April, 2021 - securitylinkindia

Feature

2021 Will Be All About Protecting Your Data

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 27, 2021November 14, 2024011 mins

Nikhil Korgaonkar, Regional Director, India & SAARC, Arcserve Cyber Security Ventures predicts that global data storage will exceed 200 zettabytes by 2025. To understand the quantum of this you can say, if each terabyte in a zettabyte were a kilometer, then 200 zettabytes will be equivalent to approximately 260,000 roundtrips to the moon. This data will come from data stored on private and public IT infrastructures, utility infrastructures, private and public cloud data centers, personal computing devices such as PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Protection of this data is most crucial for any enterprise. Even the strongest of firewalls don’t guarantee complete protection for enterprise data – the actual wealth of any organization. A forefront defense firewall is part of the drill, but there must be a foolproof data protection plan at the end. In 2021, enterprises will see the next phase of changes in data protection trends as they are experiencing tech-tonic shifts brought about by digital transformation in 2020. 1. Remote Workforce Security and Data Protection Gartner lists ‘securing your remote workforce’ as the topmost security project for 2020-2021. In the first quarter of 2020 when enterprises were forced to migrate their entire workforce to remote work almost overnight, IT became busy creating safe and efficient remote access to the enterprises’ files and applications. The focus was security from a network and data perspective. Due to the critical nature of data which was now cloud-based and distributed, enterprises had to rely on hasty and last-minute security infrastructures which opened doors to cloud-based attacks. Cybercriminals took full advantage of this disruption in the workforce norms and increased phishing and ransomware attacks on the remote workers. Today, remote desk protocol (RDP) is currently considered the number one attack vector for ransomware, and even virtual private network (VPN) appliances are not able to save the situation entirely. What enterprises need is data recovery resilience in the face of increasing cyberattacks and IT disasters. With more data getting stored in the cloud, companies will need to develop more robust plans that aggregate and protect distributed data in line with new vulnerabilities in 2021. At the same time, the IT teams must track and secure non-compliant and compromised devices as they are still being used in remote settings. 2. Customer Data Protection Initiatives I gnoring data protection and privacy norms is a blunder businesses can make especially when it comes to customer data. Research shows that almost 60 percent consumers will stop doing business with an organization that has experienced a cyberattack in the past year. The data also indicates that one in four consumers will jump ship to a competitor’s product or service after a single ransomware-related service disruption. That’s a steep price to pay for letting customers down, and it’s not a surprise that so many enterprises are taking steps to ensure they provide the highest level of data protection for their users. 2021 should see enterprises prioritizing user data protection in both new and existing initiatives. They are likely to make use of technology to detect and resolve internal and external threats to data security. At a broader level, the Indian government is in the process of finalizing its personal data protection bill. The bill is expected to establish a data protection authority to protect personal data of individuals and create a framework for processing such personal data. 3. Enforcement of Data Protection Regulations and Compliance Data regulations are important. They ensure enterprises follow the same set of standards when protecting, sharing, collecting or storing sensitive data. Around 66 percent countries in the world have passed their own national data protection laws such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). India is in the final approval stage of its data protection bill which is expected to be presented to the parliament this year. While countries are taking precautions and creating guidelines to create a safe data economy for their businesses and people, it’s unfortunate that enterprises don’t take it as seriously as they should. Companies, globally often don’t play by the rules and the annual cost of noncompliance to businesses runs at a staggering average of $14.8 million, according to a Ponemon Institute report. Interestingly, it is seen that the cost of compliance to an enterprise is often much lesser than that of non-compliance. As we move into 2021 and remote work and cloud adoption continue, it is hoped that enterprises will go in for an increased enforcement of regulations and data privacy laws. 4. Data Protection from New Ransomware Techniques Ransomware techniques will become more sophisticated and innovative. For instance, there will be ransomware ‘families’ that will refine their tactics, techniques and procedures to become more evasive and finesse their sophistication, targeting multimillion-dollar business. Then there will be an increase in the number of entry-level, apprentice-type ransomware attackers offering ransomware-for-rent, or ransomware-as-as-service, allowing targeting of high volumes of smaller prey. ‘Secondary extortion’ will increase where attackers steal and threaten to publish sensitive or confidential information if their demands are not met. This brings us back to data protection. Ransomware and other cyberattacks will not stop. An enterprise can deal with all kinds of ransomware attacks provided it has invested in data protection and recovery. According to a recently released Sophos 2021 Threat Report, organizations are hard-pressed to predict the evolution of cyber threats because ransomware gangs are constantly devising new tactics to hold critical data hostage and solicit ransom payments. Enterprises, therefore, must take a proactive approach through an integrated first and last line of defencs that offers ransomware prevention, detection and removal, and if automated data restore to on-site and cloud targets. Integrating cybersecurity and data protection as a coordinated deployment is critical for an enterprise. Arcserve’s new X Series Appliances integrate both and are designed to create a robust system scalable for enterprise data centers. These appliances uniquely combine deep learning endpoint protection and on- and offsite disaster recovery with over…

