Smart Thermal Cameras Applications

1.   Petroleum Market: Securing petroleum assets involves a range of requirements, including: protecting large perimeters, enclaves where public trucking needs to enter and exit, and isolated assets inside the perimeter where chemicals of interest (COI) may be stored.

2.   Transportation Market: Since 9/11, airport security has been a primary area of concern in the United States. In fact, more than 1,300 perimeter security incursions have been reported at U.S. airports since 9/11. Smart surveillance systems provide unsurpassed security, even in uncontrolled environments with constant changes in lighting, wind, clouds and other variables.

3.   Electrical Market: Protection of electrical assets involves detecting a wide range of intruders – including saboteurs and copper thieves – in multiple locations.

Benefits of Smart Thermal Cameras

•  Provides detection over large outdoor areas and operate day or night.

•  Greater accuracy and clearer images at mainstream prices.

•  Provides sharp images in harsh environmental conditions, such as rain, humidity, fog and bright sun.

•  Web-based tools can simplify system design and enable integrators to quickly and easily model an automated outdoor area and perimeter security system layout.

•  Provides twice the detection distance, four times the detection area, and greater detection accuracy than traditional cameras.

• Great Return on Investment (ROI).

For any further questions on Smart Thermal Cameras, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Smart Thermal Cameras

Tell me if this sounds familiar…

You carry around a magnetic stripe card with two barcodes. You have to remember two completely different PINS. And you have to carry a proximity card for another facility.

Seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Well, this is the situation that countless employees face. Unfortunately, many of today’s access control systems were installed in stages, requiring separate log ins or key cards for each stage.

There has to be a better way, right?

Smart Cards: Smart cards allow for increased flexibility and the possibility to add applications in the future. Other benefits of smart cards include:

• A higher level of security.
• More convenience.
• Greater functionality.
• Cost effective.
• The ability to manage access, payments and many other functions.

Other uses for smart cards include: popular smart credential applications include identification, check-out verification, company cafeteria charges, access to recreational facilities, charge privileges at various locations, admission to events, transit passes, service access, bankcard service and biometric template holding.

Biometrics: An automated method for recognizing and identifying individuals based on unique characteristics, biometrics technologies ensure that only verified users have access to facilities at authorized times. Other benefits of biometrics include:

• Increased security. Biometrics control where people, not credentials, can and cannot go.
• Adaptable to be used in any number of situations, from universities, data centers, day care centers, airports, and healthcare facilities to government buildings and more.
• User-friendly.
• Eliminate the need for keys or cards.
• Reduced administrative efforts.

So why is your organization still using key cards or even keys?

For any further questions on Smart Cards and Biometrics, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Kick it Up a Level

While keycard access to dorms, video surveillance systems, intrusion alarms, and other security aspects were once controlled separately, they are now being integrated. Now, these integrated systems are bringing access control, video, fire and intrusion alerts, mass notification, remote lockdowns and other security technologies together, resulting in safer campuses nationwide. This is because integrated systems not only allow security personal better control over the entire system, but it also allows for a more proactive approach to campus security.

Return on Investment (ROI) of Integrates Systems

Unlike computing the ROI of an appliance, trying to measure the ROI of an integrated system is rather difficult. How do you measure success? It is certainly not in terms of dollars and cents, but rather the prevention of major incidents. What type of value do you assign to a security incident that never happens?

Instead, the ROI of an Integrated System must be measured in long-term success. Has crime decreased? Are incidents being handled in a more efficient and timely manner? If you can answer yes to these questions, then the integrated system is obviously a successful investment.

Benefits of Integrated Systems

• Increase Effectiveness of Security Personnel: Why use more security officers in an ineffective way when you can cut down on security staff while still increase productivity? That is what an integrated system can do for your campus.
• Increase the Appeal of Your Campus: A safe campus is more appealing to potential students. It is that simple.
• Save Money: One use of this type of integrated system is to cut down on fraud. One example is the use of video monitoring integrated with time-clock technology to ensure that the appropriate person is clocking in. And there are many more ways in which your campus can utilize an integrated system to save money!

For any further questions on the Benefits of Integrated Systems, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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What’s an Integrated System on Your Campus Worth?

Challenge #1: Determining When to Issue a Warning: Whether it is from severe weather, suspicious or threatening individuals, etc., when is it appropriate to utilize the emergency notification system to alert the masses? Which situations warrant immediate action and which situations do not? This is the number one challenge faced by emergency notification systems. What actually constitutes and emergency?

“I think some schools are afraid they are going to annoy people with their alerts,” says Dave Tindall, assistant vice president for technology services at Seattle Pacific University. “If you are consistent in your policies and issuing alerts where there is a significant threat, then people are going to learn to appreciate them.”

University of Nebraska Safety Manager John Hauser agrees, saying, “I instruct the dispatchers: ‘When in doubt, call it out’ — depending on the situation.”

The key is to define emergency notification protocol, stating which situations require immediate action and which require further investigation, or even no action.

