November 25, 2022 - securitylinkindia

Feature

Psychological Impacts of Terrorism

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaNovember 25, 2022November 14, 2024016 mins

By Colonel B. S. Nagial (Retd.) Contemporary terrorism varies from unlawful activity because it is motivated by specific political goals. Terrorists generally indulge in illicit activities such as murder, sabotage, blackmail, arson etc., which are indistinguishable from those criminals commit. But terrorists simply carry out these activities to achieve broader objectives such as ideological, social, political, religious etc. In order to achieve their ultimate aim, the terrorist organisations try to instil an incapacitating sense of fear within each individual in the targeted community. All actions of terrorism are aimed at subverting the sense of security, causing disruption in the dayto-day life of the ordinary person and rendering the targeted community helpless. The main aim is to drive public opinion in favour of terrorists and put pressure on the government machinery to give in to the will of the terrorist organisations. This way, the targeted community becomes the tool in the hands of these inimical elements. Public support is very essential for terrorism to survive and thrive. According to the former Prime Minister of Israel, “Terrorism can have a highly demoralising effect. It takes away people’s self-confidence; it causes a feeling of defeatism. This negative thing should be fought against.” The intent of terrorist organisations is not to kill people in thousands in their every act of terrorism. The only purpose of terrorism is to cause fear among the targeted populace. The best example of this is the targeted killing of Kashmiri pandits in Kashmir valley in 1989. Terrorists can achieve their aim even without carrying out an act of terrorism by publicising the threats and statements in print and electronic media. These days social media is the best platform to engage in psychological warfare. Because the media serve as an influential vector of risk transmission, we need to recalibrate the threat levels around us frequently. In this ‘risky’ world, we also must come to terms with the constantly emphasised threat of terrorism. It is pertinent to mention that in concentrating on killings of civilians as targets by terrorist organisations, they violate the international norms of the rule of conflict/ war. Violent acts by non-state terrorist organisations against the targetted population for political drives are objectionable crimes that, when widespread or systematic, can be equal to crimes against humanity. The government’s responsibility is to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks. At the same time, government machinery must ensure that all counterterrorism measures respect human rights. Terrorism creates several dilemmas. Firstly, we need security without compromising civil liberties. Secondly, we need forewarning without inducing unnecessary alarm. Thirdly, we need to invest in preparation for possible terror attacks without jeopardising our commitment to other significant responsibilities. Fourthly, we must be vigilant and cautious without paralysis and paranoia. Studies have shown that terrorist attacks affect the mental and physical health of persons exposed to terrorism. When terror strikes at the workplace, where people spend much time and should feel safe, the health consequences for those affected might be severe. When every routine activity requires calculating the risk of getting killed or injured in advance, this causes anxiety for both the combatants and civilians. Regrettably, research on terrorism is intermittent, but some lessons have been learned, often painfully, from ongoing terrorism in India and worldwide, and we cannot afford to ignore them. Furthermore, the so-called ‘war on terrorism will fail if pursued only in terms of military power and increased physical security. ‘Without attention to the psychological side of terrorism, we risk losing the war because, in the final analysis, the psychological aspects of terrorism represent not merely one such battle within the war, they represent the war itself.’ (G S Everly, Psychological counterterrorism. Int J Emerg Ment Health 2003;5: 57-9). As far as India is concerned, terrorism has been stimulated by political, social, ideological and ethnic factors that demolish the society’s fundamental fabric. India has been the victim of terrorism for the last seven decades, primarily cross-border terrorism. India has faced many terrorist attacks such as the Bombay attack in 1993, the Parliament attack in 2001, the Delhi blasts in 2005, the Mumbai Train attack in 2006, the Jaipur blasts in 2008, the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the Uri attack in 2016, the Pulwama attack in 2019 etc. The terrorists aimed to instil intimidation among the people of India. Presently, three major parts of India badly affected by terrorism are Jammu and Kashmir, Central India and the Northeast region. According to David A Alexander and Susan Klein, the psychological impacts of terrorist attacks have not been well documented. However, there is wide-ranging literature on how affected persons and communities typically react to significant trauma. Most reactions at the early phase post-trauma are normal; few individuals display florid psychopathology. The psychological impacts could be summarised as under: Emotional Shock, numbness, denial. Fear, anxiety. Helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive Disorientation, confusion. Intrusive thoughts, images, memories. Increased sense of risk. Impaired concentration and memory. Social Withdrawal. Irritability. Loss of trust and faith. Avoidant behaviour. Physical Autonomic hyperarousal. Insomnia. Loss of energy. How best can we cope with the psychological impacts of terrorism? Every so often, it looks like the world is turning into a life-threatening place due to terrorism. Daily we come across the news about bombings in public places, shootings, and other incidents of volatility and irrational violence against people worldwide. It has made us conscious of our susceptibility. Our fears are reinforced with each incident of a violent attack in society. Due to this, many of us have increased anxiety and fear as we go about our daily lives. If this sense of fear is ongoing, it can make it difficult to concentrate at work. It can result in stress-related illnesses and affect our quality of life. Undermentioned are some coping strategies to defeat the psychological impacts due to terrorism. Government must aim at conveying professional information to the public on the issue of terrorism in a logically consistent manner. This would not arouse undue anxiety in people. Initially, such information could create hype, but with…

