Category: White Paper

By Mark PetersonV.P. of Advanced Technology,Theia Technologies Tolling and traffic enforcement infrastructure is undergoing a rapid transformation toward fully automated, high-speed systems. Traditional toll booths that required vehicles to slow down or stop are increasingly being replaced by free-flow tolling systems capable of identifying vehicles at highway speeds. The success of these systems depends on imaging technologies capable of capturing reliable visual data under challenging conditions. Cameras must identify vehicles and read license plates while cars and trucks travel at highway speeds, often in multiple lanes simultaneously and under widely varying lighting conditions. To address these challenges, Theia Technologies developed the TL1250P-IQ intelligent motorized telephoto lens, part of their IQ Lens™ System, specifically designed for tolling and traffic enforcement applications. The lens system combines a compact high-resolution telephoto lens, motor control electronics and embedded calibration intelligence, allowing camera manufacturers to develop flexible imaging systems capable of long-range ANPR and vehicle occupancy detection. The TL1250P-IQ system integrates a 12–50 mm motorized zoom lens capable of delivering 4K resolution across both visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (Fig 1). The lens incorporates a fast F/1.8 aperture for improved low-light performance and includes a remotely controllable filter mechanism that allows switching between visible and NIR lighting conditions. Motorized focus and zoom allow remote commissioning and maintenance, while the calibration data and software interface simplify camera integration, expediting time to market. Fig. 1 The TL1250P is NIR corrected from 430 to 940nmfor ANPR/ LPR in Day/ Night. Together, these capabilities allow camera manufacturers and system integrators to design imaging platforms capable of capturing reliable vehicle data across long distances and multiple lanes of traffic without requiring manual adjustments after installation, reducing costly gantry downtime and traffic lane closures, ensuring consistent revenue collection in free-flow tolling systems, and vehicle occupancy counting accuracy. Current state of ANPR There are many types of tolling systems and area restriction systems being deployed throughout the world. They include physical gates, free-flow toll plazas, open-road tolling, and many types of hybrid systems. These systems are used for revenue generation for roads and infrastructure projects and maintenance, congestion mitigation and management, smart city data collection, and improved environment for pedestrians by controlling access to some areas. Gated systems (such as Japan’s ETC system and Italy’s Autostrade system) can use cameras to pre-validate cars by number plate recognition and open the gates early so the user doesn’t have to slow down as much. Many free-flow and open-road ANPR tolling systems are a hybrid of RFID tags and optical plate recognition. For users that do not have the correct RFID tag for the toll system and for non-RFID systems, these free-flow tolling systems always include cameras for ANPR. This way revenue can be collected from non-registered users without requiring traffic to stop at toll booths. Open-road systems There are many technologies for open-road tolling. Germany, Belgium, and Lithuania use satellite based GNSS systems for trucks (no RFID tag needed). Italy uses a microwave tag system. France and Spain use a 5G RFID system. This lack of a single tolling system requires cameras to ensure revenue collection from non-registered users. In other places, cameras are used not just for revenue collection but for vehicle occupancy counting as well. For restricted high occupancy toll lanes (known as HOT lanes in the US) or carpool lanes, cameras are required for both ANPR and passenger counting. Free-flow systems are also used for congestion pricing in cities with many access points. London uses 2800 cameras to monitor and adjust tolling rates during the day. For local streets, adding and maintaining physical barriers at so many access points is more expensive than the all-optical alternatives. Cameras using number plate recognition can adjust the toll based on the vehicle type and time of day. Benefits Cameras allow high speed movement of cars and trucks continuously. Less need for slowing is advantageous not just for travel time but also for the environment. Studies in 2025 and 2026 by MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute based in Basel, Switzerland) analyzing free-flow tolling found that these toll systems reduce CO2 emissions by 80% and improve local air quality by effectively eliminating NO2 and particulate emissions compared to tolling plaza systems. For free-flow systems there is less wear on brakes and fuel efficiency is not reduced as it would be due to acceleration after a toll plaza. Also, less slowing on freeways is safer for drivers. There are less opportunities for rear-end collisions and lane-changing collisions if all the cars are continuously moving at the same speed rather than slowing and queuing for a toll booth. In a 2025 US DOT safety performance report (2025 Progress Report on the National Roadway Safety Strategy), using a free-flow tolling system resulted in approximately 73% fewer collisions compared to a gated toll plaza system. This is attributed to less slowing and lane-changing while approaching a toll booth barrier. Achieving these benefits requires high quality cameras and optics that can work in varied lighting and weather conditions. The image must have high enough resolution for automated number plate recognition of many different colors, fonts, and conditions of plates. For carpool lanes, the ability to count occupants cannot be hindered by heavily tinted windshields or intense sun glare. Why optics matter Cameras are required to make sure these tolling systems can collect revenue from all users and to properly enforce carpool lane rules. Cameras can remove the barriers (other than the physical gates in some tolling systems) to allowing users to access the tolled roads in these free-flow systems. This care-free tolling keeps users moving on the high-speed freeways. They are less likely to be diverted onto local roads which are designed for low traffic volume. Using cameras to toll or restrict access to areas of a city instead of physical barriers doesn’t add to the congestion that the controlled access is trying to mitigate. Any physical barriers will cause more congestion which is generally the opposite goal of these systems. TL1250 lens and motor controller One example of a…

