Surveillance

Russia?s Olympic Wall Of Security Surrounds

Russia’s Olympic wall of security surrounds Sochi Quotation from BBC News, Sochi As you drive towards Sochi along the road, you have to go through a huge concrete checkpoint in the tiny hamlet of Magri, around 60 miles (100 km) short of the city centre. For the duration of the Winter Olympics only vehicles registered in Sochi – and those with special permission – are being allowed through the checkpoint. We watched as every bus, truck and car was thoroughly searched by police officers with sniffer dogs. The checkpoint is being overseen by Russia’s internal security service, the FSB. Apart from the road, and the single railway line, Sochi is effectively cut off from the outside world. It is a long coastal strip bordered by the Caucasus Mountains to the north-east and the Black Sea to the south-west. The border crossing to Abkhazia – a region of Georgia which has declared independence – is shut to vehicles for the duration of the Games. In the sea off the Olympic Park we spotted high-speed naval boats and a mysterious ship bristling with communications masts. Named “Seliger”, it was commissioned in December 2012 and was described at the time as a “deep-sea research vessel”. The mountains are being guarded by the Russian army. The Olympics are split between the “coastal cluster” of ice rinks by the Black Sea in the Sochi suburb of Adler, and the “mountain cluster” of skiing and sliding events at Krasnaya Polyana. All along the road between […]

Super Bowl XLVIII Gets Super-Sized Security With Mobile Pro Systems And Fluidmesh

One of the finest features of this security program is that it’s instant; it uses radio frequency to talk to one another. No wiring is essential to connect each of the parts. Sensors for Apartments: By having an home security system installed to protect your residence consider installing motion sensors. There are two forms of detectors for sale in best home security system . The initial are motion detectors which are an excellent protection choice for apartments. The 2nd form of devices would be the PIR techniques. PIR stands for passive infrared detection. PIR program monitors any visitor’s existence. In addition they help identify all moves occurring in the apartment. PIR systems are instant and easy to install. What is the one oldest safety device? Well, it is very flexible. It can be carried on you all the time, it can be used to protect your individual physique, and it can be used to protect your house! It’s your fists! A method that causes a call for the homeowner or business owners cellular phone first. If theres no remedy it goes to the house telephone. If theres no remedy it visits law enforcement. Situations can turn life-threatening, even scarier. Our neighbors, who were my partners cousins, were murdered in a botched robbery, once I lived in another part of their state. The thieves assumed no body was home and that the house wouldbe a straightforward job. The 2 men broke in to the house one Saturday morning, and these […]

9/11 Conspiracy Theorist Snuck Past Super Bowl Security To Interrupt Postgame Show

The NFL’s layers of security at Super Bowl XLVIII proved vulnerable to an expired festival pass and some social engineering. During MVP Malcolm Smith’s postgame appearance, independent journalist and conspiracy theorist Matthew Mills rushed the stage and grabbed the microphone, exhorting viewers to investigate the truth about 9/11. Mills wasn’t just hijacking a press conference, though: he had infiltrated a stadium that law enforcement hoped would be all but impenetrable. Before the event, police and the FBI had set up multiple layers of security in an attempt to identify potential terrorists, mixing plainclothes agents into the crowd and setting up hundreds of temporary security cameras in Midtown Manhattan to catch suspicious activity… Continue reading… via The Verge – All Posts http://ift.tt/1dYlJLT

Law Enforcement Of The Future: Body Cams, Data Mining, And GPS

A whole raft of new technologies are making their way into police departments around the nation. If there wasn’t much profit in being a criminal before, there will be notably less by 2025, when all of these new technologies are fully deployed. So what does the police force of the future look like? Read on to see some of the new tools being tried out right now, in cities around the nation. Body Cams These will take two forms, primarily. First, Police departments around the country are running pilot programs with Google Glass and related gadgets, and second, they’re looking at tiny “lapel cams” that would allow for safer pursuit of fleeing suspects. Other advantages of such body cameras include: • Increased accountability for officers and departments • Providing real-time video evidence of interactions with the public • Such devices could allow officers and emergency responders to access live information feeds as they engage or pursue suspects on city streets or inside buildings “The camera within the device could potentially capture the facial images of persons of interest or suspects and run these images against databases of known felons, repeat offenders, wanted or missing persons,” Daly told FoxNews.com. Data Mining and Automation One key advantage law enforcement will see from these various technologies is that it will enhance their ability to respond to emergencies with decreasing resources, according to “American Policing in 2022: Essays on the Future of a Profession,” a Department of Justice collection of ideas on the […]

