Big Interview Archives - Security Buyer Magazine

Big Interview – Hanne Juncher

Privacy Vs Security: AI in Prisons Hanne Juncher, Director, Directorate of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe talks AI in prisons Please give us a brief insight into the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe (CoE), founded in 1949 after the II World War to uphold peace as well as to promote and protect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law across its current 46 member states, has developed numerous conventions since the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. The most recent one is the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, adopted in May of this year. On 9 October, the CoE’s governing body, the Committee of Ministers, has adopted Recommendation (2024)5 regarding the ethical and organisational aspects of the use of AI and related digital technologies by prison and probation services. The Recommendation calls on governments to ensure that prison and probation services use AI and the related digital technologies legitimately and proportionately and only if they contribute to the good management of these services and the rehabilitation of offenders. This Recommendation was elaborated by the Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP), a main subcommittee of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) of the Council of Europe. How can AI alleviate security and safety concerns in prison environments? The use of AI and related digital technologies can alleviate staff from habitual repetitive tasks such as opening and closing doors, managing schedules, or monitoring movements and behaviour. These systems can enhance safety by allowing better risk management and crisis response by detecting signs of possible aggression or suicide and self-harm attempts. Predictive algorithms, for instance, can detect unusual behaviours, potential conflicts, and high-risk areas, helping staff prevent violence and maintain a secure environment. However, as AI algorithms can easily be biased (replicating the same mistakes humans make), it is essential to strive to ensure bias-free algorithms. Furthermore, AI systems should be transparent and explainable, meaning that their reasoning should be clear and understandable to human observers and decision‑makers and thus can be easily challenged if necessary. AI should always be developed and used under human control and must remain human-centred, particularly when it comes to balancing safety and security with the social inclusion of offenders. The human element should never be lost, especially in positive and motivating interactions of staff with offenders, as regular positive human contact is key to their rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism. What are the key legal safeguards in place to ensure AI technologies used in prisons and by probation services respect the privacy and dignity of detainees, staff, and probationers? The CoE’s Recommendation emphasises that AI use in prison and probation services must comply with human rights and ethical principles (transparency, human oversight, necessity, proportionality), avoiding any negative effects on privacy, dignity and well-being of detainees, probationers or staff. Any use of AI must avoid causing intentional physical or mental harm. Furthermore, AI technologies, including those used in electronic monitoring or biometric recognition, should be used proportionally and with human oversight, ensuring data and private life protection and their focus should remain on reintegrating offenders into society. When used in selection and recruitment of staff, prison and probation services should be involved in designing AI tools which meet the specific needs of staff and contribute to their professional development. AI should support, not replace, human judgment in the procedure of selection and training of staff. Read more exclusives and news in our latest issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Security Buyer @SecurityBuyer @Secbuyer Media Contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitybuyer.com

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Big Interview – Yolanda Hamblen

