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Month: February 2022

Hinduja Hospital Strengthens its Security and Increases Everyday Efficiency with Matrix Video Surveillance Solution

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India04 mins

Hinduja hospital is an ultramodern, multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with a Medical Research Centre (MRC) in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, USA. The hospital has an inpatient capacity of 342 beds, inclusive of 53 critical care beds in different specialties. As a tertiary care hospital, the services offered are comprehensive, covering investigation and diagnosis to therapy, surgery and post-operative care. The inpatient services are complemented with a day centre, out-patient facilities and an exclusive centre for health check for executives. Hinduja hospital was the first multi-disciplinary tertiary care hospital to have been awarded the prestigious ISO 9002 certification from KEMA of Netherlands for Quality Management System. Challenges Hinduja had been using video surveillance systems of Axis brand. They wanted to upgrade to the latest technology surveillance solution, without having to replace the existing cameras to protect their investments. For centrally monitoring multiple cameras from different devices, their existing system used a dedicated server. Managing this server was complex and hence they required a solution, which could eliminate the need of this dedicated server. They wanted to store camera recordings of three months as evidential proof in case of an investigation and audit. Their existing system consumed high storage costs for this. Products and Solutions Offered No manufacturer was able to integrate Axis camera models that were being used by Hinduja. Matrix, with the help of its intensive R&D team, successfully added all of Hinduja’s existing Axis cameras to Matrix NVRs. Cascading feature of Matrix NVRs helped them to connect all NVRs in a master-slave architecture. This gave the benefit of centrally monitoring all 73 cameras from different NVRs, without any server. In order to address their storage requirement, Matrix provided features like Adaptive Recording and Camera-wise Recording Retention, which helped in reducing storage requirement by 50% without compromising on video quality. With the help of this, Hinduja hospital stored camera recordings for three months without investing in additional storage drives. Matrix authorized channel partner, Procom Solutions, provided efficient post-sales support with the help of their trained manpower. Results Successful upgrade to latest technology solution without scrapping previous investments. Elimination of dedicated server. Ease of centralized management and monitoring. Reduction in storage cost by 50%. Greater security and employee discipline Also Read:- NSE IT Limited Trusts Matrix Video Management System to Strengthen their Existing Security

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More Than Half of Organizations Face Gaps in Their Zero-Trust Implementations According to a Fortinet Survey

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India06 mins

Fortinet®, a global company in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled the Global State of Zero Trust Report. The survey reveals that while most organizations have a vision of zero trust or are in the process of implementing zero-trust initiatives, more than half of organizations cannot translate this vision into the solutions they are implementing because they lack some basic core fundamentals of zero trust. For a detailed view of the findings and some important takeaways read the blog. Highlights of the report follow: A FortiGuard Labs Threat Landscape Report demonstrated an increase in the volume and sophistication of attacks targeting individuals, organizations, and increasingly critical infrastructure. Organizations are looking for solutions to protect against these evolving threats and zero trust is top of mind, but for multiple reasons. Additionally, the shift to work-from-anywhere has put a spotlight on zero-trust network access (ZTNA) in particular, as organizations need to protect important assets from workers connecting from poorly protected home networks. Confusion over Defining Zero-Trust Strategies The report illustrates some confusion about what comprises a complete zero-trust strategy. Respondents indicated they understand zero trust (77%) and ZTNA (75%) concepts and over 80% reported already having a zero-trust and/ or ZTNA strategy in place or development. Yet, over 50% indicated being unable to implement core zero-trust capabilities. Nearly 60% indicated they do not have the ability to authenticate users and devices on an ongoing basis and 54% struggle to monitor users post-authentication. This gap is concerning because these functions are critical tenets of zero-trust and it brings into question what the actual reality of these implementations is across organizations. Adding to the confusion are the terms ‘Zero Trust Access’ and ‘Zero Trust Network Access,’ which are used sometimes interchangeably. Zero Trust is Top of Mind and Priorities are Varied Priorities for zero trust are ‘minimizing the impact of breaches and intrusions’ followed closely by ‘securing remote access’ and ‘ensuring business or mission continuity.’ ‘Improving user experiences’ and ‘gaining flexibility to provide security anywhere’ were also top priorities. ‘Security across the entire digital attack surface’ was the single most important benefit cited by respondents, followed by a ‘better user experience for remote work (VPN).’ A vast majority of the survey respondents believe that it is vital for zero-trust security solutions to be integrated with their existing infrastructure, work across cloud and on-premises environments, and be secure at the application layer. However, more than 80% of respondents indicated that it is challenging to implement a zero-trust strategy across an extended network. For organizations without a strategy in place or development, obstacles included a lack of skilled resources with 35% of organizations using other IT strategies to address zero trust. “With the evolving threat landscape, transition to work-fromanywhere, and the need to securely manage applications in the cloud, the shift from implicit trust to zero trust is top of mind for organizations. Our survey shows while most organizations have some form of a zero-trust strategy in place, they fall short of a holistic strategy and struggle to implement some core zero-trust security basics. An effective solution requires a cybersecurity mesh platform approach to address all zero-trust fundamentals across the infrastructure, including endpoint, cloud, and onpremises, otherwise the result is a partial, non-integrated solution that lacks broad visibility” Rajesh Maurya Regional Vice President, India & SAARC at Fortinet About the Zero-Trust Report The report is based on a global survey of IT decision-makers aimed at better understanding how far along organizations are in their zero-trust journey. The survey is intended to better understand the following: How well zero trust and ZTNA are understood. The perceived benefits and challenges in implementing a zero-trust strategy. Adoption of and the elements included in a zero-trust strategy The survey was conducted in September 2021 with 472 IT and security leaders from 24 different countries, representing nearly all industries, including the public sector.  

