As it is within Law Enforcement, low morale is also prevalent in the security industry, particularly among contracted security officers. They rate their job satisfaction in the bottom 7% of careers.[1] The cause-and-effect relationship between low employee morale and an inferior customer experience is well documented. Therefore, part of my job as a security consultant is to help clients create a positive corporate culture. Yes 鈥� our primary business is creating safe and secure environments, but even the best security technologies and programs will fail if they are supported by a disgruntled workforce.

Gallup reports that teams with low morale experience 18 to 43% higher turnover. [2] Glassdoor reports a strong statistical link between customer satisfaction and the well-being of the employees delivering those services. Its study concludes that happy workers lead to happy customers.[3] Research by Eagle Hill Consulting found that 64% of U.S. workers say their employee experience impacts their ability to serve customers, with low-morale workers half as likely to deliver quality outcomes.[4]

Security services management may complain about their workers鈥� lackluster performance, calling in sick, no-shows, and high rates of turnover, but the root of their problem is often not the fault of the employees. It鈥檚 dysfunctional management and the environment they鈥檝e created that makes workers feel unappreciated, unempowered, and underpaid. The first two are things companies can easily fix. As for the third, employees are more than 10 times more likely to leave a job due to a toxic culture than salary.[5] If companies can make employees feel appreciated and empowered, they will save money by reducing workforce churn. This, in turn, could free up money to pay higher wages.

So, how do we fix low employee morale among security guards and others hourly workers in the security services sector? Here is a list of suggestions:

1. Train your supervisors on how to be effective leaders. The number one reason employees leave their jobs is because of their supervisor. The CEO of Gallup, Jim Clifton, says it best. 鈥淲hen you name the wrong person supervisor, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits 鈥� nothing.鈥�[6]

Promoting from within has a positive impact on workers because they see that there are opportunities for advancement, but those benefits only accrue if you provide associated management training. The skills that make a successful 鈥渨orker bee鈥� vastly differ from those needed to manage the hive. Yet 82% of people promoted to supervisory roles do not receive any formal training, according to a 2023 study by the Chartered Management Institute.[7]

• Solicit feedback from employees. Encourage them to offer solutions 鈥� not just identify problems. Simply being heard immediately makes them feel more valued 鈥� even if acting on their suggestions takes time.
  
  
• Make sure supervisors are clear about expectations and don鈥檛 criticize their underlings鈥� every move, especially if there are no written guidelines defining roles and responsibilities. If your organization lacks such guidelines, create them and put them in writing!  

Everyone on your team, from the top down, should make it a habit to offer praise and recognition for jobs well done. When employees know their efforts are appreciated, they are more likely to repeat them. Small gestures go far!

• Make security guards feel like they are part of a team. Keep them informed about news or changes happening at the corporate level.

Companies that contract guard services will find that those officers are more dedicated when they feel like they are part of the organization where they are assigned to work. They appreciate inclusion in workplace events and value privileges like access to the company gym and break room.

• Empower guards so that they can feel pride in their job. Patrolling a predictable route or sitting behind a desk with no power to do anything gets old fast. Provide guards with technology to maintain better situational awareness and tools that alert them to suspicious behavior. When security officers can be strategic and proactive about how they perform their duties, they鈥檒l find their jobs far more exciting and rewarding.

Many of these tactics can be employed by your in-house management team. Corporate culture doesn鈥檛 change overnight, but with dedicated efforts, progress will occur.

Hiring a consultant can be instrumental in moving the process along. An outsider鈥檚 perspective often pinpoints problems and strategizes solutions more objectively than managers who have skin in the game and egos that bruise. If that鈥檚 you, reach out. We may be security consultants, but solving morale issues is essential in running an effective security team. We鈥檙e here to help!

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The post Don鈥檛 Let Low Employee Morale Get You Down. Instead, Fix It! appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

As AI continues to advance, we in the security industry must develop robust detection methods to preserve the accuracy and integrity of data, as this data is required to identify and respond to threats in the physical world. This is especially true on our continually advancing reliance on technology like video surveillance systems, VoIP intercom and phone systems, and protective intelligence used in security operations centers.

Understanding how to identify AI-generated content is crucial for maintaining trust and accuracy in an ever-evolving digital landscape. By staying vigilant and adapting detection strategies to keep pace with AI advancements, individuals and organizations can contribute to the ongoing battle against misinformation and deceptive practices, fostering a digital landscape built on trust and authenticity.

While the security industry progresses to embrace this technology in various capacities, let鈥檚 delve into some strategies that we mere mortals can use to detect AI鈥檚 presence in different domains, such as images, audio, and text.

While the security industry embraces AI in various capacities, understanding how to identify AI-generated content is crucial for maintaining trust and accuracy.

How to Detect AI in Images

Noise Analysis: AI-generated images often carry subtle patterns or artifacts that deviate from those present in naturally captured visuals. By scrutinizing noise patterns, and hard-to-generate items like hands, feet, logos, and background text in images, you can unveil the telltale signs of images crafted by AI algorithms. This nuanced examination aids in distinguishing between authentic and machine-generated visuals.

Examine the metadata: AI-generated images may lack the typical metadata markers associated with photos taken by traditional cameras. Anomalies in metadata such as geolocation, camera model, lens settings, etc., can serve as a red flag, prompting further investigation into the image鈥檚 authenticity.

Reverse image search: Employing reverse image search tools is a valuable technique to ascertain the origin of an image. AI-generated images often lack real-world counterparts, making them stand out in search results. This method is particularly effective in identifying instances where AI has been employed in the creation or manipulation of visual content.