Case Study

Luxury Greek Resort Receives 5-Star Fire Protection

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 27, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

Based in the coastal town of Ierapetra in Crete, the Robinson Club is designed around ‘neighbourhoods’ of hotel rooms across a 150 acre-site. This unique layout meant that the fire system specified needed to deliver seamless detection and notification of a potential fire to the hotel’s staff and guests, who could be located anywhere across the 340 rooms and suites, multiple restaurants, spa facilities and conference rooms. Responsible for the design, supply and installation of the fire detection, extinguishing system and firefighting equipment at the 5-star Robinson Club Ierapetra were Advanced partners, Zarifopoulos. In total, Zarifopoulos installed 14 of Advanced’s industry-leading Axis EN fire alarm control panels on a high-speed, fault-tolerant network alongside over 900 notification and detection devices including detectors, call points and sounders. Spilios Alexopoulos, Commercial Director at Zarifopoulos, referring to the state of the art system as well as the special attention that has been paid to the fire protection of the luxurious Robinson Club Ierapetra, commented, “Its widespread nature required a high-speed network of fire alarm control panels to ensure instant notification of a fire event. As a long-term partner of Advanced, we knew the company’s solutions offered the high levels of performance and reliability required, combined with ease of use and installation.” Axis EN is EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13 approved and its panels can be used in single-loop, single-panel format or easily configured into high-speed, multi-loop panels in 200 node networks covering huge areas. Advanced products’ ease of installation and configuration as well as the range of peripherals available make it customisable to almost any application. Vladimir Zrnic, Regional Sales Manager for Southern Europe, said, “In large-scale sites such as the Robinson Club, Ierapetra, it’s vital to ensure that the panels, when networked, will sustain adequate performance levels. As the number of panels and peripherals on a network increase, some systems can slow down dramatically, compromising safety and reliability. “Advanced’s fire panel networks are widely regarded as some of the most robust and resilient in fire situations. Axis EN panels can be configured into networks of up to 200 panels in standard or fault-tolerant configurations, while sophisticated cause and effect and intuitive, easy programming of rules make implementation effortless.” The Robinson Club Ierapetra resort opened in the summer of 2020 and is one of its German owner, TUI Group’s, largest investments in Greece. Designed with preservation of the natural environment in mind, the hotel offers a minimalist, high-end experience for its guests. Advanced, owned by FTSE 100 company Halma PLC, protects a wide range of prestigious and high-profile sites across Southern Europe – from Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and the Romanian National Library to Serbia’s University of Belgrade. Halma is a global group of life-saving technology companies with a clear purpose to grow a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.

Case Study

Expedite Contact Tracing Efforts with Unified Video Security & Access Control Technology

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 27, 2021November 14, 202417 mins

