21 December 2015

Don’t fall victim as burglaries boom over festive season

Don’t fall victim as burglaries boom over festive season HOMEOWNERS who fail to take proper security measures face having their Christmas ruined by cruel thieves, the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) warned. Christmas time is the peak time for break-ins and a prosperous time for burglars, with expensive presents neatly tucked under the tree and a higher chance of homeowners being out visiting family, attending parties or doing last-minute shopping. According to police figures, homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled, while the number of break-ins traditionally increases during the run up to the festive season. Hundreds of families face heartache and misery over Christmas when they return home to discover thieves have ransacked them property, and stolen presents from under the tree, along with other valuable items like TVs, laptops and jewellery. MLA development director Dr Steffan George said: “Houses are more likely to contain higher value items in the form of gifts ready to be unwrapped on Christmas Day, including gadgets and jewellery, which can be easily pocketed by thieves. “Even though many people feel more at risk of burglary over Christmas, many still don’t do anything about it, and every year thieves ruin Christmas for many families. “Just by taking a few simple security measures, householders can avoid the distress of having their homes burgled and the financial loss that comes with a break-in.” The MLA has issued the 12 tips of Christmas to help beat the burglars: 1. Take expert advice by asking a professional MLA-approved locksmith to carry out a security assessment, involving an inspection of our property, checking of locks and any fitted security alarms to ensure they are working properly and meet our insurance requirements. 2. Keep presents out of view. It’s always nice to see presents under the tree but if the tree is near a window, the gifts offer would-be burglars a tempting invite. 3. Ensure your home looks occupied at all time. Leave a light, radio or fake TV on a timer to make it look like there is someone in. 4. Ensure all doors and windows are securely shut and locked, especially if outdoor Christmas lights are from a power source inside the house and fed through a window. 5. Shopping online this year? Make sure someone is there to receive deliveries and they’re not left on the doorstep. 6. Cancel regular deliveries, including milk and newspapers, if you are going away. They can stack up around your front door, making it obvious no one is in. 7. Dispose of all wrappers and boxes instead of leaving them outside your home, alerting would-be burglars what gifts you have received. Break them down and put them in black bin bags to disguise what’s inside. 8. If you are going to be away over Christmas, arrange for a neighbour to keep an eye on your home. As them to take in the post and open and shut curtains to make it look as if the house is occupied. 9. Consider fitting a visible alarm, CCTV and/or dawn-till-dusk security lighting to deter burglars. 10. Burglars increasingly use social media sites to identify potential targets so avoid sharing too much information if you are going away or what you’ve got. Don’t ‘check-in’ and be careful about posting photographs. 11. Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage. 12. Trim hedges, bushes and shrubs that can provide cover for burglars attempting to gain entry to your house and to improve natural surveillance. [su_button url=”http://www.locksmiths.co.uk/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Click here to find an MLA locksmith in your area[/su_button]

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TDSi to showcase latest version of its EXgarde solution

