The Right to Carry - To Work? [more...]

Perception is the Reality in Grocery Store Theft [more...]

NSA to Monitor Traffic of Intergovernmental Sharing [more...]

Admitting the Problem is the First Step...When You are a CEO [more...]

Potential for Identity Theft Increasing Daily, Exponentially [more...]

Internet Protocols Angling for Higher Profile in Security Industry [more...]

Terrorism Prevention Goes to School [more...]

Per Mar Security Services announced that it has just opened two new branch offices in Iowa to better serve its growing customer base. One office is located in Sioux City and the other in Waterloo. "The addition of these new branches to support Per Mar's long-established and growing operations in both of these regions, further increases our company's presence and will enable Per Mar to provide even better service to the wide range of customers we currently serve. The recent addition of several new contracts for security officer services in the Sioux City region and our continued growth in Waterloo has created the need for these offices," said Bill Jackson, President of Per Mar Security Services.

Established in 1953, Per Mar Security Services is a family-owned business that has grown to become one of the largest full service security companies in the country. With more than 1,800 security professionals operating from offices throughout the Midwest, Per Mar provides custom-designed security solutions for a wide range of clients. These include burglar and fire alarm systems, integrated access control and CCTV systems, uniformed security officer services, business investigation services, security consulting, and special event services. Our company operates a modern, UL-listed Central Alarm station that monitors more than 35,000 customers. Our home office is located in Davenport, Iowa, with 20 branch offices located throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

The debates continue over concealed carry legislation as states increasingly permit their citizens to carry concealed guns, but the issue hits closer to home as employers contemplate allowing those with licenses to carry their firearms to work. Advocates on either side present evidence to support why they are right and the other side is missing the boat. Those on the side of allowing guns into the workplace point to recent examples in which individuals with licenses - but who did not bring their firearms to work - attempted to thwart workplace violence, despite having minimal means to protect themselves or their coworkers. Could these Samaritans have prevented the senseless killings at the hands of workplace shooters? Possibly, but detractors of the theory propose that it is unlikely that those legally permitted to have a firearm would be in the right place at the right time to stop a shooter. They further promote that the role of unpredictable human behavior counters any argument predicting the prevention of shootings. For example, in Tacoma, WA, Chief of Police David Brame shot and killed his estranged wife. If a police officer can't overcome his behavioral controls and kills his wife, are regular citizens who are unused to carrying firearms at an even greater risk? Would those individuals be psychologically prepared to engage in a shoot out?

Existing methods of violence prevention, primarily strongly worded policy, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), and training, may have the best intentions, but may be less effective than allowing concealed weapons. At the Lockheed Martin plant in Meridian, Miss., a "no weapons" policy proved pointless after Doug Williams shot down 14 of his coworkers after he left a meeting ironically regarding treating others with dignity and respect, regardless of sex or race. If an employee is problematic due to aggressive or threatening behavior, policy and program implementation mean nothing. Again, however, detractors weigh in with the perspective that the unintended consequences of having guns at work would far outweigh the likelihood for preventing workplace violence.

A third option (albeit, vintage option) is to arm security guards. Correctly, many employers have not chosen this option because of the inherent liability and the risk of an unintended consequence. Conversely, while arming security guards may cost more because of the heightened skill needed, that cost may be considered minimal when weighed against the impact of a workplace violence incident. The bottom line: An organization that prohibits weapons on its premises but does nothing to enforce the policy is in all reality the organization most at risk.

Supermarket giant Safeway has been more aggressive in its fight against shrink, and attributes much of its success to the plainclothes security guard on site. In Coolidge, Arizona alone, the guard has botched criminal attempts to cash a forged $500 check and "push out" over $400 worth of groceries. Even better is that the chain doesn't need to employ a full-time guard at each location. With lower profit margins, Safeway cannot afford to have a guard at every store. But giving the guards more authority to bust would-be thieves has proven remarkably effective, even if guards are not always around. A consultant in the convenience and grocery store security industry agrees with Safeway's strategy, adding that word tends to travel quickly, and just a few arrests has a pretty good effect on deterring crime.

