Hybrid security

Cobalt Iron Inc., a provider of SaaS-based enterprise data protection, and Northdoor Ltd., a London-based IT consultancy, will sponsor, exhibit, and make a presentation at the upcoming IBM Think Summit London on Oct. 16 at the Olympia London event center. Scheduled for 12:39 p.m. as part of the Cloud and Infrastructure Think Tank, the presentation is titled "Machine Learning Meets Data Protection — the unstoppable force meets the immovable object?" The companies will be exhibiting in the Cloud and Infrastructure Campus. Enterprise-ready multicloud solutions Think Summit London is IBM's annual festival of innovation, featuring tech talks, immersive experiences, topical debates, and thought-provoking guest speakers. This year's focus will be on enterprise-ready, multicloud solutions that are transforming businesses from "surviving" to "thriving," and how research and technology — including AI, blockchain, and quantum computing — are being channeled into protecting the future and helping to sustain not just business growth but also people and environments around the world. Enterprises are deploying SaaS-based models to meet service levels demanded by data-aware business executives In this presentation, Rodney Foreman, chief revenue officer of Cobalt Iron, will discuss how groundbreaking new solutions for hybrid cloud deployments pair analytics with automation to eliminate many of the performance issues normally associated with managing a legacy data protection environment. Foreman will present what the "art of the possible" looks like for companies leveraging the next generation of SaaS data protection using Cobalt Iron's Compass™ and IBM's Spectrum Protect delivered by Northdoor IT. Auto-provisioning workflows "Machine learning and data protection are a partnership made in heaven — or at least made in the cloud. Machine learning, analytics, automation, cloud, and SaaS have been aggressively deployed with massive success, delivering productivity, agility, and economic value across key IT disciplines," said Foreman, "While previously overlooked, data protection is now being brought into the fold — and the ability to integrate data protection into auto-provisioning workflows should be standard for any hybrid cloud environment." AJ Thompson, chief commercial officer for Northdoor commented, "Progressive public sector, SMB, and global enterprises are rapidly deploying SaaS-based models to meet and exceed the new service levels being demanded by cloud-savvy and data-aware business executives. We'd like to invite Think Summit London attendees to join our panel of experts as they shine a light on this opportunity."

Ping Identity, a globally renowned pioneer in intelligent identity solutions, has announced details of its 2019 IDENTIFY customer conference series, taking place in multiple international cities, including Chicago, London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne. With a focus on driving innovation across the enterprise, attendees will hear from CISOs and identity and access management (IAM) thought leaders at some of the world’s most prominent organisations, including Allied Irish Banks, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, TDC, Thomson Reuters and TIAA. Experts from Ping Identity will underscore how identity solutions can help achieve digital transformation Cloud and hybrid IT solutions In their presentations, experts from Ping Identity, customers and partners will underscore how identity solutions can help drive revenue, achieve digital transformation and simplify cloud, on-premises and hybrid IT deployments. The discussions will explore a variety of themes and trends, such as: Methods to secure APIs, an exponentially growing attack vector. Ways to implement risk-aware, password-less authentication. Paths to take toward a mature Zero Trust architecture. Approaches to simplify and automate cloud identity deployments. Strategies designed to help meet the demands of data protection regulations and more. Identity security “At Ping Identity, we power exceptional user experiences for our customers. The IDENTIFY customer conference series provides the opportunity to connect as a community, and explore the critical impact identity security continues to have across the modern digital enterprise,” said Kevin Sellers, CMO, Ping Identity. IDENTIFY events are exclusive for Ping Identity customers, partners and prospects. Register for one of the following locations: Chicago, October 2 London, October 9 New York, October 22 Sydney, October 29 Melbourne, October 31, IDENTIFY on Tour Ping Identity partners Ping is delighted to welcome as sponsors members of its global Ping Identity Partner Network, CTI Global, CyberArk, Delivery Centric, Focal Point, iC Consult, IDMWORKS, intragen, iovation, KPMG, LikeMinds Consulting, Persistent Systems, ProofID, Raidiam, SailPoint, Versent and Zscaler. The sponsorship of these partners demonstrates their innovative work as critical members of the Ping Identity ecosystem to support the organisation’s customers.

To maintain the growth and development of the Middle-Eastern and North-African advanced communications and collaboration solution markets, Airbus has appointed Andrew Forbes as the new Head of the Middle East and North-Africa region of Secure Land Communications. As of the 2nd of September, he has replaced Selim Bouri who has moved on to another position within Airbus. Tetra technology expert Andrew Forbes will build on Airbus’s strong performances in delivering the latest Tetra technology Andrew Forbes will build on Airbus’ previous strong performances in delivering the latest Tetra technology in those regions, targeting new markets, and developing mission critical-solutions tailored to customers’ needs. “We strongly intend to intensify efforts made in the fields of public safety networks, defense, transportation, energy and other critical industries such as the mining sector, in order to bring forward innovative and customised solutions that surpass competitors. In the Middle East region in particular, we can build on our excellent existing customer relations”, says Andrew Forbes. Hybrid technologies and data-driven services He adds, “Our customers, particularly in the Middle East, are forerunners in mission-critical technology solutions. They are expecting their systems to follow the same megatrends that the civilian ones are following while maintaining the most important features such as security, reliability, resiliency, and of course, voice. Our aim is to bring forward hybrid possibilities, seamless connectivity, data-driven services, and applications with extremely high security standards while maintaining flawless voice services”, he adds. With a Master of Science (MSc) in Information Technology Service Management from Northampton University, and a Diploma in Company Direction, Andrew Forbes has 36 years of experience in the implementation, operation, and management of geographically dispersed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and is an experienced communications and structured cable design engineer. Secure Communications division head In addition, Andrew Forbes has extensive experience in military communication services as he started his career in the British Armed Forces and has also worked for the NATO Communications and Information Agency. He has spent a total of ten years in Saudi Arabia, and joined Airbus in 2014 to become Head of GPT Special Project Management Ltd., part of Airbus Defence and Space’s Secure Communications branch. Andrew Forbes first served as Operations Director before becoming the Managing Director responsible for a 542-person team in 2017. He is based in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and oversees more than 95 employees in the offices located in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

AMG, the ISO 9001:2015 approved UK manufacturer and global provider of environmentally robust fibre, analogue, IP/Ethernet, wireless & hybrid communication transmission solutions, has announced the start of a global growth plan. Capitalising on significant new external investment, AMG plans to promote its British designed and manufactured products to markets around the world. There will be investment to significantly increase the AMG product range, to increase its technical and sales resource and team-up with partners around the world. As part of this process, the company announced that the driving force for growth will be steered by new MD, Steve Clarke, working alongside the existing management team. A well-known and respected security industry figure, Steve’s 30 years’ experience spans senior management roles at market leading video transmission manufacturing companies, including COE, GE companies IFS and Fiber Options and most recently, ComNet. We’ll be looking to expand the company’s product portfolio and core technologies" Recruiting expertise to broaden sales Talking about his objectives as new MD, Steve said: “I’m really excited about developing the prospects for AMG’s potential for growth. With that aim in mind, I’ll be looking to build upon AMG’s current successes and develop the business to become a truly global brand. "We’ll be looking to expand the company’s product portfolio and core technologies and recruit expertise to broaden the depth of customer sales and technical support. In essence, the aim will be to secure a solid platform with which to further expand the depth of AMG’s market penetration." “AMG has an acknowledged reputation as a great British manufacturer and, by complementing its unrivalled technology offer with an enhanced commercial and sales bias, I’ll be looking to develop the company’s customer base and take the business into new and exciting market sectors. We will take AMG from having been the best kept industry secret, to the global supplier of choice.”

