Industrial security systems

Custom Electronic Supply, a wholesale distributor of security electronics based in San Jose, California, was acquired on August 30th, 2019 by security distribution veterans Jason Dennis, Lannie Green, Matthew Green, and Danny Cranford. Dennis, along with Matt and Lannie Green, has deep distribution roots. They are the former owners of San Antonio-based Security General International, a privately-held solutions provider specialising in the distribution of emerging technology products and connectivity solutions, established in 1984. They sold Security General International to Tri-Ed in 2012. Cranford also brings to the venture very extensive industry experience and has worked in security distribution since 1987. Access Control and Integrated Systems He also served as co-owner of Security Data & Cable (SD&C) since its inception in 2001 before selling to Tri-Ed in 2010. The acquisition of Custom Electronic Supply was an amicable one, catalysed by the retirement of one of its two owners, Charlie Cohen. Dave Kelly, its other previous co-owner, will continue to oversee all California operations and the company will continue to do business as Custom Electronic Supply. Wholesale security distribution has undergone many changes over recent years" All employees will also remain on-board, making the transition a seamless one for loyal customers who have come to rely on Customer Electronic Supply as their distribution partner for many years. Product lines span Access Control, Burg, Fire, Video Surveillance, Integrated Systems, Low Voltage Residential Systems, and Installation Tools and Supplies. Personalised service For the new owners – Jason Dennis, Lannie Green, Matthew Green, and Danny Cranford – the time to return to their distribution roots seemed spot on. “Wholesale security distribution has undergone many changes over recent years,” notes Jason Dennis. “My partners and I were not actively looking to get back into distribution. But, we’ve been hearing a lot of dissatisfaction from people in the industry recently." "Customers, employees and vendors have all been voicing their desire for a new alternative. We felt the time was right to offer one and provide the good, old-fashioned personalised service that should never stop being synonymous with a trusted distribution partner,” he adds. “Acquiring Custom Electronic Supply was the right decision that came along at the right time.” The four partners who, together own Custom Electronic Supply under the name Lone Star Systems Supply LLC, look forward to announcing additional new branch openings in the near future.

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

Join the growing Viking Electronics community on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with other Viking Electronics fans and get the edge on all things Viking. “We recently held a contest for free Viking Electronics T-shirts that led up to the unveiling of our new mascot, Vin the Viking. It has been fun seeing the response and watching the community grow.” – John Hepokoski, Purchasing and Social Media. Viking Electronics engineers and manufactures over 500 security and communication products in the USA. Products include Emergency Phones, Entry Systems, Paging Interfaces, Mass Notification Systems, Hotline Phones, Autodialers, Enclosures and more. In addition to their extensive analog line, Viking offers a large selection of IP products that are SIP compliant. Based in Hudson, Wisconsin, Viking’s 50+ year legacy is built on reliability and electronic innovation. Viking manufactures products that are designed to last and they offer many of their products in Enhanced Weather Protection.

The Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), an industry body comprised of leaders, influencers and innovative organisations from all facets within the security, safety and building automation space, celebrates its one-year anniversary. Within its first 12 months, OSSA attracted 30+ members ranging from device manufacturers, software developers and system integrators to distributors and system on a chip (SoC) companies – helping lay the groundwork for improved security, safety, building automation and business intelligence solutions. Open security and safety ecosystem We’re truly pleased at the progress achieved in just our first year by establishing an open security and safety ecosystem" “Through OSSA, we have competing and complementary institutions reaching across aisles and stepping outside of their brands to work together to push our whole industry into a new, more prosperous and efficient direction,” said Johan Jubbega, President, Open Security & Safety Alliance. “We’re truly pleased at the progress achieved in just our first year by establishing an open security and safety ecosystem comprised of 30+ renown companies, and having a market-changing digital marketplace and first commercially available video security camera offerings underway for year two as the Alliance continues to provide guidance and interpretation of common standards and specifications to promote more intelligent, productive solutions for users.” Operation and maintenance of products Currently, security and safety solutions are fragmented and there is no collaborative approach to systems working together for bigger-picture success. Large amounts of data are left untapped in siloed systems that through cooperation can instead be utilised for better living, safety and security purposes. OSSA’s mission is to work with market players to all start from the same ‘recipe’ when it comes to the development, deployment, operation and maintenance of products, software and services. The Alliance’s vision is that the majority of the security and safety industry works with a common, vendor-agnostic operating system (OS) and IoT infrastructure – and agrees to implement or adhere to common approaches defined for common challenges like data security, privacy, product performance and easy consumption of data across multiple solutions. Collaborative digital marketplace They also started to define the common approaches and establishment of a shared IoT infrastructure This will substantially fuel usability and trust when it comes to security and safety solutions that are built on the foundations set forth by OSSA. From there, companies can differentiate through apps by way of a collaborative digital marketplace – similar to how we all access/download/use applications between an app store and our smart phones and other digital devices.   Already within its first year, OSSA member companies created the first common Technology Stack specification including the definition of a common operating system for video security devices. They also started to define the common approaches and establishment of a shared IoT infrastructure, including a digital marketplace. This framework allows the trapped – and mostly unused – data captured by any brand of device to be unleashed and available for good purpose. It also reduces friction when conceiving, deploying and maintaining security and safety devices, systems and settings and inspires innovation by opening the doors to data interpretation and possibilities. This platform revolution that OSSA envisions will benefit everyone involved. Significant outputs from Alliance workgroups Significant outputs from Alliance workgroups over the past 12 months include: Documentation of a common Technology Stack including the definition of a common vendor-agnostic OS. First description of a common market approach to data security and privacy. OSSA member Security and Safety Things GmbH (SAST) realised a first version of its OS as set forth in the common Technology Stack defined by OSSA – enabling the creation of prototype cameras. Together with SAST’s first open app store for security cameras, various innovative applications were showcased this year from ISC West 2019, IFSEC 2019 and GSX 2019. The commercial launch of the platform is planned for Q1 2020. OSSA members fulfilled their first prototype cameras based on the commonly defined Technology Stack and OS, and showcased them throughout 2019 at ISC West, IFSEC and last week from GSX. Change for the betterment of the industry The Open Security & Safety Alliance’s five founding companies – Bosch Building Technologies, Hanwha Techwin, Milestone Systems, Pelco™ and VIVOTEK Inc – are joined by 25+ other inventive international players that currently comprise the OSSA member roster. The Alliance is designed to include everyone and offers membership levels to meet the needs of companies big or small. Benefits of joining OSSA include access to the Alliance framework and the ability to connect, discuss, influence and collaborate with other Alliance members to steer change for the betterment of the industry.