How to Detect AI in Audio

Spectral analysis: AI-generated audio frequently exhibits specific spectral patterns or anomalies not found in naturally occurring sounds. Spectrogram analysis can unveil these hidden patterns, assisting in the identification of AI-generated audio content. This analytical approach is vital for differentiating between human and machine-generated sounds.

If you don鈥檛 have a spectrum analyzer handy, try these two human-capable detection methods. First, listen for words or phrases that get repeated 鈥� AI-generated content will use the same cadence, rhythm, and pronunciation, giving you a clue to its origin. Second, if you are having a dialog with AI, it does not know how to respond to bizarre questions 鈥� so if you get a call and it sounds like your family member asking for help and money, ask the AI for a code word like 鈥渨hat am I holding in between the toes of my left foot?鈥� While the AI will have no idea how to respond, a family member will give you the secret code word or at least ask what the heck you are talking about.

Voiceprint analysis: Analyzing the voiceprint of a speaker can be instrumental in identifying AI-generated voices. AI often struggles to replicate the nuanced characteristics present in human speech, and voiceprint analysis can reveal discrepancies that may not be perceptible to the human ear.

Linguistic analysis: AI-generated speech may lack the natural flow and coherence found in human communication. Identifying unnatural syntax, grammar, or contextual inconsistencies can provide valuable clues in determining the authenticity of audio content.

How to Detect AI in Text

Linguistic anomalies: AI models may struggle with nuanced language use, so scrutinize for unnatural word choices, awkward sentence structures, or inconsistencies. Thorough linguistic analysis is crucial for revealing subtle signs of AI involvement in machine-generated text.

Stylometric analysis: AI models may exhibit consistent stylistic features that differ from the diversity found in human-generated content. Stylometric analysis, which focuses on patterns in writing style, is a powerful tool for detecting these subtle variations.

Contextual inconsistency: AI-generated text may struggle to maintain context throughout a piece of writing. Abrupt changes in tone, topic, or inconsistency in narrative flow can reveal instances where AI has been employed in the creation of textual content.

Cross-Domain Detection

Multi-modal Analysis: Combining techniques from image, audio, and text analysis creates a comprehensive approach to detecting AI across various domains. Cross-referencing results from different modalities can enhance the accuracy of AI detection and provide a more robust defense against machine-generated content.

Machine learning classifiers:聽Training machine learning classifiers using labeled datasets is an effective approach to distinguishing between AI-generated and human-created content. This method leverages the power of algorithms to identify subtle patterns across images, audio, and text, contributing to a more sophisticated and adaptive detection system.

Article Link –

This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: How to Detect AI appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

These technologies, which enable the identification of individuals based on their facial features, have been heralded as a breakthrough in enhancing security and streamlining law enforcement operations; however, they have also raised profound concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and potential abuses. As a response to these concerns, numerous cities and countries have started banning or heavily regulating the use of facial recognition technologies in these domains.

This has a big impact on the security industry as we prepare to understand, market, and deploy these technologies. Your customers will have questions, and their integrator should be able to provide some answers. Thus, it is essential to explore the arguments for and against the banning of facial recognition technologies in security and law enforcement to deliver the most informed recommendation to an end-user.

While the proponents of facial recognition technologies emphasize their utility, opponents argue that the risks and drawbacks far outweigh the benefits, leading to a growing movement to ban or heavily regulate their use in security and law enforcement.

The Rise of Facial Recognition Technologies
Facial recognition technologies have evolved at an astonishing pace. These systems utilize computer algorithms and databases of facial images to identify and verify individuals by analyzing distinct facial features. The technology has numerous applications, ranging from unlocking smartphones to enhancing security measures in public spaces and assisting law enforcement agencies.

Advocates of facial recognition technologies argue that they significantly contribute to national security and public safety. They cite instances where these systems have successfully identified and apprehended criminals, located missing persons, and thwarted potential terrorist threats. The potential applications are immense, including the rapid identification of suspects, enhancing border security, and improving the speed and accuracy of validating a person that may have been placed on a watch list.

The Case for Banning Facial Recognition Technologies
While the proponents of facial recognition technologies emphasize their utility, opponents argue that the risks and drawbacks far outweigh the benefits, leading to a growing movement to ban or heavily regulate their use in security and law enforcement.

Privacy concerns: The primary argument against facial recognition technologies is the grave invasion of personal privacy. The constant surveillance and monitoring of individuals in public spaces, without their consent or knowledge, raises serious ethical and legal concerns. The widespread use of these technologies could turn public areas into surveillance states, infringing on citizens’ rights to privacy and anonymity.

Inaccuracy and bias: Opponents have said these systems have been shown to exhibit a significant degree of inaccuracy, particularly when it comes to recognizing individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. This inherent bias can lead to wrongful arrests and misidentifications, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities.

The potential for racial profiling and discrimination is a valid concern; however, tests of different facial recognition technologies have been conducted within the industry by IPVM.com that shows these systems can be successfully deployed but vary in their success by manufacturer.

Surveillance state: The deployment of facial recognition technologies has the potential to create a surveillance state, where individuals’ every move is tracked and recorded. This dystopian vision raises concerns about the erosion of personal freedoms and the establishment of a society where people are constantly watched and restricted in their actions.

Lack of accountability: In many cases, the use of facial recognition technologies lacks transparency and accountability. Law enforcement agencies and security firms may use these technologies without adequate oversight or regulations in place. This absence of checks and balances can lead to abuses of power and violations of civil liberties.

Security vulnerabilities: Facial recognition systems are not immune to security vulnerabilities. Hackers and cybercriminals could exploit these technologies to access sensitive information or manipulate data for malicious purposes. These vulnerabilities pose a significant risk to national security and individual privacy.