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World’s Leading Crowd Management Company, Now in India

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India217 mins

Harsh Wardhan Chief Executive Officer, CSC India SecurityLinkIndia (SLI): Kindly explain the entity called Contemporary Services Corporation (CSC) USA (World). CSC was established in 1967 in Los Angeles, CA by Damon Zumwalt. CSC is the global leader in Crowd Management, has 55 years of service, 200+ cities served, 48+ branches nationwide, 25000+ events annually, 200+ cities served, and millions of patrons served annually. CSC provides services to 150+ stadiums, amphitheaters, arenas, over 120 universities, and high schools. Competent professionals are on hand to mitigate and resolve any possible problem. 50+ convention centers and numerous clients with the MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, and NASCAR. SLI: What does CSC deal in – manpower, technology, or both? Kindly elaborate CSC has more than 60,000 active and trained team members nationally. CSC provides crowd management, and related services to more than 190 stadiums, amphitheaters, and arenas, including 110+ universities and scholastic institutions, 50+ convention centers, 10 NFL teams, 6 MLB teams, 4 NBA teams, 7 MLS teams, and 6 NHL teams. CSC is dealing with both manpower and technology. SLI: CSC is known as one of the leaders in Crowd Management. What else products and services do CSC predominantly provide? What is its specialty? CSC has also delivered crowd management services for all types of sporting and entertainment events, including 31 Super Bowls, 4 MLB All-Star Games, 8 World Series, 9 NCAA Men’s Final Four, 5 annual College Bowl Games, 5 Presidential Inaugurations, 4 Papal visits, 7 NBA Finals, 10 Olympic Games, 2 FIFA World Cups so far, and the list continues to grow. SLI: What makes CSC different from any other else? How does it stand out? By establishing a suitable crowd management strategy and comprehending the situation threats be effectively controlled, and losses reduced. This can only be accomplished by specialized organizations like CSC who have the expertise in providing the full spectrum of crowd management services topped with a world-class experience. It involves incorporating flexibility, utilizing the latest technology that’s proven to be effective. CSC has many X-factors, but professionalism of trained officials with effective measures stands out the most. SLI: Give a brief of CSC India. How has CSC India been formed? Crowd Management is the need of the hour in India, and there are not many professional services available in the country right now. Thereby, CSC stepped in to form a base in India too. Our goal is to live up to the standards and original vision of CSC USA, using a futuristic approach to extend its roots in pan-India. India is a country where religious and political gatherings take place frequently; events, concerts, election rallies, festivals, sporting events like IPL have become very entertaining; hence, crowd control and management becomes essential in such a diversified society. SLI: What are the objectives of CSC India? Public Safety in India can obtain better world recognition if crowd management systems get reformed and go hi-tech. India is the second most populated country in the world, soon to be on top of the charts. Crowd management in a country like India becomes even more important to avoid any stampede-like situations during big or small events. Our objective is to continue striving for excellence, to raise our standards and ensure that we are delivering every client with the best possible service. SLI: What is the modus operandi of CSC India in terms of completing a project – Government or private? Our team will include ushers, safety supervisor, crowd marshals and trained officials to look after the project. For the events like IPL where large gatherings take place, we will also ensure the crowd’s safety by adding doctors to avoid any medical emergencies. Our team will be connected through hi-tech tools to communicate with each other and maintain decorum at the venue. “CSC is coming to India, which I am really excited about. CSC has been operating in North America for the past 54 years, delivering services in a variety of fields. Initially, we want to cover all of India’s major cities and have more than 20,000 employees in less than three years, organically or inorganically, as the finest service provider in the market, and we’ll start operating from our Gurgaon headquarters in January 2022” Dr. Abraham Kumar Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CSC India, based in the United States Checking of restricted objects, explosives for the safety of the people are also taken care of. We will be ensuring fire-control systems, and announcement systems (if necessary) can also be integrated to avoid panic. CSC’s Quick Response Team will be fully trained and equipped for damage control in real-time. Covid safety measures will be included as per the guidelines, individual safety, coordination with the ambulances, fire brigades, police authorities, ticketing system, and efficient strategies will be incorporated into the plan based on the number of people and the crowd’s profile. “I thought of having professional abilities to manage crowd in India therefore I discussed the possibility of bringing CSC expertise to India with Dr Abraham Kumar and Damon Zumwalt, Chairman of CSC, USA. They are Leaders in crowd management. They agreed and formed CSC India Pvt Limited. We must plan crowd management to save lives. The launching of crowd management services in India by CSC is going to be a game changer in the manner we are handling our large public, religious and sports events. We must learn lessons from festivals and political event tragedies and make professionally devised systems and protocols to ensure public safety and security. Let people enjoy sporting events and religious congregations without any fear of unforeseen accidents. Crowd management is a collaborative outcome of risks analysis and security professionalism. The venue organizers and event personnel jointly anticipate potential problems and prevent emergencies. Crowd management will allow safe movement and enjoyment of attendees within a confined area where crowd control is defined to manage a crisis after crowds become rowdy or emergencies arise. It includes methods used to prevent injury when participating public have reached safe behavior…

