawler software Called TerrorMate, the app began development in 2013, in the wake of several terrorist attacks in France. People in the affected areas...

Qognify’s security management systems compile information from a variety of sensors to provide situational awareness, and now they can leverage the benefit of a different kind of sensor, what the company calls the “human sensor.” Employees see and hear a lot of information during their work day, and some of it has an impact on security. Now that information can become part of an integrated security system, reported by trusted employees through a smart phone app. Qognify&rsquo...

A USB drive from Heathrow Airport, found on a London street in late October, contained confidential information about accessing restricted areas at the airport and security measures used to protect the Queen. The drive also contained a timetable for anti-terrorism patrols at the airport and documentation of the ultrasound system used by Heathrow security to check perimeter fences and runways for breaches. The data was not encrypted, and the London resident who found it turned it over to a newspa...

BCDVideo is finding success at the intersection of IT and security, focusing on the video surveillance market. The Hewlett-Packard OEM partner has seen yearly revenue increases of 25 percent for the past three years. Rapid growth resulted in a desperate need for more space to expand. Global HQ grand opening Now a new 51,000-square-foot global headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest Chicago suburb, will provide an abundance of room for the company to “stretch our legs,&rdquo...

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for manufacturers of life safety and security products, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) wants to help solve the problem. Specifically, UL seeks to work with manufacturers to up their game on cybersecurity and to certify compliance to a minimum level of cybersecurity “hygiene.” UL cybersecurity certification UL is a familiar brand in consumer goods and in the security and life safety markets. UL certification is sought by manufacturers in a ran...

The massacre in Las Vegas is both sadly familiar and terrifyingly novel. Because of the recent series of violent attacks on innocent people gathered in public places, high body counts are no longer unheard-of, although the 59 dead after the Las Vegas tragedy sets a depressing new record. These news stories have become so grimly commonplace as to dull our collective sensitivity to their shock. However, the modus operandi of the latest attack, apparently by a “lone wolf” – caref...

As the dust settles after ASIS 2017 in Dallas, most agree it was a good show. It was different in some respects from previous shows, but several of the changes seemed to work well. Launching the exhibition on Tuesday instead of Monday was a big hit, and who could fault the idea of happy hour drinks on the show floor? Attendance may not have broken records, but end user VIPs were among the crowd, and foot traffic held up fairly well, even on the final, shortened day. STANLEY Security virtual re...

End users at ASIS 2017 in Dallas may feel overwhelmed by all the new technology on display, but often their integrator partners can offer a helping hand. Traffic continued through much of Day 2 of the ASIS exhibition, but the foot traffic appeared to slow considerably as the day wore on. Convergint seeks closer manufacturer relationship Integrators are prominent at ASIS and play an important role connecting end user customers with manufacturers' products that meet their need. "We are taking t...

ASIS 2017 was off to a strong start on Tuesday, presenting a new wave of innovation to the U.S. security end user community. Many attendees to the Dallas show are well-placed in their companies to influence or direct the purchase of security products and equipment, and exhibitors sought to impress them with a range of new and enhanced options. Moving from integration to unification In general, the ASIS show has a quieter, less frantic feel than the spring ISC West show in Las Vegas. Conversat...

We can add another technology category to those aspects of the physical security market on the verge of being changed by cloud technology. The new category is the printing and encoding of ID cards. HID Global is adapting the benefits of cloud computing to the ID card printing market with the introduction of HID Fargo Connect, a cloud-based personalisation and issuance system for ID cards. The new cloud approach, which will be introduced at the ASIS 2017 show in Dallas, converts standalone card...

The Internet is awash in information, and some little bit of it somewhere might represent a threat to your company. How much would you pay someone on your staff to read more than a billion Internet posts a day in 200 languages, sort through it all, provide what’s relevant to your company in your inbox, and then alert you, in real time, to the most threatening information? It’s an interesting question that points to the value proposition of Babel Street, one of the exhibitors at th...

The last two years have been pivotal for MOBOTIX, the German IP surveillance manufacturer. In 2016, the company entered into a share transfer agreement with Konica Minolta, a provider of advanced imaging and sensor solutions. More recently, the company has welcomed new CEO Thomas Lausten, who joins MOBOTIX with a wealth of experience from companies including Siemens, ADI Global Distribution and Milestone Systems. The changes have been accompanied by an updated look for the MOBOTIX brand, wi...

