Larry Anderson's Security Beat

Facial recognition has seen huge breakthroughs since the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) first began testing in 2010. Accuracy has seen massive gains, especially from 2013-2018. In the 2018 test, the most accurate algorithm was 20 times more accurate than the 2013 equivalent. Essentially, 95 percent of the matches that failed in 2013 now yield correct results. Compare that to 2010-2013, when the most accurate algorithm reduced its error rate by 30 percent. This reduc...

Coming off a successful ISC West show, Honeywell is sharply focussed on product development, with an emphasis on advanced software. “We have a strong new product pipeline this year – more than two times the number of products than we’ve released in the past several years,” says Luis Rodriguez, Director of Product Marketing, Honeywell Commercial Security. “At ISC West, we received a lot of interest in how AI and new security systems are changing the market.”...

Deploying security robots at a company is about more than providing and programming the hardware. There is also an element of “change management” involved in smoothing the way for robots to play a security role working side-by-side with human counterparts. Rising popularity of security robots As security robots increase in popularity, more companies are adapting to such cultural challenges "As security robots increase in popularity, more companies are adapting to such cultural cha...

The mindset behind a new law to prohibit the use of facial recognition and other security-related technologies by San Francisco police and other city agencies is obvious in the name of the new ordinance: “Stop Secret Surveillance.” Ordinance to stop secret surveillance The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance 8-1 with two abstentions on May 14, and there will be another vote next week before it becomes law. We have an outsize responsibility to regulate the exces...

The Electronic Security Expo (ESX) will be held at the Indiana Convention Center, June 3-6, in Indianapolis. The show focusses exclusively on the electronic security and life safety industry, including companies that service the connected Internet of Things (IoT) space for homes and businesses. The ESX Main Stage will highlight inspirational presentations from motivational speakers, Dr. Rick Rigsby and Kevin Brown. In addition, there will be a founder of a drone security company and an Entrepre...

Nexkey says its mission is to disrupt the access control market and ‘change the way people experience access to physical places’. The startup is embracing the latest buzzword for access control – frictionless – while also enabling electronic access control for doors currently protected by mechanical locks. The system is simple with only three components – a controller, an electronic replacement lock core, and a smart phone app. The ‘controller’, a combi...

Knightscope’s long-term mission is to “make America the safest country in the world,” says William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO. “The company was started six years ago as we had grown tired and horrified by the ongoing violence in our country and decided to do something about it.” But are security robots the solution to crime and violence in the United States? “There are 2+ million law enforcement and security professionals trying to secure 328+ million peopl...

Managed services provided through the cloud offer multiple advantages for system integrators. These include: Increased recurring monthly revenue: Managed services are a new business model that generates more stable and predictable income streams for integrators. Stickier customers: Managed services foster a more involved relationship between integrators and their customers, which can help boost customer retention. The cloud enables integrators to serve more sites without hiring additional t...

Virtualisation offers multiple benefits to video surveillance systems, but the technology has been slow to adapt to the needs of video. However, the tide is turning. At ISC West, BCDVideo introduced a hyperconverged infrastructure tailored to video surveillance (HCI-VS) that answers the demand for higher and more efficient operating performance while also lowering the total cost of ownership for the integrator and end user. Hyperconverged infrastructure solution “ISC West attendees were...

Despite any negativity you may hear, Hikvision is optimistic about their role in the U.S. market. “We demonstrate that we can be trusted, and that we should be trusted,” says Jeffrey He, Vice President, Hikvision, and President, Hikvision USA and Hikvision Canada. “We have sound products and technology. Our mission in the security industry is to protect, not to harm. Otherwise why would we be in this industry?” Hikvision is committed to investing in the North American m...

Lack of cybersecurity of video systems made headlines in 2016. The Mirai cyberattack that year impacted Internet service on the East Coast of the United States and kept several high-profile websites offline. Cybersecurity attacks later in the day were more global in nature. The cyberattacks were carried out by a botnet, a network of bots, which are software applications (in this case, computer viruses) that communicate with each other and run tasks automatically over the Internet. IP-enabled c...

Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), simply stated, is a cloud-based video surveillance solution that is packaged and delivered as a service over the internet. The price varies depending on the features of the plan (i.e. number of cameras, amount of storage, software features, etc.), and customers pay a monthly subscription price to use it. Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are installed at site locations, and the video is captured and streamed to a service provider’s data centre via an i...

In today’s technology-driven markets, a platform is a business model that connects producers and consumers in an interactive ecosystem. Some examples of platforms are Uber and Airbnb, which have disrupted and transformed traditional markets. Isn’t it time to deploy the platform model in the physical security industry? That’s the goal of the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), a non-profit organisation. Interactions and exchange The book ‘Platform Revolution&rsqu...

Cybersecurity involves a variety of risks and vulnerabilities to the enterprise, from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to phishing to USB drives. Companies may also be at risk from use of interactive kiosks, or even from cyberattacks against traveling executives. Preventing phishing and cyberattacks The 'Management Hack' service is designed for C-level executives, such as CEO, CFO or event CIO Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to gain sensitive information such as user names, passw...

As physical security systems increasingly resemble the architecture of an IT (information technology) network, the cybersecurity risks are increasing. Sometimes hacks in physical security go unrecognised because of poor detection. Here's part two of our Cybersecurity series.  Going forward, the physical security industry should adopt the same principles as the information security market, embracing new elements such as risk assessment and certifications. A change in culture is needed to al...