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Security Leadership Summit 2022

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India011 mins

The 16th edition of the Security Leadership Summit organized by Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) was held at the NDMC Convention Centre, Sansad Marg, New Delhi on 17th December 2021. This years’ Summit was organized in a hybrid manner with physical presence of over 250 industry leaders from across the country. Eminent politicians, bureaucrats and public figures shared their thought process with respect to the growth and well-being of the industry. Apart from them, the conference was also attended by the senior officials and students of the private security management course being conducted by Sardar Patel University of Police Security and Criminal Justice (SPUP) to understand the functioning of private security industry. Over 150 security guards who are the frontline soldiers of various private security agencies also attended the Summit. All the members of CAPSI were able to view the entire proceeding sitting at their respective states and were able to even participate through zoom platform. The highlight of the event was the participation of the Chief Guest Gen (Dr) VK Singh MoS Road, Transport and Highways at the inaugural session. Traditional practice of the lighting of the lamp was followed wherein the dignitaries on the dais lead by Gen (Dr) VK Singh lit the auspicious lamp followed by distribution of Badge of Honour to the Frontline warriors of the industry for their exemplary courage during the pandemic. The summit was also graced by Udai Mahurkar, Information Commissioner of India; Anurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Business World Magazine; Prakash Mirani, Additional CEO, GEM; and Advocate SK Gupta as Guest of Honour. Audio Visual on Private Security Day Celebrations – 4th December An audio visual on Private Security Day celebrations was showcased after the inaugural session. Addressing the Summit, Chairman Kunwar Vikram Singh highlighted that to recognise the role of private security industry and private security guards in the nation-building process, particularly in the times of national emergency and crisis, the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) decided to celebrate December 4 as the ‘Private Security Day.’ He informed the Chief Guest that ‘Private Security Day’ was also celebrated internationally as all the leading global organisations and companies agreed to the CAPSI proposal. “December 4 is a special day for the entire private security industry in India and across the world as it was on this day that the former President Smt Pratibha Patil had inaugurated the CAPSI’s Annual Security Leadership Summit in 2009. It was the first-ever occasion across the world when a Head of the State had inaugurated the annual summit of the private security industry in any country,” said Mr Singh, “It is also a solemn occasion for us to honour the contributions of the private security industry during the Covid-19 pandemic which created havoc in India and across the world. We paid tributes to our brave private security personnel who died while serving humanity during the pandemic. A number of events were planned to commemorate the day. Certificates and prizes to recognise the services of the deserving security personnel were awarded. Associates of CAPSI across the globe also celebrated the day which speaks volumes of solidarity of security sector fraternity.” The Chairman further said as the country’s economy was badly affected, many private security establishments were also forced to close down due to the slowdown of business, thereby resulting in loss of jobs for the employees. The private security industry was able to withstand the onslaught of the Covid tsunami and continued to provide services to the end users. The performance of the private security industry during the COVID pandemic, especially during the lockdown phase, was outstanding. The fact that the industry was recognised as an ‘essential service’ by the government authorities speaks volumes of faith and trust the Government of India reposes on the industry. The security personnel faced a lot of problems during that time when public transport and other amenities which we take for granted was not available. Most importantly, the fear of contracting the deadly virus as they were vulnerable was also there. Despite that the security guard, undaunted by the difficulties posed did manage to reach his place of duty and performed his tasks admirably. Now was the time to appreciate their role and the professional commitment exhibited at that time. Keeping in view the spirit, ‘Private Security Day’ was celebrated in all parts of country by all state chapters of CAPSI. He said that with the dedication and devotion with which our comrades celebrated this day, there was hardly any city or town where it would not have been celebrated. Addressing the Summit, Chairman Kunwar Vikram Singh also lamented the government proposal to downgrade private security industry from skilled to semiskilled category as it will hurt employability of over 1 lakh private security guards currently working in the industry. He urged the government to reconsider it. He also said increasing mandatory training period for private security guards from 160 hours to 400 hours was not feasible as there are no paraphernalia available to conduct such training programmes. Private Security Sector to Employ more Women in Times to Come Addressing the Security Leadership Summit-2021, Gen (Dr) V K Singh said the Indian private security industry needs to evolve itself by employing more women and maximising use of technology in order to survive and excel. He said, in times to come it will be difficult to provide security and ensure safety without the use of technology. Similarly, need of security is growing across sectors, and here women can play a major role in providing security to various businesses and industry including markets, saloons, highways schools and institutions and companies etc. Their role and involvement is key to the growth of the private security industry, Gen VK Singh added. The Union Minister also stressed the need for better training to provide better security, and here too technology will play a major role. Terrorists and anti-social elements are using technology to commit crime, so the private security industry will also have…