Professionals from the cyber security industry have identified the rate of change, not only in regard to the variety and nature of attacks but also when considering regulation and legislation within the sector, as one of the biggest current threats to cyber security in the UK. The challenges were identified by industry experts discussing the current status of UK cyber security in the run up to Cyber Security Connect UK, (CSCUK), the conference and industry forum for CISOs. On-going employee engagement and education The number of businesses reporting cyber-attacks has increased and the cost to UK businesses has been recorded as being in excess of £17 billion a year. With this in mind, clear identification of the biggest threats to the UK’s Cyber Security is seen as key to on-going protection from the consequences of breaches. Other key threats identified during the discussions were the need for on-going employee engagement and education, as well as AI and machine learning being used by criminal organisations. This will be one of the key areas covered during CSCUK which takes place from 13- 15 November in Monaco.

Magenta Security MD Abbey Petkar met with SIA Chief Executive Ian Todd and Tony Holyland (SIA Head of Quality & Standards) at Magenta HQ last month to discuss concerns about the lack of business licences in the security industry. They also considered other topics focused on making the security industry more professional and more robust in the face of unscrupulous players in the market. This included how the ACS could be made more available to 80% of the industry, which represents approximately 40% of licence holders, yet to join the voluntary scheme. “It was obvious from the outset that Ian understood the issues the security industry faces and that Ian and Tony want to do more for the Industry. Ian is keen to push through changes that would enhance the whole of the security market, however, he needs to convince the Home Office that the changes are needed; and more importantly wanted by stakeholders across the whole of the security sector,” comments Abbey Petkar, managing director of Magenta Security. Business licences The conversation also considered the importance of paying guards a decent living wage – to avoid modern-day slavery “In response to the objections I have raised over the SIA’s handling of business licensing they made it clear that it is still something they wish to explore and achieve but the political landscape means it is currently unfeasible, however, they will continue to lobby the Home Office as and when appropriate.” Despite not being able to push forward with business licensing, the SIA representatives did, however, confirm their desire to approach the challenge from a different angle as explained further by Abbey. “Though they are struggling in terms of business licences, the SIA is focusing instead on the end clients, educating them on the types of security companies they should consider using to ensure they avoid cowboy firms with poor standards across a number of areas.” Commitment to positive change The conversation also considered the importance of paying guards a decent living wage – to avoid modern-day slavery; customer service levels and environmental issues, all of which are fundamental to Magenta’s business practices and ethos. It was agreed that Tony Holyland would attend the next SBN (Small Business Network) meeting at Abbey’s invitation. Tony commented that he believes that of all the organisations set up to help the security industry understand the implementation of the Security Act, the SBN is the only one to remain in existence and that he looked forward to attending the meeting. Abbey concludes: “The meeting provides a real foundation for future dialogue and commitment to positive change. SIA has a lot of work to do. However, under the leadership of Ian Todd, I am convinced that the outlook for the future of the industry is in safe hands."

