Human identification system - Expert commentary

As we head into a new year, it’s fair to say that it isn’t easy out there for the security integrator community. That’s understandable given the big ruptures felt in the market for physical security in 2023. Typically, Commercial Real Estate (CRE) landlords are the biggest and most influential buyers of physical security hardware and software, but this is starting to wane as heightened borrowing costs and biting inflation cause real estate valuations to plunge. Building secu...

Security systems represent a significant investment, yet many organisations still only use a small percentage of their physical security systems’ capabilities. That’s before we even begin to consider the different ways that the likes of video, access control and ANPR can add additional value beyond security by serving the needs of other business functions. Whether that be to obtain additional insight, streamline compliance or drive operational efficiencies.  Consumption...

Global transportation networks are becoming increasingly interconnected, with digital systems playing a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of ports and supply chains. However, this reliance on technology can also create vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by the recent ransomware attack on Nagoya Port. As Japan's busiest shipping hub, the port's operations were brought to a standstill for two days, highlighting the potential for significant disruption to national economies and supply cha...

Physical security is essential for a modern production facility, users don’t want just anyone entering the building or accessing secure areas. But what about production machinery? Machine authentication is often a missing link in the security plan for manufacturers. Why machine authentication?  Most manufacturers have made significant investments in physical access control (PAC) for production facilities. Few shops currently hand out physical keys to employees or leave the building...

Organisations of all types have made it a priority to better track who is coming and going inside their facilities and on their property. This can include an HVAC technician who needs to be inside a building for several hours to fix a faulty air conditioning unit or a parent who volunteers each week in their child’s school. Technology-based visitor management With considerable advancements in visitor management systems in recent years, organisations are now benefiting from technology-b...

Our recent survey on the state of access control in 2023 showed that HID partners and end users, as well as security and IT professionals, may have varying needs and concerns but nearly all agree on one thing: the need for sustainable solutions. Operational transparency In fact, sustainability was a top issue for almost 90% of our survey respondents. Our end users and their consumers are primarily driving this demand, with ever-increasing numbers asking for operational transparency...

The security industry is going increasingly digital these days, with more small- and medium-sized businesses joining their global brethren by moving their data to the cloud, leveraging the benefits of artificial intelligence, and embracing more open solutions. Innovation is expected to continue at a rapid pace, thanks in part to the residual effects of the pandemic which has driven changes that might have otherwise taken five years or a decade or more to get into customers’ hands on a glo...

As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies in 2023, owners of construction companies will place a greater emphasis on environmentally-friendly materials, public safety, and strategies to increase value. Physical protection Key events in 2023 will have an impact on the physical protection of people, property, and businesses. King Charles III's coronation in May will be the focus of nationwide large-scale gatherings and celebrations and is already receiving security preparations. Even though this...

For both employers and employees, a safe workplace is crucial. But what about the security of those who keep us safe? Worker safety The physical security industry and its personnel are not only valuable but also indispensable assets in workplaces. Most private and public sectors rely on it to keep their respective communities and stakeholders safe. Hence, it is extremely crucial to ensure the safety of physical security workers. The security industry, regardless of size, must prioritise safet...

Two trends in recent years are combining to exacerbate insider threat risks at companies. First, companies continue to foster cultures of openness and collaboration that often run contrary to the needs of a security-oriented mindset. Second, the mainstreaming of hybrid work has made companies’ control over data and device usage during work more tenuous. Addressing insider threats We’ve seen repeatedly that companies have the tools, structural choices, and decision-making power acro...

In the past five years, the retail landscape and the relationship between consumers and businesses has shifted drastically. It wasn’t too long ago when shopping at malls was considered a family activity and consumers shopped at local stores where they knew and interacted with sales personnel. Today, however, malls and interactions with employees are relics that accurately portray the way retail used to work. Retail companies have shifted their consumer model to focus on the online market...

There’s a new security paradigm emerging across malls, server farms, smart office buildings, and warehouses, and its advantage over the status quo are so broad they are impossible to ignore. Instead of a lecture, let’s start with a short narrative scenario to illustrate my point. Darryl's work Darryl works as a security guard at the Eastwood Mall. Like any typical evening, tonight’s shift begins at 9:30 PM, as the stores close and the crowds thin. His first task: Ensure that...

Identity management is an important element of both data security and physical security in an organisation. But all ID management solutions are not the same—especially when it comes to security. There are no uniform security standards for the industry, and many off-the-shelf systems fall short when it comes to data protection. To protect people, property, and data, make sure you select a system that maximises security at every stage. What is identity management? Identity management&mdas...

The smartphone is an integral part of our daily routines. The communication and entertainment device of yesteryear has become a serious player with which we increasingly handle sensitive processes, such as payment transactions. BLE or NFC authentication At the supermarket checkout, more and more customers are pulling out their smartphones instead of their wallets. Apple Pay, Google Pay, or specific banking apps make it possible: to hold the smartphone in front of the reader of the checkout sys...

Every day, millions of people worldwide use their personal credentials to prove their identity and access a range of services, from databases in their workplace to the banking app on their smartphone. But while this ensures only authorised people have access to certain systems, the use of this personal data opens users up to cyber risks, primarily in the form of identity theft. On Identity Management Day, Source Security spoke to seven IT and cybersecurity experts to discuss their experiences a...

