Government Security


Connecting Mass Notification

Connecting Mass Notification

The Internet of Things continues to grow, offering new possibilities for organizations to communicate messages and automate processes. This can be especially helpful when dealing with safety issues.

Thinking Smarter About Smart City Security

Thinking Smarter About Smart City Security

The world is quickly urbanizing, and people are flocking from suburbs and rural areas to cities more than ever before.

voting booth in 2016

Government Officials Worry That Ransomware Attacks Could Derail 2020 Elections

The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to launch an education program on the potential of ransomware attacks targeting voter databases, some of which were compromised by Russian hackers in 2016.

ring doorbell camera

Doorbell Camera Company Ring Has Partnered With Over 400 Police Departments

Law enforcement agencies who have partnered with Amazon-owned Ring can request videos from residents and interact with users on its app, Neighbors.

plane flying from boston airport

Harvard Freshman’s Deportation Indicates Impact of Intensified Border Security Policy

Ismail Ajjawi, a Palestinian 17-year-old from Lebanon, said he was denied entry to the United States because a border agent found ‘people posting political points of view that oppose the U.S.’ on his social media feeds.

using facebook app on phone

All Facebook Pages For Governments, First Responders Will Now Have Access to Incident Alert Tool

With local alerts, Facebook pages can send notifications to residents about threats, including weather warnings and active shooter situations, and boost the posts in users’ news feeds.

cyber attack written on newspaper

Report: Insurance Companies Are Exacerbating Rise in Ransomware Attacks

A ProPublica investigation found that the decision by insurers to pay hackers instead of encouraging victims to recover files by themselves is helping fuel a surge in ransomware.

department of homeland security flag

Federal Cybersecurity Agency Prioritizes Addressing Chinese Threats, Improving Election Security

The leader of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, which works within DHS, is concerned primarily with risk management, Chinese threats to supply chains and election security.



toronto police

Ontario Plans to Spend $3 Million on Expanding Toronto's Police Surveillance Camera System

The announcement came as Toronto experiences a wave of gun violence, some of which has been blamed on gang turf wars.

department of justice

Justice Department Indicts 80 People in Massive Online Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

Two Nigerian citizens are accused of leading a massive fraud scheme that transferred at least $6 million in fraudulently-obtained funds, much of whom was taken from elderly people.

tree of life synagogue

Homeland Security Committee Meets to Discuss Prevention of Violence Against Religious Organizations

In Jackson, Mississippi, the acting DHS secretary met with religious leaders and lawmakers to discuss ways that the department is acting to protect faith institutions targeted for violence.

huawei

Huawei Has Another 90 Days To Do Business With American Companies

The Trump administration has granted a 90-day extension for American firms to find alternatives to the Chinese telecommunications corporation.

Police car siren and cop

Over Course of Three Days, Law Enforcement Thwarts Three Men Threatening to Commit Mass Shootings

Authorities in Ohio, Connecticut and Florida arrested three men who expressed interest in mass shootings, including one who targeted a Jewish community center.

texas capitol building

Ransomware Attacks Hit 23 Texas Towns, Prompting Statewide Response

The state suspects that the attack, which took place Friday morning and targeted small local governments, was coordinated by “one single threat actor.”

Philadelphia police logo

Standoff With Gunman In Philadelphia Ends With Six Police Officers Shot

After six officers suffered non-life threatening injuries, the city’s mayor is calling for tougher gun control policies to help law enforcement keep firearms out of the wrong hands.

San Diego Police Expand Use of Streetlamp Camera System To Catch Violent Criminals

San Diego Police Expand Use of Streetlamp Camera System To Catch Violent Criminals

The department has used video footage from the 3,200-camera system in over 140 cases in the past year, calling the program “game changing.”

Massachusetts Nurses Push For Law To Protect Them From Patient Violence

Massachusetts Nurses Push For Law To Protect Them From Patient Violence

The proposed measure would require hospitals and other employers to implement workplace violence prevention programs.

St. Louis County Police Department To Become Largest In Missouri With Mandatory Body Cameras

St. Louis County Police Department To Become Largest In Missouri With Mandatory Body Cameras

By April, the county police department will outfit nearly 700 officers with cameras. But the city’s department of 1,300 does not have a parallel program in the works.

DHS Warns of ‘Tragedy-Related Scams’ After El Paso and Dayton Shootings

DHS Warns of ‘Tragedy-Related Scams’ After El Paso and Dayton Shootings

A Homeland Security agency and the FBI’s El Paso office are cautioning Americans to watch out for malicious "charity" emails and phone call scams.

el paso police

Two Mass Shootings in El Paso and Dayton Claim Over 30 Lives In Less Than 24 Hours

Communities are calling for legislative action, particularly after it was revealed that one shooting was motivated by white supremacist ideology.

cisco systems

Cisco Agrees to Pay Over $8 Million For Selling Video Surveillance System with Technical Flaws

Experts believe Cisco’s payout to a whistleblower could set a precedent for future lawsuits against vendors who sell products with security vulnerabilities.

