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Day: November 3, 2018

HID Global Upgrading Security at University of Hull

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India07 mins

The University of Hull has brought their access control technology into the mobile age. To better serve its students while also increasing security throughout the campus, the university partnered with HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions. The partnership has provided the university more efficient access control to campus buildings and has improved the experience for students and staff. Challenges The University of Hull manages abogcfut 25,000 students and 2,500 staff identities with an expected increase in students year over year. Students and staff were accessing housing accommodations, lecture halls, libraries, research buildings, and other secure locations with old access card technology. To improve their security, the University of Hull updated their magnetic stripe (magstripe) cards to contactless technology several years ago, but still found the solution lacking. Issuing thousands of access cards and maintaining credentials was logistically demanding and inefficient. “As you can imagine, over 520 people arriving at student residences for the weekend, with all of their parents, grandparents, dogs and others, is quite chaotic,” said Gary Moore of the University’s ICT Department. Beyond the laborious upkeep of physical cards, the University of Hull – like many other universities – found that students often lost or misplaced their student IDs/ access cards. The University of Hull sought to reduce the need for staffing and late night disturbances caused by students who lost their cards. The university wanted a new solution that could be integrated into their current secure access software, while also being able to efficiently issue and manage student IDs. The new solution also needed to be easy for students to adopt. While security was imperative for the university, they didn’t want it to create a hassle for students and staff using the new solution. Solution The University of Hull partnered with HID Global to increase security while improving their identity management process and the student experience at the same time. The university deployed iCLASS SE® readers and HID Mobile Access®, which make it possible for students to carry their IDs (that also contain their access credentials) on their smartphones. Now, students and staff simply use their mobile phones, smartwatch, and other mobile devices to quickly and conveniently access buildings across the campus. HID Mobile Access integrates with the University of Hull’s security software, provided by Genetec, and eliminates redundancy in the workflow required to manage identities. “The university considers secure access control to be very important for the safety of the students and staff. It’s not only good for a student, it’s also good for their parents to know that there is solid security around the student residences,” said Gary Moore, “HID and Genetec have seamlessly integrated the mobile access offering so that now all I have to do is add a credential into the Genetec system, which auto-populates the HID Mobile Access Portal. This simplifies my process. Now, I just enter information once to provision a credential–unlike the previous two-step process.” “The benefits and advantages for having mobile access will definitely come to the fore next year when we register mobile credentials prior to student arrival,” added Moore, “We can have students’ mobile IDs pre-deployed before arrivals. From the students’ perspective, they just arrive and start using their smartphone to access their room. It’s far easier.” To enter a secured door, students and staff present their mobile device to an iCLASS SE reader for access. Benefits With HID Mobile Access, the University of Hull stepped up their security and reduced the need for physical access cards that are cumbersome to manage and often misplaced by students. Moving to a mobile infrastructure for access control had many benefits including: Seamless integration with third-party software and devices. Higher user satisfaction. Scalable. Increased efficiency. Ease of use. When surveyed, students reported positive feedback from using HID Mobile Access. “It makes the university a lot more attractive for students,” said Mark Mullaney, Assistant Director of Commercial Services at the University of Hull, “For the student, it provides a more secure way to access buildings and provides a better experience for them overall, and for the university itself, it is a recruitment tool that we can offer to incoming students.”  

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Four Ways Hikvision Offers State-of-the-Art False Alarm Filter to SMB Customers