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Onboard Video Systems can Increase Vehicle and Road Safety

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India011 mins

Every year, a large number of traffic incidents and crashes occur worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. There are many factors leading to this – road infrastructure, road users, vehicle speeds, and vehicle safety. Another of these is fatigue and drowsiness at the wheel, which could result in a dangerous situation that jeopardizes the safety of driver, passengers, and even pedestrians. According to The Euro Weekly News, the fatigue detection system and other driver assistance system will be mandatory in new cars in 2022, as it says the vast majority of road accidents are caused by human error. So much so, it is critical that actions to improve vehicle safety are taken to promote safe transport for all road users. How a video-based onboard security system can help As a leading IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, Hikvision designed and developed its Mobile Onboard Video System to boost vehicle security in comprehensive ways. These range from reliable footage recording and route deviation or speeding alarms, to emergency alarms and abnormal driving behavior analysis. The system offers 360° video coverage both inside and outside a vehicle, providing real-time situational awareness for safe driving. Video footage is reliably transmitted and stored, which can be used as forensic evidence in the event of a traffic accident. It also generates insights such as passenger flow in a public bus, for example, so that passenger distribution can be optimized to improve their comfort. Protecting a range of road vehicles Hikvision’s Onboard Video Security System ensures that typical types of vehicle are well protected, including public buses, school buses, trucks, taxis, and ride-hailing cars. Public buses Buses play an important role in urban transportation. For many people, they provide an indispensable method for their daily commute. Accordingly, the operational efficiency of the bus fleet, its services, and public safety demonstrate new challenges for public transport authorities. Hikvision understands those challenges, and has developed its Bus Solution with two important features. Firstly, passenger flow counting, based on video analytics, allows bus drivers to know the actual number of passengers inside in real time. This is helpful when certain compliance requirements such as social distancing is introduced. If passenger flow exceeds a pre-defined number, an alert can be sent to the operation center for better bus fleet scheduling. This help them to improve service quality and passenger satisfaction. Another feature is abnormal driving behavior detection, which can pick up driver fatigue, as well as smoking in the bus. If these incidents are detected, an alert is sent to the monitoring center in real time, allowing operators to communicate with drivers immediately via two-way audio. School buses School buses can carry 40 or more students to and from school. As such, operators want to take extra care of this precious cargo. Is the school bus on its usual route? Did a student board the bus on time and get off at the right stop? For school administrators and parents, these matters can be critical. Hikvision’s School Bus Solution offers innovative onboard attendance capabilities. When students get on the bus, they can swipe their ID card on a terminal and the record is uploaded to the system’s central platform right away. At the same time, a notification can be pushed to parents’ mobile phones, informing them that their child is safely on the bus. It’s also important to protect students when they get off the school bus and cross the road. The solution includes a ‘stop for school bus’ sign with an audible and visual flash warning. This works to notify passing vehicles to stop until students safely cross a street. Trucks Trucks transport a wide range of goods and materials, ranging from our daily necessities to luxury products. Therefore, it is important for logistics companies to know the real-time status of their truck fleet, whether they transit goods on time, and arrive at the destinations safely etc. Hikvision’s Truck Solution collects audio and video data with cameras installed inside and outside the truck. It sends GPS and alarm data through onboard video recorders and 3G/ 4G wireless networks, to realize remote truck monitoring and management. Due to their size, trucks have large blind spots on both sides. Vehicles located in these blind spots are difficult to see and can easily go unnoticed by the driver. Hikvision’s Truck Solution offers camera views that cover these blind spots, so truck drivers know about vehicles entering into these areas. This helps them to drive safely and promotes road safety. Hikvision’s solution further provides different kinds of sensors for bespoke needs on a truck. For example, if a truck transports valuable goods that are not allowed to be checked during the journey, a door sensor can be added to record if anyone opens it before arrival. In some cases, if a truck transports cold food, the temperature inside must be maintained at a stable level to ensure freshness. Accordingly, customers can include a temperature sensor in the system to monitor the temperature change. Taxis and ride-hailing cars As mobility improves in urban life, many people use mobile apps to get a ride, either with a taxi or a ride-hailing car. It’s convenient and fast. On the other hand, it’s also important to maintain rider safety from the start of the journey until they reach their destination. In busy periods, for example rush hours and holiday seasons, taxi and ride-hailing drivers struggle to take a break and they usually work long hours. In this situation, it’s very easy to get tired which could also cause health issues. Hikvision’s solution for taxis and ride-hailing cars includes abnormal driving behavior analysis, such as driving while drowsy. In that case, drivers can be reminded to pull over and take a rest. Hikvision’s solution also provides a trunk camera that records footage if a passenger’s luggage or handbag was left behind after departure, or stolen by others. From…

