USB drives are also cheap, you can find one 4GB or smaller for only $10 to $20. They are the preferred choice for extra memory because they are so easy to use, all you need to do is plug it into a computer that has a USB port, and there are no other cords or plugs needed. Even though they are small, they are also very durable; you don’t need to worry about breaking it if you drop it.

The only disadvantage to its size is the fact that it is so small it increases the chances of you losing it or even having it stolen and you may not notice right away. There are security measures you can take to keep your private information from being viewed by someone that may have taken or found your USB flash drive. Flash drives can be purchased with pre-installed security software that will encrypt your information. You can also purchase encryption software that will encrypt your information on your drive.

Some USB drives will also allow you to put a password on a partition of your stored data, but the encryption will give you another level of security. Newer flash drives support biometric fingerprinting to confirm the user’s identity. Most fingerprint scanning drives rely upon the host operating system to validate the fingerprint by using a software driver which may restrict the drive to Microsoft Windows computers. Some manufacturers use physical authentication tokens in the form of a flash drive. They are used to control access to a sensitive system by containing an encryption key so that the specific system will only work when the flash drive is plugged into it.

If you are worried about information getting into the wrong hands, it is very easy and effective to use encryption software on your flash drive. All thumb drives can have their contents encrypted by third party disk encryption software such as FreeOTF and TrueCrypt, which can be used without installation. The USB flash drive is still the popular choice for storing data because of its size and reliability. After time, information stored on a CD will become corrupted, but not with a USB flash drive. You also have to worry about scratching or breaking a CD and that’s not the case with a flash drive. Thumb drives are reliable, compact, and easy to use.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Working with the BIOS
Every PC has a BIOS (basic input/output system), which is what takes control of your computer the moment that you turn it on. The screen that you first see when you turn on your computer is called the power on self-test, better known as the POST screen. BIOS on each and every PC may be made by different companies or accessed by a different method. The most common way to access the setup screen is to press F2 or the Delete key when you see the POST screen.

Caution: While you are making changes in the system BIOS, make sure you don’t change any other settings. If you accidentally change a value and don’t know what to change it back to, just exit the BIOS setup screen and choose Do Not Save Changes.

Changing the boot order of your drives
Most computers are set up so that when you first turn on your PC, it checks to see whether you want to boot from drives other than your hard drive. The BIOS automatically checks to see if you have a bootable CD in your drive. If you have a floppy drive, it checks to see whether you have a bootable disk in the floppy drive, too. Then, after it has checked all possible locations for a boot disk, the system defaults to your hard drive set in the BIOS and starts booting Windows.

To change the boot order, you have to enter the system BIOS setup screen.

1. Press F2, Delete, or the correct key for your specific system on the POST screen (or the screen that displays the computer manufacturer’s logo) to enter the BIOS setup screen.

2. Look for where it says Boot, and enter the submenu.

3. Navigate to where it states ‘first device’ and cycle through the list to where it states ‘Hard Disk Drive’. If your setup screen does not specifically state ‘first device’ but rather just a list of all the devices, simply select the hard disk and move it to the top of the list.

4. After you have made the changes, exit the system BIOS by pressing the Escape key, and make sure that you select to save your changes upon exit. After you reboot, the new settings will be in effect.

Using the Quick Boot feature of the BIOS
To turn on the Quick Boot feature, do the following:

1. Enter the system BIOS again by pressing F2 or the correct system setup Enter key on the POST screen for your system.

2. After you are in the BIOS setup, locate the text ‘Quick Boot’. Navigate with the arrow keys until the option is highlighted.

3. Use the keys to cycle through the options and Enable the Quick Boot.

4. After you have made the change to the setting, exit the system BIOS by pressing the Escape key. Ensuring you save the changes.

Modifying the Operating System Boot
You can use several different tricks to shave a few more seconds off the boot time. For example, you can reduce Timeout values and slim down the system to get rid of all the extra features and services that you do not use or need. Check out the following ways to do this.

Windows Boot Manager
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If you have more than one operating system installed on your computer, you’ll have to deal with the Windows Boot Manager installed by Vista. By default, the Windows Boot Manager gives you 30 seconds to select an operating system before it reverts to the default operating system. If you use one operating system the majority of the time, you will definitely save a second or two if you set that one as the default and lower the Timeout value to 1 or 2 seconds.

Lowering OS Timeout values
Again, if you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer and the Windows Boot Manager is installed, the default selection timeout is often way too high. It is much better to set a lower timeout so that if you do not make a selection, it quickly reverts to the default OS, making your boot time much faster.

1. Click the Start button, type msconfig in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. When the System Configuration utility loads, click the Boot tab.

3. Locate the Timeout box and replace 30 with a much lower value. I suggest a setting between 2 and 5.

4. After the value has been updated, click OK to exit.

Even though this is a simple tip, it really helps a lot if you have multiple operating systems installed.

Setting the default Operating System
Setting the default operating system is a little more difficult because you need to use the Boot Configuration Editor

1. Click the Start button and navigate through All Programs and Accessories.

2. Locate the Command Prompt shortcut and right-click.

3. Select Run as administrator from the context menu.

4. When the command prompt has loaded, use the bcdedit.exe command. First, you need to get the ID of the operating system that you want to set as the default. To do this, type bcdedit /enum all in the command prompt window. Scroll through the list of different entries and look for the one with the description matching ‘Microsoft Windows’for Windows Vista.

5. After you have found the correct entry, note its identifier.

6. While still at the command prompt, run bcdedit /default. Eg bcdedit /default {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}.

The default operating system on the Window Boot Manager is now set.

Disabling the boot screen
Vista has a new boot screen that looks much better than the previous ones. Disabling it can cut down on your boot time. In tweaking, every second counts . And when you apply all the performance hacks listed, you will see a definite performance increase. The process for disabling the system boot screen is similar to the process for modifying the default operating system timeout.

Start up the System Configuration tool:

1. Click the Start menu, type msconfig in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. When the System Configuration tool appears, click the Boot tab.

3. Locate the No GUI Boot check box and check it.

4. Click OK to close the System Configuration tool.

5. A small window will pop up and ask you if you would like to reboot your computer now or reboot later.

6. After your computer has restarted, the System Configuration Tool is going to load automatically, notifying you of the change. Check the box that says Don’t show this message or start System Configuration when Windows starts and click OK.

Disabling unnecessary hardware devices
One of the most time-consuming portions of the boot is loading all the drivers for your system. Every driver for each installed hardware device must be loaded and then initialized by the operating system while the system boots. Although Vista is more intelligent than previous versions, loading those devices and initializing them takes time. In previous versions, the system would load one hardware device driver at a time in a series. The problem with loading the hardware this way was that it slowed down the boot dramatically if one hardware device was taking a long time to initialize.

Using Device Manager to disable hardware
Getting rid of extra hardware with Device Manager is an easy way to speed up your boot. Follow these steps to disable your extra hardware devices:

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1. Click the Start menu, type devmgmt.msc in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. After the Device Manager loads, you can browse through your devices that are connected and currently running or disabled by browsing though the device type sections. To disable a device, right-click the device name, and then select Disable.

3. To re-enable a device, right-click the device name and select Disable. This removes the check mark from the menu and re-enables the device.

Multimedia devices:
Take a look at the ‘Sound, video, and game controllers’ section in Device Manager. You will find a lot of device drivers that are loaded during your boot. Some are used by all users, but you will find a few that you do not use

Network adapters:
Especially on notebook computers, there is often more than one network device. Disabling the network devices that you do not use will definitely save you some booting time.

Biometrics:
Some of the latest computer hardware includes biometric sensor equipment such as a fingerprint scanner. If you don’t use these security features, you can save time by disabling these devices.

Modems:
Not really necessary in most setups. If you don’t have a network or broadband you will need this.

TPM security chips:
These chips are typically used as a secure place to store an encryption key that would be used for something such as hard drive encryption. If you are not using any of these advanced security features of Windows Vista, disable these devices.

PCMCIA cards:
If you are a laptop user, consider disabling your PCMCIA card controller located under ‘PCMCIA adapters.’ The slot is a special expansion that is rarely used today on laptops. Most laptops now have built-in network adapters, and some even have built-in wireless adapters. If you do not use your PCMCIA adapter, it is yet another device you can safely disable.

FireWire:
If you have 1394 connections, or FireWire, you might consider disabling them.

Removing extra fonts for speed
Vista has more than 200 different fonts and variations that it loads for use when the system boots up. Of these 200 odd fonts, only a handful are used on a regular basis. Every single font that Windows loads increases the amount of time the operating system takes to boot. You can go about removing the unneeded fonts from your font directory in a number of ways. The best way is to move the unused fonts to a separate folder on your system so that in the event that you ever want to use one of those extra fonts again, you just have to copy it back to the Fonts folder. When you remove fonts from your computer, you will no longer be able to use them in any software application, including Photoshop, Word, and Excel.

Before you start removing fonts, take at look at list below. Be careful not to remove any fonts which the system normally depends.

Segoe
The variations of this font can be found in elements of the interface.

Verdana
Often used on web pages and applications.

Arial
Another common web page font, and used in applications.

Trebuchet
Common application font and used in some web pages back in XP days. Some older applications may still require it.

Tahoma
Windows font that you may want to hold on to for application and web page compatibility.

Times New Roman
The default font for web pages and word processing applications such as Microsoft Word.

MS Sans Serif
Default font for Visual Studio applications that is now required for a lot of legacy and newer applications.

So there are a few methods of speeding up the boot time of Windows Vista. The list isn’t exhaustive and I hope to add another list in the coming weeks.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

OK, got it? Let’s go.

As you know, Dell produces a large collection of laptops and notebook computers under lots of different brand names. Here’s a brief outline/rundown of what they offer:

Dell Vostro

Dell’s Dimension is being phased out and a “value-oriented” line of laptops — Vostro (Latin for “yours”) — has been created for the small business market. One great thing to note: Dell claims the Vostro line will not come with “trialware” (or “crapware”) pre-installed. The other thing is that the Vostro laptops have an “upmarket” — classier — black finish with chrome trim.

Current Models

The following laptop models were released during July, 2007 in Canada and the US.

* Vostro 1000
* Vostro 1400
* Vostro 1500
* Vostro 1700

Dell Latitude

Dell’s Latitude laptops are targeted at the corporate market, e.g., the road warriors. Latitude uses standardized, interchangeable parts throughout the line. After all, businesses want fast and cheap product service, right? In addition, the specs are meant to NOT change for several years (also for support purposes).

Note: This contrasts with the Dell Inspiron line which is aimed at the (fickle and flighty?) consumer market whose specifications change regularly.

Dell Latitude computers are also built with a more durable casing and internal metal frames. In addition, many offer hard drive protection systems in case the computer is dropped or suffers a severe impact.

Current models

Current Latitude models include the ATG, X1, D430, D520, D600, D620, the newly launched D630 and the D830. Select models based on the Intel Core Duo, Core Solo and Core 2 Duo are now available. The D420, D620, and D820 feature wide aspect LCD screens: 12.1″, 14.1″, and 15.4″ respectively.

The Latitude D620 weighs 4.7 pounds, and the base model includes a 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 processor (667MHz front-side-bus) and 2M of L2 cache. There is an option to upgrade to a Core 2 Duo T7X00 processor (667Mhz font-side-bus) with 4M of L2 cache.

It comes standard with 512M of DDR2 RAM, expandable to 4GB, and four USB ports.

For graphics, it offers the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, and an option to upgrade to NVIDIA discrete graphics at the expense of lower battery life.

Dell Precision

The Precision brand name features the most powerful laptop computers that Dell makes. These include the M4300 and M90. The M4300 is a little less in quality compared to the M90. These computers, when configured for extreme computing, can exceed $3,000. The Precision line top-shelf: its nVidia Quadro FX 1500M – 3500M gives you super-high-end video graphics.

Dell Inspiron

Inspiron is targeted at the consumer laptop market. As of June 26, 2007 the Inspiron name also refers to Dell’s desktop systems as well.

Current Configurations

Dell updated their Inspiron series in June of 2007 with the 1420/1420 N, 1520/1521, and 1720/1721 models.

* Inspiron 1420/1420 N Small (5.39 lbs), portable models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform. Both models have an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.2 GHz), 14.1″ display (up to 1440×900), SATA hard drive (up to 160 GB), and 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The 1420 features an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS. The 1420 N has an integrated Intel X3100. Dell also offers Ubuntu Linux as an alternate operating system on this laptop. Available in 8 colors.
* Inspiron 1501 Mid-size (6.19 lbs), mainstream model with an AMD Turion (up to 2.0 GHz) or Mobile AMD Sempron 3500+ processor, 15.4″ display, ATI Radeon Xpress 1150, SATA hard drive (up to 120 GB), and DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB).
* Inspiron 6400/E1505 N Mid-size (6.18 lbs), mainstream models with an Intel Core 2 Duo (up to 2.00 Ghz), 15.4″ display, SATA hard drive (up to 160 GB), and DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB). The 6400 features an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400. The E1505 N features an integrated Intel Media Accelerator 950, ATI Radeon x1300, ATI Radeon x1400, or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300.
* Inspiron 1520/1521 Mid-size (6.40 lbs), mainstream models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1520 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.2 Ghz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS/8600M GT. The 1521 features an AMD Turion (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150. Both models have a 15.4″ display (up to 1680×1050), 160GB SATA hard drive (option for 5400RPM or 7200RPM), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The notebooks also have the option to come installed with a Blu-Ray drive. Available in 8 colors with webcam.
* Inspiron 1720/1721 Large (7.62 lbs), high-end models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1720 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.4 Ghz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS/8600M GT. The 1721 features an AMD Turion (up to 2.2GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 17″ display (up to 1900×1200), support for dual SATA hard drives (up to 500GB – 2 x 250GB drives), and 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The 1721 also features RAID 0 or 1 hard drive configurations, an option which is strangely missing from the 1720. They also lack DVI or HDMI connections, which would be expected for a high-end desktop replacement, given their HDCP compliant graphics card and Blu-ray Disc option. Both models are available in 8 colors.

XPS

Dell has marketed this brand as an all-in-one multimedia system.

* XPS M2010 Software includes Dell’s “Media Center” with an instant-access button to quickly start the system direct in this application, and it is equipped with an 8 speaker plus subwoofer audio system. On the downside, the battery is only good for about 2 hours, but you are probably not buying this laptop to take on the road — the system weighs almost 18 pounds. That said, it is fully portable and self-contained. The case design includes a detachable keyboard with full-size keys and integrated trackpad, and flexible approach to screen placement. The base unit cannot be detached from the monitor, although the monitor offers articulation in two locations. The design incorporates a large handle which also forms part of the display hinge – the optional carry case uses this and does not provide a handle to lift the system, but it does feature casters and a telescopic handle to wheel the case around. The keyboard is often reported to attach magnetically. It uses two large spring-loaded locating catches, but does not fix rigidly to the chassis. Instead, the folded screen holds everything together. But when open the keyboard does detach easily. M2010 features a wide, flat CPU section with a symmetrical design – the optical drive is flush to the top surface and motorised. Internally the symmetry is maintained with the centrally mounted CPU flanked by two SATA HD drives and two cooling systems – the GPU and CPU coolers vent on opposite sides of the base. The M2010 also features a unique option, the Dell Premium Remote developed by Gyration Inc. Using 2.4GHz RF on an internal board. Referred to in the service manual as a Wireless USB board. it uses the Cypress “WirelessUSB” chipset, which predates and does not conform to the Wireless USB standard. the remote offers basic HID functions and control for Windows Media Centre with an additional LCD allowing navigation of the music library in a style akin to an iPod or similar device. The remote had been exclusive to the M2010 from launch. In August 2007 Gyration announced the Ultra R4000 remote which offers the same LCD-display functionality and has a similar appearance.
* XPS M1710 The higher-end mobile XPS computer available in black or red that features a 17″ widescreen, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900GS or 7950GTX video cards, 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, and DDR2 SDRAM. The Inspiron E1705/9400 offers similar features, notably the Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processors, 17″ screen, and the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900GS for a lesser price (about $1000 less than the M1710). The M1710 does offer unique user- and software-changeable LED lighting in the touchpad and fan outlets/inlets, as well as the lid, also including BluRay Disc Drive in some models. The system was marketed to gamers. It was physically identical to the Inspiron 9100. This computer was later replaced by the Inspiron XPS Gen 2 and ultimately the current XPS M1710. This model is highly expected[weasel words] to be replaced in the coming weeks.
* XPS M1330 This high end laptop, released in June of 2007, features the Intel Centrino’s Fourth Generation Santa Rosa platform. It features a 13.3″ screen either with CCFL or WLED. The WLED version will have a 0.3 Mega pixel camera, as opposed to the 2MP camera with the original CCFL screen. Moreover, XPS 1330 also features a biometric fingerprint reader, which was usually found in business class laptops like the latitude series. The XPS 1330, with the WLED screen is thinner and brighter than the previous XPS 1210 version. The XPS M1330 also offers the NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS graphics card as an option.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Let us have a look at the features of Genie garage door openers.

The Genie garage door openers are remote operated. Thus you are provided with the expediency and security of opening your garage doors while you sit inside your car. Installation is relatively simple, given that you have in your possession basic mechanical skills and the correct tools. The manual provides lucid instructions. Enlisting the aid of a friend might be a good idea.

Security should not be a matter of anxiety for you once you have installed the genie garage door opener. This product is made to pass through stringent tests that mandate inclusion of numerous safety measures. One vital feature is the automatic reversal system – the garage door will turn back on its track if it encounters any obstacle on its path for more than 3 seconds. This system is operated electronically. A vacation lock is included with the Genie garage door opener also comes equipped with a vacation lock for added security.

Additional security is provided by the incorporation of scrambling and unique access combination features. The opener sends out different signals every time it is operated to prevent data theft by techno savvy thieves. Provision for biometric security identification is also presented. As for example, you can customize a finger print for recognition of authorized owner of the garage.

The Genie garage door opener can be operated while inside the garage by the means of a switch that is to be mounted on the wall of the garage.

The smooth scroll aspect of the Genie garage door opener equips it with changeable paces for closing or opening. By default the Genie garage door opener is adjusted to operate at a moderate speed so as to prevent excessive wear and tear to the motor. However, the speed control feature enables you to open the door rapidly when you are pressed for time.

The Genie garage door opener is driven by rubber belts. This makes the operation altogether noiseless.

Experience the workings of this Genie garage door opener by visiting your nearest garage door opener dealer s and you will yourself say that this opener far exceeds its competitors in terms of features and utility.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Style

First of all, if you have already seen what any of the LifeBook models looks like, you would agree that it is a very stylish notebook. The attention-grabbing, high-gloss designs are sure to impress. But it does offer more than just good looks, the LifeBook series delivers outstanding performance, is packed with features, and they are designed to be light weight and capable of working in harsh environments whether it’s at a construction site or in the office.

Security

The LifeBook’s security and protection software are unparalleled. It offers security features such as BIOS lock, 2-password Hard Disk and LifeBook lock, Anti-theft lock slot as well as security buttons and Smartcard support for enhanced data and hardware protection. Data encryption and transaction security can be customised using the Trusted Platform Module. For even more protection, the LifeBook can come with the biometric Fingerprint Sensor so that you – and only you – will have access to your important data.

Innovation

In 2003, Fujitsu became the first company to offer a tablet which was able to morph from a regular notebook to a proper tablet and receive hand written commands. Since then there been some innovative improvements in the use of the pen.

Pen Flicks enables you to use short gestures to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts, and you can customise your own Pen Flicks for a more natural control.

When you need to take down quick notes, you can jot it down instead of typing it out. If you like, Windows Vista hand writing recognition is able to recognise your hand writing, convert to text and insert into a document. It’s even smart enough to learn your hand writing style.

Instead of using the old Print Screen function, which can only take screen shot of the whole window, you can use the Snipping Tool to draw any shape around the object to automatically cut and capture a screenshot of it. Then of course you can add handwritten notes.

In addition to their innovation, Fujitsu also has a unique SlimEdge screen frame design which provides a wider display area for pure viewing pleasure.

Added Protection from Minor Accidents

Fujitsu offers added protection against minor accidents – users don’t have to worry about damage due to vibrations and shocks as it is equipped with Fujitsu’s 3D Shock Sensor incorporating a 3D accelerometer. You don’t have to worry about accidental spills with Fujitsu’s spill-resistant keyboard. Another unique feature of Fujitsu is the black suede patches on the bottom which reduce heat.

Conclusion

When many people hear about Fujitsu, they first think of air conditioners. But make no mistake; they have fast become a leader in mobile PC due to their innovation and sophistication. From the ever so flexible LifeBook P series to the ultra portable U Series, there’s a tablet PC that’s perfect for you. For the user who wants the portability of a tablet PC and the processing power of a notebook, there is nothing that the LifeBook series is missing

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The photo ID cards can vary in shape, size, and functions depending on the type of requirement. Whether used for business or by an individual, the photo identification cards can bring about a considerable difference in the safety and efficiency of your security and identification system. The ID cards not only ensures safety of the holder, it can also save you in emergency situations as in case of an medical emergency the card would help people identify you and contact your family.

What is a Photo identification card?

Essentially a photo ID card is a standardized documentation meant for verifying different aspects of your identity. The card generally comprises of a permanent plastic laminate enclosing a photographically exposable film chip, which can be developed through a single processing fluid.

There is a core spacer in the laminate with a compartment for receiving the chip, having the spacer circumference virtually the entire edge perimeter of the chip. The transparent cover panels, which are fused to the spacer by plastic-to-plastic bonds, defend the chip and also allow exposure and display through the laminate. There are access ports that are projected from the exterior of the laminate, the compartment for delivering the processing fluid to the chip.

Typically, the photo identification cards contain information or database of the bearer including – the holders full name, a portrait photo, age, birth date, address, an identification number, profession or rank, restrictions, citizenship status, blood type and Rhesus factor. The new technologies have enabled ID cards with biometric information, like face, hand or iris measurements, photographs or fingerprints.

Things to consider for photo Identification cards:

In order to implement the identification system, the foremost requirement is to know the purpose of the system. For instance, when considering a person authorized to launch an atomic weapon, the required information would be very different from that required for a paid passenger of a train. So, the purpose of the card must be clear.

In some cases the card may serve more than one purpose. Consider a drivers license, it normally serves to prove driver’s level of competency in driving. Surprisingly, today the driver’s license is mainly used as photo ID card. The next thing would be to implement the system. The purpose of the system would be to control the access over the system.

With basic information it is now possible to design the system. Photo on the card is imperative; the signature can probably be neglected, as there would be electronic means of verification. This is the case when security is the major cause of concern, however in some applications the cost might determine the type of identification system.

Considering the latest photo identification cards, which are the direct printed card, several companies have employed the latest system that allows taking a photo and printing it with any details directly on to the card. Such an arrangement not only offers higher quality card, it also generates full-proof security.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Electronic Commerce is for the age of Information Technology what mercantilism, the quest for gold and the conquest of new lands were for the age of discovery. Like the prow of a large fishing boat, it draws towards itself all other interests and elements of society, and it will leave new discoveries and changes in its wake. The vast networking of world through optic fibers, satellites and wireless communication is creating a new global community and a new global market, in which most of the countries should participate. It is strengthening, almost paradoxically, the identity of small groups, isolated communities and minority interests and driving them towards a less costly social and economic activity and widening their opportunities. And most importantly, it is empowering small businesses to compete with multinational corporations and enabling consumers to search the world for exactly what they needed.

E-Commerce basically means using networks (Internet) to carry out all the activities involved in business management and operation: buying and selling of products and services, technology and partner search, dealing with counterparts, choosing the most convenient transportation and insurances, performing bank transactions, paying and billing, communicating with company salesmen, picking up orders, and any other activities necessary for trading.

A company will be able to post a complete catalog of it’s products and services on the Internet, which can be continuously updated to present new or updated products, proving a large virtual showcase for potential clients, a means to communicate with clients and in that way, adjusts it’s offer to their requirements; while at the same time it will get access to virtual markets where it can purchase what it needs.

Through integral systems already under development, one company will connect to other companies located anywhere in the world, to buy and sell, choosing the products and services which best meets its needs from a huge network. And it’s true that this revolution involves us all.

2. BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS (B2B)

B2B e-commerce means companies buying from and selling to each other online. It automates and streamlines the process of buying and selling the intermediate products. It provides more reliable updating of business data. B2B makes product information available globally and updates it in real time. Hence, procuring organization can take advantage of vast amount of product information. [3]

Now, we must know what are the entities of B2B e-commerce & their concerns:

* Selling company: with marketing management perspective.
* Buying company: with procurement management perspective.
* Electronic intermediary: A third party intermediating service provider (the scope of service may be extended to include the order fulfillment ).
* Deliverer: who should fulfill the JIT (Just in Time Delivery)
* Network platform: such as the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet.
* Protocols and communication: such as EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and comparison shopping, possibly using software agents.
* Back-end information system: possibly implemented using the intranet and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

B2B e-commerce implies that both the sellers and buyers are business corporations. It covers a broad spectrum of applications that enable an enterprise or business to form electronic relationship with their distributors, re-sellers, suppliers, and other partners. B2B applications will offer enterprises access to the following sorts of information :

1. Product: Specifications, prices, sales history.
2. Customer: Sales history and forecasts.
3. Supplier: Product lines and lead times, sales terms and conditions.
4. Product process: Capacities, commitments, product plans.
5. Transportation: Carries, lead-times, costs.
6. Inventory: Inventory levels, carrying costs, locations.
7. Supply chain alliance: Key contacts, partners roles and responsibilities, schedules.
8. Competitor: Benchmarking, competitive product offering, market share.
9. Sales and marketing: Point of sales (POS), promotions.
10. Supply chain process and performance: Process descriptions, performance measures, quality, delivery time and customer satisfaction.