Big Interview / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Managing Editor Rebecca Spayne catches up with security vanguard, Yolanda Hamblen. This interview takes a deep dive into the pivotal role of mentorship and camaraderie in the security industry I had the privilege of catching up with Yolanda Hamblen for this issue’s Big Interview. Yolanda is a senior security leadership professional with over 15 years of experience in management roles across both physical and cyber security disciplines. Yolanda is on the Advisory Board of IFPO and chairs the ED&I subcommittee, whilst also actively participating in the Mental Health and Wellbeing group. She’s a member of ASIS International and sits on the ASIS International Physical Steering Committee, and she connects with other security professionals globally through the IFPO Security Circle Podcast and the ASIS Turning Pages Security Book Podcast. Could you provide a bit of background into your career? The more years you accumulate as a professional, the further back you must delve to recall. However, I began my first career as a DJ, touring the world. When 9/11 occurred, it ignited a profound purpose within me to contribute more significantly and purposefully. I joined the police force 11 months later. The sight of firefighters entering the towers selflessly, unaware of the impending collapse, was a profound moment of reflection for me. I questioned the direction of my life. While I enjoyed DJing globally, I felt a lack of purpose, so I joined the police force. My time in the police was enriching. I found myself in a detective role shortly after. I worked on significant cases, including deaths in custody and serious sexual offences. However, I realised it wasn’t a lifelong career for me. Transitioning to the physical security sector, I swiftly climbed the ranks, starting as a security officer in a shopping centre. It’s been a journey of managing teams, departments, and a dedication to the protection of people, assets, and data. A remarkably varied career in all facets of the security industry. You serve on the advisory board for IFPO, one of our Security Buyer partners, and you also lead the ED&I subcommittee. Could you shed some light on the role of this committee and IFPO’s broader mandate? IFPO truly champions inclusive membership. Earlier in my security career, I felt somewhat isolated as I wasn’t part of any professional bodies. So, I ardently recommend anyone not currently affiliated to not only join one but perhaps even two organisations. Such memberships place you amongst seasoned professionals who can guide your career. When Mike Hurst approached me about introducing IFPO to the UK, I was immediately onboard. IFPO, or the International Foundation of Protection Officers, primarily had a robust presence in North America. Mike is a true luminary in the field, and it’s a privilege to be involved in his initiatives. In my role as the ED&I chair, I ensure that inclusivity is at the forefront of our projects. This role ensures a consistent commitment to diversity and inclusivity across all our narratives and ventures. This commitment also extends to matters of mental health. The ethos IFPO upholds is commendable. Being at the helm of this subcommittee means championing equality, diversity, inclusion, equity, and intersectionality. What ignited this passion in you? Oh, I’m not entirely sure. I recently mentioned during a keynote speech that during interviews, one is often asked about past failures and life lessons. I find such a question rather disingenuous, especially towards women. During my time with the police, I belonged to a mere 7% of female police officers. In the security sector, I was one of just 10% of licensed female security officers. And now, in security leadership, that figure is around 5%. So, where exactly did I go astray in this journey? It’s clear to me that I’ve always been in the minority in these roles. Even as a DJ, there were few female DJs – I was one of the rare ones. Of course, none were quite as good as me – just joking! There seems to be something intrinsic in me that gravitates towards roles where I’m constantly out of my comfort zone. But being out of one’s comfort zone means heightened sensitivities. You perceive clearer, you are more attuned to your surroundings and the direction you’re heading in. Being complacent might be stifling, and that’s just not me. Of course, I’ve chosen a demanding journey. Women, in general, are doing commendable work in advocating for women today. We’re empowering and supporting one another. We have vast networks on platforms like LinkedIn. There’s a strong camaraderie among women in the various membership bodies. Furthermore, many security membership bodies are endorsing a crucial harassment survey that’s currently underway. We’re keenly awaiting the results, which I suspect will be quite revealing. How we cooperate is essential. I always advocate for having a male perspective in ED&I narratives. You can’t solely push an agenda without having allies by your side. And fundamentally, I stand up for marginalised communities and intersectionality. It’s heartbreaking to see how some of my friends – whether they’re transgender, gay, or non-binary – are treated. I can’t help but support the underrepresented in society. This also means continuing our support for women in the security industry. As for women in security, it’s indeed an area I ardently advocate for. How do you feel the security industry has progressed towards better gender equality? Numerous MDs in the sector are eager to advocate, promote, hire, and have more women in leadership roles. I’ve had personal conversations with them about their visions. I’m optimistic, especially with the younger generation at the helm. We’re now seeing Gen X individuals as MDs rather than the Boomer generation. Not to discredit the Boomers, they’ve done remarkably well. But having a younger generation at the helm brings a fresh perspective, reshaping the future of security services. Women are being granted more opportunities for growth, learning, and mentorship. They’re becoming an integral part of inclusivity projects at work. I’ve always encouraged women to feel confident throughout the hiring process

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Big Interview – Brian Bishop

