Cyber security

Businesses across the UK have criticised the security testing industry for being too expensive, with a new report highlighting that firms are spending more than £6.6bn annually protecting critical assets from cyber-attacks. AVORD security testing platform Research from AVORD – a revolutionary new security testing platform – puts the spotlight firmly on the security testing market Research from AVORD – a revolutionary new security testing platform – puts the spotlight firmly on the security testing market, which is dominated by consultancies that provide services to businesses, sometimes at twice the daily rate of an independent tester. And with 77% of UK businesses claiming the cost of testing is too expensive, there is a clear demand for change. The need to use external consultants is driven by the fact only one in five (21%) UK businesses have sufficient, in-house, employee skills and knowledge to carry out security testing – most of which are major organisations with more than 750 employees. When homing in on SMEs, the figure falls to just 1%, with businesses almost exclusively (95%) outsourcing the testing of security controls for its critical assets. Security testing Three in four businesses are currently initiating security testing to comply with organisational operating practices and standards, such as ISO 27001, ITIL, ISF's Standard of Good Practice for Information Security and public sector guidelines. However, most firms taking part in the study said that determining the risks associated with a sensitive data breach (72%) and cost (72%) were major challenges when it comes to conducting tests. The complexities and lack of security testing knowledge were also cited as key issues, with seven in 10 revealing ‘identifying when in the development process to test’ and ‘what kind of testing was required’ as further challenges. As a result, more than three quarters of businesses (82%) are now outsourcing security testing on their critical assets at considerable expense. Surge in cyberattacks in the UK  Of those hit by a cyber-attack, 95% reported that the breach occurred partly or totally as a result of issues with the security testing process Worryingly, 33% of UK businesses have battled an online security breach in the past 12 months, which have directly hit their bottom lines, lost them customers and damaged their brand reputations. Of those hit by a cyber-attack, 95% reported that the breach occurred partly or totally as a result of issues with the security testing process. Over the past five years the majority of companies have seen a major increase in the number of data breaches: a quarter reported an increase of between 10% and 20%, one in 10 reported an increase of between 30% and 40% more, while more than a half reported up to 10% more data breaches. Security testing prices to be slashed AVORD promises to slash the price of security testing and make it simpler and more accessible. Its free online platform will bring 1000s of highly qualified security testers together with businesses. The brainchild of two career security professionals, who have seen the market monopolised by major consultancies, it will enable companies to reduce their costs by 30-40%. The new platform will also allow security testers to sign up for free, enabling them to stay independent and charge their normal day rates. They will, for the first time, have a place where they can receive contract offers from clients around the world who have specific requirements that match their skillset. Tracking of security tests AVORD has been designed to disrupt the current security testing model by cutting out the costly ‘middle-man’ consultancies" The unique online security testing platform cuts out the expensive middle men, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can protect their businesses against future threats. Free to use, AVORD provides automated scheduling and tracking of security tests, delivering an instant view of all tests across an estate through a fully interactive risk and reporting dashboard. Brian Harrison, founder and CEO of AVORD, said “Quite simply, security testing has become too expensive for many UK businesses. Companies are struggling to cope with the ever-increasing threats impacting on their attempts to secure systems at current costs. Unless something changes, businesses will be forced to cut corners, and this will inevitably mean there are more data breaches and system outages.” “AVORD has been designed to disrupt the current security testing model by cutting out the costly ‘middle-man’ consultancies and allows businesses to directly manage and engage security testers. This means that whereas industry currently pays up to £1,100 per day for cyber security testing, that cost will be reduced to approximately £600, collectively saving UK businesses around £3bn annually.”

ANSecurity, a specialist in advanced network and data security, has announced a successful project with Gemalto to help Trustology deliver innovative Blockchain technology used to secure digital assets. Blockchain has become a hot technology concept but 2019 will be the year that its adoption will start to enter the wider market beyond crypto currencies. ANSecurity is working with a UK pioneer to ensure that security is at the forefront. Key protection against cyber and physical threats TrustVault combines un-matched private key protection against cyber and physical threats with low latency executionTrustology, recently featured in the FinTech50 Hot 10 list for 2018, is developing technology and services to help private and institutional clients secure digital assets. Its first product, TrustVault, is a step change in key management. It combines un-matched private key protection against cyber and physical threats with low latency execution, by safekeeping private keys and control codes inside tamper-proof, programmable hardware security modules hosted in secure data centres, with encrypted backups in the cloud. To deliver its breakthrough solution, Trustology has worked closely with Gemalto, and systems integrator ANSecurity to help build an innovative solution that uses Gemalto Hardware Security Modules (HSM). Trustology has created a bespoke solution that has its software embedded within the HSM, a dedicated crypto processor that is specifically designed for the protection of the crypto key lifecycle, which uses blockchain to further strengthen and scale its advanced cryptographic infrastructure service. Expediting technical assistance ANSecurity has provided value-added services acting as a trusted partner to facilitate the development processAlongside managing procurement of HSM modules, ANSecurity has provided value-added services acting as a trusted partner to facilitate the development process. ANSecurity consultants have offered product and solution recommendations and worked on Trustology’s behalf to expedite technical assistance during the development process. As a result, Trustology is now in the process of initiating several additional projects with ANSecurity throughout 2019. “ANSecurity has been a valuable part of the extended team that is helping us go from start-up to production-ready,” said Dominic Longman, Head of Product for Trustology. “As a cutting-edge product for securing digital assets, it is essential that our entire security infrastructure is fit for purpose and ANSecurity is playing a pivotal role in helping us to achieve and maintain this goal.”