2.1 How to get the best

People always want to get the best shot in life. To deliver a sound return on your investment you must add on time delivery and flavor of some strategies. This strategy should include proper marketing, channel management, solid technology, strategic partners and great products. Let us have a look on each of them.

2.1.1 Just in Time delivery (JIT)

In such a case (JIT), delivery materials and parts on time is a must. Using E-Commerce, it is highly possible to assure JIT deliveries. Just in time delivery can be realized by the co-coordinated effort of delivery- service company and suppliers inventory policy.

Quick delivery does not necessarily mean JIT delivery, but the system for quick delivery is the backbone of JIT delivery. For the B2B E-Commerce environment the advance confirmation of the delivery date at the contract stage is very important. [5][15]

2.1.2 Add strategies to your business

2.1.2.1 Direct Marketing

In a typical business organization, buying decisions, especially for products over a few thousand dollars, are made by group of individuals. As a result, direct marketers need to extent the reach of their programs to different functional areas and perhaps even different levels within a functional area.

There are multiple buyers and influences in any organization who play a role in the buying decision. You may know with reasonable certainty who your primary target is, but secondary target can be just as important to reach. You may have to reach business buyers and influencers in three basic management areas (functional management, financial management and general management) and do it at middle to upper managerial, as well as technical levels. To do it companies need accurate E-mail list, which they can develop by viewing companies Websites and reviewing annual reports and other public documents.

2.1.2.2 Relationship Marketing

Business buyers are not always ready to buy products or services when you are ready to sell them. Factors you cannot control, such as the companies’ budgeting process, the need for additional approvals, or purchasing procedures, may have a direct impact on plans to purchase. There may be a casual interest in the product but not an immediate need.

The smart B2B direct marketer compensates for this uncertainty by making sure a program of regular, ongoing communications (often called a continuity program) is in front of prospects periodically. This can be done by direct E-mail and by placing the information on the website.

2.1.2.3 Internet Marketing

Several potential marketing strategies can be used in B2B E-Commerce marketing. These strategies can be classified into the following five categories:

1. Generating and qualifying leads with the Internet.
2. Using Internet events to promote products and services.
3. Executing instant fulfillment on the Internet.
4. Generating orders through the Internet.
5. Enhancing customer relationship with the Internet.

2.1.2.4 Channel Management

The first element is coherent marketing or channel management. The true test of a successful E-Commerce implementation is how well it exploits the Internet to reach, capture and retain the right customers. Choosing which products and services will be offered through which channel is also a crucial decision.

E-commerce runs across multiple sales channels, including direct, indirect and E-marketplaces. The choice of which marketplaces to use as sales channels is a crucial decision.

In addition to marketplaces, using indirect sales channels is also an area for explosive sales opportunities. Enabling your selling partners to host your catalog, inventory and fulfillment databases on their systems can create efficiency that grows their business and yours. You also can continue your direct one-to-one trading relationship with long time strategic vendors by “E-enabling” the entire business process from the initial request for quote through order fulfillment to automatic billing and payment.

These channels create a situation where the E-Commerce sell side platform must transact across multi-channel selling strategies –which brings us to the next element of your strategy: technology.

2.1.2.5 Technology

Industry standard tools often allow a seller to build and manage product catalogs and content once and use them throughout the entire multi-channel selling conduits. Evolving tools and capabilities allow you to develop customer friendly web sites and win repeat customers by building customer loyalty. The front end for e-commerce selling is an important piece of B2B success, connecting your new web systems with your existing systems. The 24*7 online marketplace means your E-business has to be continually available. IT infrastructure must provide more performance, reliability, security and process integration than a bricks-and-mortar environment. In addition, mainframes hosting the databases and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems operating the management systems must be seamlessly integrated with the e-commerce engine to provide the caliber of service customers expects and to realize the cost efficiencies B2B E-Commerce can provide. Choosing a flexible E-Commerce platforms and a system integrator experienced with the entire business process is a must for success.

2.1.2.6 Partners

Like choosing the Internet as a sales channel, it’s also important to select the right partners, including an integration partner who is experienced in helping to move ahead rapidly across the entire E-business process. we have to accept that any move to E-Commerce is not about incremental improvement, rather fundamental redesign of the key business processes.

2.1.2.7 Products

With the presence on the web, we can effectively and efficiently transact business with our clients 24*7. But so can our competitors. Survivals and success in E-Commerce entails more than simply building a storefront to sell online. [5]

3. BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER (B2C)

While the term E-Commerce refers to all online transactions, B2C stands for “Business-to-Consumer” and applies to any business or organization that sells its products or services to consumers over the Internet for their own use.

In the late 90s, dotcoms— which were quickly gaining in size and market capitalization — posed a threat to traditional brick and mortar businesses. In many ways, these dotcoms seemed to be rewriting the rules of business — they had the customers without the expenses of maintaining physical stores, little inventory, unlimited access to capital and little concern about actual earnings. The idea was to get big fast and worry about profits later. And a popular thought automatically comes into our mind: “ Learn to swim while the tide is out. Learn from the kinds of customers that are out there now. It is a small market- play with it; learn to price business in this market, learn how to assess risk. If you can do it well, the stakes will get higher and you will succeed where others may not.”

3.1 What are the major challenges of B2C e-commerce

* Getting browsers to buy things — Your E-Commerce site cannot live on traffic alone. Getting visitors to the site is only half the battle. Whether they buy something is what determines if you win.

Some ways to boost the B2C conversion rate include improving navigation, simplifying checkout process (such as one-step checkout and easily replaced passwords), and sending out e-mails with special offers.
* Building customer loyalty — With so many sites out there, how can you build a strong relationship with customers? Here are some tips:
1. Focus on personalization: A wide array of software packages are available to help e-commerce sites create unique boutiques that target specific customers.
2. Create an easy-to-use customer service application. Providing just an e-mail address can be frustrating to customers with questions. Live chat or, at the very least, a phone number will help.
3. Focus on making your site easy to use.

* Fulfillment — E-Commerce has increased the focus on customer satisfaction and delivery fulfillment. Companies should improve their logistical systems in order to guarantee on-time delivery. Providing instant gratification for customers still isn’t easy, but successful B2C E-Commerce operations are finding that fulfillment headaches can be eased with increased focus and investment in supply chain and logistical technologies. [5]

3.2 Six Keys to B2C E-Commerce success

So, what does it really take to capture the E-consumer and generate online insurance sales? Based on Insurance & Technology’s interviews with both early adopters and industry analysts, there appear to be six key success factors:

1. Strategic Goals Assessment/Customer Needs Assessment What are your goals as a company? Who are your customers? What are their needs? These may sound like basic questions, but both insurers and analysts emphasize that a company’s Web presence must reflect this information.
2. Create a Usable, Targeted and Sticky Web Site Usability and site performance are some of the key factors insurers need to keep in mind when developing their B2C E-Commerce strategies. Insurers also need to be aware of all of their various constituencies when developing B2C initiatives. The Web can reach multiple audiences and none should be overlooked. A good Web site will communicate with consumers as well as business partners, agents, suppliers and vendors. Stickiness, or the success of a Web site in attracting and keeping new and returning visitors, is another success factor. Turning the site into more of an information portal with real-time news feeds with keeping content updated and synchronized will help keep customers coming back.
3. Integration The Internet is not a stand-alone platform or medium. To be an effective service and distribution channel, it must be integrated with back-end legacy systems, agent systems, call centers, marketing initiatives and pricing and underwriting systems. The Internet is simply another customer relationship channel and integration with other customer service functions is definitely a number-one priority.
4. Innovate with Web Applications and Real-Time Transactions B2C online applications range from the relatively basic, such as updating policy information, to the complex, such as comparative rate quoting and electronic claims submission. Regardless of the specific functions a company plans to add to its Web site, they must serve the needs of the E-consumer. This means that web sites should have interactivity and immediate gratification.
5. Partnerships Although insurers need to be selective in initiating online partnerships, such agreements have the potential to extend market reach and add features in a relatively low-cost manner. According to a recent Gartner Group study, 46 percent of insurance firms active on the Web have partnerships with banks, 30 percent have partnerships with other insurance companies and 22 percent have partnerships with investment firms. Partnerships with insurance portals provide comparative quoting capabilities and may generate business.
6. Put Tools in Place To Keep Learning E-consumer is a moving target. Investor should always say that they are still playing and always capturing information from all of their channels. They must focus on groups, used third-party assessments and have hired user interface specialists. “The process is iterative: You just keep learning.” [5]

4. INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRATION

In this web enabled world, customers rule. The ability to offer mass customization has become a practical reality. To rapidly meet these requirements, time to deployment of new or enhanced application is shrinking dramatically. These applications must be built to be easy to use, nimble, open, extensible, and available across all platforms and all these demanding characteristics must be achieved at minimal cost.

Replacement of legacy system application is costly so it is seen that people started to aggregate information from disparate sources and integrate them for seamless information flow, the demand to communicate with a wide variety of mobile devices, and the shortage of skills and knowledge that are further compounded by shrinking time-to-deployment requirements.

These software integration technologies lower development and deployment costs by doing the following:

* Supplying the communication and integration code so application developers can concentrate on the value-added business logic;
* Providing a standard platform on which to build, deploy, and manage distributed applications;
* Reducing the IT skills required to deliver difficult enterprise requirements;
* Providing rapid application development tools to eliminate custom coding and simplify integration; and
* Enabling the reuse of integration components over many projects.

4.1 What is needed for Integration

1. Requirements Traditional requirements definition based on the functionality desired is yielding to a definition Based on time-to-deployment and the ability to integrate future technologies. New infrastructure requirements are emerging which places more importance on the task of planning the migration path to newer technologies.
2. Technology selection For the best result the right technology should always be picked up. Technology should be such that the integrated solution fulfill the following criteria’s: Extensibility and reusability, Flexibility, Efficiency, Interoperability and breadth, Cost effectiveness, Ease of maintenance, Deployment ease and efficiency, Ease of administration, Industry acceptability, Enterprise integration, Technological innovation. [1]

4.2 Benefits of Integration

It has been surveyed that the end users are benefited in various ways after the completion of

Integration project. Benefits thus obtained are :

1. Simple and complete development platform,
2. Platform independence,
3. Network-aware development and run-time platform,
4. Technologically unified intranet, extranet and Internet,
5. Central administration of new software versions,
6. Easy access to enterprise IT resources,
7. Rich and highly functional user interface component,
8. Simple and robust security model. [1]

5. SECURITY ISSUES

Security is a major issue in developing E-Commerce because this is probably the most important reason people hesitates to buy things on the Net. Buying on the Net requires your credit card number and other personal information. But broadcasting your credit card number through the ether? It sounds pretty dicey. So, it’s a challenge for companies to make their site secure and safe so that people can fully rely on them.

5.1 What does security imply

Whatever the environment, paper or electronic, securing it necessarily implies the prevention of

* Destruction of information and
* Unauthorized availability of information.

5.2 Security issues

The issues that confront us in relation to securing electronic transaction are therefore:

* Confidentiality
* Integrity
* Availability
* Authenticity/Non-reputability
* Auditability

Confidentiality:

Information should be protected from prying eyes of unauthorized internal users, external hackers and from being intercepted during transmission on communication networks by making it unintelligible to the attacker. The content should be transformed in such a way that it is not decipherable by anyone who does not know the transformation information.

Integrity:

On retrieval or receipt at the other end of a communication network the information should appear exactly as was stored are sent. It should be possible to generate an alert on any modification, addition or deletion to the original content. Integrity also precludes information “replay” i.e., a fresh copy of the data is generated or resent using the authorization features of the earlier authentic message. Suitable mechanisms are required to ensure end-to end message content and copy authentication.

Availability:

The information that is being stored or transmitted across communication networks should be available whenever required and to whatever extent as desired within pre-established time constraints. Network errors, power outages, operational errors, application software errors, hardware problems and viruses are some of the causes of unavailability of information. The mechanisms for implementation of counter measures to these threats are available but are beyond the scope of end-to-end message security for implementing Electronic Commerce.

Authenticity:

It should be possible any person or object from masquerading as some other person or object. When a message is received it should therefore be possible to verify it has indeed been sent by the person or object claiming to be the originator. Similarly, it should also be possible to ensure that the message is sent to the person or object for whom it is meant. This implies the need for reliable identification of the originator and recipient of data.

Non-reputability:

After sending / authorizing a message, the sender should not be able to, at a later date, deny having done so. Similarly the recipient of a message should not be able to deny receipt at a later date. It should, therefore be possible to bind message acknowledgements with their originations.

Auditability;

Audit data must be recorded in such a way that all specified confidentiality and integrity requirements are met.[2]

5.3 Security solutions

* Cryptography is the most widely used technique for implementing technology solution for the above mentioned security problems. It comprises encryption — the process of making information unintelligible to the unauthorized reader and decryption – reserving encryption to make the information readable once again. Conventional cryptography uses a secret code or key to encrypt information. The same secret key is used by the receiver to decrypt the information.[14]
* Password is the most common mechanism used for authenticate people. Passwords are expected to be known only by the owner. The onus is on the owner to keep the password secret.
* Digital signature can be used not only to verify the authenticity of the message and the claimed identity of the sender, but also to verify the message integrity. The recipient, however, should not be able to use the received digital signature to falsely “sign” messages on behalf of the original sender. Here a message is encrypted with the sender’s private key to generate the ‘signature’. The message is then sent to the destination along with this signature. The recipient decrypts the signature using the sender’s public key, and if the result matches with the copy of the message received, the recipient can be sure that the message was sent by the claimed originator and that the message has not been modified during transmission, since only the originator is in possession of the corresponding encryption key. It is a two key cryptosystems.
* A more effective solution can be obtained by using a biometric authentication device, such as a fingerprint scanner, in the e-wallet.
* Smart card are similar to credit cards except that they have chips embedded in them. These cards can be used to store value and carry authentication information.

6. CONCLUSION

Changing market scenario puts pressure on business persons to adapt new and smart strategies to reach the pinnacle of success. New inventions are rapidly becoming part of IT infrastructure. But to get effective feedback we need a multi functional team approach consisting of business people who can correctly identify business requirements, technology requirements and success criteria. People can reduce the risk and time-to-deployment by considering the factors described above.

7. REFERENCES

1. Aberdeen Group, Inc. “e-Business Infrastructure Integration: Practical Approaches,” An Executive White Paper, Boston, Massachusetts 02108, USA, November 2001
2. Kamlesh K. Bajaj and Debjani Nag, “E-Commerce: The Cutting Edge of Business,” Tata-McGrawHill, 1999
3. Efraim Turban, Jae Lee, David King, H. Michael Chung, “Electronic Commerce-A Managerial Perspective ,” Pearson Education Asia, 2001
4. Ravi Kalakota and Andrew B. Whinston, “Frontiers of Electronic Commerce,” Addison Wesley, 2001
5. Susmita Das, Malabika Dinda, Sudipa Batabyal, Sangeeta Mishra, “A Study on Various Aspects of E-Commerce Paradigms with One Design Implementation,” B.Tech.(Honours) Thesis, Haldia Institute of Technology (Vidyasagar University), 2002
6. Simon S. Y. Shim, Vishnu S. Pendyala, Meera Sundaram, and Jerry Z. Gao, “Business to Business E-Commerce Frameworks,” Computer, IEEE Computer Society, Volume 33, Number 10, October 2000.
7. Wenli Wang, Zoltan Hidvegi, Andrew D. Bailey Jr., and Andrew B. Whinston, “E-Process Design and Assurance Using Model Checking,” Computer, IEEE Computer Society, Volume 33, Number 10, October 2000
8. Tim Ebringer, Peter Thorne, and Yuliang Zheng, “Parasitic Authentication To Protect Your E-Wallet,” Computer, IEEE Computer Scciety, Volume 33, Number 10, October 2000
9. Abhijit Chaudhury, Debasish Mallick, and H. Raghav Rao, “Web Channels in E-Commerce,” Communications of the ACM, Volume 44, Number 1, January 2001
10. Ted Becker, “Rating the Impact of New Technologies on Democracy,” Communications of the ACM, Volume 44, Number 1, January 2001
11. Joe Mohen and Julia Glidden, “The Case for Internet Voting,” Communications of the ACM, Volume 44, Number 1, January 2001
12. Deborah M. philips and hans A. von Spakovsky, “Gauging the Risks of Internet Elections,” Communications of the ACM, Volume 44, Number 1, January 2001
13. Lance J. Hoffman and Lorrie Cranor, Guest Editors, “ Internet Voting for Public Officials,” Communications of the ACM, Volume 44, Number 1, January 2001
14. Andrew S. Tanenbaum, “Computer Networks,” Third Edition, Prentice-Hall
15. Debajyoti Mukhopadhyay and Sangeeta Mishra, “How to Meet The Challenges Of Managing E-Commerce Successfully,” Journal of the Calcutta Management Association, Volume VII, Number 2: August 2002

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Alarm Systems: During a majority of break-ins, burglars gain access to the home through unlocked doors or windows. In addition, many homeowners forget to set their security system. While making sure to lock the doors and set the alarm are the foremost priority in securing any home, homeowners do have other precautions they can take.
- Alarm systems should be connected directly to the alarm company’s central monitoring station, which can alert law enforcement if the alarm is triggered.
- Installing a back-up cellular dialer in case a burglar cuts the power or the standard phone lines enables the system to still contact the monitoring station.

- Alarm systems which incorporate motion sensors and/or glass break sensors can help first responders and residents know if an intruder has actually gained access to the premise.
- Displaying the signage provided by the alarm company serves as an initial deterrent for thieves.
- Making sure the alarm system’s central panel is located in a locked cabinet or an indoor utility room prevents would-be invaders from tampering with the system.
Lighting: Sufficient lighting, both internal and external, can help deter thieves from even targeting a home. Burglars typically select a poorly lit home, as darkness affords additional cover from watchful neighbors or passers-by.
- Motion detection lighting alone only activates once a thief’s movement is detected; installing low-wattage dusk-till-dawn light fixtures, which emit a soft glow around the perimeter of the home all night, insures that thieves cannot conceal themselves in the shadows. The addition of sensors that shut off the lights when the sun rises and energy saving fluorescent or sodium-type light bulbs makes this an affordable and effective light deterrent.

- Using basic timers for interior lamps set to alternating times, gives the appearance of movement throughout the house while it is unattended.
- Doors and Windows: With some very simple window and door locking systems, homeowners can drastically restrict the accessibility of their home. With recent advances in locking mechanisms, some additional alternatives are also available to today’s homeowner.
- Installing window locks on all ground floor windows prevents the window from being opened far enough for someone to fit through.
- The addition of a simple closet rod to the track of sliding glass doors provides reinforcement to the standard lock.
- Biometric locks, which provide access by scanning a finger print, have become much more affordable lately and can prevent lost or stolen keys from being used by burglars.
Windows — The glass in windows and doors can very often be a point of weakness as well. Security window films are affordable, and can provide an extra layer of defense from thieves attempting to smash a window to gain access to the home. While a burglar may be able to muster enough force to eventually smash the window, the repeated attempts require a lot of attention-grabbing blows. Assuring the home has proper doors made from solid wood or metal, rather than a hollow-core style, along with 3.5 inch long steel screws to fasten the hinges to the door frame, will stand up to most breach attempts.

- The ability to see the outside of an exterior door is also very important. If an abutting window cannot provide a view of the doorstep before opening it, a peep hold can easily be installed.
Landscaping: Believe it or not, appropriate landscaping can help deter intruders from accessing windows, while maintaining an aesthetic appeal.
- Keeping trees and bushes trimmed back from the house and windows helps diminish the likelihood of an intruder using the shrubs as cover. Tree limbs should also be trimmed, to prevent an intruder from using a tree to access a second story entry point.

- Planting low-growing sharp or thorny bushes such as holly, rose shrub, or barberry under windows, or adding gravel or landscape rock which makes for noisy footing, are also good ways to deter thieves from attempting to gain access to windows.
- Secure the Garage: Garages are favorite targets for thieves, not only because they are often unoccupied, but because they often offer a direct and unlocked entry to the remainder of the home. A few simple countermeasures can help greatly deter an intruder’s ability to access the garage.
- Always keep the garage door closed; an empty garage or a missing vehicle can alert thieves that the home is unattended.
- Change the factory set codes on the door’s remote control often, so thieves cannot open the door with a store bought remote.
- Adding motion and glass break sensors to all windows in the garage will also provide added warning of an attempted break-in.

Have an Escape Plan

If someone in the household can break away and call for help, the home invaders will have lost their advantages privacy and time. To some, running away from your family in crisis would be almost unbearable. However, the alternative might mean being tied-up or o violently incapacitated and left to watch in horror as your family is injured or worse. If you have a plan for escaping, make sure you include where to run and what to say. Sometimes a radical escape measure pays off, in life and death circumstances,

Thugs will sometimes threaten harm to children to get adults to comply with their demands. But at the same time, children are often overlooked as potential rescuers and are usually not well guarded. If the opportunity presents itself, a trained child can dial 911, activate an alarm panic button, or escape to the neighbor’s house to summon the police.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

All organizations need to protect their corporate assets – whether it’s preventing the theft of office equipment, providing a safe environment for employees and their belongings, or keeping hackers and industrial saboteurs from wreaking havoc with networks, applications and databases. Yet, because physical and logical security has traditionally been handled by separate organizations and technologies, few companies could envision the benefits from their convergence.

Physical and IT security departments have been operating as distinctive entities for years.

Security concerns around networks and databases have caused organizations to ask why physical and logical security systems cannot work together to share real-time data and strengthen each other.

As a practical definition, “converged security” refers to the integration of physical access systems and related technologies (such as magnetic cards and readers) with identity management and user authentication technologies (such as enterprise single sign-on, tokens and proximity cards). This integration enables an organization to establish and manage a single, consolidated repository of all user authentication credentials and to employ a centralized means for establish access policies for all physical and logical resources.

The concept of converging physical and logical access security is not new. It has been around for some time, but historically, implementation has been a problem. Because physical and logical security systems traditionally operated in totally independent worlds with no reason to interconnect, convergence has always been costly and complex. Various vendors have tried to solve this problem using approaches such as multifunction cards, pure identity management solutions and consolidating reporting systems. For a variety of reasons, these efforts have not been successful and proved costly and extremely time consuming to implement – often taking several years coupled with major investments. However, an opportunity now exists for the worlds of physical and logical access security to come together at last.

Physical and logical convergence makes it possible for organizations to have

• One identity-based system for managing all physical and logical access;

• A unified network policy for both network and remote access that leverages card status and user location information from physical access systems;

• Tight correlation between building, LAN and remote VPN access for a tighter security posture;

• Enforcement of company anti-passback/tailgating building access policies;

• Exchange of events and alarms from the physical access system to the logical access system;

• An identity-based reporting system for use in forensic investigations; and

• A streamlined workflow for creating, deleting and modifying user identities from both systems simultaneously.

With the convergence of physical and logical security technologies, organizations now have new opportunities to better coordinate security resources in critical and emergency situations and achieve compliance with regulations, such as the U.S. Homeland Security Presidential Directive -12 (HSPD-12) or Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS). HSPD-12, which mandates a common identification standard for U.S. federal employees and contractors, was issued by the U.S. Executive Office of the White House in 2004. The convergence of these two technologies provides the two-factor authentication that ensures compliance with these regulations.

When physical and logical access security components work together, organizations can use them to complement and reinforce one another. For example, a network access policy could be established that would grant a user logical access to applications only if that user had first swiped his or her employee badge that day when entering a facility or restricted area. Furthermore, companies can grant or refuse network access based on a user’s physical location, user role and/or employee status. This means that all users must physically badge in to use the organization’s facilities and network-and cannot access their company’s virtual private network (VPN) while already logged into the building. This prevents fraudulent user log-ins, further raising the protection of each user’s identity and the organization as a whole.

Tailgating is a common security problem in which a person without an ID badge gains access to a facility by following closely behind another person who has just swiped his or her badge. With convergence, logical access security can be set up to alert corporate security whenever employees who have not swiped their badges attempt to log onto PCs, thereby providing a means to better enforce badge-swipe compliance and facilitates the enforcement of company anti-passback/tailgating building access policies.

Convergence provides companies with affordable, two-factor authentication (complex passwords and a second form of identification), which is recommended by experts as the best protection against unauthorized application access. Convergence at the system level enables reuse of the existing card based infrastructure and would allow even badges with magnetic stripes to be used as the second factor, sparing organizations the cost of additional smart cards, tokens, or biometric scanning systems while at the same time strengthening IT security.

With the convergence of physical and logical security systems, organizations have the ability to coordinate responses to problems and/or emergency situations. For example, when employees resign or are terminated, there is often a lag time of days or even weeks between when their physical access rights and logical access rights are terminated. This situation often results in disgruntled former employees logging in remotely and stealing confidential data. Convergence prevents this problem by allowing organizations to terminate physical and logical access privileges simultaneously.

What organizations are ultimately looking for is greater control over all aspects of their company’s security. Convergence allows organizations to maximize the security potential of both systems to protect corporate assets at the while not forcing dramatic workflow changes on the employees. Organizations of all sizes and types are taking the first, positive steps toward physical and logical access security convergence and a more secure future. All of these benefits, plus the better protection, cost savings, risk reduction, and increased compliance associated with them, make converged physical and logical security a worthwhile goal for any security-minded organization.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Welcome to the twenty first century, where your credit card knows more than you do.

The hi-tech chips on credit cards and even some passports are an advancement of old technology, a transponder or electronic tag, originally developed to track planes in WWII under the Friend or Foe operation.

