19 November 2021 - Security Buyer Magazine

Must attend webinar

Register Now – The Real Benefits of Access Control Integration In this webcast we will analyse the advantages of access control integrations; their role in making buildings and organizations “smarter”; and the options attendees can consider to put integration to work in their own workplace. We will finish by showing how real-world integrations with ASSA ABLOY solutions helped businesses improve efficiency while reducing their costs. Register Here Keynote Speakers Piet van den Bossche BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER I have been in the access control business for twenty years. In recent years I have been working closely with global OEMs and system integrators to commercialize wireless solutions across EMEIA. Simon Wilson CLIQ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Having been in the security industry with ASSA ABLOY for 18 years I switched to digital security and started working with key-based digital technology 8 years ago. I have watched as the industry has significantly shifted mindset away from mechanical locking. Tim Timmins EMEIA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – ELECTRONIC ACCESS CONTROL 35 years experience in the building electronics industry which is split between building management and security systems. I have had experience with some large security manufactures and system integrators and recently re-located to the UK having worked on the African continent for the last 26 years. Register Here

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Must attend webinar

UK News Desk / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

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Why threat intelligence plays a vital role in modern cybersecurity strategies

Middle East News Desk / Editor

Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager, Middle East, NETSCOUT, explains how threat intelligence helps enterprises defend against today’s sophisticated cyber-attacks. Cyberattacks and data breaches continue to escalate, reaching record levels. In fact, Forbes reports that the number of data breaches in 2021 has already exceeded 2020. Forbes cites a study claiming that the 1,111 data breaches detected so far this year surpasses the total number of data compromises from all causes in 2020. With cyberattacks increasing and breaches making headlines, IT security teams are faced with the reality that existing tools are simply no match for this growing threat. To make matters worse, as the risk rises, so does the cost of combatting the threats and the potential losses from compromised businesses. According to a 2021 survey by PwC, cybersecurity is a growing concern for organisations, with approximately 43% of Middle East CEOs planning to increase investments in cybersecurity and data privacy by 10% or more over the next three years. Moreover, 41% of these leaders think that their organisation should be doing more to measure cybersecurity. The ever-evolving threat environment has made it increasingly necessary to be vigilant. A significant shortcoming of many of today’s cybersecurity tools is that the typical data sets feeding them are reactive, not granular, and do not extend to the earliest indications of a potential attack. This makes it difficult to identify threats early in the attack lifecycle. As a result, security professionals are not armed with the information to prevent infections from spreading, identify compromised assets, or stop future attacks. How threat intelligence helps Companies that do business on the internet or use network connections in any shape or form are vulnerable to cyberattacks. According to the 1H 2021 NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report, there were nearly 5.4 million distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the first half of 2021. However, while the threat landscape is often discussed in terms of attack numbers, experts in threat intelligence tend to think in terms of people: the adversaries behind the attacks. When it comes to combatting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and ransomware attacks, threat intelligence is vital. Threat intelligence is the study of the bad actors who perpetrate these attacks, along with the tactics and tools they use. This involves unveiling the bad actor’s attack methodologies and why they are targeting those victims. This knowledge is then turned into actionable insight that enterprises can access and comprehend. Empowered with this knowledge, enterprises can learn about their network’s vulnerabilities to actively defend against threats. That actionable insight is crucial for defending against DDoS attacks. There were more than 10 million DDoS attacks in 2020 alone, and that record-setting pace continued into 2021. Defending against sophisticated attacks One new form of attack that is recently on the rise is DDoS extortion. In these cases, the attacker launches a demonstration attack against the victim and then follows up with an extortion demand. This demand typically states that the attacker has a lot more DDoS capacity and will direct that capacity at the victim if the extortion payment isn’t made. Indeed, respondents to the 16th annual Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report (WISR) reported a 125% increase in such attacks. Moreover, bad actors are using triple extortion tactics, combining data encryption, data exfiltration, and DDoS attacks to create a three-pronged attack that increases the likelihood of the victim complying with the ransom demand. In today’s increasingly fraught threat landscape, organisations must be prepared to defend themselves. This requires having a plan in place, successfully executing that plan, and regularly evaluating the plan’s effectiveness to strengthen it against subsequent attacks. The good news is, preparation pays off. Ultimately, the fundamental aspect of DDoS defense is knowing the network. When it comes down to defending an organisation, a lot of it will come down to knowing what their services look like and what they depend on and then using practical solutions to fine-tune the correct level of defense. Threat intelligence is essentially a way of testing defenses protection so that enterprises can enhance them. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@securitymiddleeast.com

