Archive for the ‘ Press Releases ’ Category

Employees are a major threat to security

Maranda McBride (North Carolina A&T State University), Lemuria Carter (North Carolina A&T State University); Merrill Warkentin (Mississippi State University)
Strong evidence indicates that employees are a major threat to the security of an organization’s information resources. It is, therefore, imperative to understand the factors that promote compliant and noncompliant cybersecurity behaviors.
Appropriate cybersecurity designs, especially within the workplace, should be based on an informed deep understanding of insider psychological profiles. This research project identifies individual personality traits that shape cybersecurity policy violation intentions. The results demonstrate that individuals react to cybersecurity threats and deterrents in different ways and that their personality affects the way they approach compliance with cybersecurity policies. Therefore, security education, training and awareness programs should reflect these differences and provide appropriate training protocols to each individual trainee. Rather than utilizing a one-size-fits-all training approach, organizations should provide cybersecurity training and other persuasive messages that are customized to address the unique elements of employees’ personalities.
For the full report, please click here.

November 6th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Keeping off-shore installations safe and secure.

Symbiotics Ltd, leading international specialists in human performance assessment and training solutions, has been selected to design and deliver a bespoke training course to operation and maintenance personnel in off-shore early warning monitoring and detection systems, to be utilised at various off-shore installations.
The 24-hour monitoring system uses a number of computerised functions to aid the detection and monitoring of vessels in the vicinity of off-shore installations, enabling operators to manage traffic and maximize safety for all. Groups of operators and maintainers will be trained to optimise the system performance and sustain it through life. Courses will be delivered at the customer’s site.
“Symbiotics is at the forefront of training needs analysis, design and delivery of specialist training for Defence Force ISTAR assets and we produce up to date materials for training on the operation and maintenance of essential surveillance equipment and systems. Our team of qualified and experienced trainers support clients’ operations around the world and was chosen for this project based on our reputation in this field.” Nikki Heath, Founder and CEO of Symbiotics Ltd.
Symbiotics Ltd personnel will also produce the training documentation to support operator and maintainer activities, which will ensure that the new skills identified by the Operational Performance Statement are sustained throughout the system’s life.
For more information on the design and delivery of specialist training and performance services, visit www.symbioticsltd.com

November 6th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Ramora UK forms strategic partnership with The Dog Unit

Ramora UK, one of the UK’s leading Bomb Disposal companies, is delighted to announce that it has formed a strategic partnership with dog search experts, The Dog Unit.
Professionally trained dogs and their handlers can play a vital role in the detection of many forms of explosive material. The Dog Unit has the facilities to provide the kind of highly specialised dog search teams that clients require, offering Ramora UK clients the ‘complete package’ of specialist services alongside its emergency response capability. The Dog Unit also provides specialist training and highly experienced instructors, accredited by the National Association of Security Dog Users. As such, Ramora UK identified a strong case for establishing an alliance with The Dog Unit, a case that was strengthened by the close proximity of The Dog Unit’s training facilities to its own Headquarters.
David Welch FCMI, MIExpE, MIABTI, Ramora UK’s Managing Director, commented: “As a company that believes in setting benchmarks of excellence in all areas of bomb disposal, we attach great importance to forming strategic partnerships with organisations providing complementary services to our own high standards. The Dog Unit is an excellent example of just such an organisation, and we are looking forward to working with them to enhance the service we can offer to our clients.”
Dave Walker MBIPDT MIABTI managing director at thedogunit.com commented: “At the dog unit we have a wealth of experience in detection dogs and counter terrorist matters which we feel compliment the services offered by Ramora UK, this partnership shows the professional approach both companies have to providing our clients with a fully integrated service in all matters relating to explosives and explosives detection”.

