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A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as the chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He is discussing the topic in three distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & Role of the Corporate Security; Part 2 – Negotiation Skills; and finally Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these three articles. His third article in the series dwells on the survival techniques in an abduction or hostage situation. This will be the closing article in the series.   It’s really scary to think about being abducted or taken hostage, but knowing how you should handle the situation can help you feel calm and focused if it does happen. While the best thing you can do is to avoid an attack in the first place, if someone attempts to kidnap you, try to get away before they can incapacitate you. If you are taken into captivity, comply with your kidnappers and observe your surroundings until you can escape or be rescued. Fighting off an Attack Run away from someone who tries to take you if you can. If you’re ever in a situation where someone tries to abduct you, do anything you can to avoid going with them. Try to pull away from them, then run as fast as you can in the direction of the nearest people or building that you can see. Especially avoid getting into a vehicle, since it will be much harder for authorities to find you if your attacker drives you a long distance. If you’re taken hostage, the situation may unfold very quickly, and you might not have the opportunity to run. Yell to draw attention to the situation. If someone makes an attempt to kidnap you, start shouting right away, especially if you know there are people nearby. Even if the attackers manage to subdue you, keep yelling to try to get someone’s attention. If someone hears a shout and they see what’s happening, they may be able to help you before you’re taken away. Try yelling something like, ‘Help!’ or ‘Call the police!’ As a suggestion, yelling, ‘FIRE!!’ is your best bet. People are more likely to respond to fire, and this can summon help faster. At the very least, an onlooker can contact the authorities and let them know that an abduction has taken place. They may also provide critical details like the kidnapper’s physical appearance or the type of vehicle they’re driving. They may really try to get the license plate to see if the car was stolen or to see if it is really their car. Fight your attacker as hard as you can. It is really hard not to panic, but if you can stay calm and focused on survival, you may be able to fight off an attack if someone grabs you. Fight in any way you’re able, whether that’s hitting, kicking, biting, or scratching. As you do that, try to target your kidnapper’s eyes, nose, throat, or groin, as these are especially sensitive targets. As long as there’s still a chance you could break free and run, it’s worth fighting for. This is your best chance to escape, because the moment it is hectic, and there’s a chance someone will see what’s happening and intervene. Look for objects in your environment to use as weapons. As you’re fighting off your attacker, try to gather yourself enough to scan around you. Look for anything that’s close enough to grab that might give you an edge in the fight. If there’s nothing that you can use as an offensive weapon, check for anything you can use as a barrier between you and your attacker, like a chair or a table. For instance, even if your attacker knocks you down, you might spot a loose chunk of sidewalk that you can grab to hit them with. In your home, you might be able to grab a heavy vase or lamp, a fireplace poker, or even a large book. Dealing with Being Captured Follow your captors’ instructions once you are in captivity. If at any point it becomes clear that your captors have gained the upper hand, stop resisting right away and comply with any orders they give you. You’re more likely to be hurt or killed if you continue fighting after you’re overpowered such as if you’re being held by multiple people, put in restraints, or placed in a vehicle or other confined space. Once you’re abducted or taken hostage, it’s best to take a measured approach to escaping, rather than an impulsive one, so start evaluating the surroundings rather than fighting to get away. If you’re put into a vehicle while you’re conscious, try to pay attention to as much about the trip as you can, like how long the car travels without stopping, the direction of any turns, or any sounds you notice on the road. If you’re in the trunk of a car, look for a glow-in-thedark handle that you can pull to release yourself from the trunk. If this release cord isn’t present, try to kick out the tail lights and wave your hands to alert other motorists that you’re trapped inside. Stay calm and focused on survival. It might be really hard, but once you’re taken captive, try to dig deep within yourself to find your composure. Try to…

