October 27, 2006....It's kind of like Y2K for government security executives needing to meet the HSPD-12/FIPS 201 compliance deadline. As agencies work feverishly to plan their pilot programs that will enable them to meet compliance, SecurityInfoWatch.com has put together a new content page to help everyone meet the deadline. Our new page, HSPD-12 & FIPS 201 Compliance, is the source for all the top news and announcements, from companies gaining GSA approval to insightful columns addressing this pressing topic.
On top of that, SecurityInfoWatch.com is in the final stages of putting together a webinar for August 23 at 12 noon EST that will look at issues like how to manage your HSPD-12 steering committee, what agencies are doing with their pilot programs, the question of who's authority HSPD-12 compliance falls under, and more of the topical concerns facing this converged access/authentication protocol. We'll have our registration page for that webinar up shortly, but until then, our HPSD-12 Compliance news and product announcements page is the place to turn. You can access the page directly at www.securityinfowatch.com/hspd12.
Live from Miami at AFSE 2006
Americas' Fire and Security Expo brings Latin American security community together with U.S. counterparts
Far from the world of presidential directives, Security Dealer's publisher Peter Harlick and Editor Susan Brady were in attendance at the Americas' Fire and Security Expo in Miami Beach. This was no trip to the beach. From "smokes" (no, not Big Tobacco...smoke detectors) to access control, video and smart cards, the Security Dealer staff got the low-down on what companies were showcasing to an audience that was comprised largely of dealers and integrators from the Southeastern U.S. and Latin America. The show has traditionally been the security show for Latin America (though located on U.S. soil), but has been fighting with competition from Reed's new ISC Brazil show and the Expo Seguridad in Mexico. And while that competition from other tradeshows may have affected foot traffic slightly, the word from the show floor is that AFSE still remains as a valuable tool for Latin American security pros who are researching technology and trends to drive their own businesses. Of course with the NFPA representation, it's a strong show for anyone involved in fire systems. A couple of news highlights from the show: HID Global has expanded its Latin American and Caribbean operations ... A panel discussion with ADI and Tri-Ed Distribution reflects growing trends toward wireless intrusion devices and growing sales of integrated access, video and intrusion detection systems ... Winsted has redesigned many consoles to fit design changes because key equipment is being pushed into temp and humidity controlled equipment rooms ... UTC Fire & Security unveiled new fire suppression systems and updates for OnGuard 2006... and much more. Read the two-part show report published on SecurityInfoWatch.com.
Securing Clients in Lebanon
While the company is fairly hush-hush about the details, ASI (known in long form as Air Security International, and which typically serves overseas security needs for corporate clients) reported that it was successfully evacuating clients out of the treacherous zones in Lebanon to safe zones. The U.S. government was also coordinating with citizens based in Lebanon for an evacuation that involved a chartered cruise vessel. The lesson here is that while much security spending may go to the day-to-day needs of access control, employee badging, facility surveillance, fences and gates, overseas travel is an obvious weak point in corporate security because you're dealing with a mobile workforce in nations where anti-terrorism intelligence isn't necessarily as strong a focus as it is here stateside. When was the last time you re-examined your policy on security for traveling employees?
Lessons in Up-Time
Creating a checklist to help ensure up-time of your security technology system
Earlier this morning, when I sat down at my desk, I found the auspicious message on my start-up screen as I booted my PC, warning me that the computer had shut down after a "Thermal Event". Fortunately, I was able to boot another machine, access my server-stored files and continue to work without so much as a hiccup. But what if that had been an essential part of your security system? Would you be back up-and-running without a hiccup? The issue encouraged me to think about what kind of documents and contact numbers need to be on hand to ensure you can get issues resolved quickly so that your security up-time isn't affected. We've prepared an eight-step checklist of information you'll need on hand if you're facing a failure of essential security equipment:
Up-Time Checklist
- Name of individual in your organization who will coordinate servicing of hardware/software systems
- List of all security-system equipment (model and serial number)
- List of all software systems used
- Model numbers for all equipment used by security system
- Vendors' tech support numbers for any product used in the system (keep this updated as acquisitions and mergers change the playing field)
- Phone number and name of contact at dealer/integrator who installed the system, or with whom your company holds a service contract
- Notation on where owner's/operator's manuals, software installation CDs, etc. are stored
- List of all firmware or software updates completed
And other news of the week
Mike Simpson from Per Mar Security has taken the reins as president for DICE Corporation. ... Viisage (which will be merging with Identix in the near future) has purchased Iridian Technologies, an early developer and continued leader in the field of iris recognition. ... Risk consulting firm Kroll Inc. acquired Homeland Solutions LLC, an intelligence consulting and homeland risk analysis firm, strengthening Kroll's space in the homeland security risk arena. ... While access control and guards may keep unauthorized visitors out of your company, the New York Times found out, like so many newspaper offices have, that mail is still a weakness after a suspicious white powder shut down one floor of the company's headquarters earlier this week. ... 3M bought the UK-firm Security Printing and Systems, giving it a stronghold in the growing "smart passport" market. ... Extreme CCTV has purchased Forward Vision CCTV, a maker of a popular PTZ camera. ... Video analytics firm ioimage announced the opening of a U.S. headquarters. ... And there's news that Chinese-made DVRs will continue to attempt a saturation of the DVR marketplace as lower costs have encourage exports; one researcher puts Chinese DVR exports at $139 million for 2006.
To close, we turn to our most popular stories of the week:
