security focus Better value security through technology by Alan Moss 52 This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, a timely reminder that our ancestors also had to deal with terrorism associated with religious allegiances. Guy Fawkes gained access to the cellars in Parliament with a key which was no less than 12 inches long and one can imagine that his wrist needed considerable strength when he tried to open that cellar door. The key used the best technology of the day, and app<strong>are</strong>ntly had a folding mechanism for convenience. Nowadays we still need strong doors, but the locking mechanisms can be operated much more easily. The thought of having to carry around a bunch of 17th century keys would fill us with horror! Parliament may now have lost Guy Fawkes’ famous key, but in the 21st century we sometimes do not have to worry about losing a “key”. In fact, the whole process of locking doors does not necessarily require a conventional key at all, as we all know from visiting certain hotels. The hotel locks operate with electronic codes. This not only saves weight in our pockets; it also means that when we mislay our hotel’s piece of plastic, we do not have to worry. The system can be easily programmed for a replacement and to invalidate the lost card. A modern organisation’s security system will allow its staff to enter the building using personal passes which <strong>are</strong> electronically enabled to allow individuals to enter some parts of the building, but not other, more sensitive, zones. These systems can also double as a safety record of how many people <strong>are</strong> in the building in case of the need for an evacuation. Speed of transit is of the essence for modern business, and the challenge for security systems is to provide an excellent and instant check on identity for the vast majority. Biometric technology has advanced to the point where we can now install systems which check that whoever produces a pass is the same person to whom that pass was issued, thereby stopping anybody using a stolen card and a forged photograph. Iris technology is advancing rapidly to use the patterns of the eye to create a unique personal identifier, but exponents of fingerprint-based systems, such as Selectamark Sentry, can fairly claim more reliability, with a 98% success rate. At one level, a biometric pass system can verify that the presenter of the pass is the proper person (ie with the same fingerprint pattern) authorised to enter, but a latter day Guy Fawkes might have his fingerprint pattern pre-recorded in a system to create an alarm regardless of any false identity he tried to create. Patrolling security guards <strong>are</strong> also facing a challenge from technology. These days digital CCTV cameras can be set up relatively cheaply to maintain a continuous monitoring surveillance over business premises. The cameras detect movement, trigger an alarm and automatically zoom in to record suspicious activity without security staff in the control room (which may be many miles away) even having to be watching that camera at the time. In town centres or hotspots for crime and disorder, the image of CCTV cameras has been transformed from a threat to civil liberties into a benign safety precaution enabling a police response to be triggered and a visual record of an incident to be made. One local authority near the M25 operates over 200 CCTV cameras without any need for long distance cables to transmit the images to their central control room. The system uses wireless and mobile phone technology to send pictures and to operate cameras by using a network of transmitters installed on high buildings which <strong>are</strong> each in line of sight of the next unit. The cameras need not be permanent; lamp posts can be adapted ready for the installation of a temporary camera on a quick response basis for whenever problems of potential crime and disorder <strong>are</strong> identified at those locations. The technology which gave us the ability to change TV channels without leaving our arm chairs is also advancing. Supermarkets <strong>are</strong> experimenting with radio frequency identification (RFID) for stock control systems at their w<strong>are</strong>houses, and it may not be long before electronic chips <strong>are</strong> used to transform the speed with which we negotiate the supermarket check-out desk. Security applications of RFID technology have already been in place for some years, triggering an alarm if we try to leave the store without having had the tag removed from our bottle of spirits or leather coat, regardless of whether the offending item is visible to the eye or not. Microchips <strong>are</strong> now routinely installed in caravans boats and cycles by manufacturers, and property marking has moved on considerably from the old-fashioned serial number stamped into metal. The potential is there for many other manufacturers to follow suit. Checking of vehicles can now be achieved by e- plate - a vehicle registration plate with an RFID chip which records and checks any vehicle passing a given point. This creates enormous potential benefits for city centres and large complexes like airports which need to monitor vehicle traffic flows. Today, this system is being tested by the University of Abu Dhabi in conjunction with FSG, Dubai, and Selectamark. Microchips <strong>are</strong> one method of identifying property; another is a specially formatted chemical like SelectaDNA which can be combined into paint or a liquid carrier and applied with a small Alan Moss retired from the Metropolitan Police as a Chief Superintendent in 1997 and now works as an independent security consultant brush to record permanently the unique identity details of the owner on to the article, or to validate high value goods against counterfeiting. The way in which technology can protect businesses has had a profound effect on the type of manager now found in security companies, who <strong>are</strong> now far more likely to have international and technological expertise. Selectamark’s Head of Business Development Jason Brown, for instance, qualified as an accountant with KPMG in London and Milan, and was involved in business planning at Wanadoo, the European leader in broadband internet, before joining Selectamark. He now spends much of his time developing the company’s business in the Middle East and Asia as well as in the United Kingdom. This brings an international dimension to the company as well as promoting British exports. He said “Doing business on an international basis certainly broadens our horizons, and forces us to compete with the best in the world. Fortunately, Selectamark has cutting edge products which comp<strong>are</strong> very favourably with those of other countries and Britain still does have an excellent reputation for quality and innovation within the security industry.” Another feature of the developing security world is the way in which owners of stolen property <strong>are</strong> identified. Regulated databases of property owners <strong>are</strong> now increasingly held by security companies like Selectamark whilst police forces tend to concentrate only on property which has been stolen. The advance of technology changes the number and the qualifications of the staff we need, and the way in which our contractors can carry out their services on our behalf. It does seem expensive at times to keep up with technology, but how often <strong>are</strong> we surprised at how the prices of sophisticated electronic and scientific apparatus can be bought at far lower prices than a few years ago? We all need to keep an eye on this so that we do achieve best value in the private and public sectors. Guy Fawkes would be surprised by the number and types of alarms he would set off if he repeated his exploits today, but no doubt he would also be thinking about the potential for keeping one step ahead of the technology introduced by the Parliamentary authorities! Reader Reply No.: 84058 www.practicalfm.co.uk
PROTECTING PEOPLE & SITES that matter... a Securitas company Bell Security Limited London Bristol Leeds Edinburgh Glasgow Aberdeen Belfast Dublin Cork ...to <strong>your</strong> organisation... Design, installation & ongoing support for major site & multi-site security systems • Digital CCTV • Access Control • Intruder/Perimeter Systems • Integrated Control • Monitoring Systems • ID Systems • IP Networking • Biometrics • ANPR • Smart Cards • Fire Systems • Parking Systems • Fibre/Copper infrastructure • Sh<strong>are</strong>d facilities usage logging/billing Contact: Steve Steeds ...since 1986 Tel: 0845 601 2775 www.bellsec.com Fax: 020 8478 8052 info@bellsec.com RR: 84059
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