Monitoring Matters

“Tales from the Darkside” was a horror anthology series that aired in the 1980s. But what is going on today is not some made-up fiction, it is real life. And like the cult favorite show, and the cybercriminal group that references the show’s title, it is downright scary. We just experienced the largest cyberattack against U.S. critical infrastructure in our nation’s history. I will say this again – the largest cyberattack against U.S. critical infrastructure in our...

I’m sitting in my kitchen typing this blog on my laptop, while I respond to emails and texts on my cellphone. My kids are on their PCs for their sixth-grade Google meets, while watching TikTok videos and playing online video games (which they shouldn’t be doing during remote learning, but it works for the premise of this blog). The use of multiple devices simultaneously is a scene at the Harris household that has been a routine occurrence for more than a year now. Millions of other...

When you logged on to www.securitysystemsnews.com today, you probably noticed that we may have dipped our toes in the fountain of youth. Or more like we dipped our entire legs in that fountain! That’s because our site has been taken over by an octet of outstanding young security professionals who are making their mark in the industry, and have been honored by their peers with the “40 under 40” awards that we here at Security Systems News have proudly handed out for more than...

In my last blog, I talked about the importance of the security industry coming together for a common cause – the fight against cyberattacks. Two weeks later, another national threat has brought a quartet of security moms together for a great cause. Driven by the passion of Elisa Mula, Founder, EM Designs (EMD), LLC, she and three other moms in the security industry - Min Kyriannis, Managing Director, JMK Group; Antoinette King, PSP, Key Account Manager, Axis Communications; and Janet Fenner,...

It was just two weeks ago when my blog offered a cautionary tale about the Verkada security breach and stressed the importance of making the necessary investment to prevent cyberattacks like that from happening to other businesses. Fast forward to today, and while I have no idea if my blog ignited a spark, I have been extremely pleased by the overwhelming response of the security industry recently in the battle against cyber threats. Let’s start with the first collaboration announced...

If you have been following my and SSN Editor Paul Ragusa's blogs, you know how much we have been stressing hypervigilance on the cybersecurity front, because there is just so much to lose. The news from Bloomberg this week that Verkada was the victim of a breach by hackers who were able to access live and archived footage from 150,000 security cameras inside Verkada customers' facilities, as well as its own offices, is just another example of why any company, regardless of size, can fall...

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it! My apologies for channeling the Pointer Sisters, but we’re now just hours away from the must-see event of the year for you, the security industry, as we present the SecurityNext virtual conference on Feb. 24-25. In addition to the keynote speakers, informative sessions and invaluable networking opportunities that the conference will provide in keeping with this year’s theme of “Staying Connected and Informed,” Security...

Hear ye, hear ye! We’re only two weeks away from the can’t-miss event of the year in the security industry – Security Systems News’ virtual SecurityNext conference taking place Feb. 24-25. While we wish we could all be together in person to network, to learn, to discover the newest and exciting technology in the marketplace, and honor the best and brightest in the security industry, this year’s virtual event will still offer the opportunity to do all of the above...

The concept of access control has been placed under the proverbial microscope after witnessing hundreds of people storm the U.S. Capitol building earlier this month during one of the most infamous and unforgettable days in American history. Watching video footage of outnumbered and overwhelmed Capitol police officers as political rioters vandalized offices, meeting chambers and the building’s historic Rotunda served as a reminder of the importance of fortified access control in higher-security...

As we embark on a new year, we have a tendency to take a look at trends to follow over the next few months. In the security industry, a number of video surveillance trends to look for in 2021 were recently released in a report by Eagle Eye Networks. The rise of cloud One of the trends that the report outlined is that there is more of a customer demand for cloud video security. The report states, “The shift to the benefits of cloud in the video surveillance space is powerful and undeniable,...