March, 2021 - securitylinkindia

Feature

AI Powered Intelligent Baggage Screening System – Gateway to a Safer World

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 16, 2021November 14, 202407 mins

Pranali Chaudhari Sr. Data Scientist at Dimensionless Technologies Pandemic brought the travel industry to a standstill last year but with vaccinations being administered around the globe, things are starting to look up and the normalcy would return sooner than later. Public transport systems, monuments and places of mass gathering are always under serious threat from radical organisations. There have been multiple security incidents due to the failure of personnel at security checkpoints – 9/11, London Bombing or Mumbai blasts are prime examples of this. Millions of people pass through security checkpoints daily across airports, metro stations, railway stations, prisons, government buildings, stadiums etc. With the pandemic receding and travel picking up the queues have started to get longer at these checkpoints now The current baggage screening process uses X-ray scanning technology which has not had any upgrades in the past many years. Any security lapse has always been attributed to human screeners, policies and processes focused on better training methods for improving their performance. One such example could be reducing the duration for which a screener looks for threats in the x-ray scan to 20 minutes. But the incidents continue to happen, at least 3 firearms are missed by TSA (transportation security agency). Manual detection of banned items in x-ray images is an intricate task and is highly prone to human error due to fatigue. Baggage handling and security are major operational challenges, and sometimes contribute to flight delays as well. To mitigate these challenges, a high-performance intelligent baggage scanner system is needed. Dimensionless Technologies, an AI company founded by IIT alumnus has developed BaggageAI, using artificial intelligence and data processing technology, to completely overhaul this manual process and automatically detect and locate threat items in x-ray scan images. It is a sophisticated high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) based system for automatic object detection of banned items in baggage through x-ray images. It looks at each image like a human eye, outlines banned objects and sends alerts to the screen. Existing scanners work on manual detection, but this solution automates the process of finding and locating prohibited items in the x-ray image of the scanned baggage. BaggageAI has been developed for the most frequent common items, which are contraband like guns, knives, sharp objects, power bank, battery, coconut, lighter, e-cigarette etc. Solution readily deployable for The solution has been selected by the Airport Authority of India for pilot and deployment to improve efficiency of security personnel. The pilot run of the solution was successfully conducted at Pune International airport last year and is being put into other airports like Ahmedabad International airport and Delhi International airport. Metro Corporations like DMRC and Mumbai metro are also trying out the solution and the pilot run is scheduled at a couple of metro stations in March. BaggageAI is a very fast solution that can process up to 3 images per second or up to 180 bags/ minute. This will greatly reduce the time taken at security checkpoints and make it highly convenient to the passengers. It helps detect threats with high accuracy and efficiency, and reduces false alarms, saving invaluable time. High throughput helps airports handle more passengers and flights per day, resulting in higher revenues and profits. This boosts passenger security significantly by removing human errors in the baggage screening process. It can be effectively deployed at places with high passenger traffic such as airports, metros, malls and railway stations where there is a security risk. Another amazing benefit of the solution lies in the fact that it can get integrated to any existing x-ray baggage scanner system. This greatly enhances the possibility of upgrading all existing machines and improving the security checkpoints to the next level. “Human screeners are expected to be correct 100% of the time – which is an impossible task. That’s why we have brought machines into play to ensure the stress on screeners reduces significantly and the process is automated. It will go a long way in enhancing security and customer experience across the globe. With central monitoring of the baggages through a combination of human and AI can significantly reduce operational cost across various application areas,” explained Kushagra and Himanshu, the founders of the organisation.

Feature

Enabling Better Fire Safety & Implementation – Practical Guide

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 16, 2021November 14, 2024021 mins

