Industry News September 2009
BUSINESS NEWS
Social networking sites have enthralled the younger generations—and Internet criminals are exploiting them. F-Secure reports that scams abound on Facebook, including “advance fee frauds” and other schemes to collect money and information from friends of a victim. Application developers have tricked users into installing applications that promote spam and spread links to malicious external sites. Facebook is addressing these issues.
PandaLabs identified about 30,000 videos on YouTube with comments containing links to a Web page designed to download malware. The company also described malicious URLs attached to messages on Twitter. If users follow the links, the Web site attempts to persuade them that their computers are infected and that they should purchase fake software.
Meanwhile a recent survey from Trend Micro indicated that more than half of teenagers’ parents in the United Kingdom don’t know how their teens are using the Internet and only 3 percent monitor their children’s online activities.
The company recommends keeping computers in common areas and assigning time limits. Communicating with kids about safe use of the Internet is also essential, including teaching them how to create safe passwords and protect their profiles on social networking sites.
Additional advice from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team includes keeping vendor patches up to date, disabling features that are not explicitly required, installing antivirus software, and using caution when opening e-mail attachments and following links.
PARTNERSHIPS AND DEALS
Agilence, Inc., and Axis Communications are integrating their products to provide a loss-prevention solution for retailers that integrates with existing point-of-sale systems.
MEDEX will provide medical intelligence for ASI Group’s World Watch Database.
Barix AG announced that its IP audio device support has been integrated with the Immix automation software platform from Sureview Systems for intercom and access control applications.
Basler Vision Technologies has teamed with On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc. to integrate the Basler IP camera series with the Ocularis platform for IP video control.
CALE PARKING SYSTEMS USA has chosen the Videx CyberLock for securing the coin vaults of its parking meters.
The Christian Security Network is partnering with Safe Advantage Services in support of the Safe Churches Project, which educates churches about the importance of background checks.
Contemporary Services Corporation was selected to provide security services for the Kansas City Royals at the renovated Kauffman Stadium.
Datacard Group is participating in a collaborative effort with Vedas and Abba Electronics to serve the Middle East market via staff in Dubai.
Liberty University has upgraded its Federal Signal safety and security system to connect with mobile devices, landlines, and e-mail addresses.
The Information Security Forum has signed an intellectual property licensing agreement with Acuity Risk Management to integrate its “Standard of Good Practice for Information Security” into Acuity’s STREAM risk and compliance management software.
The Augusta Metro Federal Credit Union in Augusta, Georgia, is using the Schlage biometric HandKey reader from Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies to allow customers self-service access to the safe deposit vault.
A system from Morse Watchmans is controlling and tracking keys used by personnel at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Al-Futtaim Engineering chose Optelecom-NKF to supply equipment for the video and data transmission system at Bawadi Mall in Abu Dhabi.
OSS Inc. will provide security guard services for the WEWS-TV News Channel 5 building in Cleveland.
Raytheon Company deployed a system to provide security and situational awareness support during the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
NatWest and RBS are using the Rapport security software from Trusteer for their online banking customers.
TimeSight Systems has selected Horner International of the United Kingdom and Alarmcorp Pty. Ltd. of Australia as resellers of its intelligent networked video recorders.
Verint Systems Inc. has entered into a North American distributor partnership with Jenne Distributors, Inc.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Aralia Systems Ltd. is deploying its advanced intelligent video surveillance software at Maryland Transit Administration passenger rail stations under a contract partially funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Gemalto was selected by Gabon’s Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie et de Garantie Sociale as prime contractor for its electronic health card program. Stimplus and Zetes are subcontractors for the enrollment solution.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has selected Honeywell to provide a perimeter intrusion detection system for 18 venues to be used in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Incident Alert Systems is providing its Fast Alert incident management and security system to Sedro-Wooley High School (Washington).
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has deployed the KeyWatcher Key Control System from Morse Watchmans to track keys throughout its facilities.
Orsus is working with systems integrator Orad to provide its situation management solution to Paphos and Larnaka International Airports on Cypress.
Raytheon will provide its Mobile Nuclear Radiation Detection System to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Reveal Imaging Technologies, Inc., has sold automated explosives detection systems for use by the Ministry of the Interior in Ku wait. SISCO was the distributor.
SimplexGrinnell; en-Gauge, Inc.; Ansul; Pacom; and Inovonics have partnered to donate a monitoring platform for the State of New Hampshire’s new en-Gauge electronically monitored fire extinguishers.
AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Adesta, LLC, was given the Award of Honor with Distinction from the Greater Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council to recognize excellence in accident prevention and loss control programs.