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Impact of AI, Drones and Robotics in Global Security Landscape: Is Indian PSI Taking the Cue?

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India027 mins

Anil Puri CMD, APS group A first generation serial entrepreneur, thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, an innovator and a strategic thinker. He has used this combination to innovate and implement on-ground many new business ideas. His rich experience in various businesses has enabled him to nurture & mentor innovative ideas and scale them up. Introduction The FICCI & BDO in their study estimated the PSI to touch INR1.5 lakh crores (USD23.1 billion) by 2022. The key drivers identified in the study were the security needs of office buildings, shopping malls, critical infrastructure, schools, hotels, hospitals, residential complexes, warehouses and factories. However, railways, metro rails, NHAI, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), oil & gas industry, renewable energy & waste management, mining and telecom industry too have further added to this list. This huge market offers a premium opportunity for the disruptive force of AI embedded drone applications and robotics. All over the world, more and more drones are being used for both private and public security namely by defense organizations and tech-savvy consumers for quite some time. However, the benefit of this technology extends well beyond just these two sectors. With the rising accessibility of drones, many of the most dangerous and high-paying jobs within the commercial sector are ripe for displacement by drone and robotics technology. Their use for safe, cost-effective solutions range from crowd control, emergency response, surveillance, situation awareness, data collection to last mile delivery. The mobility, ease of deployment and versatility of drones have made them valuable tools in the field of security for both private and public entities. Increasing work efficiency and productivity, decreasing workload and production costs, improving accuracy, refining service and customer relations, and resolving security issues on a vast scale are a few of the top uses drones offer industries globally. Adoption of drone technology across industries has leapt from the fad stage to the mega-trend stage fairly quickly as more and more businesses started to realize its potential, scope, and scale of global reach. Whether drones are controlled by a remote or accessed via a smartphone app, they possess the capability of reaching the most remote areas with little to no manpower needed and require the least amount of effort, time, and energy. This is one of the biggest reasons why they are being adopted worldwide, especially by these four sectors – military, commercial, personal, agriculture and future technology. Drones are rapidly growing in popularity. They are still in the infancy stage in terms of mass adoption and usage, but have already broken through rigid traditional barriers in industries which otherwise seemed impenetrable by similar technological innovations. The paradigm shift in GoI policy on drones to keep pace with global developments Drone regulation in India has seen multiple iterations over the past few years, with a lukewarm impact on the technological development front. This was further accentuated by a blanket ban on civilian drone operations in 2014 by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. It was only in 2018, with the introduction of the National Drone Policy, that graded activities were permitted in the commercial space which were perceived by academia, Startups, end-users and other stakeholders as being restrictive in nature as they involved considerable paperwork, required permissions for every drone flight and very few ‘Free to Fly’ green zones were available. Based on the feedback and future of drones in various industries, the Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) repealed the UAS Rules, 2021 and has replaced the same with the Liberalized Drone Rules, 2021 and thereby ushered in a liberalised era of drone governance, giving wings to a drone-powered country. In a major boost to promote the drone sector, the rules aim to make India a drone-friendly nation. Furthermore, delivery and logistics – a segment considered vital for making India a drone hub – is well recognised in the new rules. GoI has also approved a PLI scheme for drones and their components with an allocation of Rs. 120 crores for three financial years. The U Turn in the GoI policy on drones is primarily on realization of benefits it offers to almost all sectors of the economy like – agriculture, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defence, and law enforcement etc. Drones can be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India’s remote and inaccessible areas. In view of its traditional strengths in innovation, information technology, frugal engineering and huge domestic demand, India has the potential to be global drone hub by 2030. Government of India also deserves the credit for setting up a Drone Promotion Council to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime, while also incubating new drone ideas. Degree and Scale of disruption on the PSI For a country of mass and scale like India which has abundance of the cheap human capital, the disruption is likely to be very gradual and slow in the private security industry. However in next five to seven years; it is for sure that the security operations especially in sensitive places will be replaced with robots and systems which will be highly developed and evolved with artificial intelligence. Era of the present-day semi-literate/ low IQ guards will be gone due to cheap and smart ‘Robot-Guards’ with precision knowledge and actions (customized). Thus, impact to the security business at this level will be high but the service delivery is expected to be much superior quality and may be taken over by IT service providing companies. Not only the physical guards and passive sensors will be replaced by smart counterparts but it is also possible that many of the traditional operations like patrolling of perimeters, observation from watch towers, frisking and even to dispose of human bombs, mail bombs, robots with all-pervasive, deep penetrating sensors and precision neutralising capability may be used. Similarly, AI will be used for information gathering or reconnaissance in an…

