Over the next few years, the public safety application segment is likely to emerge as a key domain for wireless broadband technology providers. Governments worldwide have clearly understood the role of advanced communication technologies after numerous unforeseen terrorist attacks and unanticipated natural disasters over the last decade revealed the loopholes in emergency communications.
After the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the Defense Department has been consistently upgrading vehicle access to military bases and their living quarters worldwide. The latest anti-terrorist perimeter access control improvements are being phased in at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter on Hawaii's island of Oahu.
- By David Dickinson
- Jan 04, 2010
In the last year and a half, the City of Marietta, Ga. has replaced most of its standalone analog CCTV systems with a complete integrated IP video solution from IndigoVision.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently announced the release of application guidance for the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) totaling an estimated $253 million -- funds for state, local and territorial governments and private sector entities to strengthen the nation’s transportation infrastructure and protect the traveling public from acts of terrorism and other major disasters.
NetMotion Wireless, a provider of mobile productivity and management software, recently announced that Gallatin County, Mont. which encompasses the City of Bozeman, has deployed NetMotion's mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) on laptops used by area police and fire department personnel.
Gemalto recently announced that it has surpassed 25 million smart card-based identity credentials shipped to the U.S. federal government.
Looking ahead to 2010, Unisys predicts that government and commercial organizations will take a more proactive approach to security, implementing new measures to verify identity and protect confidential information. Financial institutions and defense agencies will lead the charge, with ports and other organizations quickly following.
There is no question that advancements in video are continually revolutionizing the security industry. New capabilities emerge and, subsequently, the scope of what is possible grows. The implications of this trend can be seen in surveillance, reconnaissance, identity verification, information management and data dissemination.
- By John Bradburn, Mark Clifton
- Dec 01, 2009
Without a doubt, the threat of terrorism, both foreign and domestic, has been the biggest game changer in how we look at and implement physical and logical security. Nowhere is that change being more acutely felt now than in the petrochemical industry. The need to secure plants and facilities that produce, process and transport potentially volatile substances is paramount.
- By Ryan Loughin
- Dec 01, 2009
City of College Park, Ga. officials announced recently that Iron Sky Inc. will outfit the city with its first street-level video surveillance cameras.
A recently issued report from the Government Accountability Office presented some alarming findings regarding security features in federal facilities.
- By Nelson Ludlow
- Dec 01, 2009
Axis Communications recently announced that the Town of Smithtown, N.Y., has deployed Axis network cameras in its Highway Department yard as a first step in modernizing its existing analog video surveillance capabilities.
The Security Industry Association has launched an initiative in which it is asking state legislators to allow local government purchases of security and life safety products through the GSA schedule program.
CDW Government Inc. recently released its 2009 Federal Cybersecurity Report, which found that across federal civilian and Department of Defense agencies, the number and severity of cybersecurity incidents has stayed the same or increased in the last year, with nearly one-third of Federal agencies experiencing a cybersecurity incident daily.
A new report by computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications.
Only 22 percent of Americans fully trust government agencies to keep personal information secure and private, and the proportion is only slightly better (29 percent) with regard to trust in data protection by financial institutions such as banks, according to research conducted in September by Unisys Corp.
While a majority (57 percent) of Homeland Security professionals say America is safer now than it was before the September 11 attacks, 75 percent believe the country will experience a similar terrorist attack in the next five years -- and Americans aren’t prepared, according to a recent survey commissioned by the National Homeland Defense Foundation and Colorado Technical University.
The safety and security of millions of business and pleasure travelers each year is a major concern for the hospitality industry. Terrorists and other more common criminals looking to cause harm to property or guests have increasingly targeted hotels. Recent high-profile attacks in India and Indonesia have highlighted the danger at hotels around the world. We spoke to Ron Ludvigsen, president of CGL Electronic Security, to find out more.
GE Security Inc. recently announced that the Pacific Beacon apartments in San Diego, the first privatized community for enlisted single sailors in the country, is being protected by GE Security’s integrated access control and fire/life safety solutions.
CDW Government Inc. recently released its 2009 Emergency Communications Report: Awareness and Progress Toward the National Emergency Communications Plan. The report benchmarks progress toward meeting the goals outlined in the Department of Homeland Security National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP), identifies key challenges and highlights lessons learned.