Government


baltimore downtown

Lawsuit Blocks Baltimore From Launching Surveillance Plane Program to Investigate Crimes

Activists and ACLU lawyers succeeded in stopping a six-month trial run of an aerial surveillance program funded by private philanthropists.

fbi front

FBI Warns Financial Institutions To Beware of Coronavirus-Related Scams

Business email compromise attacks continue to be effective, tricking victims into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts.

david zolet

CentralSquare Names 30-Year Gov Tech Veteran David Zolet as Chief Executive Officer

Zolet brings decades of proven expertise to lead one of the largest public safety and public administration software companies

baltimore aerial

Baltimore Approves Six-Month Aerial Surveillance Program To Address Violent Crime

Three private surveillance planes will take images of Baltimore neighborhoods to be used in criminal investigations, an effort that will be studied to see if it lowers the crime rate.

washington capitol

Washington State Adopts Legislation Regulating, Restricting Facial Recognition Use

The law, which will go into effect next year, will require law enforcement to use facial recognition software only to investigate serious crimes and issue public accountability reports.

Department of Homeland Security Plans to Use Facial Recognition to Track Transnational Gang Activity

The request for proposals for a “gang intelligence application” reflect the agency’s growing ambitions in using facial recognition and other new tech to identify and arrest criminals.

TSA ID checkpoint

DHS Delays Real ID Deadline Until 2021 Due to Coronavirus Crisis

While the extension will provide another 18 months for Americans to obtain the new driver’s licenses, some officials believe the deadline will have to be extended again.

alarm response center

Security Industry Groups Call For Alarm Response, Security Services to Be Classified as “Essential” During Coronavirus Pandemic

SIA, ESA and TMA have penned a letter to public safety officials calling for governments to exempt alarm response centers and companies that serve them from shelter-in-place orders.



justice department

Justice Department Takes First Legal Action Against Coronavirus Scam Websites

A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order to have a website selling fake vaccine kits shut down immediately.

HHS website

Cyber Attack Hits Department of Health and Human Services Amid Government Coronavirus Response

HHS officials said no personal data was accessed and the attack was not successful. But it could be a sign of things to come during the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorney General Directs Department of Justice to Crack Down on Coronavirus Scammers, Cyber Criminals

In a memo to attorney’s offices across the country, William Barr said that federal law enforcement should prioritize investigating and prosecuting crimes related to the pandemic.

tsa bins

Travelers Can Take Larger Bottles of Hand Sanitizer In Carry-On Luggage, TSA Announces

In response to the growing concerns around the spread of coronavirus in the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration said that passengers can bring hand sanitizer containers up to 12 ounces in size.

department of homeland security flag

ACLU Files Lawsuit Against DHS To Turn Over Records on Facial Recognition Use at Airports

After the DHS did not respond to a January request for documents on how it is deploying facial recognition, the ACLU is now seeking legal recourse.

drone in field

Trump Administration Preparing Executive Order to Ban Use of Foreign-Made Drones by Government Agencies

Chinese manufacturer DJI, which accounts for about 70 percent of the global drone market, stands to lose the most from a ban, which is based on national security concerns.

chicago subway

Lawmakers Warn Cities to Stop Contracting Chinese Companies To Build Transit Systems

Despite concerns about Chinese manufacturers having access to U.S. transportation data, cities continue to move ahead with plans to partner with state-owned companies.

Despite Technical Issues, DHS Claims Victory on Super Tuesday With No Foreign Hacking Attempts

There was no significant increase in disinformation campaigns or hacking attempts like there were in 2016, according to top Homeland Security officials.

Galileo Delivers

ERDC enlisted the services of M3 Technology Group, an audio-visual integrator based in Nashville, Tennessee, to create a unique audio-visual experience not seen in other government facilities.

Policy Bill Includes Cyber Investments

Data on OTAs and prototypes. The House proposed an annual reporting requirement on how the Defense Department is using OTAs.

Reconsidering Used Equipment

Reconsidering Used Equipment

Once you have made the decision to install a security entrance, you may find that your search for a provider brings you to used turnstiles, revolving doors or portals for sale. Naturally, these tend to be cheaper than new products.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • 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.”