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Feature

Organized Crime Threat to COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 22, 2021November 14, 2024033 mins

Overview On December 2, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) issued a global alert to law enforcement across its 194 member countries warning them to prepare for organized crime network targeting of COVID-19 vaccines, physically and in cyberspace. Distributed as an ‘Orange Notice,’ the alert identifies new criminal activity related to falsifying, stealing, and illegally advertising COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines, including embedding malware via online websites. The new alert is just the latest pandemic-triggered criminal behavior, following counterfeit tests, fake cures, and misleading websites among other illicit activities by individuals and organized criminal groups alike. As international travel gradually resumes and testing for the virus becomes more important, parallel production and distribution of unauthorized and falsified testing kits are likely to result. OSAC members should take special care when going online to search for medical equipment or medicines for their organizations and personnel. Additional Context to the INTERPOL Warning As a number of COVID-19 vaccines gain approval and become available globally, there is a general short- and medium-term risk to the safety of the supply chain, with a likely proliferation of websites advertising, selling and administering fake vaccines or purporting to do so. The pandemic has already triggered unprecedented opportunistic and predatory criminal behavior by individuals and organized criminal groups; the same threat actors are likely to target vaccines. The public has been and will continue to be a primary target via fake websites and false cures, but vaccine manufacturers and their global supply chains are also likely targets, offering a potentially lucrative opportunity for criminal enterprises producing and distributing counterfeit and untrustworthy test kits. Cyberspace is Key for Criminal Groups and Other Nefarious Actors COVID-19 has significantly broadened the cyber threat landscape, allowing nefarious actors to prey on pandemic-related fears. Not only are criminals using online platforms to sell illicit (or nonexistent) medical supplies, but they are also using them to inject malware and steal personal information. An INTERPOL cybercrime unit analysis of 3,000 websites associated with online pharmacies suspected of selling illicit medicines and medical devices found that more than half (approximately 1,700) contained cyber threats. Cybercriminals are employing a variety of means, from voice and SMS phishing to fake advertisements on social media sites to lure victims into providing personal information or clicking on unsafe links. Similar to the wave of COVID-19 testing scams that emerged earlier in the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines have been a key focus of recent scam campaigns. On December 21, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a warning to the public regarding fraud schemes related to COVID-19 vaccines. Specific fraud schemes mentioned include: Advertisements or offers for early access to a vaccine upon payment of a fee; Requests asking victims to pay out of pocket to obtain the vaccine or to put their name on a COVID-19 vaccine waiting list; Offers to undergo additional medical testing or procedures when obtaining a vaccine; Marketers offering to sell and/ or ship doses of a vaccine, domestically or internationally, in exchange for payment of a deposit or fee; Unsolicited emails, telephone calls, or personal contact from someone claiming to be from a medical office, insurance company, or COVID-19 vaccine center requesting personal and/ or medical information to determine recipient eligibility to participate in clinical vaccine trials or obtain the vaccine; Unverifiable claims of FDA approval for a vaccine; Advertisements for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, or online – from unsolicited/ unknown sources; and Individuals contacting victims in person, by phone, or by email to tell them that the government or government officials require them to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have also provided information to the public regarding expected scams related to COVID-19 vaccines, many of which could make individuals and organizations vulnerable to cyber threats. The U.S. Department of Justice also announced on December 18 that it had seized two internet domains that impersonated the biotechnology firms Moderna and Regeneron, both of which are involved with developing treatments for the coronavirus. Criminals had been using the sites as ‘watering holes,’ to collect visitors’ personal data as part of a scam. According to the FTC, Americans have reported over $211 million in losses from coronavirus-related fraud. “On December 2, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) issued a global alert to law enforcement across its 194 member countries warning them to prepare for organized crime network targeting of COVID-19 vaccines, physically and in cyberspace“ Region-Specific Criminal Concerns Organized criminality is certainly a worldwide phenomenon, as is the push for COVID vaccination. However, certain regions of the world may be affected more (or sooner) than others when it comes to the intertwining of the two. Below, OSAC identifies trends in Europe, Latin America, and Africa worthy of private-sector attention. But, evidenced by instances such as the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicates attempting to gain public favor by providing PPE, opening soup kitchens, and offering to sanitize the Diamond Princess cruise ship early in the pandemic, Asia is certainly not a stranger to this type of development. Europe The European Union’s current schedule has the distribution of an initial 200 million doses of the Pfizer developed COVID-19 vaccine completed by September, with additional shipments arriving thereafter. Authorities expect the primary risk in Europe to be organized criminal scams attempting to sell dangerous counterfeit vaccines or to hijack shipments of genuine shots. Counterfeit and substandard medical equipment and COVID tests are already rampant. Similar schemes with vaccines are most likely representing a significant public health threat if they are ineffective at best or toxic at worst. Fake vaccines may even have a wider-reaching impact if new outbreaks emerge in communities assuming themselves to have received proper vaccinations. According to Europol, criminals have placed advertisements on dark web marketplaces “using the brands of genuine pharmaceutical companies that are already in the final stages of testing.” Law enforcement agencies…