Now, as businesses become more mobile, both in personnel and services, employers desire to monitor their assets. Whether a package, an employee, or a shipment of goods, the game of intelligent tracking has arrived.

That microchip is known as a Radio Frequency Identification Device or RFID. It makes the process of location and identification of almost any object readily available, even down to mere centimeters, whether in transit or in storage.

RFID chips have tiny antennae and are capable of broadcasting their data wirelessly to anyone with a RFID reader. In effect, it is poised to replace the older, more limited system of barcodes, though that may take some time.

Today, these devices fall into two categories: active and passive. Passive RFID requires an external power supply, as it is not contained within the tag. Usually a signal is sent from the reader, which powers the transponder, enabling communication back to the reader. This type of RFID can come with a chip or without. Active RFID contains an inherent power source, a larger memory capacity, and increased transmittal distance. Until recently the most common usage for active RFID was for tollbooth speed passes, such as on the Dulles Toll Road near Washington, D.C.

Passive RFID systems are the most prevalent, but both employ three types of frequencies. These are: ultra high (300MHz to 3GHz), high (10-15 MHz), and low (125-500 kHz). Active RFID systems are on the rise as technology continues to advance.

According to Bob Moroz, President of the RMoroz Company, a switch to “contact-less” credit cards has begun. This technology embeds a RFID chip into a card, thus protecting it from the external environment, increasing security, and allowing for greater memory storage for data, such as biometric information.

“[RFIDs] take away the form factor,” states Bob Moroz. “For instance, data can be stored on a chip in a cellphone, a watch, or a wristband. It is not limited to a plastic card.”

While most companies focus on tracking products, federal and state governments will soon be tracking their residents. Though the state of Virginia has delayed an initiative to embed RFIDs into state driver’s licenses, it is still on the books. As with other security measures, these chips will store important identification data, such as date of birth, social security number, a digital fingerprint copy, and even 3-D facial information. This has drawn much criticism from privacy advocacy groups, especially the American Civil Liberties Union. Nevertheless, June 2006 saw the Department of State embedding RFID in U.S. passports. This follows on the heels of an identical program completed by Australia.

Going a step further, as early as 2002, Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, Florida unveiled a syringe-injectable RFID chip, the size of a grain of rice, called “Verichip”. Company documents state it is a transceiver “that sends and receives data and can be continuously tracked by GPS”, which they successfully demonstrated in 2000 at an investor launch. Each chip carries a unique ID number and can be activated by an external scanner, which causes a signal to transmit the data to a telephone number, the Internet, or a storage device. The electromagnetics of muscular contraction power the device, which body tissue surrounds after insertion. In addition, the company claims that this chip is superior to other biometric security measures because it is impervious to tampering.

More recently, CityWatcher.com, a Cincinnati, Ohio company, implanted two employees with such a device. However, according to Sean Darks, company CEO, the chip was not intended for tracking, rather to control access to restricted areas.

And so begins the age of tracking humans.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

There is no substitute for a home security system but these gadgets are just plain neat. Statistics show that a burglary occurs every 15 seconds. Keeping that in mind your first mode of protection should always be a home security system with monitoring services. I will go into more detail at the end of this articles to help you select a security provider. Now on to the nifty gadgets!

5. FTV-10 Fake TV Burglar Deterrent Device

This gadget simulates a television to people outside your home. The FTV-10 produces light effects that mimic the varied light of someone watching television. It uses a bright LED light output which is microprocessor controlled. The output resembles light produced by a 27″ TV. This device is the perfect item to setup on a timer in your home when you go on vacation.

4. Hidden Wall Safe Available From ThinkGeek

This tiny safe is the perfect place to put small valuables or stash some extra money. Often if a burglar enters your home they are only there for a few minutes. This hidden safe looks exactly like a regular wall outlet. The plate on the outside of this wall safe can be changed to match the existing ones in the room where you install the “fake outlet.” This is a cheap, easy solution to keep a couple pieces of jewelry away from prying eyes. The dimensions of this safe is: 7″H x 3.5″W x 2.5″D.

3. Mini Bug Detector Available From ThinkGeek

So, maybe you don’t have a reason to be concerned about wireless microphones or transmitters but this is just plain awesome! Take this gadget with you traveling to secure your hotel room or use it in your office. It has the ability to detect those hidden little bugs and show you where they are with an audible tone and LED signal strength display. This device looks for transmitters using frequencies between 50MHz and 3 GHz.

2. Biometric Wall Safe Available From Norco Alarms

Biometrics is a fascinating technology that is being found as an optional component for computer security as well as access control to buildings. This safe has a small footprint with dimensions of 15 7/16″ H x 16 3/8″ W x 7/8″. The 7/8″ is how far from the wall the safe is. This safe is small enough to easily hide behind a painting just like in those old Magnum days but large enough to hold up to two handguns. There is a small hidden compartment inside the safe to keep personal items out of view.

1. RFID Digital Door Lock Available From ThinkGeek

Never worry about which key opens the door to your home with this interesting door lock. This lock cannot be picked. In fact it has a built in alarm should the door be forced open. It comes with 8 RFID Smart Keys including 4 cards, 2 tags, and 2 fobs. Included in the design of this digital lock is a PIN pad. The PIN pad can be used if you do not have your RFID Smart Key.

Naturally the best “gadget” we can have in our house are alarm systems. The above items should never be considered the final security options for your home. They are merely fun gadgets to include in your home security system.

When selecting a home security provider, look for one of the top names in the industry such as ADT, Brinks, or Honeywell. Choosing a top name will give you more options in your security system. Be wary in your selection. Not all security providers are the same.

All providers will include three standard buttons on there control panel to quickly call medical, fire, and police response units to your home. This is excellent but you must have a landline connected to the control unit. ADT Safewatch stands out from all the rest with their ability to contact the CMC (Customer Monitoring Center) using a nearby cellular tower using Safewatch Cellguard. In a time when home owners are switching to Internet phones or cellular phones this is a prime feature.

Look for a security system that has pet sensitive motion detectors. These can be setup to either recognize the size of an intruder or detect temperature changes. This allows you to still arm the home while you are away. Your indoor pets will not trip a false alarm which can save you money in the long run. Excessive false alarms are costly for both the monitoring service and yourself.

Another important feature is the ability to detect fire, carbon monoxide, freezing pipes, and flooding. These features are add-on features available from most security providers and an excellent investment in the protection of your home and family. The carbon monoxide monitor is an absolute must for any home as this gas is both odorless and colorless. It can cause serious health complications and even death to your family.

Finally look for a system that provides you with the most comprehensive monitoring service such as ADT’s 24 Hour Monitoring. Unlike Brinks, ADT monitoring has a total of five monitoring centers which immediately take over if one center becomes unavailable.

Burglary, fires, and floods can cost you thousands of dollars if not detected quickly. Take the time to investigate all your options in home security to safeguard your home and family. This small investment can make a large difference.

Call ADT today and get the most comprehensive nation wide coverage for your home.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

You may ask why we should rely on passwords that are not complete and need constant verification. Is there any other option to secure and control access to your valuable data? There definitely must be some other means of authentication. You are right. I’m sure you’ve seen those sci-fi movies when a sexy spy has to identify his fingerprints, voice pattern, or even DNA sequence to enter some devilish and secret building. These biometric methods look very impressive, but not all of the companies can afford such luxurious security systems. However, they are quite safe and thus widely spread in the criminal sphere and national security issues. Instead, you may use diverse security tokens, but apart from biometric parameters that are unavoidably with you, you will have to keep an eye on all these special devices. They are pocket-size, cutting edge, and very stylish, still they can easily disappear from your keychain. All things considered, passwords seem to be the least burdensome, but can you unambiguously rely on your memory?

Naturally, people cannot remember say a 15 symbol password at once. It becomes more problematic if you have to remember several such passwords and change them regularly. What would you do? Probably jot them all down and hide under your keyboard as 50 % (1) of all respondents do? Bad choice! Imagine you are a network administrator, you would acquire such an impressive collection that the Royal Library of Alexandria could envy you. Maybe, store your passwords on your PDA as 11 % (2) of respondents do? Not really safe! Fair enough, you can hardly crack those portable devices, but still bad guys will most probably take advantage of the Internet connection your sophisticated devices are equipped with and sniff out your precious passwords say through email. I wonder is there any safe way to save our passwords? Ironically, this necessity in security enhancement actually jeopardizes the information you desperately try to save from others.

In addition, there always are human factor mistakes that can never be predicted. Funnily enough, practically 75 % (2) of all respondents use one password for different login applications. Guys, you dance on a volcano! There is no universal password which could be safe for all the documents. You can make up the longest password you are able to remember, but for some programs do not require them to be so complicated, you risk losing all your other documents. Interestingly, more than 80 % (2) of respondents simply forget their passwords. That is human nature! Believe me or not, network administrators reap a good benefit from it.

Poor password policy management brings about a great demand and, consequently, provokes cost increase in IT help desk services which ends up in heavy expenses for the end-users. It is estimated that IT help desk administrators charge $25-$50 for one call. Let’s say you forget just one single password every week; then you would give away $ 2600 in a year. The same sum of money is charged for one password reset (1). As IT-security experts recommend changing passwords every 3 months that would cause some extra expenses.

(1) SafeNet, Second Annual Global Password Survey (2004)

(2) Protocom Development Systems, Global Password Usage Survey (2003)

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The development and adoption of removable USB mass storage is truly remarkable. Never before has it been so easy to move gigabytes of information around on a portable device that is small enough to clip onto a key chain. These pocket size devices are known as a jump drive, thumb drive, flash drive, USB drive or USB flash drive. These devices have large capacities and they can copy data at lightning speed. It’s hard to buy a USB flash drive these days with less than 128MB of storage and some devices can achieve data rates greater than 20MB per second. The technology is so convenient and powerful that we wonder how we could have lived without it. It’s unthinkable to use floppy disks for the amount of data that we need to carry around today. While the capacity of a CD-RW might be sufficient the procedure of inserting and “burning” simply can’t compete with the ease of plugging a flash drive into the USB port.

To deal with this issue, some organizations have disabled USB ports through the BIOS, while others have gone to the more extreme measure of filling the USB connectors with a thick epoxy adhesive. While this solves the problem it also prevents any beneficial uses of USB mass storage to be garnered. But what other functions are there for USB mass storage devices? Besides moving large amounts of data around at lightning speed what else could we be missing by banning their use? Surprisingly, there are very compelling advances to be gained in the security industry by properly harnessing the power and protocol of USB mass storage.

USB mass storage devices are evolving and we are starting to see many new features and behaviors that were never conceived when the USB mass storage specification was written. For example, many devices today offer encrypted storage so that if you lose your device, the information on it remains safe. Some flash drives even have fingerprint sensors and processors built in so that biometric authentication of the owner is required before the storage can be accessed. These are examples of some security driven extensions to the basic functionality of mass storage. The on-board capabilities of strong cryptography and authentication that we see on some of the more advanced devices are the prime ingredients for a new direction in the evolution of USB mass storage. That direction is Portable Security Devices that offer identity management and secure storage.

Digital identities take many forms. They can be simple credentials such as usernames and passwords, or more complex forms such as PKI based X509 certificates or claims based assertions in SAML tokens. To be really useful in today’s identity infrastructures an identity device must be more than a secure store of static credentials. It must also be able to generate cryptographic keys, perform digital signature operations, parse request messages and emit security tokens in standard formats. Furthermore, it must bind identity operations to an authenticated user and be able to enforce security policies that have been defined by security officers.

One doesn’t normally associate these operations with USB storage. In fact, digital identity functions are very different from mass storage, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot exist on the same device, just as digital cameras now exist on cell phones. Despite the differences there are significant benefits to putting digital identity functions on a USB mass storage device.

The obvious question that comes to mind is why is it not just a simple matter of creating a composite device? After all, digital identity devices already exist in other form factors such as smart cards and yes, USB key fobs. These could easily be integrated into the same physical package with relative ease to produce a combined mass storage/digital identity device. The answer is that the benefits that we gain go beyond the convenience of having a multi-functional device and are attributable to using the USB mass storage protocol itself.

The USB mass storage interface itself has a number of desirable properties. First it is ubiquitous. Practically every PC and operating system in use today supports it natively and there are no device drivers or software to install in order to use a USB flash drive. This is what makes them so portable and interchangeable. It doesn’t matter which vendor or brand of USB memory stick you have, as long as the device implements the specification it will work.

Portability has been the Achilles’ heel of smart cards and USB tokens. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to carry a smart card around without lugging a reader, device drivers and proprietary middleware? Without all of that the smart card just won’t work. In fact the situation is worse than that. Even when you have deployed a smart card solution with all of the required components and middleware, you’ll probably find that the solution won’t work with another brand of smart card without swapping in new middleware components.

The U.S. Government has addressed these interoperability challenges by developing GSC-IS (Government Smart Card Interoperability Specification) so that they can deploy smart cards to federal employees without being tied to one smart card or middleware provider. Despite these and other enormous efforts on standards and interoperability, smart cards have suffered from the lack of widespread adoption of a common specification.

The widespread native support and high bandwidth of the USB mass storage interface enables a digital identity device to be truly portable and accept high level application messages through a protocol that is as simple as reading and writing to a file. Work in developing open specifications to exploit this new direction has already begun. In partnerships with key device manufacturers, Microsoft is currently developing a specification called PSTS (Portable Security Token Service), which will enable file system based communication to USB devices that can be used as portable credential carriers and generators of SAML tokens in response to WS-Trust requests.

This is part of a digital identity metasystem that will enhance privacy and security of digital identity transactions on the web. WS-Trust, along with other WS-* specifications are already submitted to OASIS for standardization. With the adoption of InfoCard in new Microsoft operating systems and popular browsers, it will be possible for you to roam to any machine, say at an Internet café, and perform a digital identity transaction using your USB digital identity device.

There are still challenges to be addressed to make this direction a reality. Device manufacturers need to design for portability. The installation of drivers and middleware to assist in some of the digital identity computation is not an option. The device itself must be able to process high level messages, perform cryptographic operations and handle user authentication internally, otherwise portability will be lost. The development and adoption of standards must continue relentlessly otherwise we will fail to achieve interoperability. Finally, the industry must be assured that these new devices are secure. The same types of security validations that are being applied to smart cards and other security modules will be needed.

Now that we have seen the new digital identity direction of USB mass storage devices and what it could mean for portability and interoperability, organizations should rethink their decisions to disable USB mass storage. There are good solutions appearing on the market that can control the use of USB mass storage without disabling them completely. For example, many offerings allow you to prevent any unwanted devices from being used except those that are issued or approved by the corporation, and you can even monitor the files that move on and off a device.

Digital identities play a key role in many security applications from single sign-on, to PKI, to the emerging systems of federated identity. By keeping USB mass storage enabled, corporations can leverage the new breed of USB mass storage based digital identity devices to enhance and simplify their deployments of digital identity security solutions.

New Portable Security Devices will not only offer biometric and password two-factor authentication for portable secure storage, but will securely carry and assert digital identities, and be the hardware token for such security applications as remote access, PKI, and single sign-on. . Driverless USB secure flash drives will be transformed into the next revolutionary hardware device for portable security.

From my research on this topic I have come across the Stealth MXP that I purchased from MXI Security and has surpassed my expectations.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Modern devices that may serve the ubiquitous computing model include mobile phones, digital audio players, radio-frequency identification tags and interactive whiteboards. Other terms for ubiquitous computing include pervasive computing, calm technology, things that think, everyware, and more recently, pervasive Internet.

Ubiquitous computing encompasses a wide range of research topics, including distributed computing, mobile computing, sensor networks, human-computer interaction, and artificial intelligence.

HISTORY

Pervasive computing is the third wave of computing technologies to emerge since computers first appeared:

• First Wave – Mainframe computing era: one computer shared by many people, via

workstations.

• Second Wave – Personal computing era: one computer used by one person, requiring a

conscious interaction. Users largely bound to desktop.

• Third Wave – Pervasive (initially called ubiquitous) computing era: one person, many

computers. Millions of computers embedded in the environment, allowing technology

to recede into the background.

BACKGROUND

Eight billion embedded microprocessors are produced each year. This number is expected to rise dramatically over the next decade, making electronic devices ever more pervasive. These devices will range from a few millimeters in size (small sensors) to several meters (displays and surfaces). They may be interconnected via wired and wireless technologies into broader, more capable, networks. Pervasive computing systems and services may lead to a greater degree of user knowledge of, or control over, the surrounding environment, whether at home, or in an office or car.There have been calls for more widespread debate on the implications of pervasive computing while it is still at an early stage of development.

PERVASIVE COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES

Pervasive computing technologies classified in to four converging areas

- Mobile Computing

- Embedded and Applied computing

- RFID and Sensors

- Mobile and sensor networking

Mobile Computing

The widespread use of mobile computing devices has changed the way people compute and vastly expanded research areas in distributed computing and networking. In fact, traditional distributed computing is actually a subset of the broad area of mobile computing. Many topics in “mature” areas like distributed databases, distributed fault tolerance, and resource management now require much additional study, because many traditional assumptions are challenged. Mobile computers operate in more hostile environments, are resource-constrained (limited power, frequent disconnection), and are peripheral-poor.

Mobile computing is changing the way we live and work, as profoundly as the introduction of the automobile did almost a century ago. Key advances in mobile networking, wireless connectivity, mobile information access, content adaptation, data synchronization, technology for notebook and wearable computers, and innovative mobile e-business solutions have come from worldwide research laboratories..

Some of the recent research in mobile computing includes:

WEARABLE DISPLAY OF ATHLETES’ STATISTICS

TeamAwear is a basketball jersey that displays real-time information about its wearer’s statistics such as their fouls, points, and scores and alerts players when the game is nearly over or when time is running out to shoot. Mitchell Page and Andrew Vande Moere at the Centre of Design Computing and Cognition of the University of Sydney developed the system, which consists of numerous colored electroluminescent panels. A small computer attached to the player’s body controls the panels and communicates wirelessly with a server that tracks relevant game statistics. For example, panels on the jersey’s side light up to show how many goals the wearer has scored, with each panel representing 10 goals Although the inventors developed the TeamAwear jersey originally for basketball, they claim that it could also work in other fast-paced sports in which player-specific data changes rapidly, such as soccer, volleyball, cricket, and baseball. It could also support emergency teams working in noisy environments where verbal communication is inefficient.

SKYSCOUT

If you’ve ever looked at the night sky and wondered what stars you were observing, Celestron’s SkyScout might be for you. Especially useful for novice astronomers, this handheld device combines GPS technology with a map of the sky to identify, locate, and provide information about celestial bodies. To identify an object of interest, you simply view it through the SkyScout and press the Identify button. SkyScout’s technology identifies the object and tells you what it is. To locate a celestial body, you select it from a reasonably easy-touse menu of objects and press the Locate button. SkyScout uses red directional arrows around the eyepiece to guide you to the object in the sky. A nice feature is that the menu shows only objects that should be visible. (Unfortunately, Sky- Scout has no way to know which of those objects are blocked by trees). Finally, the device can educate you about many of the more popular celestial bodies. The information is available both through audio and text and includes facts about the object and its history and mythology. SkyScout’s release was delayed in 2006 because of manufacturing problems in one of the components.

NOKIA NSERIES PHONES

Nokia has announced three new mobile phones in its multimedia Nseries, each targeting a different market segment. The N71, N80, and N92 offer a long list of features. The N71, from the Nokia XpressMusic family, offers an FM stereo tuner, a five-band equalizer, and support for audio and video formats including MP3, AAC, eAAC+, WMA, JPEG, and MPEG-4. It offers a 240 _ 320-pixel display and two cameras, one 2-megapixel (1600 _ 1200 pixel) and the other VGA (640 _ 480 pixel). It operates on dual-mode wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA)/GSM and triband GSM. The N80 offers a 352 _ 416-pixel display and a 3-megapixel camera with features including four flash modes, 10 scene modes, manual exposure correction, and four color tones.

Embedded and Applied Computing

Embedded and ubiquitous computing is an exciting new paradigm that provides computing and communication services all the time and everywhere. Its systems are now affecting every aspect of our life to the point that they are hidden inside various appliances. This emergence is a natural outcome of research and technological advances in embedded systems. An Embedded Pervasive Computing Environment is equipped with hardware and software components that autonomously respond to the needs of its occupants. Embedded system is the core part of pervasive computing and it deals with various applications like wearable computer architecture and applications, sensor networks, real-time embedded operating systems, embedded servers, embedded system networking, address-free routing, smart spaces, dynamic service discovery, mobility and case studies. Some of the on-going researches in embedded systems include:

ROLLABLE DISPLAY

Who hasn’t dreamt of a display that rolls up when not in use? Phillips took one step toward this dream on a commercial scale when it formed venture company Polymer Vision in January 2004. Polymer Vision recently reported that it can make a flexible display with a 2 cm bending radius. The display is an organics-based, QVGA (320 240 pixels) active-matrix display, 5 in. on the diagonal and 85 dpi. The display layers a 200-micron thick, reflective Electronic-Ink display from E Ink Corporation (www.eink.com) on top of a 25-micron thick, active-matrix plane.

USING LANDLINES FOR CELLULAR CALLS

Xcelis (www.xcelis.com) has developed an innovative product for coupling cell phones and landline handsets. The Pantheon (see Figure 3) plugs into a landline phone line and, using a Bluetooth connection, routes incoming and outgoing voice calls and data from users’ cell phones to their landline handsets. The Pantheon indicates incoming mobile calls with a distinctive ring. While the mobile call is in progress, it doesn’t tie up the landline, meaning you can still receive landline calls through your other telephones.
You need one device for each landline telephone that you want to multiplex. When making calls from your landline, you can choose whether to use your cell phone or landline account. The Pantheon provides additional features, including conferencing a landline call and a mobile call, accessing a user’s mobile phonebook from a landline phone, and switching mid-call from a landline phone to a mobile phone. The Pantheon is also compatible with voice over IP handsets.

BIONIC ARM

Todd Kuiken at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine has developed a thought-powered bionic arm. The arm is based on a pioneering muscle reinnervation procedure that takes an amputee’s nerves and connects them to a healthy muscle. Doctors take nerves that used to go to the arm and connect them to chest muscles. The nerves grow into the chest muscles and can contract the muscle when the patient thinks, for example, “Close hand.” Electrical signals from the chest muscles drive the arm. Surface electrodes sense these impulses from the pectoral muscle and carry them through to the arm, causing it to move. Jesse Sullivan, a high-power lineman who had both of his arms amputated after being severely electrocuted, is the first patient to be outfitted with bionic arms. The arms have enabled him to do daily activities such as put on socks, shave, eat dinner, take out the garbage, carry groceries, and vacuum. Future generations of the arm will incorporate the sense of touch and feeling.

Mobile and Sensor networking

Sensor mobility allows better coverage in areas where events occur frequently in many sensor networks, considerably more units are available than necessary for simple coverage of the space. Augmenting sensor networks with motion can exploit this surplus to enhance sensing while also improving the network’s lifetime and reliability. When a major incident such as a fire or chemical spill occurs, several sensors can cluster around that incident. This ensures good coverage of the event and provides immediate redundancy in case of failure another use of mobility comes about if the specific area of interest (within a larger area) is unknown during deployment. For example, if a network is deployed to monitor the migration of a herd of animals, the herd’s exact path through an area will be unknown beforehand. But as the herd moves, the sensors could converge on it to get the maximum amount of data. In addition, the sensors could move such that they also maintain complete coverage of their environment while reacting to the events in that environment. In this way, at least one sensor still detects any events that occur in isolation, while several sensors more carefully observe dense clusters of events. On going researches in sensor networking includes:

WORLDWIDE BROADBAND WIRELESS ACCESS

Option is offering a PC data card that can access wireless broadband worldwide. You can use the GlobeTrotter GT Max on the 850, 1900, or 2100 MHz HSDPA/UMTS (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) networks and the 850, 900, 1800, or 1900 MHz EDGE/ GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) bands. The card can support data speeds up to 1.8 megabits per second on HSDPA networks, 384 kilobits per second on UMTS networks, 247 Kbps on EDGE networks, and 85 Kbps on GPRS networks. It’s a Type II PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)-compliant 3.3-V PC card and includes a novel “Butterfly” retractable antenna that doesn’t require users to remove the card when it’s not in use. Numerous wireless carriers offer the card, including Cingular, which recently announced that it would offer it under two plans. One plan will cost users $110 per month and includes unlimited data use in the US and 100 Mbytes of downloads in Canada and Mexico. The other plan will cost $140 and will include unlimited use in the US and 100 Mbytes of downloads in 24 countries including Australia, China, France, Italy, and Germany.

THE SELF-CLEANING HOUSE OF THE FUTURE

The house of the future won’t need cleaning. Not by humans, leastways. Every surface will be dirt-repellent and antibacterial; and on the floors the vacuum cleaner is buzzing around – all on its own. The outer walls are all glass which can be screened off entirely and the interior surface used as TV screen. The scenario of the self-cleaning house belongs in the distant future, maybe 20 years from now. With the rapidly increasing development of nanotechnology we have seen for the past few years, it is not easy to predict a specific time span and it will be not only self-cleaning but also self-sufficient, energy wise. Today, the Australians are already experimenting with nanoglass-houses where the glass can be treated with a pigmented coating rendering the entire house non-transparent – the roof included.

WALL SENSORS

The house of the future will be capable of alerting its owner if it’s in need of repair. The building materials will, of course, be susceptible to wear and tear due to wind and weather, and they will therefore have built-in sensors. When these sensors appear, the house computer will receive a message that this particular section needs repair. A variety of conditions are similarly monitored. This way, house owners can cheaply repair worn materials and avoid major, expensive repairs after the damage has been done.

