Kuwait News

There’s no denying that cyber-crime is one of the biggest threats facing any organisation with the devastating results they can cause painfully explicit. Highly publicised cases stretching from the US government to digital giant Facebook has made tackling cyber security a necessity for all major organisations. The consequences of breaches have just become more severe, with new GDPR rules meaning any security breach, and resultant data loss, could cost your organisation a fine of up to four...

The U.S. Congress has voted on, and the President has signed, a ban on government uses of video surveillance equipment produced by two of the world’s top manufacturers – Hikvision and Dahua. The provision is buried in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 26 and the Senate on August 1. The President signed the NDAA into law on August 13. The provision was originally introduced as an amendment to...

Considering how much the modern smartphone has become a common everyday tool and cultural icon, it’s hard to believe it has only been with us for a relatively short space of time. The first Apple iPhone was launched in 2007 and yet in a little over a decade the smartphone has become as essential as our keys or wallet. From its conception as a multi-faceted communications device, it has morphed into something far more integrated in our daily lives. Services such as Apple Pay, Android Pay a...

By 2020, video surveillance using fixed, body and mobile cameras is expected to capture an astounding 859 PB of video daily. Increasing retention regulations and higher resolution cameras, are forcing the video surveillance industry to reassess its approach to data storage. Large capacity primary storage tends to be expensive to procure and costly to implement – especially without a sound architecture that can balance storage performance levels with the speed of access needed to recall vid...

The rise to prominence of smart cities should not go unnoticed. To the untrained eye, you might not realise just how connected your city is and how it’s helping your everyday life. From crossing the road to monitoring water levels, technology is allowing cities to think quicker and act smarter. Data-driven decisions A recent whitepaper by ABI Research has revealed that the total global cost-saving potential offered by smart cities stands at more than $5 trillion. This shows how technolog...

Where does the time go? Before you know it, here we are at mid-year reflecting on an eventful first half of 2018 in the physical security market. It’s also a good time for our Expert Panel Roundtable to pause and look ahead at what we might expect in the second half of the year. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What technology development will have the greatest impact in the second half of 2018?

Over the past few years, biometrics has rapidly expanded into consumer applications, like the financial market for customer authentication, to payment services and withdrawing cash from ATMs in high-fraud markets. However, its adoption as an additional authentication factor for physical access control systems (PACS) and other enterprise applications, hasn’t been as rapid. But this is changing. Biometrics offers numerous benefits at the door and throughout the enterprise. With the advent o...

One of Fortaleza's largest hotels, the Gran Marquise Hotel, which hosts thousands of people each year and holds hundreds of events, has reinvented itself and converted analog technology to IP surveillance. Upon project completion, it is expected that the Gran Marquise will have 250 VIVOTEK network cameras installed, integrated and linked with all other hotel devices under Genetec’s cloud-based video-surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) solution, Stratocast. About Gran Marquise The Gran Marq...

Video cameras are everywhere, and hundreds more are installed every day. Our society appears to be reaching a point of perpetual surveillance. It certainly feels as if we are always being watched even though it is not yet the case. But as cameras are becoming more common than ever, we are also entering a new era of privacy concerns and sensitivities, as evidenced by GDPR and other such initiatives. We presented this quandary to this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Surveillance cameras can...

Most technology companies have one goal in mind: to provide customers with high-quality, affordable products that can efficiently help streamline operations. Whether it's surveillance cameras, video management software, access control technology or any other type of security device, today's leading organisations invest in expertise in these product segments and strive to produce the highest quality solutions. To effectively fulfill this task, technology providers are always searching for emergi...

As Internet of Things (IoT) devices go, networked video cameras are particularly significant. Connected to the internet and using on-board processing, cameras are subject to infection by malware and can be targeted by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Hacking of cameras also threatens privacy by allowing unauthorised access to video footage. The performance of hacked cameras can be degraded, and they may become unable to communicate properly when needed. Ensuring cybersecurity is a...

Milestone Systems, the open platform company in networked video management software (VMS), announces the appointment of Amine Sadi as Country Manager for the Middle East region. Amine Sadi has been with the company since May 2009 and brings a strong background as successful country manager of Milestone Systems in France & North Africa. Amine came to Milestone from a position as Sales Manager at Anixter, another leading company on the security market. Throughout his career, his focus has bee...

Coop wanted a security system to protect a number of their valuable instore goods, such as home electronics, cell phones, and tablets, perfumes, and jewellery. They wanted a modular alarm system that could transmit reliably with the most modern means of communication to the standard alarm receiving centres in Switzerland. They also wanted a solution that had proven reliability and fast alarm detection, and that was certified according to SES EN standards. It was essential that this solution wou...

Arecont Vision, the provider of IP-based megapixel camera and video surveillance solutions, announced that the acquisition by Costar Technologies, Inc. (OTC markets Group: CSTI) of its assets has been approved by the bankruptcy court (“Court”). It is anticipated that the sale will close on July 13, 2018. As previously announced, Arecont Vision initiated proceedings under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the District of Delaware in May, 2018 and has achieved its goal...

Surveillance systems can track the locations of mobile phone users and spy on their calls, texts and data streams. The Washington Post has reported on such systems that are being turned against travellers around the world, according to security experts and U.S. officials. The summer season highlights the need to take extra precautions when travelling. When travelling anywhere in the world, for business or pleasure, citizens need to be aware of and alert to looming physical and cybersecurity thr...

