21 September 2021 - Security Buyer Magazine

New threats come to light post Covid

Recent studies show that the public remain concerned over terror threats and crime following the easing of lockdown rules and the return to normality The end of lockdown could open the door for terrorists to strike against public transport and other bustling areas as public spaces begin to open up again. A number of recent surveys from organisations and the public have come to light recently detailing that there is a heavy concern of terror threats post Covid. Transport hubs would be among the first places to be crowded with people again and would be easy for extremists to gain access, as the public return to work and travel to meet friends and family who they haven’t seen in over a year. Analysts at Pool Reinsurance warned of extremists who might have been radicalised during the pandemic or delayed terrorist plans because of Covid-19. “Terrorist actors who have been unable to conduct mass-casualty attacks during lockdowns may execute these plans once restrictions lift,” they said. The report warned that a successful attack could further postpone the economic recovery from Covid-19 by triggering anxiety over travelling. Analysts said security services should pay attention not only to well-fortified sites in urban areas but to less obvious targets in the suburbs. “Public transport networks present the opportunity to strike simultaneously at the general population and critical national infrastructure,” the report said. “Furthermore, attacks can generate significant public anxiety, undermine confidence in the ability of the government to provide security, and cause widespread economic and societal disruption. “This is of particular importance in the current situation where transport will be integral to the post-Covid economic recovery.” Matt Twist, a Senior Metropolitan Police Counterterrorism Officer, urged people this week to be vigilant against terrorism as they start to resume more normal lives. “As the crowded places which have traditionally been the target for terrorists start to fill with people again, there is always the potential for that risk to come back,” he said, explaining that extremist groups, especially on the far right, used Covid-19 conspiracy theories to attract young supporters. Meanwhile, the Pool Reinsurance report said the main threat of mass-casualty attacks came from Islamist extremists. In Britain’s worst terror attack on public transport, 52 people died when suicide bombers attacked buses and trains in London in 2005. As lockdown is eased and the threat of COVID-19 infection subsides, it is natural that people will want to enjoy socialising outdoors in the warmer weather In 2017, a bomb partially exploded on a London Underground train in an incident which injured dozens.The risk assessment said dissident Irish republicans could carry out disruptive attacks but were less likely to inflict mass casualties. Potential terrorists were most likely to use low-tech methods, such as knives, because such attacks were easy to plan and hard to prevent, it said.For most extremists there has been a “shift towards using more rudimentary methods” in attacks on public transport, the report said. This is probably a result of low-complexity attacks being easier for terrorists to conduct undetected when compared with more sophisticated methodologies such as explosives. The coronavirus lockdown sparked fears that young and vulnerable people were at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Social distancing measures meant that teachers and social workers were less likely to spot signs of radicalisation, police said last year. The new survey, carried out by Crowdguard, highlighted that there is continuing public concern about terror attacks, with 72% of people saying that terrorism was on their mind when attending mass gatherings. 82% of people said they would feel safer in urban areas if vehicle security barriers were in place to protect against vehicle as a weapon (VAW) attacks, as well. The Government downgraded the terror threat level from ‘Severe’ to ‘Substantial’ in February, while an ongoing consultation is currently underway on the new Protect Duty – legislation designed to improve security procedures in public spaces. “As lockdown is eased and the threat of COVID-19 infection subsides, it is natural that people will want to enjoy socialising outdoors in the warmer weather,” explains Deborah Ainscough, Director at Crowdguard. “Many local authorities are facilitating this with enhanced public realm spaces, which include pedestrianisation and outdoor dining area initiatives. “But the virus is not the only risk and social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing are not the only forms of protection needed. As people begin to gather in public locations again, the potential for VAW attacks is increased, so careful consideration needs to be given to both protection strategies and providing confidence that urban areas can be enjoyed safely.” After more policing and increased detainment of terror suspects, more protective barriers were the most popular measures cited by survey respondents, with 57% of those who completed the survey calling for this. The public wants to see visible and robust protection to give them confidence to enjoy our towns and cities again Deborah continues: “As a nation, we have been through a very difficult period where the safety of our loved ones has been threatened by the pandemic and this has affected people’s general perceptions of wellbeing, risk and the need to protect those closest to them. “In the meantime, the pandemic has been a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists and extremists, increasing the potential sources of terror threats. The ‘Substantial’ alert level indicates that we still need to be on our guard and 20% of respondents to our survey thought the threat level was still at ‘Severe’, indicating how vulnerable and concerned people feel. “I am not surprised by the results of the survey. I think they provide a clear indication that the public wants to see visible and robust protection to give them confidence to enjoy our towns and cities again, with 72% saying they felt more at risk following the tragic Manchester attack – there is clearly still a lot of work that needs to be done. At a time when we need to encourage footfall in urban locations to drive

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Oil and gas – advanced digital technologies

