2020 - securitylinkindia

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nCipher HSMs Provide Root of Trust to HashiCorp Vault

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 24, 2020November 14, 202404 mins

nCipher Security, an Entrust Datacard company, and a leading world player in hardware security modules (HSMs), has partnered with HashiCorp, a leader in multi-cloud infrastructure automation. The integration of nCipher nShield® HSMs with HashiCorp Vault means customers can deploy a high-assurance security solution for centralized secrets management that helps meet regulatory compliance mandates. HashiCorp Vault manages and protects sensitive data by securing, storing and tightly controlling access to tokens, passwords, certificates, and encryption keys for protecting secrets and other sensitive data. The solution addresses secret sprawl and the challenge of having varying lifecycle and protection policies created by multiple applications offering unique secure repositories to store access credentials. The security foundation of HashiCorp Vault is the encryption and decryption of secret assets. nShield HSMs protect the master key securing HashiCorp Vault, providing a robust root of trust. The use of HSMs is a best practice for high-assurance encryption and key management, and help organizations in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and government to comply with regulatory requirements. “Secure key management is essential to protect data and applications, and when centralizing this function, the security of those keys is even more important,” said Juan Asenjo, Director of Product, Solutions, and Partner Marketing at nCipher Security, “nCipher HSMs provide HashiCorp Vault with a robust root of trust enabling customers to deploy seamlessly and with confidence. We are pleased to join forces with HashiCorp and provide a strong solution for our joint customers.” “We are pleased to welcome nCipher Security to the HashiCorp partner program,” said Asvin Ramesh, Director, Technology Alliances at HashiCorp, “The integration allows organizations to manage their secrets across diverse environments in a single application, with best in class security. With DevOps now mainstream in enterprise environments, we are seeing increased usage of Vault not only for secrets management but also other use cases like data encryption and identity-based access.” nCiphernShield HSMs are among the highest-performing, most secure and easy-to-integrate HSM solutions available, facilitating regulatory compliance and delivering the highest levels of data and application security for enterprise, financial and government organizations. The unique security world key management architecture provides strong, granular controls over access and usage of keys. Benefits of using nShield HSMs with HashiCorp Vault: Mitigate risks created by secret asset aggregation and enable compliance for regulated markets. Deliver greater control of data on-premises, in the cloud, and hybrid environments. Establish an auditable method for enforcing security policies. Provide a FIPS 140-2 level 3 and common criteria EAL4+ root of trust.

Feature

How Mystery Shopping Service Can Help Companies Re-evaluate Compliances Post Lockdown

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 21, 2020November 14, 202409 mins

India has courageously passed through four lockdowns and businesses that were hitherto shut due to the scourge of the pandemic are now gradually recommencing operations. The government of India has instructed all industries to open with the utmost caution and adherence to the health compliances established by the WHO and the global medical fraternity. As businesses seek to resume affairs with paramount diligence and risk-mitigation in a post-pandemic age, how can the retailing and manufacturing sector ensure that store owners and retail vendors are abiding by all the health and safety mandates laid down by the authorities? The answer to this complex question is simple one – ‘mystery shopping.’ So what exactly is mystery shopping? Companies usually, in a tremendously fast-paced business order, lack the luxury and time to personally monitor and micro-manage their brand and product legacies and how they are retailed by sellers from the countless shops, outlets, and branches that house their products. In crucial times as now, when the national economy is just trying to get back onto its feet, it is imperative that business owners get an inside scoop into the thick of things. They need to be certain whether store owners and wholesalers are complying with all the compulsory countermeasures and policies laid down by the government for business conduct, and that’s where mystery shopping comes into the picture. Mystery shopping otherwise also known as secret shopping is a mode of collecting key intelligence regarding the nature and quality of vending that is practiced by retail owners who sell products of particular companies to the masses. Now, if the said company wants to gauge the service quality or the retailers compliance with regulation, or to collect specific information regarding their products and services, this slightly unconventional method proves quite functional. Any trained member from the company’s staff or people hired from any of these specialized service providers can pose as routine customers and walk into any of the company’s retail outlets to witness first-hand the shopkeeper’s behavior and his overall quality of proprietorship. This technique is employed extrinsically by a gamut of market research firms, supervisory organizations and watchdog bodies, or even domestically by companies which are eager to attain clarity involving the end to end market journey of a company’s product. From the minute it reaches the retailers vault until the point it is procured by a customer, mystery shoppers can easily fathom the various positives and down points involving the various purveying practices and shopkeeper tactics. It is a manner of surveillance employed by companies to understand the various bottlenecks in the system or the proverbial chinks in the armor. Mystery shopping is becoming a popular and widely embraced form of collecting pertinent data and market intelligence by business leaders which helps them gather real-time insight concerning the customer service representatives’ compliance with industry-specific norms and parameters. It serves as a highly interactive and experiential method for assessing the value eminence provided by the company agents to its customers. By closely supervising agents for anomalies in observance to the company’s business conventions, it gives them the leverage needed to engage in the necessary risk alleviation. If a company can successfully mitigate the numerous perils to business optimization it helps them steer clear of considerable penalties and a harmful public image. The process of mystery shopping programs revolves around tailored scenarios that aid mystery shoppers test an agent’s actual worth in concurrent circumstances and arrive at conditions that will generate the most beneficial impact. It proffers organizations the power to determine the future course of action by scrutinizing a pre-constructed situation to provide a knowledgeable point of view to the leadership. Mystery shopping allows the retail owners and company agents to manage their various blemishes and plus-points founded on direct and workable responses. Mystery shopper programs are all the more relevant in present conditions. As India looks to rise from the depths of an economic freeze owing to the lockdown, companies need to inquire into the actual state of the business that is administered on the ground i.e., an internal glimpse into the proceedings that are dealt in their retail outlets or stores by the brand’s designated sellers. It is of the utmost essence to ascertain whether shopkeepers are under the various health compliances and safety measures authorized by the government on account of the pandemic. The failure on part of the agents/ purveyors in practicing the compulsory protocols, such as negligence in observing the laws of social/ physical distancing or interacting with customers without adorning the necessary PPE and other countermeasures can have disastrous consequences. Mystery shopping programs allow organizations to step inside the shoes of their customers and directly learn about the various shortcomings in their product vending processes and thus rectifying them, in a post-pandemic scenario, it can become an invaluable tool for measuring the various operational hiccups and detriments that not only impede business streamlining but also compromise the safety of the customers. Even, it can also help check various compliances, at times even the ambiance of the outlet to ensure if the same is as per company guidelines. In normal times it is to check the price undercutting, however in new normal, it’s about short supplies and black-marketing of products.

