ADI Communications & CCTV UK News

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

6 Best Full-Frame DSLR Cameras 2016

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6 Best Boy's Dress Coats 2016

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6 Best Belt & Disc Combo Sanders 2016

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Poorest in society at greatest risk from residential fires, research reveals

People on the lowest incomes tend to be the most vulnerable to the risk of residential fires, research launched during Fire Door Safety Week has revealed.

Just a third (35%) of the lowest income households who rent flats say they have been given information about an emergency fire plan for the building in which they live, compared to 88% of tenants whose incomes exceed £100,000 a year.

The research, which surveyed 1,001 tenants living in flats, also identified an income-related gulf in terms of perception of risk. Only 27% of those with incomes of £25,000 or less feeling safe from fire, compared to 44% of those earning above £80,000.

Twenty-two percent of rented households in the lowest income bracket who expressed fire safety concerns felt unable to move for financial reasons.

A majority of tenants of all incomes (58%) were unaware of the identity of their building’s ‘responsible person’ – the person responsible for fire safety in a given building under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This figure rises above 70% for lower income tenants.

In more heartening news, 85% of all tenants living in blocks of flats with fire safety concerns have reported their concerns about fire safety.

If you see a problem, don’t walk past – that goes for doors that are wedged open, damaged or badly fitted. Report it to your building manager or landlord or to your local fire and rescue service.” Peter Holland CBE, Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser

“Fire safety in private and public sector rented housing, especially Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and older, less well maintained blocks of flats, continues to be a serious challenge,” says Hannah Mansell. “Yet these are often homes for the people with the fewest choices about where they live and the least opportunity to move.

“We frequently see fire doors in blocks of flats in a poor state of repair; fire doors that won’t close; fire doors that have been wedged open. This is, of course, just one aspect of fire safety in these buildings, but good fire doors are often a sign of good fire safety generally. We are urging all tenants to carry out a simple 5-step fire door check as a matter of urgency, and to report any concerns to the responsible person, most likely their landlord, straightaway.”

Fire Door Safety Week, which runs from 26 September to 2 October 2016, sets out to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in protecting property and saving lives and to stamp out bad practice. The campaign is organised by the British Woodworking Federation, the BWF-Certifire Scheme and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme, in partnership with the Government’s Fire Kills safety campaign .

Says Peter Holland CBE, the Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser: “Fire doors perform a vital role, but only if they are properly specified, installed, managed and maintained.

“The message is simple. If you see a problem, don’t walk past – that goes for doors that are wedged open, damaged or badly fitted. Report it to your building manager or landlord or to your local fire and rescue service.”

London Fire Brigade is seeking to redress this lack of awareness about the emergency plan through the Know The Plan campaign which targets tenants in high rise or purpose built blocks of flats.

Dan Daly, Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety at London Fire Brigade, says: “Living in a high rise or purpose built block of flats is no more dangerous than living in a house, but it’s important to know that your fire plan should be different.

“If there is a fire elsewhere in the building but not inside your home you’re safer staying in your flat unless the flames, heat or smoke are affecting you.

“Flats and maisonettes are built to give you some protection from fire: a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 60. Walls, floors and well maintained fire doors will hold back flames and smoke for a time. If you leave your flat you could be rushing into choking smoke, the fire itself or firefighters using equipment to bring the fire under control in another part of the building.”

The survey was conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Fire Door Safety Week.

Are you a tenant or a landlord? Find out more about fire doors and fire safety in residential buildings tenants on the Fire Door Safety Week website.

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Meet Oliver Stone’s go-to cyber consultant: the ethical hacker

Not many cyber security specialists moonlight as advisers to Hollywood directors with the pedigree of Oliver Stone.

Ralph Echmendia, the ‘ethical hacker’, who developed a secure online ticketing system for the family of Bob Marley and helped to investigate the early online leak of an Eminem album, has had a more interesting career than most of his counterparts.

In 2011, he was lead technical investigator on the premature leak of scenes from the then unreleased film Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

That was just the beginning in terms of his Hollywood associations because a year later Echemendia formed RED-E Digital, a consultancy offering the entertainment industry advise on how to protect pre-released content.

Oliver Stone, no less, was among those in the queue for Enchemendia’s services. The ‘ethical hacker’ has been a computer security consultant on two films directed by Stone, Savages and Snowden, and even made cameo appearances as an actor in both. Echemendia has also been a hacking consultant for the film Nerve.

Echemendia will draw on these fascinating experiences when he speaks at this year’s Customer Contact Expo about ‘Hacking Your Assets: The Price of Convenience’. This will take place at London Olympia on 28-29 September. Click here to register.

IFSEC Global spoke to Ralph about his career in advance of his forthcoming talk on cyber securuty at Customer Contact Expo.