When dealing with a substantial, complex security system installation – often covering multiple sites and many hundreds of people – you clearly need a security vendor with the resources and experience to deliver. Smaller security companies may not have adequate means to support the longevity of these projects. This generally isn’t an issue for larger companies, but beware - not all such companies are well placed to deal with large projects; that’s because not all of them have a formal process in place. Large security projects require clear KPIs and targets (including monthly commitments), ongoing review, regular clear communication and a dedicated team for consistency and continuity from start to finish. Major security system Tying yourself to one manufacturer is rarely a good idea when it comes to large and complex security installs If you don’t choose wisely, what you may end up with is company delivering a string of different people from different departments working on your installation at any given time, without a joined up approach. The person responsible for system design, for example, may never see your project when it’s actually being installed, which can lead to a potentially problematic and ultimately unsatisfactory outcome. Whilst every major security system design project will bring about its own set of challenges, the approach taken by the security vendor should remain consistent. Here’s what it should look like at the different stages of the project and what you should expect from your supplier. Tying yourself to one manufacturer is rarely a good idea when it comes to large and complex security installs. Product knowledge Going down this route limits your options and you could end up with a security system that meets the vendor’s product portfolio rather than your needs. That doesn’t mean to say that a security company that is not affiliated to specific manufacturers won’t have close relationships with a range of them. A close relationship can be beneficial in terms of in-depth product knowledge and preferential pricing. What’s most important is that the security company independently test and asses product rather than relying on manufacturers’ claims. They should continually appraise the marketplace to see what’s new and assess the value and relevance of product. They should also have the finger on the pulse of the security sector to identify where the market is going. Team work is essential with large projects not only to get the job done, but also to manage any risk Comprehensive strategy At STANLEY Security we very much focus on identifying technology solutions that minimise financial outlay for a client, such as video analytics. At present we are testing facial recognition systems which have grown in popularity and delivery. A written, comprehensive strategy needs to be in place for the project, including forecasting that considers the longer timescales involved in large, complex projects and includes a ‘what if’ approach to ensure appropriate resource is available. So, for example, if a project looks like it is going to overrun due to unforeseen circumstances, you want to be sure you retain the same team on the project full time and that they are not transferred onto the next contract or dividing their time between the two. Manage any risk Team work is essential with large projects not only to get the job done, but also to manage any risk. Your vendor must have an experienced Major Project Team with a clear structure, so everyone knows their role and you know who you are dealing with at any given time. Although it’s the last stage of the project, Commission & Handover has the potential to be the most difficult and is where costs can escalate If subcontractors are being used by the security company, which is quite usual for very large installations and for particular specialisms (e.g. control room modelling), then a process needs to be in place to manage them and you need to be made aware of this. Although it’s the last stage of the project, Commission & Handover has the potential to be the most difficult and is where costs can escalate. High security requirements This is where the dedicated Major Project Team is vital as they will know the project inside out and have worked on it from start to finish, helping to avoid any end of project issues. Large, complex security systems, especially those with high security requirements, are not easy to deliver. They require skilful, experienced hands, substantial resources in both financial and staffing terms, and a clear, consistent procedure that everyone is fully aware of. Don’t assume that just because you are dealing with a large security vendor they will have all of these in place; think like a security professional and ask to see the evidence!

Thousands of security professionals gathered Nov. 14-15 at the Javits Center in New York City to explore new products, solutions and technologies, network with security luminaries and obtain high-quality industry education. ISC East, sponsored by the Security Industry Association (SIA), is the Northeast’s largest security industry event; more than 7,000 security professionals attended or exhibited at this year’s conference. Following day 1 of ISC East, SIA gathered industry luminaries and experts for SIA Honors Night, an annual event featuring a cocktail reception, a gala dinner benefiting Mission 500, engaging entertainment and an awards ceremony recognising industry leaders. Sold-out event SIA Honors Night 2018 was a sold-out event held at the Current at Chelsea Piers. The awards presented at SIA Honors Night 2018 were: SIA Progress Award (presented by SIA’s Women in Security Forum) – Eddie Reynolds, president and CEO, iluminar Inc. Women in Biometrics Awards (co-founded by SIA and SecureIDNews and co-presented with sponsors FindBiometrics, IDEMIA and SIA’s Women in Security Forum) – Kelly Gallagher, senior account manager at NEC Corporation of America; Lisa MacDonald, director of the Identity Management Division in the Office of Biometric identity Management at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Colleen Manaher, executive director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Lora Sims, senior biometric examiner at Ideal Innovations, Inc.; and Anne Wang, director of biometric technology research and development at Gemalto Cogent SIA Insightful Practitioner Award – Guy M. Grace, Jr., chair of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools Steering Committee and director of security and emergency planning for Littleton Public Schools in the Denver suburb of Littleton, Colorado Jay Hauhn Excellence in Partnerships Award – Larry Folsom, co-founder and president, I-View Now George R. Lippert Memorial Award – Pat Comunale, retired security industry veteran, former member of the SIA Board of Directors and former CEO and president for Tri-Ed Distribution, an Anixter company Standout keynotes SIA Honors Night also highlighted Mission 500, a charity that advocates for children and families living in extreme poverty in the United States Honors Night guests enjoyed keynote remarks from Bonnie St. John, a Paralympic ski medalist, Fortune 500 business consultant, Rhodes scholar, former White House official and best-selling author. St. John discussed her journey to become the first African-American ever to win medals in Winter Olympic competition despite having her right leg amputated at age five and shared her top lessons from mentors and her advice for cultivating resilience. SIA Honors Night also highlighted Mission 500, a charity that advocates for children and families living in extreme poverty in the United States; each year, SIA Honors Night raises funds for Mission 500. SIA presented 26 engaging education sessions through the SIA Education @ ISC East program, including two standout keynotes and four hands-on workshops. Hundreds of conference attendees participated in these sessions, with impressive speakers like Valerie Thomas, ethical hacker and executive consultant at Securicon; Pierre Bourgeix, president at ESI Convergent; Scott Swann, president and CEO of IDEMIA National Security Solutions; and Jumbi Edulbehram, regional president – Americas, Oncam. SIA sponsored Infosecurity North America’s Keynote Stage, the central hub of the event Confronting emerging threats Highlighted education sessions at this year’s conference included: Friend or Foe? Technology Disruption and the Physical Security Industry, a keynote address by Philip Halpin, senior vice president and head of global security at Brown Brothers Harriman, one of the country’s oldest and largest privately held financial firms 21st Century Best Practices: Reporting From the Front Lines on How Law Enforcement and the Security Industry Are Confronting Emerging Threats, a keynote address by James A. Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, CNN law enforcement analyst and adjunct assistant professor at St. John’s University Cybersecurity professionals ISC East 2018 was co-located with two additional conferences – Infosecurity North America and Unmanned Security Expo Additional cutting-edge topics covered in the education sessions included the move to smart cities, convergence in the security industry and the use of artificial intelligence in video analytics. ISC East 2018 was co-located with two additional conferences – Infosecurity North America and Unmanned Security Expo. SIA sponsored Infosecurity North America’s Keynote Stage, the central hub of the event, which featured a presentation from world-famous hacker Kevin Mitnick, insights from Dave Hogue of the National Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Threat Operations Center, a discussion on the cyber skills shortage gap and ways to attract, develop and retain talented cybersecurity professionals and more. Handle sensitive data Additional events at ISC East 2018 included: A breakfast presented by ISC Security Events and SIA’s Women in Security Forum featuring a panel discussion celebrating women in security and supporting the participation and advancement of women in the industry Paid hands-on workshops providing cutting-edge information and valuable insights on the most current business trends, technologies and new developments in security Free exhibitor product training sessions sharing live, in-depth demonstrations A meeting with SIA’s Data Privacy Advisory Board, which provides information and best practices to help SIA members handle sensitive data in a safe and secure manner to protect the personally identifiable information of their employees, partners and customers from potential breaches