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Israel Innovation Authority Approves the Establishment of a Consortium Led by Elbit Systems to Develop Human-Robot Interaction Technologies

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India04 mins

Israel Innovation Authority has recently approved the establishment of a new innovation consortium, led by Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber, for Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) technologies research and development. The new consortium includes leading robotics companies and academic researchers in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, computer science and behavioral sciences, with the goal of developing an innovative HRI infrastructure, addressing the need for close interaction between robotic systems and human users natural communications (verbal & gestures) technologies, according to relevant social codes, robotic platforms level of autonomy methodologies, and more. Today, autonomous robotic platforms (those not continuously controlled by a human operator) operate in a ‘sterile’ human-free environment, such as logistics centers and automated production and assembly lines. Integrating robots in a shared workspace environment with human teams will allow the transfer of routine, dull and burnout-inducing tasks to robots and reduce workloads on human teams, thereby increasing crew productivity and reducing their rotation. Such integration will only be possible when human crews feel confident and able to communicate naturally with robots, operating in their close environment. Yossi Cohen, Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber Chief Technology Officer, commented, “Our selection by the Israel Innovation Authority, to lead a Human-Robot Interaction consortium reflects our expertise in the fields of autonomous systems and manned-unmanned teaming. We are looking forward to collaborating with additional industry partners that specialize in these fields, that will join us in the consortium”. Dr. Aviv Zeevi, VP Technological Infrastructure at the Israel Innovation Authority, commented, “The Israel Innovation Authority is working to close technology gaps in the field of robotics using various tools as well as by promoting knowledge transfer from the defense sector and academia to the wider industry.” Elbit Systems has been operating in the field of autonomous systems and robotics for decades and is considered a world leader in the development and production of aerial, land and naval autonomous systems. In recent years, Elbit Systems has been providing its customers with operational solutions that enable effective Manned-Unmanned Teaming, integrating the work of autonomous platforms together with human teams, as part of the company’s solutions in the area of multi-domain networked warfare.  

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Safr Shares its: Top Physical Security Predictions for 2022

