Campus security systems - Expert commentary
Today’s security professionals are tasked with protecting the entirety of a facility or campus from every possible threat. It’s a big task, given the range of solutions available; from cybersecurity to prevent hacking, to video surveillance to monitor the goings-on within the facility, to the physical security of the building itself. For most businesses and schools, keeping the entrances and exits to a building secure is an extremely high priority—when an individual cannot ge...
2017 was an incredible year for VuTeur and the industry as a whole, as security has become a primary focus for stakeholders, now more than ever. VuTeur introduced its proprietary IRIS (Internal Real-time Intelligence Software) technology this year, which is part of its emergency management and asset protection solution. IRIS leverages real-time location services (RTLS) technology and utilises the existing WiFi infrastructure in a building to create a personal, mobile safety...
2017 was quite an interesting and eventful year for the physical security industry. The economy has been robust and technology has become progressively sophisticated—with interactive services, cloud computing and network-based solutions taking charge to provide new insights to installers and their end-user customers. The Internet of Things is creating increasingly integrated solutions, with a heightened emphasis on total connectivity. Changing security expectations World events have als...
The early October wildfires in Northern California and recent spate of hurricanes in the Southeast and Puerto Rico reinforce the fact that the healthcare community is in need of more stringent attention to organised and community-supported Emergency Management. Regulating healthcare facilities With the potential for catastrophes in the future, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been working on "All-Hazards" Emergency Preparedness for several years and published CMS-3178 -...
In today’s world, businesses face a growing threat landscape. Looking back on just the past few months, there have been increased incidents of workplace violence (the recent New York city hospital shooting), terrorist activities (London Bridge attack, Manchester attack), and cyberattacks (Petya and WannaCry). While critical events have become more frequent, more complex, and costly to businesses, organisations’ emergency communications systems, plans and processes have remained surpr...
Robots have been in the spotlight lately, as tycoons like Elon Musk discuss the perils of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and roving robots meet their watery demise. These recent events have unmasked a particularly interesting topic: The value of robots in the broader sense, especially as a security tool. The emergence of robotics, automation and AI is not new, but the ongoing discussion about how best to use these continues to fuel critics and supporters alike. Seattle-Tacoma Inte...
It seems schools still need to be alert when it comes to the risk of terrorism. Following a recent security threat, Bury College has set an example that schools across the UK need to be aware of the threat of terrorism. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the incident at the Great Manchester college saw the facility being put in lockdown as a precaution before an evacuation took place. Hundreds of staff and students were caught up in the event. Bury College released a statement followin...
Workplace violence has been on the rise in mental health facilities, schools, and detention centres across the country. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year.” As such, security directors are looking for technologies to help identify and mitigate these incidents. Increasing use of vocal aggression detection technology Shift from video surveill...
Colleges and universities have been targeted in the last several weeks with a series of bomb threats received via campus printers and fax machines. Targeted institutions included Vanderbilt University, the University of Southern California, the University of Virginia and the University of Detroit Mercy, among others. Businesses were also among the targets. Around 100 organisations in all received print-outs, faxes or emails demanding that a $25,000 ransom be paid to a Brazilian citizen to avoi...
On 19th December, 2016, the news exploded with information about a vehicle attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that killed at least 12 people and injured more than 50 others. Less than a month before, the US State Department had warned about such attacks in public places throughout Europe, saying that extremist groups including the Islamic State and Al Qaeda were planning to focus on such locales during the Holiday Season. Two types of vehicle access point To stop these attacks, security pr...
Today's threat landscape is bigger and more broad than ever before, with an increasing number of emerging risks falling on the shoulders of security professionals in a variety of markets. Many of these leaders face the growing concerns of finding efficient, integrated solutions that provide protection from threats, but also can be used in everyday communications to streamline operations, provide access control, and automate workflow. One way today's enterprise organisations, citie...
Part 1 in our Intercoms in Security Series Lambert-St. Louis International Airport uses Code Blue intercoms Organisations are demanding a new level of interoperability among mission-critical security systems. Intelligible audio, the ability to hear, be heard and be understood, is critical to communication, which is essential to the core security processes within an organisation, as well as to emergency situations. Intelligible audio provides a platform to optimise various...
Through new technology, applications and analytics, video surveillance systems are helping to make hospitals a safer place Healthcare organisations face many challenges. Federal mandates associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), changing reimbursement models, an ageing population and competition are among the most concerning issues. Unfortunately, so are safety and security. However, video surveillance is helping. Through new technology, applications and analytics, v...
Many employees who once commuted to on-site corporate offices now spend their time working remotely or travelling between sites Over the past two decades, the workforce has drastically changed. As mobile devices became increasingly affordable and the demand for multiple offices, distributed campuses and globalisation has increased, many employees who once commuted to on-site corporate offices now spend their time working remotely or travelling between sites. In 1997, only 9.2...