Big Interview, UK Exclusives / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Security Buyer sits down with Brian Bishop, President of the Open Connectivity Foundation to discover his view on the current security landscape What is the Open Connectivity Foundation’s (OCF) mission? As the number of internet protocol (IP) connected devices grows, so does the need for secure interoperability within the Internet of Things (IoT). Otherwise, the increasing amount of sensitive data flowing across the internet between devices and clouds can easily land in the wrong hands. IoT security must be a priority, and this is what drives the OCF. The OCF is a global, member-driven technical standards development organization comprised of over 500 members working across the enterprise layers of infrastructure, applications, and data. We aim to foster collaboration across the IoT ecosystem to ensure that IP-connected IoT devices and services are developed with interoperability, secure communication and trust in mind – and that they can communicate securely over IP, regardless of form factor, operating system, service provider, transport technology or ecosystem. We do this by encouraging adoption of the OCF’s freely available ISO/IEC specifications, including our Secure IP Device Framework, our open-source reference implementation, and an industry-recognized certification program. This enables new secure IoT use cases and user experiences, reduces development costs for IoT devices and services, reduces integration complexity and time to market, and simplifies regulatory compliance to IoT security and privacy baselines. Securing vital systems against cyberattacks is a key priority for the international security industry. How does the OCF’s framework mitigate security threats? As an ISO/IEC adopted standard, our Secure IP Device Framework has been internationally agreed upon by technical experts to essentially be used as a blueprint by developers and manufacturers for the creation of secure and interoperable IoT deployments. It integrates state-of-the-art cybersecurity technologies to enable device discovery, onboarding and application-layer security for device-to-device and device-to-cloud connectivity. The use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) backed by strong certificate protections helps to safeguard sensitive data. We’ve also done the legwork to benchmark our standard against all known IoT security requirement baselines – CTAC2 Conveners, UK IoT Requirements, ETSI, IASME, and NIST 8259D – comparing each paragraph of our specifications against the corresponding clause in the security baseline. Designed from the ground up, the OCF is compliant with forthcoming IoT security standards, such as the EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED). How important is the adoption of secure open standards globally for IoT? Standards are crucial for mass market adoption of technology as they ensure consistent quality, safety, interoperability, and compatibility of products and services. The need for secure open standards is particularly true for IoT security since developers and manufacturers are operating in a climate of increased awareness of the value of data. Users and consumers must have complete confidence that their privacy is being respected. As IoT becomes prevalent in the likes of public housing and smart cities, the public sector will begin to assume responsibility for the associated IoT infrastructure. As a rule, governments prefer standards endorsed by formal organizations since this avoids proprietary lock-in and perceptions of bias in selecting solutions. The use of international standards such as the OCF’s ISO/IEC Secure IP Device Framework provides assurance of due process and the transparent development of IoT technologies.

