Here We Go Again

It doesn't seem possible that it's time for the annual ASIS' GSX tradeshow. So, here we come Las Vegas. Seems like I was just there.

It is obvious this event is struggling, but it doesn't diminish the importance of attending the tradeshow. There are several educational highlights that are well worth noting. For instance:

1. Drones and College Football Stadium Surveillance. Richard Ham is hosting this session on Monday, 10:30 a.m., Session #4116. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as "drones" are changing the face of security surveillance. While some form of autonomous systems has been flying since 1918, the level of expertise and skill required often made them impractical. New sensors and cameras, as well as new safety technology and a workable regulatory environment, have made them not only practical, but the preferred method for large venue surveillance. Three areas of rapid advancement may be the tipping point to your ability to use UAS technology to improve your security posture.

2. School Emergency Preparedness Using a Tabletop Exercise. Keena Powell, the director of safety and security at Providence Day School and Paul Timm, vice president at Facility Engineering Associates will present a Monday education session, 3:45 to 5 p.m., Session 4306. During any emergency, security professionals must be able to draw from all available resources. The special skills, training, and capabilities of staff play a vital role in coping with the effects of any disaster as well as its aftermath. Working in teams, participants take on specific roles (spokesperson, scribe, stakeholder). After an emergency scenario is introduced, participants draw on the experiences of their team members then share responses as the scenario unfolds.

3. Defending Against Vehicle Ramming Attacks. Kathleen Thompson, detective 1st Grants, NYPD and Sgt. Dennis Jahnke, Hennepin County, MN, Sheriff's Office, will present Session 5118 on vehicle ramming attacks. As security measures have become more sophisticated and effective, violent extremists have responded with attack methods that require little preparation and can be carried out by a single individual. Working together, local governments and the private sector can devise mitigation strategies to help protect lives.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.