Security Management articles from December 2002

Security Management archives from December 2002

Guardsmark.
December 1, 2002... Guardsmark is not like any other security services firm. TIME magazine says we are the company that "many security experts consider the best national firm in the business." In Liberation Management (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.), Tom Peters describes...

Letters.
December 1, 2002... Background Screening Scrutinized I am always surprised and disappointed when I see articles like "Background Checking Moves to the Forefront" ("Working Wise," September) in a journal normally as professional as Security Management Criminal...

Security guidelines gain momentum. (News and Trends).
December 1, 2002... After years of wrangling about the need for premises security standards and who should set them, two parallel guideline-making efforts are going forward. One effort is led by ASIS International, which has set up a commission to draft guidelines...

Did you know that?
December 1, 2002... * There are still some skeptics out there about the future growth curve of biometrics, but forecaster Frost & Sullivan isn't among them. The firm projects that the biometrics market will grow from $93.4 million in 2001 to an astounding $2,053...

Fan behavior respite over. (News and Trends).
December 1, 2002... In many quarters, the horrors of September 11 tamed one of society's wildest breeds: sports fans. After pro football and baseball postponed several days' worth of games, in many parts of the country, usually rabid fans returned respectful and...

Creating urban oases. (News and Trends).
December 1, 2002... When it reopened in 1999, New York's City Hall Park didn't draw much attention outside of New York and the landscape architecture community But in light of the post 9-U urgency to protect public spaces and the desire to do so without turning...

Home on the page. (News and Trends).
December 1, 2002... www.securitymanagement.com Every month Security Management editors prowl the Information Superhighway, including its back alleys and cul-de-sacs, in search of the most useful security information. In addition, editors are always on the...

Facilitating remote access. (Working Wise).
December 1, 2002... The trainers who work for the Center for Social Organization of Schools (CSOS), part of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, travel the country to assist schools with implementation of the center's educational programs and tutor teachers in...

Bug hunters unite. (Tech Talk).
December 1, 2002... Researchers who discover vulnerabilities in software programs have often been criticized by software vendors when they make their findings public. Vendors charge the bug hunters with aiding hackers; the bug hunters counter that they usually...

Good advice not taken. (Tech Talk).
December 1, 2002... The good news: thanks to awareness campaigns as well as the publicity surrounding the release of the President's National. Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, growing numbers of small-business and home-computer users know about the basics of...

Patching up patching measures. (Tech Talk).
December 1, 2002... Patching the various operating systems and application software run by even a small enterprise is a never-ending task. By some estimates 5 to 20 bugs exist for each 1,000 lines of code; with Windows 2000 comprising some 35 million lines of...

Internet abuse. (Quick Bytes).
December 1, 2002... Internet abuse. Workers in the United Kingdom have been disciplined or fired more often for e-mail and Internet abuse than they have for dishonesty, violence, and health and safety breaches combined. And of the sackings that were related to...

Business continuity after 9-11. (Quick Bytes).
December 1, 2002... Business continuity after 9-11. A new survey commissioned by AT&T showed that almost three-quarters of companies with business continuity plans reviewed and evaluated those plans after the 9-11 attacks. One significant finding was that many...

Information sharing. (Quick Bytes).
December 1, 2002... Information sharing. The General Accounting Office (GAO) has sent a letter to Congress detailing challenges that face the nation in its drive toward greater homeland security. Among the issues: How to overcome "turf" issues that arise when...

Top vulnerabilities revealed. (Tech Talk).
December 1, 2002... Well-known vulnerabilities that remain unpatched even though fixes are available are often termed "low-hanging fruit" by the information security community. Plugging these easy-to-close holes would make the Internet as a whole more secure. With...

Only Guardsmark offers health insurance to 100% of its security officers.
December 1, 2002... As one of the largest private security services firms in the world, we employ about 18,000 security officers in more than 145 offices serving 400 cities across North America, with revenues of $450,000,000. We protect shareholder assets and...

The road to reconciliation: integrated security systems are supposed to function like a happy family. The truth is that many of these families are dysfunctional. (System Integration).
December 1, 2002... After being bombarded by hype about better video quality, storage space, and retrieval ability a large Houston-based firm decided to finally go digital in mid-2001. The company added cameras to its main complex, replaced VCRs with much more...