Challenge Healthcare officials and organizations are facing the challenge of contact tracing quickly and effectively to curb the spread. Time is of the essence when it comes to backtracking an infected person and identifying potential people who were exposed to the infected person or contaminated areas, but there are currently gaps in information. Solution Motorola Solutions is committed to innovating mission-critical technologies to protect people and communities, including looking at the existing technology they have in the market that can help alleviate current healthcare challenges. Motorola Solutions’ Avigilon™ Access Control Manager (ACM) is a physical access control system that is designed to help organizations protect its people, property and assets. The ACM™ system seamlessly integrates with Avigilon Control Center (ACC) video management software to provide a fully unified security solution that helps organizations proactively monitor and secure their sites. Key features of a unified ACM and ACC™ system can provide important insights to help support contact tracing efforts such as determining potentially exposed people and areas so organizations can intervene faster. For example, consider a scenario where an infected employee that worked at a distribution center has been identified. The infected employee has since been staying at home to recover. As a safety check, the security team at the distribution center can use their unified ACM and ACC system to trace the employee’s steps. It can be presumed that the doors the employee used may be contaminated, particularly door handle surfaces. The identity correlation report in the ACM system provides operators an efficient way to generate a report of any doors accessed by the employee during their working hours. The report provides the date and time of when a door was accessed by the employee, the time difference between door access events and who else accessed the door. Subsequently, operators can identify other employees that have accessed the same doors in the same timeframe as the infected employee. The report also tracks valid card reads and invalid card reads by including a list of employees that have attempted to access a door. Even if some employees did not access a door successfully, there is still an exposure risk because the door can potentially be contaminated due to contact by the infected employee. With the Identity Search feature in ACC software, security operators can easily search in the system and see when and where the infected employee has accessed a door at the distribution center with their access card. Operators can view all of the doors that the employee attempted to access when they were still working and extend contact tracing efforts further by launching Avigilon Appearance Search™ technology from the Identity Search results. Powered by AI, Avigilon Appearance Search technology allows operators to quickly search for the employee from the Identity Search results and track their route throughout the distribution center for other potentially contaminated areas. This can help reduce hours of video footage review to minutes – expediting contact tracing efforts. When combined with fixed video security cameras installed inside and outside the distribution center, operators can achieve optimal situational awareness across the entire site and create a powerful case detailing the chain-of-events associated with the infected employee’s whereabouts. The security team is in a position to obtain robust information to help determine which other employees have also accessed the same doors or areas during the same time frame as the infected employee – which can help in determining the number of potentially exposed people. The distribution center can then proactively advise the potentially exposed employees of the risks and take necessary hygiene and safety measures such as having the exposed employees tested and increasing sanitation of potentially contaminated areas. With a unified video security and access control solution in place, organizations can leverage its existing technology in an innovative way for obtaining critical information to better protect its employees and people in the community. Motorola Solutions proudly manufactures and deploys the sophisticated, cutting-edge communications, software, video security and analytics technologies that keep communities and nations safe. They have been on the front lines with federal, state and local governments, including in times of crisis, for over 90 years. Today, their 17,000 innovators, engineers and manufacturing specialists are eager to help address critical gaps in the availability of medical and health management technology needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

National

AIoT – A Powerful Convergence Transforming Businesses in 2021

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 27, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

Vikas Bhonsle CEO, Crayon Software Experts India One of the most trending buzzwords currently in the IT sector is AIoT. As the name indicates, AIoT is a fusion of AI – Artificial Intelligence and IoT – Internet of Things. While both AI and IoT have their individual operations and characteristics, their combination brings out a whole new scope for digital transformation One of the most trending buzzwords currently in the IT sector is AIoT. As the name indicates, AIoT is a fusion of AI – Artificial Intelligence and IoT – Internet of Things. While both AI and IoT have their individual operations and characteristics, their combination brings out a whole new scope for digital transformation. Businesses to achieve digital transformation can deploy AIoT to generate predictive analytics or anomaly alerts by shifting through millions of tank level data points. If AIoT is deployed at the edge computing, it helps reduce bandwidth and latency while enhancing privacy and security. AIoT can provide support for data analytics solutions that can create value out of IoT-generated data. While the concept of AIoT is still relatively new, there is a scope to improve the growth of various industry verticals. However, AIoT could be a viable solution to solve existing operational problems such as the expense associated with effective human capital management (HCM) or the complexity of supply chains and delivery models. AIoT helps organizations promote learning and personalization at the same time. For a productive digital transformation, AIoT synergizes solutions by allowing the inclusion of more advanced predictive capabilities. AIoT can use data analytics to make suitable suggestions or undertake commensurate actions. Let’s know about a few ways how AIoT can influence the changes: Intelligent decision making: AIoT can help enterprises to intelligently manage this overwhelming data in a way that provides valuable insights that they can use to make smart decisions. High operational efficiency: Using smart automation organizations can increase their operational efficiency and optimize their expenditure. Accurate predictions: With the high amount of data collected and analyzed, organizations can predict output of the operations more accurately than ever. Better customer experience: AIoT can help organizations understand their preferences by creating agile, targeted, and effective customer experience strategy. They are able to treat every customer individually by considering their habits, patterns, and preferences. IoT scalability: AI-powered IoT ecosystem analyzes and summarizes the data from one device before transferring it to another. As such, it reduces large volumes of data to a handy level and allows connecting to a large number of IoT devices. No costly unplanned downtime: The predictive maintenance with AIoT allows to predict the equipment failure in advance and schedule orderly maintenance procedures. These changes help organizations diversify and have an edge over their competitors. AIoT is supported by artificial intelligence, 5G network and big data. The AIoT fusion is increasingly becoming mainstream, as it continues to push the boundaries of data processing and intelligent learning for years to come. IoT coupled with AI technology can lead the way to the advanced level of solutions and experience.