Abhishek Chhabra Market Development Manager, Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants, Dubai When people in India started writing the building codes around 6th century AD (Vastu Shastras) the options on methodologies of construction and materials were very limited and the behavior of people was fairly predictable. Not anymore! Nowadays the complexity and variables affecting construction have been changing very quickly, and unfortunately, the laws and rules (building codes) which define minimum requirements take several years to change. This lag is a systemic challenge and is world-wide. But certain key guides that have been published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) continue to help define quality and safety across all industries while the laws catch-up – whether it is electrical safety, industrial products, food, pharma or inspections inside factories, construction sites or hospitals. These guides provide the much-needed unbiased language to help procure and deliver products and services in a fast-changing world. Let us understand how to use these to ensure fire safety too. Any procurement needs an unbiased system that brings about the basic assurance needed for any transaction – ‘getting what you want.’ With so many fire accidents happening in India (and the world), everyone wants these fires not to threaten life, and avoid property damage. This note suggests simple ways to implement actionable steps that can be added to technical specifications and commercial clauses across contracts to ensure fire safety, thus safeguarding investments and ensuring minimum damage to life and property in case of a fire incident. Who are the stakeholders? For the construction industry, the image #01 defines some key stakeholders who need to enter into commercial contracts (to get what they want) with each other. The key language used to define expectations is often a specification document. Now defining fire safety and its implementation often slips out due to lack of awareness to ask ‘exactly’ what is needed. These stakeholders get involved directly or indirectly in design, build and maintain. Image #02 defines some key steps that ensure the learnings from past mistakes (captured in building codes and other guidance documents) are avoided. The tricky part is implementing these concepts with the limitations of time, money, availability of correct products or materials, and lack of training, awareness and comprehension of implementation. A better understanding and usage of the referred ISO guides makes it easy to design, build and maintain. A common thread across these steps is procurement of materials and repeatability of installation. Getting commercial and technical language to align across the contracts of stakeholders makes it easy to assure the delivery of what is designed. Simplifying procurement: Materials & installation for fire safety Before we read on, we should know the real difference between voluntary and mandatory. Making anything mandatory requires a law to be enacted – this requires a consensus. Such laws require technical documents (like building codes) to be referred to as well. And these technical documents also require a consensus. Here lies the risk due to the lag which is well known. A lot of construction gets finished while/ before these two consensuses are arrived at. Hence large hotels chains, hospitals, commercial and retail establishments and insurers and reinsurers never rely on just the minimum mandatory requirements in any given geography. They understand that the rate at which building materials and construction methodologies are evolving; reliance on the minimum mandatory is a high risk, and it will lead to a loss of reputation, money and of course life and property. So, it is common practice to use more evolved and adopted building codes and even more. Hence the technical specifications need to be current and updated, and these are implemented using advanced conformity assessment mechanisms for increased assurance. Conformity assessment is all the activities completed to determine if a product or service meets specific requirements. Let us read how conformity assessment mechanisms are jointly defined by the experts from 165 countries (including India). These experts form and define the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and define these conformity assessment mechanisms. May of these standards have been helping government bodies as well as large investors and specification writers on ways to assess and define ‘getting what you want.’ See image #03 which gives an overview of the terms and definitions used by ISO’s Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO). Below are the three standards whose references should be utilized effectively for procurement. These three are also used to describe a case study in this article. ISO/ IEC 17025: General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. ISO/ IEC 17065: Conformity assessment requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. ISO/ IEC 17020: Conformity assessment requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection. Understanding simple steps with a case study A 300 room 5-star luxury hotel in Dubai would cost around AED 300-400 Million (INR 600-800 Crore) to be built. The MEP works which is about 35% of this cost (INR 250 Crore) has a key element to create compartmentalization for ensuring fire safety. Compartmentalisation or to create a compartment of the area where fire gets initiated helps ensure that a fire that is contained for 2 or 3 hours at a given location giving enough time for evacuation and rescue. This is created using fire doors, partition walls, as well as thorough penetrations and other mechanisms which help seal the openings for pipes and utilities. If the specifications or implementation for this fire safety plan is weak or done incorrectly, the property may have a big fire and would be closed for about a year at the least. So, when re-negotiating with suppliers and contractors to save money here, it should well be kept in mind that what an impact such a savings could lead to – the impact of a small fire versus a huge fire! Without factoring cost of land, the earnings of such a property (after removing operators’ expenses, the earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization) are estimated to be…

Latest

Coalition of India for a Progressive and Holistic Encryption Regime (Cipher)

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 14, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

