​BUSINESS NEWS

Medical identity theft is what happens when personal information—such as names, Social Security numbers, and personal information—are stolen or loaned to unauthorized individuals to obtain medical care, buy drugs, or submit fake billings to Medicare or insurance companies. As a result, credit ratings can be damaged, taxpayer and insurance funds can be misappropriated, and potentially life-threatening misinformation can show up in medical records.

The Medical Identity Fraud Alliance (MIFA) is a new public-private partnership that aims to unite all stakeholders in combating this problem. It will develop best practices, solutions, and technologies to prevent, detect, and remediate medical identity theft and fraud.

With support from ID Experts, MIFA sponsored the 2013 Survey on Medical Identity Theft from the Ponemon Institute. The report found that medical identity theft affects about 1.84 million people in the United States and costs about $12 billion. That’s up about 20 percent over the previous year. Readers can request the survey from MIFA via “Beyond Print” at securitymanagement.com.

MIFA has recommendations for protecting medical information, including reviewing explanations of benefits from insurance companies and Medicare and protecting insurance cards and paperwork. The group also suggests that consumers review their credit reports annually. More tips are available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

PARTNERSHIPS AND DEALS

Alert Logic and Kroll have formed a strategic alliance to help businesses identify, respond to, and recover from data breaches and other incidents.

AMG Systems cameras will be integrated into Luxriot’s video management solution under a new strategic technology partnership.

The Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group has chosen the Amika Mobility Server platform from Amika Mobile for a project to provide collaborative communications in emergencies.

ARES Security Corporation is collaborating with Bohemia Interactive Simulations to enhance its risk assessment solution.

PNY has deployed a surveillance system from Avigilon to monitor its warehouse and assess employee efficiency.

Compro Technology Inc. has completed an integration with ASUSTOR Inc. to make Compro’s cameras compatible with ASUSTOR surveillance solutions.

FST21 and OnSSI have formed a technology partnership to deliver an advanced access control solution.

Implant Sciences Corporation is supplying its desktop explosives trace detector to R&M Trucking.

Randon Group has selected IndigoVision to provide an IP video security solution for its assembly plant in Guarulhos, Brazil.

Spindler installed an IP video surveillance solution from IQinVision at the Calypso mixed-use housing development in the Netherlands. Xserius is the distribution company for the project.

Logic Supply is providing a hardware platform for Milestone XProtect video management software.

Hideaway Pizza in Oklahoma has selected video surveillance from March Networks to improve loss prevention and increase profitability.

The security management platform from Nedap has been selected by EE, a digital communications company, to provide access control.

Oncam Grandeye has formed an integration partnership with Genetec, Inc., to provide intelligent 360-degree surveillance.
 
Gulf Coast State College in Florida has installed the Help Alert Staff Duress Solution from RF Technologies to protect staff.

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies has been approved as a Silver partner in the Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program.

TagMaster North America, Inc., and Dice Corporation have integrated their IP-based solutions so clients can offer a parking control system that can be monitored and managed.

Video Mount Products has appointed KLM Marketing as its new representative for the mid-Atlantic region.

Winsted Corporation will be represented in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Caribbean by iDeal SecuriTech.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Applied Research Associates developed a training course for the U.S. Air Force on dealing with weapons of mass destruction and survival skills.

Artec Group has provided a facial recognition system to the International Airport at Sochi, Russia. Elektronika, LLC, developed and implemented the security system.

Grandview Middle School in Washington State is using a location-aware safety alerting solution and wireless panic buttons from Ekahau Inc.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has awarded a contract to Global Technical Systems for ultra-light aircraft detection systems.

The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency has selected the vehicle management system from I.D. Systems, Inc., for use in a pilot project at Robins Air Force Base. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences facilitated the contract.

Innometriks Rhino biometric readers featuring Lumidigm fingerprint sensors are deployed across Baltimore Washington International Airport.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) has upgraded its fingerprint system and installed the Morpho Biometric Identification Solution from MorphoTrak.

NICE Systems and UNICOM Government, Inc., are partnering to provide a runway incursion-detection solution for Miami International Airport.

Vimicro Electronics Corporation will provide a surveillance video and audio coding technology solution to Ziyang City, China, in cooperation with China Unicom.

Vision-Box has installed automated border control solutions at Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport in Estonia, Oslo Gardermoen Airport in Norway, and Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

WatchGuard Technologies announced that Walker County School District in Georgia has deployed its unified threat management platforms for security management.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ABnote announced that its Boston facility’s environmental management system has been certified as meeting ISO 14001:2004

Cross Match Technologies has donated biometric identity management hardware and software to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation for use in engineering instruction.

Barricades from Delta Scientific deployed at the U.S. Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, stopped two bomb-laden vehicles, saving American lives.

Discount Two-Way Radio has created a free guide to emergency planning for schools. It is available at discounttwo-wayradio.com/sepg.

Global Information Assurance Certification and representatives from critical infrastructure companies are collaborating to create professional standards for credentialing in cybersecurity for industrial control systems and critical infrastructure.