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India07 mins

SAFR® from RealNetworks, Inc., the premier facial recognition platform for live video, recently shared its top predictions for the physical security industry in 2022. These include letting go of fears around AI, embracing hybrid cloud solutions and embracing pandemic-driven use cases. Better Conversations Around Artificial Intelligence (AI) Our current conversations about AI are frequently fear-based. Coverage in the media has been dominated by depictions of rampant bias and invasions of privacy. While these are legitimate concerns, allowing our fears to dictate the conversation runs the risk of keeping us from getting to the potential benefits. The trend for 2022 will be to move away from this fearmongering and towards more balanced perspectives and a greater understanding of the challenges and possibilities of this emerging technology. This does not mean taking a stance of false complacency where we accept AI as a panacea that will solve all our problems. On the contrary, engineers and product creators must continue to be vigilant about privacy and bias and create solutions that mitigate risk. When it comes to bias, for example, we must be wary of how it can infect AI models and how historical bias in a dataset’s ground truth can be amplified by an algorithm. SAFR is very active in this area and has recently funded a research program at the University of Washington to explore bias and develop policy recommendations. Moving Towards the Edge F or compute intensive computer vision applications, it has become increasingly clear that it is not feasible to perform this processing solely in the cloud. Uploading thousands of hours of raw video is a poor use of cloud resources and bandwidth. In contrast, processing raw pixels at the edge, before they are even compressed, is more accurate, efficient, and secure. Moving all business operations to the cloud can also create single points of failure that could be catastrophic for organizations. But the solution is not to abandon the cloud and move back to working on-premises. Instead, 2022 will see the creation of more hybrid solutions where a lot of processing is done at the edge, while the cloud remains responsible for coordination and orchestration of massively distributed computer vision applications. One of the advancements that is helping us move in this direction is that video cameras are getting smarter. In fact, they’re so smart that the entire SAFR stack can now be ported to System on a Chip (SoC) processors that power some of the world’s leading cameras. With a hybrid solution, events are coordinated in the cloud while video is processed at the edge. This is more scalable in terms of cost as organizations don’t have to pay to move data from the cameras to the cloud for processing and then back to the organization for review. This also increases data privacy since facial or biometric data doesn’t leave the camera or get sent across the network. And, because the analytics uses the raw pixels directly from the camera instead of pixels that have been compressed, encoded, and decoded, the results are also more accurate. Learning from Pandemic Use Cases While the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, we have certainly learned from our experience of helping organizations work to contain the virus and keep populations safe. In 2022, the security industry will focus on developing touchless security solutions to minimize our reliance on physical credentials and to replace communal surfaces like fingerprint scanning at airports. These touchless solutions will mitigate the spread of the virus by reducing in-person interactions as well as the number of surfaces people touch. A good example is a hotel using a touchless application for video analytics. Here, guests who are enrolled in the hotel’s VIP program are first recognized by video cameras in the hotel lobby as they enter. Once guests are identified, the system automatically pushes a notification to their phone that matches them to their reservation and provides them with their room number. This means guests don’t have to wait in line at the check-in desk or come into direct contact with hotel staff. Once at their room, guests can unlock their door by using either facial recognition or a QR code that has been sent to their phone as part of the automated check-in procedure.  

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Genetec Shares its Top Physical Security: Trends Predictions for 2022

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India07 mins

Genetec Inc., a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, recently shared its top predictions for the physical security industry in 2022. Monitoring occupancy and space utilization will remain a top priority Within months of the pandemic, businesses were deploying different solutions to track occupancy in their buildings and control social distancing. Almost two years later, this trend is still growing because they’re seeing value from the data collected. Beyond safety objectives, organizations will embrace the use of spatial analytics data to reduce wait times, optimize staff scheduling, and enhance business operations. As businesses give employees the flexibility to split up their work time between the office and home, organizations will be looking for ways to best optimize their workplaces. By using space utilization intelligence, they will be able to analyze employee office attendance, monitor meeting room demands, and make informed floorplan changes such as adding more desk-sharing options. Video analytics will become more viable for large-scale deployments In recent years, demand for video analytics solutions has been strong. As AI techniques such as machine learning and deep learning continue to bolster the power of analytics, more organizations are eager to invest. However, because complex video analytics still require very powerful servers for adequate data processing, deploying analytics at an enterprise level isn’t always practical. As we move into 2022, we believe video analytics applications will mature in ways that make them easier and more economical to deploy at scale. This evolution will be made possible by vendors who focus on hardware resource efficiency and offer more granular controls for running analytics at certain intervals or schedules, instead of continuously. Cybercrime will continue to grow and inspire new strategies A report by Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that global crime costs will reach $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025. With a growth rate of 15% per year, this cost is said to represent the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history. As more devices come online and data processing becomes central to operations, businesses will need to remain agile and responsive to the evolving threat landscape. Their customers will also demand greater transparency about how they are keeping data secure and private. All of this will usher in an entirely new model for cybersecurity that relies on continuous verification rather than just hardening networks and systems. Building layers of protection into a security ecosystem won’t be enough. Decision-makers will need to implement more offensive cybersecurity strategies and choose partners who offer higher levels of automation to stay on top of potential threats. Supply chain risks will gain more focus and attention The supply chain issues that the world is currently experiencing will encourage businesses to be less dependent on single-source, proprietary solutions. Forward-thinking organizations will instead seek open architecture solutions that offer increased choice and flexibility based on requirements and current availability. But there’s more to supply chain issues than the current shortage of goods and materials. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, organizations are under greater pressure to scrutinize the cybersecurity measures, standards, and certifications of their entire supply chain ecosystem. In a world where organizations no longer have clearly defined network perimeters, we anticipate seeing more businesses and government agencies broadening the scope of their cybersecurity policies to establish baseline security standards for the solutions they purchase and the vendors they partner with. More organizations will make the move to hybrid cloud As more businesses take a step towards trialing cloud applications, they’ll quickly understand the benefits of hybrid cloud, which will produce even greater forward momentum in the adoption of cloud technologies in the new year. This could include implementing a digital evidence management system to boost data privacy compliance, deploying a cloud video management system to secure a high-risk remote location, or installing a PIAM (physical identity access management) system to better track COVID outbreaks in a building. Organizations still retain their on-premises systems and operators manage it all from a single interface.  Also Read:- City of Chattanooga Deploys Genetec Security Center and Stratocast in Public-Private Policing Initiative

