ReliantSecurity Blog » Reliant Security Washington

“Smart Dust” Will Revolutionize Security Monitoring

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:14:24 +0000

The first steps towards building a "Central Nervous System for the Earth" are about to be taken by Hewlett-Packard (HP) according to a recent article on CNN.

See the article here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/03/smart.dust.sensors/index.html

The concept for an easily distributable system of rice sized sensors is attributed to the thinking of UC Berkley computer scientist, Kris Pister. Pister imagined these sensors, which he named "smart dust," would eventually be sprinkled across the globe to provide real-time monitoring of everything from traffic to ecosystem health.

An HP researcher has announced plans to distribute 1 million sensors over six square miles to aid Royal Dutch Shell in oil exploration by monitoring rock vibrations and movement.

The HP sensors are about the size of a matchbook and are encased in an enclosure the size of an old VHS tape. That is bigger than a grain of rice but we all remember what the first cell phones looked like, right? http://www.oaktreeent.com/web_photos/Telephones/SouthWestern_Bell_Motorola_Brick_Cell_phone_web.jpg

The article does not devote much time to the potential security monitoring applications of this technology but the possibilities are endless. Rather than waiting for a motion detection system to detect someone who has already entered a building, a company could deploy sensors (with cameras) that would observe a person's movements from the moment they walked onto the campus.

One can easily imagine what a boon this could be to the security monitoring industry. In the future, in addition to dispatching guards to investigate unusual vibrations along the fence line, the central station might also dispatch maintenance based on an alarm that tells them that the flowers need watering.

Reliant Security provides real-time security solutions to clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

TSA Announces Move to Intelligence Based Screening

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:48:04 +0000

Following the failed attempt to blow up a Detroit bound jetliner on Christmas day 2009, the TSA imposed tighter security on passengers from 14 specific countries. This policy was controversial as it subjected many innocent people to increased scrutiny solely because they were born or resided in a county on this list. In addition, a large amount of time and resources were being expended to screen people who posed no risk.

On April 2nd, 2009, TSA announced that it was moving to a new screening policy based on "intelligence." Now, according to an article at chameleonassociates.com, rather than just looking at a person's country of origin, additional passenger information will be considered such as, "their travel patterns, whether their ticket was paid for in cash, what stops they may be making in their journey, if they are traveling alone, and other behavioral data." Intelligence based screening is widely considered to be the most efficient, non-biased, common-sense screening policy. The difficulty comes in constantly training, monitoring and re-training TSA Officers to maintain the skill set needed to identify and address passengers who pose a potential threat.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Government Liaison, Alejandro Beutel, hailed the new policy as, "a significant leap in the right direction."

The policy shift has been widely praised. Only time will tell whether TSA can implement it effectively.

You can see further articles on the topic here:

http://www.chameleonassociates.com/blog/2010/04/intelligence-based-screening-and-intelligent-screening/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040204131.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/us/02terror.html?hp

Reliant Security provides security and screening services to clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Do Security Services Produce a Return on Investment?

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:56:26 +0000

Security Guard Services have traditionally been considered a cost-of-business that did not produce a return on investment (ROI). Business must spend money to keep from losing more money, or so the thinking goes. A recent article in Buildings.com shows how creative property managers are reconsidering this idea and discovering that security services really can produce a measurable return.

See the article, "Making Security Pay" here: http://www.buildings.com/Default.aspx?TabId=3413&ArticleID=9526

The first way that security services can produce a ROI is by lowering general liability exposure for property owners according to Joe Marcello, Executive Vice President of National Operations for IPC International Corp. This translates into fewer claims and lower insurance premiums.

Patrol officers whose job is to prevent and report damage and vandalism can also by tasked with turning off lights, turning down heat and air conditioning after hours and performing other basic maintenance tasks. Leveraging the money already being spent on security services may achieve savings in other departments like maintenance and reception.

Security officers often provide concierge services in Class-A office buildings. In addition to providing security escorts, officers hand out fliers and applications, make appointments and reservations and screen visitors for business tenants. Building managers understand that a higher level of value-added services leads to higher rents and occupancy rates in

competitive markets.