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Utilities – The smart grid

Industry Sectors, Technology, UK Exclusives / Editor

How should utility infrastructure be protected? The digital world presents new pressing challenges in the cyber realm, in addition to physical security Cyberattacks on smart grids can disrupt the entire power sector. The risk of cyberthreats extends to all interconnected components across the generation, transmission and distribution channels. Being constantly connected to the internet, a smart grid can be exploited by hackers. Cyberattacks such as sniffing, eavesdropping, spoofing and injecting malicious data into the grid can cause damages ranging from minor power cuts to a major grid collapse. Smart grid security is crucial to providing uninterrupted power supply and minimising losses due to power cuts. To maintain a secure smart grid, utilities the world over are taking initiatives such as implementing a multilayered security mechanism, running awareness and training programmes, and conducting cyber risk assessment studies. Apart from this, they are exploring emerging technologies such as blockchain for enhancing grid security. Types of cyberattacks Among the most common cyberattacks on smart grids are sniffing and eavesdropping. This is done by hackers to steal information or acquire the technical specifications of a network. Such information could be used to craft further attacks, or achieve any other objective. Denial of service (DoS) is another smart grid cyberattack, which penetrates into the underlying communication and computational infrastructure, and renders the resources temporarily unavailable. In yet another type of cyberattack, malicious data is injected into the grid. In the process, attackers may leverage the vulnerabilities in the configuration of a smart grid infrastructure and inject malicious data that will misrepresent the state estimation process. Through this, attackers can not only change the results of state estimation, but also modify the results in a predicted way. In spoofing, a malicious party impersonates another device or user on a network. Successful spoofing attacks may result in incorrect calculation of clock offsets, leading to erroneous estimates of the actual power load. Meanwhile, high-level application attacks on any component in the system will cause unexpected physical damages. These applications provide an interface for communicating with the physical infrastructure such as management consoles and end-user web portals. The attacks impact power flow measurement, state estimation, energy management, etc. in smart grids. Cyberattacks on the distribution system Consumer meters are most vulnerable to cyberattacks. An adversary can penetrate into smart metering infrastructure connected at consumers’ end and send fake energy usage signals to the control centre. Besides this, in the absence of robust authentication and encryption at the head-end system (HES), an attacker can tamper with the meter data management system (MDMS) and send unauthorised signals to the meters. On the net metering front, end-consumers can tinker with the net energy usage data sent to the utility’s control centre by hacking into the communication network. Further, by way of a cyberattack, the consumers can reduce these electricity bills or even earn credits even without selling electricity to the grid. On the communication network front, technologies such as wireless local area network (WLAN), ZigBee, radio frequency (RF) mesh, WiMax, WiFi and PLC, used in AMI are vulnerable to cyberattacks that could lead to eavesdropping and session hijacking attacks. Besides, even mobile communications are generally unprotected mediums and could reveal energy consumption data and prove susceptible to privacy invasion. Apart from this, an adversary can hijack the virtual private network (VPN) of utilities. Such an attack manages to infect the control centre LAN, and supervisory control and data acquisition. Maintaining a secure smart grid One of the key objectives of undertaking cybersecurity in a smart grid is to maintain data and system confidentiality. Data privacy and consumer protection remain the top concerns for distribution utilities as well as consumers. Utilities and third-party service providers aggregate energy usage data of different consumers for better demand forecast and peak load management. Smart meters installed at consumers’ end exchange information with the home area network (HAN) or building area network (BAN) regarding the data usage of consumers and send control signals to the smart appliances installed on the consumers’ premises. These networks, however, may be vulnerable to data leakage or eavesdropping that could reveal the activities of consumers and other sensitive information. Cybersecurity measures are required to prevent unauthorised access to secured information such as power usage, price and control commands. With access to such information customers’ privacy can be invaded. Meanwhile, for industrial and commercial consumers, such data leakages can reveal highly sensitive information, for example the technologies used, the manufacturing output, sales events, etc. Besides this, cybersecurity measures are required to prevent any modification of critical information pertaining to sensory devices, electronic equipment, software and control commands that might disrupt the decision-making capability and corrupt the data exchange of the smart grid. Further, robust cybersecurity measures could help in resuming services in case of DoS attacks and distributed DoS attacks. One of the emerging solutions for maintaining grid safety is developing a smart energy management system based on blockchain. Blockchain is a distributed data processing technology that enables all users participating in the network to distribute and store data. Applying blockchain technology to smart grid will ensure secure management of energy data, and contribute to the development of the future smart energy industry. The primary initiatives to protect smart grids against cyberattacks include enhancing defence capabilities to mitigate the possibility of an attack. The traditionally proven defence-in-depth principle can be adopted, in which multiple layers of security controls are put in place. Under this, the risk is distributed across various layers so that if one layer of defence is penetrated, the other layer prevents further damage. Another security measure against cyberattacks is cybersecurity risk assessment. This involves evaluating various information assets to identify the underlying vulnerabilities and threats. In addition, there is a need to create awareness and undertake training programmes to maintain grid safety. Effective training programmes need to be designed based on individual roles and responsibilities. Incident response is another vital aspect of protecting smart grids from cyberattacks. In the absence of an effective incident management plan, an incident can

