Justifying Physical Security Technologies See: Risk Management

I have started working on a new paper relating Risk Management with Physical Security Technology Solutions.  

My purpose is to discuss my observations and results in the deployment of hundreds of millions of dollars of security technologies implemented not to just protect physical assets but to reduce liabilities, fraud, improve procedures, influence designs, support marketing and influence almost every department within the enterprise in one way or another.  With proper implementation, the overall ROI or return-on-investment of some of these projects could be measured in days not in years as projected in the past.

In a recent trip to a national trade show and loss prevention conference I constantly hear talk of how we have to do more with less, referring to limited staffing levels in today’s economy.  At the same time, in various discussions with those who have implemented some of the technologies discussed in this paper, described how they continued to get outstanding results because they had implemented these countermeasures and learned to use them properly.   

Still there are millions of organizations that still have not understood these principals and may have invested money in product but still don’t have a solution.  

Risk Management is defined as the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Physical Security countermeasures as well as Loss Prevention and Asset Protection concepts are tools that I have used to consistently and successfully combat areas of risk concerns in recent times.  With proper implementation of these tools and concepts improvements in revenue and limits to liabilities have been achieved in many sectors.  This success thru the convergence of technologies and best practices have shown improvements in behaviors of employees and customers, more productive operations, reduced costs and improved overall profitability.

Future posts will discuss these concepts and solutions in further detail.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our customers and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our precious customers and friends!

While many of us will be sitting down to tables laden with all manner of great foods, try to remember that some people won't have that luxury. Some will be standing in soup lines; some will have to wait for someone to bring them a meal, and sadly, some will go to bed hungry tonight.  With that in mind, let's try to be more thankful for all the blessings we have. And let's remember to give something back.

Once I was giving a donation to a homeless person and a friend who was with me, scolded me. ``How do you know that person isn't going to buy drugs with that money?''  My answer was that all I can do is help; I can’t base my help to other’s on how they might act.  Their behavior is theirs not mine, all I can do is control my behavior and pray for them.   I believe that wonderful things happen to me because I live with an attitude of gratitude.

I found the following poem online entitled “Be Thankful “-- “Author Unknown “, I think it sets the tone of the day.

Thanks for not having

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Thanks for lacking knowledge

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Thanks for difficult times

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Thanks for limitations

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Thanks for challenges

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Thanks for mistakes made

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Thanks for exhaustion

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made the effort.

Thanks for setbacks

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who

are also thankful for the setbacks.

Thanks for troubles

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,

and they can become your blessings.

March Networks Mobile Solution in Action

Watch this (disturbing) video that shows how Ron Haynes was captured in the act of attempted murder by four, Pixim-powered video security cameras developed by March Networks and mounted on the inside of a Toronto bus. His lawyer, Sean Robichaud, praised the Blu-ray-like quality of the video and agreed to a nine-year sentence for Haynes for attempted murder.  Despite the bright sunlight outside the bus, the video of the shooting was “crystal clear” as stated in an article by the Toronto Star.

White-Paper - Physical Security Information Management - PSIM Opens Up the Industry

Vidsys.com  ( http://www.Vidsys.com ) recently posted an White-Paper by Jeff Kessler and Jay Beaghan of Imperial Capital.  The paper discusses the question of ...




"What does PSIM offer in the way of command and control/situation management capabilities that video management systems (VMS) and access control systems (ACS) don't, especially when the latter are IP-based and can be integrated?"

Check this out at Http://www.vidsys.com 

WIRELESS VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS

WIRELESS VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS has created a revolution in security surveillance. That’s because wireless video relieves the costs associated with running wires over long distances or difficult to reach locations. It offers new opportunities to protect lives, property and assets in ways that have been impractical before now. Wireless video is reliable and remarkably affordable. Wireless video is ready to meet almost any CCTV application you can imagine.

VideoComm Technologies is the recognized market leader in wireless video transmission technologies, products and technical support.  From systems serving a single camera over a few feet, all the way up to multi-camera systems covering large university campuses, our wireless video products overcome many of the installation limits applicable to most CCTV projects.

