Category: International

Dallmeier, a leading manufacturer of video security technology for stadiums, was official sponsor of this year’s ESSMA Safety & Security Workshop. On 29 and 30 March 2022, stadium security and safety experts had the opportunity to learn about video-based security and business solutions at the Allianz Arena in Munich With more than 150 successful projects worldwide, Dallmeier is one of the market leaders in video security for stadiums. The heart of many solutions is the manufacturer’s patented Panomera® multifocal sensor system, which allows security personnel and police to capture large grandstand areas with consistently high image quality and a minimum amount of camera systems. Particularly in combination with the Dallmeier HEMISPHERE® software platform, pyrotechnics violations, racist riots or bodily harm can be tracked and managed – and costs resulting from fines, for example, can be reduced. Crowd management through unified security systems By supporting common interfaces, HEMISPHERE® can integrate and correlate camera data and data from all kinds of security systems such as access control, fire and intrusion detection systems and building automation. Unified access via interactive 3D maps allows users to benefit from a ‘single pane of glass’ that can be used for a wide range of applications. These include a full overview of all stadium areas, automatic intrusion detection for ‘sterile areas,’ functions for quickly locating suspicious persons and support for emergency services. “Whether for grandstand security or software-supported process optimization – Panomera® and HEMISPHERE® open up previously unknown possibilities for stadium operators,” explained Maximilian Strangemann, Stadium Expert of the Dallmeier Group, “Far beyond mere image capture, Dallmeier solutions allow data and information from a wide range of sources to be intelligently correlated – for efficient crowd & security management and safe, smooth stadium operation.”  

Once they have a foothold, severe wildfires can quickly overwhelm a community, particularly one that is densely packed. To shield houses against such a fierce threat, a thorough defense is key. Establishing a deep and multifaceted defense in and around homes is the basis of a new report that offers direction for safeguarding residences from external fire threats. Developed by fire safety experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), the guidance provides dozens of protective actions – and the context in which each should be taken – all backed by the latest fire science. This new approach, which is already being implemented in California by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and CAL FIRE through a pilot program called the California Wildfire Mitigation Program, could spare homes and lives from the intensifying threat of wildfires. “We’ve seen all these destructive wildfires come through and burn thousands of homes. The way we aim to reduce those losses is to upgrade structures and then create defensible space around them,” said Steven Hawks, CAL FIRE Chief and Report Co-Author. The strategy described in the report is the keystone of the recently launched California pilot program, which is meant to provide support to communities statewide. While the guidance is available for anyone to implement voluntarily, the cost of putting it into practice may be steep for some. “That’s where the California Wildfire Mitigation Program really steps in and provides the expertise, the education, the funding to back all of those mitigation measures at the level of each individual property,” Hawks said. With significant gaps in fire codes and regulations such as the lack of measures that address fire spread between properties, CAL FIRE worked closely with NIST and IBHS researchers to produce a more comprehensive defensive strategy. The authors of the report compiled methods to protect against wildfires’ two main weapons of choice – flames and airborne pieces of burning debris called embers. For a home to be made fire resistant, or hardened, up to 40 different components – such as windows, gutters and the deck – may need to be upgraded, either by adding to or replacing them with less flammable material. And because of how pervasive embers are, all 40 boxes must be checked in the end for a homeowner to reap much of any reward. “If you have literally a million embers flying about your home and you have vulnerabilities, they’re going to find them,” said Alexander Maranghides, a NIST fire Protection Engineer and Lead Author of the report, “Hardening half of your home is not going to give you 50% improvement. You cannot pick and choose.” In contrast, flames exhibit a much shorter reach than embers, and the approach for fending them off is more tailored to a home’s individual circumstances. The authors advise assessing the types and proximity of combustible features on a home’s lot and surrounding lots to determine where potential flames are a threat and identify appropriate actions. The first line of defense for flames is to either remove combustible items such as wooden furniture or sheds, or push them away from a home by a distance the authors determined to be safe. authors determined to be safe. “In cases where a combustible object, such as a neighboring home, is dangerously close and moving it is not a realistic option, the guidance recommends hardening specific home features that would be in striking distance as a last resort,” Maranghides said, “This might mean having just the wall facing a neighboring home clad in a non-combustible material, for example.” The implementation of this strategy by every residence is especially critical in crowded neighborhoods where only a few feet may separate homes, potentially linking their fates in the event of a wildfire. In California, the guidance is already seeing action through the pilot program, with Cal OES and CAL FIRE using it to assess and upgrade the properties of homeowners in three pilot communities across the state, including San Diego, Shasta and Lake Counties. For Maranghides, the hope is that California is only the beginning. With several other states already grappling with an ever-increasing wildfire threat, the new, holistic approach for protecting homes and thus communities could be broadly applied throughout the U.S.  