Another highly effective method for maximizing returns on security is to install cameras, card readers and other technical systems to automate security functions. These technologies allow companies to reduce the number of guard patrols without compromising the security of the facility.

In retail, manufacturing and distribution businesses, security services produce a return by preventing damage, loss and shrink. Commercial property managers are learning that security services can produce a clear return on investment for their businesses as well by thinking outside the box, utilizing technology and expanding the scope of the guard services.

Reliant Security provides value-added security services and technology solutions to clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Eight Criteria to Consider Before Purchasing a Biometric TWIC Reader

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:36:43 +0000

L-1 Identity Solutions (www.l1id.com) released an interesting White Paper outlining eight things to consider before purchasing a biometric TWIC reader.

You can request a copy of the White Paper here: http://www.l1id.com/forms/product_info_request

Here is a summary of the eight criteria to consider:

1) "Throughput" - Ports are busy places often with hundreds of vehicles entering and exiting daily. Biometric readers must be able to read TWIC's quickly and reliably. Long delays and equipment breakdowns can cost terminal operators thousands of dollars in lost productivity.

2) "Resilience" - Every component of a TWIC reader is a potential bottleneck or single point of failure. Every piece must be reliable including the enclosure casing, the electronics, the network capabilities, and the weather resistance. Will your reader function at negative 25 degrees or at 120 degrees? It should.

3) "Ruggedness" - Don't rely simply on IP rating which only state the enclosure's ability to withstand water. The components inside the enclosure that need to continue working smoothly in extreme weather, rain and snow.

4) "Multiple Authentication Mode Capability" - The selected reader needs to function appropriately at all MARSEC levels. Therefore the reader must be able to positively identify persons based on biometrics, photo identification and pin numbers or a combination.

5) "Flexible Workflow" - Readers must be able to accommodate the current business process as much as possible. Terminal operators do not want to completely upend their current access control procedures. TWIC readers must be flexible when integrating into current Physical Access Control Systems (PACS).

6) "Offline Operations" - TWIC readers need to be able to check access against the Credential Revocation List (CRL) and the TSA "Hotlist." What if the wider internet network is down due to issues with TSA servers. Only readers that can download and internally store copies of the necessary checklists will be able to function when the network is down.

7) "Wireless Capabilities" - In order to be cost effectively deployed at remote gates and locations, TWIC readers must have robust and secure wireless connectivity.

8 ) "Biometric Leverage" - Port security is complex, expensive and time consuming. Security managers can make it less so by leveraging the TWIC biometric and making this information the standard for all biometric identifiers that are being used at a facility.

While the L1 White Paper is primarily a marketing piece for their TWIC reader technologies, it raises a number of serious issues that security managers must consider in order to deploy this cutting edge technology efficiently and effectively.

Reliant Security monitors the latest security technologies and trends and provides up to date solutions for clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

House Passes Cybersecurity Enhancement Act

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:12:18 +0000

On Thursday the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Cybersecurity Enhancement Act.

See the AFP article here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRMjda7dUrbt8_XlVUWSB4Dmr01w

The bill increases funding for cybersecurity research and a public awareness campaign. The bill allocates 400 million dollars for security related grants through the National Science Foundation and seeks to increase cooperation between research universities and government agencies charged with protecting networks that are critical to the nation.

As businesses and government agencies become more dependent on the internet to conduct business, the risks of hacking, data theft and network disruptions are growing.

Following passage of the bill, Oregon Democratic Representative, David Wu, said that, "Securing cyberspace is vitally important to both our safety and our national economy. We cannot stand by and let the most powerful tool for connecting Americans with each other and the world remain the Wild West of technology."

Reliant Security provides the latest security solutions for clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Cybercrooks Targeting Small Businesses That Bank Online

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:03:35 +0000

The FBI and the American Bankers Association recently warned small businesses about the potential perils of online banking. According to an article in USA Today, "Cybergangs have inundated the Internet with 'banking Trojans' — malicious programs that enable them to surreptitiously access and manipulate online accounts." Read the full article here: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2009-12-30-cybercrime-small-business-online-banking_N.htm

Due to the proliferation of banking Trojans on the internet, experts recommend that small businesses dedicate a pc exclusively for Internet banking which does not otherwise access the internet or email.

