10 Stories You Might Have Missed Last Week in Security

1. New regulatory regime ‘helpful to businesses’, Security Regulation Alliance tells Government

In a letter to Government ministers, the Security Regulation Alliance has called for unanimous support of the proposed new regulatory regime for the private security industry, and urged consideration of the benefits of security regulation against the backdrop of the Government’s wider deregulatory agenda.

Alliance chairman James Kelly — CEO at the BSIA — said the new regime will be “good for all businesses.”

2. Mobile phone companies join Home Office fight against handset thefts

A Home Office Summit designed to tackle the growing number of mobile phone thefts has stepped up work examining how security features can be used to make handsets less attractive to thieves.

The move comes after crime prevention minister Norman Baker met with industry leaders from companies including Samsung, Google, Apple, Nokia, and BlackBerry to consider new action against the growing problem.

3. Europol appoints McAfee’s Raj Samani as cybercrime advisor at EC3

Europol — the EU’s law enforcement agency — has appointed Raj Samani (EMEA CTO at McAfee) to the role of cybercrime advisor at its European Cybercrime Centre (EC3).

Based in The Hague in the Netherlands, EC3 has a mandate to tackle several key areas of cybercrime.

It aims to become the focal point in the EU’s fight against criminal activity online through building operational and analytical capacity for investigations and co-operation with international partners “in the pursuit of an EU free from cybercrime.”

4. Security Industry Authority launches security business licensing

From 6 April 2015, all regulated security businesses will need to hold a valid Security Industry Authority business license.

A business license will last for five years. To maintain their license, businesses will be required to comply with the conditions of the license, provide a yearly return evidencing continued compliance, and pay an annual subscription fee.

5. Securitas begins trials for major crime scene guarding

Following on from Securitas’ successful partnerships with the Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall constabularies, the company has now embarked on a four-month trial providing crime scene guarding to Dorset Police.

Previously, scenes of major crimes such as murder and serious assault were guarded by police officers taken away from front line policing duties.

The outsourcing of crime scene guarding has the potential to release between 2,600 and 3,600 police hours back to front line services every year.

6. Cyber security: ‘Competitive analysis of the UK sector’

Commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the 94-page report entitled “Competitive analysis of the UK cyber security sector” examines the UK cyber-security sector and its supply structure.

The report reviews the sector’s competitiveness within the UK and in comparison with other countries, and also makes a series of recommendations to Government.

7. Consumers consider ID fraud the biggest risk

According to the latest research conducted by Equifax, over one third of consumers (36 percent) believe that they’re most at risk from identity fraud compared to online or credit card fraud.

Equifax’s research reveals the majority of consumers (58 percent) believe that the risk of fraud has increased over the past 12 months, particularly as fraudsters appear to be getting more sophisticated.

There’s also now a much greater understanding of the risk of fraud through the use of smartphones and social media than was the case in 2010.

8. Director General Andrew Parker on terrorism and the future of M15

MI5’s new Director General Andrew Parker gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on the continuing threat of terrorism and how the Security Service and its sister agencies are adapting to respond.

Parker highlighted the enduring and diversifying threat from Al-Qaida and its imitators, while also noting the work of MI5, GCHQ, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), and the police in countering the threat of terrorism.

9. National Crime Agency launched by the Home Office

Wide-ranging plans to tackle the threat of serious and organized crime have been announced by Theresa May.

The Home Secretary has published the Government’s new “Serious and Organised Crime Strategy,” which uses the counter-terrorism framework to set out action that will be taken “at every opportunity” to “relentlessly disrupt serious and organised criminals.”

The strategy focuses on preventing people from becoming involved in organized crime, improving Britain’s protection against serious and organized criminality, and ensuring communities, victims, and witnesses are supported when serious and organized crimes do occur.

10. Boards need to defend against “new era of cyber warfare” states KPMG

Malcolm Marshall, head of cyber security at KPMG, has commented on the news that the UK is further developing its cyber security capabilities. Marshall said:

Businesses, particularly those involved in supporting Critical National Infrastructure, are primary targets, not secondary targets in cyber war.

While Governments can provide some protection, businesses cannot leave themselves wide open to attack. Boards, and in particular Board chairmen and CEOs, need to get to grips with the new reality of cyber war threats and lead the defence.