ISI Security Group is unifying its subsidiary companies and launching a new centralized Web site at isisecurity.com.

The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board, Tyco, and Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 organized the donation of a fire sprinkler valve to the Fire Science Technology program at Joliet Junior College.

RSA, the Security Division of EMC, released a new research report from the Security for Business Innovation Council. Transforming Information Security: Designing a State-of-the-Art Extended Team, is available at rsa.com.

SecuGen has applied for a patent for the development of more compact optical fingerprint readers.

Skyscape Cloud Services Limited has obtained ISO 20000 certification for its IT Service Management system following an assessment by LRQA. It has also become a certified global Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Advanced Partner.

Trend Micro has opened its new Global Operations Headquarters in Las Colinas, Texas.

Tri-Ed and Aditya Infotech Ltd., a security products distributor in India, have formed the International Alliance of Independent Security Distributors. They will be inviting key distributors from around the world to join the alliance.

Universal Protection Service has acquired the security division of The Budd Group.

ASIS NEWS

Foundation, University of Phoenix Release Talent Report
The ASIS Foundation and University of Phoenix released a report titled Enterprise Security Risks and Workforce Competencies: Findings from an Industry Roundtable on Security Talent Development at the ASIS International 59th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Chicago in September. In the report, security industry executives and educational leaders address a projected security talent shortage that is facing the $350 billion U.S. security industry by identifying the top security risks and workforce skills professionals will require of practitioners in the next five years. “Together with the University of Phoenix, we are identifying future risks, helping to prepare security professionals, and equipping them with the skills to develop mitigation plans and manage risks facing their organizations,” says John A. Petruzzi, Jr., CPP, president of the ASIS Foundation Board of Trustees. “Our work will help position the security industry to identify and resolve the ever-evolving challenges our members encounter on the job.”

The ASIS Foundation and University of Phoenix researchers conducted a scan of existing literature to identify current trends and issues in today’s security industry. The literature review provided context and supporting data for this report and provided the framework for the National Roundtable on Security Talent Development. The purpose of the roundtable was to identify the top risks the security industry would face in the next five years and to initiate discussion about standard competencies that security professionals would need to demonstrate to protect tomorrow’s enterprises.

Security executives and leaders from industry, higher education, and government provided their insights and recommendations, which are summarized in this report. As of press time, to complement the research conducted to date, the ASIS Foundation and University of Phoenix were planning to launch a research survey of ASIS members. The survey results will help to further define enterprise risks and security professional competencies.

To help address talent development needs, roundtable participants identified the following internal and external risks to enterprise-wide security, including: cybersecurity, mobile technology, globalization, crime, and natural disasters. The roundtable also recognized that the industry faces a number of challenges that inhibit practitioner success, including industry segmentation, an aging workforce, and the lack of standardized education and certifications.

“There is a critical need for more than just dialogue between the physical and informational sides of the security profession,” says Donald Fergus, chair of the ASIS Information Technology Security Council and senior vice president of professional services for Patriot Technologies, Inc., which provides IT security solutions and global logistics services. “There must be a blending of the two sides so that in 10 years the new security professional is fully experienced in both.”

“New workers entering the industry must have access to the education, mentorships, and continuous learning opportunities that will prepare them for successful careers,” says Kathy Lavinder, executive director, SI Placement.

The report details fundamental competencies security professionals must attain and consistently demonstrate, regardless of their work environment including: enterprise risk management, business and financial management, diverse leadership and communication skills, anticipatory and strategic thinking, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competencies and specialization.

“We should concentrate on competencies that are unique to security and bring a science-based approach to security education programs,” says Mary Lynn Garcia, CPP, former principal staff member, Sandia National Laboratories.

Key findings in the report were discussed with the CSO Roundtable in sessions during the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits. University of Phoenix senior director and Roundtable facilitator Jeff Greipp, J.D., reviewed the findings in a discussion with Apple Inc., cofounder Steve Wozniak, AlliedBarton CEO Bill Whitmore, and Apollo Group CIO Mike Sajor.

Key insights were also shared during another panel discussion that took place atthe ASIS event. In addition to the already mentioned Greipp and Lavinder, participants at that panel included Dr. Rae Hayward, senior manager, product development, (ISC)2; and Professor Norman Spain, J.D., of Eastern Kentucky University. The participants explored how best to address the risks and talent deficits. To help security leaders improve their talent development strategies, the panel also discussed the key skills that security professionals will need to demonstrate for career effectiveness, according to the research.

“We see a critical skills gap in the security industry workforce,” said Dr. Tim Welsh, senior vice president of the University of Phoenix Industry Strategy Group.

“Through our collaborations with industry association partners, we can continue to develop an industry-endorsed curriculum that creates successful career pathways,” adds James Ness, dean of the University of Phoenix College of Criminal Justice and Security.

Since the Seminar and Exhibits, the ASIS Foundation and University of Phoenix have continued to collaborate with the launch of a new research survey that will complement the security talent development report. The findings will focus on security risks and required workforce skills.

To read the full Roundtable report, visit www.phoenix.edu/ASIS2013report.