Industry News March 2010
BUSINESS NEWS
As part of last year’s economic stimulus efforts, the U.S. Congress passed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which encourages the use of electronic medical records and creates additional security and privacy requirements for healthcare providers and their associates. Among the new provisions: business associates (such as billing, benefits, insurance, and legal services providers) are subject to higher standards than before.
While the act became effective in September, two surveys taken last summer found that many businesses affected by the act were still unprepared to comply. A study by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Analytics, commissioned by ID Experts, found that about one-third of business associates were not even aware that they were required to comply. Although 85 percent of hospital respondents said they would take action against business associates that don’t comply with the act, 39 percent of the business associates questioned didn’t know how hospitals would react.
Another survey, conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Crowe Horwath LLP, found that only 47 percent of healthcare providers and business associates believed they had the necessary resources to fully comply with HITECH, and 90 percent of respondents had experienced a breach during the previous two years. More than half said they had known deficiencies in data protection, while only 29 percent reported no deficiencies.
PARTNERSHIPS AND DEALS
Bancolombia is working with Actimize and Unisys Corporation to combat fraud in the bank.
Gerry Weber, a German fashion retailer, will use an Avery Dennison RFID solution to manage inventory and reduce theft.
CCTV and PA technologies from Bosch Security Systems are protecting the Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Squirealarms Limited designed and installed the wireless system.
BriefCam’s video synopsis technology is available in NiceVision products through a technology partnership with NICE Systems.
Brivo Systems LLC announced that its IP-based access control system is being used by Osgoode Properties in nine buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Double Vision oversaw the installation.
CIGNA has chosen an access control system from CA, Inc., to secure health information and corporate data.
CyberSource Ltd. has been selected to provide antifraud solutions for the call center operations of National Express Ltd.
An integrated physical and logical security solution from Diebold, Incorporated, is improving security for Ascend Federal Credit Union.
DigitalPersona, Inc., is providing U.are.U Fingerprint Readers to Valenti Management for use in 17 Chili’s restaurants.
Edwards Service, a division of Carter Brothers, LLC, installed a GE Security automatic fire detection and alarm system for Swissôtel Chicago.
Global Security Capital Group, LLC, has formed a strategic partnership with Threat Assessment Resources International, LLC, to provide investigative and intelligence services to professional sports enterprises.
The Pro-Watch security management system from Honeywell is being used to secure the administrative facilities at Kentucky’s Churchill Downs. Ready Electric Company, Inc., installed the system.
ICTS UK is securing the Marylebone Cricket Club with networked access control from Access Control Technology Ltd.
I.D. Systems, Inc., has announced that Nestle Water North America is implementing its vehicle management systems on industrial trucks at six U.S. plants.
Argus Solutions Ltd. has become the international agent in Australia for Intelli-M access control products from infinias, LLC. Innotech Cabling Solutions, Inc., will represent the company in Canada.
K2 Geospatial and Keeneo have signed a partnership agreement for distribution and support of Keeneo’s video analytics software.
OSS Inc. has contracted with Grubb & Ellis Management Services to provide security guard services at the Leader Building in Cleveland.
Feeling Software products are integrated in a range of Pelco IP-based cameras and encoders.
Clinton Electronics has become a vendor partner with the PSA Security Network.
Highland Spring LTD has contracted with Savi Networks to provide wireless monitoring for exported shipments of water.
SCM Microsystems and LEGIC Identsystems Ltd. have formed a strategic partnership to create new products that support integrated physical and logical access.
SightLogix will supply its outdoor surveillance camera solutions to British integrator Sphere Security for use in perimeter protection projects.
A hybrid surveillance system from Toshiba is protecting the Breakers Row condominium development in Palm Beach, Florida. CSI: Palm Beach designed and installed the system.
Union Bank, N.A., is using the Nextiva Financial IP Video solution from Verint Systems.
Vicon Industries Inc. has installed a network-based video surveillance and management system for Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
Champions Auto Ferry of Michigan is using intelligent security cameras from VideoIQ, which are powered by Piximimage-processing technology. The system was installed by Data Consultants.
Raytheon will resell the GateKeeper appliance from Xceedium as a complement to its SureView insider threat solution.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Falcon School District 49 in Colorado is using cameras from ACTi Corporation to protect its campuses.
The Highway Department of Smithtown, New York, has deployed Axis Communications network cameras with the help of A+ Technology Solutions.
Frederick Gough School in North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, is using a Web content filtering appliance from Bloxx.
Distributor VizioCam and integrator XVR created a CCTV solution for the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, using Samsung Techwin cameras and housings from Conway Security Products.
Bergelectric chose GE Security’s life safety platform to protect the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Beacon Apartments in San Diego.
Gemalto delivered national ID cards to Kuwait through an agreement with Al-Kharafi, prime contractor for the card program.
An IndigoVision surveillance system is helping police in Flic en Flac, Mauritius, monitor and protect its public areas. Brinks Mauritius designed and installed the solution.
A video management system and cameras from March Networks will protect the Vidhan Sabha government building in Uttar Pradesh, India. The solution is part of a security management system implemented by Elkosta Security Systems India.
The Denmark Ministry of Defense has chosen NABCO to provide capabilities for containing and mitigating biological, chemical, and other threats.
The AEOS security management system from Nedap is being used at Lamaka International Airport and Paphos International Airport in Cyprus.
Sysec Security Group was chosen by Siemens Enterprise Communicationsto provide identity and access management solutions and services throughout the United Kingdom as part of a National Police Improvement Agency project.
TiER1 Performance Solutions will develop a training system for the U.S. Air Force to teach military supervisors to recognize potential insider threats.
AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Accurate Background, Inc., was recognized as a Top Screening Provider by HRO Today magazine.
China Information Security Technology, Inc., was ranked by Deloitte among the “Technology Fast 50” for China, rating it the 15th fastest growing company.
Codebench was recognized with a Government Security News (GSN) Homeland Security Award for having the top HSDP-12/FIPS 201 solution.
Secure Zone from Future Fibre Technologies was named Best Perimeter Protection Product (excluding video) by GSN.
Hawk Security Services was ranked as one of the top 100 places to work in the Dallas/Fort Worth region by The Dallas Morning News.
IndigoVision won the Security Manufacturer of the Year award at the Security Excellence Awards in London.
Johnson Controls was named the 2009 SDM Systems Integrator of the Year.
Pre-Employ.com was ranked in HRO Today’s 2009 “Baker’s Dozen” for quality service and customer satisfaction.
TimeSight Systems received an investment from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to continue innovation in security and surveillance.
Universal Safety Response won the GSN Homeland Security Award for Best Crash Barriers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
AGT International has launched a new corporate Web site atwww.agtinternational.com.
Andrews International has agreed to acquire Verasys LLC.
Avigilon contributed high-definition surveillance equipment to the University of British Columbia for use in a research project.
Cothron Security Solutions donated security equipment and services to Animal Trustees of Austin following recent vandalism incidents.
Federal Signal Corporation has sold its industrial lighting subsidiary, Pauluhn, to Cooper Industries Plc.
G4S has acquired Adesta LLC and Adesta LP.
HireRight has acquired National Diagnostics, Inc., a drug test and physical exam provider.
Ingram Micro Inc. has launched a new Physical Security Division with headquarters in Santa Ana, California.
IPC International rebranded its U.K. operations as IPC Security.
Lockheed Martin has formed the Lockheed Martin Cyber Security Alliance with other leading technology providers to collaborate on early threat detection and other challenges. The alliance includes APC by Schneider Electric, CA, Cisco, Dell, EMC Corporation, HP, Intel, Juniper Networks, McAfee, Microsoft, NetApp, Symantec, and VMware.
Securitas has entered the security services market in Morocco with the purchase of 75 percent of shares in GMCE Gardiennage. The company has also acquired Ferssa Group in France.
TranSystems and Aegis Security Design have merged.
United Technologies Corp. has agreed to purchase the GE Security business from GE.
Wausau Window and Wall Systems has updated content and expanded its downloadable resources on its Web site atwww.wausauwindow.com.
ASIS NEWS
CSO Roundtable Meets in Dubai
Chief Security Officers from around the world gathered in Dubai on December 6 for a half day of sessions that covered security in post-conflict zones and fragile states, security concerns particular to the Mideast, and security viewed in terms of risk and resiliency. The event, hosted by CSO Roundtable Advisory Board Member Mark Hargraves, was held in conjunction with the 1st ASIS International Middle East Conference.