TDSi to showcase latest version of its EXgarde solution

TDSi to showcase latest version of its EXgarde solution Halls 1-7, Trade Centre Arena and Sheikh Saeed Halls 1-3, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre – 17th-19th January 2016 Integrated security manufacturer, TDSi will be demonstrating the latest version of its EXgarde 4.5 integrated security solution at Intersec 2016, 17-19th January in Dubai. Appearing on stand S2-B09, the company will also be showcasing its broad range of products and services, as well as offering one-to-one help and advice to visitors. John Davies, Managing Director of TDSi will be heading up the company’s team at the event and commented, “Intersec is the first major security event of the New Year and attracts a lot of interest regionally and throughout the international security industry. We were again overwhelmed by the interest and visitor response at the event last year, so we are very much looking forward to travelling to Dubai next month, which is the perfect setting for this dynamic show.” Intersec is the key event for TDSi when it comes to export markets trends, as John explained, “The show is equally an important barometer for us when it comes to exports in the region and beyond. Last year we received a lot of feedback from visitors, partners and customers on the demands of the market and we hope to gain similar insights at Intersec 2016.” As well as his work with TDSi, John is also the BSIA’s Export Council Section Chairman, so will also be viewing the proceedings at Intersec from a broader perspective as a key representative of the UK security industry. The TDSi stand will be featuring EXgarde 4.5 and its latest benefits, which include two-way communication with Milestone’s Access Control Module (ACM) and integration with the recently launched ASSA ABLOY KS100 server cabinet electronic lock. The latest upgrades are designed to add further functionality and flexibility, key ingredients which have influenced the development of this sophisticated software platform since its inception. EXgarde 4.5’s enhanced integration with Milestone’s powerful ACM allows operators to use the Milestone solution as their primary user interface, whilst maintaining full access control via the EXgarde software. Previous versions had been able to accept data from the video management system, but version 4.5 allows data from EXgarde to be displayed within the VMS. The integration with ASSA ABLOY’s KS100 server cabinet locking solution is in response to recent developments in physical server security needs. EXgarde 4.5 brings the KS100 system into the integrated security mix, offering the highest levels of protection (even in a shared data centre), whilst facilitating authorised access and full security monitoring. Intersec 2016 is the perfect opportunity for visitors from the Middle East and further afield to view the latest security solutions on offer for 2016, as John concluded, “TDSi will be on hand to talk about your security needs and how we can support your projects with our latest products and services. We are really looking forward to catching up with our customers and partners in this exciting location and I would encourage all visitors to take a look at our stand and speak to the team about how we can help you.” Join TDSi at Intersec at Stand S2-B09. [su_button url=”http://www.tdsi.co.uk/” target=”blank” background=”#eb8223″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Click here for further details on EXgarde 4.5 or any of the TDSi security solutions[/su_button]

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Business without boundaries: securing your employees

Business without boundaries: securing your employees

Business without boundaries: securing your employees In a climate of increasing terror threats, regulatory complexity and rising insurance premiums, safeguarding your employees and giving them 24/7 peace of mind while they are working overseas, is vital to your corporate reputation. With fierce competition to attract and retain talent, the pressure is on to maintain safe working conditions, mitigate risk and demonstrate responsible staff stewardship at all times. The challenges of going global International travel presents complex challenges, particularly around security, communication, legal compliance and insurance. Added to this, employees may feel more vulnerable when they don’t speak the local language; face cultural barriers to reporting a crime; are in high-risk regions; operating in a hazardous sector; have a chronic health condition or disability; or worry about travelling alone. Just consider, in the event of an international terror incident, extreme weather event, natural or man-made disaster or major travel disruption could you maintain seamless communications and minimise business disruption? Do you have the systems and resources to quickly take control, identify all individuals affected and issue prompt travel updates to minimise uncertainty and confusion? Global protection, local response Robust security policies are essential to consistently safeguard your mobile workforce. The better prepared you are, the better able you will be to maintain a trusted reputation. Embedding risk management, emergency procedures and crisis communications capabilities into routine security operations and training can significantly reduce your exposure. Now, achieving this has become much easier, thanks to three key technology advances: Global uptake of smartphones to near ubiquitous levels Accessibility, reliability and speed of cloud-based mobile computing High availability of globally connected communications channels. The latest cloud-based distributed command and control (DCC) solutions enable employers to leverage the prevalence of smartphones as an integral part of their safety and security operations. Designed to leverage investment in fixed security infrastructure and human resources, DCC solutions can dramatically improve incident response without further capital investment. By combining a comprehensive situational awareness system for corporate security response teams with a smartphone app that staff can use to raise alerts, a DCC solution extends the reach of first responders with transformative effect. A key advantage is the capability to extend emergency support services to all registered app users in pre-determined geographic safe zones anywhere worldwide. The SafeZone solution SafeZone™ from CriticalArc is a leading example of how a mobile DCC can transform security for world travellers. Using location intelligence, it gives security, health and safety teams a complete situational view by automatically sharing relevant real-time event data via user-friendly visual mapping. As a subscription model, it offers numerous benefits, without the ongoing overheads and costs of licensed legacy software or infrastructure. A free smartphone app puts a help point or panic alarm in the pocket of every registered employee, enabling them to easily raise an alert, at any time, anywhere in the world, without compromising their confidential data. When they activate an alert, the corporate security team automatically receives intelligence about their location, identity and any special medical needs, without making a phone call. This overcomes language issues and other potential barriers to incident reporting. Passport to safer travel SafeZone DCC solutions offer multiple features that enable organisations to: Set up safe zones where employees can activate alerts for emergencies, general help and first aid Map temporary or permanent safe regions of any size or shape, anywhere worldwide Define the response team jurisdiction in line with risk, regulatory and insurance requirements Share real-time location and status of staff in high-risk situations with the response team Integrate corporate security policies with local third-party services Configure alarms to default to local emergency services if an incident occurs Deliver advice, action checklists and procedures appropriate to the user’s location context Establish a live alert/response communications channel for individuals or groups Maximise resilience with multi-channel communications via SMS, wireless and satellite networks. Key benefits SafeZone delivers numerous operational benefits including: Real-time, geo-located single-button alerts that make it easy for employees to request help Location sensitive incident procedures and advice to staff in real time, during the event Capacity for fast, low-cost mass-communication targeted to multiple audiences Faster, more effective response resulting in better incident outcomes at every incident scale Potential to negotiate lower insurance premiums Comprehensive data capture for full reporting, compliance and continuous improvement Demonstrable commitment to duty of care, safeguarding trust, credibility and reputation. [su_button url=”http://www.criticalarc.com/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]For more information on CriticalArc click here[/su_button]