IFSEC Global: What is the most enjoyable thing about being a cyber security professional?

Ralph Echmendia: To me it’s all about bringing awareness to how technology can be used and misused. The exchange of knowledge is crucial to our evolution. I must say collaborating with great minds in this space is also very enjoyable.

IG: What is the most frustrating thing about being a cyber security professional?

RE: That most of the time nothing really changes. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make the horse drink it. Too often the mistakes we see are things that we experts have been warning about for years.

IG: What is the most common mistake organisations make in dealing with cybercrime?

RE: Thinking too much in terms of security versus resilience. Nothing in life, much less cyberspace, can be absolute.

You cannot have 100% security. To identify a potential breach early enough for it not to affect your operations is or should be the focus. Focusing on preventing the breach is not the idea.

IG: Who is more inept and/or complacent about addressing the cyber threat in general and why – government, big business or small businesses?

RE: Unfortunately, all of the above. While their spending budgets and needs may differ, security is seen as a cost and not a value add. So often decisions are made that have an effect on the risk, not only business but also consumers.

Be more aware, ask questions, don’t be afraid to Google your questions. Don’t be intimidated by technology. You are smarter than a computer. Ralph offers advice on staying vigilant against the hacking threat

IG: Might the government and business sometimes be less blasé about protecting data (if indeed they are) if the general public weren’t so complacent about giving away their personal data?

RE: The issue of the public being complacent is an important one, but not one that really affects the way government and companies do security. Many of them have to follow regulatory compliance requirements, but being compliant to these does not mean ‘secure’.

The impact that all of this data will have on everyone is still not digestible to most. The more we rely on technology, the faster we will feel its effects.

IG: Traditional, non-digital crime has been in general decline across the western world for several decades for many reasons. Can you imagine us ever reaching that point with cybercrime or is that a forlorn hope?

RE: I don’t believe we will see a decline anytime soon. Cybercrime will continue for longer than we can speculate.

IG: What are your prescriptions in a nutshell for improving the prevailing approach to combating cybercrime?

RE: Be more aware, ask questions, don’t be afraid to Google your questions. Don’t be intimidated by technology. You are smarter than a computer.

IG: How did you get into the film industry?

RE: Initially because of my knowledge of music production environments and friendships with artists. When large copyright infringement or major breaches of content would take place, I became the go-to-guy. Not many of us have an understanding of both the logical/operational and creative/artist process.

IG: What are you most proud of in your work in TV and film and why?

RE: I’d have to say it has been my work with Oliver Stone on both Savages and Snowden.

For Snowden, I did much more than secure the digital assets on this film. I was heavily involved in the creative as well, working with great writers like Kieran Fitzgerald and, of course, Mr Stone. Other projects like Nerve and initial input into Mr. Robot were also things I feel blessed to have been a part of.

IG: You have advised on cybercrime for TV and film – have you ever been disappointed with the results? To what extent do they use creative license to exaggerate, downplay or outright invent things to suit the script?

RE: Well, let me say that ultimately, it’s the director’s decision, and it is entertainment. So it does happen.

I most certainly have seen films or TV shows that demonstrate the implausibility of such content. Luckily, not projects I have worked on.

The post Meet Oliver Stone’s go-to cyber consultant: the ethical hacker appeared first on IFSEC Global.

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“Never more than 2-3 clicks from getting things done”: TDSi MD John Davies on the open-platform GARDiS

TDSi has doubled its R&D spend in the last two years as it prepares for one of its most important product launches of recent years.

A web-based, open platform GARDiS is charting a new course for the integrated security specialists that will define the “future of the business for the next 10-15 years.”

The company offered a sneak preview of the new platform for the first time at IFSEC 2016. IFSEC Global caught up with TDSi managing director John Davies to find out more, not just about GARDiS but also about the trends shaping the security market.

Davies, who recently won a BSIA Chairman’s Award for Contribution to Exports, says customers increasingly eschew proprietary platforms, that the access control industry remains conservative despite recent innovation, and that the cloud will transform the installation business model.

IFSEC Global: Hi, John. So you will shortly be launching the GARDiS platform?

John Davies: GARDiS will replace our EX-Series platform, which was launched in 2000/2001. Then in a year or 18 months’ time we will be looking to update the MICROgarde controller platform.

A lot of development is on the software side and linking systems to other business systems. We have OPC and Modbus engines to link into building management systems and command and control, or XML. There’s a lot of tools there to make it easier to integrate into anything.

On the hardware side, to my knowledge there’s only ourselves and Axis who have actually developed access control to the ONVIF profile A and C standard

Historically, access control systems – and most security systems – have been built on proprietary technologies. So with ONVIF profile S being so predominant in CCTV, ONVIF has also written profile A and C standards for access control. The IEC [International Electrotechnical Commission] has adopted them.