Radware, a provider of cybersecurity and application delivery solutions, announced it has released its 2018-2019 Global Application and Network Security Report, in which survey respondents estimate the average cost of a cyberattack has climbed to $1.1M. For those organisations that calculate (versus estimate) the cost of an attack, that number increases to $1.67M. Cyberattack impact The top impact of cyberattacks, as reported by respondents, is operational/productivity loss (54%), followed by negative customer experience (43%). What’s more, almost half (45%) reported that the goal of the attacks they suffered was service disruption. Another third (35%) said the goal was data theft.  “This year we’ve seen a real shift in the impact an attack has on a company financially and it’s especially interesting that more companies are taking the time to calculate the loss not just estimate it. That’s not surprising given how volatile economies are at the moment. Understanding the impact of downtime on productivity as well as sales and consumer trust is essential to justify spending money on protecting the business in the future, and staying competitive,” said Jeff Curley, head of online and digital for Radware UK, Ireland and the Nordics. Rise in the number of attacks 78% of respondents hit by a cyberattack experienced service degradation or a complete outage, compared to 68% last yearWhile the cost of attack mitigation continues to rise, so does the number of organisations under attack. Most organisations have experienced some type of attack within the course of a year, with only 7% of respondents claiming not to have experienced an attack at all. Twenty one percent reported daily attacks, representing a significant rise from 13% last year. Not only are attacks becoming more frequent, they are also more effective: 78% of respondents hit by a cyberattack experienced service degradation or a complete outage, compared to 68% last year. Even with these numbers, 34% of respondents do not have a cybersecurity emergency response plan in place. Other key findings of the report include: 43% of respondents reported negative customer experiences and reputation loss following a successful attack. Data leakage and information loss remain the biggest concern to more than one-third (35%) of businesses, followed by service outages. Hackers increased their usage of emerging attack vectors to bring down networks and data centres: Respondents reporting HTTPS Floods grew from 28% to 34%, reports of DNS grew from 33% to 38%, reports of burst attacks grew from 42% to 49%, and reports of bot attacks grew from 69% to 76%. Application-layer attacks cause considerable damage. Two-thirds of respondents experienced application-layer DoS attacks and 34% foresee application vulnerabilities being a major concern in the coming year. More than half (56%) reported making changes and updates to their public-facing applications monthly, while the rest made updates more frequently, driving the need for automated security. 86% percent of surveyed businesses indicated they explored machine-learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Almost half (48%) point at quicker response times and better security as primary drivers to explore ML-based solutions. ML and AI provide effective defence system It’s no surprise that ML and AI are growing in popularity. They are a way to provide defences that are effective 100% of the time"Jeff adds, “It’s a worry to see that a third of companies suffered data loss last year as I suspect a good proportion included personal data. The public is now far more aware of the risks of handing over information and the long-lasting impact to their lives if their data is caught up in a breach. Hackers will continue to exploit this, and I expect to see more and more automated attacks, especially those that target applications in the future. He adds: “It’s no surprise then that ML and AI are growing in popularity. They are a way to provide defences that are effective 100% of the time. Companies that fail to invest in these new technologies, will suffer the consequences.” Radware’s Global Application and Network Security Report, now in its eighth year, is a cross-industry report compiled by Radware’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), leveraging vendor-neutral survey data from 790 IT executives spanning several industries around the globe, Radware’s hands-on experience handling today’s leading threats, as well as third-party service provider commentary.

VIVOTEK, the global IP surveillance provider, will showcase its latest IP surveillance solutions at Intersec Dubai 2019, taking place from January 20 to 22 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. As well as presenting its cybersecurity strategy, Security-within-Security, VIVOTEK will display the latest development in cybersecurity solutions, deep-learning technology, and 180-degree solutions at its booth (#SA-B33). These three highlights will be introduced by VIVOTEK at Intersec Dubai 2019: Security-within-Security Cybersecurity Solutions: Recognising the emergent threats to cybersecurity, last year VIVOTEK launched the world’s first IP surveillance cameras embedded with Trend Micro anti-intrusion software. Building on previous achievements, VIVOTEK now offers complete cybersecurity protection for cameras and network video recorders (NVR), both of which are guarded by Trend Micro IoT Security. Moreover, management capability in its video management software (VMS) VAST2 has been upgraded. This new protection brings a number of benefits to users, including levelling-up cybersecurity management, seamless multi-layer protection, instant alert notification, and an interactive dashboard for event reports. VIVOTEK aims to provide users not only security, but smart technologies that bring more added value to the observation and analysis of human behaviourPeople Detection Deep-learning technology: VIVOTEK aims to provide users not only security, but smart technologies that bring more added value to the observation and analysis of human behaviour. To achieve this goal, it has developed a series of smart video content analysis based on People Detection deep-learning technology, such as Crowd Detection, Heat Map, Smart Motion Detection, and Smart Search II. With People Detection functionality, only activities of persons will trigger an event, significantly reducing false alarms and improving the total accuracy of video analysis in ever-changing environments. See More in Smarter Ways with 180 Degree Solutions: VIVOTEK will showcase the latest 180-degree panoramic cameras that offer a wide range of vertical field of view and IR distances, including the new H.265 four 5-megapixel IR 30 meters multi-sensor camera, MS9321-EHV; the H.265 dual 4-megapixel IR 20 meters multi-sensor camera, MS9390-HV; and the compact 3-megapixel IR 15 meters network camera, CC8371-HV. These professional day and night cameras are perfect for applications that demand wide coverage. Not only do they maximise the field of view but also reduce the total number of cameras required, helping to minimise both the cost and time spent on installation.

With the coming of a New Year, we know these things to be certain: death, taxes, and… security breaches. No doubt, some of you are making personal resolutions to improve your physical and financial health. But what about your organisation’s web and mobile application security? Any set of New Year’s resolutions is incomplete without plans for protecting some of the most important customer touch points you have — web and mobile apps. Every year, data breaches grow in scope and impact. Security professionals have largely accepted the inevitability of a breach and are shifting their defense-in-depth strategy by including a goal to reduce their time-to-detect and time-to-respond to an attack. Despite these efforts, we haven’t seen the end of headline-grabbing data breaches like recent ones affecting brands such as Marriott, Air Canada, British Airways and Ticketmaster. App-level threats The apps that control or drive these new innovations have become today’s endpoint The truth of the matter is that the complexity of an organisation’s IT environment is dynamic and growing. As new technologies and products go from production into the real world, there will invariably be some areas that are less protected than others. The apps that control or drive these new innovations have become today’s endpoint — they are the first customer touch point for many organisations. Bad actors have realised that apps contain a treasure trove of information, and because they are often left unprotected, offer attackers easier access to data directly from the app or via attacks directed at back office systems. That’s why it’s imperative that security organisations protect their apps and ensure they are capable of detecting and responding to app-level threats as quickly as they arise. It’s imperative that security organisations protect their apps and ensure they are capable of detecting and responding to app-level threats as quickly as they arise In-progress attack detection Unfortunately, the capability to detect in-progress attacks at the app level is an area that IT and security teams have yet to address. This became painfully obvious in light of the recent Magecart attacks leveraged against British Airways and Ticketmaster, among others. Thanks to research by RiskIQ and Volexity, we know that the Magecart attacks target the web app client-side. During a Magecart attack, the transaction processes are otherwise undisturbed Attackers gained write access to app code, either by compromising or using stolen credentials, and then inserted a digital card skimmer into the web app. When customers visited the infected web sites and completed a payment form, the digital card skimmer was activated where it intercepted payment card data and transmitted it to the attacker(s). Data exfiltration detection During a Magecart attack, the transaction processes are otherwise undisturbed. The target companies receive payment, and customers receive the services or goods they purchased. As a result, no one is wise to a breach — until some 380,000 customers are impacted, as in the case of the attack against British Airways. The target companies’ web application firewalls and data loss prevention systems didn’t detect the data exfiltration because those controls don’t monitor or protect front-end code. Instead, they watch traffic going to and from servers. In the case of the Magecart attacks, the organisation was compromised and data was stolen before it even got to the network or servers. Today’s proven obfuscation techniques can help prevent application reverse engineering, deter tampering, and protect personal identifiable information and API communications Best practice resolutions The Magecart attacks highlight the need to apply the same vigilance and best practices to web and mobile application source code that organisations apply to their networks—which brings us to this year’s New Year’s resolutions for protecting your app source code in 2019: Alert The key to success is quickly understanding when and how an app is being attacked First, organisations must obtain real-time visibility into their application threat landscape given they are operating in a zero-trust environment. Similar to how your organisation monitors the network and the systems connected to it, you must be able to monitor your apps. This will allow you to see what users are doing with your code so that you can customise protection to counter attacks your app faces. Throughout the app’s lifecycle, you can respond to malicious behavior early, quarantine suspicious accounts, and make continuous code modifications to stay a step ahead of new attacks. Protect Next, informed by threat analytics, adapt your application source code protection. Deter attackers from analysing or reverse engineering application code through obfuscation. Today’s proven obfuscation techniques can help prevent application reverse engineering, deter tampering, and protect personal identifiable information and API communications. If an attacker tries to understand app operation though the use of a debugger or in the unlikely event an attacker manages to get past obfuscation, threat analytics will alert you to the malicious activity while your app begins to self-repair attacked source code or disable portions of the affected web app. The key to success is quickly understanding when and how an app is being attacked and taking rapid action to limit the risk of data theft and exfiltration. Protecting encryption keys is often overlooked but should be considered a best practice as you forge into the new year with a renewed commitment to app security to ensure your organisation’s health and well-being in 2019 Encrypt Finally, access to local digital content and data, as well as communications with back office systems, should be protected by encryption as a second line of defense, after implementing app protection to guard against piracy and theft. However, the single point of failure remains the instance at which the decryption key is used. Effective encryption requires a sophisticated implementation of White-Box Cryptography This point is easily identifiable through signature patterns and cryptographic routines. Once found, an attacker can easily navigate to where the keys are constructed in memory and exploit them. Effective encryption requires a sophisticated implementation of White-Box Cryptography. One that combines a mathematical algorithm with data and code obfuscation techniques transforming cryptographic keys and related operations into indecipherable text strings. Protecting encryption keys is often overlooked but should be considered a best practice as you forge into the new year with a renewed commitment to app security to ensure your organisation’s health and well-being in 2019. Protecting applications against data breach According to the most recent Cost of a Data Breach Study by the Ponemon Institute, a single breach costs an average of $3.86 million, not to mention the disruption to productivity across the organisation. In 2019, we can count on seeing more breaches and ever-escalating costs. It seems that setting—and fulfilling—New Year’s resolutions to protect your applications has the potential to impact more than just your risk of a data breach. It can protect your company’s financial and corporate health as well. So, what are you waiting for?

