​GSX Program Unveiled

In April, ASIS revealed a jampacked education lineup for Global Security Exchange (GSX), formerly the ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits. Featuring a record 300-plus sessions led by subject matter experts from ASIS, InfraGard, and Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), the education covers the most pressing issues facing security professionals today.

The learning covers a diverse range of topics from "Security for Events and Mass Gatherings" and "Digital Data in the Age of Breaches and Theft" to "Selling Security Requirements to the C-Suite."

Building on the exciting changes launched in 2017, the sessions will be delivered in more modern formats including immersive small group workshops, deep dives, and simulation formats, as well as traditional lectures and panels.

"With the different tracks GSX offers, it allows you to really hone in on the areas you're interested in," says longtime attendee Brian Reich, CPP, senior vice president and head of global security and investigations, TD Bank. "There are so many options and learning levels that it allows practitioners at every stage of their career to focus in on specific areas of interest and learn something new to better their organization. Combine that with walking around the show floor, and you have new insight into the products and services you're looking for."

The education continues beyond the classroom. In addition to Career Center and Impact Learning Sessions held directly on the show floor, the GSX exhibit hall doubles as a learning lab environment. Demonstrating innovation in action, more than 550 of the industry's leading solutions providers will showcase new and emerging technologies, such as immersive reality, machine learning, robotics, and drones. In addition, three interactive learning theaters will feature a series of fast-paced presentations that focus on the past (lessons learned), the present (threat analysis, best practices, and benchmarking), and the future (anticipating what's to come).

GSX takes place September 23-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Save up to $200 on the All-Access Pass when you register before June 29. For the complete list of sessions and to view registration packages, visit GSX.org.​

WILL I SEE YOU THERE?

A personal perspective on GSX18

By Jeffrey A. Slotnick, CPP, PSP

"Global Security Exchange (GSX) is coming soon to Las Vegas. Will I see you there?" An interesting question that I often receive from colleagues. I attended my first annual event in 2003 and I have not missed one since. "Why?" you might ask. What motivates me to make the financial investment to attend year after year?

Simply, it is the personal and professional relationships that continue to grow. It is the new products on the show floor, the great conversations as I travel from one event to the other, the keynote speakers who always motivate me to do better, and the fun! It's a lot of fun!

But let's take a deeper dive. I have made long-lasting friendships with colleagues from all over the world. I have come to know some of the most knowledgeable and influential people in the industry—who provide perspective from Africa, Central America, South America, the Middle East, and Europe. I do not need to know everything, I just need to know someone who knows what I need. At GSX, I get to confer with 20,000 or more colleagues. Many of these friendships have also led to business because we all want to do business with someone we know and trust.

I know the vendors of products I use and recommend for my clients. Some of my vendor contacts are relationships I first made in 2003 on the show floor or in a training session or coffee break, and they now work at the executive level in their organization. Now, if I need to know about a product or a new offering, I can simply call the person who is the subject matter expert on that product and receive direct information from design engineers, or even the company's vice president.

Fun! Did I mention fun? The President's Reception, professional lounges, Foundation activities, golfing, motorcycles, cigars with friends, vendor events, and, yes, the occasional adult beverage.

So, this is my personal perspective and why I continue to invest in GSX year after year. My budget does not allow me to attend every industry conference. I get the most out of my investment at GSX, from educational opportunities, vendor information, professional development, and friendships. I find it all in one place for five very intense days—and I always return motivated, optimistic, happy, and occasionally with a new project.

Please feel free to reach out to me on the ASIS Connects community platform to continue the conversation.​

WHITE PAPERS

Two councils published white papers in the first half of 2018—the Information Technology Security Council's Security on the Internet of Things: An ESRM Perspective and the Cultural Properties Council's Hostile Surveillance Detection for Houses of Worship.

Internet of Things: An ESRM Perspective

The idea behind the Internet of Things (IoT) is that we have come to expect our technology to be readily accessible from anywhere via any interface we choose. We want to start our cars from our phone, lock our front door from our computer, or turn on the crockpot from a tablet. To do that, all those devices must be able to communicate with us, with the outside world, and with each other.

According to the paper, the IoT brings a new level of mobile management to every aspect of consumer and business activities. However, it also provides convenient access for criminals who want to exploit those things. "More access points provide more opportunities for attackers to get in. More communication provides more online traffic to siphon information from. More control provides more ability to hijack that control."

Surveillance Detection for Houses of Worship

Terrorists often gather significant pieces of information from open sources such as Google Maps and social media postings. They collect a lot of data about their target of interest and eventually they will conduct physical surveillance. Physical surveillance allows them to study the location, focusing on how they will attack, how they will escape, when the attack will create the most devastation, and what form of attack will be most effective.

So, how do you know if someone is watching your facility?

This paper provides tips on what to look for and actionable steps to take to identify and counter surveillance detection of a facility. Although the practices are tailored to houses of worship, the document serves as a valuable guide for all facilities, especially soft targets, that are trying to understand, identify, and mitigate hostile surveillance.

Both white papers can be found on the ASIS website. Search "Understanding IoT" and "Hostile Surveillance."

ASIS EUROPE 2018

Rotterdam, The Netherlands, was the site of ASIS Europe 2018, held April 18-20. Themed "Blurred Boundaries—Clear Risks," the conference drew 775 registrants from 52 countries for two days of networking, exploring the exhibit floor, and sampling the 70 educational sessions that discussed issues facing security professionals today and tomorrow.