National

HID Global is Named a Leader in 2021 Gartner ‘Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, Global’ Report for Second Year in a Row

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 27, 2021November 14, 202404 mins

HID Global, a worldwide provider of trusted identity solutions, recently announced it has again been positioned in the Leaders quadrant in the most recent Gartner ‘Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, Global’ report. “We are proud to again be named a Leader in a Gartner’s 2021 Magic Quadrant,” said Mark Robinton, Vice President of IoT Services with HID Global, “HID® Location Services, including the latest Workplace Safety solution for contact tracing and physical distancing, continues to demonstrate the benefits of investing in a single, unified infrastructure to solve multiple business challenges. Widely adopted by Fortune 500 companies for managing building occupancy, optimizing office and facility space, tracking assets and monitoring equipment health, HID Location Services has become increasingly valuable across a growing range of new and existing markets and use cases.” HID Location Services for Workplace Safety leverages the solution’s Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) HID BEEKS™ Aware fobs that alert employees when they are closer than 6 feet (2 meters) for a specified period for digitized physical distancing management. The solution also includes a contact tracing application that uses the same HID BEEKS Aware fob or a BEEKS badge/ badge holder that is easily added to existing ID cards. This provides a full digital trail of an employee’s whereabouts and historical interactions while at work, enabling rapid response to cases so isolation procedures can be activated as needed. According to the Gartner report, “Vendors in the Leaders quadrant will have demonstrated an ability to fulfill a broad variety of customer requirements through the breadth of its indoor location service solution. Leaders will have the ability to provide complete and differentiating capabilities as part of their indoor location offerings. This includes global service and support. Leaders should have demonstrated the ability to shape the market, maintain strong relationships with their channels and customers, and have no obvious gaps in their portfolios.” In addition to delivering physical distancing and contact tracing capabilities, HID Location Services solutions can be used in a wide variety of applications that require real-time visibility into an organizations people, property and assets across multiple locations or a specific area. A seamless end-to-end IoT ecosystem spans the beacons, gateways and cloud management software for creating solutions in applications including employee safety, smart buildings, healthcare and hospitality.

National

Fortinet Expands Engage Partner Program Benefits to Further Enable Channel Business Growth

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 20, 2021November 14, 202407 mins

“Fortinet has been successful in enabling our channel partners to grow their business and services leveraging the Fortinet Security Fabric. Our partnerships go beyond the technologies that enable service offerings that drive growth and profitability. We’ve received outstanding feedback about the partner program to date and want to continue enhancing it to meet customers’ evolving needs as well as digital innovations. Today we are announcing updates that will help our partners to further reap benefits from the Engage Partner Programand to set themselves apart with customers“ Rajesh Maurya Regional Vice President, India & SAARC, Fortinet Fortinet®, a leading global player in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, recently announced updates to the Fortinet Engage Partner Program, enabling additional flexibility and revenue growth for partners. Fortinet is adding new consumption models for a range of products including FortiSIEM and FortiEDR, enhancing benefits for cloud partners and introducing new specializations focused on growing markets. Engage 2.0 Partner Program expands benefits With hybrid workforces, highly distributed network infrastructures and new digital innovations, organizations find that securing all their environments is becoming increasingly complex if they don’t have the right technology and trusted advisors to lean on. To further enable channel partners to address these customer needs, the Engage 2.0 Partner Program will now include: New consumption models: Fortinet is continuing to enable MSSP and SP partners to build services and grow their business leveraging the Fortinet Security Fabric with new consumption models for FortiSIEM, FortiEDR, FortiClient, FortiSOAR, FortiAI and FortiDeceptor. According to Gartner, by 2024, more than 90% of buyers looking to outsource to security services proFortinet Expands Engage Partner Program Benefits to Further Enable Channel Business Growth Engage 2.0 partner program introduces new consumption models, specializations and updates for cloud partners to help create more profitability pathways viders will focus on threat detection and response services. Fortinet has seen an uptake of our consumption offerings, which continues to grow significantly as partners take advantage of tapping into this market demand for threat detection security outcomes. With more and more customers looking for flexible consumption models, the introduction of new ways to consume Fortinet’s end point solutions enable MSSPs and SPsto offer their customers new security services that can be quickly deployed and at lower costs. Enhanced cloud partner benefits: The EngagePartner Program allows partners to engage as an integrator, MSSP or cloud partner. For cloud partners, Fortinet is adding additional ways they can take advantage of the various routes to market leveraging Fortinet’s Adaptive cloud security offerings. Managed cloud service provider partners are now immediately eligible for the Engage Select Cloud Business Model. Participants in this business model are eligible for additional discounts on Fortinet’s flexible licensing models, including BYOL and pay-as-you-go, and gain access to FortiCWP and FNDN. These new benefits result in cost savings as partners expand their cloud security services powered by Fortinet. Additional specializations: Fortinet is introducing new specializations focused on high growth areas with additions including – zero trust access, operational technology and security operations. Specializations help partners further distinguish their expertise among current and potential customers as trusted partners who have the knowledge, services and technologies to fulfill customer business needs. Fortinet’s existing specializations have included secure SD-WAN, data center, adaptive cloud security, and LAN edge and SD-branch. Updated NSE courses to meet compliance requirements: Fortinet’s NSE training courses and eight-level certification program, which are free to all Fortinet partners, have been updated allowing partners to meet more compliance requirements. Becoming a Fortinet partner The Fortinet Engage 2.0 Partner Program allows partners to develop the expertise needed to deliver on the promise of digital transformation through a customizable program with market-leading profitability and the programs and infrastructure in place to accelerate their growth. Partners also are provided flexibility to engage on three business levels – integrator, MSSP or cloud providing multiple opportunities to grow different segments of their business, as well as multiple ways to differentiate their offerings with Specializations.