AMG, the ISO 9001:2015 approved UK manufacturer and provider of environmentally robust fibre, analogue, IP/Ethernet, wireless & hybrid communication transmission solutions, has released a new 3F outdoor wireless radio transmitter. Extremely compact and lightweight, AMG AMG8870F-06 Skywave 3F Outdoor Wireless Radio has been designed to deliver the highest performance and stability available in the 5GHz 802.11ac class. Providing the ideal solution for capacity demanding point-to-point, or point-to-multipoint network applications, the AMG8870F-06 Skywave 3F wireless radio’s feature-rich operating system is optimised for high-performance wireless communication. High-performance transmission solutions Supporting up to 450Mbps compressed video throughput (depending on the configurable channel size utilised), it utilises a powerful hardware platform incorporating a QCA 9563 CPU (750 MHz), QCA 9882 radio, 64Mbs of RAM and 16Mb flash memory. “The new AMG AMG8870F-06 Skywave 3F Outdoor Wireless Radio complements the existing AMG range of technologies to provide a broad portfolio of high-performance transmission solutions suitable for any application,” says Sara Fisher, Sales and Marketing Director at AMG. “With the options of integrated high-gain 16 and 90 Degree, dual-polarisation MIMO 2x2 technology, directional antennae (up to 6Km range), and models accepting a choice of external antennae for greater range, the new wireless range is the ideal choice to support any size of system project.” AMG8870F-06 Features Base station / Satellite, PtP Smart Station Coordination Function (SSCF) Up to 6km (integrated antenna) Up to 500Mbps compressed video throughput 5/10/20/40/80MHz Channelisation support User configurable gain up to 23dBm (30dBm max) 24V passive PoE Extremely compact and light IP66 rated enclosure -40°C to +65°C operating range

Digital Defense, Inc. announced the integration of their Frontline.Cloud™ vulnerability management and threat assessment platform with the Cherwell IT Service Management (ITSM) platform. The union of the two security technologies enables joint customers to automate the process of ticketing, enabling organisations to quickly and efficiently address security vulnerabilities and threats, improving their overall security posture. "Through the integration, organisations can leverage the benefits of Digital Defense's next-generation security assessment system and Cherwell's powerful ITSM solution for exceptionally accurate host identification and management," states Gordon MacKay, EVP/chief technology officer at Digital Defense. "Our Frontline.Cloud incorporates patented scan-to scan host correlation technology to ensure users can precisely track and correlate assets across assessments and over time simplifying the burden of manually tracking and managing network assets." Vulnerability and threat assessment solutions "For the most effective and efficient IT service desks, interoperability is key," said Michael Euperio, director, technology alliances at Cherwell. "With Cherwell's ITSM solution acting as the hub for managing all IT tickets, including security vulnerabilities and threats, the integration with Digital Defense is important progress for our common customers." Frontline.Cloud offers software security systems focused on hardening business-critical assets from being breached Founded in 1999, Digital Defense, Inc. is an industry-recognised provider of security assessment solutions. Digital Defense provides vulnerability and threat assessment Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions and services purpose-built to operate in today's hybrid cloud enterprise environments. Digital Defense's proprietary platform, Frontline.Cloud, incorporates patented technologies and offers multiple software security systems focused on pro-actively hardening business-critical assets from being compromised and breached. Operating on-premise The Frontline. Cloud platform supports Frontline Vulnerability Manager™ (Frontline VM™), Frontline Web Application Scanning™ (Frontline WAS™), and Frontline Active Threat Sweep™ (Frontline ATS™) that provide agent-less discovery, vulnerability and threat assessment of dynamic assets, while eliminating manual processes and integrating with market-leading 3rd party security and IT offerings to eliminate gaps invisibility and enable faster remediation. Frontline.Cloud is the only solution in the market that is built to scale across any size organisation and operate on-premise, in the cloud or hybrid network-based implementations.

Last year, Genetec predicted that cybersecurity would be taken much more seriously as the Internet of Things (IoT) opened more doors for hacking and network take overs. We also predicted that that there would be an increase in the adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS), expanding choice and convenience from new ownership models via hybrid (on-premises and Cloud) and Cloud-only models. Cyber Accountability awareness 2017 was also a year of awareness about ‘Cyber Accountability’. Rising cyber-crime and the increasing threats saw organisations taking direct action to mitigate their risks. There was a greater demand for cybersecurity/cyber-incompetence malpractice insurance in the physical security space. The physical security industry is continuing to grow at a rate that most other industries would envy. However, the “race to the bottom” and the rise of ultra-low-cost surveillance sensor equipment is negatively affecting the industry as a whole on several levels: Not only are profit margins being eroded, but these ultra-low-cost devices are being fielded and subsidised by state-owned organisations which raises troubling questions around privacy, data sovereignty and cyber security. More focus on privacy protection In 2018, we will see a lot more focus on privacy protection and compliance. People want to feel safe, but not watched. This is where privacy protection and encryption technology play a role in ensuring that security professionals have enough information to be able to do their job while protecting the privacy of the public. In addition to privacy and data protection, there is a greater demand for organisations and institutions to not only make sense of an increasing array of data from sensors and connected devices, but to take meaningful and smart action on these data. Software that help organisations build and activate this type of operational resiliency and security intelligence will lead the way in 2018. Genetec celebrated its 20th anniversary and welcomed its 1,000th employee in 2017. We are still proudly privately owned and will continue to grow and march to our own drummer while delivering our usual brisk pace of software innovation.