Industry Sectors, Middle East Exclusives, Product News, Technology / Editor

Security Buyer Middle East explores how embracing digitalisation for improved safety and efficiency is imperative for the oil and gas sector The energy industry serves as an ideal example of how advanced digital technologies like automated flare monitoring and intelligent video and audio solutions can transform operational safety, security and efficiency. Meraj Khan, Key Account Manager – End Consumer for Axis Communications, explores the benefits of digitalisation for the oil and gas sector. As an area of critical infrastructure, the oil and gas sector is central to the successful functioning of a nation’s economy, society, and security. Any disruption to oil and gas discovery, extraction, processing, and transportation can be detrimental to a country’s activity, its economy, and its GDP. As such, it is imperative for an industry as important as this to gaze towards the future, looking at the ways digital technologies can be used to keep people safe and operations secure throughout the entire production process. And with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on staff numbers and proximity, digital solutions also offer an opportunity to boost operational effectiveness and efficiency. Let’s look at how oil and gas are moving towards digitalisation to reap these benefits. Drilling safety Since these critical sites are hazardous due to the handling of complex hydrocarbons, drilling rigs are carefully segregated by area classifications, zones, and divisions, each of which has specific demands for safety and security. Players in this industry should look for partners who have extensive experience working in this sector and can recommend the most appropriate camera solution for these classified areas. For example, explosion-protected cameras for the most hazardous environments should feature hardened casings to protect the cameras in extreme weather conditions and ensure that they don’t create a spark that could cause an explosion. As the initial drilling process to verify the presence and volume of oil and gas can last for two months or more, and must operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thermal cameras are essential. They operate in total darkness, can alert to changes in heat, caused by leaks and fire, and can provide early detection of internal erosion of high-pressure lines, minimising high-pressure hazards for workers. Wellhead monitoring Each oilfield can feature tens or even hundreds of wellheads, which are the complex valve and piping structures at the top of a drill-hole. Wellheads manage the flow of the fluid and gas from the production well. They are unmanned but critical and need constant monitoring to reduce the risk of failures and allow for preventative maintenance. Wellheads are unmanned but critical and need constant monitoring to reduce the risk of failures and allow for preventative maintenance Here again, a combination of both video surveillance and thermal cameras is the ideal solution. Thermal cameras can spot leaks, while high-quality video surveillance cameras can cross-verify and allow for action and response. By enabling prompt repair and resolution of minor issues before they become major, and the deployment of staff across vast oilfields, this solution improves operational efficiency. As oilfields are exposed to some of the most extreme weather on the planet, it is crucial to use cameras that have been specifically designed to withstand extreme heat and cold, dust, sand, and saline. Perimeter protection After extraction from the ground, oil is transported to a processing facility where it is filtered, cleaned, and turned into exportable crude oil. These processing facilities represent multibillion-dollar investments, and the need to protect these plants from physical attack is understandable. Surveillance cameras are used throughout the plant’s perimeter to create alerts and, if necessary, activate security staff. These are combined with audio technologies, such as loudspeakers issuing automated warnings to people entering restricted areas and live talkdowns for unauthorised entry to the plant’s perimeter. Within the plants themselves, video cameras are again used to ensure important health and safety processes are being adhered to. Thermal cameras monitor for leaks and the temperature of fluids in the plant’s piping, automatically alerting when these move beyond defined parameters. With other sensors, these cameras can also be used to verify gas leaks and evacuate staff from dangerous situations. After processing, crude oil is usually transported to the coast where it is stored in tank farms. These farms are critical to keep the oil safe from leaks, fire hazards, and attacks. As such, these sites are constantly monitored by homeland security staff. An integrated intelligent perimeter solution combines thermal cameras for precise detection of potential intruders, high-zoom PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras to identify intrusions, and pre-recorded and live warning audio for day-to-day security. Additional analytics technologies included in high-powered surveillance cameras, such as drone detection and monitoring, allows operators to mitigate the risks of potential attacks. Secure transportation The oil tankers used to ship crude oil across the globe are enormous but have relatively small crews. Any leak or failure can be disastrous for the ship’s crew and the environment. Again, intelligent network cameras and analytics can give early warning of any issues on oil tankers and support rapid response, such as man overboard detection and rescue, and prevent catastrophic accidents, particularly while berthing and unberthing. Automated flare monitoring Used since the early days of oil and gas production and refining, gas flares are a critical element of health and safety. Traditionally, flare monitoring has been a manual task, with operators using video from analogue thermal cameras to assess the state of a flare at different stages of production. This coordination with the production process is vital – expected flare behaviour and characteristics will differ with the processing activity and the use of safety valves. Manual monitoring is an intensive activity, with human fallibility presenting a potential risk. And with the recent impact of the pandemic, many sites are operating with fewer staff, further exacerbating the risks of manual monitoring. Enter IP-based camera technology, which allows operators to efficiently monitor the burning of gas flares digitally. A high-range thermal camera, especially a thermographic one, produces a high-resolution image of a gas flare from almost any distance, allowing for it to be sited in a safe area and easily maintained. Thermal cameras also measure the instantaneous temperature of the infrared radiation emitted from a gas flare, enabling an extremely accurate analysis of the flame characteristics. If a flame is burning transparently and is invisible to the human eye, for instance, or when weather conditions such as high winds cause the flare to rapidly move or change direction, a thermal camera will still return an accurate image. These highly accurate temperature readings help operators feel more confident that gases are indeed being burnt off. All of the data returned can be

