College security

Corps Security has been re-awarded its contract with Walsall College for a further five years following a competitive tender. The ongoing partnership involves static guarding, control room management, patrolling, and front-of-house and student services assistance across all four campuses. Security Contract Walsall College, based in the Midlands, has been rated outstanding by Ofsted and is the largest provider of courses in the borough. The college’s main campus is in Wisemore, with other sites in Green Lane, Whitehall, Cannock and Leamore. A team of 16 officers, as well as a dedicated security manager, will continue to work across the sites. Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security, said “I am delighted to be delivering security services to Walsall College for a further five years. We have built strong working relationships with the organisation and look forward to continue to work with them.”

Promoting the company’s ethos of establishing close working partnerships, CCTV design and manufacturing company, 360 Vision Technology, is celebrating a long-term technical relationship with IP CCTV and security system specialists, Check Your Security. Based in the east of England, with offices in London and Liverpool, Check Your Security offers a wide range of professional expertise and experience in delivering integrated security solutions, using best in class technology - and were the very first early-adopters of 360 Vision Technology’s Predator HD camera 10 years ago. With its founders from the IT industry, Check Your Security identified the need for professional IP services in the security industry, and today, focuses on providing highly-effective integrated digital IP security systems integration. Right from the beginning of their 360 Vision Technology relationship, Check Your Security’s management was keen to take advantage of the market leading technology 360 Vision offered. Carl Pace, Managing Director at Check Your Security explains: “To enable us to meet the current and long-term needs of our customers, we endeavour to develop partnerships with suppliers of market leading and innovative technologies.” Video Management System The close technical partnership between our companies has grown to provide many successful surveillance solutions" “Ten years ago, we wanted to secure a viable solution for one of our long term university customers, where comprehensive electronic surveillance was required on campus. Being a company with a hardware and software agnostic ethos, we turned to 360 Vision Technology and were presented with the opportunity to use the then brand-new Predator HD camera. "The camera’s superior performance meant that we could not only provide the very best imaging quality possible, but also provide on-board white light illumination capability, to add another level of safety and security for the university’s students. Due to 360 Vision Technology’s ability to listen well to our customer requirements and develop their products accordingly, we were able to assist them with on-site/real world development of the Predator product, whilst the 360 Vision Technology team integrated camera to a Milestone Video Management System (VMS) at the university. "During this time, we helped with many versions of the new camera, testing them at our head office and in the field. The close technical partnership between our two companies has grown to provide many successful surveillance solutions across a range of diverse applications, including hospitals, colleges, ports, corporate headquarters and critical national infrastructure sites.” Integrated surveillance solutions Our engineers are accredited across a wide range of products to ensure we provide reliable services"Mark Rees, Managing Director of 360 Vision Technology says: “As an acknowledged industry leader, 360 Vision is always looking to partner with like-minded electronic security companies, for the benefit of both partners and end-users. With our long-term technical relationship with Check Your Security, we are helping to ensure that end-users can enjoy a fully integrated, hassle-free security solution, and to promote ‘Best of British’ integrated surveillance solutions. "Check Your Security are a valued long-term 360 Vision Technology customer and technical partner. They’ve helped us to develop key technologies in our camera range, and apply their vast installation and application experience to assist our camera development fine-tuning.” Development and technical resource “We understand the value of knowledge and training within our team,” says Carl. “As such, all of our engineers are fully trained and accredited across a wide range of products - to ensure we provide our customers with high-quality and reliable service, with a 99% customer retention rate we believe we must be doing something right. This knowledge and experience has been a critical element in our mutually beneficial and professional relationships we with have with all of our customers." "360 Vision Technology’s in-depth development and technical resource is always available to us, with no technical issue ever too small to warrant their attention. 360 Vision’s assistance and advice is always on the other end of the phone, and I’m sure that our working partnership will continue to grow as we develop new projects together.”

Genetec Inc., a technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, announced that it will unveil new headquarters in the City of London, in the autumn of 2019. The announcement follows a period of accelerated growth for Genetec in the United Kingdom, with a significant and sustained increase in EMEA revenues over the last five years. Some of the company’s flagship customers in the UK include the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Twickenham Stadium and the University of Hull.  Paul Dodds, Country Manager, UK & Ireland, commented: “At a time when Brexit has seen many organisations reconsider their presence, Genetec is unequivocal about the role of the United Kingdom as a critically important part of the global economy. As such, we’re delighted to be opening a central London headquarters to better meet the needs of our channel partners, end users, and prospects.” Public safety applications We work with local partners to provide training, compelling educational experiences, and state-of-the-art support The new headquarters will incorporate an expanded state-of-the-art training facility, and a new ‘Genetec Experience Center’ housing innovative solutions from Genetec and its large ecosystem of technology partners. Furthermore, the office will house a dedicated research and development team focused on justice and public safety applications for law enforcement, emergency responders and local government. Michel Chalouhi, VP of Global Sales, added: “The new London headquarters will give us the perfect platform to continue to execute our UK strategy and sustain the excellent year-on-year growth that we’ve achieved globally over the past years. The security market is growing and changing rapidly. We are constantly facing new challenges, so we need to ensure we work with our local partners to provide up-to-date training, compelling educational experiences, and state-of-the-art support. Our base in London will help us do that, thanks to its fantastic location, facilities, and links.”

Armor At Hand™, manufacturer of the lightweight ballistic Smart Shield™, will be showcasing its IoT connected shields at the 2019 Global Security Exchange (GSX) beginning on Sept. 8 in Chicago at McCormick Place Convention Center, Booth 181. In addition to demonstrating the shield’s ability to withstand the impact of multiple 7.62mm high-powered rifle bullets, Armor At Hand will also be announcing its partnerships with ESRI and The School Superintendents Association (AASA) along with presenting at the New Innovative Product Competition Wed 11th at 1 p.m. Stage X. Provides physical barrier For Schools (Kindergarten – College): Offering instant protection in emergency situations, Armor At Hand Smart Shield provides a physical barrier and are designed to be discreet and easy to manage. Designed for schools, workplaces and other facilities, the Smart Shield is independently tested to the equivalent National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Level III of protection. The shields allow protection from common pistols and high-powered rifles while also blending into the surrounding area. Critical Technology: Using IoT technology, the shield comes with internet-connected electronics attached to the shield and its own mobile app. When the shield’s IoT technology detects movement of the shield, it will immediately alert other nearby shields, administrators, or authorities while also calculating a danger area and directing the user to safe zones through a guided path to safety. Adding further value, the shields are made with advanced materials all having a 20-plus year lifespan and the IoT is easily upgradeable. Allows immediate connection to authorities Smart Shield provides a significant physical barrier and layer of protection, besides being packed with modern technologies" GSX is the largest security show in the world, bringing together security professionals from all vertical markets to network, learn and re-invest in the industry. Attendees can learn more about the Armor At Hand Smart Shield and witness a demonstration of its capabilities from Chad Ahrens, Founder and CEO at Armor At Hand. “We are honoured to be a part of GSX and to bring our revolutionary new product to market. We want to showcase to the world that our product provides a significant physical barrier and layer of protection, as well as being packed with modern technologies that allow an immediate connection to authorities and guides those affected to safety,” said Ahrens. “Every second is so important - we hope that by showing our new product to the world at GSX, exchange attendees and security professionals will also see how this product can help save lives.” In addition to highlighting the IoT connected, lightweight shields, Armor At Hand is announcing its partnership with ESRI and The School Superintendents Association (AASA). Coupled with Esri ArcGIS, the Armor At Hand Smart Shield provides autonomous safety features such as: Alerts other shields on campus if one of them is moved Mapped real-time danger area and safe zones Guidance for those in harm’s way to safety with one BIG arrow Resources to assist school Delivered is assured protection, the peace of mind that help is coming, along with shortened police response times. ESRI is an international pioneer and supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software. ESRI utilises its ArcGIS mapping and spatial analytics software to meet digital transformation needs for organisations of all sizes. AASA is the premier membership organisation representing public school district superintendents across the country and the world. The primary goal of AASA is to advocate for highest quality public education for all students, as well as to develop and support the school system. Armor At Hand’s partnership with AASA speaks to both organisations’ commitment to providing resources to assist school districts before, during and after a crisis. With access to more than 12,000 school districts, AASA will enable Armor At Hand to reach the audience that the Smart Shields are designed to protect.