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Prama Hikvision Smart Video Technology Helps Manage Crowd Density & Maintain Social Distancing

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 20, 2020November 14, 202407 mins

Health organizations around the world have created the common awareness that maintaining a safe distance between people is one of the best practices, we have to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 and in slowing its spread. As various countries and regions push to reopen businesses and relax stay-at-home orders, social distancing remains an ongoing requirement. More than that, crowd density information is also considered a significant reference in managing the ‘social distance’ of workplaces, businesses and public spaces. Business owners are working hard to keep employees, customers and visitors protected. Dealing effectively with ‘density’ – a new imperative for management and operations – complicates staffing and interpersonal interaction. Limiting the number of people to ensure safety In the current situation, public and private managers and authorities have to do more than ever before to keep people safe, and in many cases efficient calculation of customer traffic will be essential. Prama Hikvision’s flow control solution uses people counting cameras and digital signage, which provides a dynamic onscreen display to show users how many people are entering and leaving a building or an area, and sends real-time alerts in case pre-defined capacity thresholds are exceeded. These people counting camera utilize highly accurate 3D binocular stereo vision and deep learning algorithms, making complex counts easy, even in multi-door sites. More important, the flow control solution can be easily and rapidly deployed. It is designed to be simple to use and highly accurate, with options to suit all potential application scenarios. In locations with a single entrance, one people counting camera can be installed at the entrance and connected to the digital signage. For multi-entry scenarios, people counting cameras can be installed at each entrance and exit, equipped with I-Series NVRs or HikCentral to calculate numbers of people entering or leaving, so as to accurately provide real-time number data. Multiple entries and exits For example, a supermarket can install a clear and easy-to-understand, dynamic data number display at each entrance to provide real-time updates for people waiting to enter. An alert is generated when the pre-configured maximum is reached, and an audio alarm can be triggered if anyone attempts to enter before the numbers go below that threshold. At present, with expenses more critical than ever, users can use the flow control solution to automatically monitor the situation, empowering businesses and possible reducing the required number of security guards and other resources. Maintaining a safe social distance in public In areas where crowds are unavoidable such as cash registers in supermarkets and the ticket kiosks at public transportation hubs, managing distances between people queuing (standing in line) is also critical. Authorities in various locations have established specific guidelines and legislation in this area, balancing the needs and risks for citizens. Prama Hikvision dual lens cameras (DS-2CD6825G0/ C-I(V)(S)) help retail stores and other businesses measure social distancing, and its advanced 3D binocular stereo vision and deep learning algorithm can be configured to trigger alarms according to local regulations and requirements. Users can set the minimum contact distance threshold needed; when the distance becomes less than this preset threshold, an instant alarm and popup will appear with audio and video linkage. And there’s more Alongside the density control solution, Prama Hikvision also offers a mask detection solution. This technology ensures that anyone entering a premise is wearing a face mask when they are required to do so. Those without a mask will not be granted entry. The mask detection solution can be delivered in a variety of formats depending on user needs – added to a specialty camera or a Prama Hikvision DeepinMind NVR for users with existing camera systems, integrated into Prama Hikvision’s temperature screening thermal solution, or as part of a MinMoe door access unit with built-in face detection technology. Entry can be denied if a mask is not worn and/ or an out-of-range skin-surface temperature is detected. As businesses begin to emerge from lockdown, they need to find ways to reduce risks of furthering the spread of the virus. This affects whole populations and all their normal activities – from getting coffee on the way to work and boarding public transportation, to shopping and eating out. But there are some technologies that they can turn to – innovations that will facilitate a ‘new normal’ and keep people safe. And Prama Hikvision will be there, every step of the way.

