More than 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Although recent years have witnessed significant progress in identity theft protection technologies and solutions, many US citizens still don’t know how to protect their sensitive information.

According to data gathered by PreciseSecurity.com, the number of identity theft complaints in the United States increased by 45% and reached over 650,000 in 2019. With more than 270,000 reports, credit card frauds represented the leading type of identity theft crime in the last year.

New Account Credit Card Frauds Jumped 88% in a Year

Most identity thefts are crimes of opportunity. Identity thieves usually target people who don`t report suspicious activity on their credit reports and don’t regularly check for identity theft warning signs.

In 2015, the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network received nearly 80,000 reports of people whose information was used for credit card frauds. By 2016, the number of reports rose by more than 65% and reached 124,500. The next two years witnessed a slight slowdown in the rising trend, with the number of credit card frauds reaching nearly 158,000 reports in 2019. However, by the end of the last year, the number of Americans reporting this type of identity theft crime jumped over 40% to a 271,823 figure.

The 2019 statistics also revealed interesting information about mostly attacked credit card users. During the last year, the Sentinel Network received more than 31,000 reports from people who said their information was misused on an existing bank account, representing a 4% decline compared to 2018 figures. However, over 246,000 credit card frauds were carried out on new accounts, or 88% more than a year before.

Nearly 30% of Credit Card Fraud Victims are in Their Thirties

Identity thieves can get a victim’s credit card number by using fraudulent websites or credit card skimmers. However, the credit card number can also get exposed to a data breach.

The 2019 data revealed that Americans in their thirties were the most exposed to credit card frauds, with 74,572 complaints or nearly 30% of all reports last year.

More than 55,600 complaints were from people in their fifties, making it the second-largest age group in the total number of reports. US citizens in their twenties ranked in third place with over 43,000 credit card fraud reports in 2019.

When your business is responsible for the valuables of a lot of people, security is a crucial business value. De Nederlandse Kluis, the largest independent provider of professional safe deposit boxes in the Netherlands, recently upgraded its security system to cater for suitably large data storage and multiple, controlled access points. Systems integrator Van der Perk Security installed this, using a Hikvision solution.

Challenge

De Nederlandse Kluis needed to be able to back up video recordings from cameras in locations all over the Netherlands in a central datacenter. The locations needed to be able to see each other’s feeds. However, although only one uploaded stream per camera was allowed to the datacenter, it needed to deal with multiple streams throughout the whole system. Bandwidth control was an important element of the project, as they deal with a lot of content. With a number of users accessing the system from different locations, access control rights management was also important.

There was also the question of being able to see in the vault after another security measure filled it with smoke.

Finally, secure storage is a key part of a security solution that spans so many locations, with feeds from multiple cameras creating a large amount of data.

Of course, all of this needed to seamlessly integrate, with a central management system controlling it all and providing operators with an overview, depending on their access rights.

Solution

In total, the solution comprised 720 Hikvision cameras of increasing resolution (2 MP / 3 MP / 4 MP). These are installed at 32 locations around the Netherlands, each with its own Embedded 4K NVR (DS-7716NI-K4). The security in each of the vaults has been increased with a bi-spectrum thermal camera. This is to allow operators to monitor the situation inside the vault even when another security feature has filled the room with smoke to make it impossible for any ‘wrong-doers’ to see. With the thermal camera able to pick up thermal signatures, the system can still detect people, giving security personnel the advantage.

The central data center holds all of these footages separately to the vault locations, so even if the NVR (and therefore, its recordings) is stolen, the footage is still accessible, making further investigation possible. To achieve this, a central server was installed, with a Hikvision Hybrid SAN storage server (DS-A82024D), boasting a 64-bit multi-core processor and 24 HDDs. The solution was completed with a HikCentral video management system used to bring all of the elements together.

HikCentral delivers the flexibility to manage all streams from all the locations, as well as the users from them. Different users have various levels of access, and this is all administered by the HikCentral software.

For example, the system can combine 12 user streams into one. This set-up means that security personnel from each of the sites can tap into the feeds from another. They could, for example, have the footage from different sites on different screens within their office, making it easier to monitor each other’s premises.