We are in the early stages of a wave of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing that will change the security landscape as we know it. It is an inflection point that will force the reinvention of workflows, operating models, and the assumptions that security practitioners have relied on for years. Many emerging professionals have only ever known a tool-first culture, and many of the leaders who built the earlier frameworks are no longer here to pass down their reasoning. Yet the velocity of threats continues to increase. Technology amplifies their impact. In times like this, there can be the temptation to seek the easy route – the allure of the latest miracle tool. Each new platform arrives with a promise of transformation, and each new dashboard is perceived as the breakthrough the sector has been waiting for. However, as the field pursues these solutions, it may unintentionally stray from the first principles that once anchored it – understanding the fundamentals of why the security function exists, what it means to protect, and how security should integrate with the mission of an organization rather than operate as an isolated technical function. The result is an industry facing significant challenges – oversupplied with tools, lacking a strategic presence at the executive level, and struggling to articulate its value to the very organizations it was designed to safeguard. The way to overcome these challenges is to anchor back into first principle thinking. Without a clear return to these foundational concepts, organizations risk building security programs that are fast, modern – and fundamentally misaligned with their mission. With access to 175 years of archives, Pinkerton has reflected on lessons within the security industry and is positioned to lend a unique perspective on the past, present, and future. The last time the world faced a transformation of this scale was during the 1820s, when railroads and steam power carved out the routes that would underpin modern transportation and commerce – and subsequently, the security industry itself. At the center of this change was Chicago, Illinois, a burgeoning village on the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan that transitioned to an industrial and railroad hub by the 1850s. As the trains converged and the population surged, so too did the undercurrent of crime. In this crucible, Allan Pinkerton, founder of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, established a pioneering detective and security force laying the foundation for modern private security and law enforcement practices. The advent of AI and quantum computing represents a shift of similar magnitude. AI is laying down new lines that will dictate how people, information, and threats travel, redrawing the terrain once again. To survive this next phase of evolution, security leaders must reconnect with the humanistic core of the profession. They must understand the root causes they are protecting against, the objectives their organization is truly pursuing, and the value that security preserves. Lessons learned Pinkerton and Lincoln: The origins of modern security Pinkerton’s approach to intelligence and security is grounded in values that have defined the Agency since its founding – values demonstrated in Allan Pinkerton’s work alongside Abraham Lincoln. The partnership between Pinkerton and Lincoln began in 1855 in Chicago, Illinois, 13 years after Pinkerton immigrated to the United States. Lincoln, then a railroad attorney, drafted an agreement between Pinkerton & Co. and seven Midwest railroads that led to the establishment of the Northwestern Police Agency, later named Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency. Securing such a significant agreement was indicative of an already well-established and formidable reputation Pinkerton had for the pursuit of justice – he had already survived at least two assassination attempts from a couple of bad actors who didn’t like how Pinkerton derailed their nefarious schemes. Chicago was one of the fastest growing cities in the country and the hub of ten trunk lines, with 58 passenger trains and 38 freight trains arriving daily. It was said that the Illinois Central Railroad was the first great ‘St. Louis cut-off’ – a trip that could be made between Chicago and St. Louis in 24 hours. Chicago became ‘The Queen of the West,’ the first stop for many traveling to the western frontier. It had also earned an unenviable reputation for crime. The agreement, detailed and forward-thinking, laid the ground work for a long and trusted professional relationship. Executive Protection for the Highest Office By 1861, the country was on the verge of fracture. Rumors of secession and violence swirled around Lincoln’s election, and reports of an assassination plot surfaced as he prepared to travel to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration. At the end of January 1861, S.M. Felton, the President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad, wrote to Pinkerton asking him to investigate threats along the line. By February 3, Pinkerton and a team of his best detectives – Kate Warne (Pinkerton’s, and likely America’s, first female detective), Hattie Lawton, Timothy Webster, Harry W. Davies, and Charles D.C. Williams – had launched an in-depth investigation, traveling to critical junctures along the railroad. Pinkerton and his operatives confirmed that a group in Baltimore planned to attack Lincoln’s train during its scheduled stop. Acting on that intelligence, Pinkerton quickly developed a plan to change the route and conceal the President-elect’s travel. Late on February 22, 1861, Lincoln boarded a night line train in Philadelphia, accompanied by Pinkerton, Warne, and George H. Bangs, the Agency’s first Superintendent and General Manager. Traveling quietly under the cover of night, the group arrived safely in Washington, D.C. at dawn on February 23. On March 4, Lincoln took the oath of office as the 16th President of the United States. The Baltimore operation became a model for modern protective intelligence. By combining research and intelligence with clandestine tactics and well-orchestrated maneuvers, Pinkerton not only ensured the President-elect’s safety but also established a legacy of intelligence and security operations that would become the hallmark of his agency. The birth of the secret service When the Civil War began in April 1861, Lincoln again turned to Pinkerton…

Integrating Comprehensive Security Courses for Future Managers Dr. Rajiv MathurVice Chairman, Training & Faculties – ICISSMRegional Advisor, Asia, OSPAs Introduction In the current business environment, security has become an integral aspect of operations, encompassing physical, cyber, and logical dimensions. From the industrial revolution to the Industry 4.0 era and the challenges posed by the pandemic, security discussions rightfully take center stage in boardrooms. Recognizing its paramount importance, academic institutions are adjusting their courses, making security a must-learn subject. This shift highlights a growing need for managers who truly understand security functions. Security – A Total Management Function Security, recognized as a comprehensive management function, involves both active and passive measures to protect the environment, allowing activities to proceed without disruption. It includes managing risks, preventing losses, protecting resources, and ensuring safety. This not only provides a sense of comfort and confidence but acts as a barrier against threats that could harm communities, businesses, or individuals. Managers in all kinds of businesses are expected to know various techniques to improve profitability by controlling costs. However, one often overlooked but significant way to keep costs down is by ensuring that all purchased materials are used efficiently in production, finished goods are sold for profit, and a company’s assets remain its own. This crucial management skill, referred to as ‘Security,’ is unfortunately one of the most neglected yet vital aspects of modern management. Security plays a key role in maximizing business efficiency and profitability. Managers hold the key to making security contribute effectively to a company’s profits by ensuring optimal resource use. Without this assurance, claiming to run an efficient business remains a challenge. The Evolving Role of Security in Business Security has transitioned from a peripheral concern to a central and indispensable function within organizations. The Manager Security now plays a pivotal role in collaborating with department managers to determine security needs, planning and implementing comprehensive security strategies, controlling budgets, and supervising security personnel. In the contemporary business landscape, where threats are multifaceted, managers need to possess a nuanced understanding of security to safeguard the interests of the organization. The Intersection of Management and Security As organizations recognize the intricate relationship between effective management and robust security, management institutes are increasingly incorporating security-related subjects into their curriculum. The Manager Security is not merely a guardian; they are integral to overall management and functioning. MNCs and large industries seek managers who are not only wellversed in traditional management practices but also possess a deep knowledge of security functions, making security education a crucial aspect of managerial preparation. The Manager Security’s Responsibilities A Manager Security’s responsibilities extend across various domains, including collaborating with department managers, developing security strategies, budget control, personnel management, intelligence gathering, emergency response coordination, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. The complexity of these responsibilities underscores the need for specialized education to equip future managers with the skills necessary to navigate the evolving security landscape. “This crucial management skill, referred to as ‘Security,’ is unfortunately one of the most neglected yet vital aspects of modern management. Security plays a key role in maximizing business efficiency and profitability. Managers hold the key to making security contribute effectively to a company’s profits by ensuring optimal resource use. Without this assurance, claiming to run an efficient business remains a challenge”

Samir Nayak Sr. Sales Director & Country Manager, Everbridge Leading organizations are accelerating their digital transformation to cope with the multitude of disruptions that the pandemic and other critical events are creating. The COVID-19 pandemic is also shining a light on organizations that are succeeding in this environment, having strong business models in conjunction with strengths in adaptability and resilience. As security executives are navigating their organization’s road to recovery and considering a post-pandemic future, there are many lessons to be learned from how the world’s leading organizations are acclimatizing to operating with uncertainty. Not knowing when, or if, the COVID-19 pandemic will end means that changing your approach to security and adapting to better support your business operations is an ongoing endeavor. Many leading organizations are utilizing Everbridge Control Center for mission critical safety and security, and these customers offer valuable lessons for other organizations that are evaluating their security approach. In this white paper we are highlighting their top five security lessons learned that apply across all industries, navigating COVID-19, covering: Boardroom attention and security leadership. Agility, adaptability, and transformation. Automation to reduce risk and enhance compliance. Switch to remote working. Confidence in reopening facilities. 1. Boardroom Attention and Security Leadership The global pandemic is reshaping the business agenda. Many organizations are prioritizing safety and security above all other commercial decisions, forcing security executives into boardroom discussions where business executives are scrutinizing their security operations. Leaders at the forefront of the security industry are seizing their opportunity, by clearly setting out their longer-term investment requirements, rather than focusing on purely tactical initiatives. Ensuring safety and security are receiving the required level of ongoing investment allows their teams to stay ahead of emerging threats and critical events while comprehensively managing everyday organizational risks. They are requesting investment for sustained competitive advantage; articulating the commercial value of security to boardrooms and investing in technologies aimed at driving or enabling revenues and reducing costs over time. We see security executives achieving their objectives by also focusing on reducing risk and increasing operational compliance through digitization and automation. The larger the organization, the more important digitization and automation becomes for increasing behavioral consistency while reducing costs. Strong leadership skills demonstrating a proactive focus on protecting people and business operations have come more naturally to some security executives. Their training and experiences have given them the ability to operate calmly and effectively during life threatening crises. They have taken accountability for collaborating with business colleagues to ensure operational continuity while bolstering their duty of care. They are demonstrating their adaptability in uncertain environments and are at ease managing a growing number of risks. Leading organizations are proactively mitigating risks so that the organization can keep running. They are accelerating effective decision making, not making wrong decisions, having certainty when an incident or critical event is not taking place, and not escalating false incidents. This is where technology is contributing meaningfully, by enabling organizations to make the best-informed decisions through having the right information in the hands of the right people, at the right time. The lesson: Leading security executives are prepared and resilient. They act boldly, especially during uncertainty. They take a long-term view of strategy, yet they can adapt to a changing tactical environment.   