Millennials are an important market, and in one sense, they represent future possibility. The changing tastes and trends of this tech-savvy “Generation Y,” who came of age around the turn of the millennium (circa 2000), are an important consideration in the marketing of security technologies, among many other things. Fortunately, according to a recent survey from ADT, millennials will likely be dependable consumers of security technology products and services for years to come. Smar...

In 2017, SourceSecurity.com covered topics from all corners of the physical security industry - from video surveillance to access control to intrusion detection and beyond. But just how much have you been paying attention to the industry this past year? Does your knowledge of the cloud soar high above your colleagues and security friends? Can you recall your facts faster than 60-fps? Are you hooked into the mainframe with your expertise in cybersecurity? Now you can find out. We...

Despite the increasing popularity of body-worn cameras, the technology has its detractors. For example, this month Big Brother Watch, a British civil liberties and privacy organisation, is raising new questions about the effectiveness of body-worn cameras. Specifically, Big Brother Watch found that 32 of the 45 police forces that have adopted body-cams in the United Kingdom were “unable to say” how often the footage was used in courts. To be clear, being “unable to say” d...

Protecting power grids is essential to deliver electricity that serves millions of consumers. Transmission substations are a component of the power infrastructure that presents unique security challenges. These important facilities often sit out in the open, in remote locations, and were historically protected by little more than cameras or chain-link fences. Much of the current concern about securing electrical substations in the United States originated in response to a 2013 sniper attack, us...

Working together to develop an intelligent body-worn camera for public safety users, Motorola Solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) company Neurala are demonstrating how AI can be added to everyday devices such as smart phones using existing hardware platforms.  AI software, working at the “edge,” provides the capability to add AI functionality to existing cameras, such as Motorola’s Si500 body-worn camera. An agreement to develop the products follows Motorola&rsquo...

The European Union has spelled out specific requirements and safeguards for handling and protecting personal data. In the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU makes clear exactly what is expected of those who control and process data. (The United Kingdom has committed to follow the regulation despite the Brexit vote.) Everyone is facing a deadline on May 25th 2018 to comply with the GDPR. What are the exact implications for the physical security market? What do customers need to do...

An expanding outreach and programming targeted especially to international visitors are among the ways ASIS International is seeking to attract more global attendance than ever to its 63rd Annual Seminar and Exhibits, which will take place between 25-28 September in Dallas, Texas. In addition to returning, long-time international visitors, ASIS International is looking to expand global attendance. One initiative is the International Buyer Program (IBP), a joint government/industry effort, whic...

Cloud-based video systems are becoming more common in the market, growing faster than on-site recording systems. One of the largest companies in the cloud video sector, Eagle Eye Networks is aggressively expanding its offerings to the fast-growing market, and its geographic reach, with acquisition of Panasonic’s cloud-based video business, including the CameraManager and NuboCam brands. Expanding Eagle Eye Networks' coverage in Europe The acquisition will expand Eagle Eye Networks’...

With global events putting security at the forefront of everyone’s minds, IFSEC International 2017 was a chance for the industry to come out in force. Over 600 exhibitors and numerous seminars kept visitors informed on the latest innovations in security products, solutions and best practice. Despite the challenging heatwave, exhibitors were raring to go for the three mercifully air-conditioned days of the exhibition. SourceSecurity.com took to the show floor to check out what exhibitors we...

A growing emphasis on the impact of data – storing it, analysing it, and getting more value from it – was a common theme at this year’s IFSEC. Throughout the three days of the show at London’s ExCeL exhibition centre last week, there were many conversations about the growing benefits of the data generated by today’s physical security systems. Industry embraces deep learning & artificial intelligence Video analytics increasingly critical Access control provi...

Exhibitors at this year’s IFSEC are thinking outside the box in terms of how they communicate their value proposition and how they interface with customers. In the process, some are rethinking how big trade shows like IFSEC fit with their goals. Panasonic's approach to the 'race to the bottom' Thomas Lausten, MOBOTIX new CEO How Gallagher benefits from IFSEC without exhibiting Panasonic Systems Communications Europe Panasonic Systems Communications Europe is one of several compani...

Has there ever been a better time for a security trade show in Europe? Shifting threats such as terrorism and a volatile political climate serve as reminders every day of the importance of security in our lives, and even the role of technology. IFSEC opened in London on Tuesday at the ExCeL centre, covering every aspect of security, from access control and video surveillance to home automation and perimeter security. Amid sweltering heat, attendees came to find the latest-and-greatest innovatio...