Vicon Access Control Softwares

One of the responsibilities of construction project managers is to account for risks during the initial planning for a project and mitigate them. With all the tools, construction materials, and heavy machinery during the initial stages of a project, the construction site is a dangerous place to be at. However, this is not the only risk that project managers need to protect a site from. With plenty of valuables both physical and virtual within a construction site, it is also a prime target for theft and arson. Improving the security of construction sites It is important now more than ever that construction business owners and project managers invest in improving the security of construction sites. After all, security on construction sites is for the protection not only of valuable assets but also of workers and members of the public. Investing in adequate resources for construction site security can prevent several issues, including: Theft of expensive tools and construction equipment Cybersecurity breaches leading to loss of sensitive information such as invoice data Arson resulting in loss of life and property Vandalism of construction site property Trespassing by unauthorised parties and exposure to construction site dangers Risks of injuries that can result in litigation and legal claims Identifying security issues Having a dedicated security team in place is a good first step in bolstering a construction site’s security. They will be able to prevent theft, vandalism, and deter unauthorised personnel from entering the site. They can also identify security issues that can potentially arise and even respond quickly to accidents and other calamities should they occur. Having a dedicated security team in place is a good first step in bolstering a construction site’s security For a better implementation of construction site security measures, it is critical that business owners and managers assess an assessment of the site itself. This will help identify both internal and external risks that can affect the site’s security and guide project managers in putting systems in place to address them. Construction site security checklist To guide you, here is a sample template that you can use to form your own construction site security checklist.  SECURITY COORDINATION  YES   NO  1. Does the site have designated security coordinators?     2. Are the security coordinators available for contact during non-business hours?     3.  Does the construction site provide a means to contact the police, fire department, and other relevant authorities in case of emergencies?     4. Does the construction site have a written security plan, including procedures for specific scenarios?     5. If so, are construction site employees aware of the security plan?       GENERAL MACHINERY  YES   NO  1. Are all machinery adequately marked? (Identification number, corporate logo, tags, etc.)     2. Have all the machinery been inventoried? (Serial number, brand, model, value, etc.)     3. Does the project have a list of the names of operators handling the machinery?     4. Are all the machinery fitted with immobilisers and tracking devices when appropriate?     5. Are all the machinery stored in a secure area with a proper surveillance system?     6. Are the keys to the machinery stored in a separate, secure area?      TOOLS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT  YES   NO  1. Are all power tools and hand equipment marked? (Identification number, corporate logo, tags, etc.)     2. Have all power tools and hand equipment been inventoried? (Serial number, brand, model, value, etc.)     3. Are tools and equipment fitted with tags and tracking devices when appropriate?     4. Are tools and equipment stored in a secure place?      INVENTORY CONTROL  YES   NO  1. Is there a system in place to check material inventory to ensure they are not misplaced or stolen?     2. Are there procedures in place for checking materials that go in and out of the construction site?     3. Is there a set schedule for checking materials and equipment?     4. If so, do the records show that the schedule is followed strictly?     5. Are all material suppliers arriving for delivery properly identified? (e.g license plates, driver’s license, etc)      CONSTRUCTION SITE PERIMETER  YES   NO  1. Is there a physical barrier in place to secure the site?     2. Is the number of gates kept to a minimum?     3. Are there uniformed guards at every gate to check personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the site?     4. Are security warnings displayed prominently at all entry points?     5. Are entry points adequately secured? (With  industry-grade padlocks, steel chains, etc.)     6. Is there an alarm system?     7. Is the locking system integrated with the alarm?     8. Is the site perimeter regularly inspected?     9. Are “NO TRESPASSING” signs displayed prominently along the perimeter?      LIGHTING AND SURVEILLANCE  YES   NO  1. Is there sufficient lighting on the construction site?     2. Is there a dedicated staff member assigned to check if the lighting is working properly?     3. Is the site protected by CCTV cameras?     4. Are there signs posted on site indicating the presence of security cameras?     5. Are there motion detection lights installed on-site?      INTERNAL CONTROLS  YES   NO  1. Is there a policy on employee theft?     2. Are employees aware of the policy?     3. Are employees required to check in and check out company properties when using them?     4. Are staff members encouraged to report suspicious activity?     5. Is there a hotline employees can call to report security lapses and breaches?      SITE VISITORS  YES   NO  1. Are visitors checking in and out?     2. Are vehicles entering and exiting the site recorded?      CYBERSECURITY  YES   NO  1. Are the construction site’s documents and other sensitive data stored in the cloud securely?     2. Does the company have a strong password policy?     3. Are asset-tracking data accessible online?     4. Are confidential documents and data regularly backed up?     5. Are employees well-informed about current cyberattack methods such as phishing?     Security is a serious business in construction. Because of the dangers already present on your construction site, a lapse in security can have devastating effects on your business’s operations. Not only do you risk losing money in a security breach, but more importantly, you also risk endangering the lives of your site’s personnel and third parties.  Business owners and project managers need to make a concerted effort to educate employees about security and double down on their best practices for protecting their sites.

