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Delivering on customer expectations is a basic tenet of success in the physical security market. However, meeting expectations may be an elusive goal, whether because customer needs are not communicated effectively or because equipment doesn’t perform as promised. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: what if a customer expects more than a security system can deliver?

Passwords are one of the most familiar elements of information systems, but also one that can be overlooked or underutilized. New alternatives are emerging, and the role of passwords is evolving in the age of the Internet of Things. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is the role of passwords changing in physical security systems?

As editor of SecurityInformed.com, Larry attends industry and corporate events, interviews security leaders and contributes original editorial content to the sites. He also guides the "editorial roadmap" to ensure the site provides the most relevant content for security professionals. From 1996 to 2008, Larry was editor of "Access Control & Security Systems" magazine and its affiliated websites. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University with a minor in marketing. [...

In 2017, SecurityInformed.com covered topics from all corners of the physical security industry - from video surveillance, to access control, to intrusion detection and beyond. But just how much have you been paying attention to the industry this past year? Does your knowledge of the cloud soar high above your colleagues and security friends? Can you recall your facts faster than 60-fps? Are you hooked into the mainframe with your expertise in cybersecurity? Now you can find...

Healthcare organizations are an important vertical market for many security manufacturers and integrators. Like other vertical markets, healthcare has its own unique set of requirements and challenges for physical security systems. We asked this week’s Expert Panel: What are the distinctive security problems faced by healthcare organizations? What technologies are being embraced to increase security?

College campuses often operate like small communities – or even like large communities depending on enrollment. Although each college and university campus is unique, there are commonalities such as a young and vulnerable population of students, many living away from their parents for the first time. Campuses can be urban or rural, geographically dispersed or densely populated, with a variety of demographics and “wild card” elements such as partying, drugs and alcohol. Campus p...

More and more physical security systems are being hosted in the cloud. But are cloud-based security systems “safe?” It’s a question being posed by risk-averse security professionals all over the world, and one for which a clear, concise answer may be difficult to find. We decided to pose it to our Expert Panel.

We asked this week’s Expert Panel: What are the limitations on where video cameras can be placed because of privacy? With hundreds of new cameras installed every day, the likelihood increases exponentially that a camera will be placed in a location where it violates privacy. In fact, threats to privacy are often among the largest objections when video surveillance is proposed, whether in a public area or in the workplace. Allaying fears about undermining privacy is a basic requirement to m...

Rapid technology innovation in the physical security market comes with it a commensurate need to dispose of older systems as they are replaced. Some technologies can help minimize the waste, providing, for example, the ability to use existing coaxial cable with newer IP video systems. However, absent the ability to reuse equipment, how should integrators manage disposal of systems at end-of-life? Here are some responses from our Expert Panel.

Megapixel and panoramic camera manufacturers have been predicting the demise of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ cameras) for several years now. They contend that PTZs can be replaced by the higher resolutions of newer cameras, coupled with their ability to “zoom” in digitally on a specific area of an image and show sufficient detail. New panoramic cameras also capture everything in a wider field of view, while a PTZ camera runs a risk of missing important action because it is pointed in the wrong...

As we unpack our bags – literally and figuratively - from the recent ISC West in Las Vegas, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the busy show. Specifically, it’s a good time to consider how the exhibition could be improved to be more valuable for attendees and/or exhibitors. We asked our panelists for their opinions, and we’re also interested in any other post-show commentary – please share in the comments section.

A lawsuit filed by the parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 highlights how the best-thought-out security plans can fall apart because of details and/or last-minute changes. Before the tragedy unfolded, Sandy Hook Elementary had established protocols in place to cope in the event of an active shooter incident. However, some of the protocols broke down on the day of the shooting, and it’s possible that additional young lives were lost as a result. A lawsuit f...

Video surveillance, or CCTV, is becoming increasingly common in cities and other public places all over the world. The benefits of video surveillance cameras to prevent crime and aid police investigations have been well documented, and there have been several high-profile cases in which video was instrumental in solving a crime. Still, whenever video surveillance is proposed in a public place, there can be opposition, based on privacy concerns, from various interest groups and the general public...

What lessons, if any, are there to be learned from the recent attacks in Paris? Recent events in Paris highlight the deadly and changing face of terrorism in 2015. Two gunmen armed with AK-47 assault rifles attacked the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on 7 January, killing 12 people in all, including eight Charlie Hebdo employees and two national police officers. Two days later, the terrorism continued with a hostage crisis at a printing firm at Dammartin-en-Goel&nbs...

Global positioning systems (GPS) have a role to play to combat shoplifting, especially in the fight against the growing trend of large-scale organized retail crime (ORC). Todd Morris, founder and CEO of BrickHouse Security, recently explained to me how GPS fits into the fight against retail crime. A variety of GPS devices – from small “micro” sensors to plug-in devices for cars to wired devices – can all be tracked using the same cloud-based service, which manages the de...

It has been interesting to read all the Review and Forecast articles we published over the last month. The holiday season was a perfect time to reflect on the previous year, and it is interesting to read about all the companies, their visions for 2015 and their accomplishments. It reminds me how lucky I am to be a part of an industry dedicated to protecting assets, people and facilities. The opportunity to report on a constantly changing business climate and a wealth of interesting technology is...

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has a lot of resources to protect. A network of video cameras view MARTA’s 38 stations, three rail yards, five bus garages and other infrastructure located within 30 or so different law enforcement agencies in and around Atlanta. The large number of existing fixed cameras will be augmented with about 1,000 additional cameras for a total of 2,200 or 2,300 cameras in the system in coming years. Cameras are connected using an Omnicast v...

Cloud-based services for video surveillance or hosted access control are garnering more attention in the physical security industry. Most people today are already using or are familiar with cloud-based applications in their day-to-day life, so it will only be a matter to time before the benefits of the cloud permeate security and business solutions. Dealers looking to embrace the cloud model for access control must re-think multiple aspects of how they are set up as an organ...

The ability to view surveillance footage on mobile devices adds greater flexibility to an organization's security monitoring system. But of course, there are drawbacks. In the age of mobile devices, we are able to do more and more while "on the go" and are less limited by the need to be at a desktop computer with internet / network connectivity. We are seeing the proliferation of mobile apps designed to enable us to access our most important files and perform important tasks...

Cybersecurity is an ongoing concern in the realm of home automation and security systems. Joe Albaugh brought a unique perspective to the subject in July when he became Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Vivint, the second largest residential security and home automation provider in the United States. Albaugh’s approach to the cybersecurity aspects of home automation is based on his 20 years of experience including past positions as chief information security officer for three large, critical...

"Going green" is not a new initiative, but rather, one that businesses and individuals are constantly aware of and continuously making a conscious effort to contribute to. The global population has become increasingly environmentally conscious over the years. Businesses and homeowners alike are investing more in green alternatives for their various needs. Many businesses adopt a green business ethic by ensuring that their products and ways of working are compliant with certa...

Iris recognition has been used as a biometric for access control applications for many years, but we have heard a lot more lately about fingerprint scans. However, iris recognition has many advantages over fingerprints and other biometrics, and the technology has come a long way. Mark Clifton, vice president of the Products and Services Division of SRI International, calls the iris a “protected” biometric, typically not injured and unlikely to be contaminated as fingers or hands mig...

In a layered approach to security, the outermost layer increasingly might refer to an area outside a fence line. The sooner a facility is alerted to a possible threat, the better, and when a threat reaches inside a facility’s fence, it may be too late to mitigate it. Security directors need situational awareness that extends outside the facility and provides the ability to intercept intruders before they become a threat. Zones of interest, or buffer zones, outside a facility’s fence...

Spread of the Ebola virus beyond Western Africa has heightened concerns among healthcare professionals and the general public. In practical terms, healthcare facilities – including their security departments – are preparing to deal with whatever happens next as concerns about the disease continue. Even areas that are not a “hot zone” for Ebola virus exposure may face additional challenges, given uncertainty about the spread of the disease and a possible influx into hospit...

A busy first day at the ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits in Atlanta ended with a surprise strategic announcement by one of the industry’s largest suppliers and one of its most successful up-and-comers. Axis Communications and Sightlogix announced a strategic agreement to sell both technologies cooperatively to end-user customers through dealer channels. Despite the broad product range Axis brings to market, the company does not have a perimeter security solution, which is the stren...

In its role to achieve “plug-and-play” interoperability for security system and device integration, the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) is looking ahead to some new possibilities in its long-term roadmap. David Bunzel, PSIA executive director, shared with me some of the active discussions among alliance members about where the next wave of interoperability initiatives may lead. Integration of wireless locks is at the top of the list, a response to the growing and...

Commoditisation is the biggest problem facing today’s security integrators, says Bill Bozeman, president and CEO of PSA Security Network, an electronic security cooperative encompassing some 250 electronic security systems integrators, and aligning them with over 150 vendor partners. Multi-million-dollar manufacturers are taking advantage of economies of scale to drive down pricing of many of the components our industry uses, and lower prices are poised to have a long-term detrimental imp...

Just days before the ASIS International conference and exhibits in Atlanta, the global security market's attention last week has been focused on the big Security Essen 2014 trade show in Germany. With more floor space, exhibitors and attendees than ASIS, Security Essen highlights a wealth of technology resources to an eager international audience every two years. Several SourceSecurity.com staff members attended Security Essen last week, and my colleagues reported that the well-attended show ref...

For the 20,000 or so security professionals who attend each year, ASIS International’s Annual Seminar and Exhibits is all about education. Attendees can polish their skills and update their security know-how in any of more than 200 education sessions during the yearly event. They can also learn all about the latest available security technologies and services at the massive 225,000-square-foot exhibition. Celebrities are on hand too, or at least some well-known and notable dignitaries are...

I love Wikipedia, not just because I use it every day, but also because it reflects the value that can be created when a large community works together. When each member of a community contributes a small part, the result is monumental. I saw an estimate somewhere that it would take a million pages to print out Wikipedia. Is there an opportunity to leverage video in the same way; that is, to tie together the capabilities of millions to create a central repository that could be useful? Consider...