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6-way control ball valves offer precise control of heated and chilled ceilings

6-way control ball valves offer precise control of heated and chilled ceilings • Suitable solution for heated/chilled ceiling applications with 4-pipe system • Replaces four conventional valves, including actuators • Built-in pressure compensation function and high flow values The Siemens Building Technologies Division has expanded its comprehensive Acvatix range of valves with 6-way control ball valves especially suited for use in heated/chilled ceiling applications. Because of its special design, a 6-way control ball valves replaces four conventional valves, including actuators, in a 4-pipe heated/chilled ceiling; since there is only actuator, it occupies only one data point. Less effort for installation, commissioning and cabling as well as decreased space requirements reduce the complexity of the plant and result in lower costs. The new 6-way control ball valves from Siemens have a built-in pressure compensation function which is active when the valve is in the closed position (i.e. when no heating or cooling is needed). This prevents over- or underpressure which might otherwise damage the heated/chilled ceiling. In addition, the valves are bubble- and water-tight as per EN12666-1, Class A. The finely graduated flow values (kvs) of the new 6-way control ball valves allow a great deal of planning flexibility since there is a suitable valve even for large rooms and high heating/cooling demands. kvs values precisely adjusted to the flow demand offer excellent energy efficiency. Different screw fittings allow the control ball valves to be attached to different pipe dimensions without additional pipe expanders or reducers. The valves are available with inner or outer thread screw fittings; third-party screw fittings can also be used. The OpenAir actuators from Siemens have a preinstalled mounting kit for the new 6-way control ball valves, which allows for tool-free mounting. Color- and number-coded connection cables on the actuators as well as connection diagrams and data matrix codes printed on the actuators (for direct access to installation instructions and data sheets) ensure easy installation and error-free wiring. [su_button url=”http://www.buildingtechnologies.siemens.com/bt/global/en/Pages/home.aspx” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Click here to find out more about Siemens Building Technologies Division[/su_button]

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Who is watching retail theft this holiday season?

Who is watching retail theft this holiday season?