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Big Interview – Ned Baltagi

Big Interview, Middle East Exclusives / Ghyslaine Cordrey

Security Buyer ME catches up with Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, and Africa at SANS Institute It was announced earlier this week that SANS Institute will be hosting this year’s Summer Dunes training program in Saudi Arabia. Would you like to speak more about the training and why it is offered? About two years ago, we conducted research on how young people perceive cybersecurity. We wanted to understand which markets were mature and already focusing on educating youngsters on cybersecurity and noticed that the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE are far ahead when it comes to promoting cybersecurity as a career. In line with this, Saudi Arabia recently announced a National Cybersecurity Strategy to ensure future readiness with a digital-first strategy as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to establish a strong cybersecurity infrastructure. We at SANS support this vision and want to generate a positive impact on aspiring Saudi talent, elevating the careers of youngsters with interest in the field, as well as supporting and upskilling the existing cybersecurity workforce in the region. What can visitors expect to come away with from SANS Summer Dunes 2022? The courses offered at this year’s SANS Summer Dunes are FOR500: Windows Forensic Analysis and FOR498: Battlefield Forensics & Data Acquisition. We believe that since our students work in the real world, their training should include real-world practice data. To effectively detect threats and prevent attacks, a cyber security practitioner or team must first know and understand what they are preventing. Through a series of hands-on laboratory exercises, FOR500: Windows Forensic Analysis focuses on building the core components of digital forensics knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating systems. The course starts with intellectual property theft and corporate espionage case that was built over six months. Our instructor course development team uses incidents from their own investigations and experiences to create an incredibly rich and detailed scenario designed to immerse students in an actual investigation. FOR498, a digital forensic acquisition training course, provides the skills necessary to identify the many data storage mediums in use today and how to collect and preserve this data in a forensically sound manner. It covers digital acquisition from computers, portable devices, networks, and the cloud. Students will learn the art and science of identifying and starting to extract actionable intelligence from a hard drive in 90 minutes or less. SANS Summer Dunes will be an extremely rewarding experience, and within these two courses, students will know how to mitigate even the most complex cyberattacks with skills that can be implemented as soon as they complete the training. How important is it to develop today’s workforce? Highly important – a professional or a team responsible for cybersecurity within an organisation that does not keep learning and staying on top of current threats and attacks is sure to fall short of being able to protect their organisation. The current threat landscape is constantly evolving, and therefore, practitioners need to continuously learn how to counter modern-day attacks and threats, as well as be able to find the vulnerabilities and gaps within their own organisation’s defenses. It’s also increasingly crucial to ensure that it isn’t just the security teams and IT departments that know what to look out for online. Organisations need to ensure they are also training their entire staff on security awareness and teach them basic tricks and ploys cybercriminals use – this not only strengthens an organisation’s overall protection but ensures that their workforce is informed and proactive in the fact of digital threats. How is SANS working to bridge the gap in cybersecurity skills, at a time where talent is scarce in the Middle East? There’s a big uptick in people wanting to learn cybersecurity in the Middle East, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We offer various training courses and programmes for students at all levels, from adolescents to adults. However, with a shortage of trained personnel available on the job market, it’s challenging for organisations to find the right talent for the right jobs. Yet, there’s simultaneously an undiscovered and untapped pool of talent in the region – usually already employed within the organisations that are seeking them. Our SANS Immersion Academies or Assessments assist organisations by defining the talents they want to hire, ensuring that HR departments have the tools to identify the right talent, and then finding hidden talent in-house. We also help governments set up special programs to identify and train people who are unaware that they have a knack for cybersecurity. SANS works to support organisations in making use of existing resources by retraining and upskilling them. What important steps need to be taken to not only recruit and upskill talent, but also retain it within the region? To retain talent, an organisation needs to ensure that its working conditions are at the top of the industry. Provide your team members with opportunities to learn and develop their skills and knowledge about the cyber-field, and clearly outline what their development plan looks like. Make sure there are enough opportunities to engage the local cybersecurity community, where they can get together with like-minded individuals. They can do this at meet-ups, trade events, online, but also at Capture the Flag events, Hackathons, or training events such as the ones SANS provides. Here, recruiters can gain an understanding of the existing talent pool in the region based on interest in and interaction at these events.

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Big Interview – Jason Lee

Big Interview / Rebecca Morpeth-Spayne

Security Buyer Editor, Rebecca Spayne, catches up exclusively with Jason Lee, Chief Information Security Officer at Zoom Zoom has become everybody’s go to platform for virtual meetings in the new working world. How do you differ from other platforms for example, Slack, Google or Microsoft? At Zoom, we enable our customers to express themselves, connect with others, and create a future that is limited only by their imagination. We have been pioneers since the beginning as our seamless communication platform was the first to use video as its foundation, and that culture of innovation has been driving the company forward ever since. As a result, we are an easy-to-use, scalable and secure option for huge corporations, small businesses, and individuals alike. What are the main cyber risks that platforms like Zoom are exposed to? And how do you mitigate these risks? The security threat landscape is always evolving, and attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. We must be constantly aware of the wider threat landscape so we can keep Zoom and its customers protected. Currently some of the biggest security challenges posed involve supply chain attacks, and the risks associated with third-parties. We are acutely aware of the dangers of third-party software running on our networks and take precautions to guarantee we clearly understand what is on our network and in our product. We are always on the lookout for new ways to keep our networks up to date, patched, and fully monitored. Our Bug Bounty programme is also going from strength to strength and allows us to ensure that our products are sufficiently protected by enlisting the support of the ethical hacker community to find and report bugs and vulnerabilities. How does Zoom respond to reports of abuse? At Zoom, we approach each report of abuse with the utmost respect and sensitivity. Users have a number of tools available to secure their meetings and report inappropriate activity. Reports are actioned and can be sent to the Zoom Trust and Safety team to evaluate any misuse of the platform, blocking users or reporting to the appropriate authorities if necessary. Participants can report live during a meeting, or retrospectively for past meetings, using a quick and efficient process. Users are even able to report abusive behaviour that is related to Zoom but happened outside of a Zoom meeting, webinar or event. Our internal processes have evolved over time. While all reports of abuse used to come in a single queue, we now have a scaled operation which operates on a multi-level, systematic approach, with different types of reports handled in order of priority. We have also streamlined our dashboard that collects reports in one place, displays all the information needed to make a decision quickly, and generates meaningful data for us to learn and refine our own processes. What are your internal policies and community standards around reporting? Our internal policy is based upon a three-tiered review system which guides our decisions around Community Standards and Terms of Service infractions. This system both complies with the law and delivers safety and happiness to our users. After receiving a report, Zoom’s dedicated Trust and Safety team examines it to see whether any of our Terms of Service or Community Standards have been violated. For challenging reports, we’ve built a formalised escalation and review process. Our four-tiered review system ensures that each report gets the attention and care it deserves, allowing us to create an experience that is as open and diverse as it is free of harmful or malicious behaviour to our users. To read the full interview, please see our IFSEC May issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitybuyer.com