In the age of massive data breaches, phishing attacks and password hacks, user credentials are increasingly unsafe. So how can organisations secure accounts without making life more difficult for users? Marc Vanmaele, CEO of TrustBuilder, explains. User credentials give us a sense of security. Users select their password, it's personal and memorable to them, and it's likely that it includes special characters and numbers for added security. Sadly, this sense is most likely false. If it's anything like the 5.4 billion user IDs on haveibeenpwned.com, their login has already been compromised. If it's not listed, it could be soon. Recent estimates state that 8 million more credentials are compromised every day. Ensuring safe access Data breaches, ransomware and phishing campaigns are increasingly easy to pull off. Cyber criminals can easily find the tools they need on Google with little to no technical knowledge. Breached passwords are readily available to cyber criminals on the internet. Those that haven’t been breached can also be guessed, phished or cracked using one of the many “brute-force” tools available on the internet. It's becoming clear that login credentials are no longer enough to secure your users' accounts. Meanwhile, organisations have a responsibility and an ever-stricter legal obligation to protect their users’ sensitive data. This makes ensuring safe access to the services they need challenging, particularly when trying to provide a user experience that won’t cause frustration – or worse, lose your customers’ interest. After GDPR was implemented across the European Union, organisations could face a fine of up to €20 million, or 4% annual global turnover Importance of data protection So how can businesses ensure their users can safely and simply access the services they need while keeping intruders out, and why is it so important to strike that balance? After GDPR was implemented across the European Union, organisations could face a fine of up to €20 million, or 4% annual global turnover – whichever is higher, should they seriously fail to comply with their data protection obligations. This alone was enough to prompt many organisations to get serious about their user’s security. Still, not every business followed suit. Cloud security risks Breaches were most commonly identified in organisations using cloud computing or where staff use personal devices According to a recent survey conducted at Infosecurity Europe, more than a quarter of organisations did not feel ready to comply with GDPR in August 2018 – three months after the compliance deadline. Meanwhile, according to the UK Government’s 2018 Cyber Security Breaches survey, 45% of businesses reported breaches or attacks in the last 12 months. According to the report, logins are less secure when accessing services in the cloud where they aren't protected by enterprise firewalls and security systems. Moreover, breaches were most commonly identified in organisations using cloud computing or where staff use personal devices (known as BYOD). According to the survey, 61% of UK organisations use cloud-based services. The figure is higher in banking and finance (74%), IT and communications (81%) and education (75%). Additionally, 45% of businesses have BYOD. This indicates a precarious situation. The majority of businesses hold personal data on users electronically and may be placing users at risk if their IT environments are not adequately protected. Hackers have developed a wide range of tools to crack passwords, and these are readily available within a couple of clicks on a search engine Hacking methodology In a recent exposé on LifeHacker, Internet standards expert John Pozadzides revealed multiple methods hackers use to bypass even the most secure passwords. According to John’s revelations, 20% of passwords are simple enough to guess using easily accessible information. But that doesn’t leave the remaining 80% safe. Hackers have developed a wide range of tools to crack passwords, and these are readily available within a couple of clicks on a search engine. Brute force attacks are one of the easiest methods, but criminals also use increasingly sophisticated phishing campaigns to fool users into handing over their passwords. Users expect organisations to protect their passwords and keep intruders out of their accounts Once a threat actor has access to one password, they can easily gain access to multiple accounts. This is because, according to Mashable, 87% of users aged 18-30 and 81% of users aged 31+ reuse the same passwords across multiple accounts. It’s becoming clear that passwords are no longer enough to keep online accounts secure. Securing data with simplicity Users expect organisations to protect their passwords and keep intruders out of their accounts. As a result of a data breach, companies will of course suffer financial losses through fines and remediation costs. Beyond the immediate financial repercussions, however, the reputational damage can be seriously costly. A recent Gemalto study showed that 44% of consumers would leave their bank in the event of a security breach, and 38% would switch to a competitor offering a better service. Simplicity is equally important, however. For example, if it’s not delivered in ecommerce, one in three customers will abandon their purchase – as a recent report by Magnetic North revealed. If a login process is confusing, staff may be tempted to help themselves access the information they need by slipping out of secure habits. They may write their passwords down, share them with other members of staff, and may be more susceptible to social engineering attacks. So how do organisations strike the right balance? For many, Identity and Access Management solutions help to deliver secure access across the entire estate. It’s important though that these enable simplicity for the organisation, as well as users. Organisations need an IAM solution that will adapt to both of these factors, providing them with the ability to apply tough access policies when and where they are needed and prioritising swift access where it’s safe to do so Flexible IAM While IAM is highly recommended, organisations should seek solutions that offer the flexibility to define their own balance between a seamless end-user journey and the need for a high level of identity assurance. Organisations’ identity management requirements will change over time. So too will their IT environments. Organisations need an IAM solution that will adapt to both of these factors, providing them with the ability to apply tough access policies when and where they are needed and prioritising swift access where it’s safe to do so. Importantly, the best solutions will be those that enable this flexibility without spending significant time and resource each time adaptations need to be made. Those that do will provide the best return on investment for organisations looking to keep intruders at bay, while enabling users to log in safely and simply.