On the money: the latest ASIS international survey of security professional employment looks at salary trends in the field. (Salary Survey).
December 1, 2002... THE NEW ASIS International survey of security professional employment finds that the highest salaries are earned by security managers in publicly held companies with international locations. Security managers working in publicly held companies...

Who's winning the cyberwars? Hackers and terrorists are constantly developing new exploits, which government and industry must defend against. (Computer Security).
December 1, 2002... The scenarios were frightening. Cyberterrorists breaking into the systems that control hydroelectric dams and flooding towns. Hackers shutting down telephone systems or air traffic control systems. Unstoppable computer viruses shutting down the...

Charting an academic course: a look at how far the industry has progressed in its efforts to achieve academic acceptance. (Academic Programs).
December 1, 2002... AN INDUSTRY HAS TO TRAVEL A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE TO GO FROM BEING viewed as a type of job to being accepted as an academically recognized profession. Security is perhaps halfway through its trek and at a perilous point. Will it continue toward...

Trends in training in the U.K.: these U.K. companies have extensive security staff training programs that can serve as models for others. (Training).
December 1, 2002... WHILE BUSINESSES IN THE U.K. are not required to provide training to their security staff, some companies have extensive programs in place. These companies represent good models against which other organizations may want to benchmark their own...

Penning effective policies: writing policies seems easy, especially if you have benchmark samples. But writing effective policies that are accepted is a challenge. (Management).
December 1, 2002... FOUR YEARS AGO, the author's company was in a growth phase. Management had plans for significant expansion of the employee population, which would also lead to a corresponding increase in the number of laptops issued. The security department...

Retaliation. (U.S. Judicial Decisions).
December 1, 2002... Retaliation. In a recent Illinois appellate case, the court ruled that an employee who was fired for reporting the criminal conduct of his supervisor is protected under state law even though the crime in question was not work-related. In...

Trade secrets. (Elsewhere in the Courts).
December 1, 2002... Anderson, Teresa Trade secrets. A jury in the St. Louis District Court has awarded $21.5 million in damages in a trade secrets case. In the case, Conseco Finance Servicing Corporation sued North American Mortgage after the latter hired 69...

Wrongful termination. (Elsewhere in the Courts).
December 1, 2002... Anderson, Teresa Wrongful termination. The Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that owners of a restaurant violated the state's whistleblowers' protection act when it fired an employee for reporting health violations to state officials....

Internet defamation. (Elsewhere in the Courts).
December 1, 2002... Anderson, Teresa Internet defamation. The Ontario Superior Court has awarded a man $400,000 in damages after he was subjected to an extortion campaign in which defamatory material was posted on various Internet Web sites. In the case, the...

Chmical industry security. (U.S. Regulatory Issues).
December 1, 2002... Chemical industry security. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will withdraw plans to develop security regulations for the chemical industry under the Clean Air Act. However, a new amendment (S.A. 4608) to the...

Aviation security. (U.S. Regulatory Issues).
December 1, 2002... Aviation security. Draft regulations released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would require drug and alcohol testing of workers involved in aircraft maintenance have drawn criticism from airlines and contractors. The...

Espionage. (International).
December 1, 2002... Espionage. The Australian Parliament is considering a bill (The Espionage and Related Offenses Bill) that would redefine and increase penalties for espionage. The bill would increase the maximum prison sentence for espionage from 7 years...

Homeland security. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Homeland security. Just before adjourning, Congress passed two homeland security measures. One creates the Homeland Security Department; the second approves $900 million over five years for cybersecurity research and development.

Water treatment plants. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Water treatment plants. The House of Representatives has approved a bill (H.R. 5169) that would provide grants to wastewater treatment plants to improve security. The bill would require the government to offer grants to publicly owned...

Emergency response. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Emergency response. A bill (S. 2908) introduced by Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) would direct the secretary of defense to establish a civil support team in each state. These teams would help develop emergency preparedness programs to respond to...