Hikvision India is Leading with a Long Term Commitment to Make-in-India Vision

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaNovember 25, 2022November 28, 2024035 mins

Special Interview with Ashish P Dhakan MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. We are now out of the unfortunate pandemic phase. How did you manage your business during Covid? It was a very challenging phase, but a great learning experience. We were resilient and agile during the Pre-Pandemic and Post-Pandemic phases that helped us to mitigate risks and overcome the challenges. The company faced the multiple challenges of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic. After a long spell of pandemic impact now we can see that. The surge in demand is spurring the growth of the security industry. It was a great learning experience for all of us to evolve further through the various phases of pandemic challenges and recovery. During this phase we focused on the digital transformation by optimizing our digital assets and apps. It further helped us to enhance our marketing collaterals and ecosystem partners to add value through digital initiatives. What are your aftermath strategies to cope up with the lows occurred during pandemic? We had the requisite resilience and innovative strategies on our side to communicate and engage the target audience in a simple and effective manner. We are following the ‘Make-in-India’ vision and it is a perfect manufacturing roadmap for the future. The key priority for our management leadership at Hikvision India is to keep on innovating and evolving as an organization while navigating through the evolving challenges and opportunities. We have set the strategic priorities of our goals based on capacity, capital and capability. Our focused marketing initiatives are based on the evolving market trends, technology advantages, customer and employee demand for societal impact. The customer expectations are very high, there is an intense pressure to deliver results despite increasing competition, economic uncertainty and upheaval. How do you find the security market today in India, and what are your competitions? The Indian security market is expanding due to a big surge in demand. The competition is on the rise due to various new players joining the fray. The Indian security market is poised for an unprecedented growth due to various factors related to Indian economy, infrastructure development and ongoing projects. We are grateful to our channel partners and end-users for showing extraordinary resilience and impeccable trust. We are also thankful to the security professional community comprising of dealers, distributors, installers, system integrators and consultants. Hikvision India is consistently leading the Indian security market with the largest market share in the segment. We are happy to share the good news that Hikvision India is leading from the front with a long term commitment to ‘Make-in-India’ vision. We promise our ecosystem partners and end-users of consistent customer centric approach, product innovation, excellent quality and agile service support. We are a pure play business to business channel driven company based on growth, mutual trust and long term relationship. We work through partners to empower the network and invest resources to spur growth. Our channel partner network is going through a robust growth and expansion cycle. The channel partners are the real heroes of our success story. The year 2022 saw marked growth in the market for the majority of the Security 50 companies in video surveillance and access control. Hikvision has topped the global security rankings for the seventh year in a row since 2016. The revenue reported by Hikvision for the financial year 2021 exceeded the US$10 billion mark, standing at US $ 10.1 billion, growing 16.9 percent from 2020’s $8.64 billion. What are your latest products and which products are in pipeline to come? Hikvision India has introduced a slew of new products in the Video Security, Access Control, Video Door Phone, Inspection and Alarm Product segments. The significant product launches, included eDVR, ColorVu Pro series PTZ Cameras, 8-K NVRs, MinMoe Iris Recognition Terminal and Hikvision Solar-Powered Security Camera Setup apart from the high-end project oriented product offerings. Hikvision India has introduced the Deepinview Series camera for high –end project marked. These latest product offerings are adding value. Hikvision India offers comprehensive products across the segments of Video Security, Access Control, Intrusion Alarm, Inspection and Perimeter Security. The end customers’ reaffirmed their faith in our innovative Video Security (ColorVu and AcuSense Range of video security cameras) and Access Control (MinMoe Face Recognition Terminals and Video Door Phones). Our Intrusion Alarm and Inspection products (AX Hub, Emergency Call Box and Smart Poll) generated lots of interest among end-users. What are the new emerging trends in security industry and where do you compete? The security industry has continued to shift, adapt, and develop in spite of challenges. Several trends have even accelerated. Beyond traditional ‘physical security’, a host of frontiers like AI, cloud computing, IoT, and cybersecurity are being rapidly pioneered by entities big and small in our industry. By all appearances, the security industry is in a stage of redefining itself. It is moving from mere security and safety protections to encompass a wider scope of activity that will expand safety while also bringing new levels of intelligence and sustainability to communities, companies and societies. Here, Hikvision would like to share some of our ideas and expectations about the key trends that will likely shape the security industry in the future. AI will be everywhere Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence is quite common in the security industry. More customers in the industry have recognized the value of AI, and have found new uses for AI applications in various scenarios. Along with ANPR, automated event alerts, and false alarm reduction, AI technologies are being used for wider applications, like personal protective equipment (PPE) detection, fall detection for the elderly, mine surface detection, and much more. AIoT will digitize and pervade industry verticals With more security cameras and other security devices being connected to the network, the security industry is becoming an important part of an IoT world, enriching its visual capabilities. It’s apparent that the boundaries of the security industry are blurring, going well beyond the physical security arena. Meanwhile the popularization of AI technology…