This means that all branches of De Nederlandse Kluis are monitored 24 hours per day through live camera images. These images are sent real-time to the control room, where they can be analyzed and stored.

A unique feature of this solution is the fact that the back-up only kicks in when the system detects motion in one of the vaults. This is an innovative way to reduce the amount of data stored – helpful both in data storage requirement and sheer amounts of data to search through in case of an incident.

Peter van der Perk, owner of the system integration company responsible for installation, says: “The total solution with the HikCentral VMS and back-up recording is exactly what De Nederlandse Kluis needed from their management system. On top of that, Hikvision could provide the best solution for the best price.”

The advent of 4G and 5G internet of things (IoT)-based connectivity is spurring the online migration of smart-city applications, helping generate a more than sevenfold increase in smart-city artificial intelligence (AI) software revenue by 2025.

The global smart-city AI software market is set to soar to $4.9 billion in 2025, up from $673.8 million in 2019, according to Omdia. Wireless data communications standards are enabling smart-city applications to move into the online realm, where they can capitalize on the latest AI innovations. The growing capabilities of AI are enabling data and insights collected through IoT networks to be monitored, analyzed and acted upon.

“From video surveillance, to traffic control, to street lighting, smart-city use cases of all types are defined by the collection, management and usage of data,” said Keith Kirkpatrick, principal analyst for AI at Omdia. “However, until recently, connecting disparate components and systems together to work in concert has been challenging due to the lack of connectivity solutions that are fast, cost effective, low latency and ubiquitous in coverage. These challenges now are being overcome by leveraging advances in AI and connectivity.”

Using the power of AI, smart-city systems can create municipal systems and services that not only operate more efficiently, but also provide significant benefits to workers and visitors. These benefits can come in many forms, including reduced crime, cleaner air, more orderly traffic flow and more efficient government services.

Smart cities leverage AI for video surveillance

One example of how smart cities are leveraging AI is in the video surveillance realm.

When hosting public events, some cities are beginning to use video cameras that are mated to AI-based video analytics technology. The goal is to have AI algorithms scan the video and look for behavioral or situational anomalies that could indicate that a terrorist act or other outbreaks of violence may be about to occur.

However, cities are increasingly employing cloud-based AI systems that can search footage from most closed-circuit TV (CCTV) systems, allowing the platform and technology to be applied to existing camera infrastructure. Furthermore, video surveillance can be combined with AI-based object detection to perform tasks including learning patterns in an area; detecting faces, gender, heights and moods; reading license plates; and identifying anomalies or potential threats, such as unattended packages.

Dear friends and partners,

In challenging times, caused by the outbreak of Coronavirus Covid-19, the health of our employees and partners became our priority.

Global Security d.o.o., the publisher of a&s Adria magazine and the organizer of Adria Security Summit conference and exhibition, has taken several measures for better protection of our employees, subscribers, friends and partners and for maintaining business continuity:

– Regardless of the situation, we will continue the realization of our contractual agreements towards our clients and partners.
– Our team will be at your services from 9 AM to 4 PM
– a&s Adria magazine will continue following news from the security industry. Due to difficulties in the work of postal offices, the editions for May and June will be distributed online: Download link on our official website, social media, newsletter and directly to e-mails of subscribers.
– Adria Security Summit 2020 will be held according to plan, from 9 to 10 September. The organization of the largest security conference and exhibition is going according to plan, but we will be following instructions from health institutions closely and reschedule if they instruct so. We’ll keep you informed.

a&s Adria has taken several measures for better protection of our employees, readers, subscribers and partners:
– Due to difficulties in the work of postal offices and with the purpose of protection of people included in magazine distribution, the next two editions of a&s Adria magazine for April and May, numbers 155 and 156, will be sent directly to your e-mail address and through our online services: web-site, newsletter and social media.
– The next two editions will be published on our official website www.asadria.com and you will be able to download it for free.
– The online editions of our magazines will be delivered to 2.500 e-mail addresses of our subscribers and to additional 2.500 e-mail addresses of our partners, friends of our projects, our clients and participants at Adria Security Summit.
– Since security industry companies are all cancelling their events, conferences and seminars, we are at your service for promoting your online educations, webinars and other invitations – Our editorial team will be at your disposal with same obligations and predetermined plans
For any additional questions and demands, do not hesitate to contact us.
Hopefully we’ll get through this together, so we can get back to our normal everyday business and private lives.

