June 2007
Features
By Coleen Sterns
GROW or die. That’s been a business mantra since the beginning of time. And ever since then, companies have been looking for ways to grow the bottom line. There are two ways to do this: Find and sell to new customers, an expensive and risky process, or improve the profitability of your existing customers.
By Susan Callahan
UNFORTUNATELY, security breaches are not uncommon in today’s world. Internet viruses, data tampering and information theft top the list of nightmares IT departments face worldwide.
By Bob Sawyer
CHANGE will continue to be the biggest the biggest trend in the security industry well into 2008. Enterprise security management systems are becoming larger and more integrated. Multi-level convergence is occurring in logical security, IT, data, access control and integrated components. Video management and access control are forming an integrated security management system. The future is leading the industry toward an integration platform that involves access control, video, audio, building control, intrusion and fire protection.
By Richard Ho
IN an era of IP network explosion, the license-exempt wireless communication medium has expanded its role beyond simple data communication. License-exempt wireless has reached the mass market to provide a reliable alternative to hardwiring for VoIP, IP TV and security applications. Compared to hard wiring, wireless is economical and quick to deploy. It also is secure and reliable. And, in many cases, IP technology is not just the best option, it’s the only option.
By Bryan Bain
IN the last year, information security researchers have warned black hat activity had shifted from digital vandalism to financially motivated attacks. Once motivated by curiosity or the desire to gain notoriety, attackers are now driven by profit. Today’s most ominous threats are designed to gather financial information.
By Amir Lev
ENTERPRISES are under siege, with 84 percent of organizations penetrated by e-mail-borne viruses, according to a 2006 study by Osterman Research. The cost is high, around $500 per infected desktop said Proofpoint, a messaging security provider. Most organizations have implemented anti-virus technology, and yet users still get infected.
By Ray Shilling
TO take advantage of the powerful and ubiquitous TCP/IP communication platform, manufacturers of security products such as network video cameras, gate access controllers, biometric scanners, perimeter fencing systems and mobile covert monitoring solutions are gradually migrating products to a digital platform. In many cases, a wireline network connection is not available at all locations in the facility. Wireless alternatives are increasingly being considered to deploy these Ethernet devices.
By Beth Wegener
BEING ahead of the curve is important to the people at Alticor. That’s why they use state-of-the art technology to provide secure access control at the company’s headquarters and distribution centers.
Alticor manufactures and sells personal care products for more than 3 million independent business owners around the world. It also has a number of subsidiaries, including Amway, the widely known direct sales organization; Quixtar, an Internet ordering business; and Access Business Group, a manufacturing, distribution and warehousing organization that makes products for Amway and companies needing extra capacity.
By Bashar Masad
CONTRARY to using badges, sign-ins or other ways of tracking employees, a biometric reader ensures no employee can punch in for another, eliminating time fraud and reducing payroll costs. Because every person's biometric features—hand, fingerprint, eye or face—are unique, a biometric time clock provides a quick, accurate and reliable way to record in and out punches for each employee. That’s why so many companies, including fast food restaurants, now employ biometrics.
Departments
By Karina Sanchez
IF you work or have worked for the Transportation Security Administration, you could be the latest victim of a major security data breach.
By David Coughlin ,JD, CPP
LOOKING to visit the official Hormel SPAM Museum? Hightail it to Austin, Minn. Or if you want to see an entire museum dedicated to different types of barbed wire try LaCrosse, Kan. Museums can house anything from valuable pieces of artwork, such as the Mona Lisa, to priceless, ancient artifacts like Egyptian mummies, or even a rare oddity such as a Pez dispenser that bears the face of Betsy Ross, the woman who sewed the first American flag.
By Ralph C Jensen
NOTHING brings a parent to their knees quicker than worry over their child’s safety and security. I’m sure my parents worried over my growth, and as a parent, I worry constantly about my sons—even though they are grown and away from home.
By Brent Dirks
ON the night of April 18, 1775, Boston’s Old North Church and its 191-foot steeple cemented a place into early American history and the Revolutionary War.