Blogs

We live in a time when people are up in hypothetical (and sometimes real) arms about protecting their privacy. The hot topic and nearly constant debate of facial recognition … the fact that almost everyone has a smartphone with video and camera at their fingertips … video cameras placed across our cities … and while I appreciate these technologies, there is something coming that I’m not too sure about: Project Aria. Facebook recently unveiled this, labeling it a new...

I joke sometimes in my house that the best way to communicate with my teenage son is to do a Snapchat video call with him, even when he is in the same house, although I have come to realize that I am too old to even fathom, let alone use, Snapchat. Luckily, the app designers were smart enough to make it so someone like me isn’t even capable of interacting with it, which is why my son — and all teenagers — love the app so much. But I digress! What I am getting to is this virtual...

If you’ve been reading any of my blogs as of late, you’ll know that cybersecurity has been my main focus and for good reason. With more and more of us working from home — approximately 4.7 million in the U.S. — cybercriminals are cleaning up, wreaking havoc on individual’s lives and businesses alike. In fact, IBM’s “Cost of a Data Breach Report” pegs the average cost of a security breach at $3.92 million. However, people across the world are fighting...

Systems integrators, security consultants, manufacturers all want the same thing — to truly understand not only what their customers “want,” but also what solutions, technology and services they truly “need” to help solve their specific problems, and meet their specific requirements. Now more than ever that need to be what many in the industry are calling a “trusted partner” is more critically important than ever, which is why new research on end user...

Jumping into the nitty-gritty of the six most popular cyberattacks used against U.S. companies, in which cyberattacks shot up 93 percent over the past 12 months, I engaged the help of cybersecurity expert, Rodney Thayer, convergence engineer at Smithee Solutions LLC. Let’s explore what each of the six attacks are and what you can do to help prevent them. But, first, a little about Thayer … “I was a software developer building communications protocols; therefore, I was doing...

When I hear the word “skyrocket,” it always reminds me of fireworks bursting overhead, spraying beautiful, illuminating dots and sparkles of color across a black nature canvas. However, when it comes to cyberattacks, there’s nothing beautiful at all about them; they’re detrimental. Take a moment to really think about these malicious assaults that gain unauthorized access to a victim’s device. Sensitive data can be stolen, computers completely taken over and harmful...

As one of the last in-person shows to take place back in February, the first annual SecurityNext conference is the last memory I have of feeling the excitement and intimacy of being right there and rubbing elbows with so many industry leaders and peers, an experience that I am sure all of us miss since COVID-19 disrupted so much of what was essential to our industry. I feel fortunate that I was able to connect on that level and look forward to a time when we can get back to some level of normalcy...

With all the negativity that the COVID-19 pandemic has bred, I find it encouraging and refreshing to see all the positive movement within the industry when it comes to the video surveillance camera market. As you probably heard, Motorola Solutions acquired Pelco, Inc. for $110 million in cash (not a bad chunk of change there!), and ADT and Google partnered to dominate the smart home market, so there’s almost an endless number of video camera applications here as more consumers are embracing the...

With so many of us still working from home, and many companies transitioning to a fully functional remote workforce that can produce at the same levels they once did pre-coronavirus, the role of the cloud will continue to increase in all aspects of life, not just security. As Brivo CEO Steve Van Till said during his presentation, “The Cloud Won. Now What?” at SecurityNext back in February, cloud-based technology “has finally won over the hearts and minds of even the most reluctant late adopters...

The loo, bathroom, restroom, el bano, latrine, water closet, washroom, powder room, lavatory, outhouse, toilet, commode, throne, potty … whatever your special name is for this place, we all know others shouldn’t be “privy” to our private moments here. But, as technology advances and new “smart” apparatuses tempt the must-have-it-all-type of consumer, privacy wanes and cybercriminals find new ways into the more personal parts of people’s lives. Case in point, the smart toilet … Scientists...