Feature

How ‘touch-free’ Access Control with Temperature Screening Helps Businesses in Returning to Work

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 20, 2020November 14, 202404 mins

Businesses are reopening and employees are returning to work. Managing protection for workers, customers, and visitors with the lingering effects of COVID-19 poses challenges in the business world. To cope with these challenges, it is crucial for businesses to maximize protection while operating their access control systems effectively. This requires safer and faster temperature screenings, controlling access, and recording attendance, as well as visitor management. Touchfree access control systems with a temperature screening function creates an especially effective solution. For this reason, Prama Hikvision introduced its MinMoe ‘touch-free’ temperature screening terminals to the market. Prama Hikvision’s MinMoe terminals employ face recognition and thermographic technologies to make access easier and safer for work areas, record attendance, and simultaneously screen temperatures without requiring employees to touch a terminal or gate. The ‘touch-free’ nature of the terminals is also suitable in high-throughput scenarios for fast temperature screening with access control, such as offices, factories, retail stores, schools, and so on. Fast and accurate temperature screening with thermographic technology Equipped with advanced thermographic cameras, the MinMoe temperature screening terminals quickly and accurately detect elevated skin-surface temperatures for preliminary screening. The 0.3- to 2-meter recognition distance enables flexibility in deployment and detection. When detecting abnormal temperatures, MinMoe terminals can be set to deny access requests and alert operators to further confirm a person’s actual core body temperature using clinical measurement devices. Further, the terminals support a fast temperature measurement mode, which will detect temperatures only (identity authentication will not be conducted in this mode). ‘touch-free’ access control and attendance recording Many diseases have the potential to spread when people touch contaminated objects and surfaces. Because of this, reducing contact with terminals or gates – or avoiding touching altogether – increases employee hygiene and safety when passing through access control and attendance recording equipment. Compared against conventional fingerprint access control and time attendance devices, MinMoe terminals offer a pleasant ‘touch-free’ experience. Powered by a deep learning algorithm, MinMoe terminals ramp up accuracy of face recognition to over 99%, ensuring speedy and almost ‘non-stop’ passing. Furthermore, the terminal performs well in low- and even zero-light environments. Mask detection In many areas and scenarios, wearing masks has been suggested or even required by local governments, communities, or businesses themselves. Quick, automated mask detection will be another demand for access control systems. MinMoe temperature screening terminals can detect whether a person is wearing a mask. When a registered face is recognized but not wearing a mask, the device will prompt an audio reminder. This provides a simple way to automate monitoring and uphold requirements, regulations, and ultimately, safety.

Feature

Auditing & Process Building in Security Industry

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 20, 2020November 14, 2024012 mins