@TDSi_Access new Gardis product. Move into open platform #IFSEC2016 http://pic.twitter.com/ywAMHyg85g

— IFSEC Global Editor (@ifsecglobal) June 21, 2016

So the GARDiS hardware and software platforms that we’ve developed and are launching are compatible with ONVIF profile A and C.

What this means is a PSIM company like IMRON, Prysm or Synectic, if they’re using ONVIF A and C drivers in their software, can control our hardware. They don’t need our software.

It has a REST API as well, which enables us to interface into any other type of system. So we’ve really gone down the open platform rather than propriety route.

On the hardware side, to my knowledge there’s only ourselves and Axis who have actually developed access control to the ONVIF profile A and C standard. Then on the software side it’s designed for use on both premises in the server environment, or as a cloud-based system. So it’s our first foray into truly cloud-based access control.

IG: Where do you anticipate demand being strongest?

JD: I think it depends on the market segment. Large corporates or governments are still reluctant to have a lot of stuff in the cloud. They want that control.

But cloud is doing really well for mid-market customers.

It also allows installers to move away from an equipment sales and maintenance business model to just selling maintenance contracts. So installers are not actually selling equipment, but selling a three or five or seven year maintenance deal.

If you take the cloud to its natural conclusion it will change the business model of installers

IG: And is that maintenance actually becoming an easier job in the IP era?

JD: More and more these days systems are designed for remote diagnostics. So if there’s something wrong with it, it tells you before you get to the site. So if the control is faulty, you know you need to replace it.

It provides more intelligence into operating and maintaining these systems.

IG: So it really has profound implications for installers and integrators…

JD: If you take the cloud to its natural conclusion it will change the business model of installers. They will need to deal with leasing companies and finance companies to finance the installations.

But I think there is a revolution within the security industry as far as IT and networking skills are concerned – that’s already happening. IP CCTV has driven that. Most installers now are very familiar with networks.

A big part of the market is still on the mechanical locking side of things, but even that is changing with the likes of SimonsVoss, SALTO and ASSA ABLOY doing wireless locking products. So the humble lock is now becoming electrified and hooked onto the network.

The access control industry has been conservative, and I think still is. A lot of our competitors are still on proprietary systems

IG: Is the access control sector finally shedding its reputation as a conservative industry?

JD: When I came into the security industry 13 years ago from the telecoms world, I would have described the whole security industry as conservative with a small ‘c’.

Then IP came along and then PSIM. So the whole industry has been on a journey, pushed by CCTV.

The access control industry has been conservative, and I think still is. A lot of our competitors are still on proprietary systems.

We decided that we needed to open it up. Then if people want to use our software, it’s because it delivers a solution or is easy to use – not because you have to use it as the hardware won’t work without the software.

People can use our hardware with other people’s software. Naturally we would like customers to use TDSi, but it keeps us on our toes in trying to stay relevant.

IG: Where does this resistance to change in the industry come from?

JD: People want to own the customer rather than delivering a solution. But you can’t do that these days.

A lot of our competitors have a wireless hub interfacing with their controller, before it talks to the reader. For us, that wireless lock talks to its wireless hub, and that wireless hub talks straight to our software. It doesn’t need anything else.

So some of our competitors still have the mindset that “we’re in the business to sell controllers – that’s what we do. Therefore, we need to architect that system to make sure that the controller is there.”

But from an engineer’s point of view it’s surplus to requirements. It’s not doing anything.

Does that mean you need to change the way you price things? Yes.

The way GARDiS is architected, we’ll always be able to introduce new functionality, features and connections into other systems because that’s how the software has been designed

You’re either part of the movement to change it, or you’re trying to resist change. If you try and resist change, you are unlikely to be successful in the long run.

Even the way software is written now is completely different. Gone are the days when you used to spend months writing and testing code.

Now the process is ‘Agile’. You write a piece of software to do one thing, or one part of the thing. Write it, test it – then it’s done. Then you move onto the next bit. You’re constantly improving the software and bringing in new user stories and functionality.

The GARDiS platform today is just a basic access control platform. Over the next 12 months it will have all the whistles and bells of our EXgarde platform, which will fall by the wayside.

The way GARDiS is architected, we’ll always be able to introduce new functionality, features and connections into other systems because that’s how the software has been designed.

IG: Presumably this makes you much more responsive to customer feedback on how to improve the software?

JD: Exactly. Someone might say “it would be nice if you did that”. Then we ask: “OK, so how do you want that to work?” We look at the user experience, what the user is trying to achieve, then you tell the software team to write the code that achieves it.