Bans and Regulations
In response to these concerns, several countries and cities have taken measures to regulate or prohibit the use of facial recognition technologies in various capacities. The website www.banfacialrecognition.com has a comprehensive list of U.S. locations where this technology is in use, under regulations, or banned.

European Union: The European Union has taken a proactive stance on protecting citizens’ privacy by implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR places stringent regulations on the use of biometric data, including facial recognition technology. It requires explicit consent for data collection and mandates clear rules for its use.

San Francisco, California: In 2019, San Francisco became the first major city in the United States to ban the use of facial recognition technology by government agencies. The ban is aimed at preventing government surveillance and protecting civil liberties.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts followed suit with regulations aimed at protecting the privacy of its citizens. The state enacted a law that prohibits facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes, except for cases involving serious criminal offenses.

Portland, Oregon: Portland passed a ban on the use of facial recognition technology by both public and private entities in 2020. The city cited concerns about civil rights and civil liberties as the driving force behind the ban.

The banning of facial recognition technologies in security and law enforcement is a complex issue that revolves around striking a balance between security and privacy. While these technologies hold significant promise in enhancing safety and aiding law enforcement, their potential for misuse, bias, and invasion of personal privacy has sparked a growing movement to restrict or prohibit their use. The global trend of implementing regulations and bans on facial recognition technology reflects the need to safeguard individual freedoms and civil liberties in an increasingly connected and surveilled world.

As you specify and endorse these systems for customers, I recommend consulting the Security Industry Association鈥檚 advocacy page on facial recognition technology.

What to Tell Your Customers
The future of facial recognition technology in security and law enforcement will likely involve continued debate and evolving regulations as governments and communities grapple with the challenge of preserving public safety while respecting fundamental rights. As technology advances and the societal landscape changes, finding a middle ground that respects both security concerns and individual privacy rights will remain a pressing issue for lawmakers, civil rights activists, and the general public.

As an industry we should note that the successful deployment and accuracy of these systems largely comes down to understanding the correct use-case, and designing the system to support the intended need. Too often, we rush to implement without considering proof of concept, not by the manufacturer, but within the context of the customers environment and application.

As you specify and endorse these systems for customers, I recommend consulting the Security Industry Association鈥檚 advocacy page on facial recognition technology (www.securityindustry.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/facial-recognition). The site includes research statistics that show positive support of facial recognition for public safety, air travel, workplace and other application areas. It also includes a full shareable document and a fact sheet exploring the values and the benefits of facial recognition that outlines each of SIA鈥檚 core principles regarding the responsible and effective use of facial recognition technology and makes recommendations for public- and private-sector applications of the technology, including by law enforcement. There are also success stories that integrators can use to validate the effectiveness of the technology.

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This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: Should Integrators Specify Facial Recognition? appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

Fast-forward to today and the evolution of wearable technology has grown exponentially. A host of wearable technologies not only do what was once only dreamed of but are capable of much more. It is now commonplace for wearable users to employ watches, rings, and other wearable devices to provide them with hyper-insight to health and fitness information. These devices can record heart rate, respiration, temperature, steps, motion, etc. and compare that data to a baseline to determine performance and abnormalities.

Wearable devices know its user鈥檚 unique biometrics and that information can be used to validate identity 鈥� not only for access control but also for ordinary transactions. These devices can monitor for duress and medical conditions that may require third-party involvement, and they can also be a tool for employee accountability. I can imagine a slight shift to a more dystopian future, where wearables are a means to instill and enforce a social credit score, adding and subtracting points for the performance or lack of performance of predefined acts.

As software and hardware manufacturers are actively at work creating the devices and platforms, the need for wearable security and safety devices continues to grow and will become accepted as commonplace. As this technology has continued to develop and improve, it is being embraced and adopted into various industry sectors, including for security; in fact, the impressive capabilities of wearables are impressive, it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using this information for security purposes.

Identity Management
The security industry鈥檚 continuously evolving need to confirm someone鈥檚 identity is playing out as manufacturers continue to reinvent access card and reader technologies. These advancements are necessary to keep up with the sophistication of adversaries that have learned how to exploit previous technologies.

With complexities of validating a user鈥檚 authorization to gain access to a secure area made difficult without adding some level of biometrics to the validation process, wearable technology can be the answer. A health and fitness wearable has more uniquely identifiable data on its user than a fingerprint does. Someone鈥檚 walk, gait, stride, and dominant-side characteristics all have unique individual attributes that are continuously recorded. This is also true for someone鈥檚 heartbeat, respiration, keystroke motion when typing, and many other recorded points of uniquely identifiable biometrics. Thanks to wearables these attributes are always being collected and recorded, and developers are now researching how this unique biometric information can be used to validate identity and thus increase the level of security in identity authentication.

Personal Security
The evolution of wearable devices does not stop there; in fact, a whole new world of applications is being developed to gain insight, increase efficiency, and provide safety and security for the device鈥檚 user. These functions can be categorized in four areas for use in a safety and security capacity.

1. Health and fitness:
   Because it has a large consumer-based demand, this category is by far the most developed and advanced. It is also a bit sensitive, as employees are not often willing to share this data with employers.

That said, applications that detect a possible duress condition such as fall detection, heart rate spikes, and motion detection are being used effectively in law enforcement, security, and healthcare industries to monitor staff for wellbeing, while also triggering third-party alerts should a metric fall outside of a normal range. Some employers are also encouraging staff to use wearables to be informed of the negative effects of long hours at a desk behind a computer, allowing the employee to take corrective measures.