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Cloud Managed Video Surveillance: A Force Multiplier for Physical Security

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaNovember 25, 2022November 14, 2024119 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 Video surveillance systems serve as the enabling technology to unlock this additional value. Many organizations originally installed these systems in years past with the goal of providing a forensic tool to support physical security investigations or simply as a deterrent. Using these systems for forensics required time-consuming manual processes that required investigators to spend hours analyzing captured footage, searching for suspicious events. On top of being an entirely reaction-based approach, lengthy forensic investigations could delay the actual response and pursuit of potential criminal suspects. Humans also quickly became a limiting factor as organizations sought to achieve real-time situational awareness through their video surveillance systems. Typical attempts to do this relied on human operators monitoring live video feeds to react and respond to incidents as they occurred. Costs quickly mounted as organizations hired additional staff or outsourced this function to security guard services. Firms that chose to make this significant investment found that the reliance on human analysts meant high rates of errors and overlooked events. The next generation of video surveillance technology incorporates video analytics to reduce this reliance on human intervention, automating the analysis of captured video footage. Enhanced video surveillance (EVS) systems augment existing surveillance camera deployments with sophisticated video analytics tools to enable organizations to move beyond reactive security use cases and leverage their video as a valuable data source for business. Traditional Video System Security To assess the security of cloud solutions, it first makes sense to look at the traditional options. In theory, a system that uses an air-gapped network video recorder (NVR) is the most secure option. But such an installation largely defeats the purpose of having a security camera system in the first place. If it is walled off from the network, the footage would not be accessible for remote viewing to anyone offsite required to respond to an incident in real time. So, once you do make a system based on an NVR or digital video recorder (DVR) more usable, both the device itself and the attached CCTV security cameras become highly susceptible to hacking exploits. This helps explain why, in its benchmark 2018 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), Symantec ranked DVRs second on its list of vulnerable devices involved in the Internet of Things attacks against its honeypot last year. After an IT team configures its IP address for VPNs and opens ports to enable remote access to a WIFI security camera, the NVR immediately becomes one of the most hackable devices in the entire network. The biggest real-world implication is that IT teams often fall into a false sense of security. They know that an air-gapped NVR is foolproof, but they fail to recognize that introducing port forwarding to their surveillance infrastructure introduces some of the greatest risks to their camera system. This leads to longer-than-acceptable delays when it comes to updating firmware. Cloud-Based Video System Security With a cloud-based system, IT professionals are able to easily install hardware and software updates as soon as a vulnerability is identified. With increased vigilance and faster reaction times, the risk of physical and cyberattacks is ultimately reduced. The ease of installing security patches fosters a culture of ongoing risk mitigation, rather than one that falls victim to a false promise of security, which vanishes once a camera system is configured to enable remote access. Furthermore, today’s leading cloud-based IP cameras offer end-toend encryption and additional security features like two-factor authentication and single sign-on, that enable the latest security standards. Whether video data is at rest or in transit, using modern standards for data encryption and network security ensures that video stored beyond the camera’s hard drive, is protected in the event that hackers ever manage to breach the system. Consider Cloud-Based Video Surveillance When today’s IT teams encounter a new business requirement, they often look first to the cloud for solutions, hoping to gain the flexibility, scalability and agility benefits that the cloud offers. This is certainly true for video surveillance systems. Let’s look at four key reasons that organizations are moving away from on-premises video setups and adopting cloud-based video surveillance technology instead:- Four Key Reasons The cloud is cost-effective. Video surveillance systems are often deployed for safety and security reasons, and while these are extremely important applications, they don’t directly align with business strategy. As a result, business leaders view video surveillance as a cost center and want evidence that solutions are working as cost effectively as possible. The cloud provides this assurance. Cloud-based solutions add business value. Once cloud video surveillance systems are integrated with an organization’s technology infrastructure, IT teams may use them to deliver additional business value. Novel applications of cloud-based video surveillance use analytics to help organizations optimize manufacturing processes, track building occupancy rates and automatically read license plates. Cloud surveillance is reliable. Cloud providers manage massive video infrastructures that support thousands of clients. This allows them to build out highly reliable environments that minimize outages and require zero downtime for system maintenance and upgrades. Cloud solutions lower incident response time. Cloud platforms provide robust search functionality that allows incident investigators to quickly track individuals and objects as they move throughout a facility. They also provide easy sharing of stored video clips and livestreamed data for law enforcement and other third parties. Effects of Cloud in Video Surveillance Cloud storage ensures systems can easily be installed, monitored, upgraded and changed to suit the needs of the organization. New hardware components can be integrated into the security network via an IP connection and authorized people can access the system from anywhere, on virtually any Internet-enabled device. This…