Everbridge, Inc., a pioneer in critical event management and enterprise safety software applications to help keep people safe and businesses running, announced a partnership with RiskBand, a provider of wearable, live-monitored safety devices for organisations and their workers. The alliance is part of Everbridge’s strategy to reach the broadest set of workers, including those that may not always have ready access to a mobile phone, such as a hospitality employee, in-home healthcare provider, or lone worker in the field. With the additional modality and simple access of the RiskBand wearable device, Everbridge is expanding its addressable market for protecting employees regardless of their physical location, whether inside the office, working remotely, or travelling the globe. Critical events such as assaults and active shooter incidents are threatening lives and causing major business disruptions. Fatal work injuries have increased over the last decade, with 5,147 occupational fatalities recorded in the U.S. in 2017. Emergency response strategy The rise in smart technology is drastically improving operations for businesses across the globe" This challenge is only magnified by an increasingly mobile workforce, as well as the prevalence of lone worker scenarios across multiple industries served by both Everbridge and RiskBand, including healthcare, banking, retail, energy and utilities, hospitality, and higher education. Designed for enterprise-level personal safety and security, RiskBand’s wearable devices bolster an organisation’s emergency communication and response strategy. A single push of a button provides two-way voice, user profile data, images, and geolocation, in near real-time to your organisation’s security operations centre. As part of the partnership, Everbridge will integrate its award-winning Safety Connection™ platform with RiskBand’s wearables, allowing both Everbridge and RiskBand customers to receive emergency messaging and provide detailed reporting of their location. The data from an employee’s RiskBand device is shared back to the Everbridge platform, allowing an organisation to deploy the appropriate emergency response. The rise in smart technology and connected devices is drastically improving operations for businesses across the globe, and bringing about new opportunities to keep people safe,” said David Meredith, CEO of Everbridge. Immediate access to phones The collaborative partnership will enable us to enhance employee safety through state-of-the-art wearable devices" “Our partnership with RiskBand is advancing our existing connected safety ecosystem, offering employees without immediate access to a mobile phone with a direct line for emergency communication that they can utilise anywhere.”  As part of the expansion of that ecosystem, Everbridge is looking to introduce additional wearables into the marketplace, and integrate further with IoT devices, sensors, and smart building technology, all to better protect employees from an increasing array of workplace threats. "It is especially gratifying that a respected industry leader like Everbridge recognises the powerful solution of the RiskBand ARIES device and platform. We believe that this collaborative partnership will enable us to empower businesses to enhance employee safety through state-of-the-art wearable devices that are fully integrated with the most comprehensive critical event management solutions,” explained Jim Van Law, CEO and Co-founder of RiskBand.      RiskBand will be fully integrated into Everbridge’s platform. Individuals attending the Global Security Exchange (GSX) conference next week in Chicago can visit the Everbridge Booth #124 to learn more about the joint offering.

Access control manufacturer Inner Range is increasing its presence in the Middle East by taking on a dedicated sales advisor for the region. The company, which has an EMEA regional head office near Reading, Berkshire, has delivered several major projects in the Middle East in recent years. Issam Alhamdan has now joined the Inner Range team as regional sales manager for the Middle East and Africa and will cover sales leads and project delivery throughout the region. Growing business opportunities in Middle East Inner Range General Manger Tim Northwood, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Issam to our team. The success of our recent projects in the Middle East and the fact we were so well received at this year’s Intersec event made it a natural progression to expand our team and take on someone to manage local sales activity and grow our business opportunities in the region. I look forward to Issam having every success.” For Inner Range, Issam will continue to work from Abu Dhabi, covering clients and business leads across the MEAIssam Alhamdan began his career in sales with Alpha Data, a security integrator in Abu Dhabi, before working with access control manufacturers for more than ten years. For Inner Range, he will continue to work from Abu Dhabi, covering clients and business leads across the Middle East and Africa. Promoting Inner Range products He said: “I’m really excited to join Inner Range. It’s a great brand and suite of products and there are already leads from potential and existing clients to follow-up. There’s already a sense of momentum and I can hit the ground running. Initially, the focus will be on promoting Inner Range products more widely by approaching security integrators and consultants to ensure they understand the power, sophistication and scalability that Inner Range systems offer.” Inner Range has been a pioneer in the design and manufacture of intelligent security solutions since it was established in 1988. More than 150,000 Inner Range systems have been installed in over 30 countries. Customers include hospitals and high-security units, colleges, distribution centres and pharmaceutical companies, government and critical national infrastructure.

Protecting against fire and security risks is an essential aspect of life for people and across all sectors. However, there is an increasing expectation and demand on fire and security providers, in areas such as education. The securitisation of our world paired with the rapid speed of communication and news updates means that young people especially have the potential to be more aware of potential dangers and threats to their own safety and the safety of those around them. Education institutions are large and sometimes sprawling sites that present considerable fire and security challenges. From kindergarten to university Each education site brings distinct challenges, with differing facilities and specialties, as well as the need to maintain the capacity of students, teachers and lecturers to study, learn and teach at the high level expected.Each education site brings distinct challenges, with differing facilities and specialties While some schools and universities are based in urban areas with a mix of heritage and high rise buildings, others are sprawled across green open spaces. Some of these sites have specialised sporting facilities, while others may be focused on engineering or scientific study, with costly technical equipment. Kindergartens and primary schools have their own unique requirements. Parents expect the highest safety standards, while schools require safety in addition to efficient facilities management. The demographic of these institutions is predominantly young children, who are often unaware of or only just learning about fire safety and personal safety. This creates a huge vulnerability and an added onus on teachers to keep their students safe. Facial recognition at West Academy of Beijing In response to this need, Chubb China upgraded the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) focusing on elevating video content analytic features, including maximised CCTV monitoring, automatic police calling, and a smart search solution. Complementing this, a facial recognition system capable of finding the exact location of a student on campus within 30 seconds was added, aided by real-time remote gate operation. This integrated and advanced system resulted won the "High Quality Educational Technology Suppliers for School" award for the WAB project at the 2019 BEED Asia Future Oriented Construction of Universities and Schools Seminar. This award recognises outstanding solution design and project execution. Parents expect the highest safety standards, while schools require safety in addition to efficient facilities management Awareness remains important at university As students graduate from kindergarten, primary school, junior and senior school, they become more aware of fire safety, relevant dangers and how to protect themselves. Unfortunately, external dangers remain. There are particularly high stakes for university campus facilities managers The safety of students in a university environment is also critical. It is often the first time young people live away from their family home and have the independence of adulthood. For this reason, there are particularly high stakes for university campus facilities managers. In the eventuality of a fire, students could be at great risk and, beyond the immediacy of physical harm, this can have serious ramifications for the reputation of an educational institution. Integrated solutions Integrated solutions must be nimble and adapted to a range of site types including campus residences, recreational areas, open spaces and lecture theatres. Chubb Sicli recently identified and overcame these challenges through the installation of a full suite of fire safety and security equipment and services at Webster University Geneva. Established in Switzerland in 1978, Webster University Geneva is an accredited American university campus that offers programs in English to students interested in undergraduate or graduate-level education.  Located in the Commune of Bellevue, just a few kilometres from Geneva's central station, the campus of Webster University Geneva includes five buildings in a park-style atmosphere. Full fire and security audit Chubb Sicli provided Webster’s fire extinguisher maintenance for over 25 years. This business relationship led to a full fire and security audit that identified the need for updates to the university’s security installation. The initial audit showed several improvements to the university’s security profile were needed.The challenge was to create and provide an effective and interconnected fire and security solution The challenge was to create and provide an effective and interconnected fire and security solution, enhancing the security of the student population and its ever-evolving needs. This included complete fire detection and intruder alarms for all five buildings, upgrades to existing CCTV systems, new video surveillance equipment and an automated fire extinguishing system in the kitchen areas. In addition to this integrated system solution, Webster University required access control for all main entrances, with the requirement that all documentation to be made available in English, because Webster is an American company. Customised solution Chubb Sicli’s quality, capability, and security expertise provided a customised solution for the unique educational establishment. Not only was the solution both tailored and integrated, the approach and planning were based on audit, fire extinguisher and emergency light maintenance, fire detection, intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance and Fire Detection. Through dedicated and integrated fire safety support, Chubb provides students and families peace of mind and security. From the moment a young child enters the education system, Chubb’s diligent and effective surveillance and fire safety systems work to prevent and protect, offering a new kind of ‘end-to-end’ service for education systems around the world.