The continuing modernisation of Middle East banking is leading to increased video upgrade opportunities for systems integrators, in the region’s finance sector and beyond, according to the latest market-focus eBook from IDIS. Investments in corporate infrastructure, including security, are being driven by several factors says IDIS, whose Korean-made end-to-end technology has already been used for a number of large-scale banking CCTV upgrades, as well as for smaller, specialist financial sector applications. The company’s latest guide explains the context of structural change in the sector and highlights success factors for security companies and contractors bidding for new projects. Retail and corporate banks have recognised the need to invest in digitisation and analytics, and to embrace the opportunities of fintech to remain competitive. They are also responding to wider changes, including diversification of the region’s economies away from oil, bringing with it the need to raise capital on global markets. At the same time, authorities have further tightened compliance, to counter cybersecurity risk, money laundering and fraud. For the sector’s risk-averse institutions, compliance with increasingly stringent national, regional, and global regulations is non-negotiable. The resulting investments that are taking place in video surveillance are multi-year journeys, and institutions have shown themselves willing to commit significant time, manpower and resources to achieve the best long-term return on investment (RoI) said Dennis Choi, General Manager, IDIS Middle East & Africa. “Video has been recognised as one of the key risk reduction measures and systems integrators and consultants who can deliver best-fit solutions, with the most proven technologies, stand to win major, ongoing contracts,” he said. Explaining sector requirements in detail, the IDIS eBook points out that while compliance differs between states, in most countries regulations now cover live streaming, retrieval of footage, system administration, and management and control of entire estates (including ATMs) from centralised monitoring environments. Banks are also looking to provide the distributed functionality that branch managers and security teams need for dealing with events locally. Project success factors covered in the report include: providing smooth migration paths with uninterrupted monitoring and recording; reducing storage and bandwidth burdens; understanding the latest developments in multi-task VMS and AI-enabled analytics; ensuring redundancy, resilience and failover; satisfying sustainability and waste reduction concerns; and offering fairer pricing structures. Middle East banks are also increasingly looking for assurance that their video solution and VMS will allow integration of third-party tech, helping in the move away from siloed systems. The Middle East banking e-book is available as a free, one-click download on the IDIS website.  

Kaspersky is proud to announce the appointment of Sandra Lee as Managing Director for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Sandra and her team will drive the company’s strategy and overall growth in the region. “APAC has always been a focus market for the company and I am excited to take up this leadership role as we continue to see great business opportunities here. With our strong regional team and solid partner ecosystem, I am looking forward to helping our customers and partners benefit even more from our award-winning solutions and threat intelligence expertise across the region,” said Sandra. Sandra will be based in Kaspersky’s APAC headquarters in Singapore. She will report to Chris Connell, Vice President for Global Sales Network, who was previously also in the role of Managing Director for APAC. “APAC has always been a focus market for the company and I am excited to take up this leadership role as we continue to see great business opportunities here. With our strong regional team and solid partner ecosystem, I am looking forward to helping our customers and partners benefit even more from our award-winning solutions and threat intelligence expertise across the region” Sandra Lee Managing Director, APAC, Kaspersky “I am thrilled and excited to see Sandra in this APAC leadership role! Her business acumen, commitment to customer success, and team leadership give us great confidence that she will strategically grow our brand in the region. She is also highly regarded by our customers and partner community. I have worked with her closely and I am certain that she is ready to lead the APAC region to even greater heights,” added Chris Connell, Vice President for Global Sales Network at Kaspersky. Prior to this promotion, Sandra led the company’s global vision for its channel partners by driving higher levels of success for and with the region’s partner community for the past three years. Her strong background in sales management, customer and partner success, and team leadership, coupled with her extensive industry experience, puts her in the perfect spot to drive Kaspersky’s overall strategy in the region to achieve great success. Sandra has been in the IT industry for more than 20 years in sales and channel leadership roles in Southeast Asia and APAC with various market-leading technology companies. Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 240,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.  

