10 Stories You Might Have Missed This Week

1. “Security Industry Authority Opens Stakeholder Engagement Review Survey“

Hot on the heels of its latest SIA Update bulletin, the Security Industry Authority has now launched a review of its Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. The purpose is to develop further the ways in which the Regulator interacts with its many stakeholders and also to build stronger relationships with participants in the private security sector.

Click here to view Figure 1.

Closing date for survey responses is Friday November 8. Air your views online.

2. “EU Directive on Network and Information Security: Impact Assessment“

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills’ latest impact assessment focuses on EU proposals around the Network and Information Security Directive. The document runs to 65 pages.

Should the EU proposals be enshrined in law, the Government estimates potential additional security spending of (at most) GB pound 1,984.2 million in the “High” scenario and GB pound 992.1 million in the “Medium” case during the year of the Directive’s implementation.

3. How to Create a Secure ID Card

HID Global’s EMEA region managing director Harm Radstaak has scripted an excellent blog for IFSECGlobal.com explaining the intricacies of ID cards.

Radstaak is adamant that continuous improvements in the access control sector are leading to new solutions that render card delivery “extremely successful, secure and efficient.”

In short, issuing secure ID card credentials should no longer be seen as the complex task it was once viewed as by some.

4. “State-Sponsored Cyber Attack: Will We Practice What We Preach?“

Big Brother Watch deputy director Emma Carr’s latest article refers to a recent cyber-attack on Belgacom (the largest telecommunications company in Belgium) reported by Der Spiegel Online. Major customers of Belgacom include the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament.

Carr asks: “Has GCHQ attempted to spy on British members of the European Parliament?” and concludes: “The Government must lead by example or we risk seeing our actions copied around the world to the detriment of millions of people who hope the Internet may finally bring them democracy.”

5. Axis Communications makes move into access control market

On Tuesday, network surveillance pioneer Axis Communications used the ASIS 2013 Exhibition in the States to tell the world it’s also moving into access control. The company’s new door controllers are described as “the first non-proprietary and open IP-based access controllers on the market.”

6. “IBM X-Force 2013 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report” published

IBM X-Force has been tracking trends and emerging threats in cyber space for a long time — 15 years, in fact — and this week witnessed the publication of its 2013 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report.

As you’d expect, vulnerability statistics, attack trends, and data breaches are all covered in detail, but there’s also a superb overview of the psychology and social engineering regarding how these attacks are implemented.

7. “ICO Carries Resolution Encouraging Greater Co-ordination of Global Data Protection Enforcement“

The Information Commissioner’s Office has won a resolution in Warsaw which is set to see improved co-ordination between global data protection and privacy authorities.

“Data protection has to be effective across borders,” states Information Commissioner Christopher Graham. “Applications know no borders. The data protection regulatory community can only be effective if we work together across jurisdictions.”

8. Enterprise security now “increasingly challenging” for CSOs

(ISC) 2 has issued new data outlining the main challenges faced by top enterprise security executives. Most of those executives (77 percent in the Government sphere and 63 percent in private industry) believe they have too few people on their IT security teams, yet 61 percent cite business conditions as an obstacle preventing them from hiring any more.

9. “BSIA Members Preview UK Pavilion at IFSEC Istanbul 2013“

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has set up a UK Pavilion for next week’s IFSEC Istanbul Exhibition and Conference, with companies including TDSi, Remsdaq, GJD, Bold Communications, and Integrated Design Limited having a significant presence at the event.

The BSIA’s Export Council is a tremendous force for good and a brilliant source of advice and information if your company is thinking of new routes to market overseas.

10. Video Surveillance Key to Next Generation of Retail Intelligence

Increasingly, it seems, IP-based surveillance cameras are being deployed to assist the UK’s retailers when it comes to operational efficiencies.

The talk is all about business intelligence applications, such as people-counting, dwell time, queue analytics, and dashboards.

All great, and all adding to the mix, but are we losing sight of CCTV’s main purpose? In other words, catching criminals in the act and prosecuting them?