International SOS recently released its Risk Outlook report, unveiling the top security risks for the international workforce in 2021. Here, we talk to Jeremy Prout, Director of Security at International SOS, to discuss how to protect the workforce against the top risks found within the report.
Jon Litt, Senior Manager, Government Solutions (US) at Christie shares his five key considerations to ensuring an impactful, efficient professional video collaboration solution.
Having a secure and efficient video collaboration system has evolved from a ‘useful to have’ technology to an indispensable capability in 2020, allowing teams to feel more connected to remote locations and distributed team members. With travel restrictions and social distancing limiting in-person meetings, remote face-to-face video communication is more imperative than ever in security environments. Systems integrators around the globe have been upgrading technologies to support the mission of operators. Before you work with an integrator to either upgrade an existing video collaboration system or invest in a new one, there are a host of considerations. Below are the key ones that will help you with your conversations with the systems integrator.
2020 and COVID-19 taught us a few things in the security industry: the importance of security awareness, speed of deployment is not always a good thing, and assuming new levels of risk such as “remote work force”. With so many challenges still on the horizon, here are some of the key topics to have on top of mind:
Just like every company in the business world, cybercriminals are looking to boost their sales. With ransomware, they’ve found a way to force victims to pay. And in their quest, cyber attackers are borrowing a playbook from sales teams in legitimate businesses.
As the cybersecurity community slowly recovers from the SolarWinds Orion breach, we speak to Michael Bahar, a leader in cybersecurity and privacy, about the aftermath of this attack. Bahar is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Eversheds Sutherland (U.S.) LLP, and the firm’s Litigation practice. He was Deputy Legal Advisor to the National Security Council at the White House, former Minority Staff Director and General Counsel for the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, and a former Active Duty Navy JAG.
One of the biggest threats to wireless security devices is radio jamming, which occurs when a malicious actor illegally purchases a radio frequency jammer tool and uses it to block alarm devices’ connections to their affiliated security company. If alarms can’t properly communicate through their network—which is typically cellular—then they cannot notify security providers when there’s a crisis.
An example of how businesses are benefitting from integrated cloud-based systems would be in the retail industry. Retail end users have integrated their security camera network, heat-mapping and video analytics technology with a cloud-based system so they can remotely monitor who is in their store. The heat-mapping and analytics technology also showcases where customers are spending the most time in their store, providing retailers with insight as to where they can place specific item displays or promotional items. This information can also be used to inform on if a specific location in a store needs additional signage to encourage social distancing, or even if it needs increased camera coverage within a store. The practical applications of integrated cloud-based systems and other security technology are nearly endless.
If the experiences of 2020 taught us anything, it’s that risk in the modern world cannot be understood or sufficiently mitigated with a siloed approach. Individual threats, such as regulatory risk and IT security, converge. Lacking a high-level view, it’s difficult to see the web of cause and effect – making it more difficult to anticipate, prepare, or mitigate the biggest risks. 2020 may be over, but the challenges remain in 2021. Compliance and risk management will need a shared umbrella of information and communication to tackle the complex, integrated risks of today’s landscape.
The acceleration of digitization initiatives was paramount to ensure business continuity during this global crisis. As we rebuild economic stability in 2021, technology – especially automation and security – will play a significant role in positioning enterprises to return to growth.
Ransomware attacks, phishing scams, fake news and several other cyberattacks made headlines in 2020. As millions of Americans shifted to remote work for business continuity, cybercriminals sprung into action, evolving their social engineering tactics. Smishing and vishing are new variants that are fast gaining traction, targeting mobile phones.