The Challenging Future Of American’s Privacy

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/technology/when-no-one-is-just-a-face-in-the-crowd.html?_r=1 Fitbit, Nike, and Garmin could sell your personal fitness data without your permission: Fitness-minded Americans have started wearing sporty wrist-band devices that track tons of data: Weight, mile splits, steps taken per day, sleep quality, sexual activity , calories burned—sometimes, even GPS location . People use this data to keep track of their health, and are able send the information to various websites and apps. But this sensitive, personal data could end up in the hands of corporations looking to target these users with advertising, get credit ratings, or determine insurance rates. In other words, that device could start spying on you—and the Federal Trade Commission is worried.  "Health data from [a woman’s] connected device, may be collected and then sold to data brokers and other companies she does not know exist," Jessica Rich, director of the Bureau for Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, said in a speech on Tuesday for  Data Privacy Day . "These companies could use her information to market other products and services to her; make decisions about her eligibility for credit, employment, or insurance; and share with yet other companies. And many of these companies may not maintain reasonable safeguards to protect the data they maintain about her." Several major US-based fitness device companies contacted by Mother Jones —Fitbit, Garmin, and Nike—say they don’t sell personally identifiable information collected from fitness devices. But privacy advocates warn that the policies of these firms could allow them to sell data. When you buy one of these bracelets or clip-on devices, you have […]

High-Tech ?Peeping Toms? Spy On Women, Children

Piping & Core Driller Location: New York NY 10017 US Category: Engineering, Information Technology, Construction Degrees Required: 4 Year Degree Employment Type: Full-Time Manages Others: No Requirements:   MUST HAVE A CAR A college or technical school degree in Information Technology, Information Systems or Engineering preferred. Minimum one-year technical degree or equivalent from college or technical school AND 2-4 years related experience. Proficiency in a broad range of CCTV and Access Control products and security architecture. Direct field technicians in installation of cabling and device set up and wiring Ability to work with power tools and ladders. Relevant experience either through employment or personal use/activities. Proficiency in Network architecture and protocols, database management, and fiber optics. Electrical expertise including knowledge of digital electronics, AC & DC circuits and understanding of parallel and series resistor circuits and there effects SKILLS: Strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills. Ability to quickly learn to use new software tools, with respect to (NVMS) Network Video Management Systems. Effective verbal and written communications skills. Team player – ability to work well in a close employee/support environment. Must be comfortable working in a dynamic environment with constant changes. Must be comfortable with travel, sometimes on short notice, and occasional after-hours support requirements.   EOE Requirements: The Technician will complete installations of Video surveillance and Access Control systems. The incumbent needs to be versed in running Cat6 and 18 gauge wiring, along with running all types of conduit through concrete walls of residential buildings to enclose the […]

With Better Security Technology, Hotels Shore Up Blind Spots

Ben Thiele, assistant general manager at the Hotel Monaco Seattle, adjusting a basement security camera. Stuart Isett for The New York Times At a poker tournament in Barcelona last September, Jens Kyllönen, a professional player, said that his room at Hotel Arts was broken into and malware was installed on his computer to transmit anything he saw on his screen as he played. Despite video camera systems and electronic key card entry logs, no one was caught. Although he said he discovered the malware in time, he says he is much more careful now about where he stores his belongings and secures his computer. Hotel Arts declined to comment, saying it was a private event. His case is just one in what has become a technological cat-and-mouse game between hotels and criminals. Smaller and cheaper cameras, smarter key card systems and communication among hotels add up to a more closely watched environment than in the past. Criminals are also using new technology to foil security measures and execute scams. Cameras are typically installed in public spaces like lobbies and hallways, said H. Skip Brandt, executive director of the International Lodging Safety and Security Association in Boston, and director of security at a hotel in downtown Boston. The numbers of those monitored public spaces are multiplying as video cameras and systems come down in price and increase in power. Advanced closed-circuit video systems provide “low-light vision, facial recognition, and movement and color recognition analysis software,” said Tom McElroy, a partner […]