Anil Puri CMD, APS group A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He will be discussing the topic in four distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & ways to deal with hostage situation; Part 2 – Negotiation skills; Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation, and finally in Part 4 – The role of corporate security. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these four articles. His second article illustrates at length the role of positive attitude in negotiation skills to counter hostage situation. Dynamics of Hostage Negotiation Hostage negotiation is all about psychology, and successful crisis negotiators are among the most skilled practical psychologists I’ve ever met. Think about it – in the typical hostage scenario, lives are at imminent risk of violent death at the hands of a depressed, suicidal, homicidal, delusional, drug fueled, or cold-blooded hostage-taker, often in the midst of a chaotic and uncontrolled workplace or family environment. Resolution of hostage crises may take hours or even days of incredibly focused and intense negotiation, and require the use of virtually every type of skilled communication strategy in the crisis intervention skill box. Although hostage situations can vary greatly based on the motivations of the hostage-taker and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, there are some basic facts that apply to all hostage situations. The hostage-taker wants to obtain something as ransom. This can be as simple as money, personal safety or safe passage to another country, or it can involve complicated political goals. The target of the hostage-taker is not the hostage itself, it is some third party (a person, a company or a government) that can provide whatever the hostage-taker wants. The hostages are bargaining chips. They may have symbolic value (e.g., 1972 Munich Olympics, in which the target was the Israeli government and the hostages were Israeli athletes), but the hostages themselves could be anyone. Whether it is a barricaded crisis situation or negotiations with a bad actor holding hostages, the keys to success are the skills of the negotiator or intervener to effectively communicate. Little else matters if communications is not established, maintained and utilized in such a way that management of the instant situation becomes possible. Most negotiators think that they are effective communicators. Some are, many are not. Communications must be practiced over and over again to assure proficiency. This article provides the rudiments of the skills needed for success in the field. Hostage Crises: The statistics – The facts & fiction Fewer than 20 percent of law enforcement critical incidents deal with actual hostage taking, and most crises are successfully resolved without the loss of life. In fact, containment and negotiation strategies yield a 95 percent success rate in terms of resolving a hostage crisis without fatalities to either hostages or hostage-takers (HTs), which is a remarkable statistic for any form of lifesaving crisis intervention strategy. There are three especially dangerous periods during a hostage crisis. The first is the initial 15-45 minutes when confusion and panic are likely to be greatest. The second is during the surrender of the HTs, when strong emotions, ambivalence, and lack of coordination among HTs and crisis team members can cause an otherwise successful resolution to go bad. Finally, tactical assault to rescue the hostages carries the highest casualty rate, probably for two interrelated reasons. First, the very fact that tactical intervention is necessary indicates that all reasonable attempts to resolve the crisis by negotiation have failed, and that violence against the hostages has already taken place, or is imminent. Second, if a firefight ensues, the resulting panic and confusion may result in hostages being inadvertently killed or injured. Phases through which Hostage situations moves Initial phase: This phase is violent and brief and lasts as long as it takes for the hostage-takers to make their assault and subdue the hostages. The end of this phase is often marked by the presentation of the hostage-taker’s demands. Negotiation phase: At this point, law-enforcement officials are on the scene, and the demands have probably been received. This phase can last hours, days or months and could also be referred to as ‘the standoff phase.’ Physically, nothing about the situation changes greatly. The hostages and the hostage-takers stay in the same place. However, a lot is happening during this phase in terms of the relationships developing between everyone involved. The negotiator’s job boils down to manipulating those relationships in a way that results in a peaceful ending. Termination phase: This is the brief, sometimes violent final phase. This phase has one of three results – the hostage-takers surrender peacefully and are arrested, police assault the hostage-takers and kill or arrest them, or the hostage-takers’ demands are granted and they escape. The fate of the hostages does not necessarily depend on what happens during the termination phase. Even when the hostage-takers give up, they may kill hostages during the negotiations. Often, hostages are killed either accidentally by police or intentionally by their captors during an assault. There have even been cases in which the hostage-takers were granted their demands, but they killed the hostage anyway. Post-incident stage: In this the effects of the incident play themselves out. These effects can include changes in the status of the groups responsible, shifts in the relationships between world governments or increases in security. Negotiation &…