Surveillance. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Surveillance. A bill (S. 2846) introduced by Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) would establish a commission to evaluate investigative and surveillance technologies to determine whether these tools violate personal privacy rights. The commission...

Chemical attacks. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Chemical attacks. A bill (H.R. 5300) introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) would require that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determine which chemicals or combinations of chemicals pose a threat to the public if released. Then, the...

Background screening. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Background screening. A bill (HR. 5170) introduced by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) would require all home healthcare agencies that participate in Medicare to conduct criminal background checks. The screening would be conducted through the...

Agricultural security. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Agricultural security. A bill (S. 2767) introduced by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (DHI) would direct the secretary of agriculture to develop farm and ranch biosecurity guidelines and devise a pilot program of biosecurity grants and loans to assist...

Baggage screening. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Baggage screening. Several bills being considered by lawmakers would address baggage screening issues at airports. Two of the bills would require that airports petition the government for an extension if they are unable to meet the December...

Concealed weapons. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Concealed weapons. A bill (5. 2480) introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (DVT) would allow active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons across state lines. The officer would be required to carry a photo ID issued by the...

School security. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... School security. A bill (H.R. 5257) would require private elementary and secondary schools to conduct criminal background checks on employees, volunteers, and job applicants. Under the bill, the private schools would have the same access to...

Privacy. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Privacy. A bill (H.R. 4561) introduced by Rep. Bob Barr that would require government agencies to consider individual privacy when devising regulations has been approved by the House of Representatives. To proceed, the bill will have to be...

Building safety. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Building safety. A bill (H.R. 4687) that would establish a federal investigative team to assess building performance in the aftermath of a building failure has been signed into law (P.L. 107-231). Under the new law, the investigative team would...

Firearms. (U.S. Congressional Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Firearms. Two bills (H.R. 2037 and S. 2268), introduced by Rep. Cliff Steams (R-FL) and Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA), respectively, would protect manufacturers and sellers of firearms and ammunition from restrictions on interstate or foreign...

California. (U.S. State Legislation).
December 1, 2002... Security officers. California Governor Gray Davis has considered three bills affecting security officers this year. He has signed two bills and vetoed another. One bill (A.B. 2780) that became law provides whistleblower protection to...

Handbook of Polygraph Testing. (Reviews).
December 1, 2002... Handbook of Polygraph Testing. Edited by Murray Kleiner; published by Academic Press, www.apnet.com/www/ap/reps.htm (Web):354 pages; $69.95. Truth, according to Keats, is beauty, but society's ways of getting at truth are anything but. One...

The Counterterrorism Handbook. (Reviews).
December 1, 2002... Tactics, Procedures, and Techniques, Second Edition. By Kenneth J. Dudonis, David P Schulz, and Frank Bolz, Jr., published by CRC Press, 561/994-0555 (phone), 800/272-7737 (toll-free phone), 800/374-3401 (fax); 296 pages; The 9-11 attacks...

Computer Forensics. (Reviews).
December 1, 2002... Incident Response Essentials. By Warren G. Kruse II and Jay G. Heiser; published by Pearson Education, www.pearsoneducation.com (Web); 416 pages; $39.99. What we have here is the rarest of breeds: a succinct, nonpedantic, informative book...

Emergency Preparedness. (Reviews).
December 1, 2002... Emergency Preparedness. Edited by Lori A. Damon and Stephanie J. Oppenheimer; published by the Building Owners and Managers Association International, 202/408-2662 (phone), 202/371-0181 (fax); 169 pages; $78.75. This collection of...

The Art of the Steal. (Reviews).
December 1, 2002... The Art of the Steal. By Frank W. Abagnale; published by Random House/Broadway Books, 800/733-3000 (phone), www.random-house.com (Web); 256 pages; $14. Many authors try to write from an insider's perspective, but few are better suited to...

Padlock. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The ABLOY EXEC High Security cylinder for use in ABLOY padlocks and other products uses rotating detainer discs to provide an extensive number of key combinations, including master keying capabilities. Made by ABLOY Security, Inc., of Irving,...

Satellite guard booths. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... For high-profile areas where appearances are important, custom satellite guard booths from Porta-King Building Systems of Earth City, Missouri, are ideal. Available in steel or aluminum construction, the booths feature efficient transaction...