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Warehouse & logistics – Protecting inventory

UK Exclusives / Editor

With the rise of e-commerce, product flow in and out of warehouses has been at an all time high, so, how can companies protect their goods from theft? Inventory shrinkage, cargo theft, lost inventory—whatever you call it, the loss or theft of valuable inventory in your warehouse can be a big problem. In fact, data cited by Pride Transport states that “Cargo theft is a US$15 to $30 billion dollar a year problem” and that “those numbers could be low due to the fact that cargo theft is still vastly under-reported.” What does warehouse security have to do with preventing cargo theft/shrinkage? How can you create a high-security warehouse? What warehouse security measures does your business need? Cargo or inventory still in the warehouse isn’t exempt from being stolen. A lack of warehouse security gives thieves an easy way to steal products and make a quick buck—and no ecommerce business is immune to theft. If your customers are willing to buy the product, then it has a value thieves can capitalise on. You might be wondering: “What if I’m not managing a warehouse myself? Do I still need to worry about security then?” The answer is: yes. If you’re partnering with a third party logistics (3PL) company, their warehouse/distribution centre security is still very much a concern since it affects your products. Inside and out When it comes to warehouse security, it’s important to protect the facility both inside and out. External-facing warehouse security systems, called perimeter security, are used to defend entry points, parking lots and the property line. These external security measures are useful for preventing theft by keeping thieves out of the warehouse or by intimidating casual thieves into thinking the theft attempt isn’t worth the effort and risk. Internal warehouse security measures help to catch thieves who breach external warehouse security or employees who abuse their access to steal products from the warehouse. Instead of prevention and intimidation, internal security measures often focus on limiting access or capturing evidence to help catch thieves after the fact. It’s important to have layered security measures to protect the facility inside and out. After all, as people are bringing things in and out on a regular basis, some of those people may not be your employees. There are probably multiple entrances and exits and they might not all be manned 24/7. Because of how many entry ways and exits there are in a warehouse, combined with the presence of non-warehouse personnel, it’s all too easy for a thief to infiltrate the warehouse and walk off with valuable goods amid the hustle and bustle. This is why both internal and external warehouse security solutions are necessary. Security measures What are some of the specific types of warehouse security measures that are needed to create a high-security warehouse? Some examples of useful warehouse security tools include: Warehouse security cameras: Security camera warehouse setups can be both a great deterrent to thieves and a simple way to gather strong evidence to pursue a case against them if they do steal something. Modern security camera systems can collect high-definition footage and upload it to an offsite server to make identification of thieves easier and preserve the evidence if they try to tamper with the cameras or onsite recording stations. Warehouse Lighting. Yes, lighting can be considered a vital part of warehouse security. Poorly-lit warehouses not only provide protection for thieves (making them harder to identify), they can be a safety hazard for warehouse employees and security staff. So, keeping warehouse facilities well-lit is a crucial safety measure—both to prevent theft and on-site accidents. Alarm systems: Alarm systems can be a crucial tool for deterring theft attempts, minimizing the amount of goods stolen by thieves, and summoning security or police in time to stop thieves from getting away. Knowing that there’s an alarm keeps thieves on a tight time limit so they don’t steal as much (or deter them from the attempt). Getting an alert from a silent alarm helps security and police arrive in the scene quickly so thieves can be detained before they make off with valuable products. Security patrols: Does the warehouse have on-site security staff to help deter thieves? Do they make the rounds to verify that there are no intruders lurking in security camera blind spots? Having manual