Govt seeks help of private security guards in coronavirus vaccination programme: G Kishan Reddy Private security guards may be added in the frontline workers list for getting early vaccination The Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) has organized its fifteenth edition of annual Security Leadership Summit 2020 on 17 December 2020 in association with Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI), BW BUSINESSWORLD, SecurityLinkIndia, International Council for Industrial Security & Safety Management (ICISSM).  The private security industry has been observing the pandemic Covid19 and its roles in pandemic all through the year – it led the way in ensuring a completely safe and secure environment during this bad phase. Now that when the country is in the transition phase to a post-Covid19 era, private security agencies are still playing a pivotal role. This summit was a great forum to analyze the role of private security firms during pandemic. The government was given due credit for its endeavor and support during the pandemic. Inclusion of the private security services (PSS) in the ‘essential services’ list was hailed as a big boost for the industry. The summit also hailed the recent amendments in the PSARA Rules that go in favour of the industry to enable ease of doing business. People present there also hoped that the mechanism of GST levied on the services by the industry shall also be dealt by the central government the way the industry has been demanding. G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister of State for Home, who was the Chief Guest of the occasion, said that as India eagerly awaits the launch of Coronavirus vaccine, the government and health agencies will take help of the 90 lakh private security guards across India in the roll out of massive vaccination drive. “It is not easy for the government, police or officials to distribute and administer Coronavirus vaccine to 130 crore people across the country. This is why private security industry will have a great role to play in this job. With their numerical strength  security guards can ensure wider and faster distribution of vaccine and ensure that every household is covered in the vaccination programme,” said Mr Reddy. He praised the security  industry for its yeoman service during the Corona pandemic prompting the government to cover the industry under the ‘essential services. “For, they have been playing a role everywhere – they worked as frontline warriors in the time of Corona pandemic at hospitals, banks, markets, institutions. This is why this industry is an important part of India’s security system and Home Ministry has been taking various steps to promote and strengthen it,” he stated. He also assured that the Home Ministry will take up with the Union Finance Ministry for relaxation in the GST regime for the private security industry. He stated the government was committed to make the private security industry meet global standards and promote ease of doing business in the industry. The fact is that the pandemic has impacted all and it severely affected the industries as well. This has resulted in unpredicted hardships for professionals across all fields. Nevertheless, the security industry of India has managed to remain steadfast through this all, and performed beyond the call of duty. It showcased its true potential and the government declared it as the essential service. The front line warriors of this industry set many great examples across India during the lock down. This summit honoured them and indeed presented Badge of Honour to the frontline Corona warriors including Mr. Reddy, Gen VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, who was the Guest of Honour in the concluding session of the Summit, and other industry stalwarts, and commemorated their efforts. Vivek Bharadwaj, IAS, Joint Secretary, Police Modernization, MHA, who played a significant role in bringing ease of doing business environment in the industry was honoured with the ‘Ease of doing Business’ Award. Speaking at the event, Vivek Bhardwaj said that the Home Ministry would write to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to include private guards in the frontline workers list so that they could also be included in the first phase of the vaccination programme. Kunwar Vikram Singh, Chairman, CAPSI thanked the frontline warrior organisations for working on the ground to secure enterprises across the nation and therefore contributing to the nation-building efforts. This ensured a smooth and safe transition into a post-Covid world, He also thanked the Chief Guest for taking decisive and timely decisions during the height of the pandemic which resulted in confidence within the industry. He also put in a request that the GST levied on the services within the industry be duly dealt with. Another positive impact he mentioned was the collaboration between international security certification agencies and CAPSI which has enabled Indian security guards and companies to be able to operate or provide their services globally and make it possible to reach out to a larger audience. The chairman said that CAPSI has entered into tie ups and agreements with various global agencies to improve employability of private security guards globally. “We have tie ups with three international organisations. These will impart a forty hour training module to our guards to arm them with certification. With this, we  will help them get employment globally,” he added, “Indian private security guards are in great demand globally and this is the opportunity we need to grab.”    