THE INTELLIGENT HOUSE

The intelligent house of the future will alert the fire brigade in case of fire when you’re at work. Or, if you’ve got a leaky water pipe, it will get hold of the plumber. Multifunctional sensors throughout the house will keep an eye on heating, lights, indoor climate etc. The house of the future will comprise two major digital gateways. One gateway will be the media server which comprises the complete collection of the family’s music, films, photos etc. Another feature will be the highly secure homegateway – a server communicating with the many sensors distributed all over the house to monitor heating, indoor climate etc. The two gateways are separate entities, as the security on the homegateway needs to be exceedingly tight. This gateway should not be exposed to hacking, which could have fatal consequences with respect to security. If, for instance, the motion detectors are tampered with, the burglar alarm might be disabled. Likewise, it would be an unpleasant experience to come home to a room temperature of 40 degrees Celcisus, because someone is mad at you and has hacked into your system to change the temperature settings Thus, each room in the house of the future will be equipped with small sensors. – Larger rooms may have several. They will measure the physical conditions in the room and communicate with the homegateway which will then take care of the Internet-based communication out of the house.

RFID and Sensors

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology uses radiofrequency waves to transfer data between readers and movable tagged objects without line of sight. RFID holds the promise of real-time identifying, locating, tracking and monitoring physical objects, and can be used for a wide range of pervasive computing applications. To achieve these goals, RFID data have to be collected, transformed and expressively modeled as their virtual counterparts in the virtual world. RFID data, however, have their own unique characteristics – including aggregation, location, temporal and history-oriented – which have to be fully considered and integrated into the data model. The diversity of RFID applications pose further challenges to a generalized framework for RFID data modeling. Today, Radio Frequency Identification enjoys an enormous interest as the first widely deployed pervasive technology as not only from the standpoint of research
but also from Corporate practices future. Some of the recent researches in RFID technologies include:

TAGS EVERYWHERE

The Ubiquitous ID Center provides the infrastructure for managing electronic tags embedded in or attached to objects in a ubiquitous environment. The center developed the ucode, a multicode tag that automatically identifies information stored in bar codes, RFID chips, smart cards, and electronic tags embedded in virtual entities such as software and electronic money. Comparable to the ISBN (International Standard Book Numbering) code used in the publishing industry, the UID Center assigns unique numbers to each tag and stores data relating to the object in database servers. The ucode tags use a 128-bit code that can be extended in 128-bit units, creating a virtually limitless string of numbers. To navigate this tagged environment, the UID Center developed the Ubiquitous Communicator, a PDA-like device that reads ucode tags and retrieves the relevant data from the UID Center’s server database. The standard UC has a host of features, including wireless LAN, Voice over Internet Protocol, infrared data communication, and a biometric reader. Apart from the PDA-like version, the UID Center developed a cell phone model and a watch style. At home, it will serve as the remote control for home entertainment systems and appliances. In the office, it will read a printer’s tag and order a replacement cartridge as needed

FROM UPC TO RFID

Smart packaging became a possibility with the introduction of small battery-free microprocessors called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) tags. Though these have been commercially available for a number of years, they have been too clunky and too expensive for use in packaging. This situation is changing rapidly: industry experts predict that the price per tag will fall to under 10 cents each in the course of five years or so. The new generation of RFID tags can take the form of a sticker like the classic bar codes, or they can be directly integrated into the packaging material itself. They consist of a silicon microprocessor and some form of radio antenna—conductive carbon ink is replacing the more expensive metal coil of earlier tag types. This radio antenna functions as both input/output channel and power source. Electricity is generated in the antenna by either a magnetic field or a radio signal; the tag responds by sending out a radio signal in turn. This reply signal contains metadata stored on the chip, typically an ID number .With the help of RFID readers—in our cell phones, in supermarket freezers and check-outs, in our private fridges—we will be able to retrieve information about a particular item based on its ID number. In fact, the first cell phones with built-in readers, based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, are already on the market.

NEXT-GENERATION TAGS

The smart tags which will soon begin replacing bar codes in our supermarkets are actually pretty dumb: their only ability is reciting their ID code on command. With the next generation of MEMS tags, the epithet ‘smart’ will be more fitting. MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) tags are able to perform measurements and calculations. MEMS tags are especially interesting in connection with extremely perishable goods like milk and meat. Studies have shown that the ‘sell by’ date on such products is dubious at best: milk only stays fresh until the given date as long as it is stored at the right temperature. Storage is the key term here; for example, that the temperature in around one-fifth of the meat and dairy cases in American supermarkets is three or four degrees too high. And what happens when we leave the milk out on the kitchen counter all morning? MEMS tags in smart packages will be able to take the milk’s temperature every fifteen minutes. The measurements are then sent to a small microprocessor which calculates the milk’s estimated freshness.

FOOD SAFETY

The fridge of the future will have a door with a built-in scanner for reading the digital tags on food packages. This way the refrigerator will always keep abreast of what is put into it; and the screen on the door can supply an overview of what’s behind the door. By scanning all foodstuffs, you will always have an updated listing of your current supplies – canned and frozen food included. In other words: the refrigerator comes to play the part of digital administrator of the kitchen. Should you e.g. keep food approaching its expiry date, the fridge will alert you. The product can then be used at once, and you avoid having to throw away food. The screen is connected to the Internet, and each and every chip tagged to the packaging will represent a Web site which can be visited by the fridge as the food products are stowed away. Thus it can check for any warnings issued for this particular product. We all remember instances of contaminated food which, undetected by producers, have ended up in supermarkets and, consequently, household fridge or freezer. In such cases, an alert from the refrigerator could reduce the risks considerably. Since the fridge frequently runs automatic checks on the net, users are no longer dependent on radio and TV alerts.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Low confidence of online purchasing has been identified by a U.S. study which showed that only 21% of consumers were confident over their personal information being transferred when involved in an online purchase. That is why these dimensions of trust in connection with interface design, IT-security and electronic payment can be enhanced and thus Internet vendors can gain and maintain consumer trust. We should keep in mind that trust is created at different stages and to a different degree. Trust starts with the interface design and perceiving and approving it, and then moves on to security and privacy where transaction are made. If an Internet vendor can control the three stages with the right tools and well-designed systems they will ultimately win trust. All the three stages are mutually exclusive and one cannot be foregone on the cost of another.

Informatics perspective on consumer trust

Interface design

Initial trust starts at this point. Just as you may enter a physical store and witness the aisles and shelves and see products and advertisements your impressions are being constructed. In a similar way as a store is organized and designed so must a virtual store-front be. This initial trust is pivotal to keeping consumers on the site and making them come back (retaining). A few characteristics of good interface design (suggested by expert authors) that will attract customers and keep them coming back, are: Ease of navigation, consistency, learnability, user guidance, and perception. These all belong to the usability of the vendors’ website and are important sources of trust.

* Ease of navigation: Ease of finding what you want and knowing where you are in the Web site.
* Consistency: In human-computer interaction, consistency is recognized to be able to improve user performance and user satisfaction. It applies internally to the web site and externally to other websites through standards and conventions.
* Learnability: A well-designed interface should be easy to learn. This is achieved through the use of simple and clear language, meaningful display and logical grouping.
* User guidance or support: A good user guidance scheme will improve learnability and decrease the mental workload.
* Perceptual limitation (perception): A good interface design should embed the considerations of human perceptual organization limitations.

Navigation and learnability of a website must maintain its simplicity and prioritize over what information is the most important to be displayed on the front page. Making the navigation user-friendly and clear, at the same time making the site intuitive so the next revisit will be already familiar with the functions it presents, is key to usability.

Furthermore, for example, user guidance or support can envisage an Internet vendor having a thorough step-by-step guidance on procedures done on the website. Like having guidance on how to successfully search an e-catalogue, or even more importantly display a step-by-step payment method so the customer will feel safe/secure before engaging in purchasing something from the vendor. Coupled with providing FAQ and pages that answer most commonly asked question, the feedback system is well prepared. Intuitively we can conclude when it comes to the interface design that the perception (the initial impression) serves as the most significant determinant of trust. For example, competence of a firm is seen through the professionalism of the site, based on institutional-based trust.

Research on interpersonal/ visual cues have determined the impact it has on consumers assessment of Internet vendors professionalism and competence. What is meant by this is that the availability of graphics/photos can induce customer trustworthiness to some extent when the interface is designed. Graphics of products, trust seals, pictures of personnel, can create some sort of credibility amongst consumers. In addition, these cues can enhance consumer trust in a firm deliberately. A good example of a cue is when a vendor has a license for TRSTEe for privacy assurance in logo-format displayed on the interface. As we will see privacy and security policies serve to create confidence amongst consumers through these cues.

Another important thing to consider is the user-centered perspective a web designer can appropriate when creating the interface. Before establishing trust from the security point of you, you have to take into account the user experience. So the User-centered design (UCD) method might just do this in consolidating both designers and users needs of an interface. For once the user is put in the spotlight and inquired so as to design a interface that will appeal to the general consumer. In addition, many experts in the field stress the importance of Human-Computer interaction (HCI) when designing an interface, since just like UCD it is an inter-disciplinary subject working on the interaction between users and computers. The whole point is to make the computers comprehension of consumer wants closer to the ways humans think. These study design efforts support the third dimension of trust, benevolence.

IT-security

Security is the next step in establishing trust. Only after the end-user has browsed through the site, and has perceived and approved its professionalism and competence, only then will the consumer look to investigate the terms and agreements, the security and privacy policy. This stage is right before the consumer transacts with the vendor and the order is placed. An Internet vendor may use many security tools such as SSL, SET etc. to protect consumer and the vendor’s privacy but may have a hard time rendering this information forward to the end-user and thus marketing their security and privacy issues in laymen terms.

Since there is a lot of technical jargon depicting the degree of security and privacy a site uses to protect its end-users, laying the terms and policies in laymen language would clarify to the consumer that the vendor has good intentions with keeping the consumers information secure and private. Making these policies clear for both the vendor (personnel) and the end-user would further improve trust and effectiveness and thus there would be good feedback coming from the vendor. As mentioned earlier, clear cut policies and cues that depict that this website is secure (e.g. logos of trustworthy institutions, TRUSTe logo) are a must for creating this trust. This is indicative of vendors’ competence and integrity.

Before an order can be taken and processed, an Internet vendor should make sure s/he constructs a comprehensive security system that takes into account the context of its business and the group of applications used by the system. Designing the security system with the use of different programs with different degree’s of security levels needs to be assessed. For example, biometric (e.g. fingerprint), non-biometric (e.g. firewall) and software security (e.g. data encryptions) are some of the security methods available for securing the consumers. I think for an ordinary Internet vendor the software security is the most appropriate level of security necessary. Aside from possessing a firewall which is standard, applications on encrypting personal data (encryption algorithm), dealing with passwords and access codes should be well designed.

What’s important at this stage is to put the security in the context of the business. If you plan to sell products like toys over the Internet you would probably need security applications (basic cryptographic protection) e.g. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) for example, for your website. If you are an Internet vendor selling and providing banking services you would require more complex authentication and security mechanisms such as e.g. SET protocol. You have to make sure that while you are building trust with the consumers you do not overspend on unnecessary high-cost security systems (which will have to add costs to consumers who are using it), but rather make it comprehensive and affordable and at the same time simple. Having additional applications and software could possible hinder the consumers in terms of convenience, and it has been shown that complicated systems such as SET have failed amongst consumers, and thus gaining new customers will be more difficult. Once again, all this information must be portrayed on the Internet vendors’ website in a clear and a marketing savvy manner.

Electronic payment

The next step after the completion of the comprehensive security system is the payment options and procedures. This is the part where consumers require the most trust, in terms of respect of privacy (personal data, credit card payment information) and security.
A vendor can offer a wide array of payment options, all ranging from standard credit card payments to e-checks, and micropayments. Some are widely used by a broad customer base and others are used for small/big buys. Again the context of you business has to be assessed so you, as the vendor, will provide appropriate payment options to suit your customer base and your product/service sales. You want to provide both, simplicity to users and adequate payment options.

When choosing which payments are available for your customers one should keep in mind to fulfill the main criteria attached to payments: anonymity, security, reliability, user control leverage, and reputation of the provider of the system.

The payment procedure has to be secure and protect the authentication and anonymity of the consumer, and once this is done and proven it is secure, customers will feel comfortable with the vendor. The process starts with customer ordering a product, providing personal information as well as sensitive information such as credit card numbers. This might be secured through the SSL application. This data is then communicated to the appropriate banks (e.g. vendor and customer banks). It is approved and the product is ready to be shipped. During this process the vendor must make sure to provide adequate support. If the vendor decides to alter the security settings, s/he must provide updated information of that to convince the customer. The vendor also must give the customer control and access to its information and ability to change that information and if necessary delete that information. The key here is that there is a balance between security and the ease of use of consumer’s information.

Final remarks

This work from an informatics perspective analyzed what can be done to achieve trust as an Internet vendor. It concludes that perception of the website in terms of the three dimensions of trust was crucial for the interface design and that the design has to do with the user-centered and human computer interaction kind. This is the initial trust that paves way for the end-user to move on and decide to transact with the vendor. Security and payment issues try to assure the consumer in their purchases by providing a comprehensive security system with ease of use, affordability, and clarity of policies. In this way the vendor purports competence and integrity.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

1. Smart cards

Smart cards are small computers built into a wallet-sized piece of plastic. They are similar to credit cards and magnetic-strip cards we are familiar with, but they are in another domain of power. It is like comparing a modern desktop PC to a 20-year old calculator. The importance of smart cards – and the imminent smart-card revolution – is their hidden power to be the medium through which a large group of financial transactions, especially at consumer level, will be conducted. In many arenas, they will stand in lieu of money. As the chips inserted in the card get smarter, they store more information and operate more tasks. Card security becomes almost infallible (see Biometrics below). Smart cards are useful for increasingly complex operations. The card will have worldwide recognition; this card has the capacity to control your cash, credit cards, bankcards, bank accounts, discount cards, club memberships, personal financial data and access to various other personal financial possessions. These tiny pieces of plastic are indisputably becoming the personal building blocks of global e-commerce.

2. Biometrics

Smart cards are a great idea, but unless they are absolutely secured, the potential for financial tragedy is shocking. Present security methods such as PIN numbers are not sufficient. Biometrics is a technology that determines the identity of an individual by six matchless physical features: fingerprints, palm prints, iris patterns, retina patterns, facial details and voice. Though, fingerprinting is amply used, iris scans are more authentic – and they are miraculously quick, clean and easy to use. To assure your ID, you look into a scanner, which takes an instant reading, makes quick verification against your stored ID and gives an immediate result. This technology is not used much: at international airports in Amsterdam and Paris, airport staff and select passengers have biometric cards that allow speedy pass through security counters. Biometrics is the magic stick that guarantees to make all e-commerce secure, and some think biometrics will ultimately facilitate us to dispose of cards, keys and personal ID. For instance, in a supermarket, all you need to do is look in the scanner, and the cash register will hook up you to your personal bank accounts.

3. Organic chips

If microchips become faster, smarter and cheaper, many developments in e-commerce can be realized. It is not easy to come up with just one of those developments, let alone all three in a single chip, yet that appears possible in the near future. The discovery that is going to make it possible is the evolution of “organic” chips, which are manufactured from semi-conducting polymers instead of silicon. The possible ability of these tools is exceptional. Already some of the polymer materials have enabled device features to scale down to less than 20 nanometres (a nanometre is a billionth of metre, and objects at “nano size” are about 1000th of the thickness of a human hair). 1000th of the thickness of a human hair.) While silicon chips require a complicated, overpriced and time-consuming production course, organic chips can be manufactured quickly and simply, and this makes them inexpensive. An extra advantage: they are flexible, and this offers a good opportunity of some interesting advances. Organic chips are already used in cellular phones and car-audio apparatus, but they have the potential for unparalleled usages such as wearable computers and even flexible display units that can be rolled up and carried around like newspapers or magazines.

4. WiMAX

Anybody who has used a wireless laptop realizes that one needs to be familiar with a Wi-Fi transmission point for the system to work. Like mobile phones, they cannot be used everywhere. When a new system called WiMAX becomes available, that will be changed. It is a robust transmission system that will strengthen wireless-broadband access even in distant areas. As said by developers, Wimax is far more robust than 3G, which will indisputably have further implications for the evolution of hand phones

To put it in viewpoint, WiMAX is 30 times faster than 3G, and one WiMAX radio mast includes 10 times the area of its 3G equivalent. The chief aim of WiMAX is to take broadband access above the limitations of fixed lines and Wi-Fi, and to set global standards that capacitate complete wireless compatibility for products and technologies connected to the business PC.

5. Internet phone

It is an idea that has been everywhere before and was to be proved a breakthrough, but did not fulfill expectations. Now it is back, but appears as if it can truly deliver. We are discussing Voice-over-IP or the simpler term is Internet phones. The initial potential was a phone that could be attached to your computer, and software would run it through Internet channels, facilitating cheap voice communication anywhere in the world. The disadvantage was the encoding, transmission and working out the voice signals, a process so slow that it created time gaps between speaker and respondent. In a commercial context, it didn’t work, but now the scenario has changed, and the association of broadband, increased transmission speeds and new software not only enable you to make cheap international phone calls through Internet, but you can also use Webcams to enjoy video-conferencing without any extra charge

6. Softphones

With the increasing use of Internet phones, software-based phones, often referred to simply as “softphones”, have taken the lead of digital phone communication. Also called “SIP-phones”, they are the next to the Internet phone, a union of the wireless laptop and the mobile phone. They fortify any broadband-connected computer to act as an Internet phone connection (though you require fast data-package swaps for good sound quality). Using a softphone, so long as you are online, you can make an Internet-connected call directly from your computer, no matter where are you. You do not even require the analogue telephone connector that you usually use to connect a network; and you have all the features and functions of a sophisticated desktop phone at your fingertip. Basic Internet phones do not have these facilities.

7. Multifunctional mobile phones

Mobile phones are already the heart of the mobile-devices realm, and may soon become supreme leaders. The mobile phone is developing into a powerful, multifunctional platform, which accommodates different devices for different activities. The feature will give liberty to mobile users from the need to carry different devices. Even now, your phone has features like PDA, a digital camera, video camera, MP3 Walkman, handheld games console and portable movie theatre. However, most of these innovations aim to provide entertainment. The big discoveries are yet to play their role in the business arena. Secured biometric ID techniques with fingerprinting and iris scans are opening new avenues for phones functioning as smart cards for financial transactions. But to amplify its capacity as a business tool, the mobile phone needs to have an enhanced hard drive that can be manufactured at an affordable price, something still in evolution. The hard drive will strengthen storeroom of business information, correct software and provide the processing power so that it might be used in any context. Super-fast 3G networks are already driving the need for extra storeroom capacity on mobile devices, so the mobile PC phone will soon be within hailing distance.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a kind of automatic-identification system that uses a miniature transmitting tool – a tag – to broadcast information to a special receiver. The system is especially used by product manufacturers, freight forwarders, wholesalers and retailers wishing to keep record of orders, shipping movements and inventory. The data communicated by the tags generally give identification or location information, particulars about the product tagged, its price, colour, and date of purchase and other needed details.

The information allows the user to find anything from a bunch of bananas to a whole container loaded of fruit, and furnishes real-time information on those actions as well as an excess of appropriate information. Hitachi has devised an RFID chip small enough to be implanted (almost invisibly) into food packages or the inedible pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables. Measuring only 0.4 millimetres square, the chip has an antenna that enables an outer tool to read coded information, enabling the product to be discovered. Retailers employ this technology to keep track of storehouse record effectively.

8. Wearable electronics and PAN

Though in its primary phases, wearable electronics are capturing eyes of garment and electronics manufacturers. What started many years before with the pocket-sized transistor radio – probably the first popular portable electronic device – have developed into fabrics that conduct electricity and can connect audio-video devices and pocket computers. Wearable electronics are not confined to comic books and fancies: they are serious business. But Nike’s integration of digital apparatus like MP3 players into sports wears, and the wristwatch phones manufactured by Motorola and Swatch, are just toys in proportion to what is coming.

Wearable electronics perform by combining conductive textiles, fabric switches, fabric wiring, fabric stretch sensors, high-sensitivity fabric antennas and flexible electro-luminescent displays to make a “personal area network”, or PAN: an electronic network knitted into the jacket links several devices just as local area networks (LANs) link computers. The hardware tools are fastened to or embedded where appropriate, and the PAN enables transmission of data, power and control signals within a garment. Various tools can be fastened to a PAN, and a main controller with a tiny display informs the wearer of incoming phone calls, e-mails – or just the title of the next song on the MP3 player. Obviously, the garment – excluding the hardware – has to endure the washing machine and dryer.

9. Clickable cash earners

The Internet has always possessed the potential of riches for anyone smart enough to find a way to turn its power into hard cash. This potential nourished the ill-famed dotcom boost, and when making money on the Internet proved to be more complex than expected, the lack of practicable business ideas created an equally rapid dotcom blast. These days, cyberspace entrepreneurs have brought down their sights and sought profits that are modest, but reachable. One notion that is obtaining advantage is being paid for redirecting visitors from one site to another, a procedure called “clickable cash earners”. Various technologies in this section offer a way for a site owner to earn what adds to an introduction fee, and these include clickable hotlinks, sponsored links and banner advertisements. Whichever is employed, the click-through signs up a “request” on the host site’s server and the client are charged. It is a small but important step towards making that crucial Website investment pays off for sites that are popular because of the information they cater rather than the products they sell

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“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

While many businesses have been grappling with the need to identify and grant access to information, healthcare has largely ignored these issues until confronted with them through government or regulatory authority. As a result, healthcare — as an industry — has yet to fully engage in the new frontier of identity management.

But, the need for identity management in healthcare is real, since identification errors can have tragic consequences. A misfiled document or an error in names can lead to deadly consequences. Consider the following:

* The LA Times reports that 150 people have access to at least part of a patient’s records during a hospitalization, opening the door for misfiled or lost data.

* Insurance cards — either for private or government benefits programs — are easily passed from one person to another.

* Hospital staff members have gained access to and revealed medical files of a celebrity.

* “Nancy Smith” is given medication intended for another Nancy Smith.

Identity management’s goal is to uniquely identify an individual. It becomes most important when one is identifying an individual within a system as a means to control their access to resources or establishing their rights or limitations within their system.

As healthcare providers reach outside of their own networks, the need to identify and authenticate individuals and assign roles and responsibilities becomes even more important. As systems become interoperable, the need for secure and private access to data, coupled with certainty of identity of users and their roles will take center stage.

One of the more ubiquitous — and frustrating — examples of identity management is the password. While dealing with multiple passwords is frustrating for individuals, the cost of administering and resetting passwords to business, including healthcare, is huge. A Siemens study found that a typical password related call averages $25, costing an enterprise of 2,000 as much as $152,620 per year. Identity management tools that reduce or eliminate reliance on passwords include single-sign on applications, smart cards and systems using biometric identification and readers.

Insurance plans have long used knowledge-based information as a means to identify beneficiaries. Not only must someone present an insurance benefit card, they must also provide a social security number or some other “fact” to verify eligibility. This reliance on personal data can be thwarted by either voluntarily sharing this data with someone else who uses it to obtain services and benefit or by identity thieves who sell this information so someone else can fraudulently obtain services. By tying in positive and robust identification, especially biometric identification, for each person requesting and receiving benefits, sharing or theft of services is ended.

The growth of data bases — and the ability to easily access data from multiple sites or via the Internet — has made breaches of data a problem for healthcare providers. When information is breached, such as a celebrity’s medical records, the challenge is often identifying who leaked the data. By positively identifying each and every person with access to data, identifying the leak is more readily accomplished. Data must be linked to identity rather than passwords, since passwords are easily divined or readily available as a “sticky note” on the monitor or a password list in the desk drawer.

Positive identification of a person can also reduce medical errors by ensuring that each and every “Nancy Smith” is uniquely identified. This ends the medication errors or misfiling of information that can occur when a hospital file is “touched” by as many as 150 people.

The new frontier of identity management must be crossed to restore trust to the healthcare system. Through robust credentialing of individuals — and the ability to share the results of that credentialing and authentication of the person and their rights and responsibilities — the healthcare industry will make dramatic leaps in quality of care and increase efficiency.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The birth of today’s biometrics dates back to the mid 1800’s and is attributed to, among others, Francis Galton. Galton’s vision is what ultimately fueled Hitler’s vision of the super race. Galton believed that through genetic engineering the undesired traits of man could be eradicated producing an advanced species of man. Biometrics was used as the “measuring” gauge as to what was and what was not desirable traits; taking measurements of skull size and shape, inter-ocular distance, brow dimensions, finger size, etcetera. Galton believed that these outward manifestations showed a separation of the species of man between an inferior and a superior specimen of mankind.

Today rather than using these traits to determine suitability for genetic disposition the government is using similar traits to determine your societal disposition; all without your knowledge or consent. As scientists continued to study biometrics it became clear that this technology could be used to identify someone based upon their unique characteristics. This spawned the modern version of biometric identification.

The various aspects currently under use or research for biometric identification include:

- Hand/Palm print identification
- Iris pattern identification
- Facial recognition
- Speech/speaker recognition/identification
- DNA
- Vascular pattern identification
- Gait/body recognition
- Facial thermography

Hand and palm identification examines the unique identifying measurements of the hand. The distance between the knuckles, the length of fingers, relationship of the joints to the main body of the hand, the lines on the hand, etcetera.

Iris pattern identification examines the unique patterns resident on the iris to determine identification. It looks at the size, shape, and formations that make up the iris. This type of identification requires a sample be obtained directly from the individual and cannot be collected passively.