2. Access and employee controls:
   Wearables specifically for access control and identity verification, such as those made by Toronto-based Nymi (www.nymi.com), are at the forefront of development. This technology also supports the use of wearables for time-and-attendance and real-time occupancy data. As previously mentioned, the benefits of being able use biometric data to confirm identity makes this category particularly useful in security. The user validates to the wearable device, and the wearable device validates to the edge appliance.
3. Documentation and accountability:
   Wearables are being used for documentation and accountability of employees in the field. Already ubiquitous in the law enforcement industry, body cameras that record and stream video are also catching on among delivery drivers, healthcare workers and more. Additionally, internet-connected uniforms can broadcast location, speed, and direction of the wearer; smart watches can send location and bio data; and smart glasses can provide two-way information sharing. These devices are almost always connected to Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, and this connectivity allows for the sharing and rapid dissemination of data to aid in the response to incidents.
4. Personal protection and safety:
   Devices used to communicate duress come in many variations of styles and functionality. Most security executives are familiar with PERS devices, but many manufacturers are embedding this technology in more consumer-friendly packages. Birdie, for example, is a small keychain-type device that allows the users to separate the device from the keychain to create a duress event. Doing so will trigger a local audible alarm as well as communicate via Bluetooth to the user鈥檚 smartphone to send location data and other metrics to a list of recipiences preprogrammed into an app. While the company is focused on marketing the device to women, its clearly a good choice for anyone. Similar devices from other companies can come in the form of jewelry and decorative pendants.

Article Link –

This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: The Evolution of Wearables appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

The gold standard for decades in maintaining dedicated and reliable inbound and outbound communications has been the POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) line. It has been very typical to install POTS lines for duress alarms, intrusion detection systems, emergency intercoms, and dedicated voice lines for security operations and operations centers.

One of the great appeals for using POTS (besides being the only thing available) was that the POTS line provided both power and communications over a copper wire. The phones were powered by the telephone companies鈥� infrastructure, moving the points of failure outside of the users control, and onto the responsibility of the service provider. This type of system would provide for communications even if power was out. Amazingly, you could lose power and the phone would still work. Sure, it doesn鈥檛 sound impressive now, but in the 1970s it was.

As cellular technology became more dependable and widely available, many companies started to use this communications pathway as a backup or redundant method of communications; however, at the time, the technology was cost-prohibitive to deploy and use as a primary communication pathway, unless site specific conditions warranted its use in that capacity. Cellular technology has since become a viable option for both primary and backup communications of voice and data.

Now with more and more devices being IP-based, as well as the need to consolidate systems for voice and data communications, service providers are sunsetting the old and expensive-to-maintain POTS service 鈥� moving to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The Rise of Voice over IP
VoIP is a technology that enables voice calls to be transmitted over the internet rather than traditional telephone lines. It utilizes packet-switched networks, converting voice signals into data packets for transmission.

This innovation has gained traction in recent years due to several compelling reasons:

1. VoIP offers substantial cost savings. Traditional landline services require dedicated infrastructure, which can be expensive to install and maintain. In contrast, VoIP utilizes existing internet connections, eliminating the need for separate telephone lines. This cost-effectiveness is especially attractive to small businesses and startups looking to streamline their operations, and it is commonplace for large enterprises.
2. VoIP provides an extensive array of features that surpass those of POTS. Call forwarding, voicemail transcription, video conferencing, and virtual phone numbers are just a few examples of the rich feature set offered by VoIP. These features enhance productivity, collaboration, and customer service capabilities, enabling businesses to operate more efficiently and competitively.
3. VoIP systems are highly scalable, allowing businesses to easily add or remove lines as per their requirements. This flexibility eliminates the limitations imposed by traditional phone systems and accommodates the ever-changing needs of modern enterprises. As companies expand or downsize, VoIP adapts accordingly, ensuring seamless communication without unnecessary costs or complications.

More Benefits of VoIP
The advantages of VoIP extend beyond cost savings and feature-rich functionalities. One of the most significant benefits is geographical flexibility. With VoIP, users can make and receive calls from anywhere with an internet connection. This eliminates the constraints of physical location, making it easier for businesses to establish virtual offices, remote work setups, and global presence. This allows for some unique applications in the security world as well.

Additionally, VoIP integrates well with other communication channels, such as email, instant messaging, and video conferencing platforms. This integration enhances overall communication efficiency, enabling seamless transitions between different modes of interaction. Whether it is integrating voice calls into customer relationship management (CRM) software or automating call routing, VoIP empowers businesses to streamline workflows and enhance customer experiences.

Furthermore, VoIP is compatible with various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Users can access their VoIP services through dedicated apps or web-based interfaces, providing a unified communication experience across multiple devices. This flexibility ensures that individuals and businesses are always connected, regardless of the device they use or their physical location.

The Challenges of VoIP and Data Communications
IP-based technology does provide some challenges in maintaining communications pathways that are highly reliable with an uptime acceptable to support critical communications. While previous communications relied largely on the provider maintaining equipment and uptime availability, IP-based technology now requires that the provider and the customer maintain their systems so that they can be relied on for critical communications.

When migrating from a POTS-based method of communicating critical voice and data to a IP-based system, adding proper battery backup, redundant communication pathways, and proper network configurations to ensure network traffic priority is critical.

Article Link –

This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: The Rise of VoIP appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

The advancement of technology over the past three decades is astounding. Just a short 20 years ago, the vast majority of video surveillance systems were still using VHS tapes, multiplexers, and analog cameras with resolutions that were just a fraction of todays most basic of imaging technologies. Patrol, response, and investigations were exclusively done by manpower.

Today, we are seeing a massive influx of true Artificial Intelligence 鈥� albeit mostly basic video-based analytics 鈥� into these traditional security technologies.