The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and AEL Sistemas, Elbit Systems’ Brazilian subsidiary, the prime contractor of the Brazilian Link-BR2 strategic program, concluded successful series of flight tests for the integration of E-LynX™ Airborne Software Defined Radio onboard two F-5M aircraft. The Brazilian Link-BR2 program aims to provide National secured datalink capabilities, enable digital connectivity of all aerial platforms among themselves and establish Multi Domain interoperability. The next phase of integration will be onboard SAAB’s Gripen NG aircraft while the Link-BR2 program roadmap includes integration of the System capabilities onboard all of the FAB aircraft. The functionalities that were demonstrated during the recent flights include provision of multi-domain situational awareness, enabling Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) based datalinks (both air-to-air and air-to-ground), facilitating transmission of airborne applications over long ranges including simultaneous audio and data, and display of a common operational picture that is shared among all the members in the network – Airborne segments and Ground segments. Demonstrating the capability of simultaneous multi channel transmission, the Link-BR2 enabled aerial and ground forces to perform target interception, receipt of information from ground radars and rapid closing of sensor-to-shooter loops, as part of the multi-dimensional arena. The Link BR2 strategic program will lead the Brazilian Armed Forces to operate on the NCW concept, a disruptive technology that brings a huge advantage on the local operational scenario. The E-LynX family of SDR is designed in an open architecture approach, featuring unique waveforms and enabling the adoption of European and NATO waveforms. The E-LynX SDR solution was selected by the Israel Defense Force as well as several Armed Forces across Europe including Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and other NATO countries. The E-LynX radios are developed and manufactured in three Elbit Systems’ Radio Engineering Centers around the globe: in Israel, in Germany by Elbit Systems Deutschland and in Brazil by AEL.  

Rekor Systems, Inc., a global AI technology company with a mission to provide actionable insights to build safer, smarter, and more efficient cities around the world through intelligent infrastructure, recently announced the availability of a new report, ‘Safer Roads, Cleaner Air, Happier Motorists – The Promise of Intelligent Variable Speed Limits.’ This report examines today’s AI-powered variable speed limit technologies and their positive impacts on smart city goals around mitigating pollution and climate change, along with increased public safety and improved citizen experience resulting from the lowering of traffic congestion and accidents. A variable speed limit is a flexible tool used by traffic managers to change the rate at which motorists can drive on a specific stretch of road based on the current environmental and road conditions. It is displayed on an electronic traffic sign. The paper unpacks the environmental impact of addressing traffic congestion with more roadways and examines VSL’s role in making the nation’s infrastructure smarter and greener. It provides an overview of how artificial intelligence and machine learning, coupled with VSL, are providing cities with the opportunity to make infrastructure more intelligent, with the goal of lowering pollution from traffic congestion without the massive expense and environmental and societal impacts involved with expanding roadways. The report also delves into how cities and states can exercise great efficiency in leveraging funds they have been allotted under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to implement VSL quickly rather than utilizing those resources building additional roadways to manage traffic congestion and its impacts. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) advocated for VSL as a way to mitigate or avoid speed related crashes.  