Facial recognition utilizes all the measurements of the face to identify specific individuals. This includes such things as bone structure, nose placement, eye spacing, and brow protrusion, as well as relative location of facial features on the face, forehead size shape and slope, etcetera. All of these things and more are used to feed an algorithm that identifies you. This data can be obtained passively, even without the knowledge of the individual.

Speech/speaker recognition uses your physical speech tract and mouth movements to identify individuals. Much of this data can be gathered simply by eavesdropping and recording conversations, again without the knowledge of the individual.

Vascular pattern identification is derived by scanning the hand with a near infrared device to determine the unique specifications of the blood vessels in your hand. They look at blood vessel thickness, branching angles and branching points. Though a collector of this data would have to be in close proximity to the individual this data can be collected without the individual’s knowledge.

Gait/body recognition uses the unique way in which you walk, your arm swing, the pivots of your hip/leg/ankle joints, which all combine to define a unique characteristic to help identify you. This is obtained using video and special software to analyze the data and come up with a unique “signature” identifying you.

One additional identification scheme, though not a true biometric system, is the use of dynamic signature technology which examines the way an individual signs his signature or other familiar phrase. This is done by measuring the dynamic pressure, stroke, direction, and shape of an individual’s signature. From this they can ascertain if the individual is the person belonging to the signature. As it does not actually look at the signature itself, just tracing the signature will not validate the person making the trace signature. This data must be collected on a special device that allows for the comparison signature to be matched against can cannot easily be obtained without the subject individuals knowledge.

Each item listed above has some very useful applications within out society. To a willing participant involved with a government intelligence agency, corporate security, hazardous chemicals or biological contaminates, or the myriad of other areas where strict identification for access to sensitive information and materials are needed, these processes would be a great advancement in site security and personnel identification.

The government agencies collecting the data for use with these technologies declare that this is being done for our “security.” Do we really believe this is true when they knowingly allow thousands of illegal aliens to flood across the borders knowing that small percentages are Muslim extremists? Do we really believe this is true when there are known Muslim training camps within the borders of our own nation that are allowed to continue to operate?

If the focus of this technology is to make us safer from the hordes of radical extremists out there trying to kill us; then why is the government building a database based on their own citizens? Could it be that they ARE collecting on the enemy and the enemy is us?

In comparison; one of the processes used in building a case against a criminal is to build an association chart of anyone that a suspected criminal comes in contact with. You then look at other known bad guys and determine if there is any linkage between the known bad guy and the suspected bad guy. This is also how they expand their list of “known” bad guys is to determine who the bad guy associates with. All of this data is fed into computers that analyze these associations and marry that up with phone records, shopping records, bank accounts, credit cards, etcetera. This then builds a profile of that person and their place in the suspected organization.

Then they assign people to follow the suspect and take pictures of anyone that meets the suspect and try to identify them and expand the association chart. Now, what if a scientist comes up with a really neat tool that can make immediate identification of anyone in a national criminal database based on their biometric features? You would think that was great let’s use it. Now what if you were the government and a scientist stated we have a product that will be able to identify anyone anywhere in the United States simply by viewing that individual on any camera linked to the system based on their biometric readings? And this is exactly what they want to do. But in order to make this possible everyone’s identifying data must be entered into the system, whether they consent or not.

With the previous investigative scenario in mind; lets say you are walking down the street and someone you have never really met before stops and asks a few questions, possibly for directions or if you are familiar with the restaurants in the neighborhood. If that fellow is the suspect bad guy, you have now been identified by your biometrics and you are now associated with known criminals.

There are cameras now watching every aspect of our public lives. We have cameras watching us drive through intersections, on the highway watching our speed, on the streets watching us walk from place to place, at the ATM or the store monitoring out purchases and behavior. In some places they have cameras at peaceful rallies filming demonstrators for later identification and cataloging individuals who are participating in perfectly legal activities.

Another question to ask ourselves is; if this data collection and spying on the citizens of this nation is found to not be a violation of our rights then from where in the Constitution does the government derive is authority to collect this kind of data on the citizens of the states of the union? According to the Constitution the only branch of government that can pass legislation is the Congress. The enumerated powers given to Congress are located at Article 1, Section 8 which defines the areas that Congress can pass laws, which states: “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes…To borrow money…To regulate Commerce…To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization…To coin money…To provide for punishment of counterfeiting…To establish Post Offices…To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts…To constitute Tribunals…To define and punish Piracies…To declare war…To raise and support armies…To provide and maintain a navy…To make rules for the government…To provide for calling forth the Militia…for disciplining the Militia…To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District…To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers…” Period that is it! Do you see any justification for the government to collect this kind of data from the citizens? I do not!

Now some may argue that the last line above gives the government carte blanch to write whatever laws it deems necessary. However the “make all laws” clause is predicated upon the foregoing powers enumerated above. If they do not have the authority in the first place they cannot pass laws to expand their authority. Therefore, passing any law that does not ground itself within the enumerated powers granted to the government in the Constitution is void and the government is overstepping the bounds of it’s authority.

Our Constitution was designed to allow only specific enumerated powers that our government was to operate within. The bill of rights was the people’s guarantee that the government could not trespass on these rights, or any other items deemed to be rights of the citizens or the states of the union. One of these rights is the Fourth Amendment, which reads in part: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, …and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons, or things to be seized.” As with the collecting of fingerprints, DNA, and other personal identifying traits the collecting agency must get a court order to do so and must establish probable cause that a crime has or will be committed by that individual.

There is also understood to be the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the right to free travel within the union upon any public roadway. The government has no business monitoring the whereabouts of the peaceful citizen’s of this nation. Remember the government can only operate, legally, within the strict sense of the enumerated powers given them in the Constitution. The Posse Comitatus Act was written to ensure the government did not spy on its own people, and if it did it required a warrant based upon probable cause. Make no mistake when they utilize these technologies they are gathering data/intelligence against the American people. This is no different than a wire tap, intercepting email transmissions, or opening your mail. It is a violation of our rights and a betrayal of the Constitution and the public trust.

So again I ask you, has the government now found probable cause that all Americans are enemies of the state and they now can spy on each and every one of us as we go about our daily lives. If the government was indeed trying to defend US against the hordes of extremists would they not be pointing their cameras out instead of in?

Based on the 9/11 commission an over-watch board was created called the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. The job of this board was to watch over the various entities of government and report on their compliance to laws concerning citizen’s rights with respect to privacy violations; one of these programs was the Bio-metrics program. In May of 2007 a member of the board named Lanny J. Davis resigned stating that one of the reasons he was resigning was the lack of independence of the board. That the reports they submitted were substantively changed before being presented to the public. In his letter to President Bush Mr. Davis stated: “I also believe that it is important for the White House staff and others in the administration to understand that you insist on the Board’s complete independence – not subject to White House or administration supervision or control. Only with such independence can the Board provide you and future presidents with the important function of effective oversight to ensure that this appropriate balance is maintained in the challenging years ahead.”

In a letter to his fellow board members he relayed: “I also continue to be concerned that there may be current and developing anti-terrorist programs affecting civil liberties and privacy rights of which the Board has neither complete knowledge nor ready access.”

Here we have a member of the White House’s own over-watch program resigning because they are not allowed to do their job. Their reports are changed to reflect what the executive wants them to say, ignoring the truth. They are not allowed access to programs that are or may be infringing on civil liberties.

On January 30 of this year the term for the remaining board members expired. As of March 1 the board has yet to be manned leaving what little oversight we had totally void.

Also announced this year is the FBI’s One Billion dollar project to create the largest computer database of bio-metric baseline data. This project will make available to the government the ability to identify and track millions of people including their own citizens. Compound this with the massive data-mining project collecting shopping habits, reading habits, individual buying trends, citizen movements, where we buy our gas, who we talk to, even what movies we watch. Now they will be able to confirm we actually attended that movie because we were identified standing in line.

All of this data will be shared with law enforcement around the world, not only for crime and the war on terrorism but for private employees to check up on their employees and screening potential employees. And just like every other governmental system that has ever been created the potential for abuse is enormous.

So what are my primary concerns when it comes to using bio-metrics for identification?

1. All of this data is compartmented into database friendly format and is rife for abuse and sale to nefarious customers.
2. The government is collecting data on everyone in the hopes of catching a bad guy. As with the firearms laws they are treating all persons as the enemy until they prove themselves to be otherwise. Except they then keep on treating everyone as the bad guy anyway because that’s how their trained.
3. This program only identifies individuals it cannot reveal motive or intent to commit terrorism or any other act simply from the act of identifying an individual. And if it is only identification that is required why not only database those known terrorists we are trying to locate. Hunt for the bad guys, ohh right I forgot we are all the bad guys.
4. Unless every citizen is willing to submit their signature data the base line being compared against is only as good as the data being gathered. And if we do not voluntarily submit how can the accuracy of the data be validated.
5. What overwhelming need does the government have to know who was at the mall on any particular day or time? To what extent does the citizen’s right to travel in his pursuit of happiness now become the government’s business?
6. It is estimated that 1% of the population may not have suitable features and may lead to false identification. This would leave nearly 3 million people in a limbo of suspicion that may lead to unwarranted detainment or harassment solely for their bio-metrics.
7. Finally, a society in which every move is tracked, however unobtrusively, is not a free society. And as our founders were reluctant to having a standing army watching over there every move, we too should be as outraged; having our own government watching over our every move.

In 1774 Thomas Jefferson wrote in “Rights of British America” that : “Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing us to slavery.” As with the British rule it was through a long train of events that lead to the identification of tyranny, not a single event. When we combine the multitude of legislative Acts, governmental programs, executive orders, and unconstitutional laws the federal government has enacted in the last 75 years we start to see a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing us to slavery.

We currently find ourselves monitored, analyzed, tracked, cataloged, and scrutinized more today than at any time in history. Many would argue that we have never had the degree of technology to achieve such advanced scrutiny. However, this is not about technological capability this is about accountability. This is about right and wrong. If we are truly living in a free society than doing this is wrong. If on the other hand using this technology against our own people is the right thing to do, then we are no longer free.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Windows CE

As time went on, new operating systems like Windows CE were developed,. Networks started to use switches, eliminating the need to share bandwidth between devices while being capable of full duplex traffic (sending and receiving at the same time). Small in size, Windows CE could fit on the Disk-On-Chip (DOC) mounted inside the thin client as well as provide a place to embed applications.
Windows CE, however, had its own challenges. In addition, the Windows server platforms (NT Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Server) and the early version of Citrix were delivering what people expected from a server platform for hosted applications in colors, compression and encryption.

Thin Clients Today

Over the last few years, the average CPU speed has increased to over 500 Mhz. With a faster CPU, running Linux or embedded Windows XP (XPe) has become much more feasible. These operating systems are better-suited to running local applications; in addition, many provide full-function browsers with Java Virtual Machine (JVM) capability, email, enhanced terminal emulation, and much more of the functionality that users are used to seeing on the PC.
Windows 2003 for thin clients now has high-color support, sound delivered to the desktop, data compression, and better printing support. Citrix has also updated its product to provide better security, better compression, bidirectional sound, published applications, and security enhancements such as smart card and biometric device support.
Consultants have been saying for a long time that thin clients are the future. Thin client technology has finally caught up with the vision. Most intelligent thin clients can work nearly like a PC, giving the user all of the desired flexibility and performance while providing the data processing department with its control and security benefits.
Today there are many thin client models to choose from with varying CPU speeds, memory capacities, storage capacities, and operating systems.

Customized Thin Clients

Customization of thin clients is gaining importance with both Linux and XPe models because customers have their own ideas of what is needed on a machine. Thin-client manufacturers that can respond quickly to customization requests are gathering momentum in what is becoming a huge market.

Sophisticated Printer Support

As a company requires printing of more complex types of data, such as barcodes, it is critical that the chosen thin-client technology can handle necessary printers and data streams. Barcodes require a more sophisticated printer session on the thin client.

Tablet Thin Clients

A new thin-client device that is proving to be beneficial to many companies is a wireless tablet. The tablet takes the place of a hand-held barcode scanner with small display
In a warehouse environment, since inventory control software normally comes from an iSeries, a fixed terminal from which data is entered and checked is usually placed somewhere in the warehouse. Some thin-client manufacturers now sell wireless thin-client tablet displays so that existing full-screen inventory programs can be used directly on the tablet anywhere in the facility, eliminating the need to modify the inventory program. The tablet can be carried by the user with a neck strap or mounted on a forklift or on the wall.

All-in-One Thin Clients

Another growing trend is the use of “all-in-one” thin clients. These thin clients have the thin-client technology contained inside an LCD flat-panel monitor. The benefit here is to minimize the amount of desk space used and remove the clutter of additional wiring. The apex of this is a wireless all-in-one unit with a touch screen.

Biometric Security Features

The ability to secure access to thin clients with a biometric device is beginning to appear in thin-client applications. A biometric device is a fingerprint reader that is either a direct-attached device or a device that connects via the mouse, keyboard, or monitor. When prompted, the user places his or her index finger on the reader and the device verifies identity by comparing the fingerprint with those already recorded. Once a user is verified by a biometric device, the thin client can start various programs based on who the user is and how the software is programmed. Biometric authentication saves time, provides an additional layer of security, and eliminates the need for users to remember their passwords.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

They’re doing this with the blessings of their customers and community, and have actually sped checkout times up to six-fold, using a new biometric fingerprint ID technology that promises to change the way alcohol and tobacco is sold from coast to coast.

The High Cost of Underage Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse
Despite all 50 States restricting the sale of alcohol and tobacco to those over 21 and 18, respectively, violations have been frequent and the results tragic.

Not only does underage drinking cost society $53 billion annually, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 4,554 annual underage deaths due to excessive alcohol use in a 2004 report. On college campuses 95 percent of all violent crime and 90 percent of college rapes involve the use of alcohol by the assailant, victim, or both, according to a 2004 report from The National Academies.

Tobacco use by minors also has dire consequences, even though underage alcohol abuse captures more headlines. According to a 2004 CDC fact sheet, about 4,000 US youths aged 12-17 try their first cigarette each day, and “if current patterns of smoking behaviors continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s children can be expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.”

Fighting Fake IDs, Employee Discretion, and Customer Overflow
Retailers are often blamed for underage alcohol and tobacco use. They’re targeted in undercover “sting” operations for selling to minors, fined, even suffer license suspension or revocation. But truth be told, few intentionally sell to minors. Most have unwittingly been the victim of counterfeit IDs, employee error, or periods of customer overflow.

Take Terry’s Liquor, for instance. The Alamosa, Colorado liquor store inadvertently sold alcohol to an undercover sting operative within days of her 21st birthday, on her fourth trip to store, after she’d chatted up the newest clerk. The result: a three-day shutdown that cost the store $34,000 in sales, for a first offense in three years under Bob Zenner’s ownership.

“We’d passed every compliance check and collected a shoebox full of fake IDs,” says Zenner. “The problem is, to be customer friendly you must give employees some discretion in carding, and that leads to infractions. It doesn’t matter how good your employees are. They all make an occasional mistake, especially when things get busy.”

Protecting the Community from Underage Alcohol and Tobacco Use
To better protect the community and avoid future “selling to minor” infractions, Zenner and an independent group of 20 stores known as the San Luis Valley Alcohol Retailers Alliance approached Blanca Peak Technologies, a security systems/risk assessment company in Blanca, Colorado, for help. Kelly Gerards, a partner at Blanca Peak, scoured the Internet for a means to balance security, privacy, and efficiency. He found FSS, a biometric fingerprint identification system provider based in Altoona, Pennsylvania (www.biometricsolution.com).

Biometric systems automatically identify a person based on physical characteristics such as fingerprints, which remain unique and consistent throughout life. Biometric systems are used today in a range of important applications: from preventing benefit fraud and protecting financial transactions to safeguarding borders, controlling access, and enhancing network security.

What caught Gerards’ eye was that FSS had years of experience implementing fingerprint ID technology in the peak traffic, high scrutiny, public setting of universities and K-12 schools, where hundreds of students typically must be identified and processed for lunch or other meals in a tight, 15-20 minute timeframe.

Gerards worked with FSS to tailor the fingerprint ID system for retailers who need fast, accurate age and identity verification to safeguard their communities from underage alcohol and tobacco use. Customers register in a one-minute process where they volunteer their driver’s license number, date of birth, license expiration date, and a finger for digital scanning. The info is read off the magnetic strip of their license, which a clerk verifies against the card’s front.

While the machine scans a person’s fingerprint, it does not store or use the actual print. Instead, it makes 27 points of reference from the print image, which it relates to info taken from a valid ID. For added privacy, the print image is deleted at the end of each transaction.

Thereafter, registered customers merely press a finger on a scanning device by the cash register to verify they are over 21 and legally able to purchase alcohol, or over 18 and able to purchase tobacco. Anyone not in the system is “carded” at each and every purchase.

At Zenner’s store, over 1,300 customers have registered to use the new system since it began operation in April of this year.

“Customers and the community see the worth of the new system, and there’s been a lot of support for it,” says Zenner. “By simply pressing a finger to a pad, customers can prove they’re of legal age in less than a second, instead of digging through purses and wallets for ID. That speeds up checkout two-fold during normal hours, and up to six-fold during rush periods, weekends, and holidays.”

“And with the biometrics in place, the underage don’t try to purchase here anymore,” continues Zenner. “They know everyone either offers a finger for scanning or a valid ID. And since 99% of our customers are happy to ‘give us the finger,’ we scrutinize ID for authenticity closer than ever. That means we catch fake IDs and those who try to pass them off.”

Zenner and anti-drunk driving organizations appreciate that the biometric system limits employee-discretion, error, and dishonesty from alcohol and tobacco purchase. Every customer must offer either a finger or valid ID to prove legal age; the cash register, in fact, will not open unless this is done. The system verifies age automatically, thus freeing harried clerks from making simple math errors. And to ensure honesty, the system requires employees to identify themselves by touching the pad and entering their code, before enrolling customers.

Besides Terry’s Liquor, two other members of the San Luis Valley Alcohol Retailers Alliance – Chief Liquor and Beer Keg Depot – have implemented fingerprint ID at their stores to verify customer age for all alcohol and tobacco purchases. Because they share access to a common system, registered customers at any of these three stores can prove they’re of legal age to purchase alcohol and tobacco at each other’s locations, by simply pressing a finger to a scanning device at the cash register.

This scenario of near-instant age verification can be duplicated in any state, thus preventing underage alcohol or tobacco purchase but enabling legal customers to buy statewide with a simple fingerprint reading. State lottery systems at most retailers already use the secure data-sharing equipment necessary to make this work. Such technology, in combination with biometrics, can better protect both communities and retailers from the dangers of underage alcohol and tobacco use.

According to Gerards and FSS, interest in the biometric ID system to prevent underage drinking and tobacco use is growing, with inquiries coming from community organizations, municipalities, and even state liquor officials.

“For kids, retailers, and the community, the biometric ID system is a win-win solution to underage alcohol and tobacco use,” concludes Zenner. “Anywhere there are compliance issues, the system will catch on like wildfire; it would’ve paid for itself ten-fold, had it prevented us from getting our first selling-to-minor violation. And if it helps save even one life, what price can you put on that?”

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

A few years from now the whole world would be wirelessly wired with a number of satellites. Instead of re-tracing the itinerary of developed countries, developing countries would leapfrog to the most modern technology and go wireless. In case poor in the world will also get the power of cheap wireless technologies including toll-free numbers to talk to their Governments and command tools of economic development like bank loans, roads, schools and hospitals. Wireless freedom would raise millions of entrepreneurs, The problems faced by micro-entrepreneurs of the vulnerability to access the bigger public market and its market information would be surmount, proficient channels to get to worldwide consumers will open. Farmers and fishermen can discover markets and put forth wherever they can get the best value for their produce. This will spawn a considerable opportunity for the working poor to rise from poverty.

Going wireless in the rural segment will be that Communication will spruce down rural-to-urban migration by providing for better employment and livelihood in rural areas through small business and micro enterprise improvement. Micro-entrepreneurs can twirl their mobiles into income generating devices, by effortlessly listing their product information to large online markets without a need of computers, the technological and social-economic gaps created by the “digital divide will peter out.

It would enable instantaneous access to assistance during civil emergencies and natural disasters thereby saving thousands of lives. Wireless Communication will perk up access to health extension services in the most remote corners of the World. Telemedicine services, including remote diagnosis and treatment advice and increasing access to up-to-date market and price information would become a norm. Wireless Communication will to a great extent reduce the opportunity cost of transactions for farmers and rural-based traders, it will aid education services including distance learning and would improve Accountability, transparency, and efficiency of a range of government operations through information systems developed in rural areas helping millions to advance in life. Hope is, by so doing, it will elevate the standard of living throughout the World.

4G Wireless

4th Generation Wireless Standard is getting evolved. Once implemented it would change the way we live our lives. 4G Wireless mobiles would be petite enough to fit in a palm and light in mass like a pen and the gadget would apart from being a mobile phone with data transfer speeds of more than 100Mps, deliver a complete surround-sound home theater experience, download a complete high-definition movie, have a micro-projector that could show the movie on any flat surface, a digital movie can be seen on it with effects delivering apparently a 3D experience.

Each and every content can be downloaded wirelessly purge need to Buy Newspapers and Magazines. The device can be used for making purchases (charges go to the mobile instead of the credit card); and it could be used for many other activities where cash is required. A sales clerk could ask, whether to charge the card or the mobile. The mobile would become our ears and eyes and would be so “intelligent” and “prescient” that it would not only alert us to the next big sale or the best price for the number one car model, but also caution us how stale the fish is or warn us about the gunman skulk in the darkness or the landslide ahead.

These mobiles can be used for daily life activities, such as to control various home devices like AC’s, Rice Cookers, Refrigerators etc as well as will be used for Work with customized features depending on the users requirements, Nursing and Health care will change dramatically, Doctors will be able to remotely perform routine checks of patients from the wearable mobiles in real time or react immediately in case of an emergency. A doctor can give first aid directives by seeing the patient on screen.

Medical Data can be transmitted instantaneously to an ambulance or a hospital. A person can be sited exactly from the mobile he is carrying. These mobiles can also be used in catastrophe management by enabling transmission of real time data of disaster-stricken areas, giving Humans freedom from Time, Space and User Feature. The cost of this mobile and its communications abilities will be so low that the world’s poorest people will rush to clinch the technology because of its apparent benefits.

4G Wireless Research.

Research on 4G Wireless has been going on for the last few years. These networks promise a much higher overall data throughput and much more diverse services than what current second and third (2G-3G) networks can do . All-IP wireless has emerged as the most favored platform for 4G wireless networks. The blueprint of future wireless networking architecture has to take into account the fact that foremost load in 4G wireless networks will be high-speed, content-rich, burst-type traffic, which has previously posed a great challenge to all existing wireless networking
Technologies used in existing networks. Many research activities are researching the design of suitable architectures for 4G wireless networks, which are proficient, adaptive, flexible and scalable, that work harmonically with different network technologies (including legacy 2G, 2.5G and 3G networks) and allow heterogeneous networking applications. Research is on to look into how to realize smooth migration and seamless interoperability between the legacy networks and future 4G wireless networks.

4G Architecture.

It has been recommended that the architecture of 4G wireless networks should efficiently address all the constraints and tribulations existing in the current wireless networking technologies. The research on the next generation wireless networking involves many cutting edge research topics, such as cross-layer joint optimization design, quality of service assurance, dynamic network recourse allocation, ad hoc/mesh network routing algorithms, heterogeneous networking, cooperative Network detection, vertical/horizontal network services integration,. state-of-the-art research is being carried on subjects like: 4G network planning * Network resource allocation and assignment * Fault tolerance and service availability * 4G Killer Applications * 4G networking standardization.

The 4G Wireless Design Forum

The 4G Design Forum has tried to implement various features deemed necessary for 4G Systems as raised by various potential users during the course of deliberations. A consensus has been reached by 4G forum to address

(1)Education, Art and Science-•Many consumers appreciated the convenience of being able to attain a wide range of information devoid of any constraints of location. Numerous had an impression that knowledge and information equivalent to those provided by school classes can be attained through mobile communications.

(2)Entertainment •Large number of consumers wanted to be able to watch movies anywhere using their spare time. Its “omnipresent nature” (able to enjoy service anytime, anywhere) and “private nature” (realizing a wide range of entertainment services on individual terminals) were well accepted.

(3)Business -•Consumers evaluated the elimination of the need to cart around bulky paper information.

(4)Visual Communications-•Many recognized the necessity of the service—especially to show videos of themselves to relatives living far away in real time.

(5)Work-•Many cherished the convenience of being able to realize a mobile phone, commuter pass, wallet, and keys, which are carried separately today, in a single terminal

(6)Mobile EC -•Many acknowledged high valuation for the reason that of the convenience of being able to make purchases from mobile terminals and also owing to the prospects of crafting a new businesses. It was seen so striking that some voiced apprehension of shopping too much from a mobile handset.

(7)Daily Life -•Regarded as a very convenient usage image. Many wanted this to be realized with sufficient level of security through retinal authentication, etc.

(8)Nursing and Health Care-•Many shared a sagacity of relief for being able to corroborate the health conditions of elderly relatives from a remote place.

(9)Emergency Medical Treatment-•Many felt it necessary to be able to promptly grasp the state of the site and the condition of injured person in case of an emergency, or access medical record information.

(10)Use in Disasters- Many considered it necessary to be able to make contacts to confirm the safety of others and obtain information regarding evacuation routes in the event of a disaster.

4G Wireless Platforms.

The reference model of a 4G Wireless platform consists of

· The Mobile terminal,

· 4G mobile communications system infrastructure, and

· Service platform.

The Mobile terminal.