Data Security Council of India in collaboration with Ashoka University recently launched CIPHER – Coalition of India for a Progressive and Holistic Encryption Regime. CIPHER is a coalition of like-minded institutions and individuals committed to preserving privacy and promoting digital trust by leveraging cutting edge cryptographic technologies. CIPHER would strive towards building a nuanced understanding of encryption among policymakers; assist policymakers in building optimal crypto based solutions for improving governance in India and promote development of encryption-based technologies; nurturing India’s start-up ecosystem in this domain. The launch witnessed wide representation from industry, academia, and civil society organisations. Eminent speakers such as Keri Pearlson, Executive Director, Cybersecurity, MIT Sloan; Peeyush Bajpai, Director, Big Data Solutions, The Nielsen Company; Yashovardhan Azad, Retired IPS Officer, Intelligence Bureau joined the discussions, among others. In the coming days, CIPHER will witness increased collaboration from interested individuals and institutions, enable cutting edge work in crypto technologies, hold discussions, symposiums, and advance the theme of privacy and encryption. Those willing to join the alliance can express their interest at the CIPHER website: https://cipher. ashoka.edu.in/en/ Rama Vedashree, CEO, DSCI, said, “Given the importance of encryption in the digital ecosystem and its cross-cutting impact on the overall policy discourse, it is imperative to hold constructive discussions and bring together a wide variety of stakeholders. CIPHER provides a platform to carry out these difficult yet important conversations, and will strive to create awareness about trust, privacy, and cryptography. We welcome everyone who is interested to join the alliance for a meaningful and solution-oriented approach towards encryption.” Debayan Gupta, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Ashoka University, said, “For too long, cryptographers, policy makers, civil rights activists, and law enforcement have been having parallel conversations around encryption, privacy, and data security without a coherent exchange of ideas. Given the multidimensional nature of these issues, it is critical that we have a common platform to systematically discuss and resolve problems. It is with this hope that we are building CIPHER.” Data Security Council of India (DSCI) is a not-for-profit, industry body on data protection in India, setup by NASSCOM®, committed towards making the cyberspace safe, secure and trusted by establishing best practices, standards and initiatives in cyber security and privacy. DSCI works together with the Government and their agencies, law enforcement agencies, industry sectors including IT-BPM, BFSI, CII, Telecom, industry associations, data protection authorities and think tanks for public advocacy, thought leadership, capacity building and outreach initiatives. For more information, visit: www.dsci.in Ashoka University is a pioneer in its focus on providing a liberal education at par with the best in the world. An Ashoka education carries a strong emphasis on foundational knowledge, thorough academic research based on rigorous pedagogy, and hands-on experience with real-world challenges. The 2000-plus student community, drawn from over 28 states and 100 cities in India as well as 17 other countries, receive a world-class interdisciplinary education through undergraduate and post-graduate programmes led by internationally renowned faculty.

Latest

Together We Grow: ASIS International Security Meet at Chandigarh

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 14, 2021November 14, 202404 mins

With an objective to expand the footprint of ASIS International in North India, under the aegis of ARVP North, Region 13A, the Chapter Executive Committee of ASIS New Delhi Chapter # 207 organized ASIS International security meet on 27 February 2021 (Saturday) at Taj, Chandigarh. Security and risk professionals from Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hissar, Panipat, Baddi, Paonta Sahib, Bhatinda, Jaipur, Rohtak, Sonipat, Karnal, Pune, Zirakpur, Mansa were contacted through community contacts and after registrations were duly invited. Since this was a physical security meet, the registration was restricted to 60 professionals only. The theme of the security meeting was ‘Together We Grow.’ To give thrust and momentum to the theme, the various esteemed committee members of ASIS New Delhi Chapter travelled from Delhi NCR to Chandigarh including Sanjay Kaushik, ARVP, North Region 13A; Gurbir Singh Wasu, Member Certification Committee; Mrs. Aman Singh, Women in Security Committee, Roop Singh Kuntal, Member Certification Committee; J Deepak Kumar Rao, Chapter Law Enforcement Liaison; Balwant Atwal, Former Chapter Chair; Santosh Pathak, Editor, SecurityLinkIndia; Manish Datta, Chapter Chair; Diwakar Nath Pandey, Chapter Vice Chair; Harvindra Singh, Chapter Secretary; Ravi Pratap Chauhan, Chapter Treasurer. The meet started at 4:45pm with registration and high tea. Diwakar Nath Pandey, Chapter Vice Chair welcomed all the participants and spelt out the agenda. Manish Datta, Chapter Chair provided a glimpse on the benefits and introduction on ASIS International. Sanjay Kaushik, ARVP North, Region 13A provided some interesting insights on ‘Evolving role of risk managers in the current environment’ in his address. Harvindra Singh, Chapter Secretary spelt out the benefits of ASIS International Membership. Roop Singh Kuntal covered the benefits of ASIS Certification and Boot Camps. Simagarh Mann of SIS Group Enterprises covered ‘The new dynamics of security operations’ in his address. Two professionals who had signed up for ASIS International membership during the meet – Sohan Pal Yadav and Parminder Chandras – were also introduced. They covered briefly how excited they were about joining ASIS International and what made them sign up. Ravi Pratap Chauhan, Chapter Treasurer concluded the security meet with a vote of thanks and felicitation of the speakers including Ram Panwar and Sohan Pal Yadav who worked tirelessly in making the security meet a great success. Simagarh Mann and other dignitaries of SIS Group Enterprises were felicitated for sponsoring the security meet. The efforts are bearing fruit as the chapter executive committee of ASIS New Delhi Chapter # 207 is signing up new members in Chandigarh and nearby cities, a testimony to establishing a new chapter in the coming months.