Gemalto announced that its manufacturing and service center in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, has received the Security Assurance Certification from the North American Security Products Organization.
Geutebruck won the 2009 MIPS award for the most innovative CCTV product for its Ge Vi Central video management system.
Imperva was named one of the 50 Hottest Companies for 2009 by TiE, an organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurs.
Frost & Sullivan recognized Ocularis from On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc., as the 2009 North American Product Innovation of the Year.
OPENonline, LLC, has achieved Safe Harbor Certification from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The certification verifies that background screening services are in compliance with the data protection principles established by the European Union.
Perceptics LLC has achieved ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems certification From ABS Quality Evaluations.
For the second year in a row, Security Personnel Inc. was named one of the area’s Future 50 by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
The Smart Card Alliance announced its 2009 Smart Card Achievement Award winners. Mount Sinai Medical Center was named Outstanding Issuing Organization, and HID Global was named Outstanding Technology Organization.
The Central Station Alarm Association has renewed the Five Diamond Certification for The Protection Bureau.
The ICAM range of early and very early warning fire detection products from Xtralis has received the EC Certificate of Conformity.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Avigilon has joined the Open Network Video Interface Forum.
BusinessControls, Inc., announced that its MySafe reporting solutions have been delivered in more than 92 countries, where they serve more than a million individuals at 22,000 locations.
Cigital has acquired the European assessment and training operations of Security Innovation.
Corporate Risk International has opened a new office in Hong Kong to manage operations throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Genetec has established a presence in the German-speaking European market through a new sales representative, Waldemar Gollan.
Lenel Systems International and Guardall Ltd. are consolidating into Lenel Systems International. Both are UTC Fire & Security companies.
Hypercom; Ingenico, S.A.; and VeriFone have formed the Secure POS Vendor Alliance to implement common payment security standards.
Speco Technologies has released a new video catalog.
Telos opened a new secure networking laboratory and training center in Ashburn, Virginia.
ASIS NEWS
Phillips to Speak During CSO Roundtable Track
Capt. Richard Phillips, who last April became entangled in an extraordinary international drama when he was captured by Somali pirates, will be the keynote speaker for the CSO Roundtable track at the ASIS 55th Annual Seminar and Exhibits to be held September 21-24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The address, at 11 a.m. to 12 noon on Monday, September 21, is by invitation only. During the presentation, Phillips will tell the compelling firsthand story of his actions to save his crew and the ship.
Phillips was in charge of the Maersk Alabama, the first U.S.-flagged ship to be hijacked in more than 200 years. Four Somali pirates hijacked the vessel about 240 miles off the Somali coast. The Maersk Alabama had a crew of 21 and was carrying about 17,000 tons of cargo. After the hijacking, the crew quickly retook the ship, but Phillips gave himself over as a hostage to ensure the complete withdrawal of the pirates from the vessel.
A stand-off resulted between the pirates, with Phillips as their prisoner, in a rubber lifeboat, and the military ship, the USS Bainbridge, which had arrived on the scene to assist. It was not until days later that Phillips was rescued, after a protracted series of failed negotiations, escape attempts, and hostile action.
The CSO Roundtable is an ASIS invitation-only group of top security executives from the world’s largest companies. The CSO track, with 10 sessions, targets the specific needs and concerns of chief security officers and their top deputies. Sessions will cover such topics as information protection, terrorism, pandemic planning, and leadership during a crisis.
Computer-based Testing Expanded
As of July 1, ASIS International is expanding the administration of computer-based testing (CBT) to 32 locations outside the United States and Canada. International candidates for ASIS board certification previously had access only to paper-and-pencil exams.
International security practitioners approved by ASIS to take the examinations for the Certified Protection Professional® (CPP), the Professional Certified Investigator ® (PCI) and the Physical Security Professional® (PSP) credentials may visitwww.prometric.com/asis/default. The site will allow candidates to identify test locations and to schedule test dates in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia/Oceania. A link to frequently asked questions is also provided as a resource.
“As ASIS looks to enhance its certification, education and networking opportunities globally, the conversion to CBT in countries throughout the world is a natural progression,” says Darryl R. Branham, CPP, president of the ASIS Professional Certification Board.
Nearly 2,000 candidates take the CPP, PCI, and PSP exams each year. Paper-and-pencil exams will continue for seven sites where CBT is currently unavailable—Ecuador, Jamaica, New Zealand, Panama, Qatar, Sweden, and Trinidad and Tobago. CBT has been available in the United States and Canada since 1998.
For more information on ASIS certification, visit the Society’s Web site atwww.asisonline.org.