Insider threat programmes started with counter-espionage cases in the government. Today, insider threat programmes have become a more common practice in all industries, as companies understand the risks associated with not having one. To build a programme, you must first understand what an insider threat is. An insider threat is an employee, contractor, visitor or other insider who have been granted physical or logical access to a company that can cause extensive damage. Damage ranges from emotional or physical injury, to personnel, financial and reputational loss to data loss/manipulation or destruction of assets. Financial and confidential information While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organisation Most threats are derived from the accidental insider. For example, it’s the person who is working on a competitive sales pitch on an airplane and is plugging in financial and confidential information. They are working hard, yet their company’s information is exposed to everyone around them. Another type of insider, the compromised insider, is the person who accidentally downloaded malware when clicking on a fake, urgent email, exposing their information. Malicious insiders cause the greatest concerns. These are the rogue employees who may feel threatened. They may turn violent or take action to damage the company. Or you have the criminal actor employees who are truly malicious and have been hired or bribed by another company to gather intel. Their goal is to gather data and assets to cause damage for a specific purpose. While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organisation. They can cause brand and financial damage, along with physical and mental damage. Insider threat programme Once you determine you need an insider threat programme, you need to build a business case and support it with requirements. Depending on your industry, you can start with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, NERC CIP, PCI, etc. Talk to your regulator and get their input. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a programme Next, get a top to bottom risk assessment to learn your organisation’s risks. A risk assessment will help you prioritise your risks and provide recommendations about what you need to include in your programme. Begin by meeting with senior leadership, including your CEO to discuss expectations. Creating an insider threat programme will change the company culture, and the CEO must understand the gravity of his/her decision before moving forward. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a programme and support it before its implemented. Determining the level of monitoring The size and complexity of your company will determine the type of programme needed. One size does not fit all. It will determine what technologies are required and how much personnel is needed to execute the programme. The company must determine what level of monitoring is needed to meet their goals. After the leadership team decides, form a steering committee that includes someone from legal, HR and IT. Other departments can join as necessary. This team sets up the structure, lays out the plan, determines the budget and what type of technologies are needed. For small companies, the best value is education. Educate your employees about the programme, build the culture and promote awareness. Teach employees about the behaviours you are looking for and how to report them. Behavioural analysis software Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support The steering committee will need to decide what is out of scope. Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support. The tools put in place cannot monitor employee productivity (web surfing). That is out of scope and will disrupt the company culture. What technology does your organisation need to detect insider threats? Organisations need software solutions that monitor, aggregate and analyse data to identify potential threats. Behavioural analysis software looks at patterns of behaviour and identifies anomalies. Use business intelligence/data analytics solutions to solve this challenge. This solution learns the normal behaviour of people and notifies security staff when behaviour changes. This is done by setting a set risk score. Once the score crosses a determined threshold, an alert is triggered. Case and incident management tools Predictive analytics technology reviews behaviours and identifies sensitive areas of companies (pharmacies, server rooms) or files (HR, finance, development). If it sees anomalous behaviour, it can predict behaviours. It can determine if someone is going to take data. It helps companies take steps to get ahead of bad behaviour. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered User sentiment detection software can work in real time. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered. The SOC and HR are notified and security dispatched. Depending on how a company has this process set-up, it could potentially save lives. Now that your organisation has all this data, how do you pull it together? Case and incident management tools can pool data points and create threat dashboards. Cyber detection system with access control An integrated security system is recommended to be successful. It will eliminate bubbles and share data to see real-time patterns. If HR, security and compliance departments are doing investigations, they can consolidate systems into the same tool to have better data aggregation. Companies can link their IT/cyber detection system with access control. Deploying a true, integrated, open system provides a better insider threat programme. Big companies should invest in trained counterintelligence investigators to operate the programme. They can help identify the sensitive areas, identify who the people are that have the most access to them, or are in a position to do the greatest amount of harm to the company and who to put mitigation plans around to protect them. They also run the investigations. Potential risky behaviour Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful programme You need to detect which individuals are interacting with information systems that pose the greatest potential risk. You need to rapidly and thoroughly understand the user’s potential risky behaviour and the context around it. Context is important. You need to decide what to investigate and make it clear to employees. Otherwise you will create a negative culture at your company. Develop a security-aware culture. Involve the crowd. Get an app so if someone sees something they can say something. IT should not run the insider threat programme. IT is the most privileged department in an organisation. If something goes wrong with an IT person, they have the most ability to do harm and cover their tracks. They need to be an important partner, but don’t let them have ownership and don’t let their administrators have access. Educating your employees and creating a positive culture around an insider threat programme takes time and patience. Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful programme. It’s okay to start small and build.