Latest

Prama Hikvision Introduces Wide Range of Video Security Cameras Powered by ColorVu Technology

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 14, 2021November 14, 202409 mins

Prama Hikvision has been leading the Indian security industry in video security for years. The company has recently introduced its all new ColorVu cameras powered by the new Hikvision ColorVu technology. ColorVu technology enables cameras to produce colorful videos, even in extremely dimly lit environments. When using a conventional camera with infrared lighting for night monitoring, people, vehicles, or other important objects are blurry and blend into the background, making it difficult to identify details. Color-related information is crucial for many scenarios and is a great asset for data and analyses. However, conventional cameras often lose important details when rendering only black and white images. ColorVu technology is our solution to this common challenge faced by many security system users. Hikvision ColorVu technology Hikvision ColorVu cameras’ powerful ability to capture details in low lighting comes from two specific breakthroughs in hardware technologies – advanced lenses and high-performance sensors. Coupled with a supplemental light for extremely dark scenarios, ColorVu cameras guarantee video with colorful details when needed. The key benefits of full-color video True color information Accurate color rendering. Excellent performance in low-light environments. More details. Clearly captured color information and richer details compared to black and white imaging. Better visual experience Balanced brightness. F1.0 super aperture and advanced sensor guarantee realistic rendering. Application scenarios Residential: Residential buildings, whether town houses, multi-family homes, or apartments, often have several low-light areas that become potentially risky and difficult to navigate in darkness such as walkways, stairwells and other outdoor areas. ColorVu cameras provide unmatched surveillance where incidents or accidents occur, and illuminates areas to reduce risk and improve safety for tenants and visitors. Better quality imaging improves suspect identification when needed, providing a safer environment for residents. Small businesses: Users can monitor entrances and exits as well as dimly-lit interior and exterior areas where theft or other crimes occur such as dark hallways and walkways, dumpster areas, and loading docks. Enjoy better illumination with ColorVu cameras while they protect the employees, customers and assets, helping them to feel safe around and within the property. Parking lots: Parking lots are difficult to protect for many reasons. But ColorVu uses sophisticated supplemental lighting to make parking areas easier to secure. This means there is no need for additional lighting to capture high-quality, full color images. ColorVu’s environment-friendly natural light will not interfere with a driver’s vision, as opposed to harsh, bright, or discolored lights. All these features reduce costs and ensure high-resolution, detailed imagery – such as the color of a person’s clothing or the color of a car – and everything is recorded for forensic review when necessary. Parks and recreation areas: Strategically placed ColorVu cameras illuminate areas with limited lighting that pose risks for accidents or other incidents such as walkways, play areas, entrances to the restrooms, and exercise areas. Better evening and night time illumination keeps members of the community feeling safe and comfortable. Enriched ColorVu options with 4K and varifocal cameras The latest ColorVu cameras offer enriched options to the market with having covered both Turbo HD (DF8T series/ DF3T series/ DF0T series) and network products. The enriched ColorVu series can satisfy a multitude of customer needs, from high performance products to budget friendly choices and smart solutions. Hikvision has now included 4K ColorVu cameras in its product range, which brings color imaging to ultra-high-definition levels day and night. With better image quality and richer detail, 4K ColorVu cameras can be applied across an even wider range of scenarios including stadiums, airports, harbors, and parking lots, where clear and high-resolution images are necessary. In addition, Hikvision has also added varifocal cameras (the DF8T-Z series) to the new ColorVu models to create 24/7 color imaging in all focal lengths. With 2.8-12mm motorized lenses, ColorVu varifocal cameras will allow users to zoom in on colorful images at night. Enhanced colorful imaging with AA manufacturing technology The latest ColorVu camera lenses have kept the F1.0 super-aperture design, allowing four times more light to enter the lens than conventional cameras (that have F2.0). Focusing high definition cameras with large F1.0 apertures is extremely technical for the industry, requiring very strict and accurate manufacturing. Hikvision has applied its advanced Active Alignment (AA) technology in the production of ColorVu cameras to bring the adjustment accuracy to within 4 pixels, even smaller than 1/30 hair diameter. Meanwhile, with optimized sensors, night time color imaging of ColorVu camera renders much brighter than conventional cameras. A new 3D dynamic noise reduction (DNR) algorithm helps the cameras record additional remote details clearly and deliver sharper images. In addition, ColorVu cameras are equipped with a soft and warm supplemental light that illuminates to guarantee color imaging even in zero-light environments. Quick target search with AcuSense technology Most security camera users only need to focus on alarms triggered by human and vehicles, especially at night. These newly released ColorVu cameras can integrate Hikvision’s cutting-edge AcuSense technology to help users focus only on events that matter to security. Empowered by deep learning algorithms, ColorVu cameras can distinguish people and vehicles from other moving objects such as rain, leaves and animals. Alarms will only be triggered when the pre-set intrusion type takes place. With this solution, video clips are sorted by human and vehicle categories, and object classification vastly improves search efficiency.