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 SecurOS maximises camera performance for license plate recognition, face recognition, and container/train carriages recognition. The cameras meet the performance needs for advanced analytics, ensuring the success of projects and saving time, resources, and cost. The partnership has delivered multi-thousand-camera safe city deployments, industrial analytics solutions, and systems for large-scale transport providers. The usage of roads and parking lots can be managed more effectively by knowing the whereabouts of each vehicle License plate capture The usage of roads and parking lots can be managed more effectively by knowing the whereabouts of each and every vehicle. Operations managers are accountable for efficient logistical flows and effective use of roads and parking lots. Knowing the ins and outs of the transport infrastructure and what’s going on at all times provides the knowledge required to ensure operations are running safely, efficiently and in compliance with the rules and laws. An important part of this comes from monitoring which vehicles are entering an area and ensuring they are allowed to be there. Capturing license plates of every vehicle moving in an area provides knowledge of traffic flows and usage patterns. Such a solution should also allow a customer to easily configure and manage monitoring preferences and permit easy data exchanges with other operational management systems and services to manage an infrastructure and logistics as a whole. Reliable license plate data Robust mechanical design of cameras ensures reliable 24/7 operation for many years even in harsh environments As transportation infrastructures are often operating around the clock, reliable vehicle identification data is required 24/7. This means that the cameras capturing this data should work in all lighting and weather conditions, for both slow- and fast-moving vehicles. Cameras must be built to produce usable images 24/7 in all weather conditions. For quality license plate recognition in both day and night, the cameras make use of supplementary infrared light. A special License Plate Recognition (LPR) mode, developed in collaboration with LPR software, delivers readable license plates even with glaring headlights and with fast moving vehicles. Robust mechanical design of cameras ensures reliable 24/7 operation for many years even in harsh environments. License Plate Capture solution The SecurOSTM AUTO system of ISS, when used with Bosch cameras, provides easy to deploy solutions for all of these requirements. It recognises license plates from many countries, manages and matches white, hot and blacklists and notifies the operator either in the GUI or through a messaging interface to other management systems. Additionally, the system can be used and managed as a standalone or embedded in other management systems on the premises.

Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2019 will blow into the Windy City this fall, combining a tradeshow, a full schedule of professional education sessions, plenty of industry networking opportunities, and an annual reunion of the top professionals from around the world tasked with protecting people, property and assets. GSX – the trade show and industry event 'formerly known as' the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits – will be Sept. 8-12 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The show promises to 'elevate the event experience with modern education learning experiences, revitalised networking opportunities, and a reimagined trade show floor.' More than 550 exhibitors will be featured in the expo hall (open Sept. 10-12), according to ASIS International. Chicago is a great location for GSX, as evidenced by the successful 2013 ASIS show. Cutting-edge solutions X1 Stage sessions are designed to highlight cutting-edge solutions and increase contextual understanding GSX seeks to attract more attendees to the exhibition hall with education events positioned alongside the industry’s latest-and-greatest equipment and technology exhibits. On the expo floor, the GSX: Disruption District will include new and enhanced programs such as the X Learning stages, the D3 (drones, droids, defence) Learning Theater, the Pitch Competition and the Innovative Product Awards. X Learning is a series of experiential sessions. X1 Stage sessions are designed to highlight cutting-edge solutions and increase contextual understanding of new technology. GSX: Startup Sector highlights new companies with emerging technologies; and GSX: Pitch Competition brings together entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to feature early-stage startup pitches. Career HQ will provide free resume reviews, career coaching, professional development and networking opportunities. A Sharpshooter Contest sponsored by Smart Simulators and SB Tactical will allow contestants donating $20 to compete for $500 in prizes each day. Pre-conference certification courses More than 300 security courses, plus pre-conference certification courses, will provide security professionals expertise to enhance their career development. Programming will be led by ASIS and InfraGard subject matter experts. (InfraGard is a non-profit organisation serving as a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.) Seventeen education tracks will serve the needs of security professionals interested in topics from business continuity to crime/loss prevention, law and ethics to national security, information security to physical and operational security. The show also provides opportunities for dealers, installers, integrators, consultants, specifiers, architects and engineers 'Game Changer' sessions will address hot and controversial topics, including 'The Ever-Changing Drone Landscape: What You Need to Know' and 'Accelerating Digital Transformation: Insights and Applications.' Ian Bremmer of Eurasia Group will speak on navigating the geopolitical landscape; Steve Demetriou and Joe Olivarez of Jacobs, a global professional services company, will speak about harnessing technology and big data to make strategic decisions. Providing new opportunities Wednesday morning, General John F. Kelly of the U.S. Marine Corps (Ret), will provide insight into the evolving geopolitical landscape around the world. His keynote presentation on Sept. 11 will kick off Military and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Tarah Wheeler, cyber security researcher, will speak on protecting assets in the age of cybersecurity leaks and scandals. More than 20,000 registered attendees are expected from 110-plus countries across the entire industry Although the attendee emphasis is on security end-users, the show also provides opportunities for dealers, installers, integrators, consultants, specifiers, architects and engineers. More than 20,000 registered attendees are expected from 110-plus countries across the entire industry, according to ASIS International. Networking events will include an ASIS Town Hall Meeting on the afternoon of Sept. 8, aimed at opening communication between ASIS staff and membership. There will be an Opening Night Celebration Sept. 8 centred on the theme 'Chicago on the Silver Screen' at Revel Motor Row, a popular Chicago landmark originally home to the Illinois Auto Club. Emphasis on education On Monday (Sept. 9) a networking luncheon will be followed by the Awards Reception later in the day. A reception in the evening will present the Karen Marquez Honors Award, recognising a female security professional. Tuesday (Sept. 10) will have a Happy Hour at the exhibit hall, followed later by a Women in Security and Young Professionals Happy Hour. Wednesday evening will be the President’s Reception at Wintrust Arena, with a 1980s theme. The annual trade show has declined in recent years, and ASIS International has implemented changes that seek to reinvigorate the show, culminating in the rebranding last year. One challenge is that the show’s emphasis on education keeps attendees engaged for hours of the day, making it harder to meet the expectations of exhibiting companies who want more booth traffic. More attractions on the show floor, including the Tuesday happy hour, are aimed at increasing overall foot traffic in the hall.

Facial recognition has seen huge breakthroughs since the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) first began testing in 2010. Accuracy has seen massive gains, especially from 2013-2018. In the 2018 test, the most accurate algorithm was 20 times more accurate than the 2013 equivalent. Essentially, 95 percent of the matches that failed in 2013 now yield correct results. Compare that to 2010-2013, when the most accurate algorithm reduced its error rate by 30 percent. This reduction in error rates since 2013 is due to wholesale replacement of the old algorithms with new ones based on deep convolutional neural networks — completely revolutionising the technology. Optimal recognition results SAFR says it delivers optimal recognition results with 99.86 percent accuracy in under 100 milliseconds One entrant in the newly energised market is RealNetworks, whose SAFR for Security is an AI-based facial recognition solution for live video that integrates video management system (VMS) solutions. With 24/7 monitoring, SAFR detects and matches millions of faces accurately in real time, enabling teams to manage a watchlist across any number of video feeds. SAFR says it delivers optimal recognition results with 99.86 percent accuracy in under 100 milliseconds, even in real-world conditions where faces are in motion, at different angles, under poor lighting, or partially obscured. SAFR builds on RealNetworks’ 23-year history in video technologies. Launched in July 2018, SAFR — secure, accurate facial recognition — is enabling new applications for security, convenience, and analytics. Create security responses “We seek to be the world’s most trusted facial recognition platform and are delighted to partner with customers in the security industry and elsewhere to shape a more secure, convenient future worldwide,” says Dan Grimm, Vice President of Computer Vision and General Manager of SAFR at RealNetworks. “Security professionals are asked to keep us safe 24/7, monitoring a burgeoning number of cameras, and we help make them more effective.” SAFR targets facial recognition for live video, identifying camera-unaware faces moving in real-world conditions. In the April 2019 NIST results, SAFR tested as the fastest and most compact solution among algorithms with less than 0.022 False Non-Match Rate — 62 percent faster than the average speed, according to the company. SAFR now provides capabilities such as live video overlays alerting security professionals to events in real time, automatic bookmarks with rich metadata for investigative work, and alerts that can be customised to create security responses. SAFR uses one-sixth the compute power of competing facial recognition solutions Facial recognition algorithms Five years ago, facial recognition algorithms would struggle to match forward-facing people from still images, let alone camera-unaware moving faces from live video with variations in rotation and tilt. SAFR says they have achieved a balance of accuracy and performance for live video. A contributor to this accuracy is consistency across a range of skin tones. The algorithm was trained on a highly diverse global set of over 10 million non-simulated real-world faces. SAFR was optimised for speed and can sample a face multiple times during the same period of time as other algorithms, subsequently increasing its accuracy. SAFR achieves the performance through edge processing. Distributed architecture enables efficient bandwidth consumption, reducing the roundtrip latency of facial recognition speed to under 100 milliseconds. The savings lower total cost of ownership (TCO): SAFR uses one-sixth the compute power of competing facial recognition solutions, equating to $500,000 or so in savings on a 250-camera deployment. Integrated experience SAFR also uses off-the-shelf hardware and is optimised to leverage inexpensive GPUs SAFR also uses off-the-shelf hardware and is optimised to leverage inexpensive GPUs. SAFR can be deployed on premises or in the cloud, and supports Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. When SAFR is paired with a VMS, such as Milestone XProtect or Genetec Security Center, the integrated experience includes 24/7 monitoring to detect and match faces in real-time. Features include live video overlays within the VMS to identify strangers, threats, concerns, unrecognised persons, VIPs, employees, or other tagged individuals in live video. Real-time alerts can be customised for when persons of interest appear on a video camera feed. Additionally, automatic bookmarks with rich metadata make for easier investigative review of security footage. Facial recognition technology is increasingly in demand to improve safety across various industry verticals. Better customer experience Large enterprises with high-visitor flows and heightened security — such as transportation hubs, stadiums, universities, and hospitals — need to know in real time when persons of interest or those on watchlists appear on camera. Sports stadiums could apply facial recognition to deny entry to banned patrons, locate lost children, or recognise VIPs to deliver a better customer experience. Hospitals need access control to restricted areas and pharmaceutical storage closets Hospitals need access control to restricted areas and pharmaceutical storage closets. Airports and transit centres value traffic flows, demographic composition, and dwell times to help improve scheduling. SAFR for Security is available worldwide, and the company partners with VMS providers such as Milestone, Genetec, Digifort, and IPConfigure by Paliton Networks. They are actively working to support additional VMS solutions and have sales teams located in major metropolitan cities around the world. Security professionals “The job of the security professional is critical in today’s world,” says Grimm. “SAFR for Security helps mitigate the challenges of the important work security professionals do to keep us all safe.” In designing and developing SAFR, RealNetworks considered diversity and the uniqueness of each person; Grimm says their massive global training data set is a competitive advantage. SAFR is designed with privacy in mind. All facial images and signatures are AES-256 encrypted in transit or at rest. “SAFR is powerful enterprise-grade software that is continuously improving through innovation and many years of expertise,” says Grimm.