2. Agility, Adaptability Innovation & Transformation During the pandemic we are seeing leading organizations adapt with agility in safeguarding people, facilities, and assets wherever they are located. These same organizations are transforming and preparing for growth. The most resilient are not only surviving they are looking to the future with optimism. These organizations may not be the ones you often read about when it comes to innovation and transformation, as they are too busy accomplishing their new plans. Supply chain issues, increasing insider threats, new cyber threats are not dulling leading organization’s ongoing responses. They are operating in a no fail environment and are mobilizing resources to address ambiguity and volatility. The overriding purpose of security innovation and transformation appears to be commercial and organizational success. Leading organizations are expecting their security to be: Commercially valuable, and more cost efficient.  Failsafe in protecting people, facilities, and assets with built-in mobility and digital/ physical convergence. Resilient and adaptable to be future proof. Responding faster through automation and data insights. The lesson: Leading organizations have commercially focused security executives that are using technology, as much as possible, to enable revenues, reduce costs and better protect assets. They are building for future growth. 3. Automation to Reduce Risk and Enhance Compliance While some organizations are advancing the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, many more organizations are digitizing and automating standard operating procedures to provide comprehensive operational control and increase workforce productivity. We see customers digitizing and automating compliance, resulting in better: Management of (multiple) critical events. Safety and security. Protection of people, facilities, and assets. Operational resilience. Mitigation of business disruptions. Response, adaption, recovery, and learning from incidents Speed of response is one positive outcome of automation, directly affecting life safety or security. Using technology to automate alerts, decisions, actions, and reporting is clearly beneficial when the volume of information flooding into the organization is significant. Waiting for an operator to notice ‘something’ before acting is an avoidable risk. Without automation you are also relying on your operators to know your assets from memory (e.g., finding the nearest camera to where an incident is happening) or losing precious time through switching between applications and lookup lists. That is assuming that your operators are trained sufficiently that they remember the exact process your organization has prescribed for the exact situation, and that they can remember that process during a potential crisis moment. Beyond automation, our customers are using orchestration for dynamic workflows. They are not operating with data silos or fragmented operating pictures. Dynamic workflows defining how the system is going to react if ‘this and this happens’ or if ‘this and this but not that happens’ ensures that the system performs in the way the organization has…

Challenge The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of life, at both a professional and personal level. As new information emerges about businesses reopening and restrictions lifting to give way to a new definition of normalcy, there remains public and health safety guidelines to curb the spread. This challenge could not be more top of mind for organizations, both public and private, in how they open up their operations while keeping their employees and customers safe. It has been established that social distancing plays a pivotal role in limiting the spread of COVID-19. Organizations such as retail stores and business offices need a way to limit occupancy rates in their facilities at any given time in order to support effective social distancing measures. Solution Motorola Solutions is committed to innovating mission-critical technologies to protect people and communities. In the face of this global pandemic, Motorola Solutions is currently investigating different solutions, including looking at the analytics and software technology we have in the market that can be leveraged to help organizations effectively protect their employees and customers. Motorola Solutions’ Occupancy Counting feature in Avigilon Control Center (ACC) 7, the latest release of our video management software, can provide organizations an easy and streamlined way to count and identify the number of people in a facility. The feature aims to remove the staffing costs required to count people manually and the subsequent guess work on occupancy by frontline employees, particularly where facilities have multiple entry and exit points. Occupancy Counting helps organizations comply with social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people in a facility, thereby reducing the interactions between them. Occupancy Counting leverages Avigilon’s analytic-enabled cameras that feature advanced object detection, including enhanced detection of people, which is particularly suitable for facility entrances or exits. To deploy the Occupancy Counting feature, Avigilon H5A or H4A cameras or third-party cameras connected to an Avigilon artificial intelligence appliance, can be specially placed at the entry and exit points of a facility or area to monitor traffic. AI-powered video analytics detect and classify a person crossing the entry or exit point and automatically translates these analytic events into entry and exit events. These events will be visible through dashboards in Avigilon Cloud Services (ACS) for managers to determine how many people are inside a facility, or alternatively, for automated screens to display at store fronts. Cloud-based reporting and visualizations provide helpful insights into hot spots and high traffic entry or exit points, allowing facilities to implement corrective measures to manage occupancy rates. For example, a retail store has been directed by its local government to reinforce social distancing measures by limiting the number of people in its store to 50% of its typical capacity. The retail store installs H5A cameras at its entrance to leverage the Occupancy Counting feature. As customers enter or exit the store, they are counted and compared to the occupancy threshold set in the ACS dashboard by store management. The front door display shows the current occupancy and when it is exceeded, displays a red screen that lets employees and customers know that they have to wait until people inside exit before they may enter. The ACS dashboard gives managers both a real-time and historical view of the occupancy of their facility and delivers further insights on typical peak times, the number of times per day customers must wait to enter, and finally, informs measures to optimize outdoor queuing support (e.g., sidewalk markers or crowd control barriers). The retail store is one out of many locations of a national chain. The security team of the retail chain has connected all of its stores that use ACC software to ACS, enabling them to use the Occupancy Counting feature across multiple stores from a central location, and determine if there are any trends that regional or national management should be aware of. In an office building setting, occupancy counting can