Who is watching retail theft this holiday season? Santa hats and holiday gifts are being stolen in plain sight – at both the manned and self-checkout. Overhead cameras at the checkout are detecting the growing theft of retail goods. But who’s watching the cameras? Many retailers have implemented StopLift Checkout Vision Systems, whose technology detects unpaid merchandise on the conveyor belt, in the shopping cart, or reusable bag at both the manned and self-checkout. StopLift is a pioneer in detecting retail loss through “sweethearting,” when cashiers do not scan merchandise or charge the customer for it. The customer is often a friend, family member or fellow employee working in tandem with the cashier. Click the below links to watch these real videos of holiday gifts being stolen: 1. Christmas toys given away without scanning     2. Giving away Santa hats without scanning     3. Four women at self-checkout with lots of scan-avoided Christmas gifts
     “Retailers are counting on the holiday shopping season to boost slagging sales, and sweethearting theft is an even bigger problem now when stores are crowded and shoppers are impatient to get through the checkout,” said Malay Kundu, CEO of StopLift. “Our technology has found that shoplifting is as much as 5 times more likely to happen in the self-checkout lane,” Kundu added. StopLift’s “ScanItAll” video recognition technology detects the sweethearting of unscanned items. The technology, which works with existing overhead cameras, catches middle of the basket (MOB) and bottom of the basket (BOB) retail theft as well as items bypassed on the conveyor belt in both manned and self-checkouts. Cashiers often overlook MOB and BOB items in the shopping cart – often deliberately. Reasons include sweethearting for friends and relatives as well as long lines of impatient shoppers – especially during holiday shopping, pressures on cashiers to work more quickly, and distracted cashiers or customers, particularly during holiday shopping. Less than 1 percent of store video is actually viewed, according to Kundu. Thus, retailers have had no means of detecting MOB and BOB theft or sweethearting at the scanner. The U.S. National Retail Federation states that about $14 billion of retail shrink is due to sweethearting. StopLift’s computer vision technology visually determines what occurs during each and every transaction to immediately identify fraud at the checkout. In the process of monitoring100% of the security video, it flags the transaction as suspicious and quickly reports the incident, identifying the cashier and the date and time of the theft. Dishonest associates are identified on the basis of video evidence the very first time they conduct a fraudulent transaction, rather than months or even years down the road, significantly reducing inventory shrinkage, deterring future theft, and boosting profitability. The technology eliminates costly, time-consuming human review of video, drastically reduces and deters fraud at the checkout, and significantly improves profitability, Kundu said. Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, StopLift develops targeted applications to address the specific needs of retailers from different sectors including general merchandise, grocery, and specialty retail. Retailers have traditionally tried to track loss at the checkout through data mining, but since MOB, BOB and other sweethearting involve items not being scanned, Kundu notes: “How do you do data mining when there’s no data?” StopLift Checkout Vision Systems grew out of Kundu’s Harvard Business School research study “Project StopLift” on Retail Loss Prevention. With technological research insights Kundu developed while at MIT, Project StopLift concluded that video recognition could be used to automate and, thus, make possible the comprehensive examination of surveillance video. Prior to founding StopLift, Kundu developed facial recognition systems for identifying terrorists in airports. [su_button url=”http://stoplift.com/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]For more on Stop Lift Checkout Vision systems click here[/su_button]

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Casio improves cloud access with A10 Networks Thunder ADC

Casio improves cloud access for employees with A10 Networks Thunder ADC solution Leading global electronics manufacturer adopts A10 Thunder Application Delivery Controller to make applications fast and highly available. A10 Networks (NYSE: ATEN), a leader in application networking, announced that global electronics manufacturer Casio Computer Co., Ltd., is using the A10 Thunder ADC solution to consolidate networking resources, improve application performance and enhance overall user experience. The A10 Thunder ADC not only offers Casio scalable cloud-networking services, but real-time health monitoring systems to maximise application uptime. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Casio recognised the need to shift from legacy systems to high-performance, cloud-based infrastructure that would maintain uptime during crises. Implementing Google Apps for Work, Casio tried a load-balancing solution, but found that its proxy servers struggled to handle the traffic. “The load on proxy servers would often rise to nearly 100 percent, and frequent complaints were made from global offices that chat, Web conferencing and other applications were going down,” said Koji Kawade, User Support Group, Casio Information Service Co., Ltd. “With the A10 Thunder ADC solution, we consolidated six proxy servers and load balancers into two appliances. The load on proxy servers dropped from 100 percent to no more than 25 percent at any given time, improving application performance and employee productivity.” “We’re honoured that Casio chose the A10 Thunder ADC solution to ensure trouble-free cloud access for 6,000 employees,” said Sanjay Kapoor, Vice President Global Marketing at A10 Networks. “We strive to improve our customers’ agility, scalability and security, and we’re pleased to help Casio access the cloud with no fear of disruption from network overload.” The A10 Thunder ADC is a next-generation application delivery controller equipped with virtualisation and security functions, including SSL Insight, Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, in addition to application acceleration and load balancing. Thunder ADC also delivers low power consumption and space savings enabled by A10’s Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS), yielding maximum hardware performance. Features of the A10 Thunder ADC solution include: SSL Offload functionality aFleX deep-packet inspection (DPI) scripting technology Delivery capability of up to 153 Gbps in a single appliance aXAPI: full programmatic control with RESTful API A10 Thunder ADC benefits include: Seamless scalability High-speed processing capabilities Programmatic control over application traffic The A10 Thunder ADC solution not only provides a broad range of form factors and expansive system support resources, it also ensures that high-performance functions are available from implementation without the need for additional licenses. This is made possible by A10’s all-inclusive licensing, which eliminates the need to purchase additional licenses as customer applications expand – plus provides more flexibility and the ability to meet their solution requirements now and in the future. [su_button url=”https://www.a10networks.com/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]For more information on A10 Networks click here[/su_button]