• COST – VideoComm products eliminate the need to run wires. We offer video transmission solutions that gives installers the advantage of saving thousands of dollars in wire, conduit, labor, under-ground trenching, suspended raceways or dedicated phone lines. 
• FREEDOM – VideoComm manufactures products for CCTV applications that have been physically impossible to serve before now. We specialize in wireless video applications capable of using alternate power sources while also providing complete camera mobility during transmission - including products for temporary monitoring, mobile surveillance and covert investigations.
• SIZE – VideoComm is the industry leader in the manufacturing of micro wireless video products. We offer the smallest UHF, 900MHz, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz transmitters commercially available on the market today.
• DISTANCE – VideoComm manufactures a full range of indoor and outdoor all-weather products that can transmit video signals economically anywhere from a few hundred feet (through walls), up to remote monitoring sites, up to 200 Miles away.

Wireless Elevator Video System

Many elevators are equipped with hard-wired surveillance cameras, which are extremely costly requiring hours of labor, hundreds of feet in traveling cable and the inconvenience of closing a vital service down for hours if not days. Using VideoComm Technologies’ new wireless elevator video system, this property manager was able to have a working system installed and fully functional within three hours saving both time and keeping costs down.

The installer in this application mounted the video transmitter in the false ceiling of the elevator cab, connected the video cable from the corner mount camera and powered the device on. The same method was used at the top of the shaft where the receiver was mounted on the exterior wall in the elevator mechanical penthouse.

Until now, wireless video systems have not been a practical option when installing an elevator surveillance camera. The harsh RF environments in commercial and residential buildings caused by 802.11b/g data networks, along with the constant motion of an elevator surrounded by steel interfered with wireless analog systems and consequently output a poor video signal. VideoComm Technologies all-new Wireless Elevator Surveillance system transmits high-resolution encrypted digital video up to 200 floors. This innovative system is the only wireless system on the market capable of transmitting license-free video in the most crowded RF environments with advanced OFDM digital immunity to signal interference and a 64-bit encrypted data stream. The RT-Wave series features a revolutionary pre-configured design and does not require setup, software or programming, minimizing installation time and maximizing results.

U.S.A Office | 1711 Cudaback Avenue | Niagara Falls, NY USA 14303 | Toll Free: 888-379-2666 (COMM)

Panduit Wins 2010 Security Innovation Award for Unified Operations Center in New World Headquarters Building

Panduit Corp., a global leader in Unified Physical Infrastructure SM (UPI) based solutions, was awarded Security Technology Executive’s 2010 Security Innovation award for the deployment of its Unified Operations Center in its new World Headquarters building. The awards honor the most innovative technologies, design strategies, and facility applications in the security industry, as selected by the media outlet and a panel of industry experts. The silver medalist award was presented to Panduit during the 2010 ASIS Conference in Dallas, TX.

“Panduit is realizing this vision of increased building system integration and automation in its Unified Operations Center (UOC), a single location in the new World Headquarters building which combines SOC and NOC functions, enabling Panduit to manage the security of its global facilities from a central location”

Panduit was recognized for demonstrating the power of integrated, IP-based physical security solutions in their Unified Operations Center (UOC) to accelerate event detection and response, enable collaboration between safety agencies, and increase operational efficiency. Based on its UPI-based Connected Building Solution, Panduit’s unique UOC colocates the safety, security, network, and communications operations in a central location. By leveraging an optimized physical infrastructure as the foundation to enable convergence across the enterprise, Panduit solutions help businesses improve reliability, reduce costs, heighten agility and support sustainability initiatives.

“Panduit is realizing this vision of increased building system integration and automation in its Unified Operations Center (UOC), a single location in the new World Headquarters building which combines SOC and NOC functions, enabling Panduit to manage the security of its global facilities from a central location,” said Vineeth Ram, Panduit VP of Strategic Marketing. “By integrating management of the network and physical security systems over a UPI-based physical infrastructure, Panduit’s UOC allows data to be shared across a full spectrum of network, building system, and security applications for improved operational awareness and response.”