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 avoid detonation of explosives allegedly planted on the sites. The police determined that the “form letter” threats were part of a hoax and not credible. The situation highlights the need to proactively secure access to printers in today’s networked world. SourceSecurity.com asked Ashish Malpani, Director, Embedded Solutions Product Marketing at HID Global, for insights from a technology perspective. SourceSecurity.com: What are the best practices for securing access to a printer? How widely employed are such practices (i.e., how vulnerable are most printers today?) Ashish Malpani: Most network printers in university environments are secured using several best practices. They include: Set a strong administrator password. Modern MFPs (multi-function printers) have a web interface for configuration and control. By default no password is set so it is important to set a strong admin password. Restrict network access to campus. Ensure that only campus IP addresses are able to access the printer. Disable unnecessary services. Disable services like FTP, Telnet, other network (and discovery) protocols, etc. Implement firmware updates. Securely dispose of MFPs. A recent scan at University of Nebraska at Lincoln found that, in spite of all security practices, 12 percent of printers still have open port and password issues. SourceSecurity.com: How can systems be set up to accommodate students who need access to printers from off campus (or outside the firewall)? Malpani: In the university environment, the need for off-campus print access is prevalent. One of the ways to enable this capability is to force students to connect to the university network using a virtual private network (VPN). However, this is inconvenient and doesn’t usually support printing on demand or printing from handheld devices and cloud storage. An effective way to address this issue is to deploy a secure printing solution, where the users are required to authenticate themselves before the print job is released to the printer from a centralised pool. The benefits of this approach are increased convenience and ability to print at any printer on the campus. However, most printer manufacturers support entering a PIN for authentication, and it is not necessarily secure or convenient when you want faster access. However, new innovations in secure printing have made the printers more identity-aware and rely on everyday devices such as mobile phones and wearables for authentication, resulting in secure and convenient access. SourceSecurity.com: Whose responsibility is the security of a printer? Should manufacturers be doing more to prevent unauthorised access to printers? What is the customer's role? Malpani: IT security staff is responsible for the security of the printer. Something as simple as a printer is expected to work right away after deployment. Manufacturers can do more to enforce security policies on the printer or provide modes that enforce stricter control by default. As a customer, it is critical to have print data security as part of security policy, to review the manufacturer’s recommendations for securely configuring a printer, and to find solutions that not only enhance the security but also provide convenience to end users. A compromised printer can be used to attack other applications, execute arbitrary malicious code or attack other systems SourceSecurity.com: What are some other ramifications of unsecured printers, beyond the printing of threatening materials as we have seen recently on college and university campuses? Malpani: Today’s MFPs are more than just printers. They are file servers, they can email, act as DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) servers, and have the capacity to hold large data sets. Unsecured printers risk misuse and data disclosure. In January of this year, a team of researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany exposed vulnerabilities of major MFPs, such as exploiting the PostScript and Printer Job Language (PJL) vulnerabilities to get access to the data on the printer’s files system and memory. SourceSecurity.com: How does the problem of unsecured printers relate to wider issues of network security (given that most printers are now networked)? What is the risk that printers might be vulnerable as an entry point to the larger network? Malpani: In addition, a compromised printer can be used to attack other applications, execute arbitrary malicious code or attack other systems (e.g., to launch a denial of service attack on the network). SourceSecurity.com: How does the risk of unsecured printers impact the business world or other markets (in addition to college campuses)? How are the security measures different in various environments? Malpani: The security challenges are the same in business environments but, other than the financial industry, most other businesses do not pay close attention to threat vectors emerging out of print data security. IT security departments are also concerned about network security, and the facilities worry about building security, paying little attention to the security of business systems like printers, elevators, HVAC systems etc. Businesses are increasingly turning to managed print service (MPS) providers to ensure compliance, data security as well as management of accessories like print cartridges. SourceSecurity.com: What's your best advice for customers in terms of what they should do to secure their printers? Malpani: First of all, know your customer, understand their needs and what capabilities they desire from the printing systems today. The next generation of students value convenience over privacy and security. So the IT departments across universities need to think about how to meet the needs of their customer while ensuring best practices for security and compliance. It is critical to develop a comprehensive security policy, a regular audit schedule, to secure printers according to manufacturer’s recommendation, and to invest in solutions like secure print that not only provide convenience but also enhance security. Identity-aware systems definitely handle the challenges more effectively than traditional practices going forward. So it is important that the solutions we invest in also take into account the future trends in authentication and printing. {##Poll35 - How strong are your company’s defenses against cyber threats?##}

