December 2007
Features
By Jeff Hendrickson
In Cincinnati, when you say “school’s out,” it has a whole different meaning. That’s because all 65 schools in the Cincinnati Public School District—encompassing preschool through grade 12—are part of a massive, $1 billion facilities master plan that will completely change the face of the city’s educational infrastructure.
By Ralph C Jensen
Say you have some pasture land and a few horses. Chances are you won’t install a security system to ensure their safety and security. However, Stonestreet Farm isn’t your run-of-the-mill horse ranch. It’s a thoroughbred horse farm that sprawls over 460 acres in the heart of the bluegrass near Lexington, Ky.
By Sharon Steinhoff-Smith
Administrators at Haltom High School in Haltom City, Texas, wanted their school’s ID cards to be useful, but never did they imagine the cards would help thwart a drug dealer. “We have used student and faculty ID cards for the last decade,” said Rick Mauderer, associate principal at Haltom High School and the person responsible for the school’s ID program. “As a high school of more than 2,600 students, there is no way we can know who every student is, especially with substitute teachers in the building.
By Carol Enman
The Department of Homeland Security’s publication of chemical facilities anti-terrorism (CFAT) standards has many chemical and petrochemical companies scrambling to develop security plans for their high-risk facilities. The continued post-9/11 threat of terrorism dictates urgency, and the DHS put teeth in the CFAT rules.
Today’s airports are at the frontline of homeland security. Checking for shoe bombs, banned liquids and suspected terrorists are part of the daily routine for airport security personnel. In fact, airport vulnerability has become such an issue that the Department of Homeland Security assigns the airline industry its own threat level designation. For example, airports can be assigned to threat level orange, meaning “High Risk of Terrorist Attacks” while the rest of the nation is at yellow, or “Elevated Risk.”
By Rich Cordivari
The digital revolution is transforming the nation’s culture and clearly altering the way people communicate with each other. Nowhere is technology’s power more visibly demonstrated than with training. Factor in digital training that educates, empowers and connects the vital security officer sector, and you have a game plan for success.
Exclusively Online
By Pierre Parkinson
Have you ever looked at a surveillance image and wondered why the image quality is so poor when compared with the clear, detail-packed images captured by consumer digital cameras or even the newest cell phones?
Departments
By Sandra Freitner
How can the government better protect its military assets? That is the question that the PSEAG and SEIWG seek to answer.
By Ralph C Jensen
You may not know this, but financial institutions are required by the federal government to spy on their customers. It’s all part of the Bank Secrecy Act, which requires financial institutions to keep records of personal financial transactions that might be useful in determining criminal activities.
By Megan Weadock
As the public becomes aware of school security and its shortcomings, those in the security industry acknowledge the value of new products and innovations in the field.
By Col. Timothy D. Ringgold
Last month, this column addressed HSPD-20, which mandates government agencies to appoint a senior official at the assistant secretary level as continuity of government coordinator to prepare plans, budgets and exercises to test continuity planning, preparation and capability.
By George Adams
The world of the IT security professional has always been dynamic, if not somewhat unpredictable and even chaotic at times. From continual changes in technology to the seemingly endless barrage of new and more potent security threats, the best IT security professionals remain vigilant and stand ready to quickly identify and adapt to whatever new challenges are thrown their way.
By Leslie Stevens
With the housing boom slowing down, many residential integrators need to find new opportunities to maintain business. Some companies will turn to the retrofit market, whereas others will expand into commercial. The migration from one market to another might appear seamless, however, there is much work to be done before taking action.
By J. Matthew Ladd
Another year is drawing to a close, and 2007 has remained just as consistent as the past few years in the security industry, with new players, new products and burgeoning technologies arriving at an incredible speed. This industry—as is the case with many others—has and will continue to be radically altered by computerbased technology.
By Karina Sanchez
As another year draws to a close, one thing remains constant in the security industry, and that’s the issue of convergence.
By Security Products Staff , Ralph C Jensen
Celebrating 10 years of publishing in the security industry, Security Products magazine editor Ralph C. Jensen fields a few questions about the industry, technology and the wave of the future.