In my coverage of China Tariffs impacting the security industry over four recent articles, products on the tariff schedules routinely integrated into security solutions included burglar and fire alarm control and transmission panels, video surveillance lenses, HDTV cameras used for broadcast use cases and fiber optic media converters. The general ‘callout’ of ADP (Automatic Data Processing) devices and peripherals technically includes servers, workstations and microcomputers, all of which are commonly used to support security solutions. The underperformance, from June 15 to August 24, of U.S. stocks with high revenue-exposure to China, and that of Chinese stocks with high revenue-exposure to the United States was significant and almost identical at 3.2%, significant losses to some investors already involved in security industry M&A activity. Significant public safety Facial Recognition (FR) vendors leveraging AI expanded their market focus to retail and public safety While it was not apparent that practitioners’ security program budgets kept pace with the growth of the more popular solution providers like video surveillance and cyber security, the ICT industries supporting the security economy continued to expand, especially in wireless and wired infrastructure, including preparations for 5G wireless rollouts. These omnipresent technologies drove significant public safety, smart city and public venue projects in 2018. Facial Recognition (FR) vendors leveraging AI expanded their market focus to retail and public safety. In 2018, virtually every public presentation, webinar and published Q&A on social media monitoring and facial recognition technologies I worked on, involved significant pushback from privacy advocates, almost to the point of alarmism. Massive risk reduction Several solution providers in these areas have made significant strides on data protection, accuracy, powered by AI and documented crime reduction cases; however, this real news is quickly shadowed by privacy advocates, seemingly ignoring massive risk reduction, especially in the case of active assailants and gang-related crime. Will FR become mainstream? The cautious security industry may take a cue from the maverick retail industry, sports venue and VIP verification solution providers that grew in 2018. 2019 trends: presupposition or repudiation; winners and losers. Chinese tariffs have had a huge impact on the security industry, which can be seen from changes to U.S and Chinese stocks  Although technology adoption forecasting is inexact, there are definitive opportunities in the security industry born on necessity. With the widespread problem of false alarm transmission and inability for first responders to ‘be everywhere,’ developers of solutions that provide automated verification and alternative security incident detection are expected to become mainstream. Promising detection systems The use of AI, NLP, LiDAR, UAS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles aka drones) with surveillance and thermal imaging will grow, mostly due to higher acceptance in other industries like autonomous vehicles, rail safety, terrain and post devastation mapping/rescue. However, legacy ‘listing’ or certification organisations will be forced to make an important decision for their own survival: work toward integrating these promising detection systems into acceptance by insurance, licensing and standards development organisations. 2019’s ‘true’ Industrial Philanthropists will be needed to fund early warning tech for firefighters and the presence of active assailants 2019’s ‘true’ industrial philanthropists will be needed to fund early warning tech for firefighters and the presence of active assailants. For these use cases, 5G infrastructure rollouts, FR acceptance, lower cost perimeter detection and long range object and fire recognition by LiDAR and Thermal imaging will all be watched closely by investors. Should public agencies and philanthropical solution providers in the security industry cross paths, we may just yet see a successful, lifesaving impact. Cyber risk profile The ‘Digital twin’ refers to a digital replica of physical assets (physical twin), processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes. Your ‘Security Digital Twin’ has a similar physical and cyber risk profile, either through common threats, similar assets or both. Good news: managing your risk, protecting assets and securing your facilities in 2019 will get easier as security digital twin profiles will grow in maturity, while keeping their data sources private. This will be accelerated by the maturity of AI-based, auto-generated visualisations and image recognition, that happens to also drive the FR solutions. The 5G wireless infrastructure market is emerging as far more of a quantum leap in connectivity, like ‘wireless fiber optics’ performance, than an upgrade to 4G LTE. The 5G infrastructure market will be worth $2.86 billion by 2020 and $33.72 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.9%. Intelligent applications The explosion of ingested voice, video, and meta-data, the interconnectivity of devices, people and places, and the integration of intelligent applications into expanding ecosystems all require faster communications. To be more accurate, 5G rollouts will accelerate in 2019; however, current project funding will include and be impacted by future enterprise security connectivity: 5G and FWA (Fixed Wireless Access). 5G rollouts will accelerate in 2019; however, current project funding will include and be impacted by future enterprise security connectivity Quite simply put, larger solution providers are gently coaxing practitioners into seemingly ‘open systems;’ the negative discovery during an M&A process, audit or integration with a smart city’s public/private partnerships will continue to be revealed, and related industries will force reform. Autonomous things will be enabled by AI and image recognition. With few affordable rollouts of security robots and outdoor unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) that leveraged platforms popular with research and even NASA, the autonomous security robot was mostly MIA from a security practitioner’s program in 2018. Perimeter intrusion detection One platform was even accused of intimidating homeless people in a public place, at a major city. Industries mutually beneficial are often unaware of each other; this will change gradually: one major domestic airport is currently evaluating a UGV platform performing perimeter intrusion detection, runway weather conditions and potential aircraft taxiing dangers. The platform is being used largely in transportation research, yet offers significant opportunities to the security industry. Research firm Gartner estimates that 70% of today’s technology products and services can be enhanced with ‘multi-experience’-based VR/AR/MR The ‘immersive experience’ of virtually any security or threat detection is a twist on virtual/augmented/mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) with additional sensory features. Although VR/AR/MR is well underway in other industries, there are several companies with solutions like VR-based active assailant training that could provide a fighting chance for practitioners, employees, visitors, faculty and children. Research firm Gartner estimates that 70% of today’s technology products and services can be enhanced with ‘multi-experience’-based VR/AR/MR. Security ecosystem members Not necessarily MIA, but of special mention is the need of security and safety practitioners to prioritise communications systems over ‘nice to have’ expansive video surveillance systems for mass casualty threats. This will eventually improve with 5G for Enterprise solution rollouts. At the past GSX and upcoming CES Technology trade shows, a new roundup of technologies is discovered: a wider diversity of protection promise to save ASIS members on their technical security program is realised. With each of the ‘winners,’ (5G, AI, NLP, LiDAR, UAS [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles aka drones], thermal imaging, digital security twins and smart-city-friendly technologies) it is both exciting and challenging work for both security practitioners and solution providers. All things equal and with the necessary technology acceptance testing processes, this is a truly great time for security ecosystem members.