Education institutions across India are looking for breakthrough solutions to resolve the health and safety concerns after the recently issued fresh guidelines by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for safe reopening. To help education sector to safely reopen, Prama Hikvision offers an impressive line-up of solutions for the education sector. Few such solutions include the temperature screening solution, a crowd-flow management solution and social distancing solution. Using a touch-free temperature-screening solution is one of the measures being currently used to quickly spot individuals with an elevated skin temperature (EST). This method reduces manual testing time and safety risks to those involved in the detection process. The temperature screening cameras have been widely adopted by majority of the educational institutions in India and abroad. The thermal cameras are capable of accurately monitoring the skin-temperature of all the incoming people, students, staff or visitors. They also raise an alert in case someone with an elevated temperature is spotted within the camera range or if a visitor is not wearing the mask. The cameras are capable of detecting the skin temperature of as many as thirty people simultaneously. Solutions for safe reopening of education institutes At schools and other education institutions, temperature screening products and solutions are needed to enhance the safe stay of all the students and staff while also giving them quick access to classrooms, offices and dormitories. Now with Hikvision’s Temperature Screening Solutions, this process becomes much easier – and much safer. Flexible product options A variety of products and solutions will suit a host of specific needs for any scenario. Touch-free temperature measurement: High-efficiency temperature measurement without close contact provides even more protection. Centralized management: Instant visualization of overall statistics enhances protection and facilitates exporting of data. Solution overview Onboard temperature screening & mask detection The school bus system is one of the most important transportation methods for students. Hikvision’s smart onboard temperature screening terminals support non-contact skin-surface temperature measurement, mask detection, attendance check and audio alarms to detect abnormal temperatures at an earlier stage and keep bus travel safe. Recommended products: Smart onboard temperature screening terminal. Temperature screening & mask detection at entrance lobbies Upon arriving at school, students and staff shall be guided to the pre-set entrance lobbies for preliminary temperature measurement before entering the campus. A variety of devices are available to meet temperature measurement, mask detection and attendance management needs. Recommended products: Fast installation with thermographic cameras – DS-2TD2617B-6/ PA, DS-2TD2636B13/P, instant visualization of temperature and mask detection with DeepinMind NVRs. Temperature screening & mask detection at the entrance of classrooms and dormitories Touch-free temperature screening with access control: At the entrances for classrooms and dormitories, Hikvision recommends MinMoe terminals for preliminary temperature screening, mask detection and access control. Recommended products: DS-K1T671TM-3XF Mask detection at open areas Open areas are where students carry out after-class activities. It is recommended to install IP cameras for face mask detection and intrusion detection so as to better protect students. Powerful data management and visualized demonstration At the control room, site managers and security staff can view statistics and temperature records of all connected sites in real time using HikCentral. HikCentral creates instant popups and other notifications upon detection of abnormal temperatures. Recommended products: HikCentral – temperature screening. Safe reopening for education sector requires all of us to move forward together, employing the recommended best practices and maintaining safe daily habits in order to reduce risks. Cutting-edge video technologies can help various organizations better observe the instructions and guidance. Prama Hikvision, has dedicated product packages for education vertical specific applications and solutions, including schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions. It has multiple application cases across India to bolster the cause of safe reopening for the education sector.  

Matrix Comsec, a leading manufacturer and provider of security and telecom solutions, was conferred with the CII Industrial Innovation Award, 2020 recognizing Matrix as one of the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies in India at the CII Industrial Innovation Awards ceremony in New Delhi on 9th December, 2020. CII Industrial Innovation Awards were instituted by CII in 2014 to recognise and celebrate visionary enterprises across industry segments. These premier awards seek to recognise and honour the Indian industry’s brightest stars and to identify the top innovative organisations. The process for determining the top awards and the list of top innovative companies involved a rigorous evaluation process, presentation and grand jury interaction. The unbiased assessment process measured the innovation culture, innovation management, inputs to innovation and the results of innovation. Sharing his perspective on this recognition, Ganesh Jivani, Chief Executive of Matrix said, “It is indeed an honour to win this prestigious award and I thank CII for this recognition. Innovation really has been the DNA of Matrix right from its inception. I thank our technology and product management teams for their dedication to building innovative and world-class quality solutions. Matrix offers cutting-edge physical security and telecom solutions in more than 50 countries including many first-world technologically advanced nations. With 250+ R&D engineers and world-class processes and infrastructure, Matrix is committed to innovating and designing cutting-edge high-performance products. This accreditation is a validation of Matrix’s innovation and design capabilities and will go a long way in motivating us towards building world-class solutions.”  