Canon Powers Middle East?s Security Sector With Launch Of Latest IP-cameras

By Kirsty McMahon on January 28, 2014 Canon VB S30D (Custom) Canon Middle East has further consolidated its security camera business in the Middle East region with the launch of its ‘S’ series innovative IP security cameras. The new models were unveiled to the region’s security and surveillance channel including resellers and system integrators for the first time at Intersec 2014, the largest security solutions exhibition in the Middle East. The new ultra-compact ‘S’ series has been designed for indoor environments which require sensitive monitoring of specific areas or items, such as the retail, education, commercial and hospitality sectors. Speaking about the launch of this unique range at Intersec, held in Dubai in January, Sam Oommen Product Manager – IP Camera and Projector, Canon Middle East, said, “This is the second time we have exhibited at Intersec in Dubai. In 2013 we showcased a broad range of our products and services, but this year we focused on highlighting the unique features of our full HD IP cameras. We launched four new cameras from our stand at the event, taking the opportunity to highlight and demonstrate the analytic features that are built into the cameras themselves. “Analytic features, such as low light and moving object analysis, are customarily software features.” Oommen adds, “We are the first company to build a small, compact camera with these features incorporated into the hardware itself. It was our goal at the exhibition to give visitors to our stand first hand experience of our products, […]

Status Of The CMOS Image Sensor Industry 2014

Status of the CMOS Image Sensor Industry 2014 – Product Image “A 10% CAGR is forecast for the CMOS image sensor market from 2013 – 2018” As major technology changes continue to reshape the industrial landscape, a 10% CAGR is forecast for the CMOS image sensor market from 2013 – 2018. The market will reach a total value of US$13B by 2018, driven by consumer and automotive applications. Many different applications are driving CMOS image sensor integration. It’s likely that the consumer market will benefit from new mobile technologies. As such, we foresee consumer applications (tablets, DSC etc.) to be the growth driver over the next five years (which is the opposite of the previous five years, which were driven exclusively by mobile applications). Moreover, after being dominated by CCD, DSC applications are now shifting towards CMOS. And while DSLR will be a substitution market, the next wave is likely to be automotive applications, which could become CIS’ third big market. Indeed, the CIS sensor market in automotive is showing steady growth, which is expected to continue in the coming years; possibly become CIS’ third-largest CIS market. Automotive also demands new technologies such as high dynamicrange sensors and near infra-red response, and will benefit (with appropriate optimization) from technology developments in the handset market. A shift from driving assistance applications to security-based applications may imply significant quality and reliability design improvements in the near future, possibly leading to traditional automotive product providers entering the market with more exuberance. Many […]

CaughtOnCamera: This Couple Has No Idea They’re Standing Next To A Black Bear

PASADENA, Calif. — Dry weather and high temperatures likely combined to draw out a California black bear from the Angeles National Forest this week and in one case onto the front porch of a Pasadena home, according to wildlife experts. “It must be so dry up there and it’s hot and now he’s looking for something to eat,” said Ricky Whitman, a spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. “Closer to where there’s garbage and where the people are is something that would lure them down.” The drought affecting Southern California has dried up the vegetation that the bears would normally feast on, said Whitman. A bear wandered Thursday afternoon for a couple of hours between homes near the Eaton Canyon Park Golf Course close to Old House Road and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue. Police and California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens were on scene, according to reports. Janice Mackey a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the bear made it back into the forest unassisted. A Scottish couple visiting family in Pasadena had a close encounter Tuesday with a California black bear, which was captured on security cameras installed outside the home. The footage showed the couple coming out of the home without noticing the bear, which was lurking a few feet away on the front porch. The bear followed the couple off of the porch and out of the view of the camera. Bobby McKeown said he felt something at his […]

CO State Lawmakers Want To Restrict How Long Governmental Surveillance Can Be Kept On Citizens

DENVER – Republican lawmakers at the state Capitol want to send "Big Brother" to his room. Legislation being proposed would require government entities to purge their surveillance video and images within six months of the recording. According to the bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Polly Lawrence, R-Roxborough Park, this is in direct response to surveillance concerns at the federal level. "It has really been brought to our attention with the NSA and their surveillance techniques and their data collection on everyone across the United States," said Lawrence. "I don’t think the government should be surveilling its citizens and retaining that information indefinitely." Government surveillance can include security cameras at state or local buildings, H.A.L.O. cameras, photo red light, photo radar and toll collection devices. Her proposal is to make sure government entities are not keeping tabs on citizens unnecessarily. "If we hadn’t had that in Boston, we wouldn’t have found the Boston bombers, but do we need to let the government retain that information indefinitely," said Lawrence. "Surveillance helped protect me in a significant way. My life would be very different without the vindication of that video," said Shawn Johnson. A downtown H.A.L.O. camera captured Denver police beating Johnson and his friend, Michael DeHerrera, in April 2009. "The surveillance helped our case significantly. It changed the narrative, it gave us a voice," said Johnson. Denver Police saved the video as part of the investigation. Denver Police policy is to purge H.A.L.O. recordings after 30 days, unless the recording is needed […]