Security is among the defining topics at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 this week in Las Vegas. More than 4,500 exhibiting companies are participating, including some 1,200 startups, highlighting the next wave of innovation in consumer electronics – and security. Twenty-four product categories at CES feature solutions to transform how consumers live, work and play. Technologies being highlighted include 5G connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality, smart homes, smart cities, and machine intelligence. Video is an important element at CES. This year, the focus is on intelligent video. For example, Eyecloud.ai, Santa Clara, Calif., is displaying a home security camera with on-device face recognition that uses AI. Powered by a 12-core Intel Movidius VPU (video processing unit), the camera combines AI-on-the-edge with easy setup and wirefree operation for up to six months per battery charge. On-device artificial intelligence On-device AI is the next big trend in smart home surveillance, and deep neural networks will drive the future of do-it-yourself home automation SimCam, an Intel partner, demonstrates how the Intel Movidius VPU can turn a security camera into ‘the ultimate vision-based sensor’. On-device AI is the next big trend in smart home surveillance, and deep neural networks will drive the future of do-it-yourself home automation. A variety of other residential video systems are also on display at CES. For example, Swann Security is displaying 4K wired security systems featuring Google integration, a wireless smart security camera with True Detect heat-based PIR (photo infrared) motion detection, a video doorbell and chime with two-way talk, and indoor and outdoor wi-fi cameras with Alexa integrations. Intelligent automotive solutions Camera system-on-chip (SoC) company Ambarella is introducing the new CV25 camera SoC at CES. It combines advanced image processing, high-resolution video encoding and CVflow computer vision (video analytics) processing in a single, extremely low-power design. The CVflow architecture provides Deep Neural Network (DNN) processing required for a new generation of affordable and intelligent home monitoring, professional surveillance and aftermarket automotive solutions. CV25 offers half the performance of Ambarella’s previously released CV22 chip, but the new chip’s lower cost will bring intelligent cameras to a price point desirable for home systems. All Ambarella’s chips have hardware-based cybersecurity. A suite of advanced cybersecurity features protects against hacking, including secure boot, TrustZone, and I/O virtualisation. Based on 10nm ultra-low power processing technology, the CV25 chip is optimised for wirefree cameras applications that require long battery life and small form factors. Camera system-on-chip (SoC) company Ambarella is introducing the new CV25 camera SoC at CES Virtual security guards Elsewhere, the Deep Sentinel home security system applies video and AI to predict residential break-ins ‘before they happen’. The Pleasanton, Calif.-based tech startup uses ‘AI-infused security cameras’ to keep an eye on your home. Three wireless 1080p full HD cameras provide night vision and PIR motion sensing, connected by a smart hub. Using proprietary artificial intelligence, the cameras act as virtual guards, watching activity around a house and providing alerts to situations that may lead to burglaries, break-ins, package thefts and other dangers. My Safe Patrol is an AI-driven platform that analyses data aggregated from security personnel, citizen alert systems and IoT smart devices, and responds with geolocated alerts in real-time. My Safe Patrol effectively supports the security/safety ecosystem of a building, a campus, a city or a district through a dynamic dashboard that helps command and control operations manage and deploy security plans. AI-integrated devices Showcased solutions include Smart Living integration of video surveillance applications to enable real-time two-way audio and video streaming simultaneously MicroVision, Redmond, Wash., showcases an interactive display engine for AI-connected devices, providing an integrated solution for projected display and interactivity through multi-point touch and air gestures. MicroVision’s new consumer 3D LiDAR engine provides high-fidelity spatial awareness to smart home hubs, for input to smart devices such as lighting, security, entertainment, and thermostats. The Internet of Things (IoT) is another big topic at CES, and ThroughTek Co., Ltd., Taiwan, demonstrates IoT developments to transmit voice, video and data over both wide- and narrow-band channels in smart home applications. Showcased solutions include Smart Living integration of video surveillance applications combined with voice assistant to companion robots, wireless doorbells, and battery cameras to enable real-time two-way audio and video streaming simultaneously. Advanced Capacitive Touchscreen Decayeux Group, a European manufacturer of mailboxes and high security doors, is displaying MyColisBox, a secure and connected parcel box delivery system designed to provide online shoppers a secure pickup point accessible by a PIN code sent via SMS message to a smartphone. Walter is the new mobile app for MyColisBox. Kwikset, a division of Spectrum Brands, showcases its smart lock portfolio – including three new smart locks – in the CES Smart Home Marketplace. Kwikset is showing the SmartCode 888, Kwikset Convert, Obsidian, and new designs of the SmartCode 914 and SmartCode 916, as well as a new wi-fi lock. Baldwin, Kwikset’s ‘luxury lock’ sister company, is offering a preview of its new TouchScreen Collection, launching this summer, available in five styles and featuring Advanced Capacitive Touchscreen technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) is another big topic at CES, with many companies demonstrating IoT developments Cyber security standards Privacy is increasingly a concern in the consumer space, and Private Discuss, from PIMAN Security, is a premium, secure, white label communication solution. Their active AI-powered defense architecture provides encrypted audio and video calls, messaging and file sharing. It renders a confidential, secure messaging platform that adheres to the highest standards of cybersecurity. FLIR provides virtual reality demonstrations at their CES booth, allowing attendees to put on a virtual fire helmet and try out a FLIR camera in a real-world residential fire response scenario. Participants may also use a FLIR optical gas imaging camera virtually to stop fugitive emissions in a natural gas refinery. Booth visitors may also take “thermal selfies” to post on social media.