Latest

Disaster Management: NDMA Guidelines of 2020 on Handling of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 14, 2021November 14, 2024027 mins

Anil Puri CMD, APS group 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 implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences will be discussing the topic of Disaster Management which has been one of his favorite subjects. The tragedy of glacial outburst on 07 Feb 2021 in Chamoli Distt of Uttarakhand took him back to basics – the ‘National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines’ issued in Oct 2020; a solitary document on how to handle Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Deep dive into the document led to many insights into the key issues which he felt to share with the fraternity to usher in better understanding of the handling of GLOFs. He had extensively toured the entire area of Chamoli to just short of Govind Ghat, and returned only on 26th Jan 2021, just a few days before the disaster. The sudden flood on 07 Feb 2021 (Sunday morning) in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. At least 76 persons have been killed and over 150 are still missing after a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system. The sudden flood in the middle of the day in the Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers – all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga – triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation in the high mountain areas. Two power projects – NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad Hydel Project and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project – were extensively damaged with scores of laborers trapped in tunnels as the waters came rushing in. The glacial outburst has raised many eyebrows and fingers about early warning, preparedness and rescue operations and overall handling of such disasters. This sent alarm bells ringing which set in motion my inclination to study the NDMA Guidelines on the subject. Mountain regions are characterized by sensitive ecosystems, enhanced occurrences of extreme weather events and natural hazards. They also symbolize the conflicting interests between economic development and environmental conservation. With rapid global warming, fragile-mountain cryosphere and landscapes are evolving and new threats of landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), avalanches, cloud burst, drought and flash floods are posing grave risks to the vulnerable mountain communities. The Indian Himalayan region (IHR) is facing critical challenges while coping with the adverse effects of climate change. The disappearance of mountain glaciers, expansion of large glacial lakes and the formation of new glacial lakes are amongst the most recognizable impacts of global warming in this environment. IHR lies in Seismic Zones IV and V making the region highly prone to earthquakes. Flash floods and GLOFs have killed thousands in many parts of the world. Some of the largest events have occurred in the Indian Himalayas such as the Kedarnath disaster in Uttarakhand (2013) and Parechu river flash floods in Himachal Pradesh (2005). Despite these losses, disaster risk management related to GLOFs has not been mainstreamed into development policies and programs. Objectives of the NDMA Guidelines The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has partnered with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) along with national experts from concerned Indian institutions for the development of the National Guidelines on Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The main objective of the NDMA Guidelines is to generate awareness of various aspects of dam failure hazards in India and to implement suitable actions to reduce both the risk and costs associated with these hazards. The Guidelines envision to improve administrative response, bringing together the relevant scientific capabilities of the nation to eliminate the losses from glacial and landslide hazards. The primary aim of these guidelines is to develop a strategy that encourages the use of scientific information, maps, methodology, guidance for early warning system, response management, development and implementation of initiatives to reduce losses from glacial hazards. These Guidelines also describe the awareness, preparedness, capacity development, research and development, regulations and enforcements and roles and responsibilities of the local, state and national ministries/ departments along with the various scientific organizations and institutions to reduce the potential risks. These guidelines aim to enable concerned ministries or departments of state/ UT, central governments and other stakeholders to take concerted action for preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and response to GLOFs. These guidelines also emphasize awareness and capacity building of the relevant stakeholders. The possibility of GLOF and LLOF in the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) are escalating very rapidly and pose a threat to the lives of millions of people living in this region. NDMA Guidelines lays down the roadmap to mitigate the impacts of glacial hazards and risks, to develop disaster resilient communities and significantly reduce the loss of lives and assets. These guidelines meant to assist the central ministries, departments and states to formulate their respective DM plans and extend necessary cooperation/ assistance to NDMA for carrying out its mandate. What is GLOFs The melting of the glaciers leads to the accumulation of water in the glacial lakes behind the natural dams made of pebbles, sands, ice and ice residue. These dams are called glacial or moraine dams. When such dammed water suddenly gets released, it results in floods known as GLOFs. The moraine dam is a weak structure and this can give way to an abrupt failure of the dam atop the glacial lake. The glacial lake holds a large amount of water, and a dam failure can possibly release millions of cubic…