The culture of Auditing & Process Building in India: An Overview The Indian economy saw a major emergence of both domestic and foreign MNCs within its political borders with the economic liberalization reforms of 1991. With this, while the inflow of foreign direct investments (FDIs) increased in various industry verticals of the economy, the inherent risks of the local environment remained ingrained in the newly set-up businesses and industrial zones. These risks primarily related to crime, terrorist activities, civic disturbances, natural disasters and likes. In short, while businesses opened up hastily and pro-actively in the new economic environment, the existing mindset regarding the culture of security did not necessarily change or follow the structural changes in the economy. Decades later, the reluctancy of looking over the security aspect as an ‘additional’ cost to an organization have now shown near-tectonic effects. At the domestic level, the long and diverse nature of the unrest unleased by the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) brought business continuity to a standstill in different states across the country. Second, at both domestic and global levels, the benefits of the historical reforms of 1991 have been neutralized by the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. The current scenario has now compelled businesses to re-assess that crisis plans are irrelevant, unless they can actually be implemented on-ground. The adoption of pragmatic and far-sighted processes and audits in security culture is a small but decisive step in this regard. Why is a change in the current scenario needed? The outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic has highlighted once again that business risks may be mitigated, but never be actually prevented in whole from occurrence. It may not be an exaggeration to state that the pandemic has exhibited apprehensions/ risks of unprecedented extent and nature, of which no business continuity or crisis management plans had ever envisaged while they were framed. A survey carried out, in the midst of the pandemic, displayed the following outcomes from the respondents (mostly senior security managers of global firms in India). While the above responses honestly display the current psychological mindset of professionals trying to gauge the pandemic effects on their organizations, the irony remains that global organizations had well-thought and drafted standard operating procedures (SOPs) on security and emergency response processes. Organizations, at their end, have also invested resources, time and capital to draft SOPs. Under such circumstances, it becomes more pertinent to assess whether these SOPs have been applied in reality, reviewed, up-graded or just have stayed on paper revisions? Analysing key shortcomings in Security Audits and related SOPs Having discussed the current state of affairs in the overall corporate security domain in preceding sections, assessments and experiences gathered across various industry verticals primarily display the common shortcomings as follows: Absence of simplicity and use of excessive jargons or technical words: Not every person is a security professional and SOPs must be understood by cross-functional teams. Recommendations provided by security auditors are not implementable: Solutions recommended are either too expensive or not precise to be understood by the auditee. Holding back of knowledge by the security auditor: The auditor feels that giving too much insight in one audit itself may lead to loss of future business generation from the auditee. Below are few examples of the arguments put forward: Vague recommendation: Increase the boundary wall to ensure that it is difficult to be accessed by anyone. The wall must be fenced appropriately to further increase the height and reduce the risk of unwanted intrusion.(Note:Recommendation does not specifically explain height, fencing etc). Use of jargons: Installation of GPS in your official vehicles may be integrated with authorized SIGINT software, as legal under laws, to your centralized command centre (supported by back-end 24/7 embedded staff). (Note: Recommendation does not explain what elements like SIGINT, Embedded etc., mean for non-security professionals/ teams). The way forward: Suggestions for Improvements The simplest ways for building actionable SOPs are to be guided by the very principles that drive the business and people of that organization. These are the principles of simplicity, accessibility, transparency and consistency – to build processes towards business excellence which every global firm strives for. While this may look like an uphill task for an organization, it actually is not: A change in the psychological mindset is the first step. Auditors need to exercise transparency and act as trusted partners to the organization which calls them upon. Similarly, the organization/ auditee must not be afraid of an auditor’s findings when the findings are provided in an amicable, lucid and professional manner by the auditor. SOPs do not need a crisis to prove their existence. This means SOPs need to be carried out in action through mock drills and red teaming exercises. Such real-life scenario enactments are very essential to review and identify strengths and weaknesses in a real emergency SOPs can never be time-bound i.e., there must always be room for the unknown future. The bridge to integrate the present and the future is to review and identify weaknesses in current SOPs and supplement them with new wings i.e., new or supplementary SOPs. This is a continuous cycle and has to be carried out at least every 1-2 years (depending on size, total asset value etc., of the organization). The role of stakeholder engagement (right from first-response teams to emergency managers to board/ owners) is indispensable in building sustainable and well-communicated processes. Else, audits and SOPs just remain limited to control room logbooks. Conclusion The need of the hour for corporate India is to hence shed away pre-conceived notions regarding the negative attitude attached to security auditors and their scope of work. A confidence-building measure towards attaining this is the innovative concept of peer auditing (where security managers of different companies audit each other’s facility) as a voluntary and goodwill expression. Such audits develop a sense of comfort and familiarity to the idea of allowing an external party to have visibility and access to an organization’s internal state of affairs –…

National

Government Declared PSS as the Essential Service

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 20, 2020November 14, 202405 mins

Addressing the members of Private Security Industry (PSI) on 19 June 2020, through video conferencing organised by the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), Vivek Bharadwaj, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Police Modernisation (PM) touched upon the COVID pandemic which has created havoc in the nation, and appreciated the tremendous role played by PSI. It was due to the efforts of CAPSI and persuasion at the highest level in the MHA that enabled the Government to declare PSI as an essential service. The fact that there has been no incident of arson and violence during lockdowns speaks volumes of the laudable work done by the security guards, security supervisors and the management. The Additional Secretary placed on record his deep appreciation for the stalwarts of the industry, termed them as the ‘heroes’ of the time, and urged all to recognise their contributions in true sense. Mr. Bharadwaj began his discourse by paying homage to the martyrs of the Indian Army who sacrificed their lives on the northern borders in a tussle with China. All participants joined him to observe a 2 minutes silence praying for their rest in peace. He later asked the participants to explore how they can help the families of these martyred soldiers. The industry comprises mostly ex-servicemen and veterans; he requested CAPSI State Chapters from the states of the martyred soldiers to connect with their families and exert to help them get suitable employments. Earlier, CAPSI took the issue of barring the services of security professionals during lockdown aggressively up and raised it to the pertinent higher authorities of the government of India. The delegates of CAPSI headed by the Chairman, CAPSI, Kunwar Vikram Singh kept in pressing touch with Mr. Bhardwaj himself, and G Kishen Reddy, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Government of India. The dedicated efforts of CAPSI fructified and on 14 April 2020 the government notified PSI as the essential service and allowed them to operate in lockdowns. “The CAPSI decision to approach MHA to bring private security services under essential services has saved 23000 PSAs and 9 million security guards from major livelihood disaster. Imagine 9 million SGs going back to their native places leaving everyone business establishment and RWAs unprotected. MHA decision will be remembered as a life saving landmark decision for the PSI. Not a single case of theft, industrial damage or trespassing reported during lockdown. Salute to all security guards and management of PSAs those worked all times with total professional commitment. After all ‘the chowkidar’ proved its worth as guardsman to the nation,” said Kunwar Vikram Singh. Understanding the problems being faced by the PSAs in renewing their licenses, Mr. Bharadwaj stated that the Government has extended the date for renewal till the end of August. Talking of the situation post pandemic, he stated that the industry should think in terms of playing an international role. The valuable human resource available if trained properly can help the PSI play a significant role in the global arena. The Additional Secretary concluded his talk by assuring the participants that the reframing of the model rules will be a great step towards resolving many current problems being faced by the industry.