PC lock. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Innovative Security Products of Overland Park, Kansas, has developed a low-cost lock for securing data and components inside a personal computer. The Lid Lock Padlock has no adhesives or cables and does not damage the equipment. It works by...

Mantrap door control. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The 7700 Series Programmable Door Control from Dortronics Systems, Inc., of Sag Harbor, New York, is capable of controlling up to 99 doors grouped into any number of mantraps. The system provides programmable door control in multiple mantrap...

Proximity-capable printers. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Proximity card-reading capabilities have been added to Select and Magna Platinum Series desktop card printers from Datacard Group of Minnetonka, Minnesota. The optional feature allows printers to read facility codes and identification numbers...

Proximity readers. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... A new generation of high-frequency 13.56 MHz readers has been introduced by Secura Key of Chatsworth, California. New e*Tag proximity readers work with a variety of contactless smart cards and key fobs that meet ISO 15693 and ISO 14443 A/B...

IR Wiegand system. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Viscount Communication and Control Systems Inc. of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has designed the InfraClik infrared-based Wiegand receiver system to work with any access control system. Transmitters are ideal for applications where...

Knob for electronic lock. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... A new knob option is now available for the Solitaire line of standalone electronic locks from Kaba Ilco, Inc., of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Originally developed for military operations, where levers represent a potential hazard in narrow...

Proactive surveillance system. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... GuardianWATCH is a new computer-aided surveillance software platform from Guardian Solutions of Sarasota, Florida. The system detects and tracks intruders throughout a facility's perimeter grounds, alerting first responders to threats. It...

Blast chamber. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The Donovan Blast Chamber from Denver-based CH2M HILL offers a cost-effective method of destroying unexploded ordnance, obsolete munitions, energetics, and certain hazardous wastes. It can also be used for improvised explosive devices, which...

Two-way radios. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Two new models of two-way portable hand-held FM transceivers have been introduced by Kenwood Communications of Suwanee, Georgia. The TK-2140 (VHF) and TK3140 (UHF) are compact programmable radios that offer 250 channels and features for group...

Two-way radio. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Midland Radio Corporation of North Kansas City, Missouri, has introduced a new portable two-way radio with models available for conventional user-licensed VHF (148-174 MHz) or UHF (440-470 MHz) frequencies. The 80-150/400 offers 16-channel...

ID card system. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Identicomm Technologies, Inc., of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has introduced a personnel identification card system with new levels of verification. The PRO-LX system produces and reads ID cards with photographic and fingerprint identification...

Video intercom system. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Multifamily residences can be protected with the modular home security system from New York-based Unitone. The computerized system, 21V, can be installed in both new and older buildings, and attaches flush to the wall of a residence. A video...

Water-supply protection. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... [SR.sup.2] Video developed by ALCO Engineering of Cranston, Rhode Island, is a digital remote wireless video surveillance system for water resources management and treatment facilities. Integrating water process control and information...

Speaker-strobes. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Genesis speakers and speaker-strobes are the newest additions to the Genesis family of emergency signals from Edwards Systems Technology of Sarasota, Florida. Extending only one inch from the wall, these units feature clear audio output and...

Space-saving turnstile. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Alvarado Manufacturing Company of Chino, California, has introduced the SLT economical turnstile, a waist-high model that offers the same head and arms as top-of-the-line models. The streamlined, compact design saves space, and it can also be...

Environmental console. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Quiet-Cool Series Consoles from Middle Atlantic Products, Inc., of Riverdale, New Jersey, offer thermal management and sound isolation capabilities, while providing extensive facilities for cable management and easy access to mounted equipment....

Modular console. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The Minneapolis-based Winsted Corporation has ergonomically engineered the Matrix Modular Console System. It uses an overhead dimmable Xenon lighting system, an antiglare monitor bezel with acrylic optical shield, a monitor positioning system,...

Guard data collector. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... TimeKeeping Systems of Solon, Ohio, has developed a data collector for guard tours that stands up to the heavy use and abuse typically encountered in businesses. The PIPE is manufactured from #304 stainless steel and has no moving parts to...