It performs multi-link communications with the 4G system and other system infrastructures. When a system infrastructure is not available within reach of communications, multi-hop communications is performed. The mobile terminal is equipped with various interfaces, for example, for electronic-paper browsing among others, as well as assistance functions including voice/image/character recognition. In addition, ts security, authentication, and authorization functions are reinforcedwith biometric sensors and copyright IDs. With the mobile terminal reconfigurability feature, users are able to download and execute heterogeneous programs or customize their handsets. The large number of functional requirements on the mobile terminals and connected devices is a distinctive characteristic of future mobile terminals.

4G-system infrastructure

The 4G-system infrastructure realizes high-speed, large-volume transmission and high-quality multimedia transmission. The system also has a QoS notification function between layers to coordinate QoS between layers. The model domains on the vision for future systems are: Service & Application, Service Support Platform on Packet based Core Network, New Radio Access, Moving network support capability, New mobile access capability, New nomadic wireless access (NWA) capability and Supports interconnection between New radio access, 2G/3G cellular systems, WLAN, Digital broadcasting, Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), etc. and can be able to configure ad hoc networks via terminals

The Service Platform

It consists of numerous servers and agents. Provides navigation function based on position information systems, controls user authority and manages/collates personal information through biometric authentication. The service platform is connected with distributed database systems or high-quality content servers, to control access authority using authentication servers, and deliver video or music content catered to users’ preference or terminal capability from content servers using an agent. It is also connected with social/disaster prevention systems. In the event of a disaster, a extremely steadfast network is configured to make available multicast communications. Automatic broadcast of emergency condition linked with biometric sensors of terminals will also be realized.

Various other studies are also be facilitated, including the improvements of the reference models drafted for the service platform and system infrastructure, in a bid to contribute to the development of 4G mobile systems and fulfill the quest of being footloose and mobile in to a next age of Communication Systems.

Conclusion.

World Over the research on 4G (Fourth Generation) Mobile Communications is in progress, the technology is going to be Implemented World Wide in 2010.The technology is still in evolution but Countries have already started committing themselves to its implementation. India has said that it would leapfrog from 2G to 4G bypassing the 3G Technology. China, Korea and Japan are jointly developing 4G Phones; China will implement 4G technologies for the Beijing Olympic games in 2008. The World is looking up to 4G for transformation of the way people live day-to-day.
About a billion SMS sent around the world would create a multi-million dollar industry in itself. These are the dreams, which can be implemented with ease.4G Wireless will Integrate civilizations as never before. It will transform lives of all human beings into a more Enriched and Cultured life, more flexible and diversified life, more Comfortable and safer life, more Personal and Convenient Life.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The main idea behind face recognition system is to promote untouchable means which can provide better security than the touchable means, as because when individual can touch something, the problem of threat increases. The main reason behind its popularity is its efficiency, reliability, accuracy and platform
independence.

The various features which are responsible for its uniqueness can be listed as follows:-

Simultaneous Multiple Face Processing:

Conventionally, it was not possible to capture multiple faces in a single frame and processing it in less time but development of Face Recognition System has devised a technique by which a single frame can capture multiple faces at the same time. Detection and processing of images is much faster than the earlier method.

Compact Size:

This technology is known for its compactness. The facial features captured using the source when stored, occupies only 2.3 kilobytes of the memory space. Thus, it can handle a large facial database. Thus, it saves unnecessary device overhead.

Live Face Detection:

With the conventional approach, due to lack of technological advancement, degree of fraud was more the approach was not smart enough to differentiate between photograph and a real human being. With the face recognition system since it takes view from different angles so, it can easily differentiate between the original and the artificial and can alarm in accordance.

Tolerance to Face Posture:

The face recognition system can also tolerate a partial face movement as per its convenience.
For example, head can be rotated till 10 degrees from front to any direction (left/right, up/down, tilt left/right).

Multiple Samples of the Same Face:

Face recognition system captures different views of an individual from different location considering various looks and expressions of the individual. This is done to improve the matching quality. If a person gets scanned by the device once, he/she never scanned for the second time, to avoid seer wastage of time.

Identification Capability:

Identification is done by 1-to-1 verification. The captured patters match with the stored patterns, and when the match is found the image is processed using 1-to-many mode, which makes it more flexible in this changing world.

Fast Face Matching:

This system uses matching pattern algorithm which makes it so speedy that it can match 100,000 faces per
second, which again is an advantage over the previous methods used.

Installation Requirement:

Due to its platform independence, installation becomes very easy which is again a big concern. This application requires a terminal PC which is mainly used for identifying and processing of the image when it is captured and then the data is stored in the database. The database can be placed in a separate server or in the same terminal. The data can be retrieved whenever necessary.

Application of Face Recognition System:

1) Time Attendance System: It is mainly used for recording the attendance of the employees at work, students at collage etc.

2) Access Control System: It is used for granting the permission to use various resources at various places.

3) Visitors Management System: It is used to keep track of number of visitors visiting an organization and also to keep a check on arrival of the banned visitor.

All above stated application follows algorithm for recognizing the faces and can be used in both professional and in personal life. The features stated above makes it more effective to provide security at work place and at you residence.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

People automatically think of alarm home security systems when they think of having a secure home. They assume that the only way to protect themselves and their things is to find a home security service that will charge them a fee every month, even though they may never use it. There are many other options on the market, and many of them are more affordable merchandise in regards to home security products. For instance, if you have some jewelry that you feel more comfortable protecting, and a safe isn’t enough, try some photoelectric detectors. The detectors will create a beam that is not visible to an intruder, but it will prevent someone from passing into a restricted designated area. If you don’t want to fool with the beams, try a biometric fingerprint door lock. The fingerprint door lock is a perfect accessory to home security because it ensures that only you are capable of opening the door; you or your finger.

Yet other home security products are the detectors. Many people think that there are only smoke detectors, but the truth is that protection has come a long way in building a secure home. There are now carbon monoxide detectors, your standard fire alarm protectors, and glass break detectors. There are different glass break and audio detector products on the market, but there are the industry standards as well. Visonic, a leader in the home security industry, makes a glass break detector with advanced acoustics which will allow for more sensitive abilities. Another company is DSC and their glass detector product is recognized in the home security system industry for being the only detector with two patents. Mace has a window alert system that will fit on any window without using home security alarm systems.

If you have a larger home, you may want to consider getting home security system products that reach beyond the normal parameters. For instance, a driveway alarm, door chime, or an announcer may be a wise choice so that you know who is approaching your home and when. You may also look into a siren, strobe, or speaker depending on how much attention you want to draw to a perpetrator. Although you may want to keep in mind that products are not human; they can and will malfunction from time to time. Ademco is a leader in the home security product market, and they are one of the best when it comes to keypads, sensors, chimes, sirens, strobes and speakers. Ademco also sells other home security products such as door contacts and recognition hand key systems.

You may also want to look into the option of making your home secure by placing what appears to be an alarm system outside of your door. When keyless entry hit the automotive community everyone was ecstatic. Why wouldn’t you want the same security for your home as you have for your car? Visonic makes two different products that allow you to leave and enter your home without a key and only a password. There is a stand alone system, and an outdoor access control system that has more than one controller.

Home security products are important, even if they are in the disguise of a few stickers strategically placed around your home. However, there are so many new things on the market that it would be to your benefit to look into a few of them. Ignoring products that can help to make a home secure is like turning off your air conditioning in the middle of the summer and then paying for it anyway. You can always keep in mind that looking doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be buying.

Learn the essential keys to choosing a home security system that’s right for you. The new technology is amazingly powerful and give the end user new control that has to be seen to be appreciated. And, the best part, it’s very affordable. Often less than traditional providers.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

People are always asking, “How can you help to increase my internet sales?” And all too often, when I ask them to tell me about their business models I discover they’re selling only one product. So I ask them, “Have you ever considered selling backend products to your customers?”

Backend products are simply other products you can offer to your existing customers after they’ve made their initial purchase.In fact, by adding just one more product to your site, you can increase the lifetime value of your customers–and increase your revenue–by 30 to 50 percent.

For example, you can:

Offer products that complement your initial product. For instance, if you sell laptop, offer your customers a laptop bag to carry them in. Or you could Biometric USB Flash memory with FingerPrint recognition, SecuriKey USB Access Control for Mac & PC , ioRAID Encrypted External Firewire/USB 2 Combo Drive, ioRAID Standard Firewire / USB 2 Dual Interface External Hard Drives–the list is endless

2. Sell more of the same product at a discounted price. If your product is refillable or needs to be regularly replaced, this strategy works especially well. For example, if you sell things like printer cartridges or batteries, you’ve got it made. But even if your product isn’t refillable, you can show your customers you appreciate them by offering them a special discount on the product they’ve already bought. That way, if they like the product, they can buy it as a gift for family and friends.

3. Use paid subscriptions as backend products. If you’ve established yourself as an expert in your industry, you can build on your reputation by offering a subscription to premium information, available only to members. For example, if your main product is a fly fishing kit, you could sell a subscription to an exclusive course on advanced fly fishing techniques as a back-end product. You could deliver this paid-for content through a members-only website or by e-mail.

4. Try splitting up your current product. For example, if you were selling a book on how to organize your home, you could offer a basic version for $9.95 to generate a large volume of sales at a low price. Then, 30 days later, you could offer your customers an advanced, expanded version that includes home office management and scheduling software for $29.95 or even $39.95–and increase your profits dramatically.

5. Try selling your customers an upgrade to their product. If they’ve used and liked your basic model, your customers will be open to receiving offers for an upgraded version. For example, if you sell e-books that teach people how to use a particular piece of software, you can sell updated versions to previous buyers when the software package in question is upgraded.

6. Write a book or create a video. E-books are great backend products with high profit margins. Consider writing a short book on a topic related to your product or service. For instance, if you sell gourmet puppy food, you might consider writing a book titled “Training Secrets That Will Have Every Puppy Housebroken and Learning Basic Obedience in Less Than One Week.” You could even offer a special video that complements your product or service: If you sell barbecue equipment, you might offer a video that teaches people how to perfect their barbecuing techniques.

7. Offer someone else’s product. Probably the fastest–and easiest–way to add new products to your site is to join another business’s affiliate program and recommend their products in exchange for a percentage of each resulting sale. Selling affiliate products can be a very lucrative way to increase your sales, especially since you don’t have to spend any time or money developing a new product of your own.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Such a massive change over will take time and extraordinary coordination efforts. As of 2008, only a tiny fraction of these new cards had actually made it into the hands of employees. Initial attempts to roll out the technology suffered a number of setbacks. Incompatibility with existing software and other issues continue to impact the overall cost of the program. Any small change to the ID card formatting standards previously decided upon has the potential to keep delaying progress.

On top of this, the backlog of background checks that must be completed before the cards can be issued to all recipients is still huge. To make matters worse, some contracted workers are objecting to what they view as the intrusive nature of the HSPD-12 review process. Concerns regarding the privacy of the data collected raise serious concerns in the minds of many employees. Contactless smart cards use wireless communication, but it is encrypted. A lack of understanding regarding how these devices work has left many people feeling that their private data is simply being broadcast for anyone to intercept. The government has attempted to assuage these fears by requiring carriers to keep the cards in protective sleeves. Needless to say, this “wrap it in tin foil” approach is not instilling confidence among those prone to paranoia.

The cost and time involved to actually put the HSPD-12 card program into service has left many agencies feeling frustrated. A gradual implementation with priority determined by security clearance is the answer for many applications. Other agencies are choosing to issue the first cards to employees at their central locations and worry about distant branches later. Many are turning to authorized consulting firms to streamline the process. Procuring FIPS compliant ID card printers is an important step. Appointing official Sponsors who are responsible for issuing each Personal Identity Verification (PIV) badge is another. As with any agenda decided upon by bureaucracy, there are lots of rules that bog down all but the most determined organizations.

However, this doesn’t mean the ideal presented by the HSPD-12 is on the wrong track overall. As a matter of fact, private industries are bringing smart chip encoded cards online at a remarkably swift pace. It appears that the federal government is actually finding itself playing catch up with the civilian world at this point. The technology is not prohibitively expensive. And, since the average company doesn’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get enrollment started, this is becoming a very popular option. Adding biometric data and access control features is possible with many mid-high volume printers. Lamination and holographic marking offer additional security without significantly increasing the cost per unit. Contact and contactless smart cards are definitely proving to be the wave of the future.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Before making any changes do a thorough investigation of your home and your security needs.

Begin by identifying any window locks that are of poor quality, easily penetrated, or broken. These should be replaced as quickly as possible. Window locks come in a variety of styles including crescent type locks, window bolts, window latches and “jimmi” proof window locks.

Evaluate your door locks for any doors leading into your home. If your home is in an area with high crime it may be prudent to consider door locks that have added features such as biometric scanners or digital access control. There are many home products on the market that can give you assurance that the front door of your home is secure. For apartments and rental units door alarms are available that can easily be installed without modifying the structure. These alarms cause a high pitched siren when the door is opened. Additionally, there are video monitors that can be placed to allow homeowners the ability to see who is at the door by looking at a monitor or television.

Another interior consideration should be motion detectors. These often come with home security systems but can be purchased separately for an existing system. If you have pets in your home consider discussing pet-immune motion detectors with your security system provider.

Inspect the outside of the home to determine if any landscaping modifications need to be done for your security. Trim bushes and shrubs so that potential intruders will not have a place to hide. Planting thorny bushes in front of windows will make it more difficult to access the windows to attempt a break in. Trim any hedges bordering your property to ensure that your home is visible from the street. Thieves will often move on to another home if there is a chance that they could be seen attempting to enter.

Review the lighting outside of your home to see if modifications need to be made. If there is a portion of your property that is very dark you may want to consider adding motion detecting lighting. These lights can be adjusted to turn on when someone approaches the house giving the appearance that someone is home. Make sure that all pathways have good lighting to prevent anyone from hiding in your landscaping. Security lighting comes in a variety of styles to compliment virtually any home.

If you have not already done so, consider a home security system. There are many home security options available including video surveillance systems and general security systems. Look for the system that provides you with the best coverage for monitoring and detection. Some systems have fire, carbon monoxide, and flooding detection while others do not. Consider a home security system that has cellular capabilities for increase coverage.

There are many options available to secure your home and protect your family. Whether you speak with a security specialist about your specific needs or make some modifications keeping your family protected and your home secure is an important step that should not be taken lightly.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If the show was based on a recent story in The Register, it would be a somber production. The piece details the repeated break-ins to C I Host, a co-location facility in Chicago. The scary part – aside from the fact that the thieves appear to have been a pretty violent bunch who struck and repeatedly tazered the night manager – is that this was the fourth time in two years that facility was broken into and the company seems to have not been upfront with its customers. In a broader sense, the benefit IT managers and their bosses can gain from other companies’ misfortunes is that physical security efforts must be redoubled.

It is a changing world in which physical and electronic initiatives are coalescing. Enterprise IT Planet details how this transition is essentially inevitable. Examples abound: Data from card scanners used to gain entry to the facility and areas within are stored and trafficked like any other data on the corporate local-area network (LAN). Thus, the IT department is a key player in protecting it. An even better example is video surveillance. This world is moving to IP, and security images are handled as all other video used by the company.

The major intersection of IT and physical security is personnel authentication and facility access control, according to Security Magazine The writer discusses the evolution of surveillance. Smart cards and biometrics are another hybrid physical/electronic security endeavor that may be jointly overseen by the IT and security departments. The piece suggests that it is important for IT and security staffs to coordinate procedures for employee terminations. A lapse of even a few minutes between termination and ending of access rights can be costly if the terminated person is angry and knows his or her way around a computer.

It is not only terminated employees who are a threat. A blogger at TechRepublic says danger often comes from disgruntled or greedy employees or contractors who use their physical presence to in some way rob from or disrupt the organization. The writer offers six steps for restricting personal access centering on electronic badges and close observation, and seven steps to protect information and equipment. The takeaway clearly is that the line between physical and electronic security is rapidly disappearing.

A recent press release, posted at The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal late last month, describes a data center Savvis opened in Santa Clara, Calif. The description is interesting both because of the particular features being offered and the high profile physical security is being given:

The data center’s physical security features include guards, video monitoring systems, vehicle blockades, and bulletproof glass and walls. Entrance pods and “man traps” along with a biometric entry system are used to ensure that only fully authorized personnel are granted entry.

In the wake of 9/11 and amid the general specter of terrorism, physical security of data has become a vital issue. The evolution of the Internet and IP technology gives security and IT forces powerful tools with which to protect the company, its clients and employees.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Theft affects all. On average the median loss of theft of cash and non-cash assets is $223,000 (ACFE). The costs of theft are passed on to consumers to bear the cost of the loss. A simple way for companies in retail to get back from a bottom line loss is to pass the costs on by increasing the top line. Raising prices is a symptom of theft, but not a cure. It does nothing by itself to stop the activity other than punish the innocent.

Many companies have invested in security staff. This staff focuses efforts to identify and prevent theft. Many businesses have created “loss prevention” jobs. The whole career is oriented on identifying risky behavior, observing others, investigating theft, and finding methods of reducing risk. In retail, they may be secret shoppers; in transportation they may be monitoring cameras and patrolling as guards, or dressed in business suits advising in board rooms.

Information technology (IT) and lessons from business intelligence (BI) can be applied to detecting and preventing theft. For the internal threat, access can be controlled by badge or biometrics. Capabilities of these can limit access by employee, time of day, and certain days of the week. For example, employees that work in the warehouse can access their warehouse doors, but cannot gain entry to the supply department. Those who have janitorial privileges with their access cards can only do so during work hours and not when the business is closed.

Other IT help includes closed circuit television (CCTV). This is a great deterrent and detection device for both the internal and external threat. Current technologies allow the use of tilt/pan/zoom cameras that can record digital data for months. This data can be reviewed to see the habits and patterns of suspect customers and employees. All of this leaves a data trail that can be put into a data warehouse. Besides employee protection and assistance roles, this data can be mined to see patterns and recognize traits of potential perpetrators. For example, a supply bin in a warehouse may suffer shortage at each inventory. The installation of a CCTV device would provide digital feedback of whether or not supplies are being stolen and who is doing the stealing.

Sabotage and vandalism is a constant threat and can be categorized with workplace violence, criminal trespass activities, and industrial espionage or in conjunction with a theft. Though it is a rare, its costs are heavy and depending where in the supply chain the product is, the expense may fall on the company or the customer. Here supply chain is a generic term, but is used to identify an IT tool that provides and automated tracking of inventory and information along business practices. These practices can include campuses, apartments, retail, transportation, factories and other industries.

Security solutions to detect and prevent include monitoring the workplace and removing the internal threat, building security in depth to prevent the external threat, training employees on operation security, and employing loss prevention techniques. Other effective measures against vandalism and sabotage include volunteer forces, employee incentive programs and other organizations such as neighborhood watch programs. Industry, churches, community activity centers and schools have learned the value of relying on volunteers. Volunteers serve as force multiplies that report criminal activities like vandalism to the proper authorities.

Employee workplace violence makes huge headlines for a very good reason. It is shocking behavior with the most serious events resulting in multiple deaths. These incidents lead to law suits, low morale, a bad reputation for the company and leaves families and victims devastated. In 2003, workplace violence led to 631 deaths, the third leading cause of job related injury deaths (BLS).

This is acts of abuse physical or verbal that is taken out on employees, customers or other individuals at a place of business. For the purpose of this paper, the workplace is identified as a corporate building, warehouse, gas station, restaurant, school, taxi cab or other place where people engage in business.

Not all violence in the workplace end in death. They range from simple assault to much worse. What ever the level of crime, innocent people are attacked at the work place. In the corporate world this may be shocking. In other industries like law enforcement, retail sales and health care systems it is much different. These three have the most incidents. The US department of Justice conducted a study on workplace violence from 1993 to 1999. In this study they found that 1.7 million workers fell victim to many types of non-fatal crime. These crimes include, rape, assault, robbery, and sexual assault. These studies don’t always mean employee on employee violence, but include outsider on employee violence and vice versa (DETIS).

Concerning homicides at the workplace, it is very expensive. For the risk of sounding cold, the average mean cost of a work related homicide from 1992 to 2001 was a round $800,000. The total cost of homicides during those years was almost $6.5 billion (ASIS). These cold hard facts derived from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are what industry must deal with in creating their risk management plan. It is a tough but necessary evil that must be calculated.

When dealing with these facts and creating a mitigation plan, industry has to make choices to protect the workplace. The company has two obligations. The first includes the legal responsibility of the employer to protect and safeguard against preventable harm. This includes all those who work in or visit the workplace. The second responsibility is to handle incidents and investigations, discipline and other processes appropriately (ASIS). It is as important to respect the rights of all persons involved throughout the prevention and investigation processes.

All departments in the enterprise are involved in the prevention and detection. All can contribute to the design, construction, and use of the data warehouse necessary for executing this type of prevention and detection. Each part could maintain a data mart with senior managers mining from the entire warehouse. In this scenario, all team members would build the data base with discriminating features. Alone, these features would probably not mean much, but any behaviors or habits when combined, may identify an abuser.

The more serious discriminators would be identified and “non-hire” criteria. For example, one discriminator that would prevent a person from getting a job would be a history of violence. This would be identified in during the employee pre-employment screening phase. Another would be specific questions about performance during the interview that might indicate propensity for violence or not being able to work well with others.

By building these rules, all sources could contribute to the database to identify high risk people throughout the employment. Rules could be input that when breached, could help management make a determination of who might be a threat to harmony in the workplace. For example, HR can input results of pre-employment background checks, job interview records and disciplinary actions within the company. Managers could provide information from performance reviews about questionable comments. Employees could make anonymous tips about other employees concerning their behavior.

Employees’ may not be the threat. Nature of customers, friends and family members could provide risk to the work place. These criteria could be identified as well. Employees who have abusive partners or spouses and employees who perform in risky environments such as retail must be considered in the risk analysis and data warehouse input.

Some additional mitigating factors for employee workplace violence include traditional security methods. Additional lighting in darker areas, an armed guard, security cameras and panic alarms do wonders to give employees a peace of mind as well as help prevent violent behavior. Knowing security is in place deters the criminal element. These security measures could be linked in a network to provide feedback and evidence for use in analyzing and determining actions to prevent this behavior.

Occupational fraud describes the use of “one’s occupation for personal enrichment through the deliberate misuse of resources or assets” (ACFE). Whether an employee feels entitled to his fair share, is disgruntled or other reasons, this crime is costly. The median cost to business for this scheme is $159,000. Some reported fraud cases have cost upward of $1 billion (ACFE). Fraud accounts for approximately five percent of losses of their annual revenues or $652 billion in fraud losses.

This crime can be broken down into three categories: Asset misappropriation, corruption, and fraudulent statement. Examples of asset misappropriation include fraudulent invoicing, payroll fraud, and skimming revenue. Corruption can involve bribery and conduction business laced with undisclosed conflict of interest. Fraudulent statement covers booking fictitious sales and recording expenses in the wrong period (ACFE).

Fraud losses affect small business the greatest. For example, compared to the median loss of all businesses, small businesses suffer median losses of $190,000. Losses like these can devastate an unwitting company and fraud can continue for 18 months before being detected (ACFE). Whenever possible, business should focus on reducing both the mean cost of a fraud incident as well as the time it takes to reduce the fraud discovery timeline.

Out of all industries, fraud causes the highest median losses per scheme in whole sale trade, construction and manufacturing. Government and retail has the lowest losses per scheme (ACFE). These industries have a huge impact on costs of finished product. Wholesale trade, construction and manufacturing all wrap up the costs in the final product. Of course the costs aren’t recovered immediately. In construction and some manufacturing, the jobs are bid on and regardless of losses; the project must be completed at or below cost of bid. However, later bids may be higher as a result to gain back costs.

Believe it or not, the position of who commit fraud is directly related to the cost of the fraud. For example, the losses caused by owners or executives in a business are 13% higher than the losses caused by employees (ACFE). Managers may not be sticking product in their pockets and sneaking out the door. People in higher positions can be found falsifying travel reports, creating false accounts, diverting payment and other crimes. Some of this is evident as we continue to prosecute chief officers involved in huge schemes.

Fraud is difficult to detect and many schemes can continue for long periods of time before they are detected. Detection can be accidental, the result of a tip, an audit (internal, external or surprise), hotline or as referred to by law enforcement. Focus and discipline could be perceived as the best means to detect fraud. Paying attention to patterns, verifying paperwork and checking records is time consuming, but must be performed.

The most successful but less used method to detect fraud involves the input of employees. Training employees on fraud and awareness cuts down on the time span of a fraud as well as the overall cost. Training increases morale in many ways and creates a team like atmosphere. Business can gain from the proper training. Employees are a great resource in fraud prevention. There has been great success with using hotlines and anonymous reporting to detect and deter fraud (ACFE).

Information technology (IT) and lessons from business intelligence (BI) can be applied to detecting and preventing fraud. We have already mentioned that employee and hotline tips are most effective but business doesn’t take advantage of this. Computer links could be set up on corporate sites to allow employees to report fraud. Some methods could include survey, direct question and answer, or just a space for reporting.

The audit, hotlines and tips are effective after or during the commission of the lengthy fraud period. These are all reactionary events. What about being proactive? Many companies have the capability to automate almost everything. Time sheets, accounting, billing, production and supply chain records are often on a server. Most require supervisor approval or at the very least have the capability of real time monitoring. This information can be integrated into a company version of a data warehouse and be manipulated according to the input rules. Specific habits of employees can be pulled to look for and address financial inconsistencies.