November 6th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Reduce Donation Thefts at Goodwill

Barix AG is helping Goodwill Industries of East Texas reduce theft and vandalism at its stores by adding voice to its existing video surveillance systems.
The security team reports a 99 percent donation retention since installing Barix two-way IP audio and monitoring solutions at three locations, with plans to roll out the technology across all 15 regional stores.
The non-profit stores provide low-cost, high-quality items to customers, and regularly accept donations at all locations. The company has long used a closed-circuit television network to monitor and record visitors as they drop off donations at store exteriors — and capture evidence of criminal activity. They recently began looking at ways to communicate directly with visitors when necessary.
“We have always done live video monitoring for after-hours donations at our stores, but have experienced a lot of theft over the past year,” said Chris Ryter, loss prevention and safety manager for Goodwill Industries of East Texas. “I had this idea that the thefts would stop or subside if we could communicate with subjects, let them know they are being recorded, and warn them to leave the property before we call the police. And we have had a significant reduction in theft and vandalism since adding Barix.”
Ryter was looking for an IP-based audio solution that could complement his CCTV system but operate independently with low overhead costs. He also required a solution that offered centralized monitoring, simple installation and a quick learning curve with overall ease of use. He opted for Barix Annuncicom 200 two-way IP audio devices for public address, and Barix ICGraph software for centralized remote device control and location monitoring.
Ryter noted that the Annuncicom 200 design simplifies installation through Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability, offering a single connection to a network switch and loudspeaker. Furthermore, an integrated amplifier reduces equipment costs and infrastructure, with plenty of power to drive intelligible human voice at store exteriors.
But he stressed that ICGraph was the key driver of the system, offering a series of 36 customizable buttons that allow security personnel to target announcements to one or more locations with a simple mouse click.
Ryter confirms that he has been “greenlighted” to expand the solution to all 15 stores, and potentially to administration and warehouse buildings as needed. He is also looking into how to utilize the return channel of the Annuncicom 200 for audio recording in compliance with federal laws.
“Barix specializes in bringing the ‘ears’ and the ‘mouth’ to go with the ‘eyes’ in professional surveillance solutions,” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and founder of Barix AG. “Barix is capable of directly integrating audio capabilities into video systems, or providing low-cost solutions for customers like Goodwill Industries of East Texas that wish to use audio solutions autonomously. The common goal is helping our customers better communicate with subjects, from general public address and intercom capability to reducing or eliminating criminal activity through alarms and verbal warnings.”
About Barix AG (www.barix.com)
Barix AG, headquartered in Zurich Switzerland, specializes in research and development of state of the art IP based communication and control technology. The company is a long-term and reliable supplier of IP audio and control devices, with more than 150,000 devices shipped in its first decade of business. Barix products are stand-alone and able to remotely connect worldwide over standard networks / Internet offering new and improved solutions to the commercial audio distribution, communication and automation industry. Barix products provide solutions in Audio over IP (audio distribution and monitoring, communication, security) and automation (remote controlling, monitoring and maintenance).
# # #
Barix AG, Seefeldstrasse 303, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 43 43322 11, Fax: +41 44 2742849
Barix Technology Inc, St. Paul, MN – (866) 815-0866

November 6th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

UAV And Local Law Enforcement

Prioria Robotics welcomed representatives from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office to view a demonstration of the Maveric® unmanned aircraft system (UAS) on Monday morning. Maveric is a small UAS with impressive features such as bendable wings, onboard processing, image stabilization and target tracking. It is considered a next-generation UAS because of its unparalleled abilities, rugged composition and modular payload structure.
“We are proud to be able to present the Maveric to local law enforcement,” said Derek Lyons, vice president of sales and marketing for Prioria. “With the FAA Reauthorization bill allowing UAV access for first responders, the Maveric can be that extra set of eyes in the sky, offering a perfect tool for law enforcement.”
Two of Maveric’s six available payloads were demonstrated to officers: the thermal infrared and the digital gimbaled cameras. The thermal IR camera payload detects heat signatures in objects, especially useful when searching for cars or people. The digital gimbaled camera is a 10 megapixel camera that provides 360 degrees of steerable coverage and allows for continuous zoom.
“The digital gimbaled camera is advantageous because it allows you to zoom in to a high level of detail on an object of interest,” said Lyons.
Prioria was formed in 2003 with a focus on embedded systems designed to perform sophisticated surveillance and security tasks. With Maveric’s debut in 2008, Prioria has continued to build upon the company’s original focus with Maveric’s success as a next-generation UAS.