Report

INDIA RISK REVIEW 2021

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 20, 2021November 14, 2024052 mins

The year gone by will for long be remembered as one of the most tumultuous years for the world in living memory. India’s economy was already under considerable strain and was showing early signs of systemic fault lines. The arrival of the pandemic at the beginning of the year and its quick spread exacerbated the already fragile situation, pushing the economy towards a downward spiral and into a recessionary mode. The economic shock and disruption caused by COVID-19 had a more telling and crippling effect on the unorganised daily wage sector and migrant workers, triggering a painful dislocation and social upheaval, causing much anguish and distress in rural India. In comparative terms, despite its dense population and fragile health infrastructure, India had till date managed the pandemic satisfactorily, especially so in respect of its fatality ratio. On the geopolitical front, India had a major spat with China after nearly sixty years. Large, heavily armed forces of both sides are as of now locked in a tense stand-off. Any military miscalculation or foolhardy adventure by either side can quickly snowball into a sharp and escalatory conflagration. An objective strategic assessment would suggest that both sides are on even terms, with perhaps a slight tactical advantage to India, allowing it a stronger negotiating posture. Going forward in the next year, one does not foresee any significant changes in the prevailing ground position. Any scope for de-escalation and disengagement can only happen at the highest political level of both sides. The chances of that happening soon are dim, as there is too much at stake for either side to show weakness. A stalemate in the near term is therefore more likely. India would have to be very alert once the campaigning season restarts in June, and both sides jockey for tactical advantage. One thing is for sure, that the clash had brought India and the USA closer together strategically and militarily. This relationship is likely to endure even under the Biden administration, as containing China by all possible means would continue to be the fundamental plank of US policy in the Indo Pacific. The clash had also given an impetus to the QUAD grouping; and the recent joint naval exercises are a pointer to a seriousness of intent. In the coming year, more developments and growth in QUAD and QUAD plus can be expected. Indo-Australian relations, both military and economic, will see an upward swing as Australia and China appear to be drifting apart. The UK, having left Brexit, will look towards India for increased trade, and economic relations will be on the upswing. Indian economy is coming out of recession and despite all constraints, is likely to be the world’s fastest growing economy with anticipated growth rate of 8 to 8.5% and going on to 9 plus in the ensuing years. Once the pandemic is fully under control and an effective vaccine is deployed, one can expect things to be hopefully normal by the second to third quarter of next year. Agricultural reforms introduced by the Modi Govt have met with much headwind. Even though the farm laws are technically good for the agricultural sector, sadly the government had brought them in a hurry and without building a reasonable consensus or communicating the benefits/ safeguards to the polity effectively. It is hoped that most of the contentious issues will be resolved. This though will involve very astute and benign handling, or else given the current mood it may spiral out of control. Nearly 5 Indian states go for elections in 2021 with West Bengal being the most crucial, followed by Assam and Tamil Nadu. The results of these state elections will be like a midcourse referendum of the current disposition. A change of government in West Bengal would be a tall ask for the BJP but TMC would definitely be weakened and lose its grip on the state. Whatever be the final result, due to the high stakes and passions involved, violence during the run up and during elections is likely and would need monitoring. 2021 will be a very eventful year, especially in terms of economic recovery, and revival of the travel and hospitality sector. Schools are likely to open early next year if the current COVID-19 declining trends continue. Security scenario on the borders both with China and Pakistan will continue to be tense with distinct possibility of clashes resulting in casualties. A full-scale war or even a sectoral conflict is less likely as both sides are unwilling to escalate matters. As we move forward, security professionals are likely to face dynamic and more evolving security threats worldwide. As leaders have been focusing on recovering from the impact of COVID-19, security concerns related to border conflicts with China and Pakistan, situations of civil unrest, technological risks and consequences of climate change will have its impact besides the non-traditional threats in both the physical and cyber realms. OVERALL BUSINESS CLIMATE FOR 2021 For India, 2020 was a year of multiple reckonings. Between COVID-19, the lockdown and the pandemic’s economic consequences, the standoff in Ladakh, caused by the largest Chinese military mobilisation in memory, farmer protests on the outskirts of the national capital, and even cyclones were crowded out of news cycles. In terms of geopolitical developments, regional tensions are expected to continue. Besides violent clashes between India and China at the Galwan Valley and a border dispute with Nepal, complexities persist with Pakistan. While India had managed to maintain its ties with Nepal, relations with China and Pakistan are likely to remain strained in the same manner. Tensions along both borders will remain top priorities for security establishments, with probability of more clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and continued cross border infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC). The impact of the 2020 pandemic in India had been highly disruptive as the country had contributed the second highest number of COVID-19 cases. While the market forecasts have predicted a drop of 18.3 percent, the Indian economy shrank…