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Data Protection Trends for Businesses in 2022

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink India012 mins

Nikhil Korgaonkar, Regional Director, Arcserve India & SAARC In today’s hyper-connected world, every single digital activity generates data. As IDC describes, the amount of digital data created over the next five years will be greater than twice the amount of data created since the advent of digital storage. In such an environment, it is more important than ever for businesses to protect their data from damage, destruction, or attack. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the viability of every business now depends on constant access to its critical systems and data. At the same time, managing and protecting business data is no easy task. Businesses must constantly monitor the changing data landscape and be alert to new tools and challenges. They must be aware of the ever-evolving privacy regulations and security threats, which may appear from anywhere around the globe. In the space of data protection, what does 2022 herald? Here are four emerging trends that will shape the way companies approach data protection and management in the year ahead. 1 Protection of an ever-increasing attack surface will gain importance The attack surface includes all the possible ways an attacker can get into your company’s devices and networks and lock up or exfiltrate your data. So, it’s essential to keep the attack surface to a minimum. The problem is that the attack surface is continually growing as more people work remotely on multiple devices and create more entry points for cybercriminals to carry out cyberattacks. Worse still, the attack surface is constantly changing. It isn’t a single surface but many disparate fragments. Furthermore, control of endpoints is becoming increasingly complex as employees leave organizations and retrieval of equipment becomes harder. The bottom line is that breaches will inevitably happen. And in the coming year, companies will have to do a better job of recognizing breaches so they can extricate themselves as quickly as possible. Security and recovery strategies must be more thorough. As the attack surface expands, those strategies must cover not only the on-premises data but data in the cloud, at the edge, and everywhere in between. 2 Data sovereignty will add more complexity into data management As companies have grown globally and become more interconnected, the rules around data privacy have become far more complicated. For example, a company based in India may use a US-based company like Amazon or Google to store and send data. The question is, where does that Indian company’s data legally reside, and by what rules is it governed? The answers to these questions are complex and unclear. Every country has its own rules and regulations with regards to data transfer and storage. India, for instance, has defined rules in certain sectors, while in others it is still work in progress. In the insurance sector, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has defined that all original insurance policyholder records should be maintained in India. In the public contracting realm, 2017 Guidelines for Government Departments on Contractual Terms Related to Cloud Services required all government departments to include localisation provisions in their contract while obtaining cloud services. Localisation restrictions have also been placed on payment data. On April 6, 2018, the Reserve Bank of India, issued a circular mandating all payment system providers to store payment data locally only in India. Global experts of IT, legal, and HR are discussing passionately how to interpret our constantly evolving reality of data processing. That’s why 86% of IT decision-makers say their organizations have been impacted by changing compliance requirements for data privacy, according to a global survey conducted by Dimensional Research. Instead of storing all their data in their corporate headquarters, companies go for a multi-cloud approach, which means they have a globally distributed data infrastructure on-premise and in cloud. They must keep track of sovereignty issues in different jurisdictions, and to do this, they will need help. Cloud providers will have to work more closely with their customers to manage sovereignty and compliance with varying rules. In the year ahead, the onus will be on both businesses and public cloud providers to improve compliance and data sovereignty issues by better understanding what is in the petabytes of data they’re storing and the regulations around every element of that data. Businesses can no longer be satisfied by simply backing up data. They will have to get smart about their data content and put policies in place around that content. 3 Global supply-chain issues will become a data-protection issue Supply-chain issues are creating significant disruption to the global economy, with everything from cars and refrigerators to semiconductors and toys in short supply. And those issues look likely to continue well into 2022. Logistics issues and digital risks such as cyberattacks will cause further disruptions to the global supply chain in the coming year. In 2021, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack took down the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. and temporarily caused fuel shortages up and down the East Coast. The company paid the hackers nearly $5 million in ransom just a day after discovering malware on its systems. The supply chain will remain a top priority for organizations in 2022. That means they will need to be actively armed with data protection solutions to keep the supply chain working and meet the demands of their customers. Specifically, organizations will need to ensure that cyberattacks do not further compromise their supply chains and that data remains available 24/7 and can be instantly recovered. 4 The Data Protection Officer will grow in strategic Importance The Data Protection Officer (DPO) is an enterprise security leadership role that, under certain conditions, is required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In fact, according to the latest GDPR stats, the demand for Data Protection Officers has risen by over 700% over the last five years. Data Protection Officers are responsible for having expert knowledge of data protection laws and practices while overseeing their company’s data protection strategy and ensuring compliance with GDPR requirements. The role of…

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