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

  • TSA Intercepts 6,678 Firearms at Airport Security Checkpoints in 2024

    During 2024, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted a total of 6,678 firearms at airport security checkpoints, preventing them from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft. Approximately 94% of these firearms were loaded. This total is a minor decrease from the 6,737 firearms stopped in 2023. Throughout 2024, TSA managed its “Prepare, Pack, Declare” public awareness campaign to explain the steps for safely traveling with a firearm. Read Now

  • 2024 Gun Violence Report: Fewer Overall Incidents, but School Deaths and Injuries Are on the Rise

    Omnilert, provider of gun detection technology, today released its compilation of Gun Violence Statistics for 2024 summarizing gun violence tragedies and their adverse effects on Americans and the economy. While research showed a decrease in overall deaths and injuries, the rising number of school shootings and fatalities and high number of mass shootings underscored the need to keep more people safe in schools as well as places of worship, healthcare, government, retail and commerce, finance and banking, hospitality and other public places. Read Now

  • Survey: Only 7 Percent of Business Leaders Using AI in Physical Security

    A new survey from Pro-Vigil looks at video surveillance trends, how AI is impacting physical security, and more. Read Now

  • MetLife Stadium Uses Custom Surveillance Solution from Axis Communications

    Axis Communications, provider of video surveillance and network devices, today announced the implementation of a custom surveillance solution developed in collaboration with the MetLife Stadium security team. This new, tailored solution will help the venue augment its security capabilities, providing high-quality video at unprecedented distances and allowing the security team to identify details from anywhere in the venue. Read Now

Webinars

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.” 3

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles. 3

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening. 3