Latest

28th Convergence India & 6th Smart Cities India 2021 Expo

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 18, 2021November 14, 2024017 mins

The first live and in-person B2B expo was inaugurated by Satyendar Jain, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Industries, Home, Public Works Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport, Government of NCT of Delhi. Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA, sets the tone at the City Leader’s Conclave on Day 2. 500 participating brands, 250 speakers and 50 conference sessions; the expo demonstrated the power of in-person networking. The 28th Convergence India and the 6th Smart cities India expo 2021was recently inaugurated with a cutting-edge exhibition showcase and engaging conference sessions, along with business meetings and knowledge papers at India’s biggest tech and infra expo. Hosted by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group (EIG), the expo marked the resurgence of live and physical events. The expo supports the Government’s vision of transforming India into a digitally and sustainably empowered economy. Convergence India is at the forefront of India’s digital revolution, while the Smart Cities India expo is a reflection of India’s emerging modernization and development landscape. The combination of these two leading expos, supporting India’s Digital & Smart Cities Missions, delivered an event that accelerated technological innovation, opening with key discourses on the growth of India’s digital economy and enabling entrepreneurship as a driving force for socio-economic development. The expo was inaugurated by Satyendar Jain, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Industries, Home, Public Works Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport, Government of NCT of Delhi, who stressed the importance of events such as the Convergence India expo and the Smart Cities India expo, in creating a digital and smart India. Speaking at the opening session on ‘Building Cities for People’ at the Smart Cities Conclave, he said, “The idea of smart cities should also incorporate the idea of sustainability, for without it, no city can be smart. In building and developing smart cities, not only do we need to think about people but also work towards involving them in the process of planning and development. Water is going to be one of the biggest problems going forward, and we must think about solutions. Also, integrating new-age technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) in the making of smart cities is the need of the hour. ” A key highlight of the event was a stellar line-up of senior government representatives, leaders from large corporates and young tech start-ups, along with a mix of entrepreneurs, accelerators, incubators and academia, who addressed packed rooms and responded to queries from an inquisitive audience. Some distinguished and eminent industry experts included Kunal Kumar, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Shobhit Agrawal, Partner KPMG India; P D Vaghela, IAS, Chairman, TRAI; Puneet Narang, Partner, Urban Transformation and Major Projects Advisory, IGH, KPMG in India; Dr. Renu Khosla, Director, CURE; Satish Jamadagni, Vice-Chair, TSDI; Dr. S K Gupta, Secretary, TRAI; Amit Kumar Ghosh, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways; Puneet Anand, AVP-Corporate Affairs Unit, Hyundai Motor, India, and many more, who graced the conference sessions to share their vision and ideologies. After a successful day of in-person networking on day one, Day 2 marked the launch of the City Leader’s Conclave, with the inaugural session on ‘Building Better Cities.’ The Guest of Honour, Durga Shanker Mishra, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India, paid a tribute to the Late Shri Prem Behl, Chairman & Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group, and expressed appreciation for being part of the 6th Smart Cities India. He referred to the event as the key platform for all technocrats, stakeholders, and city leaders to come forward and learn from each other and collaborate on the best practices they can highlight to build better cities. Speaking on ‘Building Better Cities’ at the City Leader’s Conclave, he said, “The first learning is that cities are for people, for its citizens, and not just for corporations and bureaucrats. Citizens have demonstrated that they can come together to think, aspire, benchmark, and create targets for what their city needs to do and what will be best for citizens. The main learning from smart cities is to identify how to get more from less and how to make cities more inclusive.” He further said, “There is no definition or specific explanation of smart cities. A smart city is a city which is able to provide the best services to its citizens, in terms of liveability, and one that can provide a conducive liveable environment, wherein citizens can realize their highest potential.” The occasion was also marked by the launch of a Knowledge Paper by KPMG in India, titled – “Road to sustainable smart cities – Challenges, opportunities and emerging trends.” This paper hopes to serve as a set of insights into the longer term nature of urbanization in India to help the various stakeholders introspect and prepare for the next generation of inclusive urban development programmes in India. It has attempted to evaluate the smart city programme across key aspects, ranging from simplified governance to complex programme implementation. Speaking on the occasion, Elias George, Partner and Head – Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare (IGH), KPMG in India, said, “ The knowledge paper findings reveal that while considerable headway has been made in attaining the objectives of the programme, further interventions are required at the regulatory, policy & programme management and design levels. It is hoped that this document will be of practical use for the key actors involved in the smart cities programme, to critically evaluate its status across these domains, and to undertake further reforms and corrections as may be warranted.” The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread turbulence across the world. As part of an emergency response to the pandemic, the Indian government leveraged the pioneering Smart Cities Mission (SCM) to enable cities to effectively leverage technology in improving citizen services and the overall quality of life. To deliberate on these challenges and the future roadmap of smart cities and learnings from them in India, various smart city…