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Falanx’s significant contract win

Falanx’s significant contract win Falanx Group Limited, an intelligence, security and cyber defence provider working with blue chip and government clients worldwide, is pleased to announce it has secured a new contract to provide cyber defence services for a major UK Government department, generating £312,000 in revenue for the Company over the next four years, with £135,000 payable over the first six months. The contract will be delivered in partnership with MDS Technologies, a cloud computing services company. Falanx will provide the Government department with high assurance systems that will enable compliance with Government requirements for monitoring secure data (GPG-13), as well as the associated processes for alerting and ticketing. John Blamire, CEO of Falanx Group commented: “We continue to demonstrate our status as a provider of choice to government organisations of highly scalable monitoring systems, on long term contracts. We are confidently pursuing negotiations to deliver our capability across other sensitive areas of government and commercial organisations, which could develop into significantly higher value contracts.” Falanx Group Limited is a global intelligence, security and cyber defence provider working with blue chip and government clients. Falanx Group is an AIM-listed security and intelligence provider based in London in the United Kingdom. We are a world-leading team of security professionals and technology experts who work in close partnership with our clients to help them defend against a wide range of global security threats. The Group has three business divisions: • Falanx Intelligence: Political & Security Risk and Business Intelligence services • Falanx Resilience: Security Consultancy, Crisis Management and asset and facility security • Falanx Cyber: Comprehensive cloud-based cyber security services The Group listed on AIM in June 2013 under ticker FLX. For more information on Falanx and Falanx Assuria, email info@falanxassuria.com or call 020 3747 4650 [su_button url=”http://www.falanxgroup.com/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Click here to find out more about Falanx[/su_button]

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Directing retail security at ASDA: interview with Claire Rushton