security patrols to police the premises can be a massive deterrent to casual thieves and trespassers that minimizes large-scale theft risks. Access control systems and security cages: How is high-value merchandise kept secure within the warehouse? How is access to these items controlled? Security cages and access control systems make it harder for thieves to get a valuable inventory—creating a high-security warehouse environment that minimizes theft risks. Inventory tracking: How is inventory in the warehouse tracked? How frequently is inventory checked for missing products? Inventory tracking solutions are vital for ensuring that inventory shrinkage can be identified quickly (and that inventory availability reports in your ecommerce store are accurate). Keeping track of inventory is a loss prevention 101 basic. Entryway Security Doors. How tough are the doors allowing entry into the warehouse to bypass? Weak locks or doors can allow thieves into the warehouse quickly, giving them easy access to the interior. Robust doorways delay thieves, increasing the likelihood of them getting caught by police/security (and of them giving up before making entry). Window Security: Are there ground-level windows that thieves can easily break to get into the warehouse? Or, are they high up and reinforced to prevent break-in and entry? Strong security means making windows as difficult to break into as possible, such as using reinforced glass, window locking mechanisms, or even steel bars/window covers to deter entry attempts. These eight items aren’t the only warehouse security tools that you might use to protect your warehouse. While no security will ever be 100% proof against thieves, using all of these measures helps to create a high-security warehouse that minimizes risks and better protects your products. Improving So, how can you improve security in

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Dahua WizMind Solution boosts safety for a hotel

Industry Sectors, News Desk, Technology / Ghyslaine Cordrey

The Grand Hotel Victoria in Menaggio, wedged between the lakeside and the heights of the Lepontine Alps, promises its guests a unique experience. To make this happen, it is essential to improve the security level. Dahua Technology is a video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider. Hotel management has entrusted Dahua and MD Impianti (its System Integrator partner). In the solution provided by Dahua Technology, 15 units of IPC-HFW5241E-ZE 2MP bullet cameras with 2.7~13.5 mm motorised vari-focal lens of Dahua WizMind series – equipped with various AI functions such as perimeter protection and people counting – were installed to guard the outside of the building providing clear images even in the low-light environment thanks to IR LEDs (range up to 50 m), WDR (120 dB) and Starlight technology (till 0.0002 Lux before switching to B/W). With the deep learning algorithm, Dahua Perimeter Protection technology can recognise humans and vehicles accurately. In the restricted areas (such as pedestrian areas and vehicle areas), the false alarms are largely reduced. After crossing the main entrance surmounted by a balcony that rests on four Doric columns, no less than 110 units of IPC-HDW2431T-AS-S2 4MP eyeball network cameras – featuring IR LEDs and Starlight themselves – discretely watch over the premises of the historical and new wings. With upgraded H.265 encoding technology, Dahua Lite series network camera has efficient video encoding capacity, which saves bandwidth and storage space. This camera adopts the latest Starlight technology and displays better colour images in the condition of low illumination. Two 128-channel NVR608R-128-4KS2 network video recorders with 8 hard disks and redundant power manage all streams, while the networking was implemented with ePoE, PoE, and aggregation switches, connected by CAT6 cables and optical fiber. For applications where details are critical for identification, this enterprise-level NVR provides a powerful Intel processor with up to 4K resolution. Additionally, the NVR features a mouse shortcut operation menu, remote management and control, central storage, edge storage, and backup storage. All images collected by the whole system can be visualised both in the concierge and remotely. The latter is a feature that allows great flexibility to meet the needs of the end-user, who is already evaluating the integration of a DSS centralisation software and a video wall. 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@securitybuyer.com