At Least Four People Killed in Shootings at Festivals in California and New York

At Least Four People Killed in Shootings at Festivals in California and New York

The Gilroy, California police chief credited his department’s robust security operation with stopping the shooter in his tracks.

voter line

Senate Committee Releases Bipartisan Report on Election Security Threats

The report comes as Senate Republicans move to block election security legislation, arguing that election officials have already fixed the security issues they experienced in 2016.

public housing new york

Lawmakers Seek to Ban Biometric Recognition Technology in Public Housing

The legislation, which would ban facial recognition entry systems, would be the first to address what technology landlords can impose on residents.

camera drone

How Police Forces Are Using Drones to Keep Officers Out of The Line of Fire

California law enforcement is praising the use of drones and high-definition video surveillance to track suspects and strategize police responses.

william barr

Attorney General Revives Feud With Tech Companies Over 'Warrant Proof' Encryption

Security experts and lawmakers say that creating a “backdoor” to unlock devices and messages would make those products vulnerable to hackers.

amazon building

Orlando Police Department Ends Facial Recognition Pilot Program With Amazon

The city was never able to get the software, Rekognition, to consistently work with its video surveillance cameras over the course of 15 months.

highway video cameras

Illinois Law Creates Camera Program To Investigate Expressway Shootings in Chicago

Following a rise in expressway violence, law enforcement will add about 35 cameras to look into shootings that are notoriously difficult to solve.

baltimore city hall

After Fired Employee Easily Gains Access, Baltimore Increases Security at Municipal Buildings

Since a May breach, the city has added security personnel at several buildings and plans to increase employee awareness of how to report suspicious activity.

police vest

Massachusetts Lawmakers Debate Proposal to Create Statewide Rules for Police Body Cameras

The proposal includes a controversial measure that would exempt police footage from being accessed and released through public records laws.

people using voting machines

Use of Aging Software on Voting Machines Raises Cybersecurity Concerns

Lawmakers are concerned about the use of out-of-date software on voting systems across the United States, but no new legislation has been passed in both chambers.

maryland capitol building

Sensitive Information of Over 1.4 Million Students 'Improperly Stored' by Maryland Government

A state audit found that the personal information of over 1 million students and more than 200,000 teachers was at risk of identity theft.

capitol hill

House Passes Two Bills Aimed at Improving Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

Both measures, which aim to improve the Small Business Administration and resources for business owners, were adopted with bipartisan support.

FTC’s $5 Billion Fine On Facebook Should Serve As ‘Warning’ For Companies Concerned About Data Security

FTC’s $5 Billion Fine On Facebook Should Serve As ‘Warning’ For Companies Concerned About Data Security

While the penalty will have little effect on Facebook’s bottom line, the massive fine could be indicative of the commission’s willingness to punish companies for data security issues.

Pentagon aerial shot

Following Court Decision, Amazon and Microsoft Set to Compete Over Military’s Cloud Computing Contract

The $10 billion JEDI project has been rife with controversy, but the Pentagon still hopes to seal the deal with one of the companies next month.

Federal Election Commission

Cybersecurity Company Can Offer Discounted Services to Campaigns, FEC Rules

A California-based company has been given the OK to offer its services to campaigns for a discounted rate ⁠— as long as that rate is the same for other clients.

tsa security airport line

TSA Screened Record Number of Travelers During July Fourth Weekend

The agency said it screened over 11.9 million passengers and crew as well as over 8 million checked bags during the holiday travel period.

Committee on small business sign

Senators Introduce Bill to Help Small Businesses Improve Cybersecurity Protections

The legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop educational resources for business owners and train counselors on higher-level cybersecurity information.

British Airways plane

British Airways Hit With Record $229 Million Fine After 2018 Hack

The airline, along with Mariott International, is facing harsher penalties for not properly protecting customers’ personal data prior to cyberattacks.

power towers

Senate Passes Bill To Explore ‘Analog’ Solutions to Securing America’s Energy Grid

If the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act is signed into law, it will create a working group tasked with isolating the energy grid from attacks using “manual procedures.”

drivers license

Report: ICE Used Facial Recognition Technology To Search Multiple State Driver's License Databases

In states where undocumented immigrants can obtain driver’s licenses, ICE has asked agencies to search for matches in their databases. Two have complied.

senate committtee

Senate Report: Federal Agencies Have Failed To Respond to Growing Cybersecurity Threats

Eight agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Education Department, are using outdated systems that have few security updates and have failed to protect Americans’ personal data.

georgia county courthouse

Georgia Court System Goes Offline After Ransomware Attack

The attack, which was discovered Monday, comes shortly after two Florida cities agreed to pay ransoms in order to recover their computer systems from hackers.

estonia data center

Estonia Creates World’s First-Ever ‘Data Embassy’ to Improve Information Security

The high-tech country’s decision to move highly sensitive databases to another country could be a model for other nations hoping to maintain their data security.