Organisations are moving to align their physical and digital security initiatives, especially in today’s more connected world Organisations must address growing security threats using fewer resources in an increasingly challenging regulatory environment. They are looking to ensure data security while also protecting their facilities’ physical security. At the same time, their users are demanding more choices of smart cards, smartphones, wearables, and other mobile devices that can do much more than simply open doors in an increasingly connected world. Cobbling together disparate solutions creates vulnerability gaps and can be expensive and difficult to manage. For these and other reasons, many organisations are moving to align their physical and digital security initiatives, especially in today’s more connected world tied to the Internet of Things (IoT). They are adopting new ways of thinking about trust in smart environments and evolving how they use trusted identities across their operations. In the process, they are discovering better ways to establish, create, use and manage secure credentials using hybrid on-premises and cloud solutions both for access control and to tie people, assets and processes to the Internet of Trusted Things (IoTT). Simpler and more efficient approaches Cloud-based solutions such as Microsoft Azure are already widely used for IT access management and there is now growing interest in harnessing the cloud to manage trusted identities used for physical access management as well. Today’s solutions span the full identity lifecycle, from badge printing or mobile credential issuance all the way through to the management and application of access rights. These solutions tie everything together and automate other manual workflows to provide an end-to-end physical identity and access management solution These integrated solutions will be joined by new cloud models for delivering network-based, service-focused badge printing and encoding that eliminates the need for stand-alone card printers attached to dedicated PC workstations and delivers the security of end-to-end encryption. Such solutions will transform the operational management of ID badge printing, reduce costs, eliminate capex outlay, simplify system maintenance and improve security as compared to on-premises solutions. Reducing vulnerabilities and simplifying compliance In parallel with the move to the cloud, there is also a growing awareness of the interdependencies of technologies and platforms that are used to optimise business agility, manage costs and improve the user experience in today’s increasingly mobile environment, or to extend the reach, flexibility and security of digital commerce and relationship management. These interdependent technologies require an organisation-wide approach to identity management that connects multiple platforms, systems and devices for multi-factor authentication. This approach increases security, reduces vulnerabilities and simplifies compliance. To achieve this vision, unified identity cloud-based physical and IT access management solutions can create a far more seamless experience for users while simplifying procurement, deployment and maintenance. These solutions tie everything together and automate other manual workflows to provide an end-to-end physical identity and access management solution that integrates with access control systems, logical identity and other applications so organisations can manage all types of physical identities and their details. Encompassing identity management lifecycle This approach incorporates trusted credential and other advanced security technologies and encompasses the entire identity management lifecycle. The result: organisations achieve a single, comprehensive security view and more coordinated way to protect privacy, while also lowering total cost of ownership, extending strong authentication from the desktop to the door and supporting a multitude of advanced use cases. This unified approach is especially effective for government agencies and other regulated industries such as banking, healthcare, and transportation. It improves the organisation’s overall security posture while consolidating physical and IT security into a single solution. The user experience is improved by having a single credential for opening doors and accessing IT systems, networks and data and the organisation can more easily comply with federal security requirements while extending public key infrastructure (PKI) strong authentication throughout their operations. Unified identity cloud-based physical and IT access management solutions can create a far more seamless experience for users This unified approach also enables using strong cryptographic credentials in a range of additional applications, including digitally signing emails or documents, decrypting emails or files, full disk encryption and boot protection to secure laptops, among others. This approach also makes it easier to monitor and manage users’ access rights as their roles change within an organisation, ensuring they only have access to what they need in a current role. Incorporation of biometrics In banking, unified platforms provide a holistic, mobile-relevant, multi-channel solution for managing customer identities across all channels, improving the user experience without increasing cost or complexity. The incorporation of biometrics further improves the user experience with higher levels of trust and makes it easier to combat fraud while complying with “know your customer” and other regulatory mandates. Unified platforms for healthcare enable administrators to consolidate identity and access management across the continuum from hospital to home, simplifying operations ranging from opening hospital doors and accessing healthcare records to e-prescribing while simplifying compliance and improving how healthcare professionals interact with patients and log their activities. Institutions can leverage e-prescribing architectures for other valuable capabilities such as authenticating to VPNs and enabling remote access using credentials, key fobs, mobile smartphones and other smart devices and one-time password (OTP) tokens. Path to converged solutions The move to unified platforms offers new ways to establish, create, manage and use trusted identities and combine on-premises systems and the cloud to simplify identity and access management using common, flexible and adaptable platforms. Organisations that adopt these platforms can more easily secure access to everything from the facility’s doors to its computers, data, applications, and cloud-based services and can also tie their smart buildings to the IoT. As they deploy these unified platforms, they will be embarking on a path to truly converged solutions that will ultimately consist of a single security policy, one credential and one audit log, delivered through a fully interoperable, multi-layered security infrastructure. Between now and then, they will be able to preserve their investments while continuing to grow, evolve and continually improve their security capabilities in the face of ever-changing threats.

As the whirlwind of 2016 quickly winds down, it is a good opportunity to look back at the significant trends from this year. As predicted, the industry experienced accelerated data growth, the continued convergence of security and IT, and the ever-expanding impact of the Internet of Things (IoT).Overall, 2016 was a good year. IT investments were strong and organisations rapidly adopted new data centre advancements such as hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) to help manage the huge influx of critical data without incurring new major costs.What was most unexpected about the last year was the significant impact of cybersecurity on the IoT. The security of connected devices has been a continued concern, but many were taken by surprise at the extent of the outlying vulnerabilities and how easily hackers can take over the control of devices and gain access to stored data. Luckily, minimal permanent damage was done, but edge device manufacturers and integrators must take significant precautions to prevent this type of event from reoccurring.Cyber and physical security Looking toward 2017, one can expect to see increased scrutiny over very low-cost, private-label or white-box products that may not meet modern data security requirements. Organisations will continue to align internal security departments and processes with IT to address evolving cyber and physical security threats. New technologies, such as deep learning and GPU acceleration, will enable the rise of more reliable, accurate analytics and broader market adoption of these types of technologies. Additionally, one also expects to see the emergence of cloud and hybrid-cloud platforms as viable enterprise video storage alternatives.On the business-front, 2016 was a phenomenal year for Pivot3. They continued to experience record growth and momentum, and most recently increased revenue growth by 105 percent over the same period in Q3 2015, with 67 percent of revenue coming from new customers. They focused on expanding their customer base, and added seasoned executives to help lead the organisation and fuel major growth efforts in 2017. Overall, it is exciting to see the enthusiasm for Pivot3 HCI solutions across multiple use cases and markets, and they’re well primed for further success in 2017. See the full coverage of 2016/2017 Review and Forecast articles here