As digital transformation accelerates and touches more aspects of business operations, ASIS International is working to provide educational opportunities that security practitioners need to stay on top of those rapid developments. It’s a mission that will drive the ASIS Europe 2019 meeting, ‘From Risk to Resilience,’ this month (March 27-29) in Rotterdam. “What makes the event special is how it covers the full spectrum of security risks that organisations face, and in particular, looks at the human factors and management challenges involved,” says Eduard Emde, CPP, ASIS Europe 2019 Conference Chair, Head of the Health, Safety and Security Section, ESA (European Space Agency), the Netherlands. Examining technology-driven risk When we look at technology-driven risk, only a part of that can be addressed by new technology" “When we look at technology-driven risk, only a part of that can be addressed by new technology. Much of the work is helping people adapt and find new ways of working and managing – that is where I think this event excels.” The opening keynote on ‘Amsterdam: From Smart City to Smart Society’ will be delivered by Theo Veltman, Innovation Rainmaker at the Municipality of Amsterdam. The keynote will set the tone for the three-day event by showing practically how cities are evolving and why – from the perspective of society, business and government. “This a great way to challenge us to understand what is driving change outside the ‘security bubble’ so that we can be better prepared for what is coming,” says Emde. The growing exhibition at ASIS Europe in Rotterdam will feature 45 exhibitors, including Johnson Controls, Nedap, Securitas and Stratfor Mobile device security In addition, the show will cover some of the most relevant and challenging topics in emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, mobile device security and industrial control systems. Given the seniority of the audience, a lot of time will be devoted to management and leadership topics such as soft skills and building teams with diversity and inclusion in mind. In addition, Nick Lovrien, CPP, Chief Global Security Officer at Facebook, will speak about securing an innovation culture. Scenario-based training sessions will provide a hands-on experience to work through challenges such as a chem-bio attack, a fake news crisis, travel risk planning, practical ways to effectively engage business executives and red teaming on cyber-physical risk. The growing exhibition at ASIS Europe in Rotterdam will feature 45 exhibitors, including Johnson Controls, Nedap, Securitas and Stratfor. Advanced learning experience We have a large number of global CSOs, regional leaders, and specialists from key companies across a whole range of sectors" Online registration will be open until March 26. There is a Free Show Pass that provides access to the exhibition and to the education in the Innovation Track and Career Centre, plus two networking drinks and refreshments throughout the day in the exhibition hall. For a more advanced learning experience, the Professional Pass and Leadership Pass offer more sessions, training and networking functions. There are plenty of options aimed at all budgets, learning needs and schedules, says Emde. Last year there were 775 registrants in total. “This year is looking good. We already surpassed last year’s total number of conference delegates, and registrations are coming in steadily,” says Emde. “For me, the numbers only tell a small part of the story,” he adds. “We have a large number of global CSOs, regional leaders, and specialists from key companies across a whole range of sectors. That quality, diversity and expertise onsite is what really makes the networking experience so valuable.”