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, present a range of threats, from the careless and clueless to the criminal. While many incidents may seem harmless, the threat to any location at any time depends on a range of factors. Drones are inexpensive for criminals to buy or make, and there are continuously improving battery, airspeed, and payload capabilities. UAVs can also fly without an RF signal to jam or hack. Fortunately, sensor technologies including radar are available for security ag...

Simultaneous suicide bombings at several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on April 21 were of a scale, sophistication and level of coordination that hasn’t been seen since 9/11. Nine suicide bombers targeted three churches and three hotels on Easter morning, and the resulting casualties numbered 359 dead, including 45 children, and about 500 injured. The complexity of the attacks suggests the bombers received help from an outside organisation, likely the Islamic State (IS). Sadly, securit...

Cloud platforms and applications are becoming prevalent across security solutions. In the simplest terms, cloud systems store and access data and programs over the Internet instead of using an on-premises computer server. The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. This technology helps security integrators provide managed services and the advantages of off-site systems and services to customers, which is why cloud computing is often mentioned among the 'megatrends' in the physical security indu...

Terrorism is amongst the more unyielding security threats worldwide, but a report on global terrorism from the Institute for Economics & Peace, Sydney, Australia, provides reason for optimism, especially outside the world’s terrorism hot spots such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Europe is the region with the biggest improvement from the impact of terrorism and has recorded a marked fall in terrorist activity. The number of deaths in Western Europe fell from 168 in 2016 to 81 in 2017. Turkey...

Cybersecurity has become a major element – and a major source of discussion – in the physical security marketplace as a result of the rise in networked systems. And we may still not be talking enough about cybersecurity. Here is part one of our Cybersecurity series. “Cybersecurity requires everyone in the security industry to be playing offense and defense at the same time, every single day,” says Bill Bozeman, President and CEO of PSA Security Network. “It needs t...

The excitement of ISC West 2019 continued until the very end – almost. Exhilarated by the first two busy days of the show, attendees and exhibitors seemed to welcome a slower third day. There were no complaints about booth traffic, and still plenty of thoughtful conversations taking place, everyone determined to maximise the value of face time with customers until the last second. Building an IoT ecosystem in SAST At a show lacking in high-profile new technology announcements, the bigges...

There are many new technologies at ISC West this year. There are also some tried-and-true solutions on display. More mature products have the benefit of being fully vetted and battle-tested, which may make them a more comfortable choice for security customers. I had a couple of discussions on Day 2 of the show about the advantages, and possible drawbacks, of new products. “To a security director, when you say ‘new,’ he translates that into ‘risk,’” says Bill...

Delivering on high expectations, the first day of ISC West 2019 kicked off with a crowded Sands Expo Center and exhibitors putting forward their best new technologies. Developments seemed more evolutionary than revolutionary, but attendees quickly found plenty of interest. Thermal cameras Hanwha Techwin also showed off a new Android camera that can deploy new apps The largest booth at ISC West, Hanwha Techwin, remained crowded throughout the first day as attendees checked out the company&rsqu...

Attendance has been growing steadily year-over-year for ISC West, and the 2018 show exceeded 30,000 total industry visitors for the first time. So it’s safe to expect ISC West 2019, April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, will be bigger than ever. Preregistration for the 2019 show is on track to bring even more visitors than last year. “This is a show for everyone, for converged security,” says Mary Beth Shaughnessy, Event Director for Reed Exhibitions. “We bring a l...

Safety and Security Things GmbH (SAST) will be both a first-time exhibitor at ISC West and also feature a larger booth – 1,800 square feet. The Bosch startup is looking to make a big splash in its first-time appearance at the largest security trade show in the United States. The International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC West) will be held April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Founded in September 2018 and based in Munich, Germany, SAST is building a new Internet of Thi...

Effective access control can be achieved without the use of cards using a new generation of secure facial authentication enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Alcatraz AI is introducing a system that deploys a sensing device, about the size of a badge reader, with multiple colour and infrared cameras that can detect facial features and confirm an identity. Real-time 3D facial mapping avoids anyone using a photograph, video or mask to spoof the system and confirms there is a r...

MIPS (Milestone Integration Platform Symposium) Copenhagen 2019 saw Milestone Systems double down on the ‘creating an intelligent world’ theme from 2018 and expand it to ‘exploring an intelligent world.’ “The intelligent world theme was bigger than we could cover in one year!” said Malou Toft, VP of EMEA at Milestone Systems. Isolate important events With 865+ registered attendees and more than 47 exhibiting partners in Denmark, this is the largest Communit...

The Emerging Technology Zone (ETZ) at ISC West welcomes new startups to the security industry; a requirement for exhibitors is that they have been in business for five years or less. This year, the ETZ will be in the Venetian Ballroom, a new section at ISC West 2019, incorporating companies that were previously featured in the “Global Expo” area along with mid-sized domestic companies and the return of the successful Emerging Technology Zone section. Now located in the Venetian Bal...

Recent technology advances – from the cloud to artificial intelligence, from mobile credentials to robotics – will have a high profile at the upcoming ISC West exhibition hall. Several of these technologies were recently designated by the Security Industry Association as the Top 8 security technologies for security and public safety. Some of them will also be a focus at the ISC West conference program, SIA Education@ISC, April 9-11 at the Sands Expo Center. This article will highligh...

ISC West in Las Vegas is the first of several major security trade shows planned for 2019 as part of the Reed Exhibitions ISC Security Events portfolio. Next up will be Expo Seguridad México in May in Mexico City, followed in June by ISC Brasil in Sao Paolo, and ISC East this fall in New York. Expo Seguridad México, May 7-9, will serve the important Mexican market for security goods and services. In Mexico City alone, a large population translates into plenty of buildings and fac...