Directing retail security at ASDA: interview with Claire Rushton

Directing retail security at ASDA: interview with Claire Rushton. Tim Compston, features editor at SecurityNewsDesk, talks to Claire Rushton, senior director – operational security – at supermarket giant Asda about the opportunities and challenges of a career in retail security. Today, with her recent appointment to a senior director role based out of Asda’s headquarters in Leeds, Claire Rushton is responsible for overseeing the operational security around retail, distribution, and the company’s Home Offices. This wide ranging remit includes: dealing with ‘out of the ordinary incidents’, intelligence gathering to flag up the latest criminal trends, and, significantly, sharing best practice and applying strategies and technologies to facilitate effective loss prevention Asda-wide. Catching-up with Claire for this interview, one of the first things I wanted to uncover was what influenced her decision to follow a career path into security and, crucially, how she has ended up, years later, scaling the heights of retail security with Asda, one of the UK’s foremost retailers. Crime fighting Our conversation soon turns to her early childhood days where, Claire reckons, she displayed a strong passion for investigation and crime fighting, albeit of the superhero kind: “Looking back it might sound ridiculous now but when I was a kid I always wanted to be a superhero. We had Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman back then and I loved watching anything to do with them. So my interest in crime and security kind of stems from that. This [security role] is probably the next best thing, especially when it dawned on me that I wasn’t going to develop superpowers!” In terms of the knowledge that she has been able to bring to bear on her work at Asda, Claire studied for a psychology and sociology degree which saw her specialising in criminology. This offered an invaluable insight into the workings of the criminal mind. A post-university stint in the police force also delivered a good grounding for Claire in the investigative techniques that would reap rewards later in her retail career. Breaking down the barriers According to Claire, her first big break into the retail security world came after spotting an advertisement in the Police Review for a loss prevention investigator at Safeway: “I think that they [Safeway] took a bit of a chance on me at the start because I was sort of a mid-20s female which was pretty much breaking the mould. It was a very male dominated area at the time,” she recalls. From her success as a loss prevention investigator at Safeway it was on to M&S, followed by Sainsbury’s, before finally joining Asda six years ago. Asked whether her starting position at Asda was comparable to the role she has now, Claire replies that the big difference between the two – outside of seniority – was the fact that it was out in the field: “This was for a division which was down south. I then moved north for a head of security role – four years ago – before finally taking on my senior director post earlier this year.” Considering whether those tasked with high level operational retail security roles, like her own, tend to have a good level of field-based experience, Claire reveals that it is still a bit of a mixed picture: “From my point-of-view I think that it is really important to have been out there on the ground, to appreciate how the guys there operate, because without our stores we have no business.” Changing technology While what drives the behaviour of criminals may not have altered markedly in her time in retail, Claire is keen to flag up the fact that, by contrast, the technology available to address loss prevention threats has advanced tremendously: “I think that is where you see the significant changes to the whole operation. It is about how you make decisions on when to invest and what to invest in and when to stand back and listen and engage with others. It is a real balance, you can’t invest in everything, especially early on.” Even with this prodigious rate of technological change, Claire reflects, that the ‘three key staples of any LP [Loss Prevention] toolbox’ are still very much the in-store security guards, your CCTV cameras, and the tagging of valuable items. Incident Management Drilling down to the way the operational security at Asda has advanced under Claire’s watch, she explains that a project has been underway for several years to roll-out a centralised state-of-the-art ‘comms room’: “Essentially this is a central hub for our CCTV and alarms.” Visually Claire says that the ‘comms room’ doesn’t look particularly exciting: “When you think of a control room you think of loads of CCTV images up on screens which isn’t the case for us.” What does standout, she reveals, is the application of ‘black screen’ technology: “This works off a series of alerts for incidents. This also connects to our intelligence centre which has gone ‘live’ over the last few weeks which is based on using reactive data mining and predictive MI [Management Information] to be able to identify vital crime trends.” Claire adds that the configuration of the ‘comms room’ is a really good fit given the scale of Asda’s operations – with 600 stores at the last count – and people’s limited attention spans: “To actually have a conventional control room that could watch ‘live’ images, and deal with things, you are talking about a massive investment in terms of the room, size of screens, and number of people to operate that.” Pressed on where the threshold is set for the type of incidents which the ‘comms room’ typically has to handle, Claire explains that it is the ‘unusual activities’: “Obviously we have security colleagues in our stores that operate on the day-to-day stuff.” Target hardening According to Claire one of the key aspects that her team focuses on is what she refers to as ‘target hardening’: “It is risk versus reward,” she says. One case Claire is keen to share relates

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Secure Identity Alliance publishes Civil Registry Consolidation through Digital Identity Management

With identity a key priority on the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Secure Identity Alliance (SIA) today publishes a report outlining a best practice approach for consolidating civil registries through national electronic identity (ID) schemes. The SIA’s ‘Civil Registry Consolidation through Digital Identity Management’ report provides the deep sector insight necessary to support the development of government registration and identity programs across the world – particularly in the developing world where many citizens lack official documentation to prove their identity. For those countries that have implemented an electronic identity program, but whose civil registry is incomplete, the existence of an eID database is a chance to rebuild a comprehensive registration process. When national ID systems and civil registration are not at the same level of development, a circular and dynamic approach between civil registration and eID systems can be used to complete them both. This report should be of particular interest to international organizations and government agencies involved in the establishment or reorganization of civil registration and identity systems across the world. With a global population set to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century, the ongoing European and Middle-East refugee crisis and growing population mobility, identity is a key geopolitical issue. Knowing the identity, and the economic circumstances, of citizens is central to the concept of wealth redistribution and a key factor in social inclusion and poverty reduction strategies. Indeed, the provision of a legal identity for all, including birth registration, is now recognized as a key priority for the United Nations. To date, civil registration has shown slow signs of progress in many developing countries – despite it being a pre-requisite in the creation of a national ID document. The global identification goal of the United Nations focuses on both “civil registration” and “identity”. The SIA strongly believes they should be addressed jointly. Today’s fragmented ID ecosystems do not provide a comprehensive and continuous civil registration as the basis for national ID systems. Multiplication of ID systems wastes human and financial resources, and multiple citizen ID systems creates conflict between organizations. This report articulates a vision of how to reconcile these disparate and challenging areas. According to Frederic Trojani, Chairman of the Board at the SIA, the study will form an important part of its work to help governments define and deliver a path towards the integration of secure civil registration and identity systems. “The sheer importance of being able to accurately understand and address the challenges in this complex environment cannot be underestimated. Without success we as a global community cannot hope to effectively address poverty, migration issues and social inclusion across the world.” Full report entitled “Civil Registry Consolidation through Digital Identity Management” can be downloaded at https://www.secureidentityalliance.org/index.php/resources