Walk-through metal detector. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The METOR 300 is a new multizone walk-through metal detector that offers superior discrimination and state-of-the-art performance. Made by Metorex Security Products of Ewing, New Jersey, the unit is designed with intelligent 8Z8F architecture,...

Vehicle inspection kit. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The Walkabout Checkpoint Security Vehicle Inspection Kit from Zistos Corporation of Wantagh, New York, is a security and search camera that allows a single security officer to inspect all hidden areas in a vehicle. The portable CCTV system is...

Gel batteries. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... EnerSys Inc. Reserve Power Group of Reading, Pennsylvania, has introduced a family of valve-regulated lead-acid batteries designed for prolonged life in high temperatures. The Genesis NP-GEL product line is ideal for DC power backup in systems...

Hand-held metal detector. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Garrett Metal Detectors of Garland, Texas, has made improvements to its hand-held metal detector. The SuperScanner features one-switch operation to lock the detector in either the on or off position, and automatic returning of the unit...

Safety products catalogs. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Lab Safety Supply Inc. of Janesville, Wisconsin, has released its Fall 2002 Public Safety catalog, a resource for products such as turnout gear, tactical gear, uniforms, flashlights, traffic control, respirators, protective clothing, hazmat...

Dome cameras. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Spyder CCTV cameras from Sperry West of San Diego are mountless cameras with no exterior movable parts, so camera views remain safe from tampering. The small, sturdy domes fit securely against walls and ceilings, including both inside and...

Wireless video. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Axis Communications, with headquarters in Sweden, and the Brazilian company I-House have launched a wireless camera monitoring system. The SmartEye enables users to view network camera images wirelessly on any pocket PC or PDA. The software...

Vandal-resistant dome. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... GVI Security, Inc., of Carrollton, Texas, doing business as Samsung CCTV, has released the SCC931 antivandal dome camera. The waterproof, dustproof, shockproof camera provides a maximum of 120x zoom surveillance using its 12x optical zoom lens...

Wireless sensor transmission. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Dallas-based AXCESS Inc. has developed a device that turns standard alarms, biosensors, and chemical sensors into wireless sentries, sending security alerts over any landline or wireless system instantly. The Universal Sensing Appliance is part...

Battery monitoring system. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... BTECH Inc. of Morris Plains, New Jersey, makes battery-monitoring systems that detect the health and remaining life in batteries supporting critical applications for uninterrupted power backup. Without proper precautions, improperly maintained...

Barricade warning light. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The BX-12 from Lumastrobe of Midland Park, New Jersey, is a monodirectional warning light that can be seen from 1,000 feet away in daylight and more than a mile away at night. Twelve separate superbright light-emitting diodes are positioned...

Mobile radio modem. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Dataradio Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia, has introduced the [Gemini.sup.PD+] mobile radio modem, which is capable of speeds up to 32Kbps in a full channel. The modem is now also available in 16 Kbps, half-channel, UHF, and 800 frequencies, as...

High-speed dome cameras. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... Sony Electronics Inc. of Park Ridge, New Jersey, has added two cameras to its UniDome family of motorized high-speed video surveillance cameras. The UNI-D18SI/FI camera features an 18x optical zoom for indoor use, while the UNI-DN25SO/FI camera...

Infrared illuminators. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... The LumaView series of infrared illuminators for monitoring in low light or darkness enables IR-sensitive CCTV cameras to produce high-quality images without imposing visible light illumination. Made by Silent Witness of Surrey, British...

Digital multiplexer/recorders. (Marketplace).
December 1, 2002... GE Interlogix, Kalatel Division, of Corvallis, Oregon, has added the ability to capture ATM transaction text and associate it with the video of the transaction to its Calibur combination digital video multiplexer/recorders. Users can search for...

ASIS & Industry events.
December 1, 2002... ASIS DECEMBER 4-6 Access III, Scottsdale, AZ 9-10 Executive Protection, San Diego, CA FEBRUARY 2003 3-5 Disaster Management: The Incident Response Plan, New York, NY 7-8 CPP Review Program, Chicago, IL 17-21...