Report

COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING APPS

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 20, 2020November 14, 2024024 mins

(Submitted by Overseas Security Advisory Council) Digital contact-tracing mobile applications have become a useful mitigation tool for countries and private-sector organizations alike in the fight against COVID-19. South Korea and Singapore were among the first to deploy a digital version of contact tracing, a key reason those countries have experienced relatively few coronavirus cases. In the United States, such measures have fallen largely to tech companies, resulting in a rare partnership between Apple and Google to develop contact-tracing technology that will operate on both iOS and Android phones. However, other countries have implemented apps that raise serious security concerns for private sector operators. This report looks at the issue as a whole, and examines its implications in two key countries for OSAC members. Using Contact Tracing Applications While governments and major companies work to create and monitor tracing apps, private sector organizations have also begun acquiring mobile applications and wearable devices to track and stop the spread of coronavirus in the workplace. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which is building its own contact tracing app, noted that nearly a quarter of chief financial officers they surveyed plan to evaluate the technology as part of an office reopening strategy. A recent survey of 300 OSAC members received similar results; 22% of respondents noted that their organization was considering the use of contact tracing mobile applications to identify and track possible COVID-19 infections, with another 3% reporting that their organization was already using these applications. These responses were highest in Asia, where almost 30% of respondents reported either considering or currently using contact tracing mobile applications. As organizations consider mandating these technologies in the workplace, many questions arise such as whether participation actually makes employees safer (or just feel so), if apps are legal and appropriate to deploy and mandate for employees, and if the technology will work as advertised in the field. The legality and appropriateness of mandated digital contact tracing in the workplace is likely to differ by country and organization. Also, organizations may need more time and experience to fully understand how well the technology will work, and how it will impact employee safety. Regardless, the mandated use of these technologies present cybersecurity and privacy concerns that can and should be examined before considering or committing to any new platform. GPS vs Bluetooth The two primary forms of digital contact tracing mobile applications are those that rely on GPS and those that use Bluetooth. GPS-based apps, such as those in South Korea and Israel, are the most intrusive on privacy, since they track and communicate user locations and movements to a centralized source (like the government). They can pinpoint potential locations of exposure, as well as the phones of the users who appear to have been in close contact with an individual. Meanwhile, those that rely on Bluetooth technology, like the apps in Singapore and Australia, can tell you when you might have been exposed to COVID-19, but they are more decentralized and will not tell a user where or to whom they were exposed. Privacy advocates prefer the latter for these reasons. Some legal experts argue that the optimal design for private-sector organizations from a privacy point of view leverages Bluetooth technology without giving the employer access to the server containing the information. Companies Behind the Apps In addition to understanding the technical backbone on which these applications rest, organizations should also consider the developers and their track records with cybersecurity and privacy issues. There is a wide variety of companies seeking to develop this technology and earn their share of what may prove to be a lucrative market moving forward. These include all types of organizations, from traditional business software and professional services companies like PwC and Salesforce, to technology startups and cyber intelligence firms. According to Reuters, at least eight surveillance and cyber-intelligence companies are attempting to sell re-purposed spy and law enforcement tools to track COVID-19 and enforce quarantines. Executives at four of those companies said they are piloting or in the process of installing products to counter coronavirus in more than a dozen countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. One of the more controversial companies in this group is the Israel-based cyber intelligence firm, NSO Group. The surveillance software-developer is currently being sued by WhatsApp for allegedly helping governments hack 1,400 targets, to include activists, journalists, diplomats, and state officials using its signature software, Pegasus. The company also faces another lawsuit in which it is accused of supplying software to the Saudi Arabian government, which allegedly used it to spy on the journalist Jamal Khashoggi before his murder. While these platforms, which largely rely on GPS location data, have primarily marketed to governments, organizations interested in employing digital contact tracing tools within their facilities and workforce should also be wary of clandestine technologies traditionally used for surveillance. Beyond the damage that such technologies could cause to an organization’s business image or employee trust, they could also present significant data privacy concerns, depending on how the data is collected, stored, and accessed. Organizations should also monitor which countries are adopting these more privacy-invasive technologies, as countries more predisposed to dissent suppression and other digital authoritarian practices could easily abuse then. Two Significant Case Studies OSAC has received inquiries from the private sector regarding digital contact tracing apps that host governments are mandating for employees. According to MIT Technology Review’ COVID-19 Tracing Tracker, 25 countries currently have significant automated contact tracing efforts in place, and five of those countries (Bahrain, China, India, Qatar and Turkey) mandate use of tool . Two case studies address how mandated use might impact U.S. private-sector employees operating in the world’s two most populous countries. China Color-Coded Health Passes China has rolled out a color-coded health system based on travel history and contact tracing to monitor new COVID outbreaks. While downloading the app is not mandatory, the health code is necessary to enter public places such as public transportation, residential compounds, hospitals, workplaces, or schools, or to travel domestically. If an individual…