Stay strong and healthy.

Yours a&s Adria.

An executive order is being prepared to ban federal agencies from buying or using foreign-made drones, building on previous moves by the Interior Department to ground its entire fleet of drones, all of which had parts manufactured in China.

The draft order, which was reported by TechCrunch, specifically cites national security threats posed by Chinese manufacturers as the reasoning behind the ban. The Trump administration fears that sensitive data collected by drones could be accessed by the Chinese companies, which are required to collaborate and share information with Chinese authorities if asked.

The order will “encourage” domestically built drones and that federal agencies would have one month to comply with the ban, according to TechCrunch. Military and intelligence agencies would be granted widespread exemptions under the terms of the draft order, TechCrunch reported.

China-based drone manufacturer would stand to lose the most from the ban. DJI accounts for 70 percent of the world drone market and formerly supplied many of the parts and drones for federal agencies. Michael Oldenburg, a DJI spokesperson, stated the company’s opposition to any proposed ban on foreign-made drones.

“While we haven’t seen the document, this proposal is another attack on drone technology based on its country of origin, which recent reporting has shown has been criticized within federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service and even the White House Office of Management and Budget,” Oldenburg told TechCrunch.

He added: “When communicating among themselves, these agencies’ officials have explained how such an approach damages American interests and does not solve any cybersecurity issues, and have acknowledged that DJI’s products have been validated as secure for use in government operations.”

The global fire alarm and detection market size is expected to reach USD 75.3 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. 

Increasing awareness towards the safety and security of assets across the globe is expected to offer significant opportunities for technological innovations in the market. Additionally, rise in the consumer spending on fire protection devices especially across the enterprise and industrial sectors in order to reduce the risk of accidents is expected to spur market growth. Moreover, stringent government regulations and mandates regarding workplace safety, and increasing demand for state-of-the-art fire alarm & detection system is expected to fuel the market.

A growing number of fire accidents has developed into the need for installation of advanced alarm and detection systems across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. For instance, legislative requirements from different countries including the National Fire Protection Association, USA, and Building Code of Australia have mandated the installation of fire detection devices, thereby boosting the demand for these devices.

North America dominated the market in 2019 and is expected by the researchers to continue its dominance over the forthcoming years.  Whilst the Asia Pacific region is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2027. Growing industrialisation and urbanisation in emerging markets such as India, China, and Japan is expected to accelerate infrastructure spending including mass transportation such as airport security for example.

The fire detector segment is expected to dominate the market owing to stringent government regulations across various countries mandating the installation of the devices. For instance, in India, the National Building Code (NBC) was published in 2016 to implement building standards ensuring safety through the use of active and passive smoke detection systems. The segment is expected to reach USD 38.1 billion by 2027.

Within the detectors segment, smoke detectors are expected to dominate and the analysts expect that trend to continue over the forecast period, anticipating it to reach USD 17.0 billion by 2027. 

Prominent industry participants cited by the researchers include Bosch; Eaton Gentex; United Technologies Corporation; Honeywell; and Johnson Controls.

Honeywell has announced that it has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing that accelerates the capability of quantum computers and will enable the company to release the world’s most powerful quantum computer within the next three months.

To accelerate its development, the company also announced it has made strategic investments in two leading quantum computing software providers, Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC) and Zapata Computing, and will work together to develop quantum computing algorithms with JP Morgan Chase. Together, these announcements demonstrate significant technological and commercial progress for quantum computing and change the dynamics in the quantum computing industry.

Within the next three months, Honeywell plans to bring to market the world’s most powerful quantum computer in terms of quantum volume, a measure of quantum capability that goes beyond the number of qubits. Quantum volume measures computational ability, indicating the relative complexity of a problem that can be solved by a quantum computer. When released, Honeywell’s quantum computer will have a quantum volume of at least 64, twice that of the next alternative in the industry.

In a scientific paper, Honeywell has demonstrated its quantum charge coupled device (QCCD) architecture, a major technical breakthrough in accelerating quantum capability. The company also announced it is on a trajectory to increase its computer’s quantum volume by an order of magnitude each year for the next five years.

