Security monitoring system - Expert commentary

In the last 10 years CCTV manufacturers havebegun offering video search solutions aimedto reduce time and effort involved in searches Petabytes of security video recorded around the world every day. Obviously, we feel more secure knowing that we can “turn back time” and investigate the past – at least in situations for which video surveillance exists. However, people who have experience requesting CCTV footage would say: “This takes way too much time.&...

NVRs make it easy to benefit from HD solutions and integrations to access control, alarm systems, intercoms and other technologies Developments in the IP video camera market have a direct impact on the other components in a system. With the emergence of higher definition cameras – whether 4K cameras or 8K or even higher – the market now needs back-end devices that can perform the decoding work. Also, more intelligence is needed, including smart functions such as pe...

How do you get all of your various vendors, services, resources, manpower, and technology to integrate and work together? Creating an efficient operating environment in physical security is no small feat - especially when the organisation undertaking such an endeavour has a nationwide presence. How do you get all of your various vendors, services, resources, manpower, and technology to integrate and work together? How do you aggregate all of the data being recorded into in...

It’s dangerous to compromise on safety features in search of a low-cost security solution, as it can put employees at serious risk Driving quality in the private security industry is vital to the ongoing effectiveness of the products and services that the industry provides. Figures show that, post-recession, buyers are increasingly aware of the importance of quality when it comes to choosing security providers, with 20% citing quality over price as a crucial factor i...

Automation is another hallmark of PIAM solutions, which can perform a wide variety of processes that are prone to error if performed manually Security departments in organisations face a number of threats from both internal and external sources, thus forcing security personnel to remain vigilant and aware of the growing number and scope of new and emerging risks. The most powerful weapon in this seemingly endless battle is data. Every organisation has it – probably more...

The potential costs and consequences of hackers getting through firewalls and onto the user’s computer networks can be devastating Theft of NATO data. Leakage of emails. Hackers setting up a live streaming website for over 100 New York City private webcams and even hacking the infrastructure servers of the U.S. government. As news of malicious takeover of private and corporate networks as well as incidents of malicious software programs, referred to as malware, conti...

NVR appliances ease analogue to IP transition by providing end users with a hybrid-ready product There should be a palatable migration path from a large installed base of analogue to the latest IP technology. The biggest missed opportunity related to network video recorder (NVR) NVR appliances in the video surveillance marketplace is effectively using existing analogue camera investments while transitioning to the network. For example, IP encoders can be utilised as a brid...

Have interactive services lost their edge? Are users discouraged and disenthralled? That’s a myth that needs busting, because security companies continue to have success offering these solutions to customers. Alarm companies who began their business with traditional intrusion detection continue to deliver interactive services as part of a total, connected home solution. Companies like Complete Security Systems, Marlboro, N.J.; Marshall Alarm Systems, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; and The Securi...

The research from Australia shows “significant growth” in the use of CCTV by councils New research from Australia shows “significant growth” in the use of CCTV by councils and an increase in the size and sophistication of systems. The research, contained in a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology, was designed to measure the use of CCTV by local councils in Australia using an online national survey of local government, to gauge the extent an...

The worst insider threats are existential, dangerous enough to literally destroy an organisation The key to maintaining an effective security system is timely detection of security breaches. Widespread use of technology has resulted in massive amounts of data transfer which in turn makes organisations vulnerable to both internal and external threats. Mass shootings, data thefts and other internal breaches of security have cast a spotlight on the issue of insider threats. Accor...

A 360-degree technology solution can be installed across the gaming floor, integrated right into the VMS and used for forensic purposes New 360-degree cameras are providing new video surveillance benefits to the casino market. MGM Resorts International has rolled out Oncam’s 360-degree technology solutions to the Aria, MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mirage and New York-New York properties along the Las Vegas strip. More specifically, the surveillance team at the Aria manages more...

9-11 caused a sharp refocus of attention on security assessment and risk management Fifteen to 20 years ago, security was a relatively sleepy, small-time business. Companies typically hired a guard or two to walk around the property, usually at night, sometimes during the day. If a guard spotted someone who wasn’t supposed to be there, he (it was usually a he) ran the person off. Larger companies had more sophisticated video and access control systems, but those system...

The Protection Bureau is one of the top-10 security integrators in the US You really can’t talk about The Protection Bureau without discussing its founder, the late Keith Ladd. If you’ve been in the industry any length of time, you probably had a chance to meet him. I certainly did. In fact, when I was a cub reporter with one of the first security publications I ever worked for, my inaugural visit to a customer and central station was to The Protection Bureau. That...

In casino surveillance, there must be an understanding of the behaviour of thieves and cheats. In particular, casinos must understand how the behaviour of a casino adversary differs from that of a legitimate guest. The end result of the understanding is that only threatening or fraudulent behaviour is challenged, leaving other guests free to simply enjoy their visits to the casino. Responding to behaviour anomalies requires understanding that comes from analytics capabilities...

According to Paul Wong, MD, Bosch Security Systems, intelligence and increased image quality are helping to drive the security market Paul Wong, Managing Director of Bosch Security Systems, has an optimistic view of current security trends. According to him, the security market is generally in good shape, with improvements in video image quality and integration driving growth and shaping the market. As global companies are looking to standardise internationally, intelligence,...

