Surveillance & Security News for October 2020

Birmingham’s hospitality businesses have benefited from significantly increased outdoor dining space, following the deployment of ATG Access’ Surface Guard system at a number of locations around Hurst Street. With many businesses struggling as a result of the restrictions placed on public venues by the government, Birmingham City Council was keen to make it possible for people to return to the city’s usually bustling bars and restaurants in a safe, socially distanced way. It r...

Bitglass, the Total Cloud Security Company, has received full scores across all nine criteria in KuppingerCole’s Market Compass on Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs). The report covers vendors with offerings that address the challenges of security and compliance when using cloud services. This is the fourth time KuppingerCole has included Bitglass in its CASB Compass, demonstrating the company’s strong and consistent market validation. The criteria against which participants are...

Acronis, a global provider of cyber protection, released Acronis Cyber Infrastructure 4.0, a significant update to the company’s software-defined infrastructure solution. Featuring more than 350 new capabilities and enhancements, the update helps Acronis partners and end users improve the performance and manageability of their infrastructure while strengthening the security and availability of their data. With 31% of companies reporting daily cyber attacks and half (50%) being targeted at...

If one works in the technology industry, it’s likely one has been hearing about recent advancements in AI-based video analysis for years now. The tech has seemingly hit its stride, with new services and applications continually popping up to expand and support the ecosystem. For an example, one really has to look no further than Amazon Rekognition, which leverages Machine Learning (ML) to make it easy to identify things like objects, people, or text within videos and images. AI developmen...

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) has announced the launch of a new eLearning course to help NSI approved companies understand and apply the requirements of the revised Code of Practice BS 7858:2019 'Screening of Individuals Working in a Secure Environment'. NSI eLearning screening course This introductory eLearning course is available to all who wish to enroll, but is particularly useful for screening administrators and controllers. Accredited by the National Security Institute’s...

New research has found that nearly half (49%) of urban design professionals believe that the recent rise of pedestrianisation in city and town centres is making public spaces more vulnerable to attack. The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on urban economies, with local authorities left in the novel position of needing to find ways to encourage people back into city centres. Temporary pedestrianisation of key locations has suddenly become commonplace as a result, offering an eff...

Security video wall technology experts Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) have signed a distribution agreement with Zodiac Investment Corp in Vietnam, who will be its exclusive partner in the region. Zodiac was founded in 1991 and is recognised as the country’s high-tech products distributor and audio visual solutions provider, with bases in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It has completed installations in various fields, including education, government and the military. Data centre video wall...

Branded as ‘The New DICE’, DICE Corporation is changing the perception of monitoring and providing the industry with a game-changing way of doing business. ‘The New DICE’ 'The New DICE' is part of the company’s future roadmap, kicking off a multi-million-dollar investment in new technologies, products and services that include IoT solutions, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, analytics, integrated audio and video, and much more.  Going beyond basic s...

ENCS, the European Network for Cyber Security, and E.DSO, the European Distribution System Operators’ Association, announced the launch of security requirements for Distribution Automation (DA) of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). This is the third in a series of security guidelines for a smarter and more secure energy network, after ENCS and E.DSO previously released security requirements for electric vehicle charging points and smart metres. These requirements are an important tool in impro...

Fugue, the company putting engineers in command of cloud security, announced next-generation cloud security posture management (CSPM) capabilities to help customers bring their cloud infrastructure into compliance and demonstrate that cloud environments adhere to enterprise security policies. The new features leverage Fugue’s cloud state machine, which captures every resource configuration over time in a cloud environment, and Fugue’s policy engine based on Open Policy Agent (OPA),...

Check Point Research is conducting an ongoing study into cyber threats in the run-up to the 2020 US elections. Initial findings of the study show surges in the number of malicious domains related to the election. Furthermore, researchers at CPR have outlined their top 6 attack scenarios to most watch out for leading up to election-day. Check Point researchers conducted a study on election-related domains between the months of June and October 2020. Compared to other domains registered during th...

Car theft is a huge risk for car sales offices, and this is especially an issue for the premium brands. Luxury car giant Eden Auto Premium BMW built a new site in Bordeaux, France, where they house and sell new and second-hand cars, as well as having a car park for customers. That amounts to a lot of cars that need protecting. They researched and compared different technologies and selected Hikvision products to meet their needs. These were then ably installed by reseller Faurie Telecom (Group...

The rampant spread of COVID-19 around the globe continues to challenge public health officials and governments alike to find ways to manage the spread of the disease until an effective vaccine can be developed. This challenge has led to new and novel approaches, particularly in the use of technology. One of the most recent technology applications to control the spread of the virus is the use of security cameras combined with facial recognition software. Facial recognition is part of a computer...

The threat landscape we operate in today is changing all the time. Around the world, pressures on law enforcement bodies remain incredibly high as they face the challenge of rising international threat levels and a backdrop of intense political, social and economic uncertainty. It is a challenge that demands a considered, proactive and dynamic response. It’s clear that new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), can dramatically improve the effectiveness of today’s physi...

John Wiegand died in 1986, but the communications protocol that bears his name is still alive and well, connecting access control readers to controllers using two wires – one to transmit “zeros” and the other to transmit “ones.” The Wiegand protocol persists despite its limitations, including one-way communication, lack of encryption, and inability to manage the readers in a system centrally. In a Wiegand system, a controller provides no acknowledgement that data ha...