Most of the assumptions you’ve made about gunshot detection could be wrong. To those security professionals who stay on top of their homework, this is probably not true, but the ‘you’ in this context is directed to the collective security industry reader that, when looking into indoor gunshot detection products, sees terms like concussive force, percussion, or shockwave and wonders if these are important differentiators – or something the marketing department decided woul...

As we navigate the new normal, the power of choice and flexibility continues to take centre stage. We’ve grown accustomed to the choice to work from home or virtually anywhere and the flexibility to have everything delivered (sometimes even right into your fridge!). Seamless access control With this, we are seeing heightened demand for seamless access control through smart locks and mobile credentials. This powerful combination creates exciting new opportunities to meet resident demand f...

As a result of COVID-19, artificial intelligence (AI) has become table stakes for factories. Google’s 2021 Cloud Manufacturing Report found that 76% of manufacturing executives increased their adoption of disruptive technologies, including AI, during the pandemic. AI-based facial recognition technology AI has long been used in the sector to monitor the pace of work and anticipate machine failures, a trend that is expected to continue this year as factories look to optimise operations. Ho...

More than a year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic began, countless workers are still doing their jobs remotely rather than from their offices. While there are many positives to working from home, there can also be some negatives at play like nefarious actors taking advantage of the tools and connections that employees use in work from home environments. Insider threats, a security risk that comes from within the organisation, are posing a major security problem for businesses. This is pa...

From analogue to digital, from stand-alone to interlinked, building systems are in a state of transition. Moreover, the rate of change shows no sign of slowing, which can make it difficult to keep up to date with all the latest developments. If asked to pinpoint the single biggest driver of this revolution, one could point out the growing clamour for platform convergence. A security guard in a building doesn’t want to use different systems to check video cameras, fire alarms or if someone...

Ensuring employee health and safety remains a key priority for organisations this year, especially as we see COVID-19 cases continue to rise in different areas of the world. As an ongoing challenge, COVID-19 has shifted the priorities of many organisations. In fact, “improving health and safety for employees” is the top strategic goal this year of manufacturing and logistics organisations in the U.S. and U.K., according to research conducted by Forrester on behalf of STANLEY Securit...

Video surveillance systems are producing more unstructured data than ever before. A dramatic decrease in camera costs in recent years has led many businesses to invest in comprehensive surveillance coverage, with more cameras generating more data. Plus, advances in technology mean that the newest (8K) cameras are generating approximately 800% more data than their predecessors (standard definition). Traditional entry-level solutions like network video recorders (NVRs) simply aren’t built...

The global biometrics market has been recently developing rapidly, and this trend will continue shortly. If in 2018 its volume was estimated at $23.4 billion, according to the forecast of the analytical company BCC Research, the market size may increase to $71.6 billion with an average annual growth rate of 23.2 % by 2024. Fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, iris, vein, and voice technologies are expected to be implemented at the fastest pace. The analysis is based on the revenue indicato...

The return to the workplace is a focal point for many in the built environment but one of the most important elements is easy to overlook. Guest services will be vital in the return to the workplace. Front-of-house teams will be responsible for welcoming building users back and reassuring them as they negotiate shared spaces in the post-Covid era. The workplace will inevitably look different after Covid. We have become more aware of our spaces, how clean they are, and what spaces building users...

Tragically, in the world we now live, mass shootings and gun violence are epic concerns not only in schools, but Big Box retail, hospitals, municipal buildings, festivals, sporting events, concert venues, and just about anywhere crowds gather or work. The number of incidents is not acceptable and is truly startling. There are many societal and mental health issues that can cause these events and their importance in solving this issue is critical. However, this article will be focused on the tech...

Artificial Intelligence. You’ve heard the words in just about every facet of our lives, just two words, and they’re quite possibly the most moving, life-changing words employed in everyday conversations. So what exactly is AI, who currently uses it and should be using it? What is AI? AI is a powerful way of collecting, qualifying and quantifying data toward a meaningful conclusion to help us reach decisions more quickly or automate processes which could be considered mundane or rep...

Many industries are, to a greater or lesser extent, in the throes of digital transformation. As with any change programme, digital transformation efforts often under-perform against expectations. Yet, the number of digital transformation programmes continue to increase, as commercial pressures intensify. As security professionals we need to embrace our role in digital transformation, as security is everybody’s business. For all those people weary of hearing about digital transformation an...

ISC West, the world's largest security industry trade show, is just around the corner. This in-person show gathered more than 1,000 manufacturers and over 30,000 visitors from all over the world in 2019. On top of that, more than 200 brands exhibited at ISC West for the first time. This year's event promises to be just as exciting, if not more so. Let’s overview some leading security trends in video management systems development, and what's worth your time and attention at ISC West 2020....

Entrance control and access control - of the physical kind - are common terms in the security industry which are often used interchangeably, but should they be? Having worked both sides of the fence, with previous roles at TDSi and HID and now the Major Accounts and Marketing Manager at Integrated Design Limited, Tony Smith highlights the subtle but important differences between these two terms and the systems they refer to, outlining how they should work together to achieve optimal security....

Today, the world is connected like never before. Your watch is connected to your phone, which is connected to your tablet and so on. As we’ve begun to embrace this ‘smart’ lifestyle, what we’re really embracing is the integration of systems. Why do we connect our devices? The simplest answer is that it makes life easier. But, if that’s the case, why stop at our own personal devices? Connection, when applied to a business’ operations, is no different: it lowe...