Peter Gallant, CSO of the World Bank, presented a keynote on his employer’s farflung activities in sensitive and developing areas around the world and the concomitant security responsibilities. With the World Bank doing business out of 200 facilities in 120 countries, it is finding that risk is rampant and rising. Gallant pointed out, for example, that a study by The Economist indicated that the extra security cost of doing business in Algeria in 2000 was 8 percent to 9 percent, while security expenses added 6 percent to business costs in Colombia. In the past decade, those numbers have “doubled or tripled,” Gallant said.
Gallant also addressed questions from attendees about interacting with national intelligence agencies, maintaining business continuity in peacetime situations, and keeping track of the bank’s many travelers. Gallant concluded with a mini case study of World Bank operations in Kabul, Afghanistan, where the bank controls $5.6 billion in reconstruction funds. In this environment, “the corporation becomes the family,” Gallant said. “The key is supporting your staff. Can they take the environment? Will families cope?”
Support to staff comes in many forms, he said, such as medical assistance, psychological care, and lifestyle needs.
The global nature of the keynote reflected the multiple nationalities of the CSOs on hand. They hailed from China, Egypt, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The panel on security concerns particular to the Middle East featured Walied Shater, director of security/MENA of ConocoPhillips in Qatar; Samir Raslan, former security chief for Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia; and Vice President of corporate Security Alex de Alvarez of Apache Corporation, which has large oil exploration operations in Egypt. Raslan stressed the importance of rumor control in the region, while de Alvarez discussed vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.
Moderator Mike Bouchard, CPP, CSO of EOD Technology, a company with extensive operations in Afghanistan, wrapped up by emphasizing that companies often fail to recognize the various cultures in the Middle East. There is no “one size fits all” solution to dealing with personnel, Bouchard said. He also pointed out that Middle Easterners and Westerners often disagree widely on what constitutes a substantial risk.
Discussing security in terms of resilience and risk, Tim McNulty, security/investigations manager of JPMorgan Chase Bank (UK) spoke about his company’s tactical plans to mitigate risk, while Director of Risk Management Simon Hoyle of retailer Majid Al-Futtaim Group (UAE), which owns the indoor ski slope in Dubai and other retail properties, explained how his department helps identify and accomplish the corporation’s business objectives in the Middle East market.
One of the attendees at the CSO program, Mohammed Al-Zahrani, delivered a closing-day keynote for the ASIS Middle East Conference. Al-Zahrani, executive director of safety and industrial security for Saudi Aramco, fascinated attendees with his description of Saudi Aramco’s multilayered security programming, which includes two full years of training for staff.
CRISP Report on Burglary Prevention Released
The ASIS International Foundation, Inc., has released a Connecting Research in Security to Practice (CRISP) report: Preventing Burglary in Commercial and Institutional Settings: A Place Management and Partnerships Approach. The report, written by Tim Prenzler, Ph.D., explains how to assess, manage, and respond to burglaries that occur at commercial and industrial sites.
According to the report, burglary accounts for a significant component of all crime. Despite evidence that burglary rates declined in many countries during the past decade, the prevalence of burglary remains high, and in any one year, burglary can affect as many as one-third of nonresidential premises in many jurisdictions.
“This CRISP Report looks at the context in which burglaries occur and includes a consideration of the burglar’s approach,” says Martin Gill, chair of the ASIS Research Council. “Dr. Prenzler examines a range of solutions, which aim to make it more difficult for would-be offenders, particularly in the workplace, and he shows where security managers can have an impact.”
“Research shows that large reductions can be achieved in burglary incidents and losses through interventions that are often simple and cost-effective,” Prenzler finds. Nevertheless, he says, a large portion of the owners and managers of facilities are reluctant to invest in security. The report finds that burglary prevention should be integrated within a wider “place management” approach to facilities management.
“Those charged with preventing burglary at commercial and institutional settings now have a source of information which connects research to practice to guide them in their prevention strategies,” Gill states.
The CRISP series provides insight into how different types of security issues can be tackled effectively. Drawing on research and evidence from around the world, the reports summarize the prevailing knowledge about a specific aspect of security and recommend proven approaches to counter the threat.
To obtain a download of the report, visit the ASIS Foundation section of the Society’s Web site,www.asisonline.org.