So access control is still conservative, but we’re not!

It’s all about the user experience. That’s our goal with the GARDiS platform: you’re never more than two or three clicks away from getting anything done.

We’ve been writing the code now for over a year. We’ve invested heavily. We doubled our R&D spend over the last year, and the year before – because this is the future of the business for the next 10-15 years.

The next push is into the internet of things. Systems that learn from data rather than just delivering information.

The post “Never more than 2-3 clicks from getting things done”: TDSi MD John Davies on the open-platform GARDiS appeared first on IFSEC Global.

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Monday, 26 September 2016

CCTV http://www.cctv

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Fire doors: watch this presentation to meet your RRO obligations and stay out of trouble

Watch this three-part CPD presentation on how to specify, install and maintain fire doors to meet your RRO obligations and make sure you eliminate the risk of a hefty fine or worse.

Courtesy of the BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, this is essential viewing for anyone involved in the specification, installation or maintenance of fire doors.

In part one, Jon Fletcher, scheme manager at the BWF-Certifire Fire Door and Doorset Scheme, explains why we need fire doors and what the regulations say.

In part two, the presenter moves on to how a fire door’s performance is determined and what certification means.

In the third and final part Jon Fletcher talks about the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme and the meaning of compatible components.

The post Fire doors: watch this presentation to meet your RRO obligations and stay out of trouble appeared first on IFSEC Global.

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Security trumps ease-of-use for smart-home consumers as market reaches critical mass

The smart home market has reached a tipping point in terms of adoption in some countries, a survey by prpl Foundation has revealed.

The Global Smart Home Security Report, the first in-depth survey of smart-home consumers by the non-profit, also found that consumers tend to prioritise security over usability.

But despite this widespread sentiment, along with an insistence that they’re prepared to take more responsibility for their cyber security, the Prpl foundation found that many users were still failing to follow best security practices.

“As is the case with so many things in life, what users say they would do and what they actually do fail to align, and this has to be down in large part to education,” said Cesare Garlati, chief security strategist for the prpl Foundation. “However, it is heartening to see consumer attitudes shifting somewhat and this is something the IoT industry in general would do well to take note of.”

Conducted through OnePoll, the survey canvassed 1,200 respondents in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on the IoT devices they had in their home and security measures people take (or fail to take) to secure their smart homes.

In terms of the number of smart devices per household the UK (2.6) and US (2.4) trail France (5.8 devices), Italy (5) and Germany (4.5) by some distance.

If that might surprise some commentators, they might be more surprised still that Japan, a famously technophile nation, has been even slower to embrace the internet of things, with an average of just one smart device per home.

Mainstream

“Little research has been done on a large enough scale to uncover the level of penetration of smart devices in the home, and more importantly, the security implications,” said Art Swift, president of the prpl Foundation.

“What we’ve uncovered is that the smart home is actually mainstream, as 83% confess to having connected devices, not including laptops, computers and smartphones, in use in their homes. Game consoles, wireless printers and smart TVs were the most popular and yet security concerns have been raised about all three over recent years.

“Once it was established how pervasive smart technology in the home is, we also wanted to find out whether consumers are aware of the risks of the connected home and if homeowners would ultimately take responsibility for securing this new cyber domain, just as they would their physical front doors.”

The study also found that many users failing to secure their routers, which effectively act as a front door to a home’s entire network. Failure to patch vendor updates could open vulnerabilities through which hackers could eavesdrop on traffic and hijack smart devices.

The headline security related findings from the study are:

43% of respondents admitted they had never updated their router firmware – in the case of 23% of respondents this was because they didn’t even know it was possible. The other 57% said they updated the router firmware “at least once a year”
Many users thought Firewall ports must be open for their internet-connected home services to work. Not only is this untrue, said the Prpl Foundation, but they pose a huge security risk and vector for attack. Nevertheless, 93% of consumers regularly leave one or more ports open on their router firewall.
46% have never configured their router security settings

While security has arguably often been a second-order priority behind usability in consumer electronics, the prpl study shows that a resounding majority of consumers would prefer security to be prioritised over ease-of-use.

Some 60% of respondents said they think the home user should take ownership of securing their connected devices, while 20% thought the manufacturer should take responsibility, and another expecting the service provider to do it.

Over 40% of respondents would be happy to pay pay more for their devices in return for enhanced security.

The prpl Foundation, which was founded in 2012, is an open-source, community-driven, collaborative, non-profit foundation targeting and supporting the MIPS architecture — and open to others — with a focus on enabling next-generation datacenter-to-device portable software and virtualized architectures.

Smart home security tips

The prpl Foundation has compiled a list of top tips for more robust security in your smart or connected home: