Data Security - Expert commentary

Surveillance systems can track the locations of mobile phone users and spy on their calls, texts and data streams. The Washington Post has reported on such systems that are being turned against travellers around the world, according to security experts and U.S. officials. The summer season highlights the need to take extra precautions when travelling. When travelling anywhere in the world, for business or pleasure, citizens need to be aware of and alert to looming physical and cybersecurity thr...

As anyone who has ever flown on a commercial airline since 2001 knows, security measures at airports are well enforced and the emphasis on traveller safety is all around the airport and its grounds. Mass transportation, meanwhile, presents a special but not any less significant challenge when it comes to determining security issues. These facilities need to develop the means to protect a constantly changing and large population of passengers. And unlike airports these facilities often have hund...

For the past several years, there has been a focus by integrators and customers to assure that their card-based access control systems are secure. To give businesses an extra incentive to meet their cybersecurity threats, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to hold the business community responsible for failing to implement good cybersecurity practices and is now filing lawsuits against those that don't. For instance, the FTC filed a lawsuit against D-Link and its U.S. subsidiary, al...

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are the rage in tech right now and not surprisingly, many cyber companies are beginning to automate an increasing amount of their operations. Some of this is great, particularly when it assists cybersecurity professionals to automate mundane tasks and focus more of their attention on higher level analysis. But so far, machine learning is more hype than helpful for cybersecurity, but that does not mean you can’t automate some tasks to keep your...

Audio is often overlooked in the security and video surveillance industry. There are some intercom installations where audio plays a key role, but it’s not typically thought about when it comes to security and event management. Audio takes a back seat in many security systems because audio captured from a surveillance camera can have a different impact on the privacy of those being monitored. Audio surveillance is therefore subject to strict laws that vary from state to state. Many state...

A deep native integration of Bosch cameras with software from ISS proactively catalyses the best in security and surveillance, while providing advanced intelligent video tools. ISS SecurOS provides intelligent enterprise video management solutions with emphasis on providing scalability and flexibility to meet the customer’s needs. Deeply integrating built-in video analytics from Bosch cameras improves operator efficiency and situational awareness to manage complex environments. ISS Secu...

As most of us are well aware by now, from 25th May 2018, every EU country will be subject to the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), changing the way personal data is handled by strengthening compliance requirements and introducing strict penalties for failing to adequately protect personal data. All UK businesses must be conscious of the new rules and make the necessary changes, since non-compliance can result in data breaches and massive fines of up to 20 million Euros, or 4% of t...

The physical security industry is rapidly changing, ever evolving, and one that is growing faster than most other sectors of the greater global market. The latest research shows that the forecasted growth rates will be a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 7.2% and a total market revenue opportunity of $41.27B through 2022. These economic indicators make the industry a very attractive investment for entrepreneurs and for investment from large corporations from other industries. At ISC West...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is having a significant and ever-changing impact on the way we view video security. Today, cameras are expected to be so much more than devices with which to simply capture images; they need to be far smarter than that. These future-facing cameras are becoming an integral part of the vast digital connectivity infrastructure, delivering a parallel performance as intelligent sensors with the ability to extract the kind of invaluable data that helps businesses make impr...

With the ever-growing availability of video data thanks to the low cost of high-resolution video cameras and storage, artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning analytics now have become a necessity for the physical security industry, including access control and intrusion detection. Minimising human error and false positives are the key motivations for applying AI technologies in the security industry. What is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence is the ability of machines to...

Over the course of the past few months, I have discussed a myriad of topics, from Big Data, the Internet of Things and emerging video surveillance-use cases, to analytics, storage complexities and IT technologies like virtualisation and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). All of these trends have a significant effect on the security market, and in April they were highlighted in spades at ISC West. It’s great to talk about these trends but it’s far better to see how they are being l...

The year 2017 saw some of the worst natural disasters in North America, with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma wreaking havoc on Houston, Texas, and the Caribbean with force of which we haven’t seen before. While many people chose to evacuate these areas, many were left to deal with the devastation and first responders had the difficult job of assessing the damage, rescuing trapped victims and delivering food and supplies. AI-enabled drones and robotics to assess damage In addition, more than 1...

Video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) is not just for commercial organisations. Federal, state and local governments can also realise benefits from the technology—and use it to deliver an integrated video surveillance system that addresses some of their unique security needs. Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) What is VSaaS? Simply stated, it’s a cloud-based video surveillance solution that is packaged and delivered as a service over the internet. The price varies depending...

While US market is being sensitive about cybersecurity through their popular camera products, European countries and the UK are preparing for the new privacy regulation to apply in two months’ time. But how would these challenges affect the global security market? What are the main problems in it for the manufacturers? What should investors in security industry look at right now? We’ve all recently heard about acquisitions of market-leading companies by technological ‘monsters...

Today’s security professionals are tasked with protecting the entirety of a facility or campus from every possible threat. It’s a big task, given the range of solutions available; from cybersecurity to prevent hacking, to video surveillance to monitor the goings-on within the facility, to the physical security of the building itself. For most businesses and schools, keeping the entrances and exits to a building secure is an extremely high priority—when an individual cannot ge...

Most cities have at very least a plan and in most cases an existing program to make themselves safe cities. Increasingly, cities around the world are transitioning to become smart cities: urban areas where security solutions work in unison with other systems, extending the benefits of technology beyond security and into other city operations. Whilst this transformation has yet to become a widespread the next crucial transition—from smart city to cognitive city—is already appearing...

There was a time when one of our biggest challenges was securing our physical assets, whether that was our people or our property from crime. We researched and deployed the very latest in video solutions, intrusion systems, fire alarms and access control devices, all in an effort to keep the bad guys out and the good guys safe, along with protecting our facilities from break-ins, robberies and countless other crimes. However, times are changing. No longer must we only be concerned about keepin...

In today's world of heightened security threats, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the availability of overwhelming amounts of data, comprehensively securing a single small facility is no easy task. Enterprise organisations tend to face even greater challenges when it comes to safety, as multiple people scattered throughout separate locations aiming to collaboratively respond to situations can easily become complicated. Individual buildings, divisions and branches of a large and/or global ente...

PenTesting, also known as “ethical hacking” or “white-hat hacking,” has always been viewed as the “sexy” side of cybersecurity, a task that is far more exciting than monitoring systems for intrusions, shoring up defenses, or performing compliance audits. Numerous security conferences are devoted to the fine art of attempting to hack into systems – with an owner’s full knowledge and permission – and reporting on the results. At an organisat...

Organisations across the world face a new risk paradigm: one that encompasses cyber and physical threats. We’ve heard the stories associated with ATM skimming, identity theft, data breaches, scams, and phishing. Large financial services organisations are often the victim of hackers looking to steal corporate information and transactional data or funds, and criminals continue to become more sophisticated in their approach. Growth in cyber-attacks Additionally, cyber-threats have taken a...

Until recently, data laws have differed from one country to the next. This meant that for those organisations conducting business or protecting assets abroad, they needed to localise both their infrastructure and policies dependant on the country they were operating in. However, with the impending arrival of the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which comes in to force on the 25th May this year, all of that will need to change. Data management in CCTV surveillance Surprisingly, des...

Over the past year, we’ve heard a lot of big buzzwords in conversations at different conferences, meetings and events. Deep learning, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are hot topics, and these trends will undoubtedly define the landscape over the coming year. Other issues, mostly IT related, are also making their way into more and more surveillance-focused conversations and to me, none is more complicated — or beneficial — than hyperconvergence.   W...

In 2017 we foresaw the emergence of video surveillance as a service. We also predicted an increase in intelligence in cameras, greater adoption of analytics, and more content aggregation. We saw biometrics taking increasing importance as a measure to prevent massive data breaches. We took on more projects that were larger in scope and size. More implementations involved higher-resolution cameras and longer retention times leading to greater adoption of multi-tier storage. Looking ahead to 2018...

Consumer confidence is its highest in a long time, and the unemployment rate is very low. This confidence in the economy is spurring investment in new facilities and expansion of facilities, and that’s driving security industry growth. Workplace violence issue Against this backdrop, another factor is on the rise and it’s not good: More violence in the workplace, possibly more than ever before. This is causing a shift in security strategy: the C-suite is increasingly less intereste...

  The record-breaking attendance at the 2017 industry trade shows was a clear indication of a growing need for and interest in security. While cybersecurity was a main theme, with encryption and automatic-updating technology taking centre stage, customised solutions and visible examples of increased manufacturer’s support were also highlighted. These latter two are interwoven through activities such as manufacturer’s training seminars that highlight the advanced f...

In 2017, access control solutions evolved and expanded within physical security operations, aligning with the overall industry trend of moving security from a reactive to a more proactive model. Access control serving the industry From increased integration capabilities to mobile applications to predictive analytics, access control served as the platform that enabled this transition in physical and data security. Other steady growth areas included wireless readers, smartphone usage as a crede...

  What a year it’s been! 2017 has been a monumental period of product innovation and growth for Pivot3. The company experienced a more-than-50-percent increase in bookings from Q2 to Q3 this year, including a record number of million-dollar orders. We also saw deals supporting multiple use cases more than double, and experienced continued growth in the video surveillance market, driven by new product enhancements and contracts worth more than $1 million. We have also in...

  2017 demonstrated the need for increased safety, security, and collaboration. We predicted that there would be an increase in the role of cybersecurity in 2017, and without a doubt there was great focus around the need for stronger network security protocols. Growing focus on cybersecurity Cybersecurity continues to be top of mind and organisations demand solutions that are cyber-secure. Manufacturers, integrators, and end-users must actively collaborate to develop policie...

This time last year, we predicted 2017 would be the year digital identities began transforming trusted access and other interactions in physical and online environments. Continuous authentication experience Demand grew for unified identity and access management systems supporting both cards and mobile devices. Trusted identities began bridging the gap between connected workers and smart buildings. We saw new IoT use cases that employ location services technologies to create a continuous authe...

We predicted last year that more vendors would introduce copies of Arecont Vision’s multi-sensor 180-360 degree panoramic and adjustable-view multi-sensor cameras in 2017, which came true. More vendors now offer their own 1st generation copies of the pioneering technology we introduced in 2006. We’ve continued to lead this market, introducing new 5th generation single-sensor and multi-sensor cameras that are used by customers worldwide. The SurroundVideo Omni G3 with Remote Setup c...