The locks, alarms and access control solutions used for buildings have little impact outdoors Large campuses – colleges and universities, hospitals and office parks – face difficult security challenges in protecting people and property across wide-open outdoor spaces. Outdoor security requires a different approach. The locks, alarms and access control solutions used for buildings have little impact outdoors. Outdoor security may include protecting a student on an...
Increasing the quality of illumination with LED can help deter crime and improve the accuracy of video analytics One of the greatest challenges that indoor and outdoor security surveillance solutions face is lack of light. However, obtaining the proper amount of illumination for security goes beyond merely flooding a specific area with light. Without an adequate lighting source, video cameras are ineffective. When capturing only dark, blurry images and video, they can quickl...
The security industry will continue to see consolidation through acquisition in 2017. At the advent of IP camera adoption, we saw a great decline in large vertically integrated companies, which spurred a new era of innovation within smaller IP camera manufacturers, VMS providers and other hardware companies for storage and managed switches. We are now living in a new era of consolidation that is taking us full-circle back to vertical integration. Ultimately, the industr...
Deploying audio solutions would flag incidents not caught on camera With the increasing number of campus shootings and lockdowns, security is a top priority for schools. Decision-makers are looking to repair the inefficient security measures on campuses by either upgrading their current systems or installing state-of-the-art technologies to enhance situational awareness. Traditionally, security personnel have relied on video as the primary method of monitoring. However, this...
For more than a decade, Verint Systems, Melville, New York, has been developing and redefining the phrase the company pioneered: actionable intelligence. Today, its real-world specifications provide an in-depth analysis of video and integrated physical security data, deepening the gathering of intelligence and lessening risk at the protected premises. The entire realm of situational awareness continues to transition as intelligence is gleaned from new points, with this trend only...
The age of robotics is fast approaching. To be successful, security systems integrators need to understand how these machines fit in the security of their clients, according to industry experts. “The integrators did not begin this trend,” says Bill Bozeman, President and CEO of the PSA Security Network, cooperative of security product suppliers and system integration companies. “They did not say, ‘Oh boy I can’t wait to introduce robotics into my portfolio'. This i...
The 62nd ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits will run from September 12 to September 15 in Orlando, Florida. ASIS estimates that the Seminar may attract more than 20,000 security professionals to the Orlando Convention Center, where the event is being held. Giving back to the host community The Seminar always has a major economic effect on the host community. This year, ASIS will inaugurate a programme called Security Week, which is designed to give something back to the Sem...
IT access control offers significant cost savings per unit or door as less hardware is required to cover a large area Over the last several years, there has been a revolution in access control methodologies including increased integration with video management software and video surveillance capabilities that better protect businesses and enterprise applications. But nowhere is the integration space more progressive in scope than the collaboration between the IT department and...
Part 6 of our Security in Healthcare series Lockdown capabilities are an important aspect of safety and security for hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical facilities Hospitals and healthcare institutions increasingly face a reality of workplace violence, attacks on patients, and threats to doctors and other support staff. When these types of conflicts arise, there is an urgent need to lock the facility down quickly. Security professionals and their teams need...
Robots such as those designed by SMP Robotics can handle a variety of tasks ranging from perimeter fence monitoring to snow removal Robots come in all shapes and sizes from small tracked vehicles to large upright cylinders and cart-like devices on wheels. They fly through the air and glide underwater. They’re becoming familiar sights and will become more so. The future of robots in the military, public safety and security is expanding for some very good reasons. The new...
Hospital security always counts. Patients may arrive from a crime scene and someone has to make sure they weren’t followed by trouble. Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel may come under blame for the death of a loved one and need protection. Heightened security needs Think for a minute, though, about the elevated need for security when the victims of a massacre — such as the Orlando massacre — arrive at the hospital. On the heels of the shooting at the Pulse Nightclu...
Part 5 of our Security in Healthcare series It’s difficult for hospital security directors to provide a quantified ROI in an updated security system Several forces are working in favour of greater adoption of hospital security and video surveillance technologies in the healthcare market. “Healthcare facilities and campuses are growing at a rapid rate to accommodate an aging population and the research and development of pharmacology and many different type...
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...
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...
Organisations need to protect their properties and people by securing entranceswith security systems and policies Most criminals gain access to a business or organisation the same way honest people do – they walk through a door. That door may be left unlocked. It may be propped open. Poor locks may be easily defeated or the door may be inadequately constructed and offer little resistance when attacked. Focus on multiple-layered security It seems obvious the path to...
The PASS guidelines don’t just point to specific technologies; they address security issues and help guide school administrators to make their schools safer and more secure From K-12 to college campuses, schools need integrated solutions and proactive measures to lessen the potential of active shooters while targeting general loss prevention and security. The good news is that technology is available to address nearly every threat and challenge, and systems integrato...
7 proven solutions for law enforcement key control and asset management
Download2025 Trends in video surveillance
DownloadMaximising security and performance
DownloadGuide for HAAS: New choice of SMB security system
DownloadThe truth behind 9 mobile access myths
Download