ADT Inc.’s acquisition of Red Hawk Fire & Security, Boca Raton, Fla., is the latest move in ADT Commercial’s strategy to buy up security integrator firms around the country and grow their footprint. In addition to the Red Hawk acquisition, announced in mid-October, ADT has acquired more than a half-dozen security system integration firms in the last year or so.  Here’s a quick rundown of integrator companies acquired by ADT: Protec, a Pacific Northwest commercial integrator (Aug. 2017); MSE Security, the USA’s 27th largest commercial integrator (Sept 2017); Gaston Security, founded in 1994 as a video surveillance integration company and whose services have since expanded to include intrusion, access control, and perimeter protection (Oct. 2017); Aronson Security Group (ASG), which delivers risk and security program consultants and offers advanced integration services, consulting and design engineers and a National Program Management team (March 2018);  Acme Security Systems, among the largest privately held security systems integrators in the Bay Area, focusing on electronic security systems, access control, video networks and more (March 2018); Access Security Integration, a regional systems integrator specialising in design, delivery, installation and servicing of electronic security systems including enterprise-level access control, video and visitor management solutions, perimeter security and security operation command centers (Aug. 2018); In addition to their moves in the commercial integrator space, ADT has also sought to expand their presence in cybersecurity with the following two acquisitions: Datashield, specialising in Managed Detection and Response Services (Nov 2017); Secure Designs, Inc., specialising in design, implementation, monitoring, and managing network defense systems, including firewall services and intrusion prevention, to protect small business networks from a diverse and challenging set of global cyber threats (Aug. 2018). ADT has acquired more than a half-dozen security system integration firms in the last year or so For additional insights into ADT’s game plan and the strategy behind these acquisitions, we presented the following questions to Chris BenVau, ADT’s Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions. Q: ADT has been actively acquiring regional integrators this year – more than a half a dozen to date. Please describe the history of how ADT came to embrace a strategy of acquiring regional integrators as a route to growth? ADT's acquisition of Red Hawk is set to close in December, and brings premiere fire and life/safety solutions BenVau: Our acquisition strategy started at Protection 1 when we embarked on our journey to build out our commercial and national account business and add enhanced integration capabilities to our portfolio. The merger of Protection 1 and ADT brought that foundation to ADT which up to that point was primarily a residentially and SMB-focused company. After the merger, we set out to identify and acquire additional regional integrators that would continue to build on that foundation and deliver enhanced technical solutions, advanced technologies and an expanded service, install and support footprint. Through our acquisitions we now operate two Network Operations Centers and three Centers of Excellence. We are also unique in the industry with the number and variety of certifications, like Cisco and Meraki, our engineers hold which ultimately allows us to offer Managed Security as a Service. They have also enhanced our operational capabilities. Q: What criteria do you use to evaluate whether an integrator is a good “fit” for ADT? BenVau: First and foremost, we look at the culture of the companies. The companies that we target for acquisition must be metrics- and customer service-driven. Secondly, we look at the leadership teams. ADT view their acquisitions more like mergers and take a patient approach to integrating them into their business We have been fortunate in the fact the leadership of the companies we acquired remain with us today in key management and executive positions helping to drive continued growth within their organisations. We also evaluate their current customer base, unique solutions and their ability to complement and enhance our portfolio with the goal of becoming a leading full-service, enterprise commercial provider. Our acquisitions have bolstered our network capabilities, brought enterprise risk management services, and a broader solution set in high-end video and access control solutions. Our most recent acquisition – Red Hawk, set to close in December – brings us premiere fire and life/safety solutions. Q: What changes are typically needed after an integrator is acquired in order to adapt it to the ADT corporate model? BenVau: We view our acquisitions more like mergers and take a patient approach to integrating them into ADT while taking into account their culture. We want to ensure that we find the right positions for their people, embrace the right messaging and put the right processes in place. We acquire these companies because they are the best in their respective businesses and geographies and bring their knowledge and experience in markets or with solutions that we may not have had previous access to. ADT can support clients with their own in-house technicians which helps to ensure a consistent security program Q: How can regional integrators benefit from the ADT brand? Have your newly acquired integrators realised additional growth? BenVau: The companies we have acquired, generally, have exceeded expectations and surpassed initial goals. ADT brings expanded opportunities for these companies as well with our national footprint. Our National Account Sales Team has seen impressive growth over the years and are only limited by our ability to deliver. These integrators help to deliver on that. In the past, the regional players may have had to rely on sub-contractors to service their larger clients. With ADT, we can now support those clients with our own in-house technicians which helps to ensure a consistent security program across multiple locations.Our National Account Sales Team has seen impressive growth over the years and are only limited by our ability to deliver" Q: Are additional integrator acquisitions planned this year and into 2019? How much is enough and when will it end (or slow down significantly)? BenVau: We expect to close on our latest acquisition, Red Hawk, before the end of 2018. Red Hawk brings a national footprint focused on fire/life safety and security to ADT. While ADT already had a robust security offering, Red Hawk will contribute significantly to the fire side of the business. In addition, we will continue to evaluate the companies in the industry to determine if additional acquisitions make sense. Q: Do you expect greater consolidation of the integrator channel in the industry as a whole? Why is this a good time for consolidation? Is it a good M&A market for buyers like ADT? BenVau: We will continue to evaluate companies in the industry to determine if further acquisitions make sense. As for the industry, we can only speak for ourselves. Our focus is on investing in our field organisation, in particular our service technicians, engineers and project management teams" Q: What other trend(s) do you see in the industry that will impact ADT (on the commercial side) in the next year or so, and how? BenVau: In addition to their moves in the commercial integrator space, ADT has also sought to expand their presence in cybersecurity Networking is a big one. As we continue to drive integration of devices and services, from AI, “the cloud,” machine learning and even analytics, there will be more focus on the network they ride on. A deeper knowledge of network design, bandwidth impact, and system integration will be critical. As part of our acquisition strategy, we focused on talent to add to the team and have been able to add to our bench strength in this area. Q: Any other comments/insights you wish to share about ADT’s strategy, future, and role in the larger physical security marketplace? BenVau: Our focus is on investing in our field organisation, in particular our service technicians, engineers and project management teams. The cornerstone of our success lies in our ability to deliver outstanding customer support and service. It starts with sales and the ability to deliver security and life safety technologies, but it ends with a delighted customer who partners with us to help secure the things that matter most to them. Our recent acquisitions have more than doubled our commercial field operations teams and are key to establishing the ADT Commercial brand as a leading full-service provider of enterprise solutions to the marketplace.

