Larry Anderson's Security Beat

Amid all the discussion of security integration and end-to-end solutions on the first day of IFSEC 2016 was an undercurrent of uncertainty. The international trade show opened at ExCel London just days before the historic "Brexit" vote, when Britons will decide whether to remain a part of the European union or to exit the politico-economic fusion of 28 member states. With the Brexit referendum this week, the polls are neck-and-neck, so the vote could go either way, hence the uncertainty. If "le...

The reason for long lines at U.S. airports is that the airlines now charge fees for checked bags. It’s as good an explanation as any of why airport passenger screening lines suddenly and mysteriously grew out of control during May (and then became manageable again in June). It’s not the only explanation floating about – there’s plenty about high travel volumes, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel shortages, etc. etc. – but it’s the one tha...

A mass shooting tragedy over the weekend in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  – 50 dead and 53 wounded –highlights the random nature of violence even as it points to a number of issues for discussion in the security community. Early Sunday morning, Omar Mateen entered the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and opened fire with an assault rifle and a pistol. Three hours later, during which the 29-year-old Mateen held hostages and called 911 to declare his allegiance to the Islamic State...

  Numbers tell the story of security at the Euro 2016 football tournament which begins on 10th June in France. Here are some of the figures that reflect the robust level of protection and security in place across the country: 90,000 The total count of police, soldiers and private security agents who will be deployed throughout France to ensure the safety of the tournament. 77,000 How many police, gendarmes, and riot-control officers will be deployed. 13,000 The num...

There are many challenges currently facing the security marketplace, and I asked several industry players recently to reflect on those challenges. Their comments highlight familiar subjects to us all: The need for education. The challenge to meet customer expectations. The dilemma of combining old technologies with new ones. Security education and training Education is a big issue, especially as it relates to the transition to IP systems. “I think there are a number of integrators who...

Might the future of video surveillance include the use of intelligent contact lenses that incorporate tiny built-in cameras that can record video at the blink of an eye? It seems a little far-fetched, but it’s definitely an idea that’s on the drawing board. Three tech giants – Google, Samsung and Sony – have all sought to patent designs for intelligent contact lenses that include built-in CMOS camera sensors that record video, follow a person’s gaze and are contro...

Today’s video cameras are better than ever, now able to capture images despite low light and other impediments. But do the images always provide enough clarity for security applications and/or for video analytics? The ability to capture an image in a variety of environments isn’t the same as capturing the best possible image, says Eddie Reynolds, President and CEO of Iluminar Inc., a provider of LED white light and infrared illuminators to the video surveillance market. Better came...

The largest global event of 2016 – and the year’s biggest security challenge – will no doubt be the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Around 15,000 athletes from 206 countries are expected to compete at the Olympic games, August 5-21, 2016, and about 7.5 million tickets will be issued. In our age of terrorism, organisers of any event on the scale of the Rio Olympics must consider the possibility of an attack or other security breach during the more than two...

Recently at a conference, one of my media colleagues asked an interesting, and basic, question: What exactly is an open system? Many of us think we know what an open system is, but the ensuing discussion provided several different answers, many of them centred on what an open system is NOT (rather than what it is). An open system does not limit a customer’s options. An open system provides maximum flexibility as a system evolves over time. In other words, an open system doesn’t lo...

End users are looking to expand access control beyond its traditional role securing perimeter doors. Innovations such as wireless locks, wi-fi, power-over Ethernet (PoE) and panel-less IP architectures are yielding more flexible solutions for a larger range of locking needs both inside and at the perimeter of an enterprise. Donna Chapman, an ASSA ABLOY Integrated Solutions Specialist, notes that new technologies are increasing how many openings are secured in a building from the current 5 to 15...

No doubt about it: ISC West 2016 was a hit. Every comment I heard during the show (and since) has highlighted how busy the show was. There was plenty of booth traffic, even on the (traditionally slow) final day of the show. Some say it was the best ISC West in the last several years. Others say it was the best show ever. Quite a contrast to some other recent industry shows, plagued by meagre traffic and complaining exhibitors. Instead, there were people everywhere at ISC West, asking questio...

It seems every company is seeking to re-invent itself in our changing market. A case in point is AMAG, which has long been associated with access control. Today, AMAG’s proposition to the market is much broader than that, now also encompassing Symmetry CONNECT, a policy-based platform providing safety, security and risk management capabilities enabling organisations to manage their enterprise security functions. This spring, AMAG is introducing Symmetry GUEST, a new identity management sys...

Coming into ISC West, many in the industry had expected a renewed push toward use of mobile credentials (contained on smartphones, for example) instead of cards for access control. HID Global didn’t disappoint. A highlight of the second day of the show was a press conference in which HID Global announced new elements of its initiative to lead the industry into use of mobile credentials. Uses of smart phone credentials for identity management HID already provides SEOS mobile credentials,...

ISC West was hopping on its first day, with crowded aisles, packed booths and plenty of news to share. Much of the news consists of product announcements resulting from the rapid pace of technology development in the physical security market. It was enough to cause sensory overload. Educating integrators and end users about security technology Technology is moving so fast that it’s understandable integrators, not to mention end users, might struggle to digest it all and apply it to their...

Cloud-based video systems have been slow to take off, but a new offering being introduced at ISC West seeks to give the concept new life. Unveiling the new system is Ivideon, a provider of hosted Cloud-based video, which is joining forces with Global Innovations, manufacturer of the Oco line of smart cameras. New Oco Pro cameras are pre-configured to interface easily with the Ivideon Cloud system, and distributors and integrators who sell the cameras make money both on the camera and installat...