Attendees navigated a broad sweep of risks—from the malicious use of the latest emerging technologies to the dangers of low-tech attacks, particularly on soft targets in public spaces. Other topics included the human factor and the insider threat, and ever-present responsibilities like travel risk management and duty of care.

Two featured speakers—Tom Raftery, global vice president, futurist, and innovation evangelist at SAP, and Scott Klososky, founding partner at Future Point of View—examined the security landscape of our connected, digital future.

"Terms like Internet of Things and connected devices will soon disappear, because everything being connected will simply become the new normal," says Eduard Emde, CPP, ASIS Europe 2018 conference chair. "We heard that technology is very much the jugular vein of organizations, confirming that for security practitioners, the bottom line is that enterprise security risk management approaches—which cover the full sweep of human, cyber, and physical assets—are essential for supporting our organizations through partnerships and shared strategic objectives."

On the exhibit floor, innovations ranged from the latest integrated access control and surveillance technology to self-learning cyber defenses and mass communications platforms. Knowledge-driven solutions were also strongly represented, from intelligence and risk analysis to executive protection and workforce training programs.

ASIS Europe 2019 will take place in Rotterdam March 27-29, 2019. Visit www.asiseurope.org to learn more.

CPP STUDY MANUAL

ASIS has begun to develop a new study manual for the Certified Protection Professional® (CPP) exam.

The Society has received a significant amount of feedback relating to the recommended reading materials and the need for content organized in a way that better supports the certification domains. ASIS recognizes the need to address this gap and to provide security practitioners with the tools necessary to facilitate exam preparations and promote professional development and advancement. The project is led by volunteers and staff and launched in May with a call for experts. Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.

ASIS TV

ASIS is partnering with Chuck Harold of Security Guy Radio/TV to livestream interviews with ASIS members and industry thought leaders throughout 2018, expanding content delivered on ASIS TV via the ASIS Livestream channel. Harold will further showcase member expertise by representing ASIS at select industry tradeshows across the United States.

"Chuck Harold has decades of security experience and has built a reputation for helping security professionals across the globe make more informed decisions," says Ron Rosenbaum, ASIS chief global marketing and business development officer. "This partnership is an exciting step forward for ASIS as we diversify how we provide information and resources to the profession. These ASIS TV broadcasts offer expanded access to security best practices, engage new audiences, and ensure that industry professionals are able to stay ahead of the security curve."

In 2018, Harold will broadcast on behalf of ASIS TV from Black Hat USA this August and will conduct interviews from the ASIS booth at the IACP Conference. ASIS TV coverage at Global Security Exchange (GSX) will include livestreaming from the expo floor, key education sessions, and networking events throughout the week.

"This is a terrific opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of our industry—the career paths, subject matter expertise, as well as the technical and service innovations that help protect our people, property and information assets," says Harold. "I am excited, honored, and proud to partner with ASIS, and look forward to engaging with the industry in this new capacity."

View security expert videos at asisonline.org/ASISTV.​

ASIS LIFE MEMBERS

ASIS congratulates Cheryl D. Elliott, CPP, PCI; James B. Princehorn, CPP; and Harvey M. Stevens, CPP, who have been granted lifetime membership to ASIS.

Elliott has been a dedicated member of ASIS and the Greater Atlanta Chapter for 20 years. She served on the Professional Certification Board for many of those years, and she is now a member of the Investigations Standards Committee.

Princehorn, an ASIS member for 28 years, is a member of the Fire and Life Safety Council. He also served the Rochester, New York Chapter as chapter chair and in other leadership positions. Princehorn has also volunteered as a regional vice president, assistant regional vice president, and member of the Awards Committee.

Stevens served ASIS many years as a member of the Physical Security Council. He spoke at 10 ASIS educational programs during his 32 years as an ASIS member and a member of the New York City Chapter. ​

 Member Book Review

Security Surveillance Centers: Design, Implementation, and Operation

By Anthony V. DiSalvatore, CPP, PCI, PSP. CRC Press; crcpress.com; 204 pages; $79.95.

Author Anthony V. DiSalvatore believes that the particular topic of surveillance centers has not gotten the attention it deserves. In Security Surveillance Centers: Design, Implementation, and Operation, he creates a complete resource on the subject in a compact, easy-to-understand format.

The author offers a history of security surveillance centers. In the beginning, they were usually divided into a security office proper and a monitoring room or dispatch center. For a variety of reasons, among them economics, safety issues, and synergy, they have largely become one. Two points of value emerge in combining them: the economics of avoiding redundancy in the security department and the opportunity for professional development of the monitoring employees, who are given more responsibility and feel more important to the team.

DiSalvatore lays out exactly what is required for a security surveillance center so that it can be budgeted for accordingly. Among these budget items are design, installation, operation, technology requirements, maintenance, and replacement. He further explains who should be included in the creation of a surveillance center, such as the IT department to not only help develop the system but to partner with security to improve efficiency and trust.

Besides the budget, the center's incorporation into the overall security plan is important. Various duties, such as key control, monitoring alarms, organizing patrols, and other routine tasks must be accounted for. Managers must prioritize procedures to include what to monitor and how, evacuations, and even fire command, depending on the size and scope of the center. The author winds down with the addition of chapters on ethics, legal issues, auditing of the center, training, and policy. A relevant checklist of potential duties involving a center, test questions, a glossary, and types of forms complete the work.

Educational, relevant, and easy to understand, this book is a worthwhile read for any mid- to upper-level security manager as well as those who work in security design.

Reviewer: William F. Eardley IV, M.L.S. (Master of Liberal Studies), has 31 years of experience in security and corrections. He is a member of ASIS International.