Moxa Inc., a leader in industrial communications and networking, with a focus on securing industrial networks, is thrilled to announce that the company has obtained the world’s first IEC 62443-4-2 certification for industrial networking devices, as per the International Electrotechnical Commission for Electrical Equipment (IECEE) Certification Body Scheme. The certification is for one of the company’s next-generation networking solutions, EDS-4000/ G4000 Series, due to hit the market in the upcoming March. As recognized by IEC 62443-4- 2 and IEC 62443-4-1 certifications, Moxa’s solutions aim to unite networking and OT cybersecurity with layered defense-in-depth protection. Our solutions cover security-hardened networking devices based on the IEC 62443- 4-2 cybersecurity standard, advanced IT and OT network segmentation with threat prevention, and tailored OT deep packet inspection (DPI) realizing industrial intrusion prevention system (IPS). These offerings allow Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) to be built with reliable endto-end connectivity to provide robust hardware, as well as high-performance and dependable networks. “When we pursued the certification of the IEC 62443 standards, the journey was transformational for Moxa,” said Samuel Chiu, General Manager of Moxa Networking, “We demonstrated that security is part of the DNA of Moxa’s product and solution portfolios by complying with the internationally recognized standards related to the process and product requirements for the secure development of an IACS. This benefits our customers who must now utilize these solutions to enjoy undisrupted operations during every step of their digital transformation.” “Networking and cybersecurity have strong synergies in operations settings, yet they both must be purpose-built for OT environments. With the digital future and increased connectedness of operations, new industry requirements and standards will be put in place to ensure providers can keep up with these requirements,” said Jonathan Lang, Research Director of IDC with a focus on Worldwide IT/ OT Convergence Strategies, “These specialized industry requirements can be overlooked by many IT cybersecurity solutions, and combining subject matter expertise and capabilities from operations is critical to ensure integrity of security systems.” According to IDC’s Worldwide IT/ OT Convergence 2022 Predictions* , 75% of new operational applications deployed at the edge will leverage containerization by 2024. This will enable a more open and composable architecture, which will be necessary for resilient operations. The rise in edge devices and expanded connectivity represent a pathway into operations. They are being deployed at a high rate and utilize more open architectures and capabilities compared to the isolated automation systems of the past. These devices must have both their software and hardware elements developed securely to last throughout their product lifecycle, integrate seamlessly into the network overall, and have security management capabilities. To create a foundation for futureproof operations, many system integrators require that component suppliers comply with the subsections of the IEC 62443 standard that pertain to their devices. The software development process-related IEC 62443-4-1 and the product-related IEC 62443-4-2 standards highlight the importance of selecting vendors that provide hardened hardware components built with a ‘secure by design’ approach. This approach should be adopted from the first day of the product development process, which includes plans for complete security lifecycle management and patch management. “The IEC 62443 series of standards cover all aspects of security requirements, thus providing a common language for component suppliers, system integrators and asset owners,” said Steve Mustard, 2021 President of International Society of Automation (ISA), the Standards Development Organization responsible for IEC 62443, “The standards outline a secure-by-design approach and provide requirements through to product manufacturing. This significantly simplifies the procurement and integration processes for network devices, applications, and automation control devices that make up industrial control systems.” The IEC 62443-4-1 standard defines a secure development lifecycle for the purpose of developing and maintaining secure products used in IACS. The IEC 62443-4- 2 standard is important for system integrators, machine builders, and plant operators who have to consider the security aspects of their applications. Both standards are useful for device manufacturers who develop switches, routers, gateways, and other components for the automation industry. Moxa has been following the development of the IEC 62443 standard for six years and has designed its products in accordance with its guidelines. In addition, Moxa has spent considerable resources on educating the market about not only the importance of the standard, but how we embed its principles throughout all stages of our hardware and software development. The certifications also demonstrate Moxa’s capability to identify and respond to vulnerabilities and work with customers to mitigate their risks. Only when cybersecurity awareness increases can joint forces enhance industrial network security. Moxa will continue investing in cybersecurity and work closely with our customers to ensure that ‘secure by design’ solutions combine expanded networking and purpose-built OT cybersecurity into one capability. IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT/ OT Convergence 2022 Predictions, Doc #US47131521, October 2021.

A new study from Juniper Research has found that the global value of the cellular IoT market will reach $61 billion by 2026; rising from $31 billion in 2022. It identified the growth of 5G and cellular LPWA (low-power wide area) technologies as key to this 95% increase over the next four years. The new study, Cellular IoT: Strategies, Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, predicted that, LPWA solutions, such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, will be the fastest-growing cellular IoT technologies over the next four years. It anticipated that the low cost of both connectivity and hardware will drive adoption for remote monitoring in key verticals, such as agriculture, smart cities and manufacturing. In turn, LPWA connections are expected to grow 1,200% over the next four years. 2G and 3G Network Shutdowns to Drive LPWA The report urged operators to migrate IoT connections on legacy networks to networks that support LPWA technologies. It anticipated that demand from enterprises for low-cost monitoring technologies, enabled by LPWA networks, will increase as these legacy networks are shut off over the next four years. Research co-author Charles Bowman commented, “Operators must educate users on the suitability of LPWA as a replacement technology for legacy networks. However, many IoT networks cannot solely rely on LPWA technologies. More comprehensive technologies, such as 5G, must underpin IoT network architectures and work in tandem with LPWA technologies to maximise the value of IoT services.” 5G to Generate $9 Billion for the IoT Market by 2026 Conversely, the report predicted that 5G IoT services will generate $9 billion of revenue by 2026; rising from $800 million in 2021. This represents a growth of 1,000% over the next five years as 5G coverage expands and operators benefit from the increased number of 5G IoT connections. To capitalise on this growth, it recommended operators offer value-added services, such as network slicing and edge computing, to IoT users to maximise the value of 5G adoption. Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.  