Basic AI in Practice for Security

We are now able to see the emergence of AI鈥檚 most elementary abilities surfacing in the security industry. An example is Coresight.ai, whose technology is able to provide facial identification of individuals using standard video surveillance cameras 鈥� even when the face of the subject is partially obscured. The technology provides the ability to match a person of interest on a watch list to individuals captured on live and recorded video.

Consider Zeroeyes and Omnilert, whose AI technologies use standard video surveillance cameras to detect a person in possession of a gun, prompting the system to trigger an action or alert prior to the subject carrying the gun making entry to a facility or shooting the weapon.

Companies like Viisights bring behavioral analytics that are able to detect a wide variety of behaviors like fighting, crowd formation, accidents, slip-and-falls, throwing objects, or other aggressive behaviors.

The vast amount of currently installed security technology is wholly reactive, meaning that an incident must take place prior to a mitigative action being taken. These technologies make security systems and departments proactive in a way we have never seen. AI can greatly speed the detection and response to many incident types, and also trigger on precursors that happen before an actual incident occurs.

As for AI and robotics, by now you have likely seen Spot the robot dog from Boston Dynamics, and perhaps some of you have seen Atlas, the most dynamic humanoid robot in the world from the same company. There have been plenty of similar robots roaming tradeshow floors the past couple of years.These robots now have human-like agility and the ability to analyze their environment. They are equipped with an array of sensors that give the robotic platform detailed information on its movement, surroundings, and position, as well as process incredible amounts of data in milliseconds. The robot can calculate thousands of probable scenarios, weighing what ones have the most likelihood of occurring, then almost instantly react to the situation, faster than humans are capable.

Imagine the Possibilities

You can easily extrapolate the possibilities. Consider the integration and convergence of just these few AI technologies and robotics mentioned: A person with a gun exits their vehicle at a school or bank, the AI determines the presence of a gun and also determines that the person in possession of the gun is on the facility鈥檚 watch list (placed on the list perhaps because they are a terminated employee or a student identified as high risk), this triggers an automated lockdown, pre-scripted announcements, law enforcement notifications, starts live video streaming to responding agencies, and automatically tracks the location and actions of the subject. Then a security robot, powered with this real-time information, moves into place to intercept the subject as they attempt to gain entry into the facility.

The robot can analyze threats, verbal exchanges, micro expressions and movements of the subject against thousands of like scenarios or previously documented incidents to make a determination of the subject鈥檚 probable actions before the subject even takes them. Then with faster-than-human reaction time and agility, engage the subject with less-than-lethal force to disarm and subdue the subject.

While we are not quite there yet, it is certainly on the horizon. In April, the New York Police Department announced the use of Spot the robot dog and other robots to start patrolling Times Square.

Playing Devil鈥檚 Advocate

To say this article is far-reaching would be a false statement; so why would I choose to open with such a negative statement like 鈥渢he total destruction of mankind?鈥�

Let鈥檚 entertain another scenario, an adversarial one. We know that all technology eventually becomes more commonly understood and can be used for both good and bad. Currently, the development of AI and robotics technology has little to no regulation or oversight, providing few limits to what this technology can be programmed to do, or better yet, to not do.

Elon Musk is quoted as saying AI is 鈥渜uite a dangerous technology鈥� and that AI has the potential to destroy civilization. What happens when an adversary 鈥� criminal enterprise, enemy state, or the AI itself 鈥� obtains and programs AI to do their bidding?

Imagine an adversary who develops an integrated AI robot with advanced sensory technology and physical agility, the ability to analyze and process petaflops of information to render an action hundreds of times faster than any human鈥檚 ability. The outcome is potentially unstoppable. It is a frightful view into a 鈥淭erminator鈥� movie-type threat that security and law enforcement teams are not remotely ready or equipped to respond to.

Avoiding the Ugly

We should not be surprised that the security industry is embracing the newest emerging technologies such as AI and robotics. As illustrated, they are an obvious force multiplier and bring new efficiencies to improve the security function.

However, the bad is there, just bubbling under the surface.

In the end, the security industry should embrace a better approach to develop and use this technology with some firm ground rules 鈥� to hopefully harness the good and avoid the bad and potentially ugly.

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This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: AI – The Good, the Bad, and Perhaps the Ugly appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

VIPs may be targets of stalkers, protesters, the paparazzi, and other bad actors seeking to do harm. Security teams need the tools to maintain situational awareness and facilitate command and control wherever heightened protection is called for. It鈥檚 a tall order.

Public events like parades, political rallies, sporting events, speeches, and performances, as well as private affairs, like the weddings and funerals of the rich and famous, occur in locations that are difficult to secure. Coverage must often span massive areas. Threats can come from any direction, including overhead and far beyond the event鈥檚 official perimeter.

Event security is focused on maintaining a secure environment for the public at large. Meanwhile, executive protection services must stand up separate command and controls dedicated to keeping their clients safe.

Deploying a dedicated command and control is expensive, as it must be equipped with much of the same technology as a permanent security operations center (SOC). Plus, it must provide reliable and redundant connectivity to all systems and devices utilized across the event site without the benefit of a permanent infrastructure.

Public sector dignitaries have protective details equipped to mount exhaustive security operations on their behalf. The U.S. Capitol Police, Secret Service, federal, and state agencies each have an abundance of resources, including a fleet of mobile command vehicles ready to deploy to protect dignitaries and politicians. The private sector does not. Unless such individuals face a specific threat against them, they typically must pay for their own security.