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Can Consolidation be the Growth Strategy for PSI in Current Stressed Market Scenario

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJuly 13, 2020November 14, 202409 mins

The booms and busts of economies and markets have consolidated businesses over decades. The word consolidation takes its origin from ‘Consolidatus,’ a Latin word which means ‘to combine into one body.’ Many of today’s mega companies have resulted from high profile business unions termed as Consolidation, Merger, Unification, Alliance, Amalgamation, Coalition or Collaboration etc. Consolidation within a business group refers to merging of several business verticals or different companies into a single larger organisation to improve operational efficiency by reducing redundant personnel and processes. Consolidation within a business sector is also the merger of several independently managed business entities which typically concentrates market share in the hands of a few large companies. PSI – A Stressed Sector Stress conditions of Private Security Industry (PSI) were initiated by the ill-advised GST mode of applicability on the body corporate Private Security Agencies (PSAs) resulting in acute shrinkage of cash flows disabling budgets for expansion and growth. Any business which comes to standstill commences to deliver diminishing or negligible returns, and gradually goes sick and dies because of inflating costs and infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, COVID 19 shut-downs, downscaling, layoffs and closures have devastated many small and medium PSAs who were comfortably operating in niche sectors such as infrastructure, hospitality, malls, retail, entertainment, transport and more. Private Security Industry (PSI) is a human resource intensive service sector and primarily existed on sourcing of migratory labour which has seen major disruption countrywide. The dust is yet to settle to allow the true picture to emerge. Favoured employers who practiced employee retention policies may feel the ‘pinch’ but it is the ‘marginal industry’ comprising SMEs with high employee turnover rates that have begun to encounter the paucity of manpower availability. Bank funding and public financing are not easily accessed in the absence of sufficient acceptable securities. MECHANICS OF CONSOLIDATION Consolidation can strategically deliver differing values derived for meeting the strategic objectives of the consolidating businesses. It is important to mark that when private security agency owners (PSAOs) consider consolidation, merger, acquisition or sale they must reconcile their bottom lines with the fiscal realities of customers, employees, investors and regulators. Consolidation can also refer to the uniting of smaller PSAOs into larger companies through ‘suited arrangement.’ One of the driving forces behind consolidation is the operating efficiencies that often arise from mergers. The merged entities can merge existing operating structures and reduce any overlap. There usually exists an opportunity to realize significant cost savings as well as related fiscal synergies. Strategically, other objectives could be for gaining targeted or expanded geographical reach, a larger customer base, a broader product line etc. Consolidation alters the balance of power in marketplace and the competitive landscape and associated supply chains. However, the Mantra of the entire exercise is that there is sufficient to be left on the table for the next benefit. This will lead to a win-win situation. SPARKLING EXAMPLES OF THE CONSOLIDATION Consolidation is disrupting traditional competitive development and the economy. In banking sector we are experiencing major deployment of the consolidation strategy in merger of many strained or marginalized banks into a mega entity for the planned outcomes. On April 01, 2020 we witnessed the merger of the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank of India with the Punjab National Bank creating PNB as the second largest lender after the State Bank of India. Successful restructuring is likely to eliminate redundancies in back office operations like accounting, marketing, warehousing and technology resulting in efficiencies of service delivery and improved profitability. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a successful strategic outcome of the coming together of three associations forming a larger and more effective entity that forcefully competes for Government recognition in influencing policy formation, regulation and development initiatives for its stakeholders. A fine example of consolidated evolution in the global public accounting sector over the years is reproduced here. In 1986, nine large accounting firms dominated the industry. Then, in 1987, Klunveld Main Goerdeler (KMG) merged with Peat Marwick Mitchell to create KPMG Peat Marwick reducing the number of top tier players to the ‘Big Eight.’ Then in 1989, Ernst and Whinney merged with Arthur Young, and Deloitte Haskins and Sells merged with Touche Ross, further consolidating the industry to the ‘big six.’ In 1998, the merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand created the ‘big five’ and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen in 2002 left the field to the ‘big four.’ CONCLUSION The birth of these giants is the fruit of timely due diligence by the stakeholders who saw the light at the end of the tunnel to create bigger business models and success stories. Thus consolidations gave birth to these behemoths. One cannot afford to miss the power they wield today. I feel consolidation is the way forward for bulk of the players in the PSI under the current stressed market scenario. A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementations on ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has been keenly watching the widespread turbulence in the PSI due to COVID 19. The pain is not temporary in nature but permanent in its attributes because of multiple factors. He visualizes that PSI is heading down to consolidation phase. Here he analyses the nuts and bolts of the consolidation and examines the option if consolidation can be one of the growth strategies in the current stressed market scenario.

