The Next Big Thing In Business Security Systems
The landscape is changing across the surveillance industry.
Fluctuating business models in response to pandemic-mode are partially responsible. Other change is a result of a desire to integrate systems to perform at higher levels while also doing so seamlessly, requiring minimal human involvement.
“I want a house like the Jetsons,” a friend in his forties recently voiced. “Why shouldn’t I be able to have that kind of house?”
His dream is here, in part, minus the robotic maid and the instant meals appearing on command. Smart homes are part of the security system offering with Biometric functions that have already earned their place in business security.
Advanced biometrics are included in security to protect sensitive documents and other valuables. For example, Citibank uses voice recognition.
Let’s take a peak at Biometric technology and more along our future trajectory.
AI and Analytics--Making the impossible a reality
“Once driven by centuries-old statistical modeling techniques, AI and machine learning are now transforming the field of analytics by offering a level of speed, scale, and granularity that’s humanly impossible.”
The process of looking at raw data and applying a specific technique to extract meaningful patterns is what we refer to as “analytics.” It’s a task normally done by a trained team of technicians who examine an initial change in search of underlying causes.
Paint dries faster than results emerge from this time-consuming process.
However, if you throw in some AI (Artificial Intelligence) with the analytic processes, look out! AI Analytics, based on machine learning algorithms (ML), monitors at a frenzied rate while analyzing huge amounts of data. Without any human propensities for prejudice, AI analytics provides an objective analysis of the situation. AI analytics can test infinitely more possibilities than traditional analytics and do so in seconds rather than weeks.
What does that mean for your business security system? Night and day difference as AI Analytics-Powered software constantly evaluates everything in the camera view. Distinguishing between individuals and vehicles the system determines threat potentials. Then it sends you immediate alerts as events are occurring. That is if you’ve been smart enough to purchase SCW’s new Survail system.
All your cameras, no new ones to buy, on one platform, reporting threats to you in real-time. No limit on the number of locations either which is fantastic news for your giant enterprise.
If it sounds too good to be true, take a look at our demo for a display of other incredible features.
Biometrics for security
You are unique. Your grandmother, your mate, or your counselor has likely said so at some point.
They were right in the sense of biometrics where your biological measurements can be used to distinguish you from other individuals. Fingerprints, for instance, are widely known to be unique identifiers. Now we have facial recognition, retina scanners, voice recognition, DNA, and more markers to set us apart from the 7.67 billion other humans on planet earth.
Biometric identification is playing a larger role in business security systems. Human physical characteristics are for the most part fixed and individualized — even in the case of twins. Each person’s unique biometric markers can be used to replace or augment traditional password systems. Biometric identification becomes the access for computers, phones, and restricted access rooms and buildings.
Your body becomes the key.
“The challenge is that biometric scanners, including facial recognition systems, can be tricked. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill downloaded photos of 20 volunteers from social media and used them to construct 3-D models of their faces. The researchers successfully breached four of the five security systems they tested.”
Millions of us use our fingerprint to unlock our iPhone. Storing biometric data on a device--such as the iPhone’s TouchID or Face ID--is thought to be safer than storing it with a service provider, even when the data is encrypted and their promises of password and data privacy are resolute.
The proposed compromise is biometrics security as part of a two-factor authentication strategy that incorporates secondary protocols such as good, old-fashioned passwords. In the event of breaches, passwords can be changed. Biometric measurements cannot.
However, none of the potential downside is slowing biometric security implementation in some sectors.
“New York, Chicago, and Moscow are linking CCTV cameras in their cities to facial recognition databases to help local police fight crime. Ramping up the technology, Carnegie Mellon University is developing a camera that can scan the irises of people in crowds from a distance of 10 meters.” ~Kaspersky
Biometric technology is already providing solutions for security despite the risks. As the field continues to develop, we should expect to see refinements lessen the degree and extent of those risks.
Privacy as a service
Ever heard of XaaS? Yeah, me neither. Were it not for Google I’d be one out-of-touch boomer.
The following lengthy quote lends perspective and introduces privacy-as-a-service--another new one on me.
“As cloud-based technology infrastructure has become the norm and not the exception, XaaS (anything-as-a-service) terms such as software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) are now part of everyday technology lexicon. XaaS is based on the recognition that setting up, running, and maintaining in-house the infrastructure, systems, processes, and policies, is less efficient than running them from the cloud. It’s not surprising that privacy-as-a-service is now a thing and increasingly looked upon as a smart alternative for managing privacy risks. Privacy-as-a-service is also referred to as data-privacy-as-a-service (DPaaS).”
Though data privacy has always been a big deal, our consciousness of it has gone into hyperdrive. Does a single week pass without headline news covering a widespread cyber attack or a giant corporate breach? At the time of the writing of this article the latest to hit is the Colonial pipeline ransomware attack. It’s left SCW’s home of Western North Carolina in an extreme gas shortage.
The U.S. doesn’t have substantial federal privacy laws. State laws vary considerably. Putting a price tag on privacy-as-a-service is unsettling for people. Some say it will only increase the divide between the have’s and the have not’s. Others view privacy as primarily the responsibility of the organizations entrusted with the information as opposed to the users themselves.
Why should we have to pay for that which should be included as part of good business practices?
“Technology platforms are collecting growing volumes of data in order to improve customer service, customize marketing, and enhance their product offering. Users will provide this information with the expectation that it will better their experience.
However, users are demanding greater transparency of these platforms’ privacy policies and may need external help to stay on top of their privacy concerns.”~Stephen M.W.
Business security system providers are among those who have access to monumental personal and extememely private data from their clients. That expectation of data privacy is crucial to the provider/client relationship.
Recent news surrounding the breach of surveillance provider Verkada exhibited in gigantic fashion what happens when 24,000 clients have their 150,000 security cameras and personal data laid bare to not only infiltrators but also made accessible to unauthorized company employees.
SCW will continue to be the industry leader in customer service by protecting every aspect of our clients’ data by all available means. We’ve being doing so from our beginning ten years ago.
In the process we’ve earned over 4,000 five-star ratings. Our customers say more than we can about our high standards of doing business. Join our SCW security family and experience the difference.