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Big interview – Mike Hurst

Big Interview, Middle East Exclusives / Editor

Security Buyer sits down with Security Buyer Live media partner and speaker, Mike Hurst, Main Board Director, The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) You will be speaking on ‘Mental Health, Education and Recruitment’ in your session at Security Buyer Live (SBLive). What key learning points will this session focus on? Education has been at the core of the IFPO mission for over 30 years. Better educated and trained frontline officers are more effective in their security roles, deliver better service and are more likely to see security as a career. At the core of this are our two global certifications, Certified Protection Officer (CPO) and Certified in Security Supervision and Management (CSSM). Over 92,500 individuals have achieved one of these which need to be recertified every two years through CPD. There are also some Certificate courses based upon the same material. With our learning partner, Nuology, we have launched the IFPO Learn platform in the UK and Ireland, offering bite sized modules. We are now starting to roll out our full Level 1, 2 and 3 programs. The level three is a mix of classroom, eLearning and practical application. These are accredited by Highfield. There are lots of well-meaning people and groups talking about the mental health and the wellbeing of frontline security officers, but there has been little real action. I feel we need less of the former and more of the latter. There are two main aspects of Mental Health that I and IFPO are focusing on. Officers are often the first point of contact (or first responders) with the public. I know of many instances where officers have had to drag people from rail tracks, edges of car park roofs or had to deal with violence and aggression from people with mental illness. To help this, officers need to have training on recognising the signs of MH issues in others and some guidance on how to respond. Frontline officers can be subject to many stresses to keep us safe: working long and often unsociable hours, maintaining vigilance, protecting people property and assets, dealing with MH incidents in others, verbal abuse, being spat at, being threatened and actual physical attacks. These can take a toll on their own MH and wellbeing. They need access to resources and support to protect their mental health and keep them effective. I have been involved with security recruitment for a long time and my company, HJA Consult, which specialises in executive level appointments, is back to pre-pandemic levels of activity. The chance to speak regularly with clients and candidates is one that I take at every opportunity. What are you looking forward to the most about being involved with the virtual event? I am passionate about what I do and the role I and IFPO can play in the development of the security profession and relishing the opportunity to get that message across. IFPO is partnering with SBLive, what experience and knowledge does this bring to the event? IFPO is a global association with members in almost 70 countries. This is a great opportunity to reach the wide and international audience that Security Buyer has; I am looking forward to it. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our Q4 issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, Security Portfolio Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@securitybuyer.com

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Big Interview: SIA aiding the industry