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Genetec announces new Airport Badging Solution

Industry Sectors, News Desk, Product News / Ghyslaine Cordrey

To comply with regulations for the credentialing of airport and airline employees and contractors, airports have to undertake complex and time-consuming processes to issue and administer badges or face hefty fines. To help airports of all sizes automate and simplify this process, Genetec, a technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, announced its new Genetec Security Center Airport Badging Solution (ABS). The Security Center Airport Badging Solution provides an industry-first: a simple, out-of-the-box solution for airports that ensures compliance, simplifies the badging process, and lowers the overhead needed to run a badging department. ABS reduces the need to work with multiple different systems and reduces incompatibility issues. This not only minimises the risk of potential human error that comes with disparate systems and manual processing, but also saves time and increases efficiency. “To manage their badging process and employee background checks, some airports have until now had to resort to a variety of single-purpose systems, while others have opted for complex Identity Management System (IDMS) that tend to be better suited for larger airports,” explained David Lenot, Critical Infrastructure Practice Lead at Genetec. “While both options allow airports to remain compliant with regulations, these solutions present operational inefficiencies. ABS helps reduce human error that can stem from managing multiple disconnected systems and avoids the complexities of large-scale Identity Management Systems.” ABS streamlines and automates background checks within an airport’s unified physical security platform – Genetec Security Center. With a design based on standards set forth by each country’s regulatory bodies and specificities from security background vetting services and clearinghouses, Security Center ABS helps airports deliver the required information in the correct format to successfully submit and process each employee application, and consistently meet audit and compliance requirements set by authorities such as regular identity verifications via the Rapback process. All data collected on each badge applicant is compiled and stored within the system. Customised dashboards are included within Security Center to showcase insights such as real time applicant statuses, and unaccounted for badge percentages so that airport administrators can make more informed decisions, especially when it comes to meeting audit and compliance regulations. 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@securitybuyer.com

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Videoloft releases direct Vivotek integration

Industry Sectors, Middle East News Desk, Technology / Editor

UK-based cloud video surveillance company, Videoloft, announces new direct integration with Taiwanese CCTV manufacturer Vivotek. Videoloft was previously compatible with Vivotek cameras via ONVIF, but the new direct integration makes it even easier to connect Vivotek cameras to the Videoloft cloud and crucially adds compatibility with Vivotek NVRs/DVRs. Legacy Vivotek installations can now be instantly upgraded to add offsite video storage, remote viewing and features like multi-user permissions & analytics. Adding Vivotek cameras to the cloud is incredibly simple, a Videoloft Cloud Adapter just needs to be connected to the same local network as the cameras or recorder. The rest of the installation takes less than 2 minutes and can be completed remotely via the Videoloft mobile app (available on iOS or Android). Videoloft is compatible with a wide range of professional security cameras and recorders – they have direct integrations with Axis, Dahua, Hikvision, Lorex, LTS & Uniview. Adding Vivotek to this list of direct integrations gives Videoloft partners a great NDAA compliant camera choice. Videoloft is also compatible with many other brands of camera via ONVIF. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@securitymiddleeast.com

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