According to the company, this breakthrough in quantum volume results from Honeywell’s solution having the highest-quality, fully-connected qubits with the lowest error rates. “Building quantum computers capable of solving deeper, more complex problems is not just a simple matter of increasing the number of qubits,” said Paul Smith-Goodson, analyst-in-residence for quantum computing, Moor Insights & Strategy. “Quantum volume is a powerful tool that should be adopted as an interim benchmarking tool by other gate-based quantum computer companies.”

Honeywell Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darius Adamczyk said companies should start now to determine their strategy to leverage or mitigate the many business changes that are likely to result from new quantum computing technology.

“Quantum computing will enable us to tackle complex scientific and business challenges, driving step-change improvements in computational power, operating costs and speed,” Adamczyk said. “Materials companies will explore new molecular structures. Transportation companies will optimise logistics. Financial institutions will need faster and more precise software applications. Pharmaceutical companies will accelerate the discovery of new drugs. Honeywell is striving to influence how quantum computing evolves and to create opportunities for our customers to benefit from this powerful new technology.”

Honeywell first announced its quantum computing capabilities in late 2018, although the company had been working on the technical foundations for its quantum computer for a decade prior to that. In late 2019, Honeywell announced a partnership with Microsoft to provide cloud access to Honeywell’s quantum computer through Microsoft Azure Quantum services.

Honeywell’s quantum computer uses trapped-ion technology, which leverages numerous, individual, charged atoms (ions) to hold quantum information. Honeywell’s system applies electromagnetic fields to hold (trap) each ion so it can be manipulated and encoded using laser pulses.

The global market for do-it-yourself (DIY) standalone network security cameras has been predicted to surge by 80 percent by 2024—a rapid pace of growth that is attracting new competitors and challenging the positions of the current market leaders.

Worldwide revenue for such cameras, which represent a pillar of most smart home ecosystems, is set to soar to $3.6 billion in 2024, up from $2 billion in 2019, according to the latest Consumer & DIY Video Surveillance report from Omdia, the new research company formed as a result of the merger between Informa Tech and IHS Markit technology divisions. The related market for video doorbells is also experiencing rapid growth, with worldwide rising to $750 million in 2024, up from $492 million in 2019.

“Brands such as Wyze, Xiaomi, Hikvision and Ring have quickly risen through the ranks to threaten Arlo and Nest as the market leaders in terms of unit shipments for standalone network cameras,” said Blake Kozak, principal analyst at Omdia. “Due to its competitive camera pricing, Arlo remained in the top spot as of 2019. However, the company’s status will be further tested as competition intensifies in 2020.”

Historically, Nest and Arlo have been the market leaders in standalone network cameras. For example, in the United States in 2017, Arlo commanded a 31 percent market share of global unit shipments, while Nest held a 10.2 percent share. However, as of 2019, Arlo’s share dropped to about 26 percent and Nest to 8.9 percent.

Contributing to the decline in market share for Arlo and Nest is the growing number of brands that offer products with technical specs similar to the top brands. However, these products come with free features that would otherwise incur a monthly fee from the leading brands.

With the new competitors undercutting the established market leaders’ pricing, the initial manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is also playing a major role in the erosion of the top-players’ market shares. This factor, in combination with the significant increase in the total number of competitors, has placed added pressure on the industry leaders, such as Arlo and Nest.

Face recognition spurs brand recognition

Moreover, brands such as Swann, Lorex and Night Owl are starting to offer advanced features such as facial recognition, auto-tracking and battery-operated cameras that pair with network video recorders (NVRs). These features will add to the competitive pressure in the standalone network camera market through 2020.

The researchers suggest that product differentiators in 2020 are likely to include new features such as enhanced colour-night vision, audio analytics, edge-based analytics and agnostic storage options, such as the cloud, secure digital card (SD) or network-attached storage (NAS). Furthermore, many more brands are set to join Apple’s Secure Video, which will offer a secure and less expensive alternative for video storage compared to many options available today.

All things considered, Omdia predicts that 2020 will be another exciting year for the consumer and DIY video surveillance market.