The mission of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is to ensure the reliability of the North American bulk power system (BPS). While electric utility companies are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the electric grid, regulators such as NERC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are charged with the overall responsibility of ensuring reliability and security. NERC develops and enforces Reliability Standards, annually assesses seasonal and long-term reliability, monitors the bulk power system through system awareness, operates the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and educates, trains and certifies industry personnel. Normal everyday operations of the system are the responsibility of utility owners and operators. Protecting critical infrastructure An attack by a disgruntled former employee, ideologically motivated activist, or a criminal could inflict significant damage Currently, a significant reliability threat to the U.S. grid is associated with squirrels and balloons, and not religiously inspired terrorists. However – and more applicable to grid operators – we have recently seen noteworthy interest in disabling or destroying critical infrastructure. Coordinated attacks can target the grid, and an attack by a disgruntled former employee, ideologically motivated activist, or a criminal stumbling across a “soft target,” could inflict significant damage. With an interconnected grid of over 450,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines (100 kV and higher) and over 55,000 substations (100 kV and larger), the targets of opportunity are endless. Data capture form to appear here! According to the Department of Energy, the number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather, which costs the economy between $18 billion and $33 billion every year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and damage to grid infrastructure. The number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather, which costs the economy between $18 billion and $33 billion every year Large power transformers A large power transformer (LPT) is an enormous, custom-built piece of equipment tailored to customers’ specifications. They usually are not interchangeable with each other, and they are not produced for spare-part inventories; so if one blows, a lot of companies and homes could be without power for more than six months. They are not cheap, either. According to EEP (Electrical Engineering Portal), $10 million is a fairly average cost, but that doesn’t include transporting the gargantuan piece of equipment or installing it, which usually adds an additional 35 percent to the bill. Protecting power grids is essential to deliver electricity that serves millions of consumers. Transmission substations are a component of the power infrastructure that presents unique security challenges. These important facilities often sit out in the open, in remote locations, and were historically protected by little more than cameras or chain-link fences. According to EEP, $10 million is a fairly average cost for a large power transformer NERC/CIP guidelines The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC/CIP) guidelines address security needs of electrical substations. Every facility has a baseline requirement for perimeter security protection around the site, although medium- and high-impact sites will have more stringent requirements. The geography surrounding sites – Is it an urban area or rural? Does the surrounding elevation provide additional lines of sight? – also impacts the types of systems they require. Electricity coming from coal, nuclear or hydroelectric plants goes to local utilities The U.S. power grid is divided into three sections: The Eastern Interconnection for states east of the Rocky Mountains, The Western Interconnection for states from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, and the smallest—the Texas Interconnected system—covering most of Texas. Electricity coming from coal, nuclear or hydroelectric plants goes to local utilities and they distribute power to homes and businesses, to millions of personal devices, lights, refrigeration, computers, and to other “loads,” that tap it. Inherited challenges According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the nation’s electric infrastructure is “nothing but a patchwork system” that has evolved wildly since the first substation was erected by Thomas Edison in 1882, on New York City’s Pearl Street. Contributing to the challenges of securing the grid are the crazily disparate ages and capacities of the grid’s equipment. There are many possible targets, too. Approximately 300 control centres around the country monitor voltage and watch the data from SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, which are placed at transformers, generators and other critical areas. Ideally, this allows engineers to monitor the data for signs of trouble and then communicate with each other to deal with whatever is happening to the grid, but SCADA has cybersecurity issues.

Intelligent solutions, such as those derived from artificial intelligence, help critical infrastructure organisations make sense of vast amounts of data. These integrated applications, such as advanced video analytics and facial recognition, can automatically pinpoint potential breaches and significant events, and send alerts to the appropriate personnel, departments, and agencies. These solutions can be powerful in unifying disparate command centre technologies, fusing critical data input from emergency calls and responder activity to enhance situational awareness. Electrical substations are particularly vulnerable (and in need of extra security) due to their role in power distribution and the nature of their equipment. The challenge power utilities worldwide are facing is finding an affordable solution, which can help detect, deter and facilitate an informed response to a substation security event. Data capture form to appear here! U.S. regulations In the United States, this need is furthered by the physical security mandate CIP-014 issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), calling for identification of security issues, vulnerability assessments and deployment of appropriate processes and systems to address. CIP-014 identification of security issues, vulnerability assessments and deployment of appropriate processes and systems to address CIP-104 specifically calls for implemented security plans that include measures to deter, detect, delay, assess, communicate, coordinate and respond to potential physical threats and vulnerabilities. Manufacturers of video and other systems are designing products to serve the critical infrastructure market. For example, Dahua Technology offers explosion-proof cameras with a combination of rugged reliability and superior optics that is a fit for surveillance of explosive and corrosive environments, including chemical plants, refineries, and other facilities in the oil and gas industry. This explosion-proof series of cameras are housed in enclosures that are certified to the ATEX and IECEx standards for equipment in explosive atmospheres. Each explosion-proof camera features Dahua’s Starlight technology for ultra low-light sensitivity and high-definition sensors that deliver clear images in real-time. They are IP68-rated to prevent water and dust ingress. Each explosion-proof camera features Dahua’s Starlight technology for ultra low-light sensitivity and high-definition sensors that deliver clear images in real-time Video footage in extreme temperatures Another manufacturer, Videotec, offers a range of cameras and housings that provide video footage regardless of aggressive external factors, such as ice cold, scorching heat, desert sand, the force of sea or wind, total darkness, pollution, corrosion and even explosive agents. SightSensor thermal systems enable a utility to detect and respond to substation security incidents across multiple sitesSightLogix smart thermal camera systems have been deployed to protect substations for electric utilities and other critical infrastructure facilities. SightSensor thermal systems enable a utility to detect and respond to substation security incidents across multiple sites, ranging from copper theft to vandalism while also meeting regulatory compliance. At each substation facility, Thermal SightSensors are positioned along the perimeter, and are paired with a high-resolution pan-tilt-zoom camera for alarm assessment. When a Thermal SightSensor detects an intruder, the target’s location information is sent over the network to a SightTracker PTZ controller, which automatically zooms and steers PTZ cameras to follow the intruder. The target’s location is also displayed on a topology site map to provide real-time situational awareness. Alarms are sent to the utility’s 24-hour security operations centre, which will contact law enforcement in real time when unauthorised intrusions are detected. Integrated intrusion detection and lighting systems The Senstar LM100 hybrid perimeter intrusion detection and intelligent lighting system is simplifying security at one U.S. electrical utility company. For years, the utility company had integrated its perimeter intrusion detection and lighting systems. The company has now installed the Senstar LM100 which provides detection and lighting in one product and saves them over $80,000 per site. The savings are a result of the reduction of electrical requirements, conduit, grounding, and associated labor, as well as the removal of certain equipment from project scope that are required for the two-system integration. The Senstar LM100’s perimeter LED-based lighting acts as an initial deterrent. If an intruder persists and an attempt to cut, climb or otherwise break through the fence is detected, the closest luminaire begins to strobe, and an alert is sent via a security management system. The intruder knows immediately they have been detected and that their exact location is known by security and others in the vicinity.