Latest

Appointment of Independent Non-Executive Director

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 18, 2021November 14, 202402 mins

Halma, the FTSE 100 global group of life-saving technology companies, recently announced the appointment of Dharmash Mistry as an independent non-executive Director, effective 1 April 2021. Dharmash will also be a member of Halma’s audit, remuneration and nomination committees. Dharmash brings a wealth of experience as a venture capitalist, entrepreneur and non-executive director. He has extensive experience spanning management of digital assets, digital marketing, evaluating digital business models and driving digital transformation. Dharmash’s venture capital roles have seen him leading investments in disruptive technology companies and early stage ventures. His earlier executive career included roles with Procter & Gamble, Boston Consulting Group and Emap plc. Subsequently, he has been a partner at venture capital firms Balderton and Lakestar. Dharmash has also had a diverse portfolio career acting as a non-executive director at Dixons Retail plc, Hargreaves Lansdown plc and, currently, non-executive director at the BBC, British Business Bank and is Chair of blow LTD. Paul Walker, Chair, commented, “I am delighted that Dharmash has agreed to join the Halma Board. Dharmash brings in-depth knowledge and experience of digitalisation and developing new business models which will undoubtedly be of great value to Halma.” There are no further details to be disclosed for Dharmash Mistry under Listing Rule 9.6.13R.

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Prama Hikvision Introduces AcuSense Video Security Cameras Empowered by Deep Learning Algorithm for Varied Application Scenarios

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaApril 18, 2021November 14, 2024010 mins

