government
On Proliferating State And Local Surveillance Technologies
Over at Security States, I have this piece up , about the proliferation of city- and state-operated surveillance technologies—and the need to pair collection rules for these technologies with effective use and access rules. The piece begins: The New York Times reports today that “ Privacy Fears Grow as Cities Increase Surveillance .” The main theme is that municipal police and law enforcement agencies around the country are deploying new and more sophisticated data gathering and analysis technology, some of it bought with counter-terrorism funds, stoking privacy concerns among residents and watchdog groups. As with much of the early reporting of National Security Agency surveillance programs disclosed by Edward Snowden, the Times piece is heavy on what the systems collect and how they store and combine information. Only near the end of the piece, however, does it address accompanying rules and guidelines being developed to regulate such issues as who can access this information, for what purposes, under what supervision, and with what checks. Rapid technological development and lower price-tags for it are inevitable, and the most important question is whether regulation for how surveillance technology and data may be used can keep up. It is no surprise that local governments are deploying technologies like video surveillance systems, license plate readers, drones, networks of sensors, and systems for aggregating and analyzing the information streams they produce. The New York Police Department has been out in front of other cities in this regard, on account of its size, resources, threats, […]
Source www.lawfareblog.com
IBM’s Smart Cities Program Learns As It Goes
In Miami-Dade County, a network of sensors and scanners are quietly collecting data about the area
The Visitor Control Center At Navy?s Building 197
September 16th, 2013 | Defense | Posted by jim mcelhatton close Author: jim mcelhatton Name : Email: [email protected] Site: About: See Authors Posts (28) Access into the Washington Navy Yard’s Building 197, where a shooting rampage in Washington left at least a dozen people dead Monday, includes a security clearance check and vetting by contract-hired “visitor control technicians,” contract records show. Authorities have identified Aaron Alexis, 34, a Navy veteran, as the dead gunman. While it’s unclear how Alexis got into the building Monday morning, the Associated Press reported that he may have used someone’s identification. In April, the Navy hired Kansas-based contractor Transtecs Corp. for “visitor control office support services” at the Washington Navy Yard, according to the government’s online procurement database. While there’s no indication that Transtecs’ work has come under question in the shooting, contract records related to the company’s hiring do shed light on the sort of vetting the Navy requires to get into Building 197, which houses the Navy’s Sea Systems Command. A 30-page task order on the company’s website says Transtecs provides the labor to support the ID badging system and associated equipment at the building. A person who answered the phone for Transtecs Monday said the company declined to comment. Entry into the building includes a check of the Joint Personnel Adjudication System to verify an individual’s clearance level prior to authorizing access, the task order shows. “The contractor shall utilize the government furnished Picture Perfect Access Control System to issue […]
Source blogs.federaltimes.com
RESEARCH: Camera Equipment Manufacturing In China
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) September 14, 2013 Revenue for the Camera Equipment Manufacturing industry in China is expected to total $15.3 billion in 2013, says IBISWorld. Growth over the past five years has been estimated at 6.5% annually. China has become the world’s largest production base for camera equipment, and digital cameras have gradually become the dominant products. Revenue generated from traditional film cameras is low and these sales tend to be concentrated in rural areas and niche markets. An estimated 90.0% of industry output in 2013 will be digital camera equipment, up from about 41.0% in 2004, says IBISWorld. Basic digital cameras are no longer a luxury good for many Chinese people. The greatest demand for digital cameras comes from economically developed regions of China, such as large provincial capitals and coastal areas, says IBISWorld. There are about 130 enterprises operating within this industry in 2013, and the top four industry participants – Foshan Pulihua, Canon, Samsung, and Sony – hold a combined share of about 73.3% of total industry revenue. The concentration level differs across China’s different regions, however. Future growth for the camera equipment manufacturing industry in China will be mainly due to steady increases in domestic demand over the coming years and declining final prices. IBISWorld also anticipates that the market share of domestic participants will rise with improvements in technology and ongoing brand-building. For more information, visit IBISWorld’s Camera Equipment Manufacturing in China industry report page . Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld Friend IBISWorld […]
Source www.prweb.com