3VR Welcomes Jeff Karnes As Its Senior Vice President Of Marketing

Published on 22 Jan, 2014 3VR appoints Jeff Karnes as its Senior Vice President of Marketing Karnes previously held executive and senior leadership roles at Yahoo!, WebEx, Virage, and Cinebase Software 3VR , the video intelligence company, recently announced that Jeff Karnes has been named Senior Vice President of Marketing and will spearhead the company’s retail analytics initiative. "Jeff joins 3VR at an important time," said Al Shipp, CEO of 3VR. "His impressive background in video technology and ability to work across a range of industries will be tremendously valuable as 3VR pursues new opportunities in the retail and security segments." 3VR is now leveraging the same video-mining technology that has delivered proven ROI for retail loss prevention to improve marketing, merchandising and store operations. Brick-and-mortar retailers can glean real-time, actionable insights from the Big Data from in-store video to create a personalised, omni-channel experience, increasing conversions and spend rate. In addition to the retail initiative, Karnes will drive 3VR’s marketing efforts in the video surveillance industry. Most recently, he was CEO at Pixel Forensics , a company that provides solutions to rapidly triage and analyse video, images and audio for forensic and investigative applications for U.S. Government clients. "3VR is at the forefront of delivering solutions that allow companies to search and gain insights from the growing amount of video," said Karnes. "Joining 3VR at this moment in the evolution of video and Big Data is an incredible opportunity and I’m thrilled to be part of the company." […]

Barracuda Networks Founder & Former CEO Dean Drako Launches Eagle Eye

Check out our  press release hub , powered by Business Wire. It’s a one stop shop for industry announcements to help you stay on top of the latest technology and investment trends. Get the scoop  here . Company Provides On-Demand Security & Operations Video Management AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 21, 2014– Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. formally introduced itself today as a provider of an on-demand security and operations video management system. In other news today, Eagle Eye also announced that its flagship product, the Eagle Eye Security Camera Video Management System (VMS), was released to the channel after 18 months of development and successful deployment with a large variety of customers. Eagle Eye Networks is delivering the benefits of the cloud to the video surveillance customer, such as on-demand deployment, centralized management, high reliability, and lower TCO. At the same time it eliminates historical obstacles to broad cloud deployment, such as security/privacy vulnerabilities and high bandwidth consumption. The VMS is compatible with most IP and analog cameras allowing maximum flexibility for customers and resellers. A 2013 survey of 283 IT security decision makers showed that 49% are involved in supporting or selecting video security/surveillance products. This illustrates the high overhead for installing, configuring, and maintaining the hardware and software needed for video surveillance systems. “I started Eagle Eye Networks to bring the compelling advantages of secure, on-demand, cloud based, video management and recording to customers,” said Dean Drako, President and CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. “Further I wanted to deliver an easy-to-use full […]

Dozens Of Cameras Add To Security In Government Building

Dozens of cameras add to security in government building Dozens of cameras add to security in government building Somebody’s eyes are watching you daily, with 70-plus cameras in the Butler County Government Services Building. Most expect to be watched when entering the court wing on the second floor and walking through the metal detector, but cameras are pointed at all public areas on all floors, according to county officials. Nestled in an undisclosed location is security personnel watching over banks of monitors. “It is to keep people safe,” said Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer of the sheriff’s office. “We have a lot of foot traffic throughout the building from people in emotionally charged situations.” The original system, installed in the building in 1999, recently received an upgrade. Dwyer said the clarity of the camera’s images has improved as well as the positioning of cameras and monitors. Elected office holders can also opt to install a camera system in non-public areas. Auditor Roger Reynolds, Recorder Danny Crank, Coroner Dr. Lisa Mannix and Prosecutor Michael Gmoser and County Administrator Charles Young said no additional cameras are installed in their offices, but all said they have additional security measures. In the treasurer’s office where plenty of money is received, seven cameras are operational, according to Treasurer Nancy Nix. “It does come in handy,” Nix said, noting an innocent mistake between an employee and a taxpayer using cash to pay taxes was recently discovered by reviewing security camera tapes. “We could tell which taxpayer […]