Security and Safety Things GmbH (SAST) is a new company that has announced its vision for an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for the next generation of security cameras. The Bosch startup plans to build a global ecosystem for the development of innovative security camera applications. Based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), SAST provides libraries, an API framework, and codecs for developers to work with. The SAST App Store will allow developers to build and market new applications, similar to today’s app stores for smartphone applications. We presented some questions to Nikolas Mangold-Takao, VP Product Management and Marketing, about the new venture, and here are his responses: Q: Why a new company now? What technology innovations have made this a good time to launch this company? The time is right to bring market needs and technological innovations together on one platform"Mangold-Takao: From a technical perspective we see two main drivers: increasing computing power at the edge and increasing internet connectivity, which will enable devices to directly communicate with each other and bring new technologies such as artificial intelligence also to the security and safety industry. At the same time, we see that this industry and its users are hungry for more innovative solutions – addressing new security needs while at the same leveraging the possibility to improve business operations for specific verticals, e.g. retail and transportation. The time is right to bring market needs and technological innovations together on one platform for this industry. Q: Why does SAST need to be a separate entity from Bosch? Mangold-Takao: SAST is setup as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group. We wanted to make sure that SAST is able to underline its role as an industry standard platform across multiple players. SAST is open to get additional investors and is being setup as a startup in its own offices in Munich to foster the environment where speed and innovation can more easily take place. Having said that, several entities of the Bosch Group are very interesting partners for SAST. The SAST App Store will allow developers to build and market new applications, similar to today’s app stores for smartphone applications Q: Please explain your "value proposition" to the industry. Mangold-Takao: We will bring new innovations and possibilities to the security and safety industry by providing an open, secure and standardised Operating System for video security cameras, to also address pressing issues such as cyber security and data privacy concerns. Devices that run then with the SAST operating system will work with an application marketplace provided and operated by SAST. Integrators and users can then use these apps from this marketplace to deploy additional functionality on these devices. With our platform we will be able to build up a community of app developers, including the ones not yet developing for this industry who have expertise in computer vision and artificial intelligence. Q: It seems what you are doing has parallels with the Apple and Android "app" stores. How is your approach the same (and how is it different) than those approaches? We are setting up SAST as a user-centric company and involve selected users very early on in the process"Mangold-Takao: The approach is similar in the way that we plan to generate revenue by operating the application marketplace and thus participate in the app revenue. The difference is that there is much more needed than apps and cameras to create a complete working solution addressing a user problem in this industry – we need to make sure that our own platform as well as the new applications being created will work as a part of an end-to-end solution. Q: "Critical mass" and wide industry participation seem to be requirements for your success. How will you achieve those goals? Will you involve integrators, consultants, or other parties in addition to manufacturers (to drive awareness)? How? Mangold-Takao: SAST is in close exchange with device manufacturers, integrators and consultants, as well as application developers and large end-users at the moment to ensure that we are building the right platform and ecosystem for this industry. We are setting up SAST as a user-centric company and involve selected users very early on in the process. We will run dedicated programs and hackathons to attract app developers, already active and new to our industry. We will also run selected pilots with end-users throughout 2019 to ensure we have all partners involved early on. SAST sees the industry is hungry for more innovative solutions – with the retail vertical market a target for these solutions Q: What timeline do you foresee in terms of implementing these initiatives? Mangold-Takao: While we start with first app development programs and plan our first pilots already for this year, we are planning our commercial launch for end of 2019. Q: How does your new company relate to the new Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA)? Mangold-Takao: The Open Security and Safety Alliance has been working very closely with SAST over the past year, defining some important concepts and elements required. One of the most important elements is an open and standardised Operating System, specific to this industry, which will then bring forward new innovative technologies and solutions. SAST is actively working on this Operating System, based on Android Open Source Project (ASOP), but is evolved and hardened with industry-specific features. Q: What's the biggest thing you want the security industry to understand about SAST? What is your "message" to the industry? Mangold-Takao: Our message is simple: let’s build better security and safety systems – together! But for real, innovating an industry is a joint effort, we can only bring new innovation to this industry with partners who share our vision and are excited about new technology. At the same time, we strongly believe that our platform allows every partner to bring forward what they do best but also invite new partners to our industry.

Ping Identity, the pioneer in Identity Defined Security, announced that its Ping Intelligent Identity Platform powers the engine behind HP Identity (HP ID), an enterprise-wide unified identity management ecosystem. The HP ID initiative is designed to up level customer and partner experiences by providing them with a single identity across all of their HP applications, whether in the cloud or on-premises.  With a focus on driving customer experiences, HP selected the Ping Identity platform deployed in Amazon Web Services (AWS). This achieved its goal of instituting a single and highly secure identity and access management (IAM) platform across its entire global customer and partner-facing platform. Single sign-on for 150 million customers Ping’s customer IAM platform provides performance and scalability that can keep pace with HP’s continued innovation and growth"The HP ID platform is used by more than 100 business applications and enables single sign-on for over 150 million customer and partner identities across the world, plus thousands more being added each day. Before HP ID, the company was managing more than a dozen separate legacy IAM and authentication systems. User identities were previously housed across disparate data silos, creating a disjointed customer experience. Reinventing customer experiences HP Product Manager Jared Meier sums up the success of HP ID, “Ping’s customer IAM platform provides performance and scalability that can keep pace with HP’s continued innovation and growth. Now, customers have a seamless experience when they authenticate across our digital properties.” “Ping and HP share a common vision of innovation, great customer experiences and technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere,” added Andre Durand, CEO, Ping Identity. “We’re proud to support HP in reinventing customer experiences through identity.”

Premier League football club Everton FC has deployed SureCloud’s GDPR suite to manage and monitor its data and GDPR compliance, enabling the club to work towards GDPR compliance, optimise internal processes and position it strategically for the future. The solution replaced Everton FC’s manual data mapping and processing methods. Manual data mapping and processing Everton FC’s databases are extensive, containing details on over 32,000 season ticket holders and over 600,000 registered fans, with details on around 360 employees, players, agents, suppliers, and individuals associated with the club’s community charity and partner school. Much of this information is sensitive. This data and all of the processes associated with it were being manually managed and tracked in a series of Excel spreadsheets. With multiple requests and queries to respond to every day, the club’s Data Protection Officer was struggling to record and manage smaller ad hoc queries, incidents, and tasks. With GDPR due to place much tighter restrictions on how the club processed, managed and shared its data – as well as on the reporting of any incidents that did occur – the club needed a more comprehensive and reliable tool in place before 25th May 2018. SureCloud platform The club approached its long-standing IT support provider NCC to find a solution. NCC recommended the SureCloud GDPR Suite, delivered on the SureCloud platform. After SureCloud had successfully demonstrated the ability to provide full visibility for management and automation of GDPR processes across the organisation, Everton FC selected its cloud-based suite of solutions. Two dashboards were created according to Everton FC’s specific needs Two dashboards were created according to Everton FC’s specific needs: one to show all data mapping and transfers, including where data is being held and who it is being shared with; and one showing incidents and requests, including a subject request register and incident tracker path. This gives an immediate overview of which requests are still outstanding, such as a request for an individual’s personal information to be erased from the database. SureCloud GDPR Suite The five applications Everton FC chose to deploy from the SureCloud GDPR Suite were: GDPR Program Tracker - to enable the club to map all its disparate data and workflows using intelligent risk-based questions GDPR Management – to provide all mandatory GDPR business-as-usual processes Information Asset Management - to record and maintain the club’s entire data inventory Compliance Management for GDPR - to help Everton FC speed up their process of attaining compliance and on-going real-time risk remediation Incident Management for GDPR – to meet the GDPR requirement to log, track and notify the ICO of any data breaches, should an incident arise Ian Garratt, Data Protection Officer at Everton FC said: “The penalties for not achieving GDPR compliance are severe – up to 4% of our revenues, or €20 million. It was imperative that we got a solution in place that could not only help us achieve GDPR compliance but would also make it quick and easy for us to demonstrate that compliance at any point, on request. SureCloud’s GDPR Suite fit the bill.” Centralised data management Now, all of Everton FC’s disparate data are mapped, risk-assessed and tracked in a single centralised system “We are now tracking and recording every single data request in a centralised way. With NCC’s support, SureCloud’s solution has brought a comprehensive clarity to our data processing that was impossible to achieve with manual spreadsheets. The system is so intuitive; it has helped us streamline multiple processes and undertake impact assessments that we couldn’t handle before.” Now, all of Everton FC’s disparate data are mapped, risk-assessed and tracked in a single centralised system. All changes and requests are automatically tracked so that activity records and data audits can be produced at the click of a button. Should an incident like a suspected data breach occur, it is identified and reported immediately and automatically. The club’s data protection team can select which asset has been affected and immediately determine the severity of the incident and whether it needs to be reported to the ICO. Should it need to be escalated, the report is available instantly. Data processing, documentation and risk management Ian Garratt added: “The SureCloud GDPR Suite isn’t just a compliance tool; it’s a comprehensive management tool. We now have a continuous, real-time status of where we are and what we need to be doing in terms of data processing, documentation and risk management. It would have simply been impossible to achieve this manually. SureCloud has not only helped us to work towards GDPR compliance they have optimised our internal processes and positioned us strategically for the future.” In addition to deploying five applications within the GDPR suite, SureCloud is currently adapting its Incident Assessment tool to meet Everton FC’s specific requirements.