Panduit collaborated with Cisco, N2N Secure, and IPVision on the connected building design to integrate state-of-the-art security systems, incorporating video surveillance, physical access controls, analytics software, and interoperable communications. “By centralizing security operations from the Unified Operations Center, we should achieve an annual estimated savings of $653,000 and a 1.5-year payback period while enabling our security personnel to monitor and control video surveillance cameras and building access controls for all global offices over a WAN,” said Jeff Woodward, Senior Manager, Panduit Global Environmental Health and Safety.  For more information on Panduit’s Connected Building Solutions, visit www.panduit.com/CBS.

About Panduit:

Panduit is a world-class developer and provider of leading-edge solutions that help customers optimize the physical infrastructure through simplification, agility and operational efficiency. Panduit’s Unified Physical Infrastructure SM (UPI) based solutions give enterprises the capabilities to connect, manage and automate communications, computing, power, control and security systems for a smarter, unified business foundation. Strong relationships with technology leaders complemented with its global staff and unmatched service and support, make Panduit a valuable and trusted partner. http://www.panduit.com

NATIONAL SURVEY REVEALS MAJORITY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON A RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO INTEGRATED PHYSICAL SECURITY

The survey of senior-level IT and physical security professionals from both public and private organizations reveals that a majority of organizations have complex safety and security environments, manage them through multiple, distributed locations, and have a need to coordinate responses with other agencies or organizations.  With 60 percent of respondents stating that their organizations individually manage multiple technologies today, the survey also found that many plan to migrate towards a more unified approach in the next 12 – 18 months, including a single command and control view of events and a centralized view of situations.

When it comes to managing their organization’s security systems, 74 percent of respondents revealed that having a proactive risk-focused approach that ensures greater overall safety and security with a holistic view of the organization is important or extremely important while 71 percent said it’s important to leverage both physical and IT security together to manage and resolve security situations.

Highlights from the Research

Organizations Have Complex Safety and Security Environments:

• 91 percent of organizations are using security systems and devices from two or more different manufacturers, with 46 percent of those using solutions from at least six different manufacturers.
• The majority of respondents said that they manage security through multiple, distributed locations as well as coordinate security responses with other agencies.

Integrated Risk Management Strategies are Gaining Traction:

• A proactive risk-focused approach to organizational safety and security is important according to 74 percent of respondents. 
• 60 percent stated that the integration of data from traditional physical security devices and systems, including access control, video, RFID and GPS, in to one common operating picture is important or extremely important.
• 38 percent responded that they plan to invest in risk management technology that helps assess, prioritize and manage their risks and needs in the next 12 – 18 months.

“The survey revealed the interest from both public and private organizations to integrate all of their physical security systems and devices to obtain a common operating picture, which ultimately leads to a strategic risk-driven approach to managing safety and security,” said David Fowler, senior vice president, marketing and product development, at VidSys.  “By comparing where organizations are today with where they plan to be 12 - 18 months from now, the research confirms that organizations are moving toward a more holistic and collaborative approach to securing assets and information to not only minimize risk but also reduce operational costs.”

About the 2010 Safety and Security Survey

The 2010 Safety and Security Survey is a national survey designed to provide insight into the security concerns and buying patterns of private and public agencies.  Sponsored by Vienna, VA-based VidSys, the survey was conducted from late August through late September via Zoomerang, an online survey services provider.  A Research Brief providing detailed information on the findings will be available in November 2010.

Note: VidSys will discuss the full findings in a Webinar taking place on Tuesday, November 2 at noon ET.  To register, please go to: http://vidsys.com/resources/2010-safety-and-security-survey-results.  To sign up to receive the full copy of 2010 Safety and Security Survey results when it becomes available, please contact Kelly Fiedler at kfiedler@vidsys.com.