Verkada was founded by three computer scientists and security experts who studied together at Stanford University. They connected with a former founder of Meraki and created Verkada with a mission to “modernise the world of physical security”. The fast-growing company currently focuses on delivering an all-in-one hybrid cloud video security solution powered by edge processing inside the camera. On the surface, the product is simple: cameras record video, connect to the internet, and push data to the cloud. “What sets us apart is the system architecture that drives our solution,” says Brandon Davito, Verkada’s VP of Product and Operations. “Starting with edge processing, all data is instantly analysed and processed at the camera. This enables enterprise users to scale coverage without traditional limitations like bandwidth consumption or the costs of supporting additional equipment for processing footage. Simultaneously, all footage is stored directly on each camera and can be streamed securely via Verkada’s centralised management platform to any device.” The product is simple: cameras record video, connect to the internet, and push data to the cloud Hybrid cloud architecture Verkada’s goal is to make it easy to buy, deploy and manage large-scale enterprise video security systems across hundreds of cameras and dozens of sites. The hybrid cloud architecture makes it easy to access video footage from hundreds of cameras across any platform (web, mobile apps, tablets, and AppleTV). Verkada is appropriate for any business, school or enterprise that needs a scalable, secure and reliable video security solution, says Davito. “Our system streamlines surveillance management, removes the need of supporting equipment, and is ready to use, out-of-the-box, without the need for technical configurations,” says Davito. The simplicity and scalability of the end-to-end solution is attractive to security professionals, simplifying the day-to-day of surveillance management and providing insights that drive a business forward in other areas of the organisation. “This approach also allows us to provide customers with a complete experience, as we build our hardware and software to work seamlessly together,” Davito adds. Verkada does not integrate with other equipment or systems. “Taking an end-to-end approach ensures that we are able to develop and roll out features more quickly and take advantage of the edge-processing capabilities of our cameras,” Davito says. The simplicity and scalability of the end-to-end solution is attractive to security professionals Defending against IoT threats An end-to-end solution also increases defenses against threats in today’s Internet of Things (IoT) space. IP cameras have historically been some of the most vulnerable devices. Verkada cameras save time by updating automatically, and they are unable to accept 3rd party software (and the risks that come with it). Verkada partners with many of the leading channel distributors and is always recruiting new integrator/reseller partners. “The solution is easy to sell. It's a bolt-on value-add that doesn't require altering or configurations to existing infrastructure,” says Davito. “Sales cycles are also much shorter because implementation is simple and streamlined; it’s creating a lot of business efficiency.” The world of physical security is always evolving, so Verkada’s ongoing challenge is to continue delivering on the potential of hybrid cloud management of physical spaces. “We are always launching new features and enhancements, as well as ensuring the security and integrity of our customers’ environments,” says Davito. “We will look to continue to push the boundaries of physical security and deepen our use of technologies like machine learning and future advancements in video analytics and AI technologies.”

Pulse Secure advances remote access to web applications such as Microsoft Office 365 and network resources to help 3,000 staff enjoy a better work-life balance leveraging Pulse Secure. Pulse Secure, a provider of software-defined Secure Access solutions, has announced the delivery of a successful project at one of Italy’s largest media organisations designed to help foster mobile workforce productivity while ensuring protected, compliant access to cloud and data centre applications.  RCS MediaGroup is one of the leading multimedia publishing groups, active mainly in Italy and Spain across all publishing fields, spanning from newspapers to magazines, from digital to books, from TV to new media, and to training. It is also one of the top players in the advertising market and in the organisation of iconic events and major sporting formats, such as the Giro d’Italia. Protecting against cyber-attack We maintain several security controls across our network, as well as regularly cyber-security training" The RCS Group publishes the daily newspapers Corriere della Sera, La Gazzetta dello Sport, El Mundo, Marca and Expansion, as well as numerous magazines, the most popular including Oggi, Amica, Io Donna, 7, YO Dona and Telva. Like many other popular enterprises, being an integral part region’s culture and communications has made RCS Group a target for cyber threat actors. “Protecting our systems against cyber-attack is a critical requirement as is ensuring our staff and journalists have easy, flexible and secure access to their work,” says Monica Venanzetti, Network Manager for RCS MediaGroup in Milan. “To meet this need, we maintain several security controls across our network, as well as regularly conduct cyber-security training. We deployed our first VPN solution in 2006 to enable secure access to our systems and it was time to progress our capabilities.” New cloud services RCS MediaGroup employs over 3,000 staff including 700 journalists and as Giandomenico Oldano, Director of IT operations for RCS MediaGroup, explains, “As a group, we have an ongoing strategy to help our staff embrace smart working. This is part of an initiative to improve the work-life balance of our employees and reduce their traveling time, which in a busy city like Milan can be very time consuming.” As part of this work-life balance strategy, RCS MediaGroup has invested in more remote, mobile and cloud technologies and recently moved its staff onto Microsoft Office 365 to encourage this transition. “To meet this need and as part of our commitment to ensuring best practice secure access, we decided to upgrade our legacy VPN to provide more capacity and to better integrate with new cloud services such as Office 365,” says Venanzetti. Cloud single-sign on The simplified management interface allows RCS MediaGroup to set up enterprise-wide policies" “We examined several options and Pulse Secure provided us a modernised platform with more advanced features including endpoint compliance and cloud single-sign on. We found the tool comparatively simpler to administer, very interoperable and with a broader feature-set.” The upgrade process was straightforward, and the simplified management interface allows RCS MediaGroup to set up enterprise-wide policies that make it easy for its remote users to connect to its critical publishing systems. The solution also incorporates client checking technology that ensures that its users’ devices, both corporate and personally owned endpoints, are running the right system and security patches before they can attach to the corporate network. “One of the most important features was deep support for our users’ devices including tablets, laptops and PCs across both Apple and Microsoft environments,” says Oldano. Cloud-based applications “Our upgrade has been a success and provides a lot of potential for future projects that will allow us to offer secure access for more cloud-based applications. Pulse Secure has been with us throughout this process and its technology is helping us to deliver on our commitment towards smarter working for all our staff.” Pulse Secure enables enterprises to centrally manage Zero Trust Secure Access to applications, resources and services that are delivered on-premise, in private cloud and public cloud environments. The Pulse Access Suite delivers protected connectivity, operational intelligence and threat response across mobile, network and multi-cloud environments in order to provide easy, compliant access for end users and single-pane-of-glass management for administrators. “Enterprises are fortifying capabilities to accelerate mobile workforce productivity and take advantage of cloud computing.” Comprehensive and integrated Pulse Secure offers a proven, comprehensive and integrated suite that works with an enterprises hybrid IT infrastructure to enable a simpler, more manageable and scalable approach to secure access,” said Paul Donovan, vice president of EMEA sales at Pulse Secure. “We are pleased to have been selected by RCS MediaGroup, a prominent and progressive market leader in multimedia publishing and look forward to supporting their on-going digital transformation initiatives.”