AI for the Security Industry: Real-World Applications

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJune 16, 2020November 28, 2024022 mins

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the buzzword in the video analytics domain. Trade show stands are rife with AI demos promoting ambitious functionality set to change the face of CCTV in security. Impressive as many of these demonstrations are, there is a definite air of scepticism on the part of the end-user. Is the hype around AI warranted, and can science actually deliver? This feels reminiscent of a decade ago when video analytics promised to revolutionise CCTV monitoring. Today, reliable and effective analytics is the mainstream and is driving tangible business value. That said, there is no denying that the last five years of AI innovation has led to tangible and practical solutions, with the security industry finally starting to reap the benefits. However, AI is now at a precipice – on the cusp of what industry experts call an ‘AI winter’ – so, everyone is wondering what’s next and what is possible. This paper investigates precisely this, focusing on the physical security space. What is AI? One formal definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) identifies the technology with the “development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.” In reality, the term AI covers a wide range of applications and tends to refer to the current problem being tackled, which of course is constantly evolving. When we think of AI in the security industry, this usually translates to a few key areas: Asset protection & monitoring. Access control. Business intelligence. Decision support. Machine Learning is the process of teaching a system to perform a task, while Deep Learning is just a subset of Machine Learning. There are many other non-deep learning based ML methods which, for the purposes of this paper, will be referred to as traditional ML approaches. Often, when AI is mentioned, what is really being referenced is the Machine Learning (ML) or Deep Learning (DL) algorithm powering that solution. For example, license plate recognition (LPR) is often the application of a DL model to locate and extract a license plate from an image, coupled with ML algorithms cross-referencing information from a database. Therefore, this application should be referred to as a combination of ML and DL – not simply AI. The distinction between traditional ML and DL is an important one, as the recent boom in AI solutions often refers to advances in Deep Learning techniques. In the majority of cases, the use of Deep Learning has led to a significant jump in accuracy over traditional ML techniques. For example, a well-known academic image classification challenge, in which images must be classified into one of a thousand different classes, has seen a notable increase in accuracy – going from 50% of the images being classified correctly in 2011, using traditional ML techniques, to nearly 90% today using modern DL techniques. The figure below illustrates the improvement in the ImageNet challenge over time. Machine Learning vs Deep Learning To understand Deep Learning’s dramatic improvement over traditional Machine Learning techniques, let’s look at how an example asset protection use case could be approached with both methodologies. The goal is to detect if the object in the field of view of a particular camera represents a threat and should generate an alarm (person, vehicle etc), or constitutes mere background noise that can be ignored. To begin, through the use of a movement-based tracker (another ML system) a camera has detected motion and defined a region of interest around the object. Machine Learning (ML) The traditional Machine Learning pipeline generally requires the developer to represent an input (e.g., a region of interest in an image) into a structured feature descriptor of that input: for example, a set of numbers that represents the shape in the image (HOG, SIFT), or possibly another property in the image (colour, texture etc). The model is then trained by feeding labelled examples of the object feature descriptors you want to recognise (person, vehicle) and object feature descriptors of objects you expect to see but want to ignore (trees, shadows, animals etc.). The Machine Learning algorithm learns to group these feature descriptors into these categories so, when a new unlabelled feature representation is fed to the system, it can make an assessment as to which category it might fall into. A system’s accuracy hinges on a developers’ ability to come up with a feature descriptor which the Machine Learning algorithm can easily group into classes to detect vs those to ignore. One of the biggest advantages of using human-designed feature descriptors is the data required to train the ML model is reduced. Creation of labelled datasets to train any Machine Learning algorithm takes significant time and therefore resource. As a consequence, traditional Machine Learning techniques are still very much relevant due to this significant time and cost-saving. Deep Learning (DL) Deep Learning follows a similar process. However, instead of relying on a human-in-the-loop method of developing a robust feature descriptor, the Deep Learning system itself just looks at the labelled input data to learn the best way of grouping the images. By showing the system large numbers of samples (training), the system refines its model to best describe the data it is being shown. The disadvantage is that, for a Deep Learning model to learn that best representation from the data, a notably larger amount of data is necessary. However, although the data requirements are more significant, the Deep Learning approach removes the guesswork of a developer trying to define the optimal representation of an input to enable the system to learn. It also has the advantage that the same approach can be applicable to a range of different problems, whereas traditional ML may require redesigning the feature descriptor based on the application. Deep Learning has demonstrated its advantages over traditional methods. However, the real question is how it can be used to improve business processes or increase precision in detection, while reducing costs for security businesses….

