Posted by Dave Fowler on Wed, Jan 20, 2010 @ 03:38 PM
An interesting
article on SecurityPark.co.uk by Gary Ball last week highlights a number of the challenges faced when trying to have a complete and total security solution. Two key failings of most security systems he mentions are:
1) Coexistence of Cyberspace, Personnel and Physical Security - without integration, there are holes in the security plan
2) Lack of automation - Automation is difficult to achieve in physical security, as the author points out, because, "physical security has only been effective when used with trained operators to monitor and interpret in real time the events displayed on their monitors." You cannot automate something solely managed by humans.
At the end of his article, he asks who will "make the bold moves to develop new solutions to these problems." However, this has already begun with the introduction of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM). Here's how....
1) PSIM integrates any number and variety of disparate physical security and surveillance assets into one operating picture, making relevant, real-time information available at a responder's fingertips. Now, with most assets within an organization being network-based, this interoperability is crucial (and effectively links together cyberspace, personnel and physical security).
2) A true PSIM solution takes situation assessment and management from a reactionary mode to a proactive mode, allowing organizations to apply intelligence to the information from various physical security devices and systems, determine the cause of the alarms and then automate the resolution of the situation. This helps reduce false alarms and eliminate human error.
PSIM is a rapidly growing industry that analysts predict will continue to grow for the very reasons Gary Ball outlines in his article - we need a way to integrate all of our security assets in order to take a proactive approach to situation management.
Posted by Dave Fowler on Wed, Oct 22, 2008 @ 01:49 PM
How would you classify your Physical Security system? When there is a situation do you scramble to collect the information from multiple systems and find yourself responding forensically? On a scale of 1-10 how do you rate your ability to resolve a situation as it is happening and before it becomes critical?
Most of us, if we are honest, find ourselves combing through recorded video, alarm records and access control logs after the fact to determine what actually happened. This is quickly followed by a round of placing blame, demands for new technology and procedures to try to respond faster the next time. Maybe even a new round of administrative policies that mandate we do better the next time.
The truth is, the situations we are facing are increasingly more complex and require the synthesis of information from multiple sources. The more technology we throw at individual problems the more information we generate and therefore the more we have to analyze to determine what is going on. While we are spending millions deploying the latest technologies, in the end it can come down to how fast an operator can wheel between multiple consoles to figure out what is going on and how to respond.
If we truly want to get the most from our investments we need to integrate our physical security technologies into a system that can turn all this information into early warning systems that tell us what is happening. PSIM software, industry standards, open systems, and customer demand for integration are key to turning our command centers from morgues, to emergency rooms and ultimately preventive care centers.
Respond to this week's poll and let us know how you rate your ability to resolve a situation? And don't be shy - we would like to hear your opinions on what is holding you back from providing the right care. What obstacles are you facing? What's getting in the way? We're sure you're not alone...
Posted by Dave Fowler on Tue, Sep 30, 2008 @ 02:32 PM
The first time I heard this saying it was relative to management style in a fast moving startup company. The basic message was...if you see a problem, take a leadership role and fix it, or team with other people to fix it. Doing nothing was not an option.
Some months back I was speaking with a number of corporate physical security professionals and technology supplier execs about the state of the Physical Security market and this saying leapt to mind. A common theme was the amount of money that was being spent to try and integrate and manage all the disparate security systems in their organizations. Over the last 4-5 years analysts say we have spent over $250B+ (yes ...billion) on technology for physical security yet often I hear that we have not substantially lowered the risk to our facilities, people or operations. Equally interesting, despite the application of all kinds of new and more effective networks and security technology to lower our risk and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our security, we continue to spend increasing amounts of money (growing at 3.5-5% per year) on hiring guards to augment the security technology (Lehman 2007 Security Industry Report).
While there are lots of reasons for this situation, one that stands out for me is our inability to intelligently integrate and leverage all the investments we have made in security assets. We can blame it on a lack of standards, or on unwillingness of vendors to open up their APIs, or the speed in which technology is changing, but at the end of the day we all know that "doing nothing about it" is a ticket to our own industry's version of a wall street meltdown.
It's not like we haven't been here before (love the double negative?). We went through this with networking, system management, data bases, and information security management. And in each case the leadership of a number of companies and organizations in providing innovative integration software and initiating standards efforts helped to stimulate not only the growth of the industry but the cost effectiveness of it as well. It's time for the Physical Security market to follow suit.
With the introduction of this site we are working towards a similar model. Bringing together industry experts and companies who have an interest in sharing information about the state of the state of the art in Physical Security Information Management (PSIM). PSIM is the industry term for integrating multiple disparate security devices and systems into an intelligent system that helps increase the security of an organization while lowering risk and improving operational effectiveness and efficiency.
If this is an area of interest for you I encourage you to get actively involved with the discussions on this site. Take a leadership role in directing the industry. At a minimum this site will offer a way to stay up to date on what likely is the fastest moving area of the physical security market. Given the speed of change we are facing maybe the right message is...
Lead, follow or become road kill.