A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He will be discussing the topic in four distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & ways to deal with it, Part 2 – Negotiation skills, Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation, and finally in Part 4 – Role of the corporate security. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these four articles. Hostage Hostage can best be defined as a person given to or forcibly and unlawfully held by a person, party or organization etc, as a security or pledge, or for ransom, release, exchange for prisoners or pending the fulfillment of an agreement etc. Activity Pattern During Hostage Situation Before the incident: As with any scenario, planning is crucial. Of course, the circumstances of these incidents can vary so wildly that it’s difficult to prepare in any comprehensive way. Equally, you don’t want to spread fear among your staff by overplaying the likelihood of a hostage attack. However, a few general emergency strategies can be applied. Firstly, ensure that everyone knows where the nearest emergency exits are located and where they should regroup outside. Staff should evacuate immediately upon receiving an alert (ignoring possessions/ work), and should proceed in an orderly fashion out of the building. Secondly, you may like to create a series of code words for use in an emergency situation, which communicate very simply what is happening. In highrisk buildings or locations, the availability of panic buttons could also be an important precaution. Likewise, consider introducing security guards and/ or security screens. Thirdly, it is also worth thinking about incorporating advice on dealing with difficult customers into your staff training in order to prevent any situations from escalating out of control. We also need to understand what the customer has experienced prior to this point. During the incident: Staff will be looking to you for reassurance so you need to remain calm and controlled. Panicking will not help anyone. If you have a senior role, you have a responsibility to lead the team through this experience. But the people in your team could react in many different ways. Some may be angry, some frightened and some calm. Be flexible in your approach, but consistent with your messages. You don’t want rumours to start. It’s also important to keep a close eye on your staff because an initial shock reaction can quickly evolve into frustration. Guard against people who want to be a hero. Look out for anyone who seems angry and make sure they do not disappear out of sight. They might attempt to re-enter the room or building, but that would be an extremely dangerous situation, which must be left to the professionals. If you’re in contact with the hostage-taker (at least before emergency services arrive), stay calm and agree to everything they ask. Only provide them with information that is essential. Attempting to talk them out of it at this stage could inflame the situation. Just as everyone else should try to keep their cool, it is vital that the intruder is kept as calm as possible. It is probable that this is the first time that they have done something of this nature, which means that they’re likely to be stressed too. Their adrenalin will be pumping, but you don’t want them to do anything rash. As HR director, you’ll be expected to gather information, do a head count and keep your staff together in one place. Act as an intermediary between police and employees by sharing information if possible, in order to reassure your team that the situation is under control. Try not to let anyone leave in the early stages. You need to keep the situation contained and controlled. Equally, ensure that no one talks to the media at this point. Any media coverage driven by panic or sensationalism could again be inflammatory. Also remember that dealing directly with hostage takers is a delicate skill and leave it to police specialists. After the incident: Individuals respond to trauma in different ways so assess each person on an individual basis rather than as a group. Try to gauge each individual’s state of mind and how they feel about work. Some will feel that continuing to come into work is the best way forward, while others may want a few days’ leave. However, it’s important that counseling is made available to everyone – not just in the short-term, but in the longterm too. One thing that we know about post-traumatic stress is that it may not become immediately apparent. A stressful experience may bring feelings or memories to light immediately or it may be months later. Around one in three people will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, but nearly everyone will display symptoms of post-traumatic stress for the first month. Such symptoms include depression, feelings of guilt, anxiety, anger and grief. Staff may experience flashbacks/ nightmares, avoidance, numbing and a feeling of being ‘on-guard.’ The issue is that life threatening episodes undermine a belief that life is fair and safe and that someone is secure. It is vital to look out for these symptoms and allow employees time to talk about how they’re feeling. They need to be allowed to ask questions and, most importantly, to get back to their normal life and routine. Although an unlikely occurrence, it is…

