October may be the time for candy and costumes but for businesses, it’s also Fire Safety Month! Every organization must take the threat of fire seriously, especially since studies show over 40% of businesses never recover after a disaster. Here are a few questions many owners may have about prevention and alarm monitoring when considering protecting their employees and assets from fire. (more…)
Thirty years ago, an engineering student in Paris by the name of Eric Thomas developed a software program to automate the management of email lists. Up to this point in time, email lists had to be administrated manually, which was a tedious and time-consuming process. Thomas’ email list management program became a success and was named LISTSERV. Over time, the software continued to evolve and as other products were written, the term “listserver” became a generic term for any mail management software.
Fast forward to today, and you will find that a number of companies and groups continue to use listservers to promote community and discussion among their user base. While other tools exist such as Forums and Blogs, nothing beats the convenience of sending an email. (more…)
Cameras have been used as security resources for nearly as long as they have existed. However, they were often underutilized because continuous monitoring feeds are extremely resource-intensive. However, through integration with alarm monitoring and the continued improvement of analytics, video can now be used as a more proactive tool to improve the response to security events in real-time. Using cameras for verification provides substantial benefits for the modern monitoring center. (more…)
As COVID-19 continues to change our world, the threat from the virus extends far beyond the potentially deadly health impacts. As the workforce shifted to a work-from-home model, many businesses were not prepared. Lack of WFH policies, VPN connections, and a lax “bring your own device” approach have made businesses and their employees prey to malware, phishing, and numerous other virtual threats.
The good news is that there are steps that companies and workers can take to secure their information. The following suggestions can help keep your employees, their devices and both business and personal data secure while working from home. (more…)
The world is changing rapidly. Companies spend thousands, if not millions, of dollars on electronic security infrastructure and monitoring equipment only to find that updates and integrations are tedious and costly. In the worst-case scenario, systems can even become obsolete, which leaves businesses with burdensome equipment and unusable software. More commonly, organizations have numerous, disparate systems that operate independently of one another, which increases the risk of missed opportunities for security interventions. (more…)
The cloud has a lot to offer. Organizations can scale their operations, manage their data more efficiently, and rapidly spin out new applications. However, there has always been a lingering question of security. This is especially significant for alarm monitoring and similar security platforms. What can you expect from the cloud if you migrate your monitoring solutions? Are the benefits worth the switch? Here are six questions to consider: (more…)
As the head of security at a K-12 school or college, you’ve been tasked by the principal, college president, or school board to create the safest possible campus for faculty and students alike. To fully protect students, teachers, and staff, you need to be well-versed in the latest and most effective campus security technologies. Here are six best practices to follow when setting up alarm monitoring systems, video surveillance, access control, and other crucial elements of your campus security. (more…)
Having an automated alarm solution is an integral part of your operations. However, without alarm monitoring best practices, warning notifications can cause confusion and disruption. Arming the operators at your alarm monitoring center with the knowledge to respond quickly and efficiently to alerts can minimize distractions and reduce stress. Unfortunately, operator efficiency can be difficult to achieve long term with an aging workforce and staff turnover. (more…)
The security industry has been forced by COVID-19 and the subsequent social distancing guidelines and regulations to reimagine its practices. Changes to the nature of work have created new vulnerabilities and worsened existing ones. Fortunately, most of these issues can be addressed effectively with minor modifications to tried and tested security practices. (more…)
For years, the trend towards more workplace flexibility has been seen in many fields. Younger professionals have especially driven this trend and consider it an important perk of their work environment. However, some industries have lagged behind, usually due to long-held perceived notions about the necessity of working on-site. The security industry has also been slow to embrace the flexible workplace trend, though often in part due to UL restrictions.
Despite this, in the early part of 2020, many organizations were forced to increase remote work in response to COVID-19. But this should not be a temporary change. Greater workplace flexibility could help the security field be more effective in the future. (more…)