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India08 mins

Do SMB customers want the latest intelligent surveillance features without a full system upgrade? With Hikvision, they can enjoy the benefits of cutting-edge false alarm filter with an average of 90% accuracy while protecting their existing investment.   False alarm filter is one of the most intelligent features of modern surveillance systems. Designed to filter out movements from things like rain, leaves and animals, these systems focus on movements by relevant objects like people or vehicles. This prevents time and costs being wasted on nonthreatening events. Saving time and cost is important for small and mediumsized businesses (SMBs); the question is, how can they access such innovative technology in the most cost-effective way possible? Tech-savvy surveillance Hikvision’s EasyIP 4.0 security solution features intelligent false alarm filter within its AcuSense NVR and IP camera ranges. Currently, a Hikvision AcuSense NVR supports up to four camera channels with false alarm filter Hikvision AcuSense enabled devices can filter out false alarms with an average of 90% accuracy. What’s more, the AcuSense Quick Target Search feature saves time by identifying footage of people and vehicles automatically, avoiding staff having to search through footage manually. Add in Hikvision’s ColorVu IP cameras, which provide full color, vivid images even at night, allowing customers to take advantage of false alarm filter around the clock. Easily accessible For SMBs looking to access these features in the most efficient way, Hikvision’s cameras and/ or NVRs can be added to their existing surveillance system, to provide reliable false alarm filter capabilities while protecting their investment. Below, we describe four different ways Hikvision false alarm filter can be added to SMB customers’ surveillance systems. If SMB customers do not want to replace their existing IP cameras, they can keep them and add an AcuSense NVR. This will support false alarm filter and Quick Target Search across four channels.   It is possible to add extra channels, but these will only have traditional alarm detection features. This solution is best suited for users who only need false alarm filter in four camera locations. Conversely, if customers would prefer to keep their existing NVR, AcuSense IP cameras can be added to the solution. It’s worth pointing out that this is most suitable for the customers that need false alarms to be filtered out in real time. A conventional NVR will not record or display the false alarms, as the functionality resides in the cameras. Similarly, users cannot search the alarm information delivered by the cameras as the NVR does not support Quick Target Search.   ColorVu cameras deliver bright color video images, even in low light and at night. When paired with an AcuSense NVR, SMB customers get a system that delivers highly effective false alarm filter, plus Quick Target Search capability, around the clock. The only limitation of this setup is that it is designed to deliver the above features to a maximum of four channels. It is possible to add more channels, but they will only display normal alarm information, and will not support Quick Target Search. This solution is best suited for the customers who need reliable false alarm filter under low light conditions and across four locations. When customers need false alarm filter for more than four camera locations, a cost-effective solution can be delivered by combining conventional IP cameras with AcuSense IP cameras and an AcuSense NVR. Because both AcuSense NVR and AcuSense IP cameras support false alarm filter, the functionality starts to overlap when only four AcuSense IP cameras connect to an AcuSense NVR. It is recommended to apply both products when customers need the function for more than four channels. To be specific, customers can connect up to four conventional IP cameras to an AcuSense NVR for false alarm filter, and then can use AcuSense IP cameras for the remaining channels. In this way, both false alarm filter and Quick Target Search will be available across all channels. Discover more For analogue surveillance system, it is not a conundrum if customers ask to add false alarm filter to their existing system. They can easily replace with an AcuSense DVR from Hikvision’s Turbo HD 5.0 product range, which makes the very most of legacy cabling. Accordingly, the system will be able to perform false alarm filter and quick target search across up to four channels. If customers have the requirement for more than four channels, they can either add extra AcuSense DVRs or Hikvision AcuSense network cameras. With Hikvision, SMBs can take advantage of state-ofthe-art surveillance systems in a way that suits their business needs and their budget. Equally important, the above mentioned different solution options can help system integrators and installers engage in new conversations with their customers. By – Ashish P. Dhakan – MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd.  

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Growth in Police Body-Worn Cameras Fuels Digital Evidence Management Market Evolution

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India04 mins

The globally installed base for law enforcement and police body-worn cameras is forecast to increase by nearly 30 percent in 2018, exceeding 1.5 million bodyworn cameras in use worldwide. With a greater number of body-worn cameras in use and an associated increase in potential evidence collection, the capabilities of underlying digital evidence-management systems are becoming an increasingly critical factor in the ability of law enforcement to effectively manage and interpret huge repositories of digital evidence. IHS Markit describes digital evidence management software as software used to manage multimedia digital evidence. At the entry level, this software must be able to manage the storage of video captured through a bodyworn camera or an in-car video surveillance system, however, the initial ingest of media from the recording device does not need to be within the digital evidence management software. The software can act as a platform to connect existing repositories and device configuration applications. Digital evidence software can be bundled with body-worn cameras or in-car systems or sold separately. The market for digital evidence management software has evolved rapidly, since federal funding programs in the United States for law enforcement body-worn cameras were announced in 2014. This funding and subsequent initiatives stimulated and accelerated increases in shipments of bodyworn cameras in the United States and globally, setting the current trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated digital evidence-management solutions. The following diagram illustrates the evolution of capabilities in available digital evidence management ecosystems. Example features are organized in four cumulative tiers, with increasing levels of feature sophistication, from tier one to tier four: The capabilities of digital evidence management software can range from simple media storage to sophisticated investigation and case-building tools. The evolution of the ecosystem and integrations with records management systems and other existing law enforcement workflows allow law enforcement to gain additional efficiencies and insights from digital multimedia evidence. These workflows offer the potential for quicker evidence availability and wider-reaching investigations. The ‘Body Worn Cameras & Digital Evidence Management Report’ from IHS Markit focuses on the global market for body-worn cameras, digital evidence management software, and in-car video surveillance systems used by police and law enforcement.