Feature

Transcending the Norm in Cash-in-Transit

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaJune 16, 2020November 14, 202408 mins

In a world of constantly evolving economy, robbery, theft and other property crimes are also rapidly increasing. The need for businesses and organizations to outsource their banking transactions and have professional couriers handle their cash logistics becomes a necessity. While it’s true that cash management can be expensive, it also entails managing risks for both the couriers and the clients. For some cash-in-transit (CIT) companies, the use of uniformed and armed CIT professionals is deemed necessary. Others even utilize armoured trucks or armoured transport services. These vehicles are mostly bulletproof and are fashioned to transport extremely large quantities of money, ATM replenishment, and transport dignitaries or VIPs. However, not all cash-in-transit companies employ uniformed couriers and armoured vehicles. Why are covert operations better? Since the main obligation of any cash-in-transit company is to collect and deliver cash or a client’s valuables to the bank or any designated point, some companies find the use of armoured vehicle services essential for the business. But how safe is their hard-earned money in the hands of these couriers? According to a publication from the Australian Institute of Criminology, a total of 89 robbery incidents were recorded by Australian CIT companies over a 20-year period (1989-2008); specifically, there were 18 incidents in 2007 and 11 incidents in 2008. In the book entitled Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention by Bonnie S. Fisher and Steven P. Lab, it was mentioned that even though most robbers target banks or any financial institutions, others still prefer robbing cash-in-transit vehicles. The robbers depict two main methods in committing the crime: (1) stopping and then attacking the CIT vehicle or (2) robbing the driver and couriers during delivery or after cash collection. As the leading cash-in-transit company in Australia, SecureCash focuses on covert operations. While using armoured trucks may be the norm in the security service industry, SecureCash has always operated in unmarked, soft-skinned vehicles and have never utilized armoured transports as part of its CIT fleet. From a security standpoint, a covert operation is a safe and risk-free approach to delivering an efficient cash-in-transit service. It eliminates risks During the transfer of cash or other valuables, the business becomes exposed and vulnerable to risks such as robberies. Try to imagine a big armoured vehicle or an armoured truck pulling up outside the office or home. This will certainly catch the eyes of criminals, from would-be thieves to organized crime syndicates. These criminals may decide not to rob the armoured truck or attack the couriers, but rather choose to plot a robbery right at the business location or home. By not using armoured vehicles, it will not only keep the couriers and drivers away from possible threats, but it will also ensure that the valuables and the client’s business stay safe. Aside from discouraging the use of armoured vehicle services, the bank couriers do not wear security uniforms or any marked, printed, easy-to-spot clothing. This is to avoid drawing too much public attention during the cash handling process. It enhances security SecureCash couriers are trained to master the art of blending into the crowd. In this way, they will be much harder to spot by anyone who’s plotting a robbery or theft. Since they are not easily recognised, their cash transfer patterns are unpredictable and more difficult to analyze. Likewise, an armed security guard or uniformed personnel coming in and out of the office, collecting and carrying an obvious bag of cash indicates a green signal for those prying criminal minds who are just waiting for the right opportunity. It’s the same as advertising to the public that a person has huge amounts of cash on-site to warrant the service of cash couriers. This is what Secure Cash has been trying to prevent, so clients will remain dedicated and keep the trust that they have given to the company for the last 25 years. Bethaney Bacchus, General Manager of SecureCash, shared that specializing in covert cash handling operations has provided many growth-oriented opportunities for the company and helped build quite a reputation among clients and partners nationwide. She added, “We save time for busy people by performing the banking duties, we offer a secure service by taking the risk away from people who are fearful to carry cash in public, we offer convenient service for people who suddenly find their bank branch has closed.” Managing cash and other valuables may be an expensive and risky venture, however, implementing tried and tested innovative solutions prove to be the key to a successful business operation. With the emergence of many security service providers in Australia, the effectiveness of one’s services provides the business with an extensive competitive advantage. To be a market leader in the industry, one must be the person who goes beyond the norm.