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 integrators and others have upped their game, providing comprehensive, proactive consultations to the education market. According to the Institute of Education Sciences and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), schools continue to use technology increasingly to address security and safety challenges. Overall, there has been an ongoing increase in the use of technology in schools. For example, the NCES cites the percentage of schools that used one or more security cameras to monitor the school in 2013–14 (75 percent) was higher than it was in 2009–10 (61 percent) with other technologies on the upswing as well. PASS takes holistic security approach Security industry organisations, such as the National Systems Contractors Association, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the Security Industry Association, Silver Spring, Maryland, are working to establish realistic and effective guidelines for school security. The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), powered by NSCA and SIA, released its K-12 security guidelines in April 2015 at ISC West in Las Vegas in an effort to make technology easier to implement and help schools become safer. The PASS guidelines Define threats common to schools at each educational level Offer recommendations on parental and community involvement Detail a layered security approach that combats common threats and mitigates risks related to active shooters Provide information for integrators, school administrators, resource officers, and IT staff on technology-focused solutions like video surveillance, duress alarms, and electronic access control Deliver scalable/tiered measures that administrators can implement based on available resources and local risk levels Advance Technology, Scarborough, Maine, as well as other systems integration firms, manufacturers and consultants, is a PASS-endorsing organisation, according to Rob Simopoulos, President, working with the organisation and others to promote unified efforts. PASS recently updated the initial guidelines to include a new position statement on classroom barricade devices. "It's critical for us to be involved in programs such as PASS," says Simopoulos. "Working together as a united front in the industry, we can help schools become proactive and help them become better prepared." "The guidelines and assessment tools from PASS are not designed to simply point schools towards specific technology. They are designed to take a broader brushstroke to challenges and issues and help guide school administrators through the steps they can take in making their schools safer and more secure,” he adds. Programme gaining traction with schools According to Chuck Wilson, NSCA Executive Director and a Steering Committee Director for PASS, the response to the programme has been extremely positive, and it continues to gain traction. “We see this as a great educational tool, a resource, a way to start a technology roadmap, and a way for schools to build an attainable budget. We have been inundated with requests to download the PASS School Security guidelines, and they are beginning to be used in the field.” The next step is the creation and dissemination of a PASS assessment tool and tool kits that piggyback with the guidelines. “With the PASS assessment tool, integrators can work with school officials to find out what technology they have in place, what can be enhanced or modified to meet the guidelines,and what they can budget for. The PASS tool kits will be custom-designed for the specific audience; for example, for school administrators it might provide information on how to write a grant or respond to a school referendum bond targeting security,” Wilson says. The PASS Steering Committee will meet at ISC West 2016 to address those items.

According to the reports of not-for-profit organisation Gun Violence Archive, the year 2018 saw 323 mass shooting incidents as of November. This number is 346 for the year 2017 and 382 for 2016, with ‘mass shooting’ defined as cases where four or more people are shot or killed in the same time period and location. A variety of gunfire detection solutions and other technology approaches seek to address the problem. ShotSpotter SiteSecure and ShotSpotter SecureCampus provide critical outdoor infrastructure protection against active shooter attacks. SiteSecure delivers critical information such as the number of shots fired, a detailed map of the airport or transportation facility, with the shooting location clearly identified. SiteSecure also provides law enforcement and transportation facility management with real-time information that can be useful to identify and address false alarms and reduce mass panic. Gunfire detection and precise shooter location Designed for college campuses and K-12 schools, ShotSpotter SecureCampus provides gunfire detectionShotSpotter SecureCampus is a gunfire detection system designed to provide outdoor coverage at university and school campuses. Designed for college campuses and K-12 schools, SST SecureCampus provides gunfire detection, precise location, and number of shooters to first responders and school personnel, enabling faster response to an incident. Data capture form to appear here! Gunshot detection can offer tremendous benefits in mitigating active shooting incidents occurring in a public facility or commercial environment. Data shows that active shooter attacks often begin outside a building and then progress indoors. Thus, the first line of defence for security professionals lies outside a facility, in a zone of protection surrounding it or comprising the entire outdoor area of a larger facility of many buildings. Audio solutions for perimeter security Video cameras are effective surveillance tools in the event of a shooting incident, but they are not able to capture everything. Deploying audio solutions can automatically flag incidents not caught on camera, as well as alert central station guards of what surveillance zones need to be closely monitored. Audio analytics solutions for aggression and gunshot detection are some of the best security tools in the security market when it comes to detection, intervention and deterrence. They are the next generation of monitoring; equipping security teams with critical information and enhancing perimeter security. End users can identify high-risk situations in real-time and prevent acts of physical aggression before they happen Aggression detectors are capable of accurately recognising duress in a person’s voice. The software automatically and objectively detects the presence of rising human aggression, anger or fear, and subsequently warns staff by a visual alert or alarm trigger. As a result, end users can identify high-risk situations in real-time and prevent acts of physical aggression before they happen. Artificial intelligence to detect weapons A gunshot detector recognises firearm discharge from various firearms in different settings. Within seconds of a gunshot, the software accurately classifies and triggers an immediate notification through a designated VMS. Security staff can then verify the alert, effectively reducing the reaction time of first responders. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in object recognition, AI weapons detection offers an efficient alternative to gunshot detection to prevent active shooting: AI can visually detect guns based on their shapes before they are fired. The AI is trained to recognise firearms in different shapes, sizes, colours, and at different angles in videos, so that the AI weapon detector can be deployed with existing camera systems, analyse the video feeds, and instantly notify security staff when a gun is spotted. Audio analytics, processed inside a video camera, are another approach that can quickly pinpoint zones that security staff should focus on, which can dramatically shorten response times to incidents. Audio-derived data also provides a secondary layer of verification that an event is taking place which can help prioritise responses from police and emergency personnel. Detecting audio levels and alerting operators Operators can be notified of abnormal situations via event signals allowing the operator to take suitable measuresThe first job of a well-configured camera or camera/mic pair is to detect sounds of interest while rejecting ancillary sounds and noise below a preset threshold. Each camera must be custom-configured for its particular environment to detect audio levels which exceed a user-defined level. Since audio levels are typically greater in abnormal situations, any audio levels exceeding the baseline set levels are detected as being a potential security event. Operators can be notified of any abnormal situations via event signals allowing the operator to take suitable measures. Finding a baseline of background noise and setting an appropriate threshold level is the first step. Well configured audio analytics can deliver critical information about a security event, accelerating response times and providing timely details beyond video-only surveillance. Analytics take privacy concerns out of the equation and allow installers and end users to use camera audio responsibly. Hanwha Techwin's audio source classification technology, available in its X Series cameras, features three customisable settings for category, noise cancellation and detection level for optimum performance in a variety of installation environments.