Blind spots in surveillance coverage, incompatible video and access control systems, lack of adequate perimeter measures—these are common issues that facility directors must address with their security teams. At the end of the day, facility executives need technology that accomplish more with less—that expand situational awareness, overall system functionality, and real-time response capabilities while generating cost-savings. By leveraging technology like thermal imaging, this is...

Historically, concerns about inclusion and diversity have not been widely discussed in the security market. In the last couple of years, however, the Security Industry Association (SIA) and other groups have worked to raise awareness around issues of diversity and inclusion. Specifically, SIA’s Women in Security Forum has focused on the growing role of women in all aspects of security, and SIA’s RISE community has focused on “rising stars” in an industry previously domin...

G4S is the globally renowned integrated security company with operations in approximately 85 countries. At the core of the business is G4S Integrated Security, which combines expertise, security professionals, technology and data analytics. G4S Integrated security G4S delivers integrated security around the world with the last six months having brought significant change for the company. The sale of the conventional cash business has enhanced strategic, commercial and operational focus and str...

Network Utilities announced it has signed a channel partner agreement with Nokia. As a result of this relationship, Network Utilities will market, distribute and service Nokia’s product line of AAA services and cyber security products. Ashok Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Network Utilities said: “Network Utilities is delighted to be partnering with Nokia to bring its AAA and cyber security solutions to our customers. We feel Nokia is the perfect partner to bring the breadth of ex...

Zenitel, the supplier of intelligent and interoperable communication solutions, is pleased to announce the promotion of Bruce Czerwinski to Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Czerwinski has more than 15 years in the security communications industry, having joined Zenitel in 2018 as Western Regional Sales Leader. In his time with Zenitel, Czerwinski has helped to contribute to unprecedented company sales growth and has established solid relationships with Zenitel customers. Sales...

Integrated security manufacturer TDSi is pleased to announce the appointment of Zara Taylor as Marketing Manager. Zara, who is based at the company’s global headquarters in Poole, Dorset, is overseeing the company’s ongoing and rapidly expanding digital and marketing strategies. TDSi’s Managing Director, John Davies commented, “We’re excited at the prospect of seeing Zara’s skills being put to work, as we take our marketing activity to the next level with a g...

Video surveillance users can adapt to the challenges of working more flexibly between home, office, stores, and the control room with the newly released IDIS Mobile Plus app. Mobile Plus integrates the company’s popular IDIS Mobile app with its network and digital recorders, network cameras, and IDIS Solution Suite VMS. It delivers improved and more powerful functionality - anytime and anywhere – and gives users remote situational awareness of single and multiple sites. The app ena...

As employees continue returning to the office, travellers start flying again, fans slowly return to stadiums, technology that focuses on maintaining health and safety in semi-public and private venues remains crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19. In response, FLIR Systems announces the FLIR Elara™ FR-345-EST, a fixed-mount radiometric thermal security camera that measures elevated skin temperature (EST) accurately without contact or the need for a reference temperature source. This s...

The Headquarters Business Park developed by Adeem Al-Watania is a 52 storey office building located on the coast site of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When completed in 2012, it became the tallest building in Jeddah and is served by a large 11-storey parking garage. Nedap’s Long-Range Identification solutions provide seamless vehicle access to employees and long-term tenants. The devices were successful installed and integrated with Lenel access control system OnGuard by Idex Services. The Headqu...

The CCTV User Group is delighted to welcome Tom Reeve to the team as the organisation’s new Chief Communications Officer. In this newly-created role at The CCTV User Group, Tom will be responsible for coordinating communications with members and non-members to deliver member services, increase the group’s profile and build membership. CCTV and Cyber security expert Tom has more than 20 years of experience in the UK security industry and has held a range of positions in respected U...

Evolution, the integrated fire and security systems business, has promoted Richard Desay to the role of Technical Solutions Architect to further enhance its Risk and Design capabilities and expertise. Richard is responsible for the design and production of detailed technical security systems – including Intruder Detection, Perimeter Protection and Fence Line and Security Lighting – modified and bespoke to meet specific customer requirements and in accordance with relevant regulatory...

In a world first, 3DX-Ray launches the AXIS™-CXi, a cabinet-based X-ray screening system that utilises the same colour differentiating image technology used in airport baggage screening. The AXIS™-CXi is a huge step forward in mail room scanning, as colour differentiated images enable operators to determine not just the shape but, the nature of the materials being scanned. Orange shows organics, such as; explosives, chemicals and drugs, as well as more innocent items such as foodstu...

Sterling, a renowned provider of background and identity services, is expanding the global Sterling Identity suite of services and has launched a new UK Right to Work Identity Verification solution that uses facial recognition and fraud detection technology to accurately verify an individual’s right to work status. According to Cifas - the UK’s leading fraud prevention service - there have been consistent increases in identity fraud over the last four years which means that the pote...

Lockton, the globally renowned independent broker and cyber security solutions firm, is rolling out CyberCube’s Broking Manager, the cyber risks analytics platform for insurance intermediaries. Established in 1966, Lockton has over 60,000 clients globally and is the world’s eighth-largest insurance brokerage. The business has over 100 offices in over 125 countries. CyberCube has designed and tailored Broking Manager specifically to the needs of the insurance broking community. It of...

IT and security systems integrators across the Middle East and Africa can now deliver more efficient, off-the-shelf integration of complete corporate systems - including access control, visitor management, security and building management - following a distribution agreement between Quanika and NIT, an Ingram Micro Company. Quanika’s modular, ready-made approach is designed to make integration straightforward, even for the most complex, multi-site projects, enabling organisations to adapt...