Case Study

Florida Department of Transportation Certifies Traffic Detection Solutions from FLIR Systems

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 13, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

When companies introduce new products aimed at improving the efficiency of traffic and safety of all road users, a critical step in the process often includes testing those products by state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). This testing and certification by DOTs ensures that new technologies are viable and acceptable solutions to be placed on each state’s respective approved products list (APL), which then allows adoption across city, county, and state applications. In many states, securing a place on the APL is required before state-wide or local municipality implementation. Widely recognized as one of the most, if not the most, stringent APL certification processes in the United States, securing a place on the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) APL affords a level of trust that shows other existing or potential customers such as city councils or integrators, the level of quality these products offer. Several of Flir’s latest generation smart sensors for traffic detection and data collection have been placed on the state of Florida’s APL. These include the TrafiSense2, TrafiOne, Traficam x-stream2, and the TrafiSense2 Dual. Because of the high bar FDOT maintains for products to achieve APL certification, several other state DOTs recognize FDOT’s APL and use it as part of their acceptance process in addition to their own respective state standards. In addition to Florida, FLIR is working with several other state DOTs to include its latest smart sensors on each state’s respective APLs, enabling wider adoption of this critical technology. Worldwide, FLIR has tens of thousands of smart sensors deployed in dozens of countries. The FLIR TrafiSense2 uses a high-resolution thermal sensor to accurately and reliably detect vehicles and vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians, no matter the lighting and weather conditions. Combined with onboard object classification analytics, TrafiSense2 has quickly gained an excellent reputation and following among traffic engineers and managers for its high performance and use in several applications. With its built-in HD resolution color sensor and onboard analytics, the FLIR TrafiCam x-stream is an excellent value option to achieve reliable traffic/ vehicle detection as well as data collection. FLIR is no stranger to FDOT’s APL. The original TrafiSense was listed on the APL several years ago. With the introduction of that product, FDOT needed to evolve its criteria to now include thermal imaging as a category within its intersection products umbrella. With the legacy approvals in place and the newly listed products, this paves the way for FLIR to secure additional approvals for new products. This includes the recently-announced FLIR TrafiSense AI with thermal imaging and the FLIR TrafiCam AI visible camera, both with onboard artificial intelligence (AI), designed to safely help optimize traffic flow on roadways and at intersections.

International

NIST Offers Tools to Help Defend Against State-Sponsored Hackers

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 12, 2021November 14, 202407 mins