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Ask the expert – biometrics in healthcare

Industry Sectors, Middle East Exclusives, Product News, Technology / Editor

Dubai’s Smart Salem fitness centre shows how biometrics bring clinical and commercial benefits to healthcare settings The digital transformation of healthcare has accelerated to the point that it impacts almost every aspect of the patient experience. We book appointments online, receive reminders via text and email, enter our medical history and insurance data into tablets, undergo screenings analysed by artificial intelligence, and receive those test results and manage our billing through an online portal. However, these technology-assisted interactions seem primitive compared to the patient experience provided by Dubai’s Smart Salem Fitness Centre, a first-of-its-kind medical facility that provides a working glimpse of the future. Smart Salem is the Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) first fully autonomous health Centre, entirely driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), designed to provide exceptional VIP services to all visitors. Background In the United States, a “Fitness Centre” is where you go to work out. In the United Arab Emirates, it’s a specialised medical testing Centre for individuals applying for or renewing their work visas. The Fitness Centres administer blood tests, chest x-rays, and other medical tests depending on the applicant’s type of work. Results are forwarded to the DHA and, assuming they’re acceptable, the visa paperwork is processed. In Dubai, it usually takes up to seven days from when a person undergoes testing at a Fitness Centre until they receive their visa; they can shave days off the turnaround time if they’re willing to pay a higher fee. Smart Salem is a game-changer. The entire process – medical testing through issuing or renewing a visa – is completed in just 30 minutes. In addition to delivering unprecedented speed and efficiency, Smart Salem transforms medical testing – something most people consider unpleasant – into an entertaining journey into the realm of sciencefiction. It does so by leveraging biometrics, robotics, AI, and other technology to create a seamless, fully-automated, aesthetically pleasing environment in which customers enjoy fast, private, and customised service. (The DHA prefers the term “customers” rather than “patients.”) The Centre caters to VIPS, entertainment celebrities, professional athletes, top corporate executives, and anyone in a hurry and willing to pay for the facility’s premium services At the core of the facility’s technology platform is Princeton Identity’s biometric identity solution. It serves both as a digital front door to the automated patient experience and ensures safe care transactions throughout the visit. Dubai’s Smart Salem Fitness Centre shows how biometrics brings clinical and commercial benefits to healthcare settings. Registration Customers experience the “digital difference” as soon as they enter the Smart Salem lobby. A friendly robot escorts each visitor to one of four, fully-automated welcome kiosks. Each kiosk houses a Princeton Identity multi-model Access 600 iris and face camera, document scanning technology, and point-of-sale software. Customers insert their passport or identity card and position themselves in front of the kiosk’s camera. The system verifies the document’s authenticity and captures the customer’s face and iris biometric. Both will be used throughout the customer’s visit to provide a seamless experience and ensure that test results are correctly associated with their Electronic Health Record. The kiosks also accept payment for the Centre’s services. Once the transaction is complete, customers take a seat in the lounge area to await their turn. Medical testing Blood collection is the first procedure. Customers are called to one of six phlebotomy rooms and, as they enter, IP cameras mounted at the door verify their identity. This frictionless identity check ensures nobody other than the registered patient can provide the blood sample. The cameras are from a third-party manufacturer; they integrate seamlessly with the Princeton Identity software platform. Wall-size video screens display calming nature scenes as one of Smart Salem’s few human healthcare workers draws the customer’s blood. Once complete, a robot transports the vials to an onsite lab for evaluation. Next, the customer receives a chest x-ray. A Princeton Identity Access 200 camera at the entrance to the radiology room scans the customer’s face and iris. As with the blood test, this identity verification automatically links the customer’s identity with their x-ray images. Within the UAE, the iris biometric is the national standard used by immigration, and results of tests conducted at Smart Salem are submitted to the Dubai Health Authority and the Department of Immigration. Therefore, using the iris for identity verification provides seamless continuity as records move between authorities. Finally, certain visa applicants – such as workers in the food industry – must submit a set of vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and weight. For this, customers enter one of three special capsules or “pods.” Inside each pod, a PI Access 200 camera captures the person’s iris and face for identification, while a PI sensor registers their temperature. PI’s temperature-reading sensor was initially brought to market as a tool for automated COVID screening, but Smart Salem has adapted it for integration within its pods. A range of automated technologies simultaneously measures other required vital statistics. The full medical screening takes approximately 15 minutes. In just 15 more, healthy applicants can walk out the door, visa in hand. While they wait, they have access to their choice of music, beverages, and online entertainment. Customised comfort is an essential component of the premium experience. Visa approval Test results are encrypted and securely transmitted to the Dubai Health Authority. The DHA stores the Electronic Health Record and associates it with the customer’s biometric identification. The PI system does not hold the EHR data – it only stores the customer’s biometric data, which can be used for future identification verification. An official Office of Immigration resides within the Smart Salem facility. In coordination with the DHA, this office completes the final stage of processing customers, physically issuing the necessary passport stamps before sending customers on their way. Technology challenges Designing Smart Salem for the ultimate customer experience involved challenges far more complex than getting each technology to work; the solutions had to work in harmony, seamlessly and often invisibly. Mohamad Tohme, who heads Princeton Identity’s business

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Ping Identity names Jason Kees Chief Information Security Officer

UK News Desk / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Ping Identity, the intelligent identity solution for the enterprise, appointed Jason Kees as the company’s new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). He will spearhead Ping Identity’s security initiatives that support new services and offerings, while ensuring the security, safety and reliability of the company’s vast IT infrastructure. Kees is a information security leader with a track record of enhancing cybersecurity strategies for large enterprises and managing best-in-class security teams. He is particularly accomplished in addressing customer security and cloud infrastructure needs as companies progress through their digital transformations. “Jason brings an enormous talent and skill set for managing all of Ping Identity’s security operations, compliance and product security functions,” said Andre Durand, Founder and CEO, Ping Identity. “His leadership comes at a pivotal time in the security industry as it transitions to a new paradigm towards identity-centric network security strategies.” With more than 20 years of experience in the security domain, Kees most recently served as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Groupon, where he built the enterprise security organisation from the ground up. Additionally, Jason had oversight for the popular online marketplace’s IT and engineering operations teams of several hundred people. Additionally, Kees served as Director of Information Security at CBS Interactive, where he owned the information security strategy, security compliance and incident response programs. Kees began his career as a network security leader for McAfee, which ultimately advanced into senior manager roles at Siebel and Oracle. “Joining a provider of enterprise identity security is both an honour and adventure as businesses seek better ways to enable secure, extraordinary digital experiences for customers and their workforce,” said Kees. “No company is better positioned to provide the critical identity services that can work in any cloud, hybrid or on-premise environment.” To stay up to date on the latest, trends, innovations, people news and company updates within the global security market please register to receive our newsletter here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitynewsdesk.com

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Oil and Gas – advanced digital technologies