display the number of people inside a facility based on strategically placed cameras installed at entry and exit points of the facility. The net total occupancy is displayed on a dashboard in ACS and can also be publicly displayed on a tablet placed at entry or exit points to manage traffic. Based on a set occupancy limit being reached or not, the tablet can be triggered to display instructions to permit entry or wait. The ACS dashboard can be used by management to provide insight on how many of their employees are returning to work in the office, allowing them to determine if additional guidelines like social distancing or face mask attire need to be reinforced. If occupancy limits are consistently exceeded, managers can also implement corrective measures such as requiring more employees to work from home. Organizations can pair the Occupancy Counting feature with Avigilon’s social distancing technology for a more powerful solution. Avigilon’s social distancing technology is powered by video analytics to automatically calculate the distance between individuals in the H5A cameras’ field of view. Managers can continuously monitor social distancing efforts within a facility, run reports of when social distancing violations occur and identify high traffic zones requiring additional attention or corrective action. As our world slowly reopens, it is imperative for organizations to follow public and health safety guidelines including social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. Innovative video security and AI-powered video analytics technology can deliver the intelligent capabilities that organizations need to protect people and create a new way of operating, especially when there is no timeline on when COVID-19 will recede as a global health crisis. In these uncertain times, a layered approach is the best strategy. Combining solutions for occupancy counting with technologies for social distancing, face mask detection and thermal screening efforts are essential for a depth in defense approach to limit the spread of COVID-19.  

In network video, copper cables (twisted-pair) have traditionally been used to connect the camera with the control center or the recording unit. In long-range surveillance installations, however, fiber-optic cabling can be a more cost-efficient alternative. Even though it is more expensive per meter, the superior transmission characteristics of a fiber-optic cable reduces the need for expensive signal amplifiers along the way, and makes it possible to transmit more data at a time. This white paper explains what fiber-optic communication is and how it can be used in network video. It also outlines how the Axis product line is designed to support fiber-optic communication. What is fiber-optic communication? In fiber-optic communication, light signals are transmitted through glass fibers. Light reflections within a strand of glass The fibers inside a fiber-optic cable are flexible, transparent strands of very pure glass or plastic. The core of a fiber is radially enclosed by another transparent material with slightly different characteristics, the cladding. This structure makes the fiber function as a ‘light pipe,’ so that light that enters the core at one end can emerge from the other end, even when the fiber is bent or twisted. For stability and protection, the core and cladding are normally enclosed by several protective coatings, as seen in Figure 1. Whenever the light inside the fiber hits the boundary between the core and the cladding, the light will bounce in a controlled manner and essentially continue forward, bouncing back and forth between the ‘walls’ (see Figure 2). It is as if the cladding was lined with mirrors. Hardly any light is absorbed by the cladding, which is why the fiber can carry the light across great distances with nearly preserved intensity. Single-mode and multi-mode fibers Fibers come in two types, suitable for different light sources and different transmission distances. Single-mode fibers have thin cores, about 8μm in diameter, and transmit infrared laser light (wavelength = 1,300 to 1,550nm). They are usually made of glass. Single-mode fibers support only one propagation path, or mode, and are used for communication links longer than 1km. They are typically used in10-/100Mbit/s network connections spread out over extended areas. Multi-mode fibers have a larger core diameter, typically 50-100μm, and transmit infrared LED (light emitting diode) light (wavelength = 850 to 1,300nm). They are usually made of plastic-clad silica or plastic. Multi-mode fibers support many propagation paths, or modes. They are used for short-distance communication links (up to 5km), and for applications where high power must be transmitted. Duplex and simplex transmission You can transmit either two signals (full duplex) or just one signal (simplex) through one fiber-optic strand. With duplex transmission, the transmitted signal and the received signal travel through the same strand. This means that in each fiber-optic strand there are two rays of light, traveling in opposite directions at the same time (see top part of Figure 4). In simplex transmission, there is only one ray of light traveling through each fiber strand. The received signal must then travel through a second strand (see lower part of Figure 4). Duplex transmission requires only half the number of fiber strands to transmit the same amount of data compared with simplex transmission.   Why use fiber-optic communication? The most common purposes of using fiber-optic connections are illumination, communication, and medical or industrial endoscopy where many fibers are bundled together to transmit an image. For telecommunications such as network video, the light traveling through the fiber is, of course, not just random light, but rather data streams encoded as light signals. Fiber-optic connections have been used for data transmission since the 1970s, but the techniques for both transmitting of the data and for manufacturing of the fiber-optic equipment have advanced drastically over the years. Long-range installations at low cost As we have seen, a fiber-optic cable can carry a signal across great distances with only very low attenuation. For a twisted-pair copper cable to be able to carry a signal across the same distance, the signal would have to be amplified at several instances along the way. This could be done using so-called repeaters, but these are rather costly. This is why fiber-optic cables can be a cost-efficient solution at long distances, even though they are more expensive per meter than copper cables. The maximum length of a fiber-optic cable ranges from 10km to 70km, depending on the type of fiber. The maximum length of a twisted-pair copper cable is 100m. Depending on the type of fiber-optic cables used, data rates can range up to 10,000Mbit/s. The cost-efficiency of fiber-optic installations is also due to the slenderness of the fibers. This means that more fibers can be bundled into a given-diameter cable. This allows more data to go over the same cable, and makes fiber-optic cables ideal for carrying digital