Gajshield Infotech, a leading, Mumbai-based data security solutions provider, has won the prestigious award for the Best Cloud Security Vendor at the Virtual CISO50 and Future Security Awards 2020, which was held as an online event on 24th November 2020. Virtual CISO50 and Future Security Awards is an international platform for recognising individuals, businesses, and vendors that have successfully navigated today’s challenges and thrived through digital technologies and delivered unprecedented value through innovative application of security technologies. The awards acclaim the best security minds and projects whose technologies, products or solutions are considered to have significant potential in meeting the needs of the new normal of today’s businesses. The need to have robust and agile data security solutions for all types and sizes of businesses has become the need of the hour because the number of sophisticated cyber-threats and malware attacks has been increasing exponentially, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These threats pose significant challenges, all kinds of industries and data leaks are at the centre of digital attacks. For the past 17 years, Gajshield Infotech has been catering to the needs of robust firewalls across the globe, with over 10,000+ firewalls distributed across different geographical regions in India, Europe, United States, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asian countries. Their approach of looking beyond traditional security solutions and focusing on ‘data first’ security strategy is a leap forward in the security solution industry that is helping enterprises to secure cloud and SaaS applications by implementing a data security Firewall solution.  

The origins of the International Association of Security and Investigative Regulators (IASIR) were formed in the United States in the spring of 1993. The objective being to enhance the ability to regulate while simultaneously promoting the professionalism of the private security, and private investigative, alarm and related industries. One of the principle goals outlined 27 years ago was to assist the industry with training and education standards. The area of greatest focus has been within the realm of private security. Various throughputs have emerged over the years, but none has been quite as significant as IASIR’s Secure Urgent Response Global Endorsement (S.U.R.G.E.) Certification™. To understand how S.U.R.G.E.™ fits into the future of private security, one must look at the industry as a whole. The vast majority of the entire world sleeps under the protection of security officers twenty-four hours per day. According to an older issue of Forbes Magazine, “The sector experienced huge growth in recent years and today there are an estimated 20 million private security workers worldwide while the industry is worth approximately $180 billion. That is expected to grow even further to $240 billion by 2020, greater than the GDP of 100 countries including Portugal, Romania and Hungary.” The job is well known – to protect life and property, assure public safety, support police agencies who are stressed to the maximum, create a sense of omni-presence, and to read, react and deter etc. Employ the best possible candidates and deploy the best possible technologies. This holds true for site security, protection of VIPs, and the ever-present cash in transit (Armored Car) services the world over. The Guardian once referred to the security industry as ‘the industry of inequality’ in a piece discussing the obsession with private security. It is true that private security officers outnumber police officers. It is an investment of significant magnitude, but one that pays huge dividends by mitigating exposures to millions of crimes each day. The proliferation of security officers is so significant and commonplace that people literally do not even notice their presence most of the time. “You stop noticing it – there are guards everywhere,” said Rita Abrahamsen, a Professor at Ottawa University. Indian Perspective This is also true in India. A country that is arguably the leader when it comes to the sheer numbers of security officers employed in the industry. Presently hovering somewhere around 9 million guards and 23,000 companies, India requires training and licensure much like anywhere else in the world. Private security is as necessary and commonplace as it comes. Take into consideration that India’s GDP is ranked sixth by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and United Nation alike. This demonstrates that India is a global powerhouse. Despite the fact that China is three rungs up the GDP ladder, the number of guards in India dwarfs even China, who break up their statistics by those who are employed by the public security bureaus (PSB) versus those managed by PSBs. IASIR recognizes India’s position in the world, and has partnered with the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and the Indian government to bolster CAPSI’s efforts and accomplishment in the establishment of training