Blog Archives
-
Security firm offers training for zombies
By Joel Griffin - Friday September 21, 2012
As comprehensive as most enterprise risk management plans are, I seriously doubt many, if any, Fortune 500 security directors have had tabletop exercises or other training on how do deal with a potential onslaught of zombies. As laughable as it sounds, the security firm HALO Corp. is planning to offer training on the unlikely scenario at its annual Counter-Terrorism Summit next month in California, according to a story published by USA Today . HALO President Brad Barker said that the intention of adding zombies to the company’s training regiment at a 44-acre resort near San Diego was to bring levity to what will be a series of intense, real-life situations that attendees (which include first responders and military personnel) will... -
Cameras watching...more cameras?
By Paul Rothman - Wednesday September 19, 2012
In a move sure to make George Orwell look like Nostradamus, officials in Prince George's County, Maryland, announced last week that they would be using video cameras to monitor....you guessed it, other video cameras! In this case, the cameras will be monitoring the continued vandalism of the county's "speed cameras" -- those designed for traffic enforcement. According to an article by Ari Ashe of Maryland's WTOP FM , residents are definitely getting sick of receving traffic tickets in the mail. Since April, the article says, six people have damaged speed cameras -- and the methods of vandalism are as interesting as the idea of "cameras watching cameras." Ashe's article reports that someone pulled a gun out and shot a... -
It takes more than one medium
By Deborah L. O'Mara - Monday September 17, 2012
Recent research has it that social media may be losing its initial luster. It takes time to build a presence and keep these avenues of communication fresh with new content. While I may not agree with this fully; I feel social media will play an even more critical role in buying decisions in the future—we have to remember that there are many ways to get your company’s philosophy or brand across to your users or buyers. So when I hear people say things like: “We don’t do print advertising; we’re only online, we’re focused solely on social media,” I think they are missing the boat. Because it takes all different types of communication strategies to get the message across today and that means a blend of different tactics to... -
Libya consulate attack and the power of social media
By Geoff Kohl - Friday September 14, 2012
It’s a pretty poor movie. In fact, it’s decidedly amateurish. The acting is terrible, the effects are ill-accomplished, and the script is disjointed. Worse than that, it’s clear that it has voice-overs injected that don’t match the audio or line up with the lips of the actors (if you can call them that). The actors weren’t even told what the movie was about. Its director had no clue what he was doing and managed to dump a reported $5 million into a film that had less than a dozen persons at the premier. Nonetheless, this movie ( “Innocence of Muslims” ) has enraged the Muslim community around the world because of its anti-Muslim propaganda, and in the wake of the violence, it has managed to leave U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris... -
Four very cool video surveillance technologies at ASIS 2012
By Geoff Kohl - Tuesday September 11, 2012
Video surveillance technology companies seem to get all the buzz in the security industry, and rightfully so. These companies are making forward jumps of leaps and bounds, and after a day combing the aisles of the 2012 ASIS International Tradeshow in Philadelphia, Penn., these are four companies that get the “thumbs up” for showing really cool technology. I’m not saying all of these video surveillance technologies aren’t bleeding edge (some clearly are), but bleeding edge or not, they get the gold stars for pushing the envelope in video surveillance R&D. (#1) -- Honeywell is demonstrating an amazing 3D visualization solution at ASIS that stunned even this jaded technology reporter. The company was showing its ability to... -
8 keys to starting a trade secret protection plan
By Paul Rothman - Monday September 10, 2012Caught a great educational session at ASIS today on proecting trade secrets....some really good stuff from former Dupont security chief Ray Mislock Jr., now with Pamir Consulting. Expect an in-depth article in early 2013 in STE outlining a strategic plan to keeping trade secrets safe – as this subject is quite interesting and has many complicated factors that must be outlined for security executives. Mislock stressed the need to be transparent with employees so they can understand the threat, how to recognize suspicious activity and know what is acceptable security practice for crucial documents and information. Here's a list of Mr. Mislock's 8 keys to success in this regard when crafting a trade secret protection plan... -
The business playing field for security dealers must be level
By Geoff Kohl - Friday September 7, 2012
The Electronic Security Association (ESA) alerted the security industry of a court case occurring right now in Massachusetts that could be a watershed case for the industry. The issue is licensing and whether companies like Comcast and Verizon are breaking the law by not having their techs licensed. The Massachusetts Systems Contractors Association (MCSA) is fighting the current conditions to create a fair business environment. Here's how ESA describes the situation: "MCSA contends that the two companies don’t meet appropriate licensing requirements. MCSA members who do security systems work have a state electrical license, have passed criminal background checks, and work for companies that are licensed by the Department of Public... -
Social media and mobile apps add to the mass notification arsenal
By Paul Rothman - Thursday September 6, 2012
Every September is National Preparedness month, a nationwide effort to encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to work together and take action to prepare for emergencies. STE's recent special report, Crisis on Campus , actually gives readers a look at how a robust crisis management plan was coordinated and carried out at Kennesaw State University in the suburbs of Atlanta. One of the strategies that KSU Chief Security Officer Robert Lang employs is the use of e-mail, voice cell messages and SMS text messages to get the word out about an emergency or crisis situation. According to a recent report by the American Red Cross, it looks to be time to incorporate social media and mobile apps into the mass notification... -
7 Years after Katrina: Making Progress in Continuity
By Geoff Kohl - Friday August 31, 2012
Those of you who know me may well recall how I devoted this column seven years ago to Hurricane Katrina and my personal experience of being on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (site of the tidal surge that destroyed most coastal towns) approximately 24 hours after the storm made landfall in that area. In the time since then, we’ve dedicated a massive amount of coverage to that topic, not only because 1,800 people died, but because of how the storm tested (and broke) the resiliency and business continuity plans of FEMA and almost every local and regional emergency management agency in the affected area. So, it was with similarly high interest that I followed Tropical Storm Isaac (which briefly became a hurricane) this week when it began to... -
The changing landscape of home security
By Joel Griffin - Friday August 31, 2012
With the exception of a subtle change here or there, the residential security market was relatively simple and straightforward for decades. A home owner looking to secure their property with an alarm system would call a dealer for an estimate. That dealer would send a sales rep to the home owner’s residence for an evaluation to discuss with the prospective client what they needed in terms of equipment and monitoring. Based upon the home owner’s decision, a standalone alarm system would subsequently be installed on the premises. This business model still holds true in many cases, but the market has changed dramatically over the last few years. A new report out this week from IMS Research has found that consumers’ views on home...