Ping Identity, the provider of Identity Defined Security, announces its successful completion of the Financial-grade API (FAPI) conformance testing, as part of the process defined by Open Banking Ltd. This builds on Ping Identity’s previous success as the first identity platform to pass all 70 technical security tests, as set by Open Banking Ltd., with zero warnings. The most recent set of FAPI conformance testing evaluated the latest versions of the Ping Intelligent Identity platform, including PingFederate, PingAccess and PingDirectory, within a mock banking environment. Additional technical requirements It switches to an API model with structured data that utilises a token model such as Open Authorisation The inclusion of FAPI within the Ping Identity solution for Open Banking helps allow banks to overcome insecure practices such as screen scraping by using stored user credentials. Instead, it switches to an API model with structured data that utilises a token model such as Open Authorisation. FAPI is a technical specification developed as a multi-industry standard by the FAPI Working Group of OpenID Foundation (OIDF). It leverages OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) to define additional technical requirements for the financial industry and other sectors requiring higher security. For banks specifically, FAPI provides various advantages. This includes enabling applications to securely interact with financial accounts, while also enhancing the user’s ability to control security and privacy settings. Secure identity requirements In concurrence with the specification, OpenID Foundation maintains a cloud-based testing suite for conformance testing by banks, certified third-party security providers and platform vendors—such as Ping Identity. The Ping Intelligent Identity platform is used by hundreds of financial services enterprises, including many of the CMA 9 and Open Banking Ltd. itself. Additionally, FAPI is of increasing relevance to the growing number of new fintech start-ups in areas such as investment, wealth management, insurance, payments and even real estate. “This is significant beyond the Open Banking and financial services sector,” explains Rob Otto, EMEA Field CTO, Ping Identity. “Other digitally-focused sectors, with similar secure identity requirements, now have a proven template that can allow them to quickly deploy their own security controls, which have been stringently tested by the largest financial institutions in the UK.”

With the ability to power over 590,000 UK homes from a total capacity of 660 MW, Walney Extension is set to be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world when it is commissioned at the end of 2018. The new onshore substation covers an area of reclaimed marsh land and required an innovative perimeter and internal fencing package to be designed to offer the highest levels in security and electrical safety. Design work started in 2017 and looked at how existing fencing systems could be used to create a bespoke solution. Challenges faced by utilities industry Protecting critical national infrastructure in the utilities industry presents a number of challenges: External perimeter to offer guaranteed delay against attack All fencing to be earthed or offer non-conductive features Internal fencing to include multiple systems including rigid mesh and GRP in same fence line External perimeter and access control to be compatible with monitored pulse fencing (electric fencing) to meet security requirements Internal fencing to be base plated Prevention of unauthorised access The substation installed five systems in total from the CLD Fencing Systems range of rigid mesh fencing and security gate solutions and combined this with a Gallagher Monitored Pulse Fence to add an extra layer of security to the site. The Gallagher solution provides reliable detection and prevention of unauthorised access to the site, protecting the public from accidental or intentional entry to the site. The solution ensures operational continuity, avoiding significant costs associated with loss of supply, while protecting the site's assets from theft and damage. The system has been so successful that they want to use the same solution for all its electrical substations.

Avigilon Corporation (“Avigilon”), a Motorola Solutions company, announced it was selected to help protect the security of Independent Express Cargo Ltd. (“Independent Express Cargo”) in Dublin, Ireland. Independent Express Cargo is one of Ireland’s largest pallet delivery operators, serving as a national transport network hub and full third-party logistics supplier with 25 depots across the country and over 1,000 active clients. Avigilon Control Center VMS To improve security throughout its Dublin site, which consists of 180,000 square feet of warehouses on a nine-acre site, Independent Express Cargo worked with integrator Usee.ie to install a complete Avigilon security solution. The new system features Avigilon Control Center (ACC) video management software, which provides security operators with a more efficient way to manage video from a central location. ACC software also includes advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and video analytics capabilities ACC software also includes advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and video analytics capabilities, including Avigilon Appearance Search and Unusual Motion Detection technologies. Additionally, a combination of Avigilon cameras — including the H4 Pro, the H4 Multi-sensor and the H4A Bullet with self-learning video analytics — were deployed to achieve optimal coverage while allowing security operators to leverage the benefits of real-time analytics. Incorporating advanced AI technologies By implementing a complete Avigilon security solution that leverages advanced AI technologies, Independent Express Cargo has seen an increase in operational efficiencies and improved security of its sites, assets and resources. “With complete security solutions from Avigilon, we have been able to increase the speed at which we can detect events across our sites,” said Owen Cooke, director of Independent Express Cargo. “In the fast-paced environment of transportation logistics, this has dramatically increased efficiencies so that we can continue to focus on our number-one priority: our customers.” Intelligent video security system “Avigilon AI and analytics allow our customers to improve operations while maintaining system flexibility and ease of use,” said Bernard Pender, chief executive officer of Usee.ie. “Choosing Avigilon helps us meet our client’s goal of deploying a highly intelligent and user-friendly video security system.”