standards. This is particularly so with respect to overcoming obstacles and barriers during times of need. Certification in General The United States and its global counterparts, who make significant use of the private security sector, have long struggled with matters concerning reciprocity, portability, compacts and licensure through endorsement. These are all different ways to talk about proposed solutions to barriers that exist when trying to remain compliant with licensure and certification laws from one jurisdiction to another. It is all quite complex, and each different approach to the problem has its pros and cons. Ultimately, license holders need to be able to function lawfully and professionally in jurisdictions other than their credentialing sources of origin. Be them states within nations, regions within countries or from country to country. A surge event is an incident in which the ability to provide and sustain essential services is either impacted or stressed by an over-usage of locally available resources. This could be fire, police, EMS, medical, pharmaceutical delivery and a host of other capacity-driven functions. The same holds true for private security – which is a go-to resource when local law enforcement is stretched beyond capacity, yet the need to protect is not only present but elevated. During an all-hazards or other surge type event, regulations are often relaxed through designated disaster preparedness clauses in local laws. These are typically tethered to some sort of government declaration that possesses the authority and contains the requites language to deviate from standard licensure protocols. This can occur at a municipal, local, state, or national level depending on the construct of the government. The persisting aspect of this relaxation of licensure laws and rules is the disparity between states, provinces and countries with respect to training requirements for line-level security officers, and their impact on a license or registration holder’s ability to surge in and work during the designated preparedness/ response time-frame. How is IASIR Positioned? I ASIR is uniquely positioned to facilitate a substantive change to the ongoing problem of security professionals being land-locked during disaster declarations solely based on perceived or real differences in training. While each jurisdiction is responsible for regulating the practice of private security within its borders, IASIR has developed and administers an international certification program for candidates and their employers to ensure they have the mobility to go wherever their career and emerging events takes them. This certification takes the form of company and individual designations. Process of S.U.R.G.E. Certification First, a company that meets established criteria that is tailored to their local laws and rules, can become a S.U.R.G.E.™ certified company during the first three years of the lifecycle beginning in 2021. Here is how it works. A company seeking certification from IASIR will furnish proof of all requisite documentation, on an application in the IASIR S.U.R.G.E.™ portal. Once the nominal…

Prama Hikvision, India’s leading video security solution provider, has launched high speed entrance control products – Swing Barrier, Tripod Turnstile & Flap Barrier. These high speed entrance control products ensure flexible solutions and fast access. It helps system integrators, installers and architects to choose any combination of identification sensors and build barrier gate solution as per the requirements. These high speed entrance control products (Swing Barrier, Tripod Turnstile & Flap Barrier) are used in airports, seaports, metro rail and railway terminals, corporate offices, banking and financial institutions, industrial complexes, government offices, education, parks, museums etc. Swing Barrier Gate Technological advances and the need for automation across various verticals is driving swing barrier gate adoption. The DS-K3B601 swing barrier gate can be installed in combination with various identification sensors such as intelligent card reader, fingerprint readers, and the facial recognition terminal (DS-K5603-Z) with Prama Hikvision’s proprietary algorithm. Whatever the need may be, they can provide the proper solution or a combination of solutions customized for a perfect fit. The card reader supports standard Wiegand 26/ 34 interface. The swing gate also supports standard Wiegand interface or 485 interface. These swing gates offer the best-in-class quality and the highest efficiency. Impeccable quality: The swing gates are made of stainless steel that meets the AISI304 standard. It has anti-crash protection with 1.5mm stainless steel. Other features include Guaranteed 5 million gate swings. 12 pairs of IR detectors. High throughput at 30-40 persons per minute. Anti-crash swing panel. Flexible options with customizable width and number of passages. Immediate response (less than 0.5 seconds). Advanced features: The users can unlock more advanced features with the professional iVMS-4200 access control software, such as alarm linkage, anti-passback, and much more. Facial recognition: Combined with the swing gate through RS232, Prama Hikvision facial recognition terminal DS-K5603-Z provides an intelligent facial recognition access control solution: 10,000 faces. HD face picture with 2MP camera Up to 99% recognition rate with excellent performance under backlight, dim light, and strong light environments. Fast facial registration. Live human face detection with 3D function, distinguishes live faces from pictures and videos. 