Nations around the world are adding cyber warfare to their arsenal, employing highly skilled teams to launch attacks against other countries. These adversaries are also called the ‘advanced persistent threat,’ or APT, because they possess the tools and resources to pursue their objectives repeatedly over an extended period, adapting to defenders’ efforts to resist them. Vulnerable data includes the sensitive but unclassified information managed by government, industry and academia in support of various federal programs. Now, a finalized publication from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides guidance to protect such ‘controlled unclassified information’ (CUI) from the APT. NIST’s Special Publication (SP) 800-172, Enhanced Security Requirements for Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information: A Supplement to NIST SP 800-171, offers a set of tools designed to counter the efforts of state-sponsored hackers and complements another NIST publication aimed at protecting CUI. “Cyberattacks are conducted with silent weapons, and in some situations those weapons are undetectable,” said Ron Ross, a Computer Scientist and a NIST Fellow, “Because you may not ‘feel’ the direct effects of the next hack yet, you may think it is coming someday down the road; but in reality, it’s happening right now.” The federal government relies heavily on nonfederal service providers to help carry out a wide range of missions using information systems – a term that includes computers, but also a range of other specialized technologies such as industrial control systems and the Internet of Things. The protection of sensitive federal information that resides in nonfederal systems – such as those used by state and local governments, colleges and universities, and independent research organizations – is of paramount importance, as it can directly impact the federal government’s ability to carry out its operations. A hack in 2018 that compromised sensitive information directly inspired the NIST team’s work on SP 800-172. Formerly numbered SP 800-171B during its draft stages, SP 800-172 offers additional recommendations for handling CUI in situations where that information runs a higher than usual risk of exposure. CUI includes a wide variety of information types, from individuals’ names or social security numbers to critical defense information. “We developed SP 800-171 in response to major cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, and its companion document SP 800-172 is designed to mitigate attacks from advanced cyber threats such as the APT,” Ross said, “Implementing the cyber safeguards in SP 800-172 will help system owners protect what state-level hackers have considered to be particularly high-value targets – sensitive information about people, technologies, innovation and intellectual property, the revelation of which could compromise our economy and national security.” The enhanced security requirements are to be implemented in addition to those in SP 800-171, since that publication is not designed to address the APT. The requirements in SP 800-172 apply to the components of nonfederal systems that process, store or transmit CUI or that provide protection for such components. To further narrow the scope, the requirements are applied only when the designated CUI is associated with a critical program or high-value asset – the highest priority for protection. Developed primarily for administrators such as program managers, CIOs and system auditors, the publication addresses the protection of CUI for system components by promoting penetration-resistant architecture, damage-limiting operations, and designs to achieve cyber resiliency and survivability. Its tools, divided into 14 families, are not intended to be implemented en masse, but selected according to the needs of the organization. “Most likely an organization implementing this guidance will not want to use all of the enhanced security requirements we offer here,” Ross said, “The decision to select a particular set of enhanced security requirements will be based on your mission and business needs – and then guided and informed by ongoing risk assessments.” In response to feedback received during the public comment period, the final draft includes updated scoping and applicability guidance and a more flexible requirements selection approach to allow organizations to customize their security solutions. Ross said that the tools in the new publication should offer hope to anyone seeking to defend against hacks, even by as intimidating a threat as the APT. “The adversaries are bringing their ‘A-game’ in these cyberattacks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” he said, “You can start making sure the damage is minimized if you use SP 800-172’s cyber safeguards.”

International

Eagle Eye Networks and Sitasys Introduce First of its Kind Automated Alarm Handling for Operation Centers

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 12, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

Eagle Eye Networks, a leading global player in cloud video surveillance, and Sitasys, the leading cloud alarm management platform have now integrated the Eagle Eye Cloud VMS and its analytics functionality into the evalink alarm monitoring platform allowing service operations centers to more efficiently and effectively manage an unlimited number of cameras without additional human resources. This development builds on the existing partnership between Sitasys and Eagle Eye Networks to create an enhanced security monitoring platform by implementing a cloud-to-cloud integration of video surveillance and alarm monitoring. This integration allows users to immediately connect Eagle Eye Networks VMS into the revolutionary cloud based evalink alarm management platform from Sitasys. Sitasys used Eagle Eye Networks RESTful API platform and Big Data Video Framework™ to rapidly develop and deliver a unique cyber secured integration between its alarm management evalink platform and the Eagle Eye Networks cloud-based video surveillance platform. The integrated system allows users to connect video analytics with smart workflows to automate operational processes. In addition, the user can index, search, retrieve, and analyze video based on alarms from the Sitasys system. The integration and verification process saves time, reduces operations to a minimum, and prevents unnecessary intervention costs. “Our true cloud environment, open platform and advances analytics are not only changing the video surveillance industry, but cloud-to-cloud integration with partners like Sitasys is extending the capabilities of the alarm monitoring industry creating a safer, more secure environment and providing business intelligence than can improve operations,” said Rishi Lodhia, Managing Director, Eagle Eye Networks in EMEA, “This form of automated monitoring is a first in the industry and will give businesses the opportunity to outsource their video monitoring at a lower cost with better accuracy creating benefits for everyone involved. This is an example of how AI can optimize the whole value chain within the security industry. We’re proud to join with Sitasys in pushing the boundaries of technology and client experience.” Working closely together the engineering teams at Eagle Eye Networks and Sitasys completed development and quality assurance in two weeks. The functionality meets an often requested need for service operation centres that want to scale their business, add additional remote monitoring services and manage more cameras without adding additional resources. “With evalink, we help companies automate processes and create additional value for their customers,” added Peter Monte, CEO and Founder of Sitasys AG, “Seamless integration of true cloud systems results in a fantastic ecosystem with best-in-class experiences and services for its users. The integration with a cloud video surveillance partner was something we didn’t have, and we were keen on creating this to show how simple and intuitive systems can be embedded nowadays, while adding exceptional value to the client.”