Security is always one of the top concerns for any stores, especially for multinational hypermarkets, and IP surveillance is becoming the norm in the retail sector. The multinational hypermarket in South America has adopted 70 Surveon NVR7816, which was designed as a recording server with an archiving function that offers cost advantages and easy maintenance. Besides, NVR7816 ensures high video image quality with high throughput capability, providing a safe environment for people and goods in their 66 stores. Price and performance are always the key elements to help SI win projects. Surveon NVR7800 Series was designed as a recording server with an archiving function that offers cost advantages compared to traditional system structures composed of recording server plus a separate storage device, making it the top choice for the multinational hypermarket. Better image quality The NVR7800 Series is 100% compatible with major 3rd party VMS, including Milestone and Genetec VMSEach hypermarket installs 80 to 100 cameras with improved image quality. The multinational hypermarket needed a reliable system which supports recording with hundred channels and is able to transmit high resolution images smoothly. The NVR7800 Series delivers a high level of recording throughput of nearly 2000 Mbps, supporting recording with more channels, allowing system to receive better video image quality by higher bitrates, and ensuring smooth transmission even with high frame rate. The multinational hypermarket bought 6,000 channels Genetec VMS license before deciding the supplier of server and storage, making the system most composed by brands. The multinational hypermarket needed a solution which is fully compatible with Genetec VMS. The NVR7800 Series is 100% compatible with major 3rd party VMS, including Milestone and Genetec VMS. Hybrid server-storage design The hybrid server-storage design of NVR7800 Series gives us a big hand with its high throughput and easy maintenance" With Genetec VMS, NVR7800 Series can serve up to 300CH 1.3MP cameras with continuous recording or 190CH 1.3MP cameras with motion detection recording. Based on Milestone test findings, NVR7800 Series supports up to 150 cameras, more than twice Milestone’s benchmark level in a non-stop recording scenario. The system is even capable of supporting more than four times the number of cameras estimated by benchmark under the testing scenario where motion detection is enabled, giving medium to large projects the best price-performance solution. "The hybrid server-storage design of NVR7800 Series gives us a big hand with its high throughput and easy maintenance. And it also gives us a better performance with affordable budget in every perspective. We are very satisfied with the result and look forward to working with Surveon in the future." said the administration manager of the multinational hypermarket.

On his 2018 two-day visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis’s scheduled activity was protected by high-performance Predator and Invictus cameras from UK CCTV design and manufacturing company, 360 Vision Technology. Specialists in a wide range of leading-edge CCTV, Access Control, PA, AV and radio communications, County Kildare-based Mongey Communications was chosen to provide the additional security surveillance protection measures necessary to secure the Pope’s visit to Dublin. With the massive crowds expected to see the pontiff, the temporary surveillance installation needed to be minimally disruptive and use mobile radio to provide the multi-scene coverage required during the two-day visit. Multi-site CCTV surveillance The camera images were to be used for co-ordination and management by multiple agencies To support an existing small-scale CCTV installation at the Pope’s final venue of Phoenix Park (the largest enclosed city park in Europe), there was a need for further camera coverage along the park’s approach routes, entrance/exit gates, search areas and general areas of crowd movement and congregation. A similar solution was also required for the Pope’s visit to the Knock Shrine pilgrimage site and the Capuchin Day Centre, where public space CCTV was again already in place but of limited overall coverage. Full integration with the existing CCTV system at the 82,300 capacity Croke Park stadium for a papal address to the Festival of Families extravaganza was also required, with communications and CCTV feeds from all locations required to be transmitted back to local on-site control rooms at each location, and additionally to a central Command and Control room at Dublin Castle. At the main Command and Control Centre, the camera images were to be used for co-ordination and management by multiple agencies, including the Office of Public works (OPW), Garda Síochána, Defence Forces Ireland, Dublin Fire Brigade, HSE / Ambulance Services and Civil Defence. High-definition video security to secure Phoenix Park  “With 300,000 people expected to attend a papal mass at Phoenix Park to close the World Meeting of Families, we were briefed to provide the very best possible reliability and imaging performance from the additional cameras we employed,” explains Kevin McGrath of Mongey Communications. We needed to be confident of camera reliability straight out of the box, along with simple and fast set-up" He further added, “With this in mind, we needed to be confident of camera reliability straight out of the box, along with simple and fast set-up, and quality high-definition video for forward transmission to the various control rooms. Our very positive experience of employing 360 Vision Technology cameras on many high-security installations in the past led us to be confident about the image and build quality of the manufacturer’s cameras, and product support.”  “So, to fulfil the challenges we faced for this high-profile project, we specified the latest version of 360 Vision’s Predator camera, and also their new cost-effective and ruggedised Invictus Hybrid HD PTZ camera.” 360 Vision Invictus Hybrid HD PTZ camera The new 360 Vision Invictus cameras specified for the project employ the latest compact camera modules with a choice of 20:1 or 30:1 zoom and are available with 1/2.8” Sony StarVis or 1/1.9” Sony Exmor (Ultra) sensor packages. Bridging the divide between analogue and IP technology, all Invictus cameras are equipped with Hybrid functionality enabling installation in existing analogue systems and also in full 1080P HD IP video streaming networks. Alongside ONVIF 2.4 Profile S compatibility, this means the Invictus range is not only economical, but simple to install, providing Mongey Communications engineers with a reliable, flexible and high- performance solution with which to enhance the existing electronic surveillance measures for the Pope’s 2018 visit. HD IP video streaming networks An upright camera mount design allows full 360-degree continuous pan and unobstructed field of view Further enhancing camera reliability for this important event, the new Invictus camera range design draws cost-effectively on features usually associated with very high-end cameras, including construction from high grade, hardened aluminium and stainless steel, to ensure a rugged, durable and compact camera. An upright camera mount design allows full 360-degree continuous pan and unobstructed field of view, plus the ability to tilt above the horizon – enabling operators to view targets above camera installation height (i.e. up hills) – an invaluable asset where cameras were being installed in the difficult installation and operational conditions of Phoenix Park. Technical relationship with 360 Vision Technology “Our decision to once again entrust the provision of the best technology available for the project to 360 Vision Technology was proven correct, and we had no issues of consequence with the installation, commissioning and performance of all the cameras - straight out of the box,” explains Kevin. “Because of the condensed set-up period available and challenging terrain of some of the installation areas, we had to act fast to ensure the successful inclusion and full control of the cameras for the multi-agency command and control room,” adds Kevin. “Here our technical relationship with 360 Vision Technology really paid dividends throughout this time-critical project, affording easy integration of all the additional cameras into the control room’s Cathexis VMS. Cathexis VMS Images from the cameras were relayed back to the various event control centres In all, over 60 additional 360 Vision Technology cameras were employed over the various sites throughout the Pope’s visit. With extensive digging and cabling not a practical option, images from the cameras were relayed back to the various event control centres via a network of reliable and secure microwave transmission links, powered by temporary generators and back-up batteries. “The new Invictus cameras were perfect for the role thanks to their low power consumption compared to other similar specification PTZ cameras,” explains Kevin. “Low power consumption really helps when adding multiple cameras to a network with a temporary power system - and meant we could add more cameras for the benefit of maximum scene coverage.” High-speed fibre-optic connectivity High-speed fibre-optic connectivity between the various remote sites and Dublin Castle was installed, together with video walls at the various control rooms. “The Pope’s visit was a great success with no security issues reported,” says Kevin. “Images relayed to the control room from the additional 360 Vision Technology cameras were vital in the smooth running of the visit and allowed all of the state agencies involved to keep a constant update on the movements of the vast crowds drawn over the pontiff’s two-day visit.” “Our long-term technical partnership with 360 Vision Technology and our direct input in to the development of their new products really pays off with high-profile projects like this,” concludes Kevin. “We have many new and exciting installation challenges on the horizon and I’m confident that 360 Vision Technology camera products will continue to be an integral part of those future projects.”