Feature

Solarwinds Cyber Hacking

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 21, 2021November 14, 20241236 mins

Iqbal Singh Technology Expert & Senior Corporate Executive in a European MNC E: iqchucks@gmail.com The recent SolarWinds Cyber hacking is deemed by many cyber security experts to be the biggest security breach ever in the history of cyber hacking. The attack was audacious, sophisticated, meticulous, stealthily executed, and the range of targets is said to be staggering – Fortune 500 companies, US Federal and State Departments including Defense, State, Treasury, US Cyber Command and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The attack has shaken up the establishments and the corporate world across the globe. Such was the importance attached to the matter that US President Joe Biden allocated US$ 9 billion to improve cyber security infrastructure on Day 1 of taking office. The full impact of the attack and the causes are still being ascertained as I write this. Being an extremely complex attack while a lot is spoken, written and talked about it, most people are not very clear about as to what exactly happened, and how and what preventive measures should one take in the future. In this article I shall attempt to demystify the attack in as simple a manner as possible bereft of technical jargon, and in an easy to understand manner even for a non-technical layman. I must also insert here a disclaimer that the article is based on the current understanding of the issue as per the info available in the public domain, things can change as more unknown details unravel. SolarWinds SolarWinds is a company that makes IT monitoring and management software solutions. It counts 425 of the Fortune 500 companies and several key US Federal and State agencies amongst its customers. It has over 33000 customers globally. One of their products Orion had been infected and the same software was installed by around 18,000 of its customers. I feel that for giving the readers an idea of the attack it would be best to begin with how the attack came to light. While the readers may not understand all the jargon I request them to hold on for a few moments as I would explain them later in the article. The chronology of events as they were revealed to the world 08-Dec-2020 FireEye suffers attack: Hackers broke into FireEye’s network and stole the company’s red team penetration testing tools (Red team is the offensive side of the security. Red teams think like the attacker, they imitate real-world attacks and mimic adversary techniques and methods, uncover vulnerabilities in an organization’s infrastructure, launch exploits, and report on their findings). From that point of view the theft of these tools is pretty significant and serious. In simple terms the tools fell into the hands of the bad guys – the very guys against whom it was meant to protect. 11-Dec-2020 FireEye discovers SolarWinds was attacked: FireEye discovered that SolarWinds Orion updates had been corrupted and weaponized by hackers. 12-Dec-2020 FireEye alerts SolarWinds CEO: Orion contained a vulnerability as the result of a cyberattack. Emergency NSC White House meeting: The National Security Council holds a meeting at the White House on Saturday to discuss a breach of multiple government agencies and businesses. 13-Dec-2020 CISA emergency directive: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued emergency directive 21-01, ordering federal agencies to power down SolarWinds Orion because of a substantial security threat. SolarWinds security advisory: SolarWinds issued a security advisory outlining the Orion platform hack and associated defensive measures. FireEye disclosure: FireEye said an attacker had leveraged the SolarWinds supply chain to compromise multiple global victims. Microsoft guidance: Microsoft offered guidance regarding the attacks. Media coverage: Hackers believed to be working for Russia have been monitoring internal email traffic at the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments. 14-Dec-2020 SolarWinds disclosed breach in an SEC filing. SolarWinds stock falls: Shares fell down by about $20. 15-Dec-2020 SolarWinds released software fix. Investigation request: A bipartisan group of six senators wanted the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to submit a report to Congress about the impact of the SolarWinds cyber attack on agencies. 17-Dec-2020 US CERT alert issued. IT Service providers targeted: Microsoft discovered more than 40 of its customers were targeted. Five IT solutions providers and consulting firms – Deloitte, Digital Sense, ITPS, Netdecisions and Stratus Networks – were breached. U.S. Nuclear agency targeted: Hackers accessed systems at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. Microsoft: Impacted by malware. United States cybersecurity policy: President-elect Joe Biden vowed to elevate cybersecurity as an ‘imperative’ when he took office and said he would not ‘stand idly by’ in the face of cyber attack What is different this time? Cyber attacks are not new. Usually there’s a vulnerability that allows threat actors to get into the network. What’s unique about this case is that the initial vulnerability was in the vendor software, so it’s often now being referred to as a supply chain hack because the vulnerability was embedded as code. Other differences are: SolarWinds’ security products impacted. 18 known products and 18,000 customers were delivered with the malicious code. Federal agencies. The exposure to federal agencies was a matter of grave concern. While targeting government agencies, they focused to access their emails. FireEye red team tools. Sophisticated tools from FireEye got into the nefarious actors’ hands. Post breach into the target network. The attackers settled in, sat there for a while, scanned the network, moved laterally in that environment and hunted for privileged access. Orion software build and code signing infrastructure was compromised. The source code of the affected library was directly modified to include malicious back-door code, which was compiled, signed and delivered through the existing software patch release management system. Attackers were very patient. They waited for a prolonged duration to extract the data and then cover their tracks. SolarWinds operation is an intelligence gathering effort,’ rather than an operation looking to destroy or cause mayhem among US IT infrastructure. SolarWinds customers. Look like the who’s who of the…

Case Study

Prama Hikvision Offers Back-to-Business Solutions for Malls and Retail Outlets to Ensure Continuity and Safety

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 19, 2021November 14, 202407 mins

Malls and organised retail stores across India are looking for breakthrough solutions to resolve the health and safety concerns related to pandemic after they were allowed to reopen with stringent safety guidelines. To help the malls and entire retail sector to safely reopen, Prama Hikvision has developed an impressive line-up of solutions for the retail sector. These innovative solutions include the temperature screening solution, a crowd-flow management solution and social distancing solution. These Back-to-business solutions are helping the malls and retail outlets ensure compliance of public safety guidelines. Malls serve a variety of purposes in local neighborhoods. Because of that, they accommodate heavy traffic of both customers and employees every day. Today, mall staff has the added challenge of helping crowds maintain safe social distancing to minimize undue risks. That’s why Hikvision created a tailored solution for malls that can be applied effectively for flow control and precise contact distance detection, contributing to a safer environment and better shopping experience for customers. The key stakeholders of retail sector can implement the following solutions to ensure public safety and compliance of guidelines. Easy and dynamic flow control: Easy and intuitive customer flow management with market-proven people counting technology. Multi-site temperature screening: A variety of products and measures for safe and efficient temperature screening in all areas. Fully touch-free access: Embedded facial recognition for hands-free access authentication in key areas. Highly centralized management: Instant visualization of emergency events and overall statistics for situational awareness. Temperature screening Preliminary temperature screening and mask detection should be completed at the very beginning. Hikvision’s special camera models with AI enabled Algorithm make it possible to measure preliminarily skin-surface temperature of people and visitors not conforming to the minimum requirement can be stopped and prevented from entering to ensure public safety. Mask detection Checking automatically whether customers or employees wearing masks or not saves lots of time of security guards and reduces error. Hikvision’s temperature screening devices also help retailers alert when any visitor or employee violating requirement to wear mask which gives confidence to visitors for their safety and they are encouraged to visit the malls. Recommended products Highly efficient temperature screening & mask detection with thermographic cameras. Flow control Under some conditions, the number of customers entering should be maintained effectively. With Hikvison’s Fusion intelligence people counting camera or DeepinView cameras, the number of customers entering in malls can be maintained in real-time. Recommended products Fusion intelligence people counting camera. DeepinView camera. Information display Figures from Hikvision cameras can be displayed on digital signage, which supports instant visualization of people numbers, temperature and face mask status, while serving as media player for a variety of advertisement. Recommended products: Instant visualization of temperature and mask detection on digital signage or monitors. Digital signage. Temperature screening & employee attendance For the entrances of individual shops, Hikvision’s MinMoe terminals can be applied for temperature screening and mask detection. This popular face recognition terminal can be used for employment attendance, contributing to convenient and efficient employee management. Recommended products: Temperature screening and mask detection with Min. Moe terminals Social distancing & area popularity analytics for counters where there might be long queues, social distancing compliance is vital. Dual-lens cameras can measure the distance between people accurately and generate auto-alarms when they get too close together. Queue management cameras trigger notifications to front desk managers when a long queue builds up and too many people gather together, facilitating measures to keep less people in the waiting zone and elevate customer experience. Recommended products: Interpersonal distance control with dual-lens cameras. Queue management with 7-series IP cameras. Powerful data visualization and centralized management Mall managers and security staff can view statistics and records of all connected areas in real time, including statistics of temperature and mask status, employee attendance reports, and multi-site flow control status. Centralized management facilitates the pooling and coordination of resources and reduces repeated efforts for steady and efficient mall operations. Recommended products: HikCentral – Temperature Screening Safe Reopening for retail sector requires cooperation from all the stakeholders, employing the recommended best practices and maintaining safe daily habits in order to reduce the risk. Cutting-edge video technologies can help various organizations better observe the instructions and guidance. Prama Hikvision, has dedicated product packages for retail vertical specific applications and solutions including malls, retail stores and other retail outlets. It has multiple application cases across India to bolster the cause of safe reopening for the retail sector.

Feature

Bitcoin & Blockchain (Explained)

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 19, 2021November 14, 20248118 mins

It’s fair to say that 2020 has been an exciting year for crypto. From Bitcoin’s peak in December 20 at £14,450 to new contenders such as Ethereum, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash entering the running, Cryptocurrencies have been the darling of investors and speculators everywhere. One of our Berlin-based meetups was focused on Blockchain recently and you can watch the replay of the livestream at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt1ihk_7J6c&feature=youtu.be). But it may not be all sunshine and rainbows ahead. Navigating the cryptocurrency realm requires skill and an understanding of the subtleties of the market as it also comes with significant risk. From government regulations to security, within this article, we’ll look at some of the big problems facing cryptocurrencies. Let’s begin… Government regulation is inevitable Government reactions to cryptocurrencies have ranged from aggressive to indifference, with investors and speculators cautiously monitoring international developments. Just recently, the Head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, stated that regulatory action from the international community on cryptocurrencies is ‘inevitable.’ Christine also said, “We are actively engaging in anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism; and that reinforces our determination to work on those two directions.” According to a report by CoinDesk, in late January 2021, world leaders gathered for the Davos World Economic Forum, with several sharing the same sentiment, including the French President, UK Prime Minister, and the secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. South Korea is reported to have recently banned the trade of bitcoin and other digital currencies anonymously but says it does not intend to ban cryptocurrency exchanges. The next subject is often overlooked… There’s an issue of inheritance The unregulated nature of bitcoin means that without the keys needed to view a relative’s digital wallet, there’s no way of accessing their funds if they are to pass away. For example, five years ago, Matthew Moody died during an observational flight, and at the time he had been mining bitcoin. His father, Michael Moody, has spent the last three years trying to find out how many bitcoins his son has and how to find them. However, without knowing every single address, he is unable to locate every piece of currency. Moody has since called for better education about how to ensure investments are secured properly for those individuals mining bitcoin. I’m sure you’d already know the next one… There’s a security risk Bitcoin exchanges are digital and therefore vulnerable to hackers, operational glitches and malware. By targeting and hacking a cryptocurrency exchange, hackers can gain access to thousands of accounts and digital wallets where the cryptocurrencies are stored. One infamous example was the COX hacking incident in 2014, which saw the Japanese exchange closing down after millions of dollars in bitcoin were stolen. And the one everyone is talking about… There’s a market risk As with any investment, the value of cryptocurrencies can fluctuate, this should be no surprise. Within their short time, they’ve seen fierce swings in value and an extreme sensitivity to headlines, due to the high number of informal and amateur investors. If there’s continued resistance to the adoption of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, they may lose value. “Bitcoin exchanges are digital and therefore vulnerable to hackers, operational glitches and malware. By targeting and hacking a cryptocurrency exchange, hackers can gain access to thousands of accounts and digital wallets where the cryptocurrencies are stored. One infamous example was the COX hacking incident in 2014, which saw the Japanese exchange closing down after millions of dollars in bitcoin were stolen“ Experts, investors and budding traders will continue to speculate as to the future of cryptocurrencies. All we can know for sure is that it’s going to be an interesting journey. BLOCKCHAIN Blockchain is often touted as a world-changing technology and in many ways, it is. However, it isn’t necessarily the cure-all panacea for the world’s problems that many evangelists would have you believe. Here’s a breakdown of some of the issues with blockchain that anyone thinking of using it should understand. Starting with perhaps is the biggest… 1. Blockchain has an environmental cost At least, the way it is being used today, it does. Blockchain relies on encryption to provide its security as well as establish consensus over a distributed network. This essentially means that, in order to ‘prove’ that a user has permission to write to the chain, complex algorithms must be run, which in turn require large amounts of computing power. Of course, this comes at a cost. Taking the most widely known and used blockchain as an example – Bitcoin – last year it was claimed that the computing power required to keep the network running consumes as much energy as was used by 159 of the world’s nations. Yes, Bitcoin’s blockchain is a hugely valuable network – with a current market capacity at the time of writing of over $170 billion – and so sophisticated and computationally intense security is essential. Smaller scale blockchains – such as those that an organisation may deploy internally to securely monitor and record business activity – would consume a fraction of that. Nevertheless, it’s an important consideration, and the environmental implications as well as the energy costs can’t be ignored. 2. Lack of regulation creates a risky environment Again, this is largely a problem with Bitcoin or other value-based blockchain networks. But the fact is, as many investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies for the first time in the last few months have found to their cost, it’s a very volatile environment. Due to the lack of regulatory oversight, scams and market manipulation are commonplace. Among the high profile cases is Oncecoin – recently revealed as a ponzi scheme which is believed to have robbed millions from investors who believed they were getting it early on what would become the ‘next Bitcoin.’ As with many areas of tech in recent years, legislators have largely failed to keep pace with innovators (or scammers), leading to rich pickings for those seeking to exploit ‘FOMO’ – the ‘fear of missing out.’ Even…

National

Eagle Eye Networks Forecasts Key Video Surveillance Trends For 2021

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 17, 2021November 14, 202405 mins

Eagle Eye Networks, the leading global provider of smart cloud video security, recently shared the trends that will have the biggest impact on video surveillance, security, and use of analytics to drive business intelligence and improvement in 2021. Customers are asking for cloud – advanced analytics will transform video surveillance systems into even more valuable business solutions, compliance requirements are constantly evolving, IT departments are engaging with, and in many cases owning video surveillance, and customers are expecting systems to be open and connected. “A number of factors are driving the video surveillance trends in 2021,” said Hans Kahler, Vice President of Operations at Eagle Eye Networks, “Innovation from companies like Eagle Eye Networks and our partners is leading and meeting the demands of customers for their video surveillance systems to provide business insights in addition to security. Combine the promise of AI and cloud video surveillance with the volatility, instability, and remote work environment of 2020 and we have an environment where people are looking for their video surveillance and security systems to deliver more business value than ever before. The acceleration of cloud adoption and use of analytics to provide improved security and drive business improvement will make 2021 a transformative year for the industry.” Video Surveillance and Security Trends for 2021 Customers are asking for cloud: The shift to the benefits of cloud in the video surveillance space are powerful and undeniable, including major cost savings, heightened data security, remote access and maintenance, flexible storage and retention, scalability, increased stability, and disaster recovery. Analytics and AI turn security systems into business solutions: Video surveillance systems are not just for security anymore, they’re also a valuable tool for business intelligence (BI). While AI has been talked about for several years, its deployment has lagged. This year, we’ll see AI move from the lab to practical adoption. Compliance requirements are constantly evolving: As video surveillance becomes a more widely adopted tool across industries and continents and more industries are using video for compliance purposes, regulating its use is becoming more prevalent. IT departments more engaged and owning video surveillance: IT leaders have not only gotten involved in the video management system, they’re actually owning it. As part of their IT strategy, corporations are leveraging video for business process improvement while reducing unnecessary operational overhead. Demand for open, integrated systems: An open and connected ecosystem makes it possible for businesses and developers to integrate any number of applications on a single video management system (VMS) platform. The platform handles all the heavy lifting of interfacing with the cameras, recording video, securely transmitting and storing video to the cloud, and making video available for use in the integrated applications. The days of vendors ‘locking’ users into their cameras or touting ‘hybrid’ systems (which require upgrades to vendor hardware to get new features) will not be accepted.

National

Top 10 Security Industry Trends in 2021

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 17, 2021November 14, 2024016 mins

In spite of a highly unusual 2020, the security industry’s constant transformation has not stopped. Several significant shifts in the use of technology are even accelerating – for example the increasing applications of multi-perception technologies, the convergence of security systems, the popularity of artificial intelligence, and the rise of cloud solutions. These changes are expanding and reshaping the scope of the security industry, from keeping people and assets safe to creating more secure, efficient and intelligent environments. Looking ahead at 2021, we have high hopes, and Hikvision would like to share some encouraging ideas and thoughts here regarding key trends that may affect the security industry in both the short- and long-term. Intelligent video technology helping during the pandemic In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are prioritizing finding ways to resume operations safely. Intelligent video technology has shown great potential to help companies keep their employees and customers safe while getting back to work. Powered by AI, security cameras monitor densely populated locations to ensure employees follow vital safety precautions – including social distancing, mask wearing and flow control – and provide initial temperature screenings. Employees are avoiding unnecessary physical contact with shared hardware in this tense era, accelerating the touchless access control system trend we have seen in the market. Numerous modes of touchless verification – face recognition, palmprint recognition, NFC and QR codes – are being heavily promoted. Multi-dimensional perception For a long time, capturing visual images was the core and only perception capability for video security systems. But with the development and application of sensing technologies, more powerful edge computing and intelligent algorithms, integrated security devices and systems that employ multiple sensors are becoming possible. Now, more perception capabilities such as radar detection, multispectral imagery, humidity and temperature measurement, and gas pressure detection, are being integrated with video cameras and systems. This integration extends perception capabilities of these video cameras and systems, and widens their applications by enabling the collection and use of multi-dimensional information. For example, a promising approach right now integrates cameras with centimeter- and millimeter-wave radar technology, which can extend perception beyond the visual range to object detection and movement tracking up to and over 100 meters in the distance. Multispectral imagery is another good approach for cameras to perceive information from the non-visible light spectrum. For instance, innovative ultraviolet (UV) detection boosts the perception capabilities of cameras as far as even capturing invisible electric arc phenomena; this technology finds a key application in safety-checks at aging power grids. Multi-dimensional perception capabilities will play a fundamental role in taking the video security industry to the next level, and we constantly see growing numbers of integrated security devices and systems with multiple sensors. Visibility – Any time, any condition Users have come to expect uninterrupted performance from their video cameras, regardless of season, the weather, and certainly the time of day. It’s vital to have cameras that can respond effectively to capture clear images, no matter what time of day or night or how bad the weather is. Nowadays, low light imaging technology that provides colorful images in dark environments and at night is becoming popular in the security industry, and customers have shown a preference toward cameras with color imaging 24/7. More front-end cameras are now equipped with low light imaging technology to make sure they can ‘see’ and reproduce image color both day and night. And in other extreme conditions such as heavy rain, snow, fog or smog, how do cameras ensure visibility? Industry professionals are tending to choose thermal imaging that measures heat – or thermal radiation – to generate images from their field of view. With thermal imaging, the rendered image is far less affected by even the most light-obscuring of these conditions. 5G technology for UHD and wireless video security 5G technology may bring great changes to the security industry. 5G’s greater bandwidth and lower latency makes the regular transmission of high quality images possible, and, with the widespread adoption of ultra-high-definition (UHD) cameras, could bring new opportunities for video security. Furthermore, reliable wireless transmission over 5G technology will revolutionize the currently-wired video security market. In the forthcoming 5G networks, wireless cameras will proliferate, and more edge devices will be connected in remote locations. This will also facilitate wide and fast deployment of AI applications in edge devices. Convergence of multiple security systems We operate in an industry where users expect comprehensive solutions. The concept of systems working seamlessly together has long been desired by the vast majority of security professionals. The benefits of converging multiple security systems – including video, access control, alarm, fire prevent and emergency management – into a unified platform are manifold, with efficiency and cost-effectiveness the most obvious. For example, when an alarm goes off, an integrated system automatically links that alert to the output of the nearest camera, so the whole situation can be easily witnessed from the monitoring center. This translates to a considerable reduction in time and effort, and most importantly, costs. Savings in workforce, installer time, separate maintenance costs, separate software licenses etc., all add up to create an attractive package for customers. What’s more, convergence makes security solutions scale. Existing infrastructure will meet and manage future needs on the same central platform. Digital transformation of enterprises enabled by video security systems Aside from security and protection, the added value video security systems offer has expanded to assist enterprise-level businesses in their digital transformation process and gain insights into development opportunities. Empowered by AI analytics, today’s smart video security solutions are designed to improve automation and operational efficiency in various vertical markets including traffic, retail, manufacturing, building, education, and more. Retailers, for instance, better understand foot traffic in their stores and optimize their merchandising strategies with help of smart video solutions. These solutions have been designed with digital dashboards to display data and information that come from the integrated in-house enterprise information systems. Operators can use these systems to get real-time status updates to help them make the…

Latest

MIPS 2021: A Glimpse Into The Future Of Video Technology

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 17, 2021November 14, 202404 mins

With its 16th annual MIPS, 100 % virtual and free of charge, Milestone Systems invites partners, customers and media to explore the future of video technology under the theme of ‘Shaping the New Next.’ With more than 2,000 registered attendees from across the globe, MIPS (Milestone Integration Platform Symposium) is where the Milestone Systems community comes together to share insights, experiences, best practices and the latest innovations. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, this will be the first virtual MIPS conference, and the first where attendance is free. We will investigate how video technology is transforming business and society, and why video management systems are at the core of this change. During the two-day event, Milestone Systems will share inspiration from global innovation experts and Milestone Systems executives, and present success stories and industry insights from partners. Milestone Systems’ newly appointed CEO Thomas Jensen will talk about how video technology has moved beyond security and how we will be working with partners to embrace this shift. The CTO Bjørn Skou Eilertsen and CSMO Kenneth Hune Petersen will discuss macro-technology trends, accelerated technology adoption in key industries, and why Milestone Systems believes that video technology is the electricity of the 21st century. The event also offers a deep dive into the impact of video technology on city management, how video technology is improving every facet of transportation, and how computer vision and analytics are creating new opportunities in the retail industry for automation, personalization and even combatting Covid-19. Moreover, Milestone Systems will share insights into the latest deployment possibilities of our video management software, give an exclusive intro to Milestone Systems’ future direction, and present a new product launch. “Not only does MIPS bring together Milestone Systems’ global partner community to discuss our vision of where we are going and how we can contribute to each other’s success. This year, we are looking into how our technology is transforming how we work and live and how we can empower people to make the most of video technology – in security and beyond,” says CEO Thomas Jensen, Milestone Systems. MIPS will be held on March 1-2 for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and March 2-3 for both the Asia-Pacific and Americas events.

Report

Cisco 2021 Data Privacy Benchmark Study Forged by the Pandemic: The Age of Privacy

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 16, 2021November 14, 2024026 mins