Fortunately, a new option has recently entered the security marketplace: mobile command as a service (MCaaS). Just as VIPs may invest in fractional jet ownership, MCaaS provides access to a fully equipped, state-of-the-art mobile command vehicle for a specified number of engagements per year.

When comparing services, here’s what stakeholders should consider.

What Technologies Are Included?
To approximate the command-and-control systems utilized by public sector dignitaries, an MCaaS solution should include an array of integrated security technologies from best-in-class manufacturers. Look for:

Video surveillance

Video analytics

Aerial drone surveillance

Drone detection

Gunfire detection

Perimeter protection

Real-time weather monitoring

Social media monitoring

Communication systems are equally important. A fully equipped mobile command should offer the following:

VoIP telephones

2-way radios

Cellular PTT radios

Satellite telephone, TV, and radio

Satellite and cellular data

Public address systems

The service should include the deployment of temporary cameras and other devices across the event site. Coverage should extend to broad perimeter monitoring, while placing an emphasis on areas where the client is most vulnerable, such as the green room, stage, and any walkways the client may traverse.

Live monitoring of social media is critical, as it may provide advance warning of potential threats. There should also be communication channels between event security and private security teams. If event security must contend with danger anywhere onsite, private security must have sufficient knowledge to evacuate its charge via the safest route possible

How Is It Deployed?
The 鈥淪鈥� in mobile command as a service differentiates today’s new offerings from more traditional rental models. A quick Web search of mobile command rentals will result in rental trailers equipped with communication systems and a workstation for video surveillance monitoring.

MCaaS represents a much broader suite of technologies, plus it includes the expertise of security professionals to assist private details with systems engineering, training, and onsite deployment. They can also attend events, working side-by-side with members of the executive protection service. MCaaS provides high-profile executives, high-net-worth individuals, and celebrities with the same tools and technologies used to protect top-level public sector VIPs.

To ensure the availability of vehicles, MCaaS providers may cap the number of clients they enroll to maintain a suitable client/vehicle ratio. They may also offer services to a limited geographic area, minimizing travel time before an event. An overextended MCaaS provider may not be able to deliver services when needed, negating the value of the investment.

A Paradigm Shift
The security industry’s digital transformation has brought countless new technologies to the market. Unfortunately, they only help the customers that can afford them. Many technology manufacturers have migrated to a recurring revenue model to reduce upfront hardware costs, thus making their cutting-edge solutions accessible to a broader base. Customers benefit from always-current systems that require less maintenance, include free updates, and offer operational expenditure tax advantages.

MCaaS offers similar value propositions, albeit on a grander scale. VIPs, or the executive protection services that protect them, may have previously deemed a fully-equipped mobile command as beyond budget. MCaaS will level the playing field, bringing grade-A resources to the private sector. It’s a paradigm shift whose time has come.

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Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Elevating Executive Security with Mobile Command as a Service appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

DIY security technology is being marketed everywhere 鈥� TV commercials, online advertisements, big box stores, home improvement stores, etc., and just about every big name (Amazon with Blink, Ring and Alexa Guard Plus, Google with Nest, Blackstone with Vivint, Netgear with Arlo, ADT with Blue, and independents like SimpliSafe, Cove and many others) have positioned themselves in the DIY security game.

You can find alarm systems, various detectors, cameras, smart locks, just about every traditional security endpoint now comes as a IoT device that can easily be added to a home network or installed and configured with a smartphone.

The DIY market has a lot going for it, providing some significant advantages over its more traditional security technology predecessors. Here are five:

1. Easy to install and configure: In many cases, device enrollment is as easy as downloading an app and scanning a QR code, and the user is operational. Let鈥檚 face it, this is not the case in the commercial world, where knowledge of the device, the platform its operating on, and the networking system that connects the edge devices are all a part of the configuration process.

2. Quality and reliability: The output quality is comparable to commercial grade (noting some significant drawbacks with the DIY systems) and the reliability 鈥� while not to the level of its commercial grade comparable devices 鈥� is good enough for most consumers.

3. Low cost and barrier to entry: From cameras under $25 to smart locks hovering around $250, costs for this technology comparative to the commercial market are significantly lower. Many systems offer a trial or feature limited version of service that make the barrier to entry also very low 鈥� enabling consumers to try it out without making a big commitment. This is also very cleverly designed to draw them into a service plan.

4. Built-in RMR: The holy grail of the residential security market, these products have significant Recurring Monthly Revenue (RMR), making this a gold rush to grab market share.

5. Public safety impact: Many service providers have programs to support local law enforcement efforts with camera feeds. While this is a great tool for crime fighting, it is also a concern for privacy advocates in the over use of private-sector security technology for public sector use, and in the mass collection of data on the populous by big tech.

How Integrators Can Take Advantage

The pace has been set, the DIY installation of IoT security edge devices is here to stay. With its rapid growth and benefits that clearly make this an advantageous business venture for manufacturers, is the commercial market in danger of losing market share to innovations in DIY applications?

I believe the answer is yes, as least for small to mid-sized applications. The truth is that VSaaS and ACaaS companies are moving in this direction already, making the installation of security edge devices like cameras, sensors, and access points easier than ever to install and configure.

That said, I see some significant gaps that DIY manufacturers are not in a position to address, and it is where these gaps exist that commercial security integrators can provide a value-add to the emerging residential and commercial DIY market.

While DIY manufacturers are banking on the DIYer, the integration industry should be looking at the obvious holes it creates in both the residential and commercial marketplace. For us as an industry to adapt and embrace advances in technology, we need to find the areas where we can bring value to the user in the process of planning, designing, deploying, and managing this technology. Here are three key areas:

Advanced applications 鈥� These aaS and DIY systems are limited in their enterprise-level applications 鈥� especially when a customer needs high availability in critical facilities and applications, advanced configurations, integrations, and features from third-party manufacturers. Integrators and consultants need to know how to properly advise clients when they are considering what appears to be an easier solution. What are they losing with the 鈥渆asier鈥� solution? What are the holes of the 鈥渆asy鈥� solution?