Pulse Secure, a provider of Secure Access solutions to both enterprises and service providers, has announced that Entegrus has successfully deployed Pulse Policy Secure advanced network access control (NAC), to strengthen overall visibility and access security across their hybrid IT infrastructure. Entegrus, a Canadian energy company, leveraged their existing Pulse Secure virtual private network (VPN) implementation to expedite NAC deployment and fortify their infrastructure in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) guidelines. As a result, their security organisation extended visibility for remote and on-premise users and devices, as well as enhanced endpoint compliance and Internet of Things (IoT) risk mitigation. We have increased our security posture, and for the most part, there has been zero impact on our end users" Pulse Secure-Entegrus collaboration Entegrus serves over 58,000 customers throughout Ontario. They bring electricity, renewable energy and water across three large regions, with a workforce spread out over 2,300 square miles. Entegrus’ objective is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective provision of energy and related billing services, while providing high levels of service to its customers, partners and the communities it serves. IT security plays a critical role in protecting their delivery of energy and data services.  “The threat landscape is constantly evolving, forcing us to always consider how we can go one step further. With a widely distributed IT infrastructure, we considered NAC as an effective way to improve our security posture without dramatically altering how we operate,” said Dave Cullen, manager of information systems for Entegrus. “We have a long-standing relationship with Pulse Secure. The level of integration between Pulse Secure secure sockets layer (SSL) and NAC, as well as the extended feature set, made it a straightforward choice for us. Perhaps, the two most important things are that we have increased our security posture, and for the most part, there has been zero impact on our end users.”  Active control with seamless network access Ensuring always active control while maintaining flexible, seamless access to network and application resources is an essential requirement for utility providers. Within such highly regulated industries, best practices dictate a constant cycle of security readiness review and improvement to meet an increasingly potent threat posed by cyber threat actors. NAC provides foundational endpoint intelligence, resource access enforcement and IoT defences that support industry and regulatory compliance guidelines. These compliance requisites apply to both regional and large national critical infrastructure providers.  For stretched IT departments, Pulse Secure’s Secure Access solutions are designed to streamline deployment and on-going administration using an easy, integrated, policy-driven platform that works with a customer’s existing installed base and network infrastructure. In addition, Pulse Secure’s VPN solution utilises the same endpoint client, policy engine and appliance management as the NAC solution. Entegrus took advantage of this platform capability to rapidly implement NAC. As a result, they gained dynamic intelligence, unified policy management, automated enforcement and threat response through a single management console. We needed to make sure our secure access technologies could adapt to new regulatory requirements and new business needs" Secure access solutions Cullen highlights numerous benefits, including a simplified method of managing complex policies and user access rights, as well as an enforceable method of checking end-point devices to ensure that only properly patched operating systems can connect to the network. Another advantage of Pulse Policy Secure was evident after Entegrus recently merged with London, Ontario-based St. Thomas Energy. “We needed to make sure our secure access technologies could adapt to new regulatory requirements and new business needs, as the recent merger added new, unqualified infrastructure and grew our customer base by around a third, which also led to the hiring of 28 new staff members,” Cullen added.

A security camera provided by Hikvision USA Inc., the North American supplier of innovative, award-winning video surveillance products and solutions, was installed by Holmes Security to help Spinner’s Pizza in Fayetteville, NC to improve efficiency. Established in 1999, Spinner’s Pizza is a popular restaurant with a dedicated following and a very busy lunch crowd. Owner Spero Poulos thought of using a “Pizza Cam” to streamline operations during their busiest times. “Holmes Security had installed Hikvision cameras for security in and around the restaurant. We decided, why not use it for the service efficiency and accuracy?” said Poulos. Innovative camera-kitchen monitor system  The restaurant owner needed to improve efficiency. The combination of a camera with a kitchen monitor “keeps the staff from running to the buffet just to check what needs to be cooked." Poulos noted that when staff members leave the kitchen they’re “invariably stopped by customers and friends that want to chat. That can slow down the replenishment process." Spinner’s analog and IP hybrid system includes mini domes, bullets and turret cameras. Holmes Security recommended and installed the Hikvision DS-2CE56D5T 1080p Turbo HD-TVI Turret camera for the buffet to deliver HD quality over the existing coax cabling. The turret camera is positioned to capture the entire line of pizzas on the buffet. “We’re able to keep the buffet full at all times. When someone is on a tight lunch break, the last thing you want them to do is wait for their food. With the Hikvision camera in place, they no longer have to wait,” said Poulos. The Pizza Cam enables the operation to be run from the kitchen monitor with no downtime. Monitoring the Hikvision Turbo HD-TVI Turret camera from the kitchen improved efficiency since staff can check the status easily and quickly Ruggedised camera for heat tolerance “Heat tolerance was a big consideration based on the camera’s position in relation to the buffet itself. The specs showed that the Hikvision camera’s operating temperature range was 22 below to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so we knew it could withstand the heat,” Dave Foster, sales and marketing manager for Holmes Security, told Hikvision.    Holmes Security is a 109-year old, family-owned company based in Fayetteville, NC. They use Hikvision cameras because “we have found over time that Hikvision provides higher quality, is easier to install, program and maintain. Tech support is great, and the software is consistent as well. Plus, we have great reps and a great rapport with Hikvision personnel,” said Foster.  Holmes Security positioned the camera to the upper right of the buffet to capture the entire line of pizzas. Spinner’s kitchen staff can now see the entire buffet from a monitor in the kitchen, allowing the chefs to stay ahead of customer demand.  Poulos adds that he gets “comments all the time about what a great idea it is. The customers especially like the fact that they don’t have to wait for new pizzas to be placed on the buffet.” Greater efficiency and improved operations  Spinner’s Pizza is delivering a better experience to its customers by keeping its buffet stocked with fresh pizza. Monitoring the Hikvision Turbo HD-TVI Turret camera from the kitchen improved efficiency since staff do not have to run out to the food line to check the status. The system allows servers to concentrate on serving. The Hikvision Pizza Cam delivers ease of operations for the restaurant staff, owner, and patrons. “Our strength in the field is the partnership among Hikvision, our integrators and their customers, collaborating together to find innovative ways to solve real-world problems,” said Alex Asnovich, director of marketing for Hikvision. “Spinner’s Pizza is a great example of applying our technology to achieve business results in a retail restaurant environment.”