The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic changes in 2020. At a time of disruption and uncertainty due to the pandemic, people have been suddenly expected, and at times required, to share their personal information such as personal lives, routines, social circles, health status and other data with governments, employers, and also with strangers while learning to interact remotely and in new digital way to help curtail the spread of COVID-19. People have shifted much of their lives online, accelerating a trend that normally would have taken years. These mass-scale shifts in human interaction and digital engagement presented many challenging data privacy issues for organizations who aim to follow the law, stop the spread of the pandemic, while also respecting individual rights. It put strains on privacy as the need to protect individual’s data was often in conflict with the need to protect public health. Consumers and the general public are growing increasingly concerned about how their personal data is being used. Fortunately, privacy protections established over the last decade helped decision makers strike the right balance between individual concerns and community needs. Cisco recently published the 2021 Data Privacy Benchmark Study, its fourth annual look into corporate privacy practices worldwide, which found enhanced importance of privacy protections during the pandemic and increasing benefits for businesses that adopt strong privacy measures. The independent, anonymized survey analyzed the responses of 4,400 security and privacy professionals across 25 countries and explored attitudes towards privacy legislation and the emergence of privacy metrics being reported to executive management. In this year’s Data Privacy Benchmark Study, we’ve found strong evidence that privacy has become an even more important priority during the pandemic. Privacy budgets have increased over the last year, organizations have more resources focused on privacy, and privacy investments going above and beyond the law are translating into real business value. Privacy legislation and external certifications are providing assurance in a business environment where it’s hard to know whom to trust. Consumers are exercising their privacy rights and demanding enforcement of existing privacy protections. The reaffirmation of privacy’s value even during the pandemic positions it as a priority for years to come. Privacy is no longer an afterthought; it is core to how we work and interact with each other. The age of privacy has arrived. KEY FINDINGS In this study, we continue our exploration of privacy practices and maturity levels at organizations around the world, their financial investments in privacy, business benefits from these investments, and the forces driving these behaviors. In this year’s research, we also included several questions related to the pandemic and its impact. Some of the key findings include Ninety-three percent of organizations turned to their privacy teams to help navigate and guide their pandemic response. Privacy budgets doubled in 2020 to an average of $2.4 million. RoI was slightly down compared to 2019, but remains attractive with 35% reporting benefits at least 2 times their investments. Privacy laws are viewed very favorably around the world, with 79% of organizations indicating they are having a positive impact (and only 5% negative impact). External privacy certifications (e.g., ISO 27701, APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules, and EU Binding Corporate Rules) are an important buying factor for 90% of organizations when choosing a product or vendor. Organizations with more mature privacy practices are getting higher business benefits than average and are much better equipped to handle new and evolving privacy regulations around the world. Data privacy has become a top area of responsibility for security professionals, with 34% of survey respondents indicating privacy is one of their core competencies and responsibilities. Ninety-three percent of organizations are reporting privacy metrics (e.g., privacy program audit findings, privacy impact assessments, and data breaches) to their Boards. These findings provide strong evidence that the commitment to privacy has been strengthened during the pandemic. Organizations that get privacy right improve trust with their customers, operational efficiency, and both top-line and bottom-line results. FORGED BY THE PANDEMIC: THE AGE OF PRIVACY 1. Helping organizations overcome the challenges of the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic forced many changes on society in 2020, including a rapid shift to remote working and an often-urgent need for personal health information to support public health initiatives. Rather than being pushed aside, privacy teams and privacy principles have attained greater prominence as they have helped organizations manage this shift and balance the competing interests of individual rights and public safety. Ninety-three percent of organizations said their privacy teams played a significant role in helping them navigate and respond to the challenges brought on by COVID-19. These challenges included the shift to remote working, determining when and how to share personal information, and implementing controls to limit access and use of any shared personal data. During the pandemic, the percentage of organizations where most employees were working remotely jumped from 40% to 67%, and 91% of organizations had at least a quarter of their employees working remotely. Unfortunately, many were unprepared for this transition. Only 41% of organizations described themselves as fully prepared for this shift from a privacy and security perspective, and 87% of individuals expressed concern with the privacy protections involved in the tools they needed to work and interact remotely (See figure 1). In responding to the pandemic, governments and organizations needed health-related personal data to understand co-morbidity factors and exposure risk to keep their communities and workplaces safe. Despite the need, consumers generally supported few if any exceptions to the privacy protections for their data. Thirty-six percent of respondents in the consumer survey wanted no change to existing privacy laws, with another 26% supporting only limited exceptions. Only 10% thought privacy should take a back seat to safety during the pandemic (See figure 2). In considering specific use cases, 57% were supportive of employers’ need for health information to keep their workplaces safe, but most other use cases were only supported by a minority of respondents. These included location tracking, contact tracing, relaxing medical restrictions, disclosing information about infected individuals, and using individual…

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Union Budget 2021 Industry Comments

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 15, 2021November 14, 2024023 mins