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Idappcom targets US managed security services market

Idappcom targets US managed security services market Idappcom, the specialist vendor of security assessment and remediation solutions will be show-casing its advanced network security assessment, rule management and SME Risk Management services at the February 2016 RSA Conference in San Francisco. Now in its 25th year the RSA conference is the world’s biggest event in the IT security calendar playing an integral role in keeping security professionals across the globe connected and educated and is where many of today’s leading security technologies were first unveiled. The decision to exhibit at the conference is part of Idappcom’s North American channel development strategy that is focused on establishing a network of US managed security service partners in 2016, based around remote management of Traffic IQ, Easy Rule Manager and small format IPS deployments. Traffic IQ (TIQ) is Idappcom’s advanced threat response assessment tool that is used to test the effectiveness of network sensors, such as Firewalls and IPS devices, in detecting and blocking the latest exploit traffic. With access to a library of approaching 11,000 captured exploit files TIQ is able to show where there are gaps in the security defences that could result in success for a real-world hack attack. Idappcom CEO, Ray Bryant commented: “TIQ has been used by many of the industry’s leading security vendors to validate their own products in development for several years now. Recently we have seen increased uptake from large scale enterprises to help monitor and maintain their network security but we see the greatest growth potential in the resource-poor SME market who typically look to specialist managed service providers to maintain their security. The latest version of TIQ is now able to support multiple deployments from a remote SOC providing a platform for a range of innovative managed security services and offering significant new revenue opportunities for security VARs and MSSPs for minimal outlay.” Easy Rule Manager (ERM) is Idappcom’s unique application that provides a centralized dashboard for managing Idappcom’s own as well as ETpro’s Snort Rule deployments. Both rule-sets are now available from Idappcom and ERM ensures that rules from different sources can be selected, compared, edited and deployed across complex networks based on the specific subnet functions and Snort or Suricata sensor configurations. This significantly reduces the volume of false positives typically generated following an automated vendor update, resulting in major time and cost savings for this regular monthly task. At the show Idappcom will also be launching its Risk Management Services platform for SMEs and the home and mobile worker sector. The platform combines a range of small format mobile devices and industry standard IPS technology together with Cloud-based secure access and remote management software. This off-the shelf package enables MSSPs to leverage their specialist security expertise to reach a largely untapped market sector that has the same security requirements as other businesses but can lack the in-house skill and resources to deploy the necessary solutions. Commenting further Ray said: “I have long believed that remote workers are one of the weakest links in the corporate security shield with the lack of specialist resources and cost being the major barrier to extending IPS functionality to cover home, hotel and airport use when browsing or accessing company servers. Our new range of devices operate on low-cost hardware to get them down to an acceptable price-point and are connected to our Center of Excellence in the Cloud to keep to them updated with the latest user-defined rule-sets without the need for in-house expertise. This makes deployment of IPS for any business, whatever the size, a realistic proposition for the first time.” Demonstrations of all Idappcom’s products will held at regular intervals throughout the show. Individual demonstrations can be arranged by contacting enquiries@idappcom.com [su_button url=”http://www.idappcom.com/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#df2027″ color=”#ffffff” size=”10″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Click here to find out more about idappcom[/su_button]

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