The Malaysia government water treatment plant envisions providing the best water treatment with demand of high security protection in the industry sector. Furthermore, the highly reliable platform with flexibility to expand storage by year and budget becomes important criterions to select the ideal surveillance partner. Surveon NVR7800 ensures high video image quality with high throughput capability, in addition to flexible JBOD storage expansion capability. Surveon NVR7800 Series Surveon NVR7800 Series was designed as a recording server with an archiving function Price and performance are always the key elements to help Surveon to win projects. Surveon NVR7800 Series was designed as a recording server with an archiving function that offers multiple advantages compared to traditional system structures composed of recording server plus a separate storage device, making it the top choice for the water treatment plant. The big scale industrial plant installs 50 to 100 cameras at each site in demand of high image quality. The plant needs a reliable system that 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. Compatible with 3rd party VMS Support up to 316 drives with high density 4U 60-bay expansion enclosure (maximum capacity of up to 3.6 PB with 10TB HDD). It supports to expand storage through JBOD by year, timeline and budget with best flexibility. This provides the government owned plant to expand facilities by year, timeline and budget. The water treatment plant prefers a solution which is fully compatible with Axxonsoft VMS. The NVR7800 Series is 100% compatible with major 3rd party VMS, including Milestone, Genetec and Axxonsoft VMS with certification. Supports multiple network cameras Based on Milestone test findings, NVR7800 Series supports up to 150 cameras 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 the best C/P value candidate. The enterprise level RAID engine enables highest level data protection with RAID 1+Spare, 5+Spare, 6+Spare technology to support robust data protection even with HDD error. Further, the flexibility to connect JBOD provides the high flexibility to extend recording time base on project demand. We are very satisfied with the result and look forward to working with Surveon next time." said the administration manager of the water treatment plant.

Mobile-device and application-security technology company Trustonic announces that Hyundai Motor America will demonstrate its new Digital Key app, secured by Trustonic Application Protection, at the New York International Auto Show 2019. The Digital Key will launch with the all-new 2020 Hyundai Sonata in the fall. Hyundai’s Digital Key is a downloadable smartphone app that can replace a traditional car key by leveraging Near Field Communication (NFC) to detect an authorised smartphone. An NFC antenna is located in the driver’s door handle for locking and unlocking while a second antenna for starting the engine is located in the wireless charging pad in the centre console. Seamless vehicle sharing The Digital Key allows a smartphone to control select vehicle systems remotely using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication Once authorised, the Digital Key allows a smartphone to control select vehicle systems remotely using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. A user can lock and unlock the vehicle, activate panic alert and start the engine within a range of about 30 feet of the car. The new Digital Key can be utilised by up to four authorised users, facilitating seamless vehicle sharing. Users’ preferred settings are also stored in the car, meaning that when a user is recognised, the vehicle automatically adjusts settings for side mirrors, radio presets, sound settings, and seat positioning. Hyundai is using Trustonic Application Protection (TAP) to secure the Digital Key. TAP ensures that Digital Key transfer requests are securely displayed to and approved by a real, authenticated user on a trusted device. Cybersecurity approach TAP utilises a multilayered industry-recognised security approach for communication to and from the customer’s phone. “Hyundai has been a leader in connected car technology for a long time now, with new features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Smartwatch and Smart-speaker integration into our vehicles,” said Manish Mehrotra, director of digital business planning and connected operations, Hyundai Motor America. “Digital Key adds convenience for 2020 Sonata owners and allows us to be ready for future shifts in the mobility space, such as car sharing. We chose Trustonic because of their multilayered, industry recognised cybersecurity approach.” Vehicle-function permissions Hyundai’s Digital Key will enable easy car sharing and improved user experiences" Car owners have a deeper level of access than other authenticated users, enabling them to set vehicle-function permissions and the duration of access for each shared user. This enables uses beyond car sharing, such as enabling couriers to access the trunk within a pre-agreed window of time to deliver a package. Future uses that the app could enable include car rentals, triggering an alarm when a vehicle travels outside a designated area and remote control of features, such as autonomous parking. Ben Cade, CEO, Trustonic, adds, “Consumers expect to be able to manage their lives on their smartphones, and this includes their vehicles. Hyundai’s Digital Key will enable easy car sharing and improved user experiences for drivers—and as international leaders in app security, it’s up to us to ensure this can happen in a scalable and secure way.”

A manufacturing giant in Maharashtra has the distinct mark of making India’s 1st Diesel Engine and Iron Mold Ploughs. The company’s legacy dates to 1922. This company is the reason behind a new wave of industrialisation in some of the towns in Maharashtra while preserving their rich heritage. Wide area monitoring The company is spread across a wide area, employing more than three thousand people. Being an established and trusted brand, maintaining quality is crucial and therefore, every area needs to be under surveillance. For this reason, cameras producing high resolution images and covering a greater area for monitoring was the primary requirement. The company is divided into various branches that are located at various places in Satara, Maharashtra. This gave rise to the need for a centralised solution at a centralised location from where all other sites can be monitored at a time. Matrix IP bullet and dome cameras To cover the large monitoring area, Matrix provided IP bullet and dome cameras that have greater field of view when compared to other brands. According to the requirement, various cameras were installed at different locations such as reception area, canteen, security area, entrance, production area, etc. These cameras also provide exceptional low light images that aid in night time surveillance and provide enhanced security. For storing the streamed videos, Matrix offered network video recorders. These NVRs have features such as adaptive recording which aids in storing more data in a defined space. Moreover, it has intelligent video analytics such as intrusion detection and motion detection which were also applied. Instant notifications and alerts ensured real-time security of the premises.

The high cost of thermal imaging cameras historically made their use more likely in specialised law enforcement and military applications. However, lower pricing of thermal imaging technologies has opened up a new and expanding market for thermal cameras in the mainstream. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the new opportunities for thermal cameras in mainstream physical security?

The ability to treat patients in a secure environment is a base requirement of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Whether facilities are large or small, security challenges abound, including perimeter security, access control of sensitive areas, video surveillance, and even a long list of cyber-risks. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of hospitals and the healthcare industry?