The risks for business are particularly acute as they do not enjoy the same banking protections as consumers. Depending on how a fradulent transfer was initiated and when it was detected, businesses may not be able to recover all of their losses and banks may not be obligated to make them whole.

Security managers must constantly update their electronic defenses and continually educate their users to stay one step ahead of the thieves and avoid becoming the next corporate victim of online bank fraud.

Reliant Security provides current security solutions for clients throughout the western United States.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Common Passwords Make Internet Accounts Vulnerable

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:22:08 +0000

The New York Times recently published an interesting article in the wake of the release of 32 million passwords that a hacker posted online after stealing them from software company RockYou. See the article here showing the 32 most common passwords: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/21password.html

Some of the most common passwords found were, "12345, 123456, iloveyou, and the word "password." In the age of automated hacking tools that can "guess" thousands of passwords per minute, these common simple passwords leave you accounts at risk. Once your account has been compromised not only can hackers access your private data but they can use your ID for phishing campaigns against everyone in your contact list which can be very embarrassing and damaging to your reputation and that of your company.

Some best practices for passwords are:

1) Use multiple passwords

2) Don't use common identifiers like your initials and date of birth

3) Make your passwords longer

4) Use a mix of letters and numbers upper and lowercase

It is a hassle to remember multiple passwords but it is an even bigger hassle to explain to all your contacts that your email was hacked and that you didn't really intent to send them that email about how much money they can make from Google by posting links from home and taking online surveys.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Outdoor Video Security: Success Factors

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:20:47 +0000

Sightlogix recently produced an interesting white paper on outdoor video security: http://www.sightlogix.com/pdfs/WP_Automated_Outdoor_Video_SightLogix.pdf

Although the white paper is primarily a marketing piece for Sightlogix, it highlights some common problems that security departments experience when managing outdoor video cameras, and proposes some interesting technological fixes.

Overall the paper presents some very good information for purchasers to consider when attempting to evaluate competing technologies on factors other than simply price.

The problems with outdoor video cameras:

1) False alarms - poorly deployed cameras and motion detection systems have a tendency to issue false alarms based on windy conditions, traffic vibrations and weather.

2) Camera malfunctions - cameras break and need repairs due to temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust & sand

3) Missed events - this can be due to poor placement, poor image quality, poor lighting, etc.

4) Lack of information - due to limited camera information, first responders may not be able to detect the cause of the initial alerts

5) High costs - repeated false alarms and constant maintenance are an inefficent use of security resources

The (sightlogix) solutions:

1) Eliminate False Alarms - Filters reduce the number of false alarms caused by weather conditions and moving foliage. Cameras self-adjust to changing light conditions and set rules for reporting based on object movement and speed.

2) Provide a clear picture to operators - Cameras provide a highly detailed view to allow operators to quickly and easily recognize object images.

3) Accurately report target locations - Cameras report GPS coordinates and display the intruders' location on a topology map.

4) Contain costs - superior environmental design allows for lower maintenance and a greater sensor range allows for the deployment of fewer cameras.

Reliant Security works with our systems integration partners to design, deploy and operate the most current and cost effective security solutions in the industry.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net

www.reliantsecurity.net

Washington State Continues to Issue Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:00:09 +0000

The recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security to delay the compliance date for Real ID Act to May 2011 (http://www.govtech.com/gt/735010?topic=117688) has highlighted the fact that Washington State does not require proof of legal residency when issue driver's licenses. KNDO News reports that Washington is one of only four states that does not require proof of legal status.

See the report here: http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=11720475

The Washington State policy underscores the need for security contractors and all employers in Washington State to conduct thorough background investigations on all potential employees to make sure that they are legally qualified to work in the US.

Reliant Security monitors the latest industry trends and changes in the legal environment in order to provide our customers with the information needed to adhere to current best practices.

Sincerely,

Matthew Cooper, CPP

Reliant Security

503.452.1050

info@reliantsecurity.net