Big Interview, Exclusives / Editor

Security Buyer talks exclusively with Don Erickson, CEO, Security Industry Association to discover his perspective on the covid-19 pandemic and the future security landscape SIA provides training and advice, how are you helping guide members during this time? In the very early days of the pandemic, SIA quickly pivoted to delivering a substantial amount of online content to help guide members during this unprecedented period. We have accelerated the development of online courses and published research that has helped members to increase their sales, onboard employees, harden their products and systems, stay abreast of federal financial assistance available to businesses; all while also facilitating introductions for our members to potential channel partners through innovative programs. SIA has launched SIAcademy LIVE! e-learning programs, which cover specialised topics like how to do business with the government, how to optimise challenging parts of your integration business, cybersecurity training for physical security pros and even technical training on video and access control systems. With the shift to remote working, do you think e-learning and digital training will continue post-covid? There is no question that business owners have gained a deeper appreciation for the cost efficiencies associated with virtual learning and that digital transformation of many education programs has occurred more quickly than expected. When possible, security professionals will return to valuable in-person experiences and learning environments at events such as ISC West, of which SIA is the premier sponsor and leads the development of its conference program known as SIA Education@ISC. In-person instruction and workshops offered at ISC West and virtual learning opportunities offered by SIA will continue together. As individuals seek professional advancement, they will place greater emphasis on blended content delivery offered through both in-person opportunities such as ISC West workshops and virtual courses including the online SIA Cornerstones Learning Series and Security Project Management (SPM) courses. How do you think the industry has tackled the Covid-19 crisis? This industry never wavered in its determination to fulfil the mission of protecting people, property and assets during the pandemic period. In my more than 15 years at SIA, I have not witnessed a more cohesive mobilisation of business earlier behind a single cause than when more than 500 business leaders worked together earlier this year to secure “essential worker” status. The proliferation of new products introduced in the past year, many of which were recognised during the virtual SIA New Product Showcase (NPS) program, demonstrated that innovation by SIA manufacturer members never slowed down and continued to drive industry financial health. During this pandemic and period of racial unrest, our industry consistently recognised the heroes among us—first responders, teachers, members of the military and health care professionals. SIA and the Electronic Security Association have launched FAST, how is this benefiting the future security landscape? Foundation for Advancing Security (FAST) reflects two core principles which are important to me: to help our members address significant business challenges; in this case identifying and recruiting qualified talent across job functions including project management, human resources, sales and customer service, and engineering product management. Our industry faces enormous competition for qualified talent and it is the number one issue impacting businesses today and for the foreseeable future. FAST also reflects exceptional collaboration between SIA and the Electronic Security Association (ESA). ESA has been a terrific partner through the sharing of expertise that has shaped FAST’s mission and purpose. FAST’s efforts will be supported by SIA’s existing workforce development resources including the SIA Guide to Hiring, our online courses, and Adopt a College program, that enlists the involvement of members to promote the industry to community colleges, four-year colleges, technical schools, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). FAST is a relatively new organisation and it will soon begin a strategic planning process leading to a roadmap of initiatives to help our members to strengthen their workforces. I am confident that in the coming months, new FAST tools and programs will be launched that elevates the profile of the industry before high school and college students and that ultimately help to create a robust pipeline of professionals entering the industry. With the new year which trends do you think will continue into 2021? The SIA 2021 Megatrends lays out quite well the key trends that will impact the global security industry in 2021 (https://www.securityindustry.org/report/2021-security-megatrends-report/). The top SIA Megatrend identified by SIA members and participants in our Securing New Ground (SNG) executive conference last fall is Artificial Intelligence. We continue to see rapid advances in the security applicability of AI, which will not only increase the overall value proposition of security enterprise decision-makers and improve situational awareness for security practitioners, but it will showcase the innovation of our industry to college students as they evaluate a future career in technology and security. Despite the proven effectiveness of Facial Recognition technology (another SIA Megatrend) to help prevent and solve criminal and terrorist acts, missing children’s cases, and human trafficking, I am deeply concerned by the rising tide of ill-advised proposals to completely ban public and private sector use of FR. SIA has put forth a reasonable and responsible set of FR Principles predicated on the concepts of transparency and accountability that should guide policy making in this area. There have been dramatic improvements in the reliability of FR technology validated by US government product testing experts and this progress should not be stifled through hastily drafted blanket-ban proposals that would cripple the use of this life saving technology by public safety officials. Does SIA have any big plans for 2021 which you could disclose to us? 2021 will build on recent years in which SIA has delivered several new programs and services for our members to help them become more successful. I am thrilled that in June SIA will launch a new cyber certification for integrators—the first such program in our industry. Throughout the year, we will produce several new reports and online events examining major trends influencing key vertical markets including K-12, health care and energy. And

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Big Interview: The next generation of video surveillance