Krowd is an app that connects people together based on geography; that is, if they are at the same place at the same time. Users sign into the app using the local WiFi, identify themselves by username, and are placed immediately in a group chat comprising anyone else at the location who has signed into the app. An enhancement of the Krowd app, known as Krowdsafe, leverages the technology to achieve and promote security and safety. Specifically, Krowdsafe enables users to interact directly with security personnel at a public place to report any crimes or security infractions and to enable rapid response. Think of it as “crowdsourcing” security – the app provides more eyes and ears to keep a venue safer. In effect, it enables each of its users to be an extension of the security presence at a venue or event. Krowdsafe improves crowd resilience. “Crowdsourcing” security – the app provides more eyes and ears to keep a venue safer Krowdsafe security app Krowdsafe also opens a channel of communication for the security team to provide ad-hoc security information reminders or messages. Krowdsafe can be used at a variety of venues, including stadiums, transport hubs, office blocks, retail malls, college campus and major events organisers. The app does not access identities, violate privacy, or track the movements of users. Other app users only know the information fellow users disclose. Still, group chats, one-on-one engagement, and other social media interactions can ensue, whether about a favourite football team or the excitement of a rock concert. The system fosters digital engagement that centers around a physical space. Krowdsafe applies those capabilities to promoting better security. Enhancing crowd safety and management The elements of Krowdsafe beat out 67 competitors to win the Defence & Security Accelerator Competition to Innovate Crowd Safety, launched by the UK Home office after terror events in 2017. Key areas of interest in the competition were to improve the detection of threats from explosives and weapons within a range of crowded places with high footfall and so reduce the chance of future attacks. Krowdsafe provides a prioritised, readily accessible and simple way for members of a crowd to communicate with a security team charged with keeping them safe. The £250,000 government award has helped the product move forward commercially at a faster pace. Krowdsafe app does not access identities, violate privacy, or track the movements of users Krowdsafe users can tap a red button, prominent on the Krowd app, that says “Report.” They may then choose from a listing of common threat types – from suspicious activity or unattended activity to medical emergency or fire services. The list is configurable by venue and corresponds to any specific threat models. The list corresponds to the nature of any situation security wants to address, such as “anti-social behavior” at a football club. Users in the crowd can anonymously report racist chanting, for example. In a children’s sporting event, the app can be used to facilitate lost-and-found children. If a child gets lost, a user can share a photo with the security team, who can alert the “public” (other Krowdsafe users) and find the child within minutes or seconds. Encrypted identifier code A user taps the “Report” button, selects an issue, and an alert goes directly to the security team A user taps the “Report” button, selects an issue, and an alert goes directly to the security team, who can respond because they have the encrypted identifier code from which the message came. For that point, the security team communicates one-on-one with the user, who can then choose to share their current location with the security team to facilitate response. (The “legitimate interest” of knowing the location negates any privacy concerns.) Once location is enabled, the security team can follow the precise positioning of threats on a map, using GPS and other technologies, or even on a three-dimensional digital map of a multi-story building. Another security benefit of Krowdsafe is prevention. Event organisers and venue managers can promote the use of Krowdsafe on posters or in announcements throughout the venue. Additional eyes and ears are the equivalent of CCTV coverage on every inch of a venue and use of the system makes the environment more hostile to mischievous, malicious and/or terrorist activity. In effect, bad guys will go somewhere else. Enhancement to Krowd app Krowdsafe is an enhancement to the Krowd app, which has been around for a couple of years and is available in app stores for iOS and Android. The app approximates in the digital world the experience of being a stranger in the crowd in the real world. Users can join a conversation based on their username, and then disclose to the crowd whatever they wish (or not). Event managers/organisers can promote hashtags to help identify others in the crowd (such as #ManUnited to identify fans of the same football team). In general, users can identify themselves (voluntarily) according to common interests using hashtags.  “Krowd is a group chat that connects people together at the same place at the same time in a group, but without anyone having to disclose personal information,” says Geoff Revill, Managing Director, Krowdthink Ltd. “You have a digital presence in the same place with other people at the same time.” Wireless connectivity Users connect initially into the system through WiFi, access to which serves to approximate presence at a venue Users connect initially into the system through WiFi, access to which serves to approximate presence at a venue. Once someone signs in, information about them is merely a grouping of “hash” numbers, which are used to identify them as they communicate with others in the location. However, the “hashing” cannot be hacked to find a user’s location, thus ensuring greater privacy. Because Krowd does not collect personal data (which is a revenue source for most social media companies), the company generates revenue by providing the service to venue owners who wish to interact with and manage a crowd. Data security Location data is considered sensitive under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and tracking locations can help to identify where someone lives, works, who they associate with, etc. By not tracking location, Krowd avoids the related privacy issues. After initially signing in on WiFi, Krowd communications can also use 2G, 3G and other cellular networks in addition to WiFi. Addressing privacy concerns is essential to encouraging involvement in the Krowd app, and in Krowdsafe. “If you want people to participate in keeping the crowd safe, you have to get their trust and respect them, that’s a building block behind the behavioral science,” says Revill. By not tracking location, Krowd avoids the related privacy issues Privacy protection Because Krowd users remain anonymous (except for the information they choose to share), user data is not collected (and/or sold or used for future marketing purposes). Krowd’s paying customers are event venues and public places that provide the Krowd service and can promote their commercial messages or provide other information to their populations while on site. Krowdsafe can provide immediate security benefits to a venue. Even if only 25 staff members use the app in a given location, for example, that’s 25 more sets of eyes and ears to help the security department. In a retail mall, if the staffs of 200 tenant businesses use the app, that’s another 500 or so people watching out for security. Among the general public, use of the app can be promoted in customer newsletters, or by posting group discussions on big screens around a venue. Wide marketing scope It enables members of a crowd to report any broken doors, water leaks or blocked toilets Security is a secondary benefit for some Krowd users, who are drawn to the app because of marketing opportunities, such as the ability to provide discounts or promotional offers to customers while they are on site. The app also encourages social media interaction, while maintaining the venue’s ability to “manage” the crowd by moderating any discussions. The Krowd app also provides management benefits to a venue. For example, it enables members of a crowd to report any broken doors, water leaks or blocked toilets. In general, the app helps to promote a better brand experience for the customer. Incident management One of the UK government’s concerns about Krowdsafe was its possible use by terrorists or other to cause incidents in a public venue. Think of the case of Olly Murs, a U.K. singer, whose mistaken tweets about hearing gunshots caused a brief panic at a department store on a busy shopping day. Might Krowd be uses similarly by a terrorist or other evil-doer to cause chaos or a distraction? No, says Revill, who points to a higher level of control over content exchanged in Krowd versus Twitter, for example. The security team can censor content or limit its propagation. They can also disable or block a user from communicating on the app. Messages containing dangerous or troubling content, such as racist terms, can trigger alerts to enable security teams to respond quickly.