As mentioned earlier, businesses have employed access control measures such as card scanners, code readers and biometrics. They leave a trail of employee activity and regardless of position all are required to enter information to gain entry. Computer keyboard activity can be limited by password protection and all media should go through the security department before introduction or removal. All of this leaves a data trail that can be put into a data warehouse. Besides employee protection and assistance roles, this data can be mined to see patterns and recognize traits of potential perpetrators.

Finally, computer attacks are a huge risk to all businesses. The threat of hackers, malicious viruses, and those who hijack websites and hold financial transactions for ransom are just a few serious events of which the security manager must the aware. Data can be destroyed, reputations can be ruined, and lives can be stolen. These attacks can cripple an enterprise and could take months or years to recover. Businesses need to have IT tools to detect and combat this type of threat as soon as possible. Identity protection and other computer related incidents requires the same type of protection afforded to an employee as in the section about employee workplace violence.

Worms and viruses are quickly destroying years of input. These threats appear innocently enough in the beginning and when the right time comes, they activate. They recreate themselves, and spread through out networks and stand alone systems. Hackers continually knock at the internet portal trying to learn passwords and the inner most secrets of protect to exploit for espionage, theft or horrible fun. Hijackers enter a system and threaten to cripple financial transactions until payment is made; extortion in high-tech form.

Unprotected systems perpetuate all the above threats. Businesses that get involved either innocently as naive contributors or as the hapless victims suffer greatly financially and productively. There is another cost that could take longer to recover from. This is the of their valuable reputations with their customers. A technically illiterate or unprotected business has no excuse when dealing with customers or partners. Embarrassing things happen when a virus or cyber trail leads to a witless company. Industry cannot take the risk.

There are many existing security methods available to help companies take the offense against such attack. As the in the above examples, this effort takes the coordination, input and involvement of all business units and departments in the organization. This cannot be given to the security department alone to handle, however such actions should be accountable to one department.

There are new positions created called Chief Security Officer (CSO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). The hot new topic for these positions is convergence. Convergence is the alignment of physical and information security under the same department. According to CSO Magazine, this should be run by one point of contact being the CSO. This can align physical security, information security, compliance and privacy under one function. This enables the security executive to address Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Sarbanes-Oxley with focus and intent (CSO Online).

Other aggressive measures that can be taken are password protection, rules on internet use, firewalls and internet access blocking. These can be regulated with the convergence concept. Software already exists to help generate and protect passwords on network and stand alone systems. These help ensure not only that authorized users are accessing the systems, but they also provide a basis for auditing systems. This is vital to protect a company from the threat of social engineering. Information technology can track who used which system to access which information. The user leaves an automatic automated electronic trail.

Companies need a firewall to protect information from both leaving and entering the enterprise system. These firewalls help prevent hacking, high jacking and malicious viruses. The firewall needs to be updated regularly with updates. Most importantly, the CSO or CIO should be checking and running analysis identifying the threat. This analysis of threat and defenses can be conducted the same way as military strategy.

This identification should track where the threat is coming from, how often the defenses are probed, what the threat using to probe the defenses is, and what times of day are the threats the strongest. For operations security, the chief should look at what makes their business so tempting to the threat.

When a chief information or security officer analyses his own operation, they should be trying to identify strengths and weaknesses that the adversary is trying to exploit. When is the IT asset most vulnerable? Are our passwords easy to break? How much intrusion would it take to stop our operations? Are just a few questions that must be analyzed along with external threat analysis.

Internet discipline is also vital. An enemy doesn’t have to break down your defenses to wreak havoc. Just like old vampire lore, all you have to do is invite them in. When employees visit unauthorized websites, download unauthorized software, transfer data from a home computer or forward corrupted email, they can cause just as much harm. Blocking websites, allowing only IT personnel to upload software, and screening all mobile media or preventing all media such as CDs and other portable storage devices is crucial to protecting the enterprise.

As mentioned in other paragraphs, protecting your company with security in depth will solve many problems. This security in depth includes previously mentioned biometric or card reader access devices, alarms and CCTV cameras. These are available IT devices that are popular and effective at monitoring employee movement and activity. The chief can also store vital risk assessment detail in a data warehouse to better analyze events and proactively mitigate risks before damage occurs.

As mentioned throughout this paper, somebody needs to take charge of organizing a multiple business unit task force to protect the company. Traditional methods of segmenting units and having them work in a vacuum do not produce effective results. When the IT department handles all internet activity, human resources execute the laying off offenders, finance department handle all payroll discrepancies and accounting performs all audits, the result is a broken chain of incomplete activity.

The willing participation and information sharing is better handled in the form of a committee. Each respective department can do their day to day activities, but results can be presented to the entire group to help detect and determine any one of the threats addressed in this paper.

We began with the news reports of businesses needing to protect their personnel and the assets. We showed examples from the headlines of people coming to places of business to conduct senseless acts of terrorism and violence and the need for having a corporate culture or environment to address the different types of threats. This culture involves quickly evolving the role of security to become the protector of personnel, facilities and product. This evolution will enable them to use IT as a tool to help detect and deter risks to the enterprise.

Having said that, we can conclude that security professionals need to continue to make it a point to study their craft and learn ways to counter evolving threat. Business intelligence methods need to continue to keep up with technology to analyze and prevent the internal and external influences that can ruin the enterprise. The threats corporations face include: theft, vandalism, workplace violence, fraud, and computer attacks. We have reviewed the roles of security to converge traditional physical protection with the capabilities of IT systems. The IT can provide a great tool to enterprise as a system of identification, analysis, risk assessment operation security and prevention, astute managers can mitigate risks.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

A boom barrier in its most simplistic form is a pivoted bar or pole, placed in a way such that the boom is enabled for the blocking of vehicular access through a controlled point. More often than not the gate or more specifically its tip rises to near vertical position. The easy tipping of the pole is brought about through the use of a counterweight. An automatic barrier as the name suggests has an automated functioning and it is not required that a person mans the barrier in order to let the vehicles pass through. These days most control points have automatic boom barriers. These points include railway crossings, checkpoints, drawbridges, toll booth and parking facilities amongst various others.

The availability of these barriers is extensive with regards to the boom arm length. So, you can get one that has an arm length of a 1 meter road width to an barrier that can be used on a 12 meter road width. These are powered by electricity but in the event of a power failure there is always the option of releasing the barrier by hand by using a manual key override system.

The Safety Features in Automatic Boom Barrier

Most automatic boom barriers have incorporated inductive loops for the safety of the barrier operation. The control system safety circuits are connected to ground inductive loops, which are located within the road surface. The use of the inductive loops means that the barrier arm does not suddenly lower when the vehicle is present within the passage area. Even if the arm lowers when the vehicle is passing under the barrier arm, it will automatically revert back to its open position.

An Advanced Control System

Only the most advanced state of the art control system is used with respect to controlling the functioning of the automatic boom barriers. The control system not only monitors the precise location of the kerb but also integrates a plethora of security features in order to ensure the optimal operational level of the kerb and also that the rise and fall of kerb is one smooth operation.

The Integration of Automatic Boom Barrier

These automatic boom barriers are great choices as they could be integrated into or linked to any number of remote systems. One of the examples of this is the Automatic Number Plate Recognition System. As the name suggests, this is a system wherein, a registration plate of a particular vehicle is checked against a database of the registration plates. Verification can be sought as to whether the kerb will allow access to that particular vehicle or not.

Another system is the Access Control System wherein various facets like Biometric identification, Proximity Card etc could be incorporated into the system. One of the most common systems that are integrated into the automatic boom barrier system is a token system wherein, standard issue tokens or even high security tokens could be integrated into the existing system.

All in all automatic boom barriers are a very important part of a comprehensive traffic management system that is seeing increasing usage all over the world.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

No one who has followed public interest stories for any length of time is surprised when any government – federal, state, local, or foreign – fails to accomplish its goals as quickly and efficiently as planned. Government and its Siamese twin, politics, are not designed, nor have they evolved, to follow the principles of the marketplace. Whether you applaud or fret over the government’s approach – whether you want it run “like a business” or prefer it to serve as a counterweight to “unbridled capitalism” – the fact is that the political balance of power invariably creates tensions and conflicts that keep it from operating like the ordered marketplace.

By contrast, the real marketplace, with its unending competition for customers and the search for the perfect balance of price, quality, and volume – all aimed at maximizing profits – usually operates with stunning efficiency. And once we admit there’s not much you or I can do to ensure greater security in our national transportation system, we’re free to turn our attention to the security we can control: protecting our own homes or businesses.

With the exception of bomb-detection, nearly every sort of security screening device imaginable is available to protect your family, employees, and property. Some systems, such as electronic scanners and key-card readers, have become so common they’re almost taken for granted. Others, like retina and fingerprint scanners, are not yet in widespread use but are available to those who want (and can afford) them. A third group of home security devices that were unheard of a generation ago are now common in cars: electronic locking systems, touch-key entry, and even ignition lock-down systems that register a driver’s alcohol content (using technology similar to that in police departments’ Breathalyzers.

For home security today, the most efficient access control is an electronic entry system that uses keypad coding. No one can copy a key code that’s kept in your head, and you don’t have to carry a key if you have keyless entry. It’s very simple to change your code, eliminating the need to have new keys cut to block access for someone who previously had it. It’s also a relatively simple matter, in most communities, to tie your system in to local law enforcement and fire departments, ensuring that unauthorized entry, attempted or successful, or an unexpected disaster will alert officials whether you’re home or not.

Coupled with window break-in sensors and good outdoor lighting for visual security, a keyless entry system offers invaluable protection for your home and family. For most families, even in vulnerable neighborhoods, it’s not only an ideal option but likely to be all that’s needed to ensure peace of mind. (For those who want an even higher level of safety, Vertex Security carries a full range of other home protection systems.)

For the office or business, among the most popular systems are those that use magnetic stripe cards. Like keypad systems, these are simple to reprogram to add new employees or deny access to departed ones, and they simplify the process of gaining entry to limited-access areas ranging from parking lots to sensitive-document storage rooms. These systems can also make it easy to track employees’ comings and goings, alerting the owner or manager of inappropriate activity. For example, by tracking key-card use through a central computer monitoring system, a business owner can identify (and take appropriate action against) an employee who consistently takes long lunch hours or slips out to do errands, pilfers from the supply room, or even is engaging in industrial espionage.

The drawback with magnetic stripe cards is that they can be used by an unauthorized person. I have used a friend’s card to “borrow” free space in his employer’s parking lot downtown; the access reader accepts the card regardless of who is driving in to park. In an office, if one employee asks another, “Would you open the supply room door for me? I need to grab a ream of paper and I left my card at my desk,” the computer will register the card owner, not the borrower, as the person who gained access.

In situations like that, higher level security systems become especially valuable. Fingerprint or retina scanners using biometric identification, which can’t be borrowed by an unauthorized user, are worth the investment for businesses with high security requirements.

Whether or not Nero fiddled while Rome burned, whether you roll your eyes at or give a thumbs up to Homeland Security’s fumbles, you can at least ensure that your home and business are secured against people you don’t want coming in – without forcing them to arrive two hours before an appointment or remove their shoes, jackets, and belts every time they stop by.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

This happens all the time. If you think it is bad here in the United States try
overseas. It is pretty much
considered fair game and rarely enforced. Even the Concord was remembered for
being heavily bugged.

What you may find surprising is just how easy it is to do. You could even use
off the shelf items, although fully assembled models are readily available and
cheap.

The best way to learn is to do. A little bit of paranoia and a lot of imagination
goes a long way. Just look around your house and see what can be used. Baby
monitors can be remotely activated and used to listen in on you. Your cell phone
can be hacked through its Bluetooth Feature, so not only can all the data be copied,
but also settings could be changed. Your phone could be called and answered
without you knowing; thereby listening to your conversation. Your
phone can also be used to make a call to someone else without you touching a
button ideal for incrimination purposes. There was a technique originally developed
to remotely view what you watch on your television,
now adapted for computer screens. You can find the plans to build this on the
Internet from many sites. This is used in Europe, particularly the Balkans all the
time against ATMs. There is still the good old
fashion radio scanner to listen to cordless phone calls. Then you can say, “Well I use
a digital, spread spectrum model using 2.4 or 5.8 frequencies.”

True that is good protection, but given time the packets of data (digital remember)
can be reassembled and decoded. Thankfully that takes time, but you can buy a
digital scanner to listen to real time conversations. You can also buy software
overseas to work with scanners and laptops for listening to cell phone calls. An
interesting side note: Some of these same companies that provide such
equipment constantly steal from each other.

Outside your house or in the basement of your apartment building are boxes
where your land line phone service comes through. You just need a telephone/
linesman butt set or build one from a phone to listen in.

So you say, “What does this have to do with industrial security?” Well usually
certain people are targeted when looking for a means into an organization. Plus,
they can make a convenient scapegoat and distraction to investigators.

Believe it or not it is often I.T. and security personnel who are targeted.
Although they may be more aware of security they also have higher privileges than
most. Many times they use a popular and recognized remote access program when
telecommuting. If you can capture their username and password that may be all
that you need. Sometimes there may be more advanced authentication
procedures.

For instance, the server you will log into or firewall you wish to bypass may require
extra authentication. Sometimes it may request a MAC address. This is the
unique serial number burned into network cards. This can be copied and you can
change yours to that one with a software application. If you have the IP Address,
then you can switch your IP Address as well.

When you access the victim’s computer and place a remote access program of your own,
don’t use one with obvious hacker names like Back Orifice. Using one that they
already have, such as PC Anywhere or Remote Desktop would be ideal. Don’t worry
about tackling a wireless computer network. Even with security enabled that could
just be a speed bump to the dedicated. If probing a victim’s computer then I
recommend making it appear as spam. If they have a firewall, you can probe it and
see what version they are using. Afterwards look around for data on cracking that
firewall. Any firewall can be cracked and guess what? You can always break into
their home and place whatever it is that needs to be placed.

Alarm systems can be defeated rather easily if you know how. Many times
these burglar alarm systems were installed by poorly trained or overworked
employees who take short cuts to get the job done. Sometimes you will actually see
the keypads mounted outside the door to a home or easily viewable through a
window. What happens if they cut the phone line or cover the siren box? Locks can
also be bypassed by means other than just lock picking. You could install a high
security lock, but if all the hardware around it is weak than what good is it?

Dogs can be tricky and are usually the toughest obstacle to overcome. Believe
it or not, little dogs that are the worst. Big attack dogs can be overcome and
sedated or contained; even the well trained ones. But little dogs that run around
and make a racket are a menace. Once a dog starts barking, the rest
neighborhood’s dogs will join in. Even using a high frequency sound device to
annoy the dog on a property you wish to enter can alert other dogs.

If you do break in, check the bedroom and den first. Bedrooms are where the
most important items usually are. You are not there to steal but to place
bugs, software etc. and to copy anything of interest, such as a security card, hard
drive or key. Bring a digital camera and photograph the scene before moving
anything. If there is too much dust then leave it alone. Dust leaves a telltale sign,
which is very noticeable when moved. Most locks used to secure desks are easy to
pick so that’s not a big deal.

Bring a hard drive cloning devices and a Linux Boot Disk to copy entire hard
drives. This way even if they are password protected and encrypted you can crack
them later at your leisure. You can carry MP3 players and
iPods to act as a second portable hard drive.
That can be particularly handy when in a public environment. Someone thinks you
are fiddling with a MP3 player but you are actually downloading somebody’s
hard drive. Carry all the cables you may need since some machines may not have a
particular port like firewire. If they do have a faster transfer rate type port, then by
all means use it. You can do something else while it is busy copying data.
Remember to look under the keyboard for passwords and pay attention to Post-its.
Those little pieces of paper are gold mines. Also, and maybe more importantly,
copy data from cell phones and PDAs, if they are available. This can be done with
cables to your own PDA or laptop. There are portable dedicated units for this
purpose as well. The safe if they have one are usually in the bedroom. Use a metal
detector to find it. Place the metal detector wand on its lowest setting, so only a
significant metal object will trigger it. Sometimes a safe can contain something you
can use as blackmail.

There are devices which mount to a safe’s dial which automatically attempt
countless combinations; some are stand-alone, while others are connected via
laptop. You can also try the basic combinations for that make and model. Some
safe technicians use the default combination or may try to use some thing you can
remember like a child’s birthday. If all else fails try 36-24-36, it’s
very popular with certain bachelors. Placing bugs around the house is usually
useless. Most people have a tendency to put the television set or stereo on when
they are home. The only exception may be over the head of the bed and wait for
pillow talk. You may as well concentrate on telephones lines. They may use a cell
phone in the house but once again you may not be able to hear the conversation.
Even when using a laser mike which focuses a beam against a window and picks up
vibrations in a room may not work, especially if they have plush carpeting or heavy
drapes.

You can record a conversation on video you can always lip-read if audio is not
available. If you have the time and they have a garage, see if it opens automatically.
Go over to the garage door and make a copy of the remote for yourself. This works
even with the rolling code models. This is just a general outline of what you can do.
Make sure to check the soles of your shoes before and after a break in. I suggest
wearing a popular brand in case the police make a cast of your footprints. You can
also place a pair of hospital booties over your shoes to cover your tracks.

It is not a bad idea to wear a jogging suit as opposed to being dressed as a
ninja. If you have to run, you would not seem too suspicious. It is wise to take as
few chances as possible.

If you have more time, the best way to infiltrate an organization is to join it. If
not directly then as one of it’s support people such as food services or building
maintenance. Cleaning crews usually work after hours under little scrutiny. These
companies have such a high turnover that they are always hiring and do no
background checks. If you do show up for an interview or to do some sort of sales
pitch come mentally prepared. Hang around the places where the target
organization’s employees are and pretend to be a headhunter. Hand someone your
demo CD. Of course that CD should have more on it than they expect. Anti-virus
protection can be completely by-passed using this method. I will even guess that
you have done this countless times without a second thought.

If the job interview is for a technology-based position, they will tip their hand
by asking you what do you know about such and such. A good skill to pick
up will be the ability to read documents facing away from you on a desk. While you
are at it develop an excellent memory for detail, especially numbers.

Taking a few acting classes could help here, too. What I like about situations
like this is that these are the ideal times to place bugs. If you think it may be
discovered, then just dispose of something in their wastebasket. Blow your nose
while placing a micro-transmitter in it. I doubt any one will inspect the contents of
a used tissue. They will end up getting rid of it for you. There is a chance that
said item could be discovered by personnel who do paper shredding services. Most
companies do not use this service. This could also be a good idea to do some
dumpster diving later and see what they throw
out. You can carry a micro digital camera and record everything you see. Just
pretend to be listening to an iPod or something. Whatever you do, pretend that you
belong. If someone tries to stop you, start grooving to some imaginary tunes and
head for the elevator. Always have an excuse ready. You can also use something
known as video ham radio. This transmits video images via radio signals; more
commonly used by rescue crews. This is different from the more conventional covert
video systems used out there.

Video systems tend to use a lot of battery power so bring spares. Ideally it
would be nice to place cameras in the copy machine but usually a copy machine
technician best accomplishes this. Some operators have
gone as far as replace whole machines. The FAX machine is the best for
tapping. No one seems to ever suspect that is tapped but will scrutinize everything
else. You may think that that is an oversized DSL filter on it but maybe it is not. If
there is a damaged door with a lock still attached try to remove it. A good
locksmith can build master keys by analyzing the pin tumblers. With some practice
you can do this as well. Cut a key for both before and after removing spacers from
pins if they have them. This is what is called a
master keying system. What you would want to make is the grandmaster key. This
will allow you total access.

If you do start opening doors, be aware that there may be door contacts.
These are magnetic switches used in burglar alarm and access control systems. You
can use basic electronic tools to locate the magnet and use your own magnet to fool
the door.

There are different devices out there which can record and analyze security/
prox/access control cards Weigand output. The Weigand output is when a card
reader emits a radio wave, which energizes the card. The card then sends
out a unique identifier. This is what you want to catch. With another device you can
replicate this identifier, mostly using a PDA. Laptops are better but conspicuous
compared to a PDA. Smart cards and the magnetic strips from more conventional
credit card types can be duplicated on the spot. Just be aware that with most
modern access control software the face will show up on the computer screen that
accompanies the card being used so enter with a group. If there
is a numeric keypad you can use ultraviolet light to check for smudges and you can
guess from there. If you have access to a thermal imagery device, you can
see the heat signatures. These are so cheap now that they are popping up in the
most unlikely places. Hunters are using them for the slight advantage it
gives them. Usually the stronger trace is the most recent. That will be the last one
pressed. From there you can guess accordingly. Many systems have a
three strikes and you are out policy, so proceed with caution. Otherwise, if you are
in a mantrap the doors will stay locked and you are trapped and security will be
alerted.

Biometrics is growing in popularity but as you probably guessed by now, can
be defeated. It is rare for somebody to wipe their prints off. A lot of these devices
are fingerprint based so get copies of fingerprints. One way is to get them from the
biometric reader itself. Some crime scene photographers have special software or
film that accentuates photos of fingerprints. Some scanners that check for retinas
and such can occasionally be tricked by trying out a bunch of well-made fake
eyeballs and a flashlight. You can remotely access the security and camera system
either by the Internet or through a phone line (pre-paid cell phone included). You
can give yourself privileges on a blank access card and erase video files of your
activities.

Sometimes the video files may be also network storage based. Once again you
should access anything with any trace of your existence. You can also defeat the
cameras individually. Strong light devices can blur an image or anything that emits
strong electrical signals can cause static or snow. If the camera is too far you can
use a HERF (hi-energy radio frequency) gun. This can send a focused burst which
can either be disruptive or destructive. Think of using your cell phone next to a
clock radio for an analogy. These are not as hard to acquire as you might
think.

If you are this close you should monitor the security guards’ radio frequency.
You can use a radio that can communicate with theirs try not to talk to them for any
reason. Many sites are now recording radio transmissions for insurance
reasons.

Voice print recognition has come a long way. Be aware of their call signs and
any related lingo. If you have a crazy notion of knocking out a guard just be aware
that their radios have a tilt feature so if a guard goes down there is an alert. If you
are thinking about doing a late night sneak and peek consider the perimeter
defenses. The use of fiber optics in fencing is common and almost invisible to the
intruder. Break a branch onto it so that part of the fencing system is deactivated or
simply overlooked.

In and around can also be seismic intrusion detection, which basically is
sensitive to footsteps. This can be tricked with a device called a thumper. It is
basically a box that stamps its foot at whatever pace. Certain cameras may be
programmed to react to the disturbance. If you are looking for infrared sources use
a passive night vision scope/goggle. You are looking for IR emissions; you are trying
not to create your own which an active model could do. There are little badges you
can wear that can alert you if you are under IR observation. Do not wear divers
watches since the tritium will light you up like a ghost to any nocturnal observer
with night vision goggles. If the facility is using thermal imagery, than you will need
to really do your homework; chances are they are serious about protecting
whatever it is they are tasked with. One way to defeat that is by wearing different
types of neoprene suits. Everything must be covered not a very comfortable way to
spend an evening. Otherwise you will have to wait for a storm to hit before you
make a move.

Now you may not approve of the disclosure of such information. The truth is
such knowledge is freely available to anyone. Just buy a video game to get the latest
inventions and their use. Remember this: the most successful operations are the
kind that go undetected. Maybe a little bit of paranoia is
a good thing.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

SWMC is a community-owned, not-for-profit medical institution located in Vancouver, Washington that provides a full range of outpatient and inpatient diagnostic, medical and surgical services to Clark County residents. The region’s health care leader and steward for nearly 150 years, SWMC is one of its largest employers and a six-time winner of the Solucient Top 100 Hospitals award. SWMC’s employees help support dozens of medical specialty services and programs, focused on cancer, heart, emergency, trauma, neuro-musculoskeletal, family birth and primary care.

The healthcare industry in general presents a significant challenge for internal IT organizations. In the healthcare setting, there are far more users than workstations; the workforce is highly mobile; every worker needs to be able to access an IT workstation from just about anywhere-and be able to securely access a wide variety of applications from it. The challenge for SWMC was to figure out how to both protect patient information and at the same time, find a way to securely provide acute care clinical staff the ability to walk up to any workstation and log into the network to access applications and information that enable them to provide timely care and service to patients.

The password policies in place required staff to use-and therefore remember-a different password for each application. This added strain was compounded by help desk calls to reset forgotten passwords and “adhesive” memory tactics (using sticky notes to remind users of new passwords) that hurt patient privacy far more than the new security programs helped. To make matters worse, even successfully executed logins were taking an average of 30 seconds, adding up to an average of five minutes per day, per employee. For SWMC’s more than 3,000 employees that’s 25 hours wasted per day, or 150 + hours per week – assuming zero password-related problems that week. With the average hospital cost at $17.00 per hour, the total comes to $2,500 per week, or $130,000 per year-time and money lost to the login process. The system also supports 2,800 clinical and medical support staff of partnering community clinics, making this a cost issue outside the hospital’s walls.

It was easy to see that this was something that needed to be fixed quickly, as it was becoming a huge frustration for staff and had the potential to become something that could both hurt retention efforts and ultimately take time away from providing patient care.

As issues around frustrations with the electronic record/information systems came to light, the organization was also dealing with two other concerns: compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); and staff and physician retention in the highly-competitive healthcare industry.

After thoroughly researching various technologies and options, the IT leadership team determined that a comprehensive single sign-on (SSO) implementation could solve several of these issues: eliminate the password problem, producing significant efficiencies for both the IT team and hospital staff; reduce costs; increase the time spent on patient care; help satisfy HIPAA regulations on patient information protection, user login requirements and workstation time-outs; and enable the IT staff to gain organization-wide, centralized control over all IT access control management.