Industry Sectors, Product News, Technology, UK Exclusives / Editor

Security News Desk – UK explores how embracing digitalisation for improved safety and efficiency is imperative for the oil and gas sector The energy industry serves as an ideal example of how advanced digital technologies like automated flare monitoring and intelligent video and audio solutions can transform operational safety, security and efficiency. Meraj Khan, Key Account Manager – End Consumer for Axis Communications, explores the benefits of digitalisation for the oil and gas sector. As an area of critical infrastructure, the oil and gas sector is central to the successful functioning of a nation’s economy, society, and security. Any disruption to oil and gas discovery, extraction, processing, and transportation can be detrimental to a country’s activity, its economy, and its GDP. As such, it is imperative for an industry as important as this to gaze towards the future, looking at the ways digital technologies can be used to keep people safe and operations secure throughout the entire production process. And with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on staff numbers and proximity, digital solutions also offer an opportunity to boost operational effectiveness and efficiency. Let’s look at how oil and gas are moving towards digitalisation to reap these benefits. Drilling safety Since these critical sites are hazardous due to the handling of complex hydrocarbons, drilling rigs are carefully segregated by area classifications, zones, and divisions, each of which has specific demands for safety and security. Players in this industry should look for partners who have extensive experience working in this sector and can recommend the most appropriate camera solution for these classified areas. For example, explosion-protected cameras for the most hazardous environments should feature hardened casings to protect the cameras in extreme weather conditions and ensure that they don’t create a spark that could cause an explosion. As the initial drilling process to verify the presence and volume of oil and gas can last for two months or more, and must operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thermal cameras are essential. They operate in total darkness, can alert to changes in heat, caused by leaks and fire, and can provide early detection of internal erosion of high-pressure lines, minimising high-pressure hazards for workers. Wellhead monitoring Each oilfield can feature tens or even hundreds of wellheads, which are the complex valve and piping structures at the top of a drill-hole. Wellheads manage the flow of the fluid and gas from the production well. They are unmanned but critical and need constant monitoring to reduce the risk of failures and allow for preventative maintenance. Wellheads are unmanned but critical and need constant monitoring to reduce the risk of failures and allow for preventative maintenance Here again, a combination of both video surveillance and thermal cameras is the ideal solution. Thermal cameras can spot leaks, while high-quality video surveillance cameras can cross-verify and allow for action and response. By enabling prompt repair and resolution of minor issues before they become major, and the deployment of staff across vast oilfields, this solution improves operational efficiency. As oilfields are exposed to some of the most extreme weather on the planet, it is crucial to use cameras that have been specifically designed to withstand extreme heat and cold, dust, sand, and saline. Perimeter protection After extraction from the ground, oil is transported to a processing facility where it is filtered, cleaned, and turned into exportable crude oil. These processing facilities represent multibillion-dollar investments, and the need to protect these plants from physical attack is understandable. Surveillance cameras are used throughout the plant’s perimeter to create alerts and, if necessary, activate security staff. These are combined with audio technologies, such as loudspeakers issuing automated warnings to people entering restricted areas and live talkdowns for unauthorised entry to the plant’s perimeter. Within the plants themselves, video cameras are again used to ensure important health and safety processes are being adhered to. Thermal cameras monitor for leaks and the temperature of fluids in the plant’s piping, automatically alerting when these move beyond defined parameters. With other sensors, these cameras can also be used to verify gas leaks and evacuate staff from dangerous situations. After processing, crude oil is usually transported to the coast where it is stored in tank farms. These farms are critical to keep the oil safe from leaks, fire hazards, and attacks. As such, these sites are constantly monitored by homeland security staff. An integrated intelligent perimeter solution combines thermal cameras for precise detection of potential intruders, high-zoom PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras to identify intrusions, and pre-recorded and live warning audio for day-to-day security. Additional analytics technologies included in high-powered surveillance cameras, such as drone detection and monitoring, allows operators to mitigate the risks of potential attacks. Secure transportation The oil tankers used to ship crude oil across the globe are enormous but have relatively small crews. Any leak or failure can be disastrous for the ship’s crew and the environment. Again, intelligent network cameras and analytics can give early warning of any issues on oil tankers and support rapid response, such as man overboard detection and rescue, and prevent catastrophic accidents, particularly while berthing and unberthing. Automated flare monitoring Used since the early days of oil and gas production and refining, gas flares are a critical element of health and safety. Traditionally, flare monitoring has been a manual task, with operators using video from analogue thermal cameras to assess the state of a flare at different stages of production. This coordination with the production process is vital – expected flare behaviour and characteristics will differ with the processing activity and the use of safety valves. Manual monitoring is an intensive activity, with human fallibility presenting a potential risk. And with the recent impact of the pandemic, many sites are operating with fewer staff, further exacerbating the risks of manual monitoring. Enter IP-based camera technology, which allows operators to efficiently monitor the burning of gas flares digitally. A high-range thermal camera, especially a thermographic one, produces a high-resolution image of a gas flare from almost any distance, allowing for it to be sited in a safe area and easily maintained. Thermal cameras also measure the instantaneous temperature of the infrared radiation emitted from a gas flare, enabling an extremely accurate analysis of the flame characteristics. If a flame is burning transparently and is invisible to the human eye, for instance, or when weather conditions such as high winds cause the flare to rapidly move or change direction, a thermal camera will still return an accurate image. These highly accurate temperature readings help operators feel more confident that gases are indeed being burnt off. All of the data returned can be

