Increasing Need of Experts- Security & Surveillance

This article is not about some new Technology. Here we talk about our perceptions of existing technology, and how we can use and understand the perceptions to fill a void in the security industry.

India is changing. And our perceptions are changing, too. Today, a security professional is not defined by a moustached body-builder with a baton in hand, but probably by a cool guy in a T-shirt with knowledgeable access to electronic systems. And this change in perception is not limited to security industry alone, it’s percolated to the safety & surveillance world and the ever-increasing world of biometrics and forensics.

With this change, the need of modern experts is increasing in these fields. The question remains on how do we create these experts and from where. The expertise needed here must not be superficial, but should be formed by core and deep knowledge of the sciences in combination with practical training where the knowledge can be used effectively.

Certain places in US seemed to have found the answer. The Biometric Department of Michigan State University gives a distinct answer to this by having introduced a course for Computer engineers, and thus creating a new brand of engineers: Biometric engineers. They run a specific course on biometrics which talks about the various ways in which biometric systems can be used.

India is not far behind, Solus runs regular training programmes to keep all Solus technical geeks updated on technologies and trends on Biometrics and Surveillance, which looks at providing expertise through practical and theoretical analysis. 

So we can hope that the future of Indian security industry is going to be very similar to the stud looking officers seen in those patriotic TV series or in various Hollywood/Bollywood movies: Intelligent, Knowledgeable and Automated. But before delving into the dreams of future, the present must be strengthened. And how do we do that, where do we find potential security experts in the present world?

Where do we find the potential Experts?

Apart from the various hardware networking students and diploma/degree seeking undergraduates, who will solve the future needs of this expert domain, the present also offers many prospects of creating experts.

And here, we provide you a few visual case studies of some live Solus customers which increase our understanding of how to fill the void.

• Amongst the hundreds of computer repairing shops in Lamington Road of Mumbai, there sits a middle-aged man ruing over the weakening revenue every day. He wishes to expand and start selling biometric systems for attendance management and access control to small offices in his region. He is a potential expert.
• Having been fed up of the rat race in which all of his friends have participated and joined an IT Call centre, a young engineering graduate wants to do something different and in the process, be a part of the Indian growth story. He is a potential expert.
• A lawyer in Nigeria loses an important national court case, because he does not understand the technology behind fingerprint systems used in their national elections. He decides to come to India- the biometric nation- and gain expertise. He is a potential expert.
• With a company in Bangalore already focused on working as security system integrators, the proprietor is finding it difficult to survive in the market and requires something new and a different approach to bring the technology to end users. But he has a team of mechanical people who know what to do but lack the ‘whys’. This is a half-expert, but a potential full one.

And there are many more, which are willing to learn. The technology needs to be taught to all of the above. It won’t be easy to teach expertise, because its not easy to learn something deep when you are used to practical experience only. You need knowledge in the garb of Fun.

Fun in Biometrics & Surveillance

A picture of Aamir Khan in his ‘Ghajini’ avatar is shown as a slide in the classroom. The trainer informs the curious faces that this person is in the direst need of a biometric system. If he had a biometric system, he would have been able to replace his memory by technology. The class erupts with interesting analogies and many of them are able to connect the use of biometrics and surveillance to their lives.

This scene is from the classroom where a basic level course is going on. But this scene can be from any other place as well, which decides to look at technology with tinted glasses. We relate to play and fun, and hence we are able to learn the most when we are surrounded by things we are comfortable in.

Let’s take the example of how we can teach advanced technology, like live finger detection. Bollywood and Shahrukh fans who have seen Don 2 saw him rob an international bank using a fake fingerprint system, but would he have been able to do the same if the bank used a system with Live Finger Detection sensor. Probably not, since live finger detection receives and accepts signals which require your finger to be emitting heat.

Whenever a new technology is developed, the pioneers always wonder how it will reach out to the people who matter. It can reach out well if we do our homework and understand there is fun in everything new.

Concluding words of Secure Wisdom

The security industry needs new and fresh experts who can think beyond the regularities, and are able to understand the development of every new technology easily. We need people who know how to connect the dots, and be a contributing factor to help this industry prosper. And with UID and increasing security threats, the number of such people is very high. As per a recent submission to NSDC, about 10 lac + professionals are needed in this industry, possessing the knowledge of automation and its usage.

Few years ago Infosys and TCS also needed bulk IT professionals; that’s when many colleges in India came up with IT as a branch of engineering. That’s how their manpower demands were met.We have given some solutions above, by which our manpower demands can be met. Identifying potential security experts, making them undergo a fun practical training, and then creating professional whose baton will be an electronic gadget.