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8 Steps to Making Systems more Secure

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India08 mins

Today we are seeing the rise of Internet of Things or IoT whereby literally billions of devices are increasingly being connected to the Internet, and sharing the information and data they collect. These could be simple devices like a thermostat or light bulb, or more complex devices like CCTV cameras and so-called smart bins. This inter-connectedness and ability to share information can bring intelligence and efficiency that could not have been imagined in the past. Today, buildings can optimize their performance to ensure they are meeting not only the requirements of the occupants in terms of comfort and security but also they meet mandatory environment or legal requirements. No longer it is necessary for the council to send trucks around daily or multiple times a day to empty rubbish bins because the bins can hold more rubbish (or recycling) thanks to an integrated compactor. When it approaches the full mark, it contacts the local council to advise that it needs emptying. These are two simple examples of how connectedness and intelligence help improve performance and efficiency. There is, however, a downside to this increasing level of connectedness, and this relates to security. With the explosion of devices that are now being interconnected along with the sensitivity of many of these devices, there is a need to ensure that these devices are being connected with a high degree of security. For an example of what could possibly go wrong when the bad guys are able to take advantage of exploits in an IoT environment, look no further than the movie Die Hard 4.0 starring none other than Bruce Willis. While somewhat dated today, the movie illustrates what could potentially happen should attackers are able to take control of buildings and critical infrastructure such as traffic control systems. While this movie may seem fanciful in its portrayal of what capable hackers could potentially accomplish, it is important to understand that security comprises a series of counter-measures to reduce or mitigate both the likelihood of an attack and the severity thereof. While it may seem like commonsense, there are many common or routine tasks which are required to improve security that are still not being implemented. Let’s take a look at a few of these. Change default usernames and passwords: Most, if not all devices, have default usernames and passwords that can easily be found by a child using a search engine. Default passwords should be changed immediately, and even better is to also change, delete or disable the default username as well. Don’t share passwords: Every user of a system should have their own username and password. This ensures that when that user leaves the organization, their account can simply be disabled or deleted and there is no need to change the shared account details for every system the user had access to (which in reality just doesn’t happen). Use strong authentication: Using strong passwords that have a reasonable length with a combination of letters, numbers and special characters, and don’t include dictionary words which ensures that passwords can’t be easily compromised. Better yet is to use digital certificates with the keys that are generated within a token or device which not only delivers strong authentication but also provides non-repudiation. Use centralized authentication: Using a centralized authentication system such as Active Directory, RADIUS or LDAP simplifies the process of managing user information as there is a single system that needs to be administered instead of multiple systems. Restrict access: Access to systems should be restricted to the minimum level that is required for a user to perform the tasks they need to perform. In addition, firewalls should be used to segregate and isolate systems so that an issue or attack on one system is less likely to impact other systems. Integrate redundancy: Redundancy should be integrated to ensure the system continues to operate in the event of a failure or attack. In many cases, the cost of lost business is far greater than the additional cost of redundancy. Don’t forget physical security: Security is about layers and one of those layers is physical access. If an attacker can obtain physical access to a system, their task will be made simpler so be sure that physical access is only available to those that need it. Maintain backups: From time to time, things will go wrong, and when this happens, it’s important that you have a backup that is off-line and stored in a different physical location. While these steps may seem simple and common-sense, there are many IoT systems today where the level of security in use leaves much to be desired. There are many additional things that can be implemented but ensuring that each of the above steps is undertaken will go a long way toward improving the security of systems that are deployed today.               By- Scott Penno – Regional Marketing Manager, APAC, Allied Telesis  

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