Challenge #2: Which Alert Methods are Appropriate: For starters, it is important to recognize that not all emergencies warrant use of all emergency notification methods. Universities and hospitals should look at the facts of each incident or situation to determine the methods of emergency notification that should be deployed.

“For example, we had a shooting on campus in January,” Bujak explains. “Most people would say, ‘You sent out a warning, right?’ Well, when we received the call, it was immediately identified as an accident. Police officers were immediately on the scene to verify the incident had occurred, and they had the weapon and the suspect in custody. So the question becomes, ‘Is there an ongoing threat to campus?’ And the answer was ‘No.’ Do I need to send a warning? No. Is there a need to inform the community that something happened? Most definitely. In that case, we did a partial activation where we posted information to our Web sites, Twitter, RSS feeds and more passive modes. This incident happened at 2:30 a.m. We didn’t sound our sirens or send text messages because there was no need to do so.”

Challenge #3: Appropriate Alerts: Remember, most incidents are not going to be properly dealt with using a pre-written emergency notification message.

Challenge #4: Managing the Media: More often than not, the media will break a story before an emergency notification is sent out, making the campus or hospital look slow in responding. But this can be for two reasons:

1. Journalists are in the business of breaking news.
2. Campuses and hospitals have a responsibility to gather accurate facts before alerting the masses.

“Quite often, frankly, [journalits’] reports are inaccurate or speculative,” says University of Southern California (USC) Department of Public Safety Captain David Carlisle. “We have to be accurate because it could be a life or death situation. That’s going to take some time, but generally speaking, we issue a Trojans Alert as fast as the situation allows us. That could be five minutes, up to 30 minutes, depending on the situation.”

Remember to do what you can, report the facts, and get the information out there as quickly as possible. But if you have any further questions on the Emergency Notification Systems, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Solutions to Your Common Emergency Notification Problems

Codebench PIVCheck Software Suite: PIVCheck is an end-to-end card validation, authentication, and registration solution for HSPD-12 compliance.

“Our integration with RedCloud provides customers with an integrated logical and physical access control solution that is HSPD-12 compliant,” said Geri B. Castaldo, CEO of Codebench. “Integrating our PIVCheck software suite with RedCloud Security Management Software provides our customers with a choice as to which solution is most appropriate for their needs and provides them with a true IP-based solution.”

RedCloud systems are 100% web-based and utilize an open architecture, while offering offer integrated identity management and video surveillance. RedCloud solutions include:

1. RedCloud Virtual: The industry’s first VMware Ready access control solution purpose-built for organizations that have migrated their IT infrastructure to a secure, private cloud environment.
2. RedCloud Enterprise: Offering all the software features found in RedCloud Virtual, including PIVCheck Plus integration, and is packaged in a dedicated, all-in-one, industrial grade network appliance.

“By integrating with PIVCheck Plus software from Codebench, we are able to offer our government customers a FIPS-201 and HSPD-12 compliant solution that can validate credentials and check against the various hot lists,” said Terry Neely, president of RedCloud. “We’re excited to be working with Codebench and be recognized as one of its trusted physical access control system partners.”

For any further questions on the Codebench and RedCloud Integration, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Codebench, RedCloud Announce Integration

But how does a university go about developing a disaster preparedness and recovery plan? Where do you start? And what are the most important disasters to be prepared for?

Backup Power: The number one culprit behind network and other system failure during a disaster is a power outage. Because of this, it is critical to connect network, security, and communication components to a reliable power source and an even more reliable emergency backup power source.

Contingency Plan: A good contingency plan will detail roles, responsibilities, and procedures associated with protecting and maintaining networks, security, and communication systems whenever a disaster strikes.

Priorities: What are the campus functions that must be maintained during a power outage or other disaster? The systems and data that support these functions must be prioritized during an emergency event.

Data Centers: A campus’ network is the backbone of its entire operation. Servers provide the fuel to drive applications, while bridges, routers, wireless hubs and other peripheral devices provide the connectivity to service the users on the network. When these devices lose power, the network cannot function.

Telecommunications: A campus’ telecommunications system is its lifeline to the outside world. Without it, campus officials shave no way of contacting emergency personnel.

Security Systems: A campus’ security system is just as important as its IT infrastructure in maintaining and protecting campus operations. Having adequate backup power for these security systems is critical!

1. When an access control system goes down, entering or exiting facilities may not be possible.
2. When security cameras and DVRs go down, the ability to monitor facilities during a crisis is gone.
3. When a fire alarm system is not properly backed up, the entire campus population is at risk.
4. Emergency communications systems also cannot run without adequate backup power.

In general, the cost and consequences of downtime can be much more damaging than the cost of putting a disaster preparedness and recovery plan in place.

For any further questions on Disaster Planning for Campuses, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Powering Your Campus

While key cards and PINs are great, you still need a second level of defense – a way to verify the identity of those individuals accessing your facility or restricted area. For this, a video management system (VMS) is an excellent option.

Weak Links in Typical Control-VMS Systems

1.     Camera View: One of the main weaknesses of most Control-VMS systems is the camera view. Typically, these cameras zoom in on individual faces. But what happens if there are multiple individuals around, out of camera range? To maintain adequate security, most facilities need multiple cameras.