1-meter recognition distance Target height between 1.4m-1.9m (4’7”-6’3”). Customizable swing gate direction and working modes Always open: Allowing access to all.  Always closed: Limited access.  Verification: Access by verification only.  Adjustable open interval fits various throughputs.  Gate opens automatically if power is interrupted.  Works off- and online with remote management via software.  Prevents unauthorized break-in and tailgating. Tripod Turnstile Stable mechanical components and turntable design. Bidirectional (entering/ exiting) lane. When the power is down, the barrier will be dropped automatically for emergency evacuation. System will cancel the passing permission if a person does not pass through the lane within the valid passing duration. LED indicates the passing direction (forbidden or available). Adjust the passing time duration via DIP switch on the control board. Multiple people can pass through the lane at a time after the continuous authentication of the passed people. Standard system input; wires with different kinds of card readers. Remote control and management. Stable system operation and low noise operation. Flap Barriers 32-bit high-speed processor. Permissions validation and anti-tailgating. Remaining open/ closed mode selectable. Bidirectional (entering/ exit) lane, the barrier opening and closing speed can be open or stop according to the visitor flow. The barrier will be open or stop working when people are nipped Anti-passback accessing. Self-detection, Self-diagnostics, and automatic alarm.  Audible and visual alarm will be triggered when detecting intrusion, tailgating reverse passing, and climbing over barrier. Remote control and management. Online/ offline operation. TCP/ IP network communication, the communication data is specially encrypted to relieve the concern of privacy leak. LED indicates the entrance/ exit and passing status. Fire alarm passing.  

Hiring security personnel and facility management workers is always at the top of mind for scores of organizations and individuals, and SnylloGO – an on Demand Service Startup is causing a huge wave and is making the hiring process a total cinch. The beta version of this new app SnylloGO has recently been launched in Delhi-NCR during the current pandemic situation. SnylloGO – seemingly a new disruption in the security industry allows an organization to hire licensed security guards, facility workers and other blue collar personnel who are available for work with the touch of a finger. The app knows the users’ locations, and so when they launch it, a list of immediately available security guards in their area populate. Each user has the option to request for the availability of security guards with times, dates and locations in order to help secure their business. In turn, licensed security guards can register and immediately start accepting work. There are strict rules in place for security contractors using the app. Payment from organizations to security contractors is all done directly through the app via online payment gateways. In the event a security contractor doesn’t show up for a shift, they are automatically terminated from the app, and an instant refund is provided back to the organization or individual. This is how the app is a win-win for businesses, security contractors and other blue collar service providers and takers who are looking for steady work in their area. The App directly connects licensed security guards with the clients looking for private security services. This technology will create new freelance work opportunities for guards, and will eliminate the need for dispatch centres. Sabgun Thapar, the Founder of Snyllo said, “Technology is totally amazing and it has allowed us to develop a new app that will help organizations and individuals run their operations smoothly and more securely. The app will help organizations employ licensed security contractors all around the country to work as per their convenience and earn additional income.” “This app provisions – you can easily work on a 40-hour work week without any problem whatsoever. But if you don’t want to work a 40-hour work week, you may select the days e.g., Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or whatsoever,” added Sabgun, “It’s really ground breaking in relation to its flexibility, how people as well as clients interact with it.” “The security guard industry has remained stale for so many years – nothing really much has changed,” said Sabgun, “SnylloGO is now a big disruption & revolution simply because it will dramatically alter how organizations hire security guards during these testing times of pandemic where everyone is keen to cut cost and reduce capex, and it will also offer licensed security guards the freedom and flexibility to work when they want.”