Growing up, I was surrounded by the military way of life as my father was a Captain in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and my grandfather and uncles all served in the military. Even from a young age, I knew I was going to serve our country. My 22-year career in the military includes serving in the United States Air Force, the California Air National Guard and as a reservist assigned to an active-duty Air Force unit. Training and development operations Over the course of my military career, I held a variety of assignments from starting out as a Gate Guard to becoming a Flight Chief and Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of a Security Forces section. I retired from the military as a Master Sergeant. After my deployment to Afghanistan, I joined Allied Universal as a security director. My 17-year career at Allied Universal encompasses roles including Service Manager and General Manager at the West Los Angeles Branch and leading the Training and Development operations and Fire Life Safety Division. In 2008, I was tasked to develop and implement the company’s Healthcare Division. Attaining meaningful employment opportunities Below are just a few reasons why the physical security sector is a natural fit for military veterans: Self-Discipline and Organisation Coveted in Security Sector - I believe that the skills learned in the military, such as self-discipline and organisation, have provided the necessary tools to be successful. I truly enjoy working with other veterans at my company as we all know that we can count on each other to get the job done right. This bond and sense of commitment to each other is always there. Multi-faceted Career Paths Available - The security sector also offers veterans the ability to attain meaningful employment opportunities with multi-faceted career paths. A veteran’s background and experience are highly valued in this sector and there are many positions to match our skill sets and expertise. The responsibility we have for those in our charge is really not any different than what we have learned in the military. Team Players - Teamwork is a lesson all military veterans learn. In the military, you live and work together, and are taught to support your team members and efficiently collaborate with the people around you. This is an invaluable skill in the security sector whether you are seeking an entry level or management position. No Military to Civilian Decoder Needed - Veterans need a ‘military to civilian decoder’ system to help explain the significance of their military skills and how they translate to the general employment landscape. The physical security sector, however, understands the language of the military and don’t generally require that military responsibilities be coded into language that non-military can understand. Securing mid-level appointments The physical security sector features a wide variety of jobs from entry level, middle management to senior positions. A retired veteran with a pension may look to the security sector for part-time or full-time entry level work. Other former military, who are not eligible for retirement benefits, may secure mid-level appointments with the goal of climbing the ladder to the highest rungs. The flexibility and opportunity are unparalleled in the security sector. Veterans generally enter the workforce with identifiable skills that can be transferred to the physical security world and are often skilled in technical trends pertinent to business and industry. And what they don't know, they are eager to learn - making them receptive and ready hires in physical security environments that value ongoing learning and training.

Vicon Industries, Inc., designer and manufacturer of video surveillance and access control software, hardware and components brings a new level of convenience and simplicity to its VAX Access Control solution with today’s introduction of mobile credentialing. This new feature allows VAX customers to present their smartphones, instead of cards or fobs, to specialised Bluetooth-enabled VAX door readers. Smartphone and mobile credentialing Upon installation of a custom smartphone “wallet” app and a simple authentication process that links that app to the specific phone, users enter their personal VAX credentials into the wallet. Multiple credentials can be accommodated. No additional activation steps, such as entry of personal information or Bluetooth linking, are required. To unlock doors using the mobile credentials, users unlock their phone, access the credential within the wallet app and push the “unlock” button. Credentials are uniquely linked to each smartphone and cannot be shared or installed across multiple devices. Android and iOS devices are supported. Strong AES encryption, combined with smartphone PINs or biometrics, make the mobile credentials even more secure than traditional smart cards. Two models of contactless door readers are available; one requires immediate proximity (1.5 inches) and one with read range of up to 15 feet. The Bluetooth readers can also accommodate traditional RFID access cards, providing flexibility to administrators wishing to offer both types of solutions to employees. Access Control Bret McGowan, Vicon’s V.P. of Sales and Marketing, says, “Access control is as much about convenience as it is security. If a solution isn’t easy for customers to use, doors will remain propped open and the system can’t do its job. Our new mobile solution makes it possible for employees to always have their credentials with them, even when they’re not carrying a purse or wallet. It’s another way we are using cutting-edge technology to deliver ‘advanced simplicity’ to the security marketplace.”