Illinois? Eavesdropping Law Under Attack

Continuous Video Recording in Progress Continuous Video Recording in Progress I’ve been following the Chris Drew travesty fairly closely. Why should police be treated differently than other citizens? If Illinois law was on the books in California, for instance, would Scott Olsen be a household name? Or other Occupy incidents, like the various pepper spraying videos? If police are doing their job, they shouldn’t be worried about a spectator videoing their actions, and if they are doing something questionable, citizens should be able to collect evidence of police wrongdoing. Anyway, there are rumblings that the law could be thrown out as vague, or unconstitutional. When a Cook County jury in August acquitted a woman of violating Illinois’ strict eavesdropping law, an unassuming man with wire-rimmed glasses and wispy white hair sat in the gallery, quietly taking notes. Chris Drew had good reason to keep an eye on the case — he’s facing trial on the same felony charge of eavesdropping on a public official, which carries up to 15 years in prison. An artist whose ’60s upbringing instilled a deep respect for questioning authority, Drew, 61, is accused of making an illegal audio recording of Chicago police during a 2009 arrest for selling art on a downtown street without a permit. Drew intended the incident to be a test of the city’s permit laws. But now his case has wound up at the forefront of a much bigger effort to challenge the constitutionality of Illinois’ eavesdropping law, which makes […]

Panasonic Launches Facial Recognition System WV-ASF900 Series

Source: Panasonic | Date: 12/25/2013 Related tags: Panasonic , Video Surveillance Panasonic , an international company of video surveillance cameras and solutions, announced the new release of the WV-ASF900 facial recognition system that runs on Microsoft Windows server with the Panasonic 3 series network cameras. WV-ASF900 adds the face matching, face searching, people counting and the age and gender statistics features to video surveillance systems. Adopting hybrid Intelligent Video architecture, WV-ASF900 provides a high performance and cost effective facial recognition system. The Panasonic 3 series network cameras clip the facial parts of the captured images and the WV-ASF900 identifies the person by comparing the clipped parts with pictures in databases. This hybrid architecture substantially reduces server and network overload. WV-ASF900 supports up to 20 cameras per server and matches 1,000 faces a second. It takes only 3 seconds to search for a person from 5 million faces on the WV-ASF900. The WV-ASF900 Facial Recognition Analytics Platform is useful for surveillance and business. It improves surveillance accuracy and effectiveness and also provides an innovative way to utilize the video information for business intelligence (BI) for better marketing effectiveness, store operations, building layout designs, traffic patterns and more.

Game Of ‘Surveillance Camera Destruction’ Hits The United States

cameras The previously discussed trend of making a game out of breaking as many public surveillance cameras as possible, known as Camover , appears to have crossed the Atlantic, with a team calling themselves the Barefoot Bandit Brigade claiming a score of 17 in Washington state: 17 Security Cameras Disabled and Destroyed in Puget Sound Region — In the opening weeks of February, 2013, we have removed and destroyed 17 security cameras throughout the Puget Sound region. This act is concrete sabotage against the system of surveillance and control. It is also a message of solidarity and a wish of strength to the Seattle Grand Jury Resisters, those currently incarcerated and those not. Finally, this act announces our participation in the game of CAMOVER, called for by comrades in Germany.

UPDATE: Mechanicsville Restaurant Owner Arrested For Security Cameras In Bathroom

MECHANICSVILLE, VA (WWBT) – The owner of a Mechanicsville restaurant is facing charges for having security cameras in the bathroom. Dennis Smith, 54, owns the Calabash Seafood Restaurant and Midway Lounge. Smith was arrested Wednesday, and charged with one count of unlawful videotaping. Smith says he’s dealt with repeated, expensive vandalism in the mens’ bathrooms of his restaurant. He says the cameras are legal, since they weren’t angled towards anyone’s private areas. However, Smith got backlash from some customers over privacy rights. Investigators seem to agree, after an investigation, and now charges. Cameras in bathrooms are legal in Virginia, according to NBC 12 legal analyst Steve Benjamin, as long as no one’s private areas are recorded. The owner’s wife says the cameras have been moved into the hallway of the restaurant. Smith is awaiting trial in Hanover County Circuit Court. Get the latest from NBC12’s Kelly Avellino on Facebook and Twitter . Copyright 2013 WWBT NBC12 .  All rights reserved.