Living in the era of global village, everything is rapid change. To keep up with the pace, the large-scale enterprises need to take every movement of branches in control, ensuring every policy has delivered well. HQ-Branch management, including central control, alarm synchronisation, data retention and protection is becoming a great important challenge to enterprises nowadays. Without integrating lots of systems and management tools, Surveon HQ-Branch security solutions provide VMS with easy remote deployment, advanced VA for alerts and post events search, storage with large capacities for 365-day recording, and local /remote replication through NAS or ISCSI, supporting headquarters (HQ) to easily manage all branches. Surveon Control Center and Enterprise NVRs Surveon Control Center provides enterprises with an easy remote deploymentUnlimited number of cameras, users, NVRs, and monitors are supported in one domain architecture, Surveon Control Center (SCC), which provides enterprises with an easy remote deployment. Its monitor wall can be set up with any combination of camera views, making HQ can be easier awarded every branch's movements. Surveon NVR embedded 12 Video Analytics which can identify and initiate alerts for various user-defined events, offering effective monitoring, detections, alerts, and responses to events for enterprises. For example, intrusion detection can prevent uninvited people from entering the sensitive areas. Moreover, the advanced Post VA Search provides enterprises an efficient tool to quickly identify useful information and relative footage from hundreds of hours of video recording, reducing the time and efforts of HQ security manager, making HQ-branch surveillance system more efficient. Data retention and storage Surveon Enterprise NVRs provide large capacities for 365-day non-stopping recordingThe data retention of recorded videos and the system which can support hundreds of camera records are of great importance to the planning of enterprise surveillance. Surveon Enterprise NVRs provide large capacities for 365-day non-stopping recording, fulfilling the long-time storage requirements from enterprises. Surveon NVR supports remote replication through NAS or ISCSI. Enterprise can keep 1st copy in local branch and 2nd copy in remote HQ. If the source data fails due to system malfunctions or disasters, enterprise can leverage the remote copy to restart services in a few minutes. Software integration Agribank, the largest commercial bank in Vietnam, and House Green, a home improvement retail chain in Taiwan, has adopted Surveon HQ-branch solutions. “Different from PC-based NVR solutions, Surveon adopts a system design fully customised for surveillance applications. This offers higher value for SIs, including advanced levels of integration and stability.” said the Sales Director of Surveon partner in Vietnam.

Hoverfly Technologies Inc., global supplier of tether-powered aerial drone systems, is pleased to announce it has engaged retired Deputy Chief of Los Angeles Police Department Mike Hillmann to consult and provide expertise to Hoverfly and public safety officials of cities, counties and special law enforcement agencies who are considering the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) to assist in keeping their cities safe. Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) When incidents and/or events happen, having ‘real-time, situational awareness’ from above the scene is critical to managing risk and upholding public safety “With 24-hour news cycles, a never-ending stream of social media posts, mid-term elections and potential threats to the public at large, getting fast, accurate situational awareness from the air during an incident has never been more important when it comes to keeping the public safe. We are thrilled to have Chief Hillmann advising on use cases and how best to implement and integrate this new technology,” says Hoverfly SVP of Systems, Lew Pincus.  When incidents and/or events happen, having ‘real-time, situational awareness’ from above the scene is critical to managing risk and upholding public safety and the safety of those who serve our communities. Aerial/Drone surveillance He adds, “We typically have relied on manned aircraft to provide aerial coverage over a variety of incidents. On occasion, those assets have not always been available, deemed too disruptive or too expensive to deploy in certain situations where an aerial view clearly could have helped an incident commander better understand the situation. Deploying small tether-powered, highly portable, unobtrusive persistent cameras positioned high above the scene can now be used as either a standalone capability or integrated system with existing networks, security infrastructure and even manned aircraft.” Hoverfly tether-powered sUAV (Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) systems solve short battery-life problems associated with free-flying drones Today, Mr. Hillmann is helping chiefs of police, local city and county officials and other public safety personnel understand how Hoverfly’s tether-powered LiveSky systems can be deployed from police or EMS vehicles providing incident commanders with actionable intelligence from high above the scene within minutes of arrival. “Tactically, having the ability to stay in the air monitoring the situation from above for hours, days, even weeks at a time represents an amazing capability we never had before. During my career, I can think of hundreds of situations where having a drone in the air to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance would have helped keep my officers and the community much safer. It’s a force multiplier that should be exploited by public safety,” says Hillmann. Hoverfly’s LiveSky systems Hoverfly tether-powered sUAV (Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) systems solve short battery-life problems associated with free-flying drones because they operate using a standard 120VAC power source or vehicle inverter. The power, command and control information and video are transmitted over the tether making the entire system completely secure from jamming, hacking or spoofing, ensuring the privacy of the data and improving safety. Perhaps the biggest benefit of Hoverfly systems is they are autonomous and require no piloting skills. The CEO of Hoverfly likes to say, “if you can operate an elevator, you can operate our LiveSky system.” 

In many regards, 2018 was a turbulent year for the physical security marketplace, driven by evolving technologies and changing customer needs, among other factors. Year-end is a great time to reflect, so we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What caused the most disruption in the physical security marketplace in 2018? 

The concept of how security systems can contribute to the broader business goals of a company is not new. It seems we have been talking about benefits of security systems beyond “just” security for more than a decade. Given the expanding role of technologies in the market, including video and access control, at what point is the term “security” too restrictive to accurately describe what our industry does? We asked the Expert Panel Roundtable for their responses to this premise: Is the description “security technology” too narrow given the broader application possibilities of today’s systems? Why?

In today’s global economy, goods are manufactured all over the world and shipped to customers thousands of miles away. Where goods are manufactured thus becomes a mere detail. However, in the case of “Made in China”, the location of a manufacturer has become more high-profile and possibly more urgent. The U.S. government recently banned the use in government installations of video system components from two Chinese manufacturers, presumably because of cybersecurity concerns. A simmering trade war between China and the United States also emphasises other concerns related to Chinese manufacturing. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Should "Made in China" be seen as a negative in the video surveillance marketplace? Why or why not?