Case Study

Eastplats Installs Invixium Touchless Temperature Screening Solution at Crocodile River Mine in South Africa

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaMarch 12, 2021November 14, 202408 mins

Invixium, a leading global provider of innovative touchless biometric solutions, recently announces that Eastern Platinum Limited (Eastplats) has deployed IXM TITAN with Enhancement Kit at their Crocodile River Mine. This deployment comes in response to a growing global need for touchless access control and temperature screening due to COVID-19. The local deployment of IXM TITAN was handled by South Africa-based integration specialists, Bluewhale Digital. Bluewhale Digital has 35 years experience in the South Africa mining sector, and after assessing a number of products, chose IXM TITAN for its superior specifications, build quality and ability to handle the unique challenges posed at the mine. Mining operations like Crocodile River Mine require extremely rugged security equipment. Invixium’s IXM TITAN is crafted with an all-aluminum body and a Corning® Gorilla® Glass LCD screen to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, from exposure to dust and sand to high impacts caused by nearby mine blasts. With an existing HRMS installed, Eastplats requires full feature integration with their time and attendance access control hardware. Shift schedules and breathalyzer results need to be checked to enter the mine, and TITAN’s time tracking data would be used to calculate payroll. Further, Eastplats’s COVID-19 response demands that temperature screening and mask detection be added to its access control protocol for thousands of employees and visitors at every shift, adding complexity to an already-intricate integration. IXM TITAN with Enhancement Kit was selected not only for its ruggedness and integration capabilities, but also for its high throughput. With the Enhancement Kit installed, the complete solution can touchlessly authenticate and temperature-screen 12 to 15 users per minute. Thousands of employees and the overall business risk monumental financial losses from delays in entry; thus, speed is a top factor in biometric hardware selection. “Our concern was for the safety and well-being of the Eastplats employees as well as addressing the large amount of time spent on collation and reporting for regulatory requirements,” said Matthew Simpson, Director at Bluewhale Digital, “In the midst of a global pandemic, we needed a way to safely and reliably move 500 people through turnstiles during shift change. We needed to do it with no physical contact, and in line with South Africa’s lockdown regulations.” Using IXM TITAN Bluewhale Digital was able to integrate employee identification and touchless core body temperature scanning, with Eastplats’ existing time and attendance system and their multi-layered security infrastructure. This, along with an automated system for restricting access until a COVID-19 declaration statement was signed by all those entering the mine ensured Eastplats received a fully integrated solution that reduced paperwork and reporting time, and prioritized the health and safety of all mine employees. Following a successful proof of concept trial with four IXM TITAN with Enhancement Kit units, Eastplats plans to add additional Invixium solutions at more entry points to Crocodile River Mine. Due to the ease of installation and integration with their existing system, Eastplats is highly satisfied with the increase in productivity and peace of mind provided by the Invixium solution. “There has been a revolution when it comes to face recognition in the rugged industry of mining, as fingerprints have obvious issues with the time it takes to wash hands before touching a delicate sensor. Add that to the risk of COVID-19 lingering on surfaces, and face recognition becomes the obvious answer for access control,” said Hannelie Hanson, General Manager at Eastplats, “Invixium’s products are quick and accurate, even in our mine, and the Enhancement Kit’s temperature screening reduces the number of steps it takes for a person to get to work safely and with ease. IXM TITAN’s integration with Crocodile River Mine’s current human resource management system and security software ensures managers have all the necessary documents and reports to manage staff and visitors in one location.” “Deploying biometric technology in the mining sector is extremely challenging,” said Shiraz Kapadia, CEO & President at Invixium, “We’re proud to have engineered IXM TITAN to be well suited for extremely harsh environments, like mines, and we are pleased to be the premiere biometric provider to mining operations worldwide, like Eastplats in Africa. IXM TITAN was selected for its ruggedness and speed in face recognition and temperature screening in various lighting conditions. The result is very positive. TITAN ensures a simple and comprehensive solution for employees and managers to allow them to return to work in a healthy, safe, and productive environment.” Invixium is represented by its authorized distributor Pyro-Tech Security Suppliers, located in Johannesburg. Invixium’s presence in South Africa has grown significantly since its regional launch in 2019.