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The new landscape of retail

Industry Sectors, Product News, Technology, UK Exclusives / Editor

SND-UK takes a look at the new landscape of retail post lockdown and details how body worn cameras may be the solution to violence and harassment of workers Crimes of violence against shopworkers should never be tolerated, however as the world entered into a series of lockdowns during the largest pandemic we have witnessed in recent history, the public took their anger out on key workers, predominantly retail staff. Due to the pandemic, frontline retail employees were subsequently tasked with ensuring that shoppers adhered to UK social distancing rules and wore face coverings. All too often, retail workers have faced threats, abuse and assault as they go about their job. A recent BRC report reveals the true scale of what is becoming a significant and growing problem. According to the report, more than 150,000 incidents of abuse and violence occur every year – that’s 455 incidents every day – with 90% of retailers now identifying the abuse of their staff as a top issue. The pandemic appears to have escalated and normalised anti-social behaviour against shop workers to such an extent that retailers now want action. To combat the rising tide of violence, retailers want abuse against shop workers to become a statutory offence. The hope is that this will improve the prosecution and reporting of such crimes – which typically occur when shopworkers are simply enforcing the law by undertaking, for example, age-restricted sales checks. The pandemic appears to have escalated and normalised anti-social behaviour against shop workers to such an extent that retailers now want action In June, a new report by the Home Affairs Committee called for a stronger policing response to tackle the escalating problem of unacceptable violence against shop workers. It also recommended the creation of an Employers Charter that sets out how employers should support and protect staff. While many retailers have already grasped the benefits of implementing fixed video surveillance to protect their public-facing staff and stock, recent advancements in body worn camera technologies now offer significant advantages when it comes to keeping people safer. In recent years, body worn camera technology has evolved to become a truly wearable technology that is ideal for accurately recording incidents and keeping front line workers safer when dealing with members of the public. Police forces have long recognised the benefits of utilising body cameras to provide reliable evidence, maintain public perceptions and confidence in law enforcement legitimacy, and prevent crime. Individuals often change their behaviour towards officers when they know they are being recorded, which in turn can help prevent certain situations from escalating. Captured video provides corroborating evidence of how events unfolded and can also be used to train personnel in the best strategies to use in challenging situations. In recent years, body worn camera technology has evolved to become a truly wearable technology that is ideal for accurately recording incidents Initially reserved for law enforcement, there have been some major developments since the technology was first introduced two decades ago. Today’s body cams are smaller, lighter, offer better performance and greater reliability, and are considerably more versatile than before. In particular, new high speed data connectivity and more advanced features such as two-way audio, geo-tagging, and alarm features have all added to the effectiveness today’s commercial body camera wearers enjoy. The arrival of body cams supported by cloud-based connectivity makes it commercially realistic for retailers to implement these highly advanced cameras on affordable long-term subscriptions. The use of a cloud infrastructure means it’s now possible to manage a large number of cameras online – all of which can be monitored from a control room. In the same cloud video management platform, video from both fixed cameras and body cameras can also be reviewed, instead of having different applications for each. Cloud-based video surveillance makes it possible to access and share video anywhere, receive real-time alerts the moment an incident is detected, and undertake real-time remote viewing and direct-to-cloud recording. By streaming live video to a monitoring or security operations centre and using geo-tagging, retailers are able to provide their users with immediate response and support. By utilising today’s professional-grade body camera services, retailers can both improve staff safety and accountability, and instantly provide valuable evidence to the police. Plus, the integration of analytics and AI technologies has enabled the creation of truly smart solutions that can track and interpret video to provide insight across an increasing range of use cases. All of which makes it possible for security managers to receive alerts under specific circumstances, against certain rules, or when those wearing the cameras wish to trigger one. The benefits Cencuswide conducted research that reveals 75% of retail staff have encountered a scenario at work that made them feel at risk of physical abuse, 88% frequently feel unsafe at work and only 32% would call their manager for help if they felt they needed it. Moreover, the statistics give insight into the types of safety measures that retail staff need and would benefit from to protect them from receiving physical or verbal abuse. Retailers, such as Boots and Co-op have recently started trialling and implementing body worn cameras into their stores in an effort to decrease violent and abusive behaviour towards their staff. Body worn video technology can help retail staff to feel safer at work with the camera acting as a deterrent to possible abusive altercations with members of the public, as well as providing vital evidence should an incident occur. Here are some of the main advantages for retailers to invest in body worn camera technology. Evidence capture: Captures both video footage and audio recordings that can be used for evidential purposes, and this is done by ensuring that the cameras are mounted on a person which provides better angles than CCTV. Face identification, which is particularly useful at capturing the person’s identity, acts as proof of evidence about the person committing the abuse. This level of evidence makes it easier to gain a conviction. When the cameras

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Port security – maritime cyberattacks