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 market, where there was ‘positive year-over-year growth’ in 2018 and ‘strong’ sales in Q1 this year, according to Eric Chen, General Manager of Hikvision USA and Hikvision Canada. HikCentral central management software The company’s U.S. focus is shifting from products to solution sales, with emphasis on ‘mid-market’ small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The largest verticals are retail and education, and there are emerging opportunities in the cannabis market. Launch of the HikCentral central management software (CMS) is a component of the company’s solution-sales approach. Launch of the HikCentral central management software is a component of the company’s solution-sales approachMr. He acknowledges the growth of ‘anti-China sentiment’ in the United States and other parts of the world, which he says will impact Hikvision’s operations globally. Specifically, in the U.S., ‘political’ elements impacting Hikvision’s business include ongoing tariffs and a trade war, Congressional calls for export controls and sanctions, and a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that bans use of Chinese video surveillance products in government applications. Specifying cybersecurity initiatives at ISC West In spite of it all, Hikvision’s message at the recent ISC West show was overwhelmingly positive, and the company also detailed cybersecurity initiatives they say put the Chinese company ahead of many competitors in the industry. Eric Chen came in as General Manager last year; he previously spent a decade working for Hikvision in China. Chen reports solid 18.8% year-over-year growth for Hikvision globally, totalling $7.4 billion last year. He notes the company saw 40% compounded growth between 2010 and 2018. Globally, there are 34,000 employees, 16,000 of whom are research and development (R&D) engineers. Hikvision’s expanding global footprint includes 46 international branches. There are three manufacturing facilities in China, in addition to one in India. HikRewards program for HDP customers At ISC West, Hikvision’s theme was ‘Focus on Your Success’, including introduction of the HikRewards program that provides rebates to HDP (Hikvision Dealer Partner) customers, their core dealer base. A new online Hikvision Knowledge Library for HDPs provides training and reference materials dealers can share with employees. A new tech centre, introduced in December, provides data sheets, product information, and support resources. There is also a North American R&D team headquartered in Montreal. At the industry’s largest U.S. trade show, Hikvision unveiled a brand-new booth with plenty of open space and video walls A customer satisfaction survey launched in March provided good feedback from customers. “They know who to call if they have a problem,” says Chen. “We want to focus on making customers successful.” The success theme also extends to Hikvision employees, who are featured in videos describing their jobs and enthusiasm for Hikvision. There are some 400 employees in the North American operation. At the industry’s largest U.S. trade show, Hikvision unveiled a brand-new booth with plenty of open space and video walls. Half of the booth was focussed on solutions, especially retail and education, and also gaming and commercial real estate. Security products displayed at ISC West A variety of devices, including access control, intercoms and cameras, are integrated using the HikCentral CMS systemProduct highlights at the ISC West booth included the 32-megapixel PanoVu multi-sensor dome camera, whose 180-degree panoramic image was displayed on a 65-inch monitor. A variety of devices, including access control, intercoms and cameras, are integrated using the HikCentral CMS system. Some products new to the North American market, including intercoms, turnstiles, emergency call stations, and under-vehicle inspection, were displayed. Hikvision’s deep learning products are moving into their second generation, including the ability to obscure private information on videos to comply with GDPR/privacy requirements (previewed at ISC West and released later in the year). Algorithm components of Hikvision’s DeepInMind artificial intelligence are being adapted into a platform called AcuSense for value-priced products, which can recognise a human or vehicle and help filter out false alarms. Also being adapted to products with lower price points are the ColorVu system that incorporates visible light LEDs to provide colour images at night, and DarkFighter low-light capabilities. Penetration testing of cameras and NVRs As a global manufacturer, Hikvision faces a high level of scrutiny about cybersecurity, which Mr. Chen says is “a good thing for us,” enabling them to highlight the steps they are taking to improve cybersecurity. Chuck Davis, Director of Cybersecurity, outlined specific milestones Hikvision has achieved in its quest to provide world-class cybersecurity. Chuck Davis, Director of Cybersecurity, outlined specific milestones Hikvision has achieved in its quest to provide world-class cybersecurity In September 2017, Hikvision began working with third parties (including Rapid7) for penetration testing (ethical hacking) of its cameras and recorders. That same month, Hikvision set up a Cybersecurity Hotline open to anyone with questions about cybersecurity, including white-hat hackers and researchers. Even before that, Hikvision had an open-door policy on cybersecurity and a program for patching and disclosing responsibility. In February of 2018, Hikvision released a 40-page Cybersecurity White Paper describing cybersecurity testing and processes built into the software development lifecycle. That same month, Hikvision launched an Opened Source Code Transparency Center and offered an open invitation to anyone wanting to inspect Hikvision’s source code and let them know of any vulnerabilities. FIPS 140-2 certification by NIST Hikvision has also become a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Numbering Authority (CNA), which ensures their patching and incident reporting programs have been reviewed by a CNA partnering company. Hikvision's encryption module (HIKSSL) received Level 1 FIPS 140-2 certification to be used in both IP cameras and NVRsIn August, Hikvision received Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certification, a U.S. government encryption standard created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Hikvision's encryption module (HIKSSL) received Level 1 FIPS 140-2 certification to be used in both IP cameras and NVR products. Davis said the FIPS 140-2 certification process began before the NDAA ban on use of Hikvision products in the U.S. government, and in any case is a standard that ensures a high level of encryption. “We wanted to make sure we had the same level of technology,” he says. “It was not to win over the government.” Making industry more cybersecure “We are really trying to have third parties test and certify our equipment,” adds Davis. “We are trying to be open and transparent. Education and awareness are key.” “We need the trust of customers in the security community,” says Mr. He. “No matter what, we have to follow the highest standards to offset the concerns and accusations.” In April 2018, Davis became a member of the Security Industry Association (SIA) Cybersecurity Advisory Board to help make the entire industry more cybersecure through education, awareness and standards. Hikvision has also joined the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST at first.org), a global cybersecurity incident response consortium that cooperatively handles computer security incidents and promotes incident prevention programs. Davis has presented Cybersecurity Road Shows in 22 cities in the United States and Canada, and also in Australia and New Zealand. The 90-minute presentations focus on education awareness around cybersecurity and seek to get attendees engaged and aware about cybersecurity in business and also in their homes.

The new Student Centre at Columbia College Chicago, located at 754 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago, opened its doors in the fall of 2019. This brand-new building offers five spectacular stories of spaces for students including music and film-screening rooms, dining options, a fitness centre, a reflection room for meditation and prayer, and event spaces for meetings, performances, and receptions. According to Andy Dutil, Director of the Columbia College Chicago Student Centre, the school has taken the initiative to improve overall security, with the intention of keeping an open feel to the campus. Speedlane open turnstiles To help meet that objective at the new Centre, the architects designed the building with Speedlane Open turnstiles and a TQM manual revolving door from Boon Edam. Columbia College Chicago has a closed campus. In order to enter any building on campus students and staff must have a Columbia ID or visitors must have a valid appointment. The main entrance at the Student Centre is the TQM revolving door that leads to a public foyer that includes a coffee shop and lounge. Guards watch as people pass through them to ensure that everyone is scanning their IDs Since the turnstiles are just past the security desk at the boundary of this area, they serve as a visual and physical indicator of where the public area terminates. Next to the Speedlane Open turnstiles, which are notable because they do not have any closing barriers, guards watch as people pass through them to ensure that everyone is scanning their IDs and that the IDs are valid, in which case the turnstile shows a green light. Controlling access without being obtrusive In a situation where a red light shows and the turnstile alarms, the guard will check the person’s credentials and can try to troubleshoot the ID card. “The decision was really about what creates the least barrier to those entering and exiting the building,” said Dutil. “We don't really want our students to feel like they are overly policed or that our buildings are not accessible to them. So the design of the Open turnstiles provided the best solution in terms of controlling access without being obtrusive.” Before the Student Centre was built, students entering any campus building would just show their ID to the security officer as they walked past. The administration realised that while this does provide some level of security, it is not foolproof – particularly when many people are entering at the same time for a class. Brief learning curve The College’s head of security made the suggestion to install a system that would allow for swift passage of authorised people while maintaining accountability around who enters and exits the building. As anticipated, there was a brief learning curve for the students using the new system As anticipated, there was a brief learning curve for the students using the new system. “This was the first system like this on our campus,” said Dutil. “And the first few days that the new Centre was open were also the first few days of school. There were a lot of people new to the campus who required a bit of coaching from guards and our student staff in terms of where to place your card, and to not walk through before you place your card.” Dutil confirms that the access systems placed at Boon Edam turnstiles are actually outperforming those placed at swing doors across the campus for convenience and adoption. Benefits beyond campus security “Across the campus, there is a card reader at every swing door entrance of a building where you present your card and a light turns red or green. But oftentimes the card reader is missed, or depending on the placement of the lights and placement of the guard, it can be kind of hit or miss with students walking right by it.” “But with the Open turnstiles, they're very visible and although they're not a total barrier to entry, they are something that's right in front of you. Because it's very noticeable and not easily overlooked, the students have learned pretty quickly to get their ID out. In fact, this was meant to be a test run for the campus to ensure it would be viable and worthwhile for other buildings as well.” The turnstiles have delivered additional benefits beyond basic campus security, according to Dutil. Convenient touch panel “One of the nice things about a system like this is that we can count visitors to the Student Centre because we get the data of everybody that scans in. So on a busy day for us it's about 2500 people throughout the day. That can range depending on what's going on and what time of year it is. On weekends we're very slow, since there are no classes – maybe 900 to 1200.” There's a really convenient touch panel right at the security desk called the BoonTouch" “We are a rental venue as well, so we have times where the building is open to non-Columbia College Chicago people for events or other functions. There's a really convenient touch panel right at the security desk called the BoonTouch, where the officer can turn off the turnstiles during those times and then attendees can move through freely without any alarms going off at all.” Keeping the building warm Finally, the TQM revolving door delivers one additional benefit to the Student Centre, located in a city known for harsh weather. “Revolving doors are always preferred at a building like this that gets a lot of traffic going in and out. We have cold, drafty weather that blows right into our main space at that first floor entry. The revolving door helps to keep the building warm and saves energy and utility costs as well,” said Dutil. “Students feel safe and comfortable entering the building at night,” he concludes. “Our building has a lot of nooks and crannies, and someone can end up alone in a space. And so I think knowing that the only people that are in that building are the ones that are supposed to be there is helpful. Overall, our students appreciate the effort to try to keep them safer.”