Monitronics’ ProShop offers sales and marketing materials to its dealer network as a valuable resource Monitronics Security, headquartered in Dallas, continues to stress the importance of professional monitoring services to its dealers and their customers as a critical component of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). “Traditional dealers need to emphasise the advantages of live, around-the-clock monitoring for anyone considering a non-traditional provider or do-it-yo...

As the home automation industry has expanded with an ever growing number of devices and services, companies are placing bets on which wireless protocols will dominate. The past few years the leaders have been Z-Wave and ZigBee. Companies are also using a variety of other standards including Crestron’s Infinet, Insteon, and proprietary technologies such as Lutron’s ClearConnect. Next-generation protocols: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi “Right now companies are releasing really i...

EMERgency 24 developed the Incident Command and Control platform to deliver faster and more succinct data to first responders and others At ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas, EMERgency24 introduced a groundbreaking web-based software platform called Incident Command and Control Service, which allows system owners to generate alerts for situations such as lockdown, severe weather or HAZMAT (hazardous materials) situations and enables instant communication to pre-defined contact groups...

If airport perimeter fencing is vulnerable then covert detection methods should be used Lack of airport perimeter security would be laughable, if it weren’t so serious. A recent farcical breach of security in London is drawing renewed attention to airport perimeter protection. I want to focus on airport perimeter security, but we’ll start with critical infrastructure in general: A nun, a housepainter and a gardener break into a nuclear facility. This sounds like t...

A US Department of Homeland Security investigation showed that undercover agents defeated airport screening in 95 percent of cases by smuggling mock explosives and weapons past checkpoints. With admirable transparency, U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) has described how so-called “Red Teams” posed as regular passengers and exposed inadequate measures at some of the busiest airports across the United States. The revelations came a few days before Body Search 2...

Security and technology are rushing to offer home automation solutions and build out the Smart Home of connected devices and applications. As cameras, alarms, as well as, thermostats and other appliances become controllable and programmable using Internet-enabled smart phones, they are becoming part of a vast web called the internet of things (IoT). Achieving greater value through smart data exchange This network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors and...

Affiliated Monitoring’s UL-Listed monitoring centre with a second floor dedicated to areas for security company meetings Central monitoring stations have innovative approaches to assist security installing companies in growing their account base, adding value and boosting recurring monthly revenue (RMR). These companies do much more than simply monitor accounts – today they provide a host of services to give security installing companies the added edge in an extrem...

Unrealistic promises by over-enthused marketers and under-delivery by R&D departments have damaged the cause of video analytics almost since its inception. For me, the exaggeration reached its worst point when industry pundits suggested that we would soon be able to identify and alert on anomalous behaviour of the kind demonstrated by the Tsarnaev brothers in the moments before the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. Mainstream journalists speculated that the two Chechen broth...

ASAP-to-PSAP technology automates communications between alarm monitoring companies & PSAPs and dispatches emergency service In April 2015, Cary, N.C., adopted a technology called Automated Secure Alarm Protocol to Public Safety Answering Point (ASAP-to-PSAP), but currently they are among only a handful of emergency 911 call response locales that use ASAP-to-PSAP technology in the United States. Commander Scott Edson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, sp...

The industry has to advance in terms of attracting experienced people and paying for that experience Time was, security officers patrolled with walkie-talkies, responding to dispatchers monitoring cameras in the control centre. The post of security officer was a minimum wage job requiring little more than a high school diploma, if that. Educated and experienced security officers a prerequisite No more. “Today, when we read our requests for proposal (RFPs), we’re...

Questions surrounding the Germanwings Airbus A320 air crash centre not just on mental health, but on a topic we deal with daily – access control. According to the flight recorder, the co-pilot of the doomed aircraft locked himself alone in the cockpit and deliberately slammed the plane into the side of a mountain in the French Alps, killing himself and 149 people. Early in the investigation and based on incontrovertible evidence from the flight recorder, Brice Robin (a prose...

A comprehensive security assessment will tell how to plan and manage security in the facility A comprehensive security assessment will tell you how to plan and manage security in your facility. Without an assessment, you can only guess about security. For facilities with existing security programs, an assessment can also reveal whether the pieces of the system are working as they should. As a security director, can you do the assessment yourself? Sure, although a large school...

There’s more talk than ever in the security industry about cloud-based systems – where they are, where they’re going, the risks, the rewards. New opportunities for integrator companies, especially related to recurring monthly revenue (RMR), are among the benefits of new cloud-based systems. For insights into those opportunities, we spoke with Robert Hile, currently director of strategic accounts for SureView Systems and a strong proponent of cloud-based systems, whose backgroun...

It’s important for everyone in a high school to wear an ID Handwritten check in and check out books fail to alert the security risks posed by individuals on school campuses. Installing visitor management systems is imperative to screen and manage visitors and thereby enhance the level of safety in schools.  However, it takes training and practice to use school visitor management technologies effectively. Security technologies can go a long way toward making K-12 sc...

The security industry continues to move away from closed, proprietary systems and instead is fine-focused on open solutions that assist the move to total integration. The benefits of achieving this feat belong to both installing company and end user. Benefits of open security solutions Open, interoperable systems make it easier to integrate a wide array of sensors, devices and communication technologies across the enterprise. That means quicker installations, lower labour costs and heightened...