House of Representatives Passes Election Security Bill

House of Representatives Passes Election Security Bill

The House of Representatives passed an election security bill 225-184 on Thursday of last week. The Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act is designed to prohibit cyberinterference.

Lake City to Pay Nearly $500,000 to Hackers

Lake City to Pay Nearly $500,000 to Hackers

Hackers have found a sweet spot in encrypting and attacking municipal computer systems. Lake City is the latest to suffer from these attacks, and after two weeks of inaccessible services, have agreed to pay the $460,000 ransom to hackers.

Shreveport to Potentially Require High-End Security Systems in Liquor Stores

Shreveport to Potentially Require High-End Security Systems in Liquor Stores

Restaurants and stores that sell liquor are suffering from theft in Shreveport, Louisiana. In response, a city councilman is now pushing an amendment that requires restaurants and stores that sell liquor to obtain state-of-the-art surveillance systems before they acquire a liquor license.

IoT Cybersecurity Bill Advances to Full Senate

IoT Cybersecurity Bill Advances to Full Senate

The IoT Cybersecurity bill, which was introduced in March, passed through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs last week and is now headed to the full Senate for a vote.

California Police Forces Use

California Police Use 'HP RoboCop' to Help Patrol

Police use new autonomous data machine with 360-degree HD video as an extra set of eyes for areas where police are not consistently present.

Florida City Pays Almost $600,000 Ransom to Secure Records

Florida City Pays Almost $600,000 Ransom to Secure Records

After three weeks of city data being encrypted in Riviera Beach, Florida, city officials have unanimously voted to pay the hefty ransom to regain access.

Oregon Department of Human Services Breach Affects 645,000 Clients

Oregon Department of Human Services Breach Affects 645,000 Clients

In March, the department announced that 350,000 clients had been affected by a data breach in January 2019. On Tuesday, they updated the number and announced that 645,000 clients had been affected.

Gunman Opens Fire on Dallas Courthouse

Gunman Opens Fire on Dallas Courthouse

According to the police, the suspect, a 22-year-old male has died after exchanging gunfire with federal officers. The suspect opened fire outside the Earle Cabell Federal Courthouse in Downtown Dallas.

Eugene Airport to Receive Fourth Bomb Detection Machine

Eugene Airport to Receive Fourth Bomb Detection Machine

In lieu of eight straight years of passenger growth, the Eugene Airport will be gaining a fourth explosive detection system (EDS) to increase airport security and efficiency.

Stanford Scholars Set Forth 2020 Election Security Recommendations

A group of 14 Stanford scholars put together a report of recommendations for increased election security, addressing problems of cybersecurity, ballot security, and election transparency.

Florida begins issuing new, more-secure drivers licenses

Florida Issues New, More-Secure Drivers License, Identification Cards

Florida officials use tactile security feature to increase security on drivers licenses and identification cards.

Leveraging the System

Leveraging the System

For decades, public alerting systems have served as a critical notification tool for sending alerts to citizens’ smartphones, landlines and through broadcast channels.

Reducing Violence

Reducing Violence

In recent years, however, King City has become known for a different reason; in both 2013 and 2015, the city’s homicide per capita rate for victims between 18 and 22 years of age was the highest in the state of California. The main reason for this is that the city had become a point of contention in a turf war between rival Latino gangs to the north and south of King City.

Taking a Shot at Violence

I suppose when the topic of government security comes up, we often think big, as in the federal government. Let’s back it down a little bit and think of King City, Calif.

Securing the Building

Securing the Building

Multi-tenant buildings come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a few to dozens of stories tall. Tenants may include residents, professional service providers, commercial businesses, government agencies or retail shops.

A Sustainable Future

Just a few months ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its special report on the impact of climate change.

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    Perimeter Security Standards for Multi-Site Businesses

    When you run or own a business that has multiple locations, it is important to set clear perimeter security standards. By doing this, it allows you to assess and mitigate any potential threats or risks at each site or location efficiently and effectively. Read Now

  • Getting in Someone’s Face

    There was a time, not so long ago, when the tradeshow industry must have thought COVID-19 might wipe out face-to-face meetings. It sure seemed that way about three years ago. Read Now

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    • ISC West
  • Live From ISC West 2024: Post-Show Recap

    ISC West 2024 is complete. And from start to finish, the entire conference was a huge success with almost 30,000 people in attendance. Read Now

    • Industry Events
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  • ISC West 2024 is a Rousing Success

    The 2024 ISC West security tradeshow marked a pivotal moment in the industry, showcasing cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to address evolving security challenges. Exhibitors left the event with a profound sense of satisfaction, as they witnessed a high level of engagement from attendees and forged valuable connections with potential clients and partners. Read Now

    • Industry Events
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Webinars

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 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

  • 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. 3