Design and installation 鈥� Sure, any novice can put a camera up to watch the door, but what about resolution, pixels on target, frame rate, back light considerations, retention periods, etc., for video surveillance applications? Consider door hardware, egress requirements, credentialing technologies, etc., for access control. What about appropriate sensor selection and use, local code compliance, communications redundancy, etc., with alarm systems? These are all areas where the security professional is able to surpass a novice in designing and deploying a commercial or enterprise class system.

Specialized expertise 鈥� At the end of the day, even the most crafty DIYers have other responsibilities. Taking the time to review, select, purchase, install, and configure DIY systems is still extra work. Integrators have an opportunity to pick up this void in the market by offering residential and small business packages that are turnkey and also provide RMR.

Security technology professionals need to be ready to identify and respond to the changes in the market with viable solutions. By studying this and other market trends, you can see where the emerging technology is going and where it will influence the rest of the industry.

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This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听. Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: Is Commercial Sector DIY a Threat? appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

Why is the security industry so fearful of intrepidly moving forward and embracing these new technologies to enhance the overall effectiveness of their 鈥� or their customers鈥� 鈥� protection programs?

Common Barriers to Entry

In working with many end-users over the years, I have seen numerous, consistent, and repeating barriers to entry in adopting and embracing emerging technology. Often these barriers to entry are largely centered on leaving a comfort zone of the known for the unknown.

Let鈥檚 explore four of the key barriers to entry for end-users considering new and emerging technology:

Cutting edge vs. bleeding edge: Being an early adopter can be appealing 鈥� you are first in line to grab up the latest technology. Unfortunately, many times as new technology is first rolled out, it comes with a host of complexities in getting it to operate as intended. This is where the cutting edge turns into the bleeding edge 鈥� when the new technology causes the user, integrator and everyone involved in the rollout of the technology a painful go at getting it right.

In the meantime, someone needs to answer to the person in the organization who is paying the bills as to why this technology is not performing as expected 鈥� making the venture of becoming an early adopter painful, expensive, and potentially embarrassing.

How do you avoid this type of blunder in being an early adopter? You could, of course, wait until the manufacturer of the technology has taken their lumps from other early adopters. A better practice would be to think ahead of the curve using a lab environment to bench test any new technology before it gets introduced to you or your customer鈥檚 systems in an active capacity.

Have a rollback strategy vetted to ensure you have a path to return to a previous system configuration should your technology rollout go wrong. These best practices are valid for both emerging technology or simply adding new technology to your organization.

Leadership buy-in: Often, if leadership cannot see the direct correlation to saving time or money, it is a harder sell to get new and emerging technology embraced and funded. Sometimes the reverse is true, where leadership is introduced to a shiny new thing, and they want it 鈥� now!

Because of the urgency, it is everyone else鈥檚 task to make it happen.

How do you make the business case for a new technology? It is all in the numbers. In evaluating technology, most all technology is designed to do something better, faster, smarter, etc., and that gets expressed by two key factors: time and money. When making the case for new technology, detailing the short- and long-term savings in capital and operational expenses, as well as the human capital savings for adding technology, should enable end-users to express the return on investment. This is the key selling factor to obtaining leadership buy-in, and it is something integrators should be helping their clients to achieve.

Regulatory factors: Having new technology that can solve a problem for a regulated industry may have the customers lined up at an integrator鈥檚 door with interest, but they may be hesitant to make the purchase until the 鈥減owers that be鈥� chime in with direction or approval.

For example, in the airport vertical, many new technologies that can work well in the airport environment take considerable time for the solution to be evaluated by the FAA and the National Safe Skies Alliance. Most airports will wait for this evaluation before it is is willing to dedicate the funding required to implement the solution.

In the regulated environment, there is not much workaround to this process; thus, it is best to set new and emerging technology up for early review. In some cases, the customer can serve as a test bed if they are willing.

Skepticism: The product always looks good on the trade show floor, but will it perform in the real world? Salespeople are great at pitching the promise, but battle-hardened security professionals know that big promises can come with big disappointments.

Unfortunately, those disappointments can tarnish good reputations. For that reason, seasoned security professionals are far more likely to shy away from technology that has not been vetted by peers and endorsed by other reputable firms and manufacturers.

To avoid the 鈥渃old shoulder鈥� when introducing new and emerging technology to customers, it is best to know your facts about the product. Explain how it has been proven in the marketplace and what guarantees the manufacturer and supplier are willing to make behind its successful deployment. If you are truly confident in how the technology will perform, base your payment structure on the technology鈥檚 successful deployment and performance.

Take the risk off the customer. If the technology does not perform, remove it at no cost. If it works successfully, the customer pays a 10% premium 鈥� a win/win.

Keep Pedaling

Overall, removing the barriers to entry on new and emerging technology falls on the manufacturer. The end-user wants to know they will not end up spending money on something that does not perform, has a costly and frustrating implementation, and creates a generally embarrassing situation professionally that needs to be explained to leadership.

In the meantime, manufacturers should keep bringing those solutions to market and integrators and consultants should be making the case for their successful implementation.

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This article originally appeared in the聽听辞蹿听.听Paul F Benne is the President of 麻豆传媒社区 and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: Overcoming Barriers to Entry appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.