Hospitality businesses work to provide a safe and pleasant customer experience for their guests. Hotels offer a “home away from home” for millions of guests every day around the world. These are businesses of many sizes and types, providing services ranging from luxury accommodations to simple lodging for business travelers to family vacation experiences. Hospitality businesses also include restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other venues. Security needs are varied and require tech...

In the physical security space, video analytics have historically over-promised and under-delivered, often leaving end users sceptical about their capabilities. However, increased integration with security solutions and other business systems, as well as developments in deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI), have given video analytics a significant boost in recent years. Here, we take a look at the key trends putting video analytics in the spotlight, and how this opens up new opportunit...

As anyone who has ever flown on a commercial airline since 2001 knows, security measures at airports are well enforced and the emphasis on traveller safety is all around the airport and its grounds. Mass transportation, meanwhile, presents a special but not any less significant challenge when it comes to determining security issues. These facilities need to develop the means to protect a constantly changing and large population of passengers. And unlike airports these facilities often have hund...

For the past several years, there has been a focus by integrators and customers to assure that their card-based access control systems are secure. To give businesses an extra incentive to meet their cybersecurity threats, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to hold the business community responsible for failing to implement good cybersecurity practices and is now filing lawsuits against those that don't. For instance, the FTC filed a lawsuit against D-Link and its U.S. subsidiary, al...

Avigilon Corp. is a relatively young company in the security market and has come a long way since it was founded in 2004. From an early focus on high-megapixel imaging, the company’s end-to-end solutions have evolved to include access control, video analytics and now artificial intelligence (AI). A reflection of how far Avigilon has come in a short time is the recent $1 billion acquisition of the Canadian company by Motorola Solutions. Avigilon’s President and COO, James Henderson,...

As editor of SourceSecurity.com, Larry attends industry and corporate events, interviews security leaders and contributes original editorial content to the sites. He also guides the "editorial roadmap" to ensure the site provides the most relevant content for security professionals. From 1996 to 2008, Larry was editor of "Access Control & Security Systems" magazine and its affiliated websites. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University with a minor in marketing. [Pi...

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are the rage in tech right now and not surprisingly, many cyber companies are beginning to automate an increasing amount of their operations. Some of this is great, particularly when it assists cybersecurity professionals to automate mundane tasks and focus more of their attention on higher level analysis. But so far, machine learning is more hype than helpful for cybersecurity, but that does not mean you can’t automate some tasks to keep your...

Data was always bound to be a hot topic at this year's IFSEC International event. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a buzzword since last year's show. This year, manufacturers are ready to demonstrate solutions capable of processing and analysing large volumes of information to bolster security and provide business intelligence. Organisers deliberately positioned IFSEC as a converged security event, highlighting the inherent link between the security of physical assets and the security of d...

It's no secret that one of the next market segments to see exceptional growth in the United States is somewhat non-traditional: cannabis. The global cannabis market is projected to reach $60 billion by 2024, according to Ameri Research, fueled by the increasing legalisation and decriminalisation across much of the United States. It is estimated that 22 million pounds of marijuana are grown each year in the United States, with 80 percent coming from California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii...

In the analogue era, videotape was the storage media of choice for CCTV systems. Since the advent of digital video, and of IP-based systems, a variety of other storage formats have come to the fore, including hard drives, flash drives, SD cards and others. Now we are in the age of the cloud, which offers new opportunities to store vast amounts of video and presents challenges such as bandwidth and cybersecurity. For a current perspective on storage, we asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable:...

It was over a century ago that Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) was founded, as a gift by industrialist Uri T. Hungerford. The vision was to create a community hospital that would serve as a beacon of hope and a place of comfort for the ill and injured. 100 years later, that same community spirit has helped CHH evolve into a vibrant, independent, affordable healthcare network that delivers a comprehensive range of healthcare programs and services for over 100,000 lives in Northwestern Conne...

IFSEC International 2018 kicked off last week at London’s ExCel Centre. Visitors were lucky enough to experience a rare three days of British sunshine as they came together to discuss the latest trends and technologies in the physical security industry. Many exhibitors commented on how the show seemed smaller than previous years, with stands more spread out, and fewer ‘double-decker’ offerings than earlier shows. Although exhibitors represented all aspects of physical security...

Live events at large venues like arenas, stadiums or convention halls – whether they involve wrestlers breaking chairs over each other’s heads, Axl and Slash letting bygones be bygones and reuniting Guns ‘n’ Roses, your favorite NFL team annihilating the opposition 62-3, or a convention involving anything from politics to food to Star Trek – are exciting affairs that channel the camaraderie of the crowd into a powerful collective energy. But they also are vulne...

In the state of the residential security market today, we see many who are offering home security packages that rely on numerous sensors and multiple devices to provide a comprehensive coverage of the home and provide peace of mind. Each individual sensor or device within the package provides a specific functionality, and the user finds himself burdened by an overwhelming amount of sensors and devices. This overload is intensified by the penetration of additional IoT and smart devices into the...

SecuriThings, provider in IoT security, unveiled a new capability that enables system integrators to rapidly deploy the SecuriThings solution onto operating IP cameras for immediate monitoring and remediation. Using common video management software (VMS), SecuriThings agents are quickly uploaded to existing video surveillance deployments, with no additional configuration necessary. IP cameras are crucial components of any physical security or safe city deployment. However, these devices are vul...