Prama Hikvision has recently introduced its wide range AcuSense cameras empowered by the deep learning algorithm for various critical application scenarios. AcuSense technology enables security personnel to focus on human and vehicle events rather than insignificant objects, so they can act more efficiently, which helps save time and costs, while end-users can get full control of their security system anytime, from anywhere. Hikvision AcuSense products were introduced with the idea of making intelligent alarms and services available to small businesses and residential customers for the first time. A sense of safety is one of the most basic human needs, personal and property safety are integrated into that sentiment as well. And this is exactly why people install security systems in their homes and businesses. Compared to conventional sensor-based alarm systems, a surveillance system that utilizes cameras has several advantages – the ability to watch events in real-time, obtaining key data around those events, and providing solid and accurate evidence for law enforcement. By adding a touch of intelligence to cameras and video recorders, AcuSense technology makes these products a perfect choice for an accessible and intelligent security system. The magic behind it all – Deep learning algorithm As its name implies, Hikvision AcuSense technology provides accurate sensing in security hardware. Empowered by deep learning algorithms, AcuSense technology distinguishes people and vehicles from other moving objects. Focus on the right events – Human and vehicle intrusion The most common concerns in perimeter protection are trespassing and vehicle break-ins. AcuSense technology helps focus on human and vehicle events in two ways – the device will only trigger an alarm when the preset intrusion type (human or vehicle) takes place, and videos related to alarm events are sorted into human and vehicle categories for easier footage searches. Accurate alarms for humans and vehicles A video security camera would usually ‘see’ many events, ranging from people crossing a perimeter to animals that accidentally enter. What happens when a person wants to level-up his protection and get a notification when a perimeter-crossing event takes place? For most security events, he will search for video clips that captured human or vehicle activities. With AcuSense devices, this gets easier. Video clips are already sorted into the ‘human files’ and ‘vehicle files.’ Just to simply click one of these categories and use time or location data to quickly locate the clip that he wants. Compared to the conventional method which displays all video files at once, AcuSense makes searching more efficient. Users can focus on alarms triggered by humans and vehicles while false alarms triggered by small animals or other irrelevant objects are vastly reduced. Visual and auditory warning On-site response and deterrence methods using visual and customizable auditory warnings to add another layer of protection. Search targets quickly by type Video clips are sorted by human and vehicle categories, and object classification vastly improves search efficiency. Improved alarm accuracy The latest Hikvision AcuSense devices are engineered with an upgraded deep learning algorithm, which analyzes live video streams and labels them as ‘human,’ ‘vehicle,’ or ‘other events.’ Those labeled as human and vehicle will trigger alarms for security staff, while other events such as rain drops, animals, or the movement of foliage, for example, will be drastically disregarded. The result is a striking reduction in false alarms – now with an accuracy approaching 98%. In this way, security personnel can focus on genuine security issues and take action. Additionally, related videos are automatically sorted by categories for easier search. Enhanced motion detection with human/ vehicle classification Customers familiar with motion detection will appreciate the capabilities of AcuSense technology as well. Taking users’ habits into full consideration, Hikvision designed AcuSense products to integrate human and vehicle classifications with motion detection. More specifically, when motion is detected, the system analyzes whether or not it is associated with a human or a vehicle, and whether an alarm should be triggered. So, when users enable the motion detection function, they can enjoy the same level of alarm accuracy afforded by Hikvision’s AcuSense technology. Flashing light and two-way voice conversation When real-time deterrence is needed, Hikvision also offers camera models with a flashing light and auditory warning. As soon as an alarm is triggered, the built-in light flashes. Simultaneously, security personnel can communicate with the person who triggered the alarm to confirm their authorization, thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone in the camera. Of note, the latest AcuSense cameras even support customized audio tracks, which can be pre-recorded to suit various environments. Better performance in low-light environments The latest AcuSense camera lenses are equipped with an aperture reaching up to F1.4. This technology allows more light to enter the lens, for optimized image brightness, and better performance in low-light environments. Larger detection area Compared with previous AcuSense cameras, this new generation extends target classification distances from 10, 15, or 22 meters to 20, 25, or 30 meters, depending on the model. Customers can choose from 2MP, 4MP, or 4K resolutions, as well as a dome, turret and bullet housings to suit their specific installation requirements. Application Scenarios Alarm receiving center/ monitoring center Security monitoring is never an easy task, especially when it is made responsible for watching over multiple locations at the same time. AcuSense products can help ramp up efficiency and improve workflow. For burglar alarm service: Accurate alarm for human intrusion events only. For playback and video search: Quick search for human or vehicle-related video through sorted folders. Villas Whether one chooses to keep an eye on the house himself or hire a professional service provider to look after his home, there are two functions he will surely want to have: Prompt notification via smartphone: Check alarm information and view live video feed. Light and sound intruder deterrence: React to intrusion events with a flashing light and customizable siren. Factories and warehouses Factories and warehouses store high-value raw materials or commodities. Security here is crucial. However, there is usually only limited manpower to perform such tasks. AcuSense devices offer…