The Bush administration has recently taken steps toward putting the NSA - National Security Administration - in charge of monitoring the information to be shared by homeland security across government computer networks. Such a move will greatly expand the organization's responsibility of defending the network carrying warnings and other sensitive data, and it is not going to be cheap. Bringing all government agencies up to the same level will be costlier for some than for others, with some agencies expecting significant expenses based on previous resistance to technology hindering any forward progress.

In addition to being costly, there is an added level of risk. David Wolf, the NSA's director for information assurance, indicated intergovernmental data sharing could potentially open weaknesses for outsiders to attack, stealing information or sharing false information.

The White House Office of Management and Budget currently directs civilian agencies to secure its networks, and agree that having the NSA responsible for information will raise the bar for all. Experts agree that the NSA's information systems are highly regarded, and applaud the move.

Whoa Carly! Hewlett-Packard's surprise boot in of CEO Carly Fiorina in early February came to a surprise to many, including, apparently, Ms. Fiorina herself. But should it have been? After the fact, rumors swirled that problems had been brewing for a while, but Ms. Fiorina had failed to acknowledge them, presenting a face that all was well and she and the organization had what it took to persevere. The broader question now is, "How is a CEO who's looking at trouble supposed to handle it?"

Admitting weakness rarely comes naturally to most CEOs. Admitting failure (or their perception of failure) may look like career suicide and plummeting stocks. But some boards of Directors claim just the opposite: a CEO hiding failure will ultimately harm the company much more than asking for help, and addressing the problems when they are clearly stated often allows the opportunity to fix them. While acknowledging problems and admitting mistakes will most likely be the best for the company, don't count on every CEO who comes clean to hang on to their job, especially if they wait too long. The best strategy for CEOs: Know your strengths and weakness, and be honest with boards about getting help.

The hits just keep on coming. Days after Choicepoint admitted an ID theft ring gained access to the information of hundreds of thousands of Californians' credit info, a loophole in Westlaw's "People Find" was discovered that allowed anyone who pays to use Westlaw to find the social security number of anyone they choose. Senator Charles E. Schumer, a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Banking Committee, has been in touch with Westlaw's President, Peter Warwick, asking for clarification of who may have access to the system and requesting that Westlaw disable the feature until better measures of protection could be put in place. Brought to Schumer's attention by one of his constituents, Schumer learned in his investigation that while the service is available only to Westlaw users, Westlaw limits its users only by their ability to pay. Said Schumer: "Westlaw's 'People Find' service might as well be the first chapter of "Identity Theft for Dummies.' Criminals no longer need to forage through dumpsters for discarded bills - they just need to send Westlaw a check." No word yet from Westlaw on what they plan to do.

Just as vinyl records gave way to ipods and brick-and-mortar stores are giving way to shopping online, traditional security measures are giving way to IP (Internet protocol) devices and methods. Surveillance, access control, video monitoring, and digital storage all have the potential to go online, though the internet security devices and appliances are still in the early stages of adoption. IP surveillance products are only at 5% penetration of the market at this point, but it is ready to hit its tipping point, having reached 300% growth in only two years.

What does this mean for security professionals? For one, the roles of the systems integrator and installer, professional security service providers, and product manufacturers will all have to be recast, as maintaining the status quo is predicted to be a losing proposition. However, professionals appear to be prepared to make the leap. In a recent survey, 92% of readers of Security Director News and Security Systems News indicated they have acquired or plan to acquire IP devices in the next 12 months.

New Jersey schools recently launched a security pilot at three locations that will aide in forming his plan to keep his state's schoolchildren safe. Based on a pilot program used at a New Jersey shopping mall, the school pilot uses "smart" cameras programmed to distinguish between terrorist activity and normal school behavior. Funded in part by a homeland security grant, the program will most likely incorporate additional features. Those features may include "smart" ID cards for teachers and staff, creating security guidelines in a checklist form for schools, inviting security professionals to conduct audits, and corresponding with other schools to determine what is working in their security strategies.