Vicon Industries, Inc, designer and manufacturer of video surveillance and access control software, hardware and components, announces that its SN673V-B Cruiser PTZ Camera with 20X optical zoom and 1080p HD video has been deployed in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, as part of the Coastal Conservation League’s novel project, ‘The Pelicam.’ The Pelicam is a weather-resistant Vicon camera, mounted on a pole along with solar panels, battery back-up and a wireless transmission system, on an isolated strip of land within the harbor. Wray Lemke, Founder and Vice President of electronic and security services company Mount Pleasant Radio, volunteered his time to bring this project to fruition. Conservation league The Pelicam’s location is a popular spot for pelicans and other shore birds to build nests and raise their young because it is inaccessible to raccoons, coyotes and other natural predators. The Vicon camera’s 20X optical zoom provides close-up video of the birds, allowing biologist from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the public to witness behaviours that would not normally be observable by humans. Conservation League makes use of the camera’s presets to quickly change between scenes, live-streaming on YouTube video of the most interesting wildlife The Conservation League makes use of the camera’s presets to quickly change between scenes, live-streaming on YouTube video of the most interesting wildlife on display at any given time. Video recorded to the camera’s local SD card is available for DNR biologists to review and study. Andy Hollis, Data and GIS Analyst for the Conservation League, says, “The quality of the new camera is great. It pans and zooms exactly as it should and its high magnification gets us in really close.” Building public awareness In addition to supporting the research needs of the DNR, the Pelicam is hugely popular within the community, garnering regular coverage in the local media and receiving more web traffic than any other page within the organisation’s website. Mr. Hollis explains, “As an advocacy organization working with local and state level government to enact programs and laws to support conservation, the Pelicam is one of the most highly effective tools we have for building public awareness and enthusiasm for our mission.”

Vicon Industries, Inc., designer and manufacturer of video surveillance and access control software, hardware and components, announced the launch of Valerus 18.2, the latest version of its popular thin-client VMS solution built upon true open standards. New to this release are features that include: automated NVR failover, enhanced configuration options that include an enhanced rules engine that can respond to external events, tighter controls for system access authorisations and network-wide log collection and reporting. It also offers support for Valerus SmartAnalytics, a soon-to-be-released, tightly integrated video analytics solution that offers real-time event detection, video search and business intelligence applications. Valerus’ new NVR failover option allows administrators to create ‘failover clusters’ within the network, in which one or more NVRs are identified as dedicated failover units to support primary NVRs. Failover NVRs automatically take over for primary NVRs within their cluster, maintaining all camera and system settings until the original NVR is restored to operation. Playback of recorded video remains seamless, eliminating the need for operators to know exactly when failover occurred. Valerus automatically retrieves video from the NVR on which it resides. Valerus SmartAnalytics for event detection Valerus SmartAnalytics can analyse video from multiple sources in parallel and allows for complex detection scenarios that link detection rules from different cameras The addition of Valerus SmartAnalytics as an option for users of Valerus 18.2 brings powerful, integrated analytics capabilities to the VMS platform. The Valerus SmartAnalytics engine applies detection rules based on sophisticated AI algorithms to provide live action alerts, post-event search and business intelligence trend analysis. Valerus SmartAnalytics can analyse video from multiple sources in parallel and allows for complex detection scenarios that link detection rules from different cameras. Unlimited combinations of analytics detection rules can be applied to each camera. Events and search tools appear within the Valerus interface, providing a simplified experience for system operators. Both NVR failover and Valerus SmartAnalytics support are offered through a new ‘enterprise’ level Valerus licensing tier. The Valerus SmartAnalytics modules will be available to customers running Valerus Enterprise, version 18.2, beginning in early fall, 2018. Customers currently running Valerus Pro or Core level software can easily upgrade to Enterprise without the need for camera relicensing or hardware replacement. Improving security staff’s situational awareness In keeping with the Valerus commitment to delivering ‘advanced simplicity’, Valerus 18.2 offers a simplified but more powerful system configuration user interface. Administrators can now use the Valerus rules engine to create multi-step automated actions in response to events generated by external systems. Administrators must now actively provide each user with access to Valerus resources by assigning him or her to one or more ‘roles’ – Admin, Operator, Supervisor and/or Investigator For example, an integrated LPR system’s identification of a black listed vehicle can prompt Valerus to immediately call up relevant cameras and send a text alert to specified operators, improving security staff’s situational awareness and ability to respond quickly. The configuration interface now simplifies load balancing, making it easier to move cameras between NVRs, and provides additional navigation buttons for jumping between the device and resource screens. Enhanced security through authorisation system Valerus 18.2 offers enhanced security through an updated authorisation system. Administrators must now actively provide each user with access to Valerus resources by assigning him or her to one or more ‘roles’ – Admin, Operator, Supervisor and/or Investigator. Assigned roles determine which resources are available to each user upon logging in. For support and maintenance teams, a single request can now provide system-wide software logs from all devices, making it easier to troubleshoot. “Vicon’s Valerus VMS platform has proven to be hugely popular in enterprise applications, from citywide and statewide surveillance systems, to healthcare and education campuses, to the largest Cathedral in the world. We anticipate that the features we are introducing with Valeurs 18.2 will do much to further that trend,” said Bret McGowan, Senior V.P. of Sales and Marketing.