UK Exclusives / Editor

Security News Desk – UK looks at the biggest threats facing port security in today’s society and addresses why there is a vulnerability The maritime industry is the unquestionable driver of the global economy. Through a vast network of vessels, ports, logistical and administrative infrastructure – some 90% of the world’s goods are moved each year. Like most industries, maritime has become increasingly automated, connected and remotely monitored. Not surprisingly, maritime trade has also become a prime target for cyber-attackers. The sector is especially vulnerable owing to its dependence on technology for navigation, communication, and logistics. At the same time, both onboard and land-based systems are aging rapidly – a fact exacerbated by the average 25-30 year lifespan of many cargo vessels. This combination of vulnerability and economic centrality has led to an ever-increasing pace of cyberattacks on maritime vessels and infrastructure. The World Economic Forum cited cyberattacks on transportation infrastructure as the world’s fifth highest risk in 2020, and cyberattacks on the maritime sector increased by a staggering 900% over the last three years. Among the targets hit in 2020, the UN Maritime Agency, shipping giant MSC, and French container transport company CMA CGM. A high profile attack in May last year on Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port facility at Bandar Abbas illustrated the domino effect of disruption cyberattacks on port computer systems can have. This attack, considered relatively minor, nonetheless created long lines of vehicles outside the port, and led to numerous vessels being stuck in the harbour for hours. This combination of vulnerability and economic centrality has led to an ever-increasing pace of cyberattacks on maritime vessels and infrastructure The motivations of cyberattackers in choosing ports are diverse. From pure financial motives to international espionage, and including straightforward criminal activity – ports are a focal point for both domestic and national threat actors seeking: Financial gain: Ransomware thrives in under-protected environments like ports, where ransom payoffs are often a fraction of the potential loss from shutdowns and disruptions. Criminal goals: Since ports regulate the influx and exit of goods to a country, smugglers that can control port computing systems can gain access to valuable cargo or tamper with records to facilitate criminal gain. Intelligence: Information on the movement of goods and passengers is valuable to rival nation-states looking to better understand a country’s activity and plans. In the event of war, disruption of the flow of goods can impede military plans, potentially tipping the scale of conflict. The problem of port cyber vulnerability is compounded by the state of networks and training. Port and maritime employees often lack the skillset to deal with common cyberthreats, leaving them open to social engineering attacks like phishing emails. Moreover, the legacy OT networks that control the operations of many of the world’s ports are frequently not updated and thus unprepared to meet a concerted cyber onslaught by a well-funded attacker. Through exploiting exposed services like websites, email logins or VPN gateways, attackers can easily gain remote access. Finally, ports are large and geographically diffuse facilities. Unauthorised physical access to port facilities can offer attackers direct access to actual target computers and systems. Mitigating risk Securing the industrial networks that control the world’s physical ports, demands a different type of maritime cybersecurity approach. OTORIO offers the world’s first end-to-end, industrial-native portfolio of cybersecurity solutions together with a rich portfolio of field-proven professional services including Incident Response, Risk Impact Assessment, Penetration Testing and Training. Discovering, analysing and monitoring all OT, IT, and IIOT assets within the operational environment, OTORIO’s digital and cyber risks management system, RAM2, correlates security events and digital risks from across the entire OT network. OTORIO’s RAM2 platform helps our maritime clients mitigate the risks to ports and shipping alike. This enables our industrial and maritime partners to leverage attack mitigation tools that were designed and built from the ground up for OT ecosystems with operational processes and port business continuity as their number one priority. With the global shipping industry already under pressure, Joel Snape, Security Researcher at Nettitude, explains why addressing the risk to port infrastructure from cyber-attack has never been more critical. In early November 2020, the 20,400 TEU Ever Grade was forced to skip its scheduled call at the UK’s Felixstowe port, instead heading straight to Rotterdam and unloading UK-bound containers there for onward transport via London Thamesport. Similarly, the first call of CMA CGM’s new ultra-large container vessel to Southampton was cut short with around a thousand containers staying aboard until a later visit. The UK’s port infrastructure has never before been under such strain – the double challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit mean that freight volumes are at an all-time high. This has caused a significant backlog with importers struggling to obtain their goods and factories pausing manufacturing lines due to a shortage of component parts. Attackers will use whatever mechanism gets them to their goals as easily as possible, within the constraints of their capabilities Although this is not the result of any kind of malicious activity, it has sharply highlighted the significant impact that port disruptions can have on the wider economy. With the global shipping industry already under pressure, and the UK facing new challenges in 2021 as the Brexit transition period has ended, addressing the risk to port infrastructure from cyber-attack has never been more critical. The risk is not just academic – 2020 has seen the IMO, MSC and CMA CGM both attacked, and port infrastructure in the USA targeted by ransomware. In Iran a cyber-attack on the Shahi Rajaee port, allegedly carried out by Israel, caused significant disruption to both land and sea traffic while systems were restored. Why would ports be a target? Different classes of attackers have different motivations, depending on their objectives, and these can vary both between groups and over time. However, some of the key motivations we see today are: Direct financial gain: Criminal groups have realised that there is money to be made from targeting a company or organisation, stealing data and/or disabling key

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Digital Barriers launches the EdgeVis MiniCam