2.     User Interface: Most access control systems provide more than enough information for each door event. When you add a camera to this scenario, operators can quickly become overwhelmed as they are bombarded with more information than they can process.

3.     Video Review: Most Control-VMS systems present the operator with live video streaming. But if an operator wants to go back and take a second look at a door event, the process to do so can become quite cumbersome.

The Ideal Control-VMS Systems

The key to a successful security/surveillance system is to design a solution complex enough to meet your facility’s unique needs while still be simple to operate. What’s necessary is a “middleware” program that can integrate the essence of access control and the essence of video management into a single, unified, easily understood screen.

The ideal system would:

1.     Allow operators to control door access, including opening and locking mechanisms.

2.     Allow operators to view a list of cameras associated with each entry point.

3.     The interface would be so simple that the program would take 10 minutes or less.

Such a “simple” system is actually incredibly complex. But it is possible!

For any further questions on the use of Control-VMS systems, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Increase Security Not Complexity

Biometric Technologies in Dining Halls

The University of New Hampshire is utilizing biometric technologies as a more efficient way to manage and track student meal plans. UNH installed 11 biometric hand readers, primarily in the campus dining facility, as an alternative to the “declining balance” card system it previously had in place.

A biometric hand geometry reader simultaneously analyzes more than 31,000 points and instantaneously records more than 90 separate measurements of a person’s hand, including length, width, thickness and surface area, to verify the person’s identification.

“The hand readers facilitate the tracking of revenues,” said Rick McDonald, the assistant director for Support Services at UNH. “There are three different dining halls, and we can allocate revenue to each hall correctly.”

Biometric Technologies in Rec Centers

The University of California-Irvine has installed a biometric reader to replace card access to its recreation center on campus.

“The number one suggestion from our members was eliminating the need for ID cards,” said Jill Schindele, the director of Campus Recreation. “We took their suggestions seriously and feel that hand geometry is the fastest and most efficient alternative to identification cards.”

Biometric Technologies in Dormitories

Johnson & Wales University installed biometric readers at the main entrances of each of its three residence halls. Doors are timed so that the ones nearest to a reader open for five to 10 seconds while those further down the hall open for up to 20 seconds.

“Only biometric solutions can verify a human being,” said Lindsay Morgan, a member of the Johnson & Wales media relations department. “They let authorized individuals access an area and keep everyone else out. With biometric technology, students who lose an access card or key do not have to worry about an unauthorized individual picking up the card or key and compromising the security of their dormitory. They also don’t have to worry about students loaning out their cards or PIN codes to strangers.”

In the future, the university plans to utilize biometric technologies in its dining halls, academic halls, computer labs, athletic facilities, and library.

For any further questions on the use of Biometric Technologies in universities, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

ARK Systems installs biometrics as part of physical access control to areas and covers retinal scanners, palm readers and fingerprint scanners.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Getting Top Grades

“Cybersecurity is not easy to use if you have to remember all those keys and passwords,” said Douglas Kozlay, the CEO and president of Biometric Associates, who feels that biometrics and cybersecurity could complement each other nicely. It is his belief that…

1. Fingerprint analysis could be used for access control and financial transactions
2. Cyber-cryptographic technology and cloud technology could be used to protect critical information

Robert L. Wallace, the founder and CEO of BithGroup Technologies, also thinks biometrics and cybersecurity are destined to become linked.

“In our view, every institution will embrace biometric technology,” he said. “I see nothing but an upside.”

Still, not everyone believes biometrics to be the best answer to increased cybersecurity.

Frank Sjolie, a sales engineer with ARK Systems in Columbia, told the Maryland Gazette that he believes the goals of biometrics and cybersecurity are too different to make compliment one another. Sjolie argues that biometrics focuses more on identity, while cybersecurity focuses on protecting information – two completely separate aspects of security. Another concern of Sjolie’s is cost. He said the real challenge in incorporating biometrics in the mainstream lies in bringing down the cost of the technology. Until this happens, biometrics does not represent a real option for most businesses.

For any further questions on Biometrics, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

ARK Systems installs biometrics as part of physical access control to areas and covers retinal scanners, palm readers and fingerprint scanners.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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In Maryland, biometrics’ eye on an elusive prize

There is, however, a simple security solution…An Access Control System, which establishes an integrated system that runs off a medical facility’s existing IT network. And since these systems piggyback off of an existing network, it is easy to install door access readers to a common network switch with standard cables.

Comprehensive access control management software is then used to manage an unlimited number of readers from a single, Web-enabled interface.

Benefits of IP-Based Access Control Systems

•         No need to tap into building power

•         Reduce installation costs. 

•         Door access readers are constantly becoming more and more affordable.

•         Very scalable.

•         Remotely lock down a controlled area if needed.

•         Manage the system via a Web browser using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

•         Using management software, reports can be generated to track access to any area.

•         Access can be granted based on personnel or even a pre-determined time period.

For any further questions on Medical Facilities Protecting Against Unauthorized Access, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.

When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.

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Medical Facilities Protect Against Unauthorized Access