Eagle Eye Networks, the global player in cloud video surveillance, recently announced it successfully completed the SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls) Type 2 examination, a rigorous security standard, which certifies that Eagle Eye Networks policies and procedures securely protect and manage customer data. The company also completed conformance with ISO 27001:2013 security standards. The SOC 2 Type 2 audit evaluated internal controls over six months to ensure that Eagle Eye Networks satisfies the Trust Services Criteria defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The criteria include security, availability, processing integrity, and confidentiality. “Our customers value the priority Eagle Eye Networks places on data security and cybersecurity; it is a foundation on which our company was built and a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Dean Drako, CEO, Eagle Eye Networks, “This important audit reinforces our commitment to our customers and provides independent validation of our ongoing efforts to meet and exceed industry standards.” Eagle Eye Networks successfully completed the SOC 2 Type 1, in December 2020. Eagle Eye Networks offers additional data security and cybersecurity resources on its website.  

A global operation targeting illicit trafficking in cultural goods has led to 52 arrests and the seizure of 9,408 cultural artefacts across the world. These priceless items include archaeological objects, furniture, coins, paintings, musical instruments and statuettes. Operation Pandora VI, the operational phase of which ran from 1 June to 30 September 2021, saw law enforcement authorities in 28 countries carry out checks and controls in airports and at border crossing points, as well as in auction houses, museums and private homes. Special focus was placed on the monitoring of online markets. To that end, a cyber patrol week was organized by the National Police Force of the Netherlands (Politie) to identify suspicious sales online. Over 170 investigations are still ongoing, as a result of which more seizures and arrests are anticipated as investigators around the globe continue their pursuit of those spoiling and destroying cultural heritage. Led by Spain (Guardia Civil), Pandora VI was coordinated at the international level by Europol, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Operational Coordination Units working 24/7 were established by Europol on one side, and the WCO and INTERPOL on the other, to support the exchange of information as well as to disseminate alerts, warnings and perform cross-checks in different international and national databases. Operational highlights French Customs (Douane) seized 4,231 archaeological objects which included approximately 3,000 coins, as well as bells, buckles, rings and pieces of pottery which were looted from archaeological sites by a single individual using a metal detector. In a separate case, French Customs also seized three ancient statuettes dating back to the La Tolita – Tumaco pre-Columbian culture. The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) recovered a treasure consisting of 91 gold coins from the Roman Empire worth an estimated half a million euros on the black market. The investigation began after these coins were detected in a well-known auction house in Madrid. The investigators later identified the Spanish archaeological site from which these coins were looted. Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a shipment containing 13 pieces of ancient Mexican artefacts from the Post-Classic to the Aztec era, including one skull and 12 adzes (chopping tools). A processional cross dating from the 13th century was recovered by Romanian Police (Politia Românã) and returned to the Evangelical Church Museum of Cisnadie, from where it was stolen in 2016. The object had been recorded in INTERPOL’s Stolen Works of Art Database and was identified via INTERPOL’s ID-Art mobile app. Italy’s Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri) seized 79 archaeological goods of different types and age in the Mediterranean region. These goods were lacking documentation certifying their lawful origin or import into the national territory. The Art and Antiques Crime Unit (National Police Force of the Netherlands) recovered two Kees Verweij paintings which had been reported as stolen, following checks of an online sales catalogue involving an Amsterdam auction house. Officers from the Hellenic Police recovered a marble column dating back from the Roman period, alongside 13 ancient coins and 3 pottery vessels dating back from the Hellenistic period. Metal detectors remain a hot commodity amongst looters, with seven European law enforcement authorities reporting the seizure of 90 metal detectors destined for illicit use at archaeological sites. International coordination Europol, as co-leader of this action, played a key role in implementing the entire operation by facilitating information exchange and providing analytical and operational support. The WCO provided its CENcomm secure communication channel and facilitated intelligence exchange among different agencies. INTERPOL, through its I-24/ 7 secure communication system, connected countries in the Balkans and European Union participating in the exchange of information, supporting the entire operation with a dedicated expert to double check searches against INTERPOL’s Stolen Works of Art Database in order to locate and identify items that had been stolen and items that were still missing. Operation Pandora, which was first launched in 2016, is an annual law enforcement operation. To date, it has netted 407 arrests and resulted in the recovery of 147,050 cultural goods. Pandora VI participants INTERPOL Member countries comprise Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States. Third party: Kosovo.