Popular author James Thurber had once said “Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness. And this will make us more secure.” On similar lines: If we look around us, we will find answer to every void in the security industry. Let’s do so!

To learn more about how other enterprises in your domain having safer environment by having smarter security implemented contact us today http://www.solus.co.in/contact
or 

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Safer to be Secure

Real Time Transactions

To begin with in simple words, safety requires you to be open, while security demands from you to be closed. And together, they optimize themselves to form an intelligent building management solution. But the question remains, how do we choose the level of optimization and where do we draw the line.

The answer lies in case-wise analysis of practical situations where safety and security are of high importance. And it begins with the various recent cases of fire break-outs in important government buildings. The word ‘Safety’ is regularly associated with Fire Safety systems and Evacuation plans. But we should look at the cause behind most of such fire incidents, and we’ll able to bridge the connection between safety and security.

Let’s get down to facts. In a recent panel discussion at iFSAI, with Mr. TRA Krishnan, has closely reviewed more than 300 fire incidents and Mr. Vikram Kalbag from FM Global, the popular commercial and property insurance company, responding to my question mentioned that majority of fire incident cases take place in the month of March. Though there was no direct mention of any concluding statement stemming from this fact, its our duty to read between the lines. There is nothing special in the weather of March which makes it prone to short-circuits and fire inducing accidents. But yes, it is the “result” month of final documentation of financial year, its the month most important for you if there is corruption prevalent in your mindset.

I am not getting into any conspiracy theory here, but small fire incidents claiming nothing beyond loss of property happening in March, clearly have a different angle to it. And this angle is sabotage. And there is one way to prevent the sabotage, and that is security. Biometric Access Control Systems combined with CCTV Surveillance ensure deterrence of vandalizing elements specially when threat is more of internal, and even if there is vandalism, proof is always there thus solving the mystery behind fire easily. 

The famous proverb coined by the Dutch “Prevention is better than cure” is also valid in the discussions on safety and security. If you are secure enough, safety becomes secondary as the need of the same is reduced. Security not only prevents wrong action but also helps you track the reason behind the incident. Some time ago, speaking at an event, Mr. Rajan Luthra, Director of Reliance Security Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of RIL, had emphasized on benefits of security automation with real life examples of not only having detected few theft incidents but also successfully recovered the stolen assets. It has been experienced in our office too when we had a theft in our office and the culprit was caught easily using access control records, and stolen assets were recovered in less than 3 hours of incident.

Real time transactions captured by security and Network systems are vital at times,  those who watch popular TV Series Crime Patrol or read crime stories in Mid-Day will agree that most cases are solved using one or other such real time transactions left behind by either mobile phone usage, ATM Transaction, CCTV or electronic security records. even professional investigators admit that its was near impossible to crack some of such complex cases in absence of these transactions.

To counter wiser instincts  of today’s culprits we need smarter and multiple systems to be active together,  thanks to  technology and world of cloud and IP its possible Today. while Access Control systems can act as powerful deterrent for such incidents to happen as CCTV becomes handy in post incident investigations such that recording done in Mantralaya of Mumbai can also be seen by officials in Delhi, even after the Access Control & CCTV system are completely destroyed, means investigators can reach to real reasons of incident in almost no time, effortlessly just by connecting clues available from multiple systems.

All this reinforces our belief in the power of electronic security systems once  thought fully implemented and maintained.

We have standards defined by Insurance Agencies for management of safety in buildings. Maintenance of these standards is of high importance and undergoes regular audits. Since this post mentions facts which establish the integral need of Security products and services in order to ensure better safety, the insurers must also establish standards for security and push for their implementation. And regular audits of the same must be mandatory as well. This should be the first step towards making our buildings and complexes safer from fire, vandalism and other calamities. 

Before ending this post, let me give a sideways reference to the old hare and turtle story. Years ago, we were taught slow and steady wins the race, and hence a slow turtle can defeat the quick hare in a race. Situation is not very different today though there is a twist. Today the hare loses not because of its overconfidence but because it has a soft skin and there are lots of spiky obstacles in the path. If we want to win the race, we must try and put a turtle shell around us which makes us secure from any harms during the journey even though it makes us heavy and tougher to run. The need of running fast is secondary, only after we have secured ourselves. We started with simple words, and am ending with a simple proverb “It’s Safer to be Secure”!

To learn more about how other enterprises in your domain having safer environment by having smarter security implemented contact us today http://www.solus.co.in/contact or 

Click here