June 29th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Need For Stab Vests Identified

Need For Stab Vests Identified Following Assault On Prison Officer

Prison officers in New Zealand are appalled with their Corrections Department for saying stab vests are available after another prison officer was attacked at Rimutaka Prison last week.

More than fifty prison officers have now contacted the Corrections Association in New Zealand, demanding stab vests or some sort of body armour, understanding that prisoners are volatile and unpredictable.

“I strongly believe we must understand better, and remind ourselves that we cannot change the aggressive behaviour of some prisoners” Robert Kaiser, CEO of UK based PPSS Group comments.

“There is simply no doubt that a prisoner consuming drugs, illegal substances or self made alcohol can become hostile and violent within a split of a second, regardless of the prison officers excellent communication skill and calm personality”.

“The ideas to create make shift weapons, e.g. sharpened table and bed frame legs, shanks made out of plastic, sharpened wood or pieces of mirror, and the idea of melting razor blades into tooth brushes and turning pens and pencils into weapon have not been developed out of 5 minutes of simple boredom.  These ideas have been developed following hours and hours of malicious thought processes, and even the very best prison officer can one day be on the receiving end of such thought process”.

A recent publication of the American Correctional Officer once claimed that 33.5% of all assaults in prisons and jails are committed by inmates against prison officers.

According to official statistics obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform show that recorded assault incidents in prison in England and Wales have risen by 61 per cent between 2000 and 2009.

Based on this statistic prison officers at Hindley Young Offenders Institution, the largest child prison in Europe, are particularly affected with assaults on staff up by an astonishing 967 per cent.

We all will remember too well the outrageous attack on prison officers at the Frankland High Security Prison in March 2010, almost costing the lives of two prison officers, and have to accept the fact this is not a country specific problem, but rather a serious occupational hazard across all countries.

Robert Kaiser states: “The fact is that prison officers deal with some of the most dangerous, violent and unpredictable people in our society on a daily basis, and this is why I suggest they have the simple right to demand appropriate protection and the undivided attention and support from those charged with ensuring their welfare and personal safety”.

It is a rather interesting fact that a police officer who deals with dangerous criminal individuals for only a very few minutes every day is by law required to wear protective equipment… but the prison officer charged with supervising the same individual, potentially for a number of years, is not being issued with any type of protective clothing at all.

Robert Kaiser has been part of numerous discussions and consultancy meetings with prison and correctional facilities in several countries and fully understands all concerns: ”In every single of these meetings the ‘non-confrontational design’ question has always been the centre point of these sometimes very passionate discussions”.

“However, I always seem to come back to the same point, explaining that design and manufacturing capabilities have evolved so much over the past years. Concealable, thin and lightweight blunt trauma stab vests, extremely well suited for prison officers, are now available”.

It is without question, that covert stab vests and similar type of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) will reduce the risk of workplace violence related injuries, and should this fact not be at least be worth starting an open minded discussion on the personal safety of prison officers?

—

PPSS Group is a UK based manufacturer of certified covert bullet proof vests, stab proof vests and the company behind Cut-Tex® PRO.  This groundbreaking fabric is one of the world’s strongest cut resistant fabrics and is now being used to manufacture cut resistant clothing for police, military, prisons and private security firms all over the world.