Big Interview, Exclusives / Editor

Our latest Big Interview for our January edition of Security Buyer saw Hartmut Schaper, CEO and GM at Security & Safety Things and founding company member of the Open Security and Safety Alliance discussing IoT in smart security cameras Hartmut Schaper is CEO and GM at Security & Safety Things – a Robert Bosch child company that has developed an open IoT platform for security cameras, enabling seamless management of networked cameras by unleashing a new generation of AI-based security apps. Together with important partners, they are one of the founding members of the industry technical alliance, the Open Security and Safety Alliance (OSSA). OSSA develops an open framework of standards and specifications that are meant to reduce friction in the market, foster collaboration and as a result unleash innovation in the previously very fragmented security and safety industry. Security & Safety Things offers an open IoT platform for smart security cameras. What exactly does that mean and how is all of this used by security professionals? Security & Safety Things is doing for security cameras what Android has done for smartphones. To achieve this, our platform includes an open operating system for cameras, an application store and a development environment for third party app developers. The open operating system is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and has been optimised for surveillance cameras. Powering cameras from different manufacturers, it has created a global standard that can accelerate innovation in the industry by enabling software developers to create and market solutions quickly. End users are able to leverage increased operational efficiency and gain valuable business intelligence by using AI enabled apps created by these developers for business optimisation functions as well as surveillance. Integrators are able to offer customised solutions, as the applications themselves can solve a variety of customer pain points. Camera manufacturers, in turn, can offer their customers unprecedented freedom of choice with respect to video analytics apps. The ability to run video analytics directly on the camera, at the edge of the network, is a growing trend in the market. What benefits does this bring in terms of technology, operational efficiency and potential cost savings? The cameras we have access to today have a level of processing power once thought nearly impossible. Due to this increased power, analytics can be run directly on the edge – enabling the use of AI for more robust analytics and reducing the toll on network bandwidth previously consumed by constant video streams to central servers for further processing. This has enabled smart cameras to be used as a powerful, data-rich sensor capable of capturing all types of information. Video analysis on the edge also provides additional privacy safeguards, as the data being analysed – a face, a license plate or other identifier – can be configured to only be transmitted from the camera when an event is triggered, significantly reducing the amount of data – and potential personal information – that is required to transmit from the camera to a management platform. As a new entrant to the market, how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your company and the industry as a whole? Like many industries, the security industry has certainly felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as life in the workplace and ongoing security installation projects and service effectively stalled in many customer verticals. Because of the flexibility of our platform, S&ST was able to offer COVID-19 related solutions very quickly – for example people counting apps for retail became an occupancy management solution. Additionally, our development partners immediately brought other, more specialised, COVID-19 related apps to the Application Store, such as facemask recognition. Perhaps the biggest impact of the pandemic we have observed is the rapid acceleration in corporate digital transformation. Clearly this was an ongoing trend, but the intrinsic value that smart cameras can provide to an organisation’s migration to a digital infrastructure is becoming clear to many organisations. Smart cameras offer myriad uses to many different organisations, anything from digitising the readings from analog gauges in a manufacturing setting, keeping watch over a nursing home patient during the overnight hours or optimising space usage and access control of parking areas. How do new technologies such as AI, machine learning and a growing IoT infrastructure factor into the S&ST approach to the market? As we’ve talked about, cameras are an extremely powerful sensor, capable of capturing rich data that can be analysed for any number of things – movement, sound, light, human behavior. Without AI-enabled apps and a sophisticated IoT infrastructure for device management support, the contribution of this raw data collected by the cameras would be far less valuable to an organisation. Additionally, in the past with traditional cameras, new innovations in analytics need to be constantly re-engineered to work with the many different camera vendors in the market. With our open camera operating system, free to any participating camera vendor, innovators have to develop new applications only once to present it to a global audience and ensure that their applications can run on cameras from a variety of manufacturers. This results in end users who are able to pick and choose a solution that fits their needs best, without having to worry about proprietary technology. How do standards factor into these technologies working together? Standards are an important part of enabling these technologies to work together, as they make up the framework for a collaborative, open system. The S&ST platform is a multi sided business model, and our success relies on cooperation between core security-industry stakeholders – which includes end customers, integrators, cameras manufacturers, VMS vendors and software developers. To facilitate this collaboration, our parent company Bosch, together with important partners, formed an industry alliance, the Open Security and Safety Alliance (OSSA). OSSA develops an open framework of standards and specifications that are meant to reduce friction in the market, foster collaboration and as a result unleash innovation in the previously very fragmented security and safety industry. S&ST is baking the standards

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