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England, responsible for ensuring that all undergraduate and postgraduate students, whatever their backgrounds, have a fulfilling experience of higher education which enriches their lives and careers and delivers value for money. They are headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom with a workforce of around 450 people. GDPR Data Privacy Management Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), Office for Students’ predecessor, became a client of SureCloud back in 2017, implementing the GDPR Data Privacy Management Suite to support and enhance their GDPR programme. As a new organisation and a successor of HEFCE, Office for Students has been looking to mature its approach to risk management. The focus of this for the team was initially to improve risk policies and procedures, to develop internal capability, enhance reporting to show transparency and allow challenge, and to identify and manage risks enterprise-wide systematically. Effective Risk Management approach Office for Students needed a single, seamless, enterprise-wide solution to manage all aspects of risk management These improvements established a highly effective risk management approach, but the organisation soon hit the ceiling in terms of their process supporting risk systems, with technology being a limiting factor rather than an enabler. The organisation was relying on numerous disparate spreadsheets to assess and monitor different types of risk, these were inconsistent, time-consuming and error-prone. Office for Students needed a single, seamless, enterprise-wide solution to manage and monitor all aspects of risk management. Data privacy Risk Management solution Office for Students has been a SureCloud client for cybersecurity services since March 2017 and began deploying SureCloud’s governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solution in July 2017 to assist with their responsibilities under GDPR. Knowing that SureCloud also offered a comprehensive risk management solution (recognised on Gartner’s IRM Magic Quadrant), which could be tailored to their precise needs, Office for Students opened a conversation with SureCloud about how best to configure their existing SureCloud Data Privacy Risk Management solution to enable enterprise risk management. SureCloud’s Risk Management solution delivers: A central view of risk across the organisation via a single intuitive dashboard Risks organised across divisions, legal entities, business functions, and geographies The ability to provide a central repository for enterprise risk, allow the organisation to show the entirety of the risk environment and consider overlaps and interdependences A range of risk management methodologies to understand the likelihood, impact and overall risk rating Configurable drillable dashboards and reports to provide a real-time snapshot of risk at any time Centralised, cloud-based platform SureCloud’s centralised, cloud-based platform underpins the Risk Management product SureCloud’s centralised, cloud-based platform underpins the Risk Management product, allowing anyone from across an organisation deploying the application to add information at any time, from anywhere. Office for Students worked with SureCloud to configure the Risk Management application to their precise needs and was ready for rollout ahead of schedule. Rapid implementation services “SureCloud got to grips with our requirements incredibly quickly,” said Ben Whitestone, Head of Governance at the Office for Students, adding “As the only independent regulator for higher education in England, we regulate in the interests of hundreds of thousands of students, and we take that responsibility very seriously.” Ben adds, “Managing the risks we face is an important part of our governance. But with our legacy systems, we were focused more on updating spreadsheets than actually managing risk. SureCloud’s platform is enabling us to take a far more agile approach to risk management, focusing on taking action to mitigate threats and exploit opportunities, with substantial time and cost savings as a result.” Streamlined, centralised Risk Management “SureCloud’s Platform has moved us away from using a series of disparate spreadsheets and countless emails for recording risk, with all of the potentials for errors that entails, to a single, centralised source of risk information for every member of staff,” said Whitestone. He further adds, “It’s dynamic and agile, if we want to get a snapshot of risk for a particular department or function, we can.” Intuitive, user-friendly platform We are very pleased with how quickly staff can get to grips with the SureCloud Platform" “Despite us being at the start of our risk management journey, we are very pleased with how quickly staff can get to grips with the SureCloud Platform, this was a key factor for us” commented Whitestone. Whitestone adds, “They can more or less log on and go – it’s extremely intuitive and easy-to-use. In turn, this means that it frees up a huge amount of time spent manually inputting or transferring information, which is a great advantage for us.” Systems and culture working in-sync “We undertook a great deal of work to evolve our culture of risk management, to one that was far more consistent and proactive.” stated Whitestone He adds, “With SureCloud’s Risk Management solution in place, we have the systems to underpin that culture, and enable us to take a far more streamlined, agile and accurate approach to help manage risk across the organisation.”

Established by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ADA University is a state higher education institution engaged in the delivery of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in addition to research advancement. The university started the construction of a new teaching building in 2017. Its multimedia classroom required 40 square meters of LED screens to provide students with advanced and modern teaching equipment. Spread spectrum VFE technology 42 m2 PHSA1.6-MH indoor fine pixel LED screens from Dahua Technology were seamlessly spliced and installed at the multimedia classroom of ADA University. The solution features single control chip with only one IC. The product adopts spread spectrum VFE technology to achieve higher refresh rate, while its wide colour range provides excellent high restoration and color uniformity. It can also achieve high contrast, low failure rate and low light reduction. The brightness of the LED screens can be adjusted within 50-800 nits without losing grey levels With wide current regulation technology, the brightness of the LED screens can be adjusted within 50-800 nits without losing grey levels, which is applicable in different environments. A centralised power supply was also deployed to lower power consumption. In addition to providing the devices, staff from Dahua Delivery Department were also responsible for on-site installation, offering operation and after-sales training to both distributor and staff of ADA University. First LED screen project The customer was very satisfied with the successful delivery of the project. The students of ADA University can now enjoy vivid and colorful videos and images through the LED screen, bringing a pleasant viewing experience for teachers and students. As the first LED screen project in Azerbaijan, Dahua Technology’s complete solution and excellent service from pre-sales to after-sales greatly impressed the customer, and they expressed their desire to choose Dahua Technology in their other similar projects in the future. “Dahua Technology has a professional technical team, which provides us with high-quality service. We are very satisfied with Dahua Technology’s products. The professional training provided to us is very helpful for our operation and maintenance. We believe that we will continue to cooperate with Dahua Technology in the future,” said Alekberov Mukhdar, Electrical Engineer of ADA University.

Security companies provide a type of service that tends to go unnoticed except when it’s missed. Small cities and towns are increasingly growing every day mostly due to internal migration and the high prices of rent in Los Angeles county USA. Veteran Los Angeles security services company, Hillquest Security & Patrol plans to meet this growth head-on. For that reason, Hillquest has decided to expand their already wide range of action (which included more than 60 cities by 2018) to all the Orange and Riverside counties. Hillquest’s security mobile patrols Hillquest Security started to provide security guard services in Orange County and Riverside since early 2019 Hillquest Security started to provide security guard services in Orange County and Riverside since early 2019. What was initially a test venture that turned out to be really successful for the company has now became a full-service activity. Furthermore, Hillquest started to offer its full range of security options for businesses and individuals in those areas. Businesses and other entities in the OC and Riverside can now hire Hillquest’s security mobile patrols, bodyguards, security systems, loss prevention and other security services for banks, construction areas, healthcare facilities, hotels, apartment complexes, movie sets, parking lots, schools and event venues. Manned Guarding and security services "We provide security services that are perfectly tailored for our clientele," said John Bouzy, Hillquest Security owner. "Our trained, licensed expert security officers can handle any and all of our customers’ security needs. Moreover, we can do that any time of day as well." According to Hillquest Security & Patrol’s corporate website, the company is insured with a US$ 5 million policy and its officers "meet the standards set by the bureau of security and investigative services."