June 6th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Investigative Facial Recognition

May 29th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

New Truck Organizer Makes Operations Easier

– Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies recently unveiled the new Load’N’Go Sportsman utility body. The Sportsman replaces the Lowboy model and features several improvements to the ‘proven tough’ Lowboy. Contractors will still enjoy the lightweight transferable service body that is universal fit for all major makes of pickup trucks including Ford, Chevy and Dodge. Built rugged to work on ½ ton and larger trucks, it can be moved on and off the bed, fully loaded, in a matter of minutes.
The Sportsman’s new design features these improved benefits:
• Hinged aluminum diamond plate rear door that safely secures parts, tools and equipment in the 1000# capacity pull-out drawer.
• Two full length side storage compartments over the wheels are secured with durable, lightweight aluminum diamond plate doors.
• Protective black spray-on liner coats the entire service body inside and out, eliminating scratches, scrapes and potential rust spots.
• Tie-down rails have been added to the inside top of the sidewalls to provide an easy way to safely secure your load in the bed.
The Load’N’Go Sportsman can be quickly and easily dropped off at the construction site or the shop, freeing up your pick-up for other jobs. The transferable service body requires no holes drilled into the truck and utilizes a four corner tie down clamping system, to safely secure it to the bed of the pickup. Fleetwest continues to lead the way in offering unique and innovative solutions for work trucks.

March 13th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

AllGo Analytics Changes How You Use Video

AllGo has one of the best video analytics in the industry with aggressive pricing and many high-demand features. These features include:
· Video Stitching: Real time Video Stitching up to 8 cameras. Stitched views are shown in the Milestone Smart Client. Moving objects are tracked.
· Software Video Stabilization: Application reduces camera shake, leaving operators with clear and steady video in the Milestone Smart Client.
· Auto PTZ functionality: Auto Object or person tracking with PTZ camera. Auto zooming on Violator.
· Virtual Camera Video Analytics: Based on ONVIF standards AllGo virtual camera sends the processed video feed to VMS for analytics. Feeds can be for normal as well as stitched images in Milestone’s Smart Client.
· New AllGo version: Enables analytics application to run as a service.
· All typical video analytics: Identification, tracking, perimeter and area detection, counting and crowd analysis are available.
· Special Analytic solutions: Also special customized analytics solution development is available for special project applications. Past project examples are India’s biggest retail restaurant chain and Singapore Government Agency.

The easiest way to request trial software is to use the form on the AllGo website and submit it. Link is: http://www.allgovision.com/support.html

March 13th, 2012  in Press Releases Comments Off

Denver Expands Wireless Network

Mountain Secure Systems picks up additional orders from City of Denver to expand wireless network

Longmont, Colorado – Mountain Secure Systems (MSS), a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and leading supplier of rugged electronics and outdoor wireless network solutions to commercial, military and municipal industries, announced today that it will provide additional Summit™ Series wireless network radios to the City of Denver’s Public Works Traffic Operations. The new orders call for 35 new Summit Series radios to expand coverage for a video surveillance network, aimed at improving traffic control at various intersections throughout the city. Last December, MSS provided 50 Summit Series wireless network radios for this very same video surveillance system.

Made in the USA, Summit radios provide coverage for point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and wireless mesh networks in the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz unlicensed frequency bands, as well as the licensed 4.9 GHz public safety band. Product options include FIPS 140-2 validation, which provides highly secure, end-to-end encryption, as well as 802.11n MIMO technology, which offers connection speeds up to 150 Mbps. The Summit’s rugged hardware is built to outlast the harshest environments, which is perfect for virtually any outdoor video, voice or data application. Summit’s intuitive software makes it easy to install, configure and manage an entire network from any location with Internet access. In addition, Summit radios come with an industry-leading two-year warranty, as well as the flexibility to be configured in numerous manners and/or customized to meet a client’s specific requirements.

“Mountain Secure Systems is proud to continue doing business with the City of Denver,” said Ken Dickson, General Manager of Mountain Secure Systems. “Our Summit Series wireless network radios simplify the process of expanding coverage for video surveillance networks.”

MSS is also a proud provider of wireless network radios to the Chicago Police Department, which operates one of the largest dedicated broadband wireless video surveillance networks in the United States. To date, over 1,100 MSS wireless network radios have been deployed for the Chicago PD.

To learn more about MSS, visit www.MountainSecureSystems.com.

March 13th, 2012  in Articles, Press Releases Comments Off
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