The Union Budget 2021-22 has been the most awaited, and most anticipated event in the country. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister of India presented the Budget in parliament on 1 February 2021 amidst various expectations and speculations. The COVID 19 all through 2020 has brought a regime of doubts, uncertainty and speculations, and in the time people of India has been looking at the budget with great expectations. The Budget was pronounced and brought mixed reactions from the people. We spoke to the industry and some of the industry experts have passed their following points of view – some excerpts: The Union Budget FY 2021-22 is a transformative budget with positive resolve for India to grow further with a vision of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan that compliments the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative of the Government. Atmanirbhar Bharat is an expression of 130 crore Indians, who have full confidence in their capabilities and skills. The union budget has identified the six pillars of Atmanirbhar Bharat’s vision. On behalf of Prama Hikvision, we welcome the progressive and visionary budget and look forward to economic growth and stability. The budget has sincere intent to provide momentum to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities. The production linked incentive scheme (PLI) is a welcome move by the government. The review of the customs duty structure is clearly seen as a move towards promoting the domestic manufacturing. We hope that the review of the custom duty structure will be done after extensive consultation with the key stakeholders. As India is set out to become the third-largest security industry in the world, we are striving to accelerate and build on this momentum of local manufacturing. The Indian security industry has seen the self-reliance push in the union budget 2021. We are hopeful that the proposed customs duty hikes on key electronic components will further give boost to the ‘Make-in-India’ 2.0. Smart cities mission is an important driver of growth in the security industry, which has got a big boost in the union budget 2021-22 with allocation of Rs.6450 crore. The move to strengthen the overall research ecosystem to boost innovation and R&D in the country, an outlay of Rs.50,000 crore has been announced for National Research Foundation. It is a big step for accelerating innovation and R&D in India. The budget clearly shows government’s mega thrust on developing infrastructure, road transport, waterways, airports, railway, metro rail, ‘MetroLite’ and ‘MetroNeo.’ It is commendable for its inclusive growth agenda, overall a gradual step toward Atmanirbhar Bharat. Union budget 2021 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister of India on 01 February 2021 was a turning point and a landmark budget which is appreciated by all sections of industry acknowledging the bold initiatives, intent and paradigm shift in strategic planning to propel the growth of Indian economy on the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,‘Self Reliant India’ and ‘Digital India.’ Muted criticism in a democracy like India proves the degree of acceptance. To me, it gave a feeling of ‘1991 moment’ when India took unprecedented acceleration in reforms. The major structural shift in policy reflects Central Govt’s resoluteness and strong conviction to achieve strategic independence by reduction in imports; unlike in past most of the Govt’s drafted the budget with an eye on the vote bank. Likely impact on the Private Security Industry (PSI) The private security industry does not fall into the bracket of manufacturing segment; it is grossly a service industry. This union budget is likely to have a significant impact on the private security industry in the following ways: Huge investment in infrastructure development like highways, metro rail, air ports, SEZ and sea ports etc., is going to increase business opportunity for providing security and allied services like toll tax management. Disallowing delayed deposit of PF as expenses will compel us to ensure its timely deposit. Reduced time limit for reopening of tax assessments to 3 years and establishment of faceless Income Tax Tribunals would reduce harassment. Announcement of voluntary scrapping policy to phase out polluting vehicles is likely to impact all PSIs but more so those providing CIT services. Impact of increase in custom duty on electronic items on PSI PSAs use a large number of electronic items like mobile phones, surveillance equipment, PCs, servers and related equipment. The increase in import duty on these therefore is likely to increase the cost to the private security agencies. These cost increment would be mostly applicable to the procurement of new equipment. Existing electronic equipment already being held will have the impact only in their repairs or upgrading. Rationale of Govt’s imposition of additional custom duty The government proposed to impose import duty on components of mobile phones and chargers as a part of review of 400 exemptions in customs duty including those applicable on the mobile devices segment. Govt cited following rationale for its action: To enhance local value addition. To align the thrust on easy access to raw materials and exports of value addition. To ensure twin objectives of promoting domestic manufacturing and helping India get on to global value chain and exports. Conclusion The Central Govt’s move to make India a manufacturing hub by boosting domestic manufacturing and to transform it as part of global supply chain as an intent and strategy not only sounds good but appears to be viable. Domestic manufacturing is getting a leg up in allocation of funds and recent procurement orders for instance are TEJAS from HAL with LCH in pipeline and latest version of ARJUN from DRDO, ATAG gun from Bharat Forge, drones from a startup and ship building. Domestic manufacturers of mobile phones like DIXON Technology and household electrical appliances by Amber Enterprises are likely to scale up manufacturing and reduce share of imports. Even during COVID 19 pandemic Indian domestic manufacturers played vital and major role in manufacturing of PPEs, medical devices, ventilators and ICU beds to reduce dependence on imports. In my view, the rhetoric of ICEA which is umbrella body for the mobile manufacturers should be taken with a…

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SeeClear: Focus on Excellence with 5 Hikvision Core Technologies

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaFebruary 15, 2021November 14, 202404 mins

Achieving excellence requires an eye for detail, a vision for success and the focus to see it through. It’s a rare combination that Hikvision has created with Hikvision #SeeClear: a set of core technologies that ensure our cameras record the finest details, while always capturing the bigger picture. Hikvision is dedicated to achieving excellence, which is one of our core values, and that’s why we’ve created #SeeClear: a set of technologies designed to give you a precise, uninterrupted view of every situation. Equipped with this comprehensive outlook, you are empowered to make rapid decisions for an optimal outcome every time. Here are 5 examples of how Hikvision core technologies can help you achieve excellence: Hikvision Super Resolution: Always get a precise and clear view To optimize your business operations, you need to see and understand everything. Hikvision Super Resolution allows you to capture both the wider view and the smaller details – all in super-high resolution – so you can maximize your visibility, and focus on achieving your goals. Hikvision Smart Rapid Focus: zoom in on what’s most important Success depends on your ability to focus. With Hikvision’s Smart Rapid Focus, you can zoom in from a bird’s eye view to a close-up image without losing clarity, even for a split second. In this way, you can monitor large areas with just a few cameras, capture critical events in vivid definition, and react quickly to every situation your business faces. Hikvision Image Stabilization: smooth video in unstable locations In locations where movement and vibrations are a constant feature, recording clear video footage is a major challenge. With Hikvision’s Image Stabilization technology, you get smooth, balanced imaging across your camera estate, making shakiness and poor video quality a thing of the past. Hikvision Defog: crystal clear video in adverse conditions Weather can make conditions in outdoor environments extremely changeable and unpredictable – and that can make it tough for video cameras to perform well. In particular, heavy rain, snow, and fog can limit visibility, rendering traditional cameras ineffective. Hikvision’s innovative, defog technology can enhance the color and detail of the field of view, so you never have to battle against poor visibility. Hikvision DarkFighter: clear video in ultra-low light Dark or low illumination conditions can be challenging to your business, whether you are protecting your premises, or actually working in low light. Hikvision’s Darkfighter technology provides high quality video imaging in very low light conditions, ensuring you can monitor and continually optimize your activities 24×7.