information. No electrical interference Transmission through twisted-pair copper cables is susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI). This is when external electromagnetic fields affect the current in the cable, and may cause substantial problems with data loss. Fiber-optic cables, however, are immune to such interference. Also, the signal in one fiber does not interfere with those in other fibers in the same cable. Because the signal in a fiber-optic cable does not give rise to any electromagnetic field outside of the fiber, there is no signal leakage. This means that the transmission cannot be tapped, or accessed by unauthorized people. Fiber-optic communication in network video Axis offers a range of network video products that support fiber-optic communication. The key component in connecting a surveillance system with a fiber-optic cable is the SFP (small form factor pluggable) module. Other components are media converters and network cameras with integrated SFP slots. Overview of fiber-based network video system Figure 5 shows an example of a video surveillance system where a fiber-optic cable connects the sending side with the receiving side. Sending side   On the sending side of the system is a network camera (in this case AXIS Q3615-VE network camera) which provides video data to be transmitted. The…

While organizations look to incorporate video surveillance and access control systems that provide greater interoperability as part of their security strategy, the majority of security manufacturers have continued to provide disparate systems, with limited communication between systems. With the recent advancements in software technologies, and the ongoing partnerships between security manufacturers, integration has become a popular substitute for traditional interfacing. However, even integration has its limits. The answer can be found in a single software platform that can manage access control, intercom, intrusion, and video devices, while offering a unified interface to monitor the entire system. Such a system goes above and beyond the basic functionalities of interfacing and integration, while offering end-users an efficient, flexible and cost-effective option to system unification not available with highly customized and expensive solutions like PSIMs. Building Security Solutions That End Users Want Even today, with all the technologies available, the industry is struggling to fully succeed at building security solutions that fulfill the users’ true needs – a cohesive video and access control system that is efficient, non-proprietary, and cost effective. It is important to recognize that without these basic criteria, a unified video and access control system may not seem advantageous to customers and thus, not generate enough demand for manufacturers to justify developing such a product. Efficiency Gains Matter The priority of any security staff will be to spend time on performing their core tasks such as monitoring, investigating and responding to incidents to ensure the security of the organization. Their ability to perform these critical tasks should not be impeded by time spent managing technology. In other words, the security technologies they use should help them be more efficient and effective, while not slowing them down. In one of his articles, Rich Anderson, CTO of Razberi Technologies, and previously VP of Marketing for GE Security and VP of Enegineering for CASI-RUSCO, illustrates the common problem with today’s disparate systems with the following statement: “Access control systems in particular generate alarms for invalid badges, door-forced and door-held events. Those events need to be investigated, but the task of doing so with a standalone surveillance system is painful. Receive an alarm on one system, and your operator has to move to another completely different system to investigate. This surveillance system has a different user interface and so he/ she has to ‘switch gears.’ Then, which camera do you call up to view the scene? An experienced operator will know, but that ‘experience’ costs you a lot in terms of training.” Mixing and Matching Best-of Breed Technologies The PC industry has succeeded in building interoperable products. Anyone can buy a PC today, and down the line, add new hardware like a printer, web cam, gaming device, or even install a new hard drive that processes information twice as fast as the previous one. Almost anything can be done without changing the entire PC or operating system. However, the same cannot be said about, or achieved in the security industry. A user cannot simply decide to buy the latest high-tech wireless door controller and add it to an existing access control system. Or buy the latest and greatest IP cameras and connect them to a video management system (VMS) without first verifying that the specific model is supported. For these and many other reasons, the security industry is far behind the PC industry. In fact, it might never be possible to achieve what the PC industry has in terms of interoperability. Making a commitment to proprietary technology can be a costly decision. When a new technology emerges, the option to incorporate it becomes more of a question about whether or not to forego existing investments and start over from scratch with a new investment. On the other hand, having the ability to mix and match best-of-breed products from different manufacturers, and having the option to incorporate the latest advancements in technology into a security system ultimately provides more flexibility and the added assurance that your investment is future-proof. Managing Investments A solution that is entirely customized to fit with all existing business systems and infrastructure might be very efficient and attractive, but as with any customized approach it will likely be expensive as well. Take for example ERP systems (enterprise resource planning) deployed by many companies. An ERP system can be customized to adapt to virtually any business model and environment by specialized ERP system integrators. Although the cost of customizing such a system is very high, there is usually a significant productivity gain realized after deployment to justify this investment. In similar respects, investments in security departments and equipment are always considered an expense and it is unlikely that security systems could be adapted to every internal process. Since these systems rarely generate revenue, budgets are traditionally tightly controlled. Completely overhauling a system, regardless of the technology employed, is entirely dependent on budget availability and management’s buy-in. Often, even discussions of upgrading or replacing a system occur out of pure necessity (e.g., aging system or security flaw) and the process of sourcing and implementing a system could span months, if not, years. Therefore, it is crucial, more than any other factor, that the total cost of ownership of a cohesive video and access control system be justified. Integrated Systems With the recent advancements in technologies, and increased collaboration between manufacturers, integration has become a popular substitute for traditional interfacing.   In information technology, systems integration is the process of linking together different computing systems and software applications physically or functionally. Specifically in the security industry, the most popular integration methods involve network protocols and software development kits (SDK). Network protocols are very powerful as they support a mix of operating systems and allows you to manage your applications in real-time. However, integrating two systems through a network protocol requires more time than an SDK, or it may require a shared database between two systems. Network protocols are popular for edge-device integrations like IP cameras or door controllers but are even more commonly…