ISC West is on the immediate horizon, and I asked several industry players what they expect new and different at the industry’s big show. The answers included buzz-worthy topics from Big Data to the Internet of Things, but also mention of a perennial industry theme – integration. Video embracing social media? Tom Chamard, Executive Vice President of Sales, Salient Systems, expects social media to emerge as a larger topic of interest at ISC West, especially considering how social...

Heightened security is the watchword throughout Europe and around the world after the recent dual terror attacks in Brussels. Two explosions at Brussels’ Zaventem airport were followed an hour later with a third bomb at the Maelbeek Metro station, just 100 metres (about 300 feet) from the headquarters of the European Union. In all, 35 people died (including three suicide bombers), and more than 300 others were injured, 62 critically. Raised security levels worldwide In Belgium, flights w...

It’s common knowledge today that sitting all day is bad for your health. Researchers have found that the negative impact of excessive sitting can even outweigh the benefit we get from exercise. Many of us have seen the long list of negative health effects of sitting at work. But what about all those security control room operators, perpetually vigilant, and perpetually tied to their stations? New sit-stand workstations are providing a solution, and the new stations are more popular than...

Community was the big buzz-word at this year’s Milestone Integration Platform Symposium (MIPS). The folks at Milestone are long-time proponents of open systems, and presenters at MIPS 2016 described an expanded vision of how the Milestone video management system (VMS) platform can spur innovation in the market. Their “Open Platform Community” vision involves more interaction and technology development, both between Milestone and its partners (including third-party manufacturer...

Lower-cost thermal cameras are becoming attractive for more applications every day. Thermal cameras have long been known for their ability to “see in the dark” by sensing temperatures of objects and displaying a video image of temperature variations, but previously their high costs limited their appeal to mostly high-end or military applications. Now lower costs are expanding the possibilities. In particular, combining thermal cameras with video analytics drastically lowers the num...

Samsung Techwin is changing its name to Hanwha Techwin. The move comes a little more than a year after Korean conglomerate Hanwha Holdings acquired the largest share of the company from Samsung Holdings in late 2014. However, use of the Samsung brand on the company’s cameras and other products will continue for now. “Eventually we want to make it our own brand,” said Tom Cook, vice president of North American sales. “Samsung carries some weight in the user mentality....

In a year of mega-deals impacting the security marketplace, one of the big news stories recently was a deal that did not happen – between giants Honeywell and United Technologies (UTC). Financial news pages have been full of the back-and-forth between these two companies. It seems Honeywell wanted to merge with UTC, but UTC declined because of “insurmountable regulatory obstacles and strong customer opposition.” So the deal is off, at least for now. Impact on the security mark...

Many companies are considering carefully the possible risks of business travel to the areas most impacted by the Zika virus, and others may have facilities located in affected areas. What is the Zika Scare? Transmitted by mosquito bite, the Zika virus can cause a fever that typically involves minor symptoms. There is an additional risk to pregnant women as Zika fever has been linked to incidences of microcephaly (a neurodevelopmental disorder) in newborn babies through mother-to-child transmi...

A spirit of cooperation pervades this week's 11th annual Milestone Integration Platform Symposium (MIPS) conference, the largest-ever such event with more than 500 attendees at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. MIPS is Milestone’s educational and networking event for its IP video surveillance and integration partners. New approach for security partners "We have reached the defining moment in our ecosystem," said Lars Thinggaard, Milestone President and CEO. "We must seize...

2016 is shaping up to be the year of the billion-dollar merger in the security market. After last month's mammoth Tyco/Johnson Control merger, a second big merger has rocked the market, this one involving one of the most familiar names in the consumer market – ADT. The home and small business security company, which traces its history back to 1874, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, and will merge with competitor Protection 1, a subsidiary of Apollo-...

Sports security has always played a crucial role in securing major sporting events around the world. Ensuring the safety of millions of spectators who throng the venues during such events is not an easy task. Apart from the usual surveillance cameras and barricades that are put into place, to prevent overcrowding and stampeding, other security measures are also implemented. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year in the United States, so no wonder it’s also a huge event fo...

I suspect that many people – especially travellers – associate the idea of “security” with what they see at the airport screening line. If that’s the case, our market’s image suffers from the association. I’m not sure what that is, that happens at airport screening gates, but I don’t think it’s security. Rather than actual security, the practice seems aimed more at making the travelling public feel safer (if that’s possible even as th...

As industry consolidation continues, we can expect a number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the next several months, but the first M&A story of 2016 is a whopper. This week, Johnson Controls and Tyco have announced their merger into one company with annual revenue of $32 billion. The new Johnson Controls will be almost a direct reflection of one of the industry’s biggest trends – the move toward technology convergence and smart buildings. Johnson Controls has previousl...

Access control and video systems have always yielded a lot of data, although historically much of it has been stored on hard disk drives and later overwritten and/or dumped. A new trend is to compile that data over time, organise it, analyse it and then use it to provide insights into how the enterprise operates. Analysing data from different sources and departments It’s part of a trend called Big Data, but so far its use in the physical security market has been limited. One company tha...

Politics will be dominating current events in 2016 in the United States, building up to the Presidential election in November. Given the Presidential primaries coming up soon, almost everything – including security – is being seen through a political prism. With the recent San Bernardino attacks, the focus has once again shifted to protection of citizens against terrorist attacks. Government surveillance, such as monitoring of suspected terrorists or individuals has always been a con...