Universities push traditional access control to its limits. The more one asks of it, the tougher it gets. If one wants to monitor access all over campus. To know who comes and goes to computer rooms and classrooms. One would like to filter access to conference and seminar rooms according to the time — lecturers all day, cleaners and contractors after hours. Meanwhile, one wants students to be safe 24/7, without compromising the sense of freedom they enjoy on campus. Traditional electronic door security Our Aperio wireless locks integrate seamlessly with more than 100 different security systems" Mechanical lock-and-key security cannot do this. Managing keys weighs facilities staff down. Students lose them all the time, and they’re expensive and laborious to replace. The traditional solution — wired doors with card readers — is costly to fit and run. There is an alternative. “Battery-powered electronic locks with inbuilt RFID readers are a cost-effective way to upgrade existing access control and bring it to more doors,” says Lars Angelin, Business Development Manager for Wireless Locks at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. “Our Aperio wireless locks integrate seamlessly with more than 100 different security systems. You don’t even need to change your smart-cards. They fit all kinds of doors.” “And because they are battery-powered and wire-free, they’re much more cost-effective to install and run than traditional electronic door security.” It sounds great in theory. But what about the real world? These 5 universities have experienced an impact already. University of Liverpool, England A BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Excellent’ was reward for innovative architecture that combines aesthetics with environmental awareness. Vine Court’s sustainable features include rainwater harvesting, solar water heating and battery-powered Aperio wireless electronic locks. Unlike wired access control, Aperio wireless locks use little electricity. Catherine Anderson at the University of Liverpool called Vice Court ‘a new and exciting benchmark for the Student Accommodation Sector.’ Lund University Faculty of Law, Sweden Convenience is king: with Aperio wireless locks, security managers block lost cards without traipsing to every door The Law Faculty wanted to replace their access system without asking 50,000 students and staff to return existing smart-cards for reprogramming. Aperio made the process almost invisible from a user perspective. They didn’t even need to revalidate at a reader. Convenience is king: with Aperio wireless locks, security managers block lost cards without traipsing to every door. A Pacom Unison security platform handles everything seamlessly. Facilities staff spends less time on admin and more on security. Aberdeen University, Scotland At Aberdeen’s refurbished Student Village, Aperio online cylinders and certified security locks cover doors requiring different grades of security. Cost efficiencies came at installation stage — no cabling to the doors means no expensive electrical contractors — and will continue through the locks’ operational life. Unlike standard wired access control that requires ‘always-on’ mains electricity, Aperio wireless locks are powered by batteries. These typically need replacing every couple of years — and that’s it for maintenance. HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany Aperio electronic cylinders filter access to the media centre, library, cafeteria and offices A partnership between SIEMENS and ASSA ABLOY provides intelligent, transparent electronic access control at a new docklands hub for the university. Aperio electronic cylinders filter access to the media centre, library, cafeteria, seminar rooms, staff rooms, laboratories and offices. Locking with these wireless RFID devices enables the university to remain an open, welcoming space without sacrificing staff and student safety. University of Birmingham, England Two new accommodation blocks at the university’s Vale Village complex needed locks to integrate seamlessly with a pre-existing campus security system, including Gallagher Command Centre software. Aperio locks now secure almost 1,800 doors with a low-cost solution that eases the key management workload for facilities staff. Everything is controlled from the Gallagher interface. And because Aperio is scalable, they can add new doors and buildings whenever they choose.

Allegion, globally renowned provider of security products and solutions, has announced that the Schlage AD electronic locks, NDE networked wireless locks, LE networked wireless locks and MT multi-technology readers now support contactless student IDs in Apple Wallet. Allegion - CBORD collaboration Allegion worked with CBORD and Apple to enable a mobile credential leveraging the industry global standard NXP DESFire EV1 security technology to provide higher education campuses with an easy-to-implement solution for the enablement of contactless student IDs for iPhone and Apple Watch. The University of Tennessee, University of Vermont and University of San Francisco are among the first schools to leverage the solution. “A recent study from The Center for Generational Kinetics found that 95 percent of Gen Z owns a smartphone and being connected is their norm. Because of this, universities are tasked with meeting student preferences while also ensuring campus security,” said Jeff Koziol, Allegion business development manager, campus software partner. “Allegion is proud to expand its product features to provide higher education campuses seamless yet flexible security solutions, and an improved mobile access experience for students and faculty members alike.” Contactless student IDs Having contactless student IDs in Apple Wallet makes it easier and more convenient for students and faculty to access buildings like residence halls or the library, as well as make payments on and around campus for coffee, laundry and other purchases with iPhone and Apple Watch. Universities can remotely issue credentials over-the-air, and those credentials are protected by two-factor authentication and can be remotely deactivated by the student or university. MIFARE DESFire EV1 technology, supported by Allegion in this program, is the widely accepted open global standard "As an institution that values innovation, it's important to us that we are always adapting to the way students use technology to enhance the campus experience," said Chris Cimino, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration. "Being able to access your VolCard on your iPhone is one of the many ways UT is continuously improving to meet expectations for a modern campus.” MIFARE DESFire EV1 technology MIFARE DESFire EV1 technology, supported by Allegion in this program, is the widely accepted open global standard and one of the top solutions in contactless credentials. By leveraging Allegion and CBORD’s solution with DESFire, higher education campuses are now able to take advantage of an open architecture and work with various manufacturers without being locked into a siloed proprietary solution. This new capability is compatible with the following Schlage commercial solutions: AD electronic locks - Schlage AD-400 wireless locks were designed to reduce installation costs on interior access-controlled doors, such as student rooms, faculty offices, classrooms and lab spaces, while offering the adaptability to support future evolutions in technology. The AD-400 and AD-300 wired locks are available in cylindrical, mortise, mortise deadbolt and exit trim chassis options, and they integrate into popular physical electronic access control systems (PACS). NDE networked wireless cylindrical locks - NDE wireless locks integrate into popular electronic access control systems from PACS providers to bring the benefits of electronic access control deeper into university buildings. NDE packages the cylindrical lock, credential reader and access control sensors together in to a small footprint that is both easy to install on university campuses and affordable. LE networked wireless mortise locks - The LE design packages the mortise lock, credential reader and access control sensors together into a small footprint that is both elegant and affordable. They feature two sleek trim options with broad range of decorative lever choices to match the style of any residence hall. MT Multi-Technology readers - Schlage MT multi-technology readers are designed to simplify university access control solutions and allow a transition from proximity or magnetic stripe (on a physical student ID) to more secure, encrypted smart card technology or mobile credentials in the Apple Wallet. Schlage’s AD Series Locks This extended offering is the next wave in Allegion’s pursuit to work with other providers in the industry for digital credential rollout in universities. Recently, the company announced its collaboration with Transact to enable contactless student IDs in Apple Wallet through Schlage’s AD Series Locks at Mercer University.

Securing large campus environments can be particularly demanding and requires a range of technology solutions. In effect, a campus may represent a dozen or more individual facilities to be secured, in addition to protecting the overall environment. Seeking more insight into the number and variety of needs of securing a campus, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of protecting large campus environments?

The new school year is a good time to reflect on the role of security in protecting our schools. From video to access control to some newer technologies, our Expert Panel Roundtable found plenty to talk about when we asked this week’s question: How does security technology make our schools safer?