The primary objective for smart city initiatives is to intelligently use data and technology to make everyday life easier and better for the people who live in, work in and visit the city – while making innovative and efficient use of resources. Public safety plays an important role. This is why most smart city initiatives include video surveillance for key public areas, to achieve quicker alerting and better data to inform first responders regarding accidents, crimes and public safety situations. However, if smart city initiatives take traditional approaches for physical security technology, they will undermine their primary smart city objective. Over a decade of smart city initiatives has revealed what it takes for smart city technology deployments to achieve the sustainable quality of life transformations they intend, in the face of the challenges that smart city tech projects face. Recent successes have shown that cloud-based solutions are indispensable elements of smart city infrastructure, which includes both public and private infrastructure elements. Cloud-based deployments are essential for cost-effectiveness, scalability, and short deployment time frames. Furthermore, smart city security technology projects have new technical requirements – some of which can only be met using cloud technology. This paper examines those requirements and points to two very recent projects that exemplify the kinds of success that can be achieved. Smart Cities In June 2018, the McKinsey Global Institute released an in-depth independent research and analysis report titled, ‘Smart cities: Digital solutions for a more livable future.’ McKinsey’s research identified 60 data-driven smart city applications spanning the eight domains listed below. Eleven of these applications are physical security applications. Smart Applications Successful smart city security initiatives require more than just getting city planners and stakeholders, and their security integrators and consultants, on the ‘same page.’ They must all get on a ‘new page’ that includes: Expanded system design thinking. Up to date set of technology capabilities. Active stakeholder and citizen involvement. All are required for smart city deployment success. The Smart City Context The requirements for security technology deployments derive from the ways that smart city deployments differ from traditional security system deployments. The intelligence and operational capabilities of smart cities technology infrastructure resides in three layers identified by McKinsey analysis – technology base, applications interaction, and user base. This is the context for smart city security tech deployments. Technology Base Smart city security devices and systems are part of a larger city technology base connected by reliable high-speed communications networks. Achieving reliable high-speed internet access is always the first step in smart city development – unless it already exists. Applications Interact Applications are the tools by which a smart city turns raw data into alerts, insights and action – automating as much of the job as possible. Smart city security application design must consider that application data should not just facilitate public safety operations but must also contribute to the city’s greater understanding of itself. This is plain to see in Mexico City’s recent smart city security initiative. Public Usage The size of a smart city’s user base is the most significant difference from traditional security systems, which typically range from a few dozen to a few hundred users. Smart city citizen apps include personal security and safety features and have many thousands to millions of users. These mobile apps are the way smart cities enable citizens and visitors to interact with city services, including real-time services such as parking, public transportation, security and emergency services. This is an area where security technology and service providers can be innovative in providing value for citizen end-users as well as for city operations. Key Technology Requirements Smart city technology initiatives include 11 key requirements that have been traditional weak areas for physical security technology deployments: Intelligent connectivity. Simple scalability. Device and system interoperability. Open systems architecture. Systems integration interfaces. Privacy. Cybersecurity Data governance. Actionable data and analytics. Fault-tolerance. Future-readiness. The security industry has begun improving in some of these areas. However, physical security technology has typically lagged five to 10 years behind the state of information technology and related IT practices, and exponential technology advancement has made catching up an even greater challenge. Modern Technology is Required For large-scale smart city projects it’s not possible, for both technical and cost reasons, to adequately address most or all these 11 requirements with traditional on-premises devices and systems. However, well-engineered cloudbased systems with cloud-managed field devices make it both technically possible and financially feasible to fulfill smart city key requirements. These key requirements are well understood in the IT industry, but only recently has physical security technology advanced to the point where meeting all of them is feasible in smartcity security deployments. Intelligent Connectivity Smart city networks are, for the most part, very large shared networks – both wired and wireless. That means devices and applications that use significant bandwidth – such as security video – must not only use data stream reduction techniques such as compression and recording on motion and alarm, they must also be aware of LAN and internet bandwidth availability, and intelligently buffer transmissions as needed to throttle back their usage during times of peak overall network utilization. Develop a sound networking plan for any proposed project, verifying the infrastructure capabilities and documenting the planned intelligent use of existing network infrastructure and any new infrastructure to be added. Simple Scalability On-premises systems have fixed capacities for compute, memory, disk storage and networking. Well-engineered true cloud systems can scale those resources up or down on demand. NIST defines cloud computing as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (for example, networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” A true cloud application – not just a client-server system hosted in the cloud – supports cloud-managed local devices and maximally automates their management. Automation includes performing system-wide firmware upgrades and digital certificate issuance. Well-designed cloud-based systems and tools can enable large-scale…