UK News Desk / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

As the market for rapidly deployable surveillance cameras expands, Digital Barriers, a UK-based provider of IoT surveillance and security technologies, announced the immediate availability of the EdgeVis MiniCam. Compact, lightweight and affordable, with secure low bandwidth streaming over cellular or WiFi, the rapidly deployable camera is set to shake up the market for temporary and semi-permanent surveillance. The EdgeVis MiniCam is designed for quick and simple deployment straight out of the box. With only a requirement for power and no additional cabling, up to 2TB of storage, an IP66 rating and NDAA compliant, the one-piece unit can easily be attached to existing street furniture or dedicated wall or pole mountings in minutes. The camera includes advanced, onboard analytics, enabling rapid set-up, VMS integration and immediate alerts. Unlike competing solutions, the EdgeVis MiniCam includes patented low bandwidth video streaming technology, which saves more than 50% of bandwidth and can be capped to control costs and prevent unexpectedly high data bills—a major risk with solutions from other vendors that simply repackage third-party hardware. The secure, efficient video technology in the EdgeVis MiniCam has never been seen at this price point before. The video analytics on the EdgeVis MiniCam prioritises operators’ time by sending alerts to connected devices only when events require action. Capturing, sharing and enhancing areas of interest means users can better coordinate events live, and as they unfold. “Our world-leading technology was developed to meet the demanding requirements of specialist law enforcement and defence agencies. Now available to everybody, the EdgeVis MiniCam represents a new generation of flexible mobile surveillance. World-class technology at standard market pricing,” explained Zak Doffman, CEO, Digital Barriers. “We have focused on real customer needs by designing a product that is simple and quick to deploy, without compromising on functionality. It’s 5G-ready and has a range of optional AI-driven features to address long-term requirements, ensuring that customers have a future proof device.” added Dale Hall, Group Product Management Director, Digital Barriers. From private security to local authorities, healthcare to transportation and logistics and first responders, the EdgeVis MiniCam is ideally suited to both everyday surveillance and special events and is powerful enough to cover major incidents and vulnerable facilities and sites. To stay up to date on the latest, trends, innovations, people news and company updates within the global security market please register to receive our newsletter here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitynewsdesk.com

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Tenable announces intent to acquire Accurics

UK News Desk / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Tenable Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Accurics. Accurics enables the programmatic detection and mitigation of risks in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) before anything is ever provisioned. Following completion of this acquisition, Tenable’s solutions will include holistic assessment and the automated remediation of policy violations and breach paths, before the infrastructure is provisioned and throughout its lifecycle. The world is rapidly embracing IaC. IaC offers organizations a powerful competitive advantage by improving the efficiency of operations at scale. Leveraging the GitOps philosophy and seamlessly integrating with developer tools and workflows, Accurics enables security teams to assess and secure infrastructure both before it is deployed and at runtime. Following the completion of the acquisition, Tenable and Accurics will introduce a complete lifecycle approach to modern risk management, leveraging IaC to fix problems for any cloud environment — before they can expose the business to risk. Accurics helps companies address risk across the entire lifecycle and supply chain, in development and runtime, and delivers fixes in code to ensure risks are remediated quickly with minimal burden on security experts. Accurics’ enterprise offering seamlessly scans IaC for misconfigurations and monitors provisioned cloud infrastructure for drift. Organizations will be able to secure what they build and innovate with confidence through Accurics’ augmented remediation capabilities, generating code to resolve policy violations and mitigate security risks. The acquisition extends Tenable’s broader cloud strategy, helping enterprises secure their full cloud stacks, both at build time and at runtime. Following the completion of the acquisition, Accurics’ solutions will integrate with Tenable.io Container Security, a solution integrating security into DevOps, Frictionless Assessment, which removes the need for agents or scanning to deliver continuous visibility and assessment of cloud assets, and Tenable.io Web Application Scanning, which offers simple, scalable and automated vulnerability scanning for web applications. “Fully integrating security into the DevOps process and leveraging IaC processes to assess and prevent problems before deployment will secure cloud operations at speed and scale,” said Amit Yoran, Chairman and CEO, Tenable. “From the introduction of Terrascan to their enterprise platform, Accurics is leading that revolution. Together, we will enable organizations to push their cloud and ‘as code’ journeys forward — with IaC, with containers and compute instances. This is all about accelerating innovation and simultaneously enabling security in ways previously not possible.” “One of the biggest obstacles facing companies today is security teams are constantly challenged with understanding and effectively managing the risk and security for cloud environments at DevOps speeds. From the very beginning, Accurics has been singularly focused on securing infrastructure as code for modern enterprises,” said Piyush Sharrma, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Accurics. “Cloud-native infrastructure requires security that is integrated into the DevOps pipeline and enforced throughout the lifecycle — shifting legacy processes left is simply inadequate. Joining forces with Tenable increases our ability to help organizations accelerate innovation by aligning development, operational, and security teams behind security and resiliency goals.” Accurics also developed Terrascan, a powerful open-source tool for DevOps, which now has 200,000 downloads and has become a foundational part of cloud IaC practices. The founders who are currently with the company are Sharrma and Om Moolchandani. Sharrma is a technologist and entrepreneur behind multiple technology startups. He has led global teams across engineering, product and research at Symantec Corp to bring numerous enterprise security innovations to market. Moolchandani is the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer. He has held numerous leadership positions at companies such as AutoGrid and General Electric, where he implemented security for the Industrial Cloud and Edge platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Tenable will acquire Accurics for a total purchase price of approximately $160 million in cash, subject to certain customary purchase price adjustments. The acquisition is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. To stay up to date on the latest, trends, innovations, people news and company updates within the global security market please register to receive our newsletter here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitynewsdesk.com

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