In North Carolina, High Point University is in its tenth year of a transition into a private, boutique university, and the security department is not exempt from the changes impacting the school. When Jeff Karpovich, CPP, CHPA, joined High Point University as its chief of Security, there were just 12 employees in the division and 62 surveillance cameras. Now, seven years later, he is responsible for 120 employees across three departments, managing 82 uniformed security officers for the school and working with approximately 900 surveillance cameras.
We have heard from a number of security executives about a very disturbing trend taking place when contracting out various services to support security programs. These reports indicate that a decline may be occurring in the integrity and ethical standards of a number of security services providers.
In the last decade, security has become a multi-platform, multi-channel concern for businesses. Gone are the days when the only threats to a bank could be warded off by an armed guard standing in front of a bank vault to intimidate and dissuade potential robbers.
Your supply chain is the lifeline of your business, but it also can be a significant vulnerability during a hurricane or a natural catastrophe or other event such as a cyber-attack, strike or delay.
In the wake of massive data breaches such as those at the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management, health insurer Anthem and retailer Target, an enterprise’s initial reaction might be to tighten the security around networks and data. However, you may be forgetting one critical component: the insider threat.
Healthcare security and life safety is “a constant balancing act between securing the facility and offering an open and caring welcome.” That’s consultant Tom Clancy’s sage advice. And an echo of Ohio Health’s Harry Trombitas’ experienced guidance: His security operation “values an open and welcoming atmosphere that focuses on outstanding patient care.
Not surprisingly, radio frequency identification (RFID) and that technology’s “little sister” real-time location systems (RTLS) seem to be everywhere doing just about everything. Many times, solutions blend together security and operations at myriad enterprises, organizations and agencies. And, ironically, some of the most cutting edge applications are geographically far flung in areas where it makes business sense to leap-frog at times nonexistent legacy technologies.
Where there is darkness, light. Or, at least, actionable security video boasting higher quality images at night. George Carlin, as the hippy dippy weatherman, had his spot-on prediction: “Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight.” Add an additional nighttime forecast of likely chance of greater crime risk, too.