Top Stories


Secretary Napolitano Announces Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently unveiled the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request of $39.5 billion in net discretionary funding.

Report: Biometric ID Card For U.S. Workers Could Cost $40 Billion

A mandatory biometric employment verification card for all U.S. workers could cost at least $40 billion, infringe on Americans’ civil liberties and fail to stop the employment of undocumented immigrants, according to a new report. Hard to BELIEVE: The High Cost of a Biometric Identity Card finds that a biometric ID card would not only have a hefty initial price tag, but it will also cost $3 billion in ongoing annual expenditures.

MasterCard Combats Online Fraud

MasterCard Worldwide connects users through global payments and technology, but the company is now taking a proactive approach to online fraud by teaming up with Silver Tail Systems. The web session intelligence provider willl focus on leveraging and creating innovative solutions to help combat online fraud at MasterCard.

Port of Tacoma Selects AMAG Technology's Symmetry Homeland Security Management System

The Port of Tacoma will heighten security thanks to a new partnership with AMAG Technology.

TSA Pre Pilot Expands to Busiest U.S. Airports

TSA Pre ✓Expands to Busiest U.S. Airports

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole recently announced the expansion of TSA Pre✓ to...

Cybercriminals Target Broad Range of Victims in January

January saw malware attacks targeting a wide range of potential victims, including gamers looking for a Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 game crack, small business owners concerned about the reputation of their business, and government organizations receiving spoofed messages from the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

Students Design Virtual I.D. Badge to Combat Online Hackers

A student entrepreneurial team at the University of Utah believes it has come up with a winning business plan for a virtual ID badge that operates off of any mobile device. The team, calling itself EMRID Technologies, developed a product that could be used in place of other common electronic ID badges used by hospitals, defense companies or other firms where securing data is of the utmost importance.

Critical Infrastructures Built to Withstand Almost Anything

In an ideal world, every tunnel, train terminal, and critical building would be built like a fortress to withstand any emergency. But in the real world, construction costs matter and engineers "build to code." While Americans can take comfort that their critical infrastructure meets minimum codes for safety, when terror—or nature—hits especially hard, minimum codes provide minimal comfort.



Antennaless RFID Tags Developed at NDSU Solve Problem of Tracking Metal and Liquids

Tracking and identifying metal objects can prove difficult for some radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. A patent-pending technology developed by a research team at the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at North Dakota State University, Fargo, could solve these RFID tracking problems. The antennaless RFID tag developed at CNSE could help companies track products as varied as barrels of oil to metal cargo containers.

The Value of an Urban Blast Tool

Thanks to lightning-fast software from the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), if a truck bomb was discovered in Lower Manhattan we will now be able to predict the likely damage patterns in the surrounding areas, and prioritize the first responders’ activities long before the bomb’s acoustic shockwave ricocheted out at the speed of sound.

Greater Congressional Oversight Will Improve CFATS Implementation

Greater Congressional Oversight Will Improve CFATS Implementation

As a key congressional panel examined the implementation of the nation’s chemical security rules, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) expressed its support for stronger federal oversight...

Michigan Man Arrested for Illegally Streaming Live Sporting Events Over the Internet

Yonjo Quiroa, 28, of Comstock Park, Mich., was arrested Wed., Feb. 1, charged with criminal copyright infringement related to a website operation that illegally streamed live sporting event telecasts and pay-per-view events via Internet.

DHS Partners with NFL for Super Bowl XLVI

“Our partnership with the NFL on the “If You See Something, Say Something” public awareness campaign during the Super Bowl is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the safety of every employee, player and fan.”

HFES Offers Tips on Improving Website Password Practices

In an upcoming article from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), human factors/ergonomics researchers identify impediments to efficient password creation and provide design strategies for enhancing the user experience.

First Receivers Staying on Top of Their Game

There are first responders, of course, those who arrive first on the scene of an incident and who play a critical role in emergencies involving injuries and casualties, but, there are also first receivers who primarily operate in hospitals. These professionals are increasingly expected to be well versed in other public safety domains in preparation for disastrous events.

Stereo Cameras Detect Pedestrians from Within a Car

Researchers have developed a system that locates pedestrians in front of the vehicle using artificial vision.

An Emergency Network for Natural Disasters

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an emergency communications network that will maintain operation during natural disasters and provide critical warnings and geographic information to people affected by the disasters. The researchers are honing and testing the system now and expect to deploy a pilot network at the end of 2012.

The DLR Standard

Many security professionals have used the DLR standard to conduct security operations. Personal recognition is the most accurate form of identification; use of the DLR standard is at the other end of the identification spectrum.

ObjectVideo, Tyco Security Products' American Dynamics Business Unit Enter into Patent Licensing Agreement

ObjectVideo, Inc., announced today the signing of a global patent licensing agreement with Tyco Security Products’ American Dynamics business unit. This agreement provides American Dynamics access to ObjectVideo’s portfolio of video analytics patents as American Dynamics develops and launches a wide-range of its own video analytics software and hardware products.

Reaching Each Milestone On Time

The IT division’s network team at WKU implemented Milestone’s open platform video management software, XProtect Corporate.

Credit Union Gets Good Grades

Teachers Credit Union, headquartered in South Bend, Ind., is the largest credit union in the state, reaching from inside the Michigan border from Niles, Mich., to Greenwood, Ind.

Las Vegas Store Secure with Moonblink

One retail store on the Las Vegas Strip now has a higher level of security thanks to Moonblink Communications.

A Tale of Three Cities

Salvaging the existing investment in coax cabling is often the number-one reason surveillance users are reluctant to switch to network video. The perceived cost of storage is a close second.

Digitizing Documents For Increased Security

Anyone involved in law enforcement knows how crucial secure document management is to efficiency across all departments.

Remote Possibilities

A security guard doing his nightly rounds on the perimeter of a power plant encounters a car left in a restricted area outside the security fence. The driver is nowhere to be found. Is this a threat?

Cellular Activity

This just in: There are now more cell phone users on the planet than wearers of shoes. That random yet eye-opening nugget comes courtesy of WikiAnswers, so consider the source, but still: more than shoes?

Adapting to Change

Adapting to Change

Perhaps the most common challenge and opportunity facing any industry in today’s world is creating solutions that can accommodate the transitions that come with the rapid advancement of technology.

Respect the Border

Not only do we as U.S. citizens have a right to be concerned about security, we should be up in arms about what the federal government is not doing to protect our country.

Principles for Intrusion Detection

The best defense is a good offense. That often-used sports principle applies to military applications. It is an axiom that applies to the security industry, as well.

Featured

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  • SIA Releases New Report on Operational Security Technology

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New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.