For years, AX 鈥� formally known as Anime Con 鈥� earned the unfortunate nickname of 鈥渓ine-con鈥� due to massive crowds that formed just to gain entrance, which meant headaches for security and operations staff.

Thanks to a unique combination of weapons screening technology, guard and canine services, and temporary security technology 鈥� all coordinated by security firm 麻豆传媒社区 鈥� AX 2022 was a rousing success. The project has been named has been named as an honorable mention in the 2022 Security Vanguard Awards from SecurityInfoWatch, Security Business magazine and Security Technology Executive (STE) magazine.

The Crowd Control Challenge
Based on turnstiles at the entrances, more than 110,000 people attended the Anime Expo over the three days at multiple venues, including the Los Angeles Convention Center, Novo (an indoor club), and the Microsoft Theater.

Efficient screening was the first challenge for Michael Grossman, a senior advisor at New York City-based 麻豆传媒社区
Photo: Anime Expo
A carefully crafted screening strategy helped was part of a successful crowd control effort at the 2022 Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
A carefully crafted screening strategy helped was part of a successful crowd control effort at the 2022 Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
Consulting, who was responsible for all security planning and operations, including the preparation of a comprehensive operations plan and the management of the overall on- site security operations.

A massive crowd is one thing, but the vast majority of these attendees came to the AX venues in full costumes 鈥� many including imitation weapons. The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the event organizer, also required COVID-19 checkpoints.

鈥淲e were getting people into the buildings, but the crowding on the outside [creates] a soft target,鈥� explains Matthew Thomas, SPJA鈥檚 senior director of operations.

Thankfully, Grossman and the 麻豆传媒社区 team came up with a multi-faceted solution, combining high-throughput weapons screening technology with good, old-fashioned security officers 鈥� provided by Ayvar Security, JRM Security and Executive Event Services 鈥� and canine teams from MSA Security Services, a division of Allied Universal. Additionally, RFID badging implemented at the show helped with counting attendees and protected against people getting in without the proper credentials.

鈥淚t is not all high-tech, but when you use all those things to your advantage and integrate their use, that makes a system more efficient and there are a lot fewer problems,鈥� Grossman says.

As for the technology aspect of the crowd control technology, Thomas and Grossman zeroed in on the Evolv Express, a high-throughput walk-through weapons screening system that uses digital sensors and artificial intelligence to spot concealed weapons and other threats.

The company claims a unit can screen 4,000 people per hour, and that the technology has been successfully used at stadiums, theme parks, hospitals, schools and other busy venues. Ideally, the technology is accurate enough that people are not required to stop, empty their pockets or remove bags as they are screened.

2022 was the first year that AX used the screening technology, and Thomas 鈥� who held previous security operations roles at Universal Studios and Westfield malls 鈥� says it enhanced the throughput of patrons from 55 people per hour to 300 people per hour at each entry point.

鈥淗onestly, I think it was a little too quick, and we slowed that down on site just to be very thorough,鈥� Thomas admits. 鈥淭hat was due to my thinking that it is impossible. I am used to the metal detector going off on every belt buckle.鈥�

Achieving Situational Awareness
Grossman 鈥� who retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff鈥檚 Department in 2013 as chief of the Homeland Security Division and later served as SVP of U.S. National Security for Westfield Corp., where he oversaw security operations for 32 malls across the nation 鈥� assembled a security command center at AX that coordinated the activities of all security and life safety agencies, including convention center security and private contractors, Los Angeles Police Department, and many others.

Through the assistance of Las Vegas-based Unified Command, a temporary surveillance system was also deployed, with cameras placed at strategic locations to maintain situational awareness at key points throughout the venue. The temporary system focused on areas outside the venues, since the buildings had their own cameras.

鈥淲e were working with the existing Convention Center security with their technology and adding on our technology to compliment,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淭hat really helps us get good angles to manage crowds and respond to certain things from the [security monitoring] perspective.鈥�

Those working in the Unified Command post could monitor cameras, zoom in on nearly any area or focus on certain cameras. 鈥淭hey know exactly the things that need to be seen and where to put cameras,鈥� Grossman says, adding that the command post at AX was similar to one that he might set up for a large wildfire or other major event.

鈥淵ou have representatives from all the agencies that do security or emergency response in the same room and monitor for 24 hours a day through the entire event,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚f you don’t have adequate planning, and documented planning, a clear organizational chart, clear lines of communication, and contingency plans, [if] something comes up, it is pretty tough to manage,鈥� Grossman says.

In reviewing the successful AX 2022 security operations, Thomas says 鈥渢he secret sauce is there right now鈥� to maintain an effective security program for AX in the future. As for similar events, he implores event security managers to take advantage of all the technology and tools available, even if the cost is hard to swallow.

鈥淎ll it could take is one situation, and you no longer have an event anymore,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淚 like spending a bunch of money on security鈥ecause [it means] we’ve done the most that we can to protect everybody.鈥�

John Dobberstein is managing editor of SecurityInfoWatch.com.

Project Overview: Anime Expo

Project submitted by: 麻豆传媒社区

Weapons Screening: Evolv Technology

Temporary Surveillance System: Unified Command

Video Management System: Milestone

Guard Services: Ayvar Security, JRM Security and Executive Event Services

Canine Services: MSA Security Services

This article is part of the annual Security Vanguard Awards, presented by SecurityInfoWatch.com, Security Business magazine and Security Technology Executive (STE) magazine. Learn more about the Vanguard and its many winners over the years at www.securityinfowatch.com/vanguard.

Article Link – https://www.securityinfowatch.com/security-executives/article/21284746/keeping-350k-anime-expo-attendees-safe

The post Keeping 350K Anime Expo Attendees Safe appeared first on 麻豆传媒社区.