After looking at companies such as IBM, Novell, CA and Sentillion, SWMC chose to go with Imprivata’s OneSign Single Sign-On solution, an appliance-based product that provided an intelligent and affordable solution for password management and user access. In evaluations, the team agreed that there were two major features that set OneSign apart from the other solutions:

(1) It was easy-to-use, meaning care staff would have no problem learning how to use it-and it would not force them to change the way they work, other than limiting the time spent on password logins and logouts; and

(2) It could easily be integrated with existing systems and with a zero-server-footprint. This was especially important for SWMC’s situation, as it had information stored in dispersed and different locations, across 160 applications, with multiple authentication schemas (Novell NDS, RADIUS, MS Active Directory)-and were in the process of migrating over to Microsoft Active Directory as the new source of all access authentication. SWMC needed a solution that could easily take information from and seamlessly interface with all of these areas-and OneSign was it.

With more than 3,000 users, 125 departments and 160 applications, the IT staff decided to break the project down into two phases: phase I, the full deployment of SSO with fifty core applications; and phase II, the deployment of the balance of critical applications. Because of the success of phase I, phase II was quickly undertaken and the whole system was up and running within three months.

At SWMC, the Microsoft Active Directory group policies manage all role-based-access-control at the enterprise level-including internal use, outside vendor access and remote VPN access by coders, transcriptionists and “road warriors.” The SSO product then manages the initial application-layer access-which has its own access controls, especially within the clinical systems. Access to Protected Health Information (PHI) is managed down to the screens or menus within the PHI-enabled applications. Each workforce member’s access rights are set within an enterprise standard-via a Human Resources job code-which is then mapped to access control groups at the application layer.

Because of this, any user can use any workstation within the network – the security now follows the user. Every workstation is what we call a “fast user switching” workstation that can log a user off of a machine, close all applications and get the machine ready for the next user login in about 15 seconds. This approach gives the needed security to protect patient data-but at the same time eradicates the old hassle of locked workstations and prevents the use of the power switch to unlock the machine, a process which can potentially cause hard disk corruption.

Imprivata’s solution provided SSO access, enabling users to get a common log-in across all applications, using either a password or a finger biometric to authenticate. The solution allowed SWMC to create one consistent user interface, one security posture for policy management and one principal authentication store for HIPAA-and did so without requiring any code changes to internal or external applications.

In short, SWMC’s SSO initiative has transformed its ability to provide quick access to applications and information for the clinical staff, while enabling them to provide more timely and therefore better care to patients-all while helping the organization meet strict HIPAA guidelines. SSO saves staff 15 to 30 seconds per logon-or roughly five minutes per day, per employee.

The security improvements that the SSO implementation has brought about cannot be overstated. Before, it was difficult to get users to adhere to password policies and change their password every six months or so-especially when the number of passwords grew as more and more workflow at the organization was done electronically. Now, password changes happen when they are supposed to-and the team can easily tell when staff is not adhering to policy and make them change their password.

Feedback has been resoundingly positive. The use of single sign-on is appreciated every time a user walks up to a workstation, which happens thousands of times each day. The staff loves SSO-and now wants it on all of their other (non-core) applications.

SWMC has a new competitor hospital just eight short miles away, so keeping staff happy is more essential than ever. As I alluded to earlier, physician and medical staff satisfaction with their work environment has become a crucial part of staff retention. Providing a positive environment that limits mundane tasks-like repetitively logging in to several applications throughout the day-and freeing up time for patient care are critical components of our organization’s retention efforts.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

As well as fingerprints, other parts of the body can be used for identification purposes. Surprisingly, biometrics isn’t new, and fingerprints have been used for hundreds of years.

Physiological or behavioural features can be used for identification purposes. Physiological refers to the physical features of a person, such as height, facial characteristics and eyes, whilst behavioural refers to the way a person walks or talks.

Biometrics can be used anywhere where the accurate identification of people is required. From offices and other workplaces to schools and colleges biometrics can be used to control access to restricted areas. Rather than use a time card, or a signing in system which can be relatively easy to fool, a biometric system using fingerprints or iris recognition will ensure that only the right people are allowed in or out.

The obvious place where increased security and the identification of people is necessary, is at an airport. With increased security needed, airports are ensuring that the staff they employ, and those others working at the airport are only able to access the areas they need to access. Using biometric control systems makes sure that unauthorised people are able to get to areas of the airport they are not allowed in.

Video analytics uses face recognition technology to help security staff, such as those in airports, and other CCTV monitoring roles. The CCTV footage can be analysed and tagged, by time, location and people’s names. This allows the face recognition software to recognise people, and the video analytics can recognise “events”, such as somebody being in a restricted area, being in an office out of working hours, or being a known shoplifter in a shopping centre.

By recognising either movements, activities, times, or people’s faces, the system can alert security staff when there has been a compromise, or that somebody known to security staff has been spotted on camera. As security staff don’t have to monitor several CCTV screens at once, they can be more productive without risking missing something on the CCTV screen.

In addition to use in buildings, technology is making increasing use of biometrics. Some models of laptop and memory stick have fingerprint recognition features, so that only the person with the recognised fingerprint is able to use the computer or memory stick. This helps to protect sensitive data, and means that the computer can’t be used if it is stolen.

If you value the security of your staff, premises and data, isn’t it time you thought more about biometrics?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The collapse included not just small financial institutions, but large ones as well, such as Washington Mutual Bank. Most of us know the stories behind such failures, but what we don’t know is the measures that some banks are going to in order to prevent fraud and theft of what remains of our savings.

In a world where millions of transactions occur at blinding speeds everyday and information is exchanged openly in the due course of business, the need for security is paramount. The privacy and access to customer accounts must be protected.

Once again, technology comes to the rescue, perhaps.

With identity theft off the charts, something had to be done.

Enter the wizardry of biometrics. This field allows for the storage of personal data, such as fingerprints and 3-dimensional photos, in small data packages and configurations. The way people are processed for identification, verification, or given restricted access, in and out of public and private structures, will be forever changed.

One of the technology leaders in this field is A4Vision, a Silicon Valley Company. They have developed a three-dimensional facial recognition system that offers enhanced security for end users. Simply put, a 3D photo differs from a normal driver’s license photo (2D) in that it directs a pattern of invisible light onto the surface geometry of a person’s face and creates a mesh mask of 40, 000 measurable data points, such as cheekbone to forehead, which do not change over time. This information is then plugged into an algorithm to generate a biometric template, which can be stored in a database for verification and identification. An employee’s face can be read and compared to a comprehensive database for authorized entry in less than a second.

According to Grant Evans, CEO of A4Vision, “3D systems are merely computers that mimic the natural way for humans to recognize one another–the faces.”

Though the system has some limitations, it is easy to see the Department of Homeland Security’s interest in the product, which has been deployed at numerous airports, such as Logan Airport in Boston. The key to this type of identification and processing is that minimal cooperation from those being assessed is necessary, unlike fingerprint or iris systems. Furthermore, it is capable of quickly scanning vast amounts of faces while in motion for potential threats (watch list candidates).

Most importantly, especially where a financial institution’s security is concerned, facial biometrics can’t be reversed engineered to produce the original face. In other words, falsified identification can’t be produced to allow fraudulent access to the bank premises.

For example, Pictet & Cie Banquiers of Switzerland, a leading private institution in Europe, has implemented of a multi-level security system for its employees. The system includes an access control system that operates without ID cards, keys, or PIN technology, allowing 1500 employees entrance to the main branch and eliminate the risk posed by lost or stolen access tokens or keys. A key part of the system is the 80 biometric facial recognition devices, supplied by A4Vision. More secure areas, such as vaults, are protected by an iris scan system. Like fingerprints, iris patterns are unique, so even if the biometric readers are fooled the contents within the vaults are safe.

Will such preventative measures start catching on in North American financial institutions? Perhaps, especially as technology is manipulated be ne’er do wells as easily as those with our best interests at heart employ it. Remember: keep an eye on your, er, identity.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

With the growth of information technologies, people own a lot of professional or personal information, which has both a financial and emotional value. As people get vulnerable to numerous security threats, they become more and more aware of the ways they could overcome their vulnerability. And this security concern is common to all people, especially when it comes to lose something they possess. This is why the security products, available on the IT security market, are more and more commonly expanded in Europe and USA.

Among many people who rely on different kinds of digital assets in their businesses and private life, there are some whose main concern is how to protect them. There are also people who think that it is too far for them to make a decision on purchasing existing security products, because they do not have any special knowledge in security. Here we would like to come up with the data, which would help you to get a start in considering the ways you could protect your information.

At first look, it seems that the security products market is so sophisticated, that without any professional knowledge it is not possible to understand what kind of products you need. You may think that it is so much complicated to be able to analyze what solutions exist, what for they may be used and which one is right for you to purchase.

These questions and the solutions to them may seem vague to people with excellence in other areas, but with no knowledge in the IT security. By giving the answers to these and other related questions, we will help you define your needs and decide which data protection and access control solutions will best suit your needs.
1. What is the security software for and how can it help people?
While the security products industry is largely expanding in the world, there are more and more areas where it can be used. The Dekart Company has committed itself to developing solutions that can be easily deployed and used by people.

Most of the digital assets, available on the market, are designed with the option for the security hardware installation. The PCs and many mobile devices that can be connected to PCs (like mobile phones) and that may have an increased need for security, are technically available now to be protected.

From another point of view, there are products, which can be of real help in protecting important data (like hard disk encryption and file encryption software, brought to you by Dekart). These products can protect any type of data for any kind of people, who are interested in protection of their business information, scientific researches, as well as personal information. This type of protection ensures that no data will be accessed and viewed by unauthorized malicious users, even if your computer is lost or stolen or if there are many people who can access it.

The security products have another large area of usage. When there is the need to control access to the office computers, Dekart offers its smart card and biometric authentication solutions. The state-of-the-art biometric identification improves the security of login procedures, thus ensuring that no third party will access critically important information.
Users now can also protect and encrypt their email correspondence using Dekart digital certification service in combination with the smart card and biometric authentication.

There are different hardware devices used to provide two- and three-factor authentication to secure access to the information. Dekart offers the flexibility to choose between different vendors’ smart cards, tokens, biometric devices and even USB flash drives to satisfy users’ security needs.

The types of the Hardware Keys (USB tokens and Smart cards)
Dekart Software uses the following types of Hardware Keys to generate secret cryptographic keys and store users’ private data:

1. USB (universal serial bus) tokens are smaller token-style cards that plug directly into the USB port of a computer. The USB-compatible ports are being built into many PCs (i.e., desktops and laptops) and many mobile devices that connect with PCs (i.e., PDAs and mobile phones), as this is the simplest type of reader to connect

2. Smart cards are conventional credit card–shaped contact cards
The Smart Card device contains the cryptographic chip. The use of credit-card size Smart Cards has successfully been adopted by a number of European companies, with a particularly high level of acceptance in Germany and France. However, high hardware deployment costs and the lack of application standards associated with Smart Cards have proved to be significant barriers to their widespread use, especially in the US.

USB Token solution is different from traditional smart card solutions in that it does not require a reader infrastructure, helping to make it less expensive for organizations to deploy and easier for users to adopt.
Dekart has developed the following utilities for managing and deploying the smart cards or tokens used with Dekart applications:

1. Dekart Key Manager Utility can help determining the memory usage of the card, performing backups and duplicating the data stored on the hardware keys.

2. Key Formatting utility or Corporate Key formatting utility allows formatting the smart cards or tokens to be used with Dekart software.
What to consider before purchasing a smart card or USB token?

1. Define all of your anticipated present and future card usage requirements

2. Define the memory requirements for each certificate or application. Here is a sample of Smart Card memory usage:

· Free space – 5K

· Your custom application -1,5 K

· Smart Card logon certificate -2,5 K

· Smart card vendor applications – 8K

· Windows for Smart Cards Operating system -15K

3. Making a decision on which present and future applications are required. It is important to preview the future applications needed, as it is important to leave an extra storage space on the chip.

4. Test smart cards and smart card readers to verify compatibility before deploying them in your production environment.

In conclusion, there are few things important to understand:

1. It is important to remember that there are different types of hardware and software available for them.

2. It is suggested to understand specific needs of the buyer and the variety of existing products in order to make the best purchasing decision.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Most fingerprint safes are used for provided controlled access to weapons, ammunitions, jewelry and critical documents. All fingerprint safes typically have the following features:

• Registration of the fingerprints that can access and deletion of the same.
• Emergency lock or door open function.
• Power alarms if the battery is going to run out.
• Allows storage of 8-100 and even more authorized fingerprints.
• Retention of authorized fingerprints during events like power failure or battery drain

Fingerprint safes eliminate hassles like writing down passwords in a piece of paper only to lose them or the paper falling in wrong hands. Where human memory fails, the touch of a finger never fails! Also, most fingerprint safes are user-friendly devices. And since fingerprints are unique to the individual, they are certainly difficult to forge or replicate.

However, as in any technology, there are both optimists and skeptics. Critics claim that fingerprint safe isn’t Fort Knox! One can mould a real finger using gelatin or gummy bears or reproduce a print left on a glass. And the how-to-do manuals are to some extent accessible by watching the tele-series, “CSI”. Some state that fingerprint safes cannot be really safe as removing the authorized finger and using it for access is possible. Optimists claim that there are anti-spoofing technologies that can easily make out if the fingerprint was not cut off or cloned.

There are also a section of people who are concerned about the privacy issues related to fingerprint safes, especially in relation to the storage and handling of the digitized templates acquired by these biometric systems. If any unauthorized person gets his hands, great harm can be done. A skeptic stated that losing a fingerprint or a fingerprint being forged has greater risks than losing one’s Social Security Number. After all, the Social Security Number can be changed but a fingerprint cannot.

People who support biometric technology beg to demur. Their claim is that the data stored in the devices are not replications of the body parts but complex algorithms corresponding to unique features on a person’s fingertips, hands or face.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Confidentiality is ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to have access, regardless of where the information is stored or how it is accessed. Each employee within an organization has the responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of the information entrusted to them for job performance and this responsibility must be reinforced through awareness. An awareness training program should address at the minimum, the following confidentiality topics to ensure an acceptable level of knowledge is imparted upon organization employees.

a. Access Control

Access control is any mechanism used for controlling which resources a user can access and the tasks which can be performed with the accessed resources. Passwords and biometrics are two methods of access control that can be used individually or in combination to limited access to resources.

b. Passwords

Passwords and their safekeeping are a fundamental element of system and network security and are of key interest to hackers. An intruder in the organization’s physical area may check under keyboards and in drawers to find passwords that have been written down and then use it to gain access to private information. Password protection can be augmented by additional security measures such as smart cards and biometric identification systems. Employees need to be instructed on password creation and handling best practices.

c. Biometrics

Biometric technology can identify individuals based on the physical characteristics of human body parts. The primary biometric technologies in use are retina scanning, facial recognition, voice recognition, and fingerprint scanning. A sample is submitted by a user requesting access and compared to a database for a match with access permissions. Biometric information is difficult to duplicate and when used in conjunction other access methods such as passwords and badges creates a very good defense against unauthorized access to organizational resources.

d. Encryption

Encryption is any process that converts readable (plaintext) data into secret code (ciphertext) to prevent unauthorized disclosure of the information. It can be used in Internet transactions, e-mail, and wireless networking. An encryption algorithm is a mathematical procedure that scrambles information to make it unreadable to unauthorized parties. Encryption has become the foundation of securing networks, communications systems, and online transactions. Employees should utilize encryption whenever possible to ensure security.

e. Privacy

Privacy is the prevention of confidential or personal information from being viewed by unauthorized parties and the control over its collection, use, and distribution. The terms privacy and confidentiality can be used interchangeably. Maintenance of privacy is essential to prevent unauthorized disclosure which can lead to identity theft or other issues.

f. Ethics

Employees should be given clear instruction, via policy, on what the organization considers acceptable behavior and should also be informed of the processes in place for clarification of ethical concerns and for disclosure of unethical activities.

Data Integrity

Data Integrity is defined as safeguarding the accuracy and completeness of information and processing methods from intentional, unauthorized, or accidental changes. Maintaining data integrity is essential to the privacy, security, and reliability of business data. Integrity of data can be compromised by malicious users, hackers, software errors, computer virus infections, hardware component failures, and by human error in entering or transferring data. Mitigating data integrity risks can allow for rapid recovery of data. Employees can mitigate risk by regular data backups and off-site secure storage of backup media, integrity monitoring tools, and encryption.

a. Configuration Management

Configuration or change management is a process to introduce changes into an information technology environment. Change in an environment can introduce new vulnerabilities and by the process of configuration management changes can be implemented in a documented, systematic, monitored, and reversible manner. Formalized configuration management processes should be implemented by organizations and followed by employees.

b. Configuration Auditing

Configuration auditing involves the verification that only approved changes have been made to systems. Auditing also verifies that the configuration management procedures are adhered to by employees and that all settings are documented. Auditing to actively monitor systems and log changes for reconciliation with configuration management documentation can be performed either manually or automated with the use of specialized systems.

Availability

Availability is ensuring that authorized users have access to information and associated assets when required. This can be accomplished utilizing data backup plans, disaster recovery plans, and business continuity/recovery plans. Employees should be trained in their responsibilities as it relates to data backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity.

a. Data Backup Plan

Data backups are an essential part of information security and an organization must be able to restore data in the event of data corruption or hardware failure. Backups should be done on a regular basis and the frequency is dependent upon how much data an organization is willing to lose in the event of loss (Recovery Point Objective). The backup media should be stored in a secure location, possibly off-site, which is not exposed to the same hazards as the primary data. Backups should also be periodically restored to test systems to ensure that the process is functioning properly and within the specified time frame (Recovery Time Objective) before the need for the backup actually arises.

b. Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

A DRP is a plan that is used to recover quickly after a disaster with a minimum of impact to the organization. DR planning should be part of the initial stage of implementing IT systems. DR plans are developed in response to risk assessments and designed to mitigate those risks. Risk assessments determine the frequency and extent of potential disasters; this will allow an organization to decide which technologies to implement to achieve an appropriate level of recovery. External audits can be valuable to discover deficiencies, although an organization’s DRP can never be fully tested until a disaster actually occurs.

c. Business Continuity Plan or Business Resumption Plan

The business continuity plan (BCP), sometimes called a business resumption plan (BRP), is an essential part of a disaster recovery plan. This is a plan that details, step-by-step, how to continue or quickly resume normal business after a disaster occurs in a methodical manner. The BCP must also identify employees responsible for implementing the various plan components and these employees should receive clear instruction on their responsibilities in the event of a disaster. The plan must be revised regularly to ensure that any changes to business processes are reflected in the BCP.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Locksmiths incorporate the skills of a carpenter, mechanic, machinist and security expert during the course of their work. There is a subset of locksmith skills that has always garnered a great deal of interest from the public at large: defeating locks! Locksmiths study how various locking devices work and, through that study, they learn how to defeat those locking mechanisms. These are the most closely-guarded trade secrets among locksmiths. The knowledge possessed by even apprentice locksmiths is enough to defeat most common security measures. For this reason, locksmiths are typically rigorously screened by their mentors before they’re offered an apprenticeship.

Locksmiths are somewhat defined by the clients for whom they work. Their specific skills, depending on their market, can vary greatly. Those locksmiths who specialize in residential service often spend a great deal of their time outfitting new construction with locking hardware and repairing and replacing aged and broken systems. Most residential locksmiths also offer at least some light automotive locksmithing services including cutting new keys and opening locked doors.

Commercial locksmiths provide their skills principally to corporate and government clients. Today’s commercial locksmiths are oftentimes trained and experienced in dealing with sophisticated electronic equipment. Those who specialize in electronic security are often employed maintaining large facilities where security is a great concern.

Among the most respected of locksmiths are those who work on safes. The locksmithing skills required working with safes and vaults take many years of study to master. These locksmiths are often called in when a safe, for some reason, is rendered unable to open. These individuals with skilled trades, given enough time, are able to open most any device without damaging the contents. Sometimes, they’re able to “crack” a safe without damaging the locking mechanism, as well. This skill doesn’t at all resemble the way it’s portrayed in films. Mastering the art of safe cracking requires knowledge of many different safes, metallurgy, the operation of very powerful and complex drilling equipment, electronic devices and much more.

Many locksmiths are self-employed and lead a very independent existence. Because the skill is so specialized, there are few opportunities for “staff” locksmiths. These independent locksmiths often work odd hours, opening doors in the middle of the night for stranded homeowners and drivers, as well as installing security systems during the hours when buildings are being used the least.

Locksmiths are required to obtain different types of licensing, depending on where they work. Locksmiths are also traditionally “bonded” which is a legal means of assuring their trustworthiness to their clients. Traditionally, locksmiths undergo an apprenticeship though many have received training through an employer or by attending a school specific to the trade.

Although a locksmith’s job seems very exciting and appealing to most people, there is a lot of skill, education, and experience involved.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

1. The number of passengers is increasing yearly which means that older airports and some of the smaller airports are experiencing strains on their infrastructure. The airports may not have been designed to cope with anything like the number of passengers it is seeing.

2. There are a large number of employees especially at the bigger, or busier airports. These include flight staff, car park staff, retail staff, and more. Managing the whereabouts of all these staff, and making sure that they don’t access areas they are not supposed to, and that the person with the swipe card or access code number is the right person, is not easy.

3. Identifying staff, and using a metal detector, x ray machine and physical patting by security staff can also be frustrating for staff who regularly need to access several different parts of the airport.

4. This method is also time consuming and intrusive, and can make employees feel like they are under suspicion every time they move from one area of the airport to another, as they have to stop and be physically checked.

5. By using stolen cards or PIN numbers forced out of employees, it is possible to fool humans and gain access means to areas that should not be accessed.

6. Airport security is currently a very highly labour intensive job. Using security guards to patrol areas, check staff and passengers, and look out for any suspicious activity, makes the cost of airport security very high. Introducing modern technology, such as facial recognition and biometrics, can make security much more cost effective.

7. Technology, such as biometric access control systems, helps the movement of non-passengers from landside to restricted zones, and makes sure that only the authorised people are granted access.

8. Biometrics can also be used to perform a volumetric check, to make sure that only one person at a time is identified. This ensures that if staff are coerced into gaining access for non-authorised staff, the attempt will be unsuccessful.

9. Using new technology will mean that far fewer security staff needed for staff identification and verification, which allows security staff to focus on other areas of airport security that technology can’t yet monitor.

10. Improved security leads to a much quicker and more effective transit through the airport. This means that the airport can provide a much better service for passengers, and better working environment for staff.

Now you know more about airport security, and how and why it needs to improve, why not think how some of these measures could make your workplace more efficient and more secure?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

When it comes to making a decision about outsourcing your data, there is more to consider than just bandwidth, space and cost. Choosing a site that will house your equipment in a safe, secure environment that has temperature and humidity control, reliable power and uninterrupted access is critical to the needs of your business.

We encourage you to be proactive when it comes to keeping your important data safe and secure. Chances are, you are considering colocation due to the high costs associated with downtime. After having spent a considerable amount of time and money building your organization, why risk it all? Your critical data and documents should be protected from risk, disaster or a disruption in service that can lead to downtime and potential loss.

Use the following tips as a guideline for choosing the right colocation site:

Choose a location that is risk free. A colocation site should be geographically and environmentally free from the threat of natural and/or man-made disasters. Settings known to be free from natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, coastal flooding and tornadoes are best. You should also assess the risk of man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks, riots or explosions due to high-profile mega city politics and economics.

Choose a location with a dependable infrastructure. The utilities that power a data center site should be equipped to provide 100% reliability in service. Make sure the facility has enough power to meet your organization’s current and future requirements. A reliable colocation site will have power conditioners and surge suppressors on all incoming power lines, all of which are backed by generators that can keep the entire facility running in case of long-lasting blackouts. Water used to regulate temperature should be available from more than one source.

Choose a location that is physically secure. Secure data centers prevent unauthorized access by monitoring the premises with security mechanisms like biometric access control systems and CCTV cameras both in and outside of the building. A 24-hour staff that is available seven days a week can also be critical to providing impenetrable security. State-of-the-art fire detection and suppression systems, and temperature and humidity monitoring systems should be in place.

Choose a location with a disaster recovery plan. All colocation facilities should have a disaster recovery plan that ensures clients complete business continuity. Office space can be made available or pre-designated for your IT support staff and/or disaster recovery team in case of an emergency. In addition, operational staff should be available and onsite 24/7/365.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Biometrics can be described as the use of unique parts of the body for identification purposes. Different body parts can be used, but the most well known use of biometrics is probably fingerprints. As fingerprints are distinctive, they can be used to identify an individual.

There are two types of biometrics, physiological and behavioral. Physiological refers to a part of the body, such as a fingerprint, whereas behavioral, as the term suggests, refers to a person’s behaviour, such as the way they walk or talk.

Face recognition technology looks at an image of a person’s face, and then analyses it, using many difference reference points, such as the distance between the eyes and the shape of the cheekbones. This image and data is stored in a database, and when a person is seen by a camera, the software will check to see if the person is in the database. Depending on the scenario, the software could be used to trigger an alert if the person is or isn’t in the database. For example, a known football hooligan could be in the database which would trigger an alert, whilst somebody trying to gain unauthorised access to a building is unlikely to be in the database.

Iris recognition isn’t a modern idea. It was originally suggested during the 1930s, but it took until the 1980s for it to become a viable form of identification. Using the iris recognition for security purposes is a good idea, as there are over 200 reference points that can be used for recognition purposes.

Hand recognition can be used, but isn’t as reliable and conclusive as other security methods. This is because the human hand isn’t unique, meaning the different people could have the same hand patterns. Hand recognition can be combined with other security methods, such as ID cards.

Using a person’s unique features for security purposes is an almost guaranteed method of ensuring that the right people are in the right place at the right time. In a busy environment like an airport, it is important for staff to be able to access