With great advances in video and access control technology – including mobile capabilities, cloud efficiencies, analytics and biometrics – security providers are aiming to create the most secure and seamless credentials, all during a time when privacy concerns seem to be dictating public opinion and impacting security. The increase in use of these technologies brings with it a growth in the volume of data. This article looks at the following areas of focus in privacy considerations: Definitions of privacy. Legalities of privacy and compliance (in the U.S.). Education on privacy. Definitions and ethical use of facial recognition. The biometric debate. Can we have both security and convenience? Definitions of privacy The description for privacy in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is – “freedom from unauthorized intrusion.” From a legal point of view, privacy is defined as a person’s right to control access to his or her personal information. In today’s data-driven world, privacy issues are raised in the context of government collection or distribution of personal information, as well as corporate use of personally identifiable information (PII). PII is any data that could potentially be used to identify a particular person. Examples include a full name, social security number, driver’s license number, bank account number, passport number and email address. Photo or video data also comes into play, as well as biometric data. Legalities of privacy Milestone Systems is a global video management software company based out of Copenhagen, Denmark, that has had a focus since 2017 on the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that went into force in Europe in May 2018. They define the individual’s critical privacy matters to be protected as ‘sensitive personal data’ such as your racial/ ethnic origin, genetic and biometric info, health and financial data, religious, political and sexual preferences. GDPR has a focus on these key principles: Lawfulness. Fairness and transparency. Legitimate purpose’ limitations on the gathering, use, sharing and storage of sensitive personal data, and its minimization. Milestone has investigated every facet of business from products to business practices, to ensure compliance and provide guidance to employees, partners and customers. In the U.S., three states led the way in 2019 enacting biometric privacy laws – Illinois, Texas and Washington. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect in January 2020. Then multiple states proposed similar legislation to protect consumers. Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts introduced legislation addressing biometric privacy, on the heels of a decision for the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The best way for security dealers, integrators and consultants to learn each state’s biometric laws and work within their parameters is to keep informed. To stay abreast of the changing state-privacy landscape, the IAPP Westin Research Center compiled a list of proposed comprehensive privacy bills from across the country. The updated version of this tool, including a new state law tracker map, exists on the IAPP Resource Center, here. It is advised to take a multi-path approach to stay informed from the many points of view: Join local chapters of SIA and ASIS to network with other professionals specific to your region. Partner with the manufacturers and developers of the technologies you are interested in; they will know how their solutions fit state and local legislation. Get involved with local law enforcement groups, attend relevant presentations on new local and state ordinances. Follow and support organizations like the IAPP which is the world’s largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community. Be vigilant for compliance Ensuring compliance with GDPR and similar data privacy laws requires high organizational maturity with careful planning and preparation of video surveillance and other security systems, including the policies and procedures regulating how the technology is used. To help system integrators and end users design, implement and operate video surveillance systems that are compliant with such privacy regulations, Milestone provides a holistic set of tools, including privacy guides, best practices and training resources to build privacy awareness. If you go to the Milestone website and search for GDPR, you’ll find 1,450 references. There’s a lot of useful information available. Education on privacy and cybersecurity The entire market needs to be educated on what’s being done with people’s sensitive information. Milestone carries out GDPR webinars that are mandatory for staff – as we have also done with cybersecurity training (both internally and externally for our partners) which is related when trying to preserve data privacy, access or sharing. Regarding cybersecurity hackers and our partners’ work with IT systems, current knowledge and best practices help to keep people’s sensitive information safe. Double authentication is becoming standard for managing access to company systems and websites. Data encryption is also key to the lockdown of information and its history of creation, access, user logs etc. Regular software updates with the newest version releases are also best practice to ensure against cyber trouble. At Milestone, we have a comprehensive system hardening guide online. It details the top five most effective cybersecurity strategies to focus on when combating cyberattacks: Isolate the device network from other networks. Educate employees about security threats. Use Active Directory for user and computer management. Enable encryption at every stage necessary. Separate the VMS server and client networks from the company’s business network. Ethics of facial recognition Advanced facial recognition technology has benefited Americans in countless under-publicized ways, helping to do many critical things, for example: find missing children, fight human trafficking, secure borders from drug trade, identify dangerous criminals, bring sexual predators to justice and thwart identity thieves. There is a difference between facial detection vs. facial recognition. Facial detection is a broader term and means that a system is able to identify that there is a human face present in an image or video. Facial recognition can confirm identity and thereby be used to control access to sensitive areas. Authentication/ verification helps verify a person is who they claim to be. The system checks a submitted photo against an existing template to verify that it is the same person – one-to-one (1:1) matching. This configuration is applicable to banking,…