Fifth Third Bancorp, one of the top 15 banks in the U.S., is well on its way toward completing a major upgrade of its March Networks video surveillance system. A customer since 2004, Fifth Third has deployed 12,000 March Networks cameras and approximately 1,400 March Networks 8000 Series Hybrid NVRs over a period of 36 months. Identification and apprehension of suspects “By the end of 2016, we’ll have a total of 1,600 new 8000 Series recorders,” said Mike Neugebauer, Fifth Third’s Vice-President and Director of Corporate Security, who oversees security for 1,300 full-service retail branches, as well as data centres, corporate offices and cash handling facilities across 12 states. The combination of March Networks MegaPX WDR MiniDome Z IP cameras, Analog WDR Indoor Domes and the 8000 Series Hybrid NVRs with advanced video compression allows Fifth Third to provide law enforcement authorities with high-quality video for the identification and apprehension of suspects. Video verification improves urgency “Bank robberies and break-ins appear to be trending higher nationally,” said Neugebauer. “Much of it is a consequence of the heroin epidemic. Typically, they’ll go through a window in the middle of the night to see what there is to steal.Security staff in our 24-hour monitoring centre can verify an alarm and tell responding law enforcement officers what we see" “We constantly get compliments from law enforcement about the quality of our video. Even if the bad guys show up with hoodies or masks, we can zoom in on clothing patterns and brand logos, partial facial features, tattoos or other distinguishing marks.” “Security staff in our 24-hour monitoring centre can verify an alarm and tell responding law enforcement officers what we see,” said Neugebauer. “Video verification is huge. It changes law enforcement’s urgency to respond.” Crystal-clear images In minutes, Fifth Third security staff can email crystal clear images of a suspect to police, dramatically improving the chances of apprehension. The March Networks MegaPX WDR MiniDome Z IP camera’s wide dynamic range and progressive scan in high resolution delivers excellent image quality even in bright backlit situations, while its H.264 compression technology reduces bandwidth and storage costs. The MiniDome Z also features Power-over-Ethernet and is ONVIF-compliant, allowing it to be used with a variety of third-party video surveillance systems. Linking video with teller and ATM transaction data allows fraud investigators to quickly establish the identity of an individual associated with a transaction The Analog WDR Indoor Dome also features wide dynamic range, progressive scan in high resolution and low light sensitivity, making it ideal for capturing quality images in a variety of lighting conditions. Mix of analogue and IP The 8000 Series Hybrid recorder is a perfect fit for Fifth Third, accommodating a mix of analogue and IP cameras and offering up to 16 TB of onboard storage across four hard drive slots. “Typically, we’ll have two IP MiniDomes and 14 analogue cameras per branch, but we’re starting to use more exterior-mounted IP cameras in our elevated risk branches, so storage is important to us,” said Neugebauer. “The other thing we like about the 8000 Series is how it gives us sharper images from our analogue cameras.” The availability of the 8000 Series Hybrid NVR in 4, 8, 16 and 32-channel configurations is also a plus because it allows Fifth Third to acquire a fit-for-purpose unit for every application. Compatibility issues The decision to standardise on March Networks cameras frees Fifth Third from having to worry about any compatibility issues. “When we weren’t buying March Networks cameras, it made management of the cameras a lot harder for us,” said Neugebauer. “That was especially the case for IP megapixel cameras and managing the software patches that have to go on them. The fact that our March Networks cameras work in concert with our NVRs means we don’t have to do any software loads like we had to do when we were buying another camera brand. We were managing many pieces of software instead of just one platform.” Transitioning to Command Enterprise and Searchlight Next on the agenda for Fifth Third is a transition to March Networks Command Enterprise video management software and the acquisition of March Networks’ Searchlight for Banking software. Fifth Third security staff can email crystal clear images of a suspect to police, dramatically improving the chances of apprehension Command Enterprise features a user-friendly, browser-based interface that provides support for up to 10,000 recorders and 128,000 video channels, while Searchlight for Banking is a suite of tools to speed fraud investigations and capture business intelligence such as tracking customer behaviour. Linking video with teller and ATM transaction data, for example, allows fraud investigators to quickly establish the identity of an individual associated with a transaction. Searchlight advantages “On the retail side, we also hope to take advantage of Searchlight to help us make better business decisions,” said Neugebauer. Using Searchlight’s queue length monitoring analytics, Fifth Third will be able to gather and compare metrics on branch traffic and speed of service. It can also be used to track self-serve kiosk usage and gather data on how long customers linger in front of marketing displays. Concurrent with the introduction of Searchlight, Fifth Third is also planning to acquire March Networks’ new MegaPX Indoor Analytics Dome camera with built-in intelligence.  “We’ve just done some testing and we’re very pleased with it,” said Neugebauer. While security remains the primary application for video surveillance at Fifth Third, other “lines of business” are taking advantage of it. Weather damage and alarms “In the past, security directors were always hesitant to share their video surveillance system, but we share our system with our facilities and retail groups”, said Neugebauer. “They use it to see if the sidewalk has been shovelled or if the parking lot has been plowed in our northern branches. In Florida, where we’ve had some severe storms, they use it to see if the windows have been blown out or if we have water damage. “Our facilities group has really embraced it. We’ll put cameras in mechanical rooms, for example, so they can see the indicator light configurations on the control panels. It often saves them from making a trip to the site. If a technician gets an alarm from an HVAC system or a generator, for example, he can diagnose the problem remotely and take the necessary steps to resolve it.When we weren’t buying March Networks cameras, it made management of the cameras a lot harder for us" “Retail uses the system to look at compliance with opening and closing procedures. Or, they may have a teller who’s great at selling and go in to look at best practices for training purposes.Sharing their March Networks video surveillance system with other departments “makes funding easier for us,” said Neugebauer. Longer lifecycle However, underlying Fifth Third’s choice of a video surveillance supplier is March Networks’ track record for product durability. Fifth Third began retiring the 4000 C Series recorders it acquired in 2004 two years ago and will only complete the transition to new 8000 Series units in 2016. “Some of my peers in the industry are buying new recorders every three years,” said Neugebauer. “Everything has a lifecycle and we feel the lifecycle for March Networks products is significantly longer than most of the other systems out there.”

Will 2016 see faster adoption of video analytics? Will cyber-security have more impact on physical security? Is the market likely to see greater use of cloud-based products and services? Will technology help to drive greater involvement by everyday citizens in public safety initiatives? Could the market focus shift from selling products to selling solutions?  We asked this week’s SourceSecurity.com Expert Panel to look ahead to 2016, and these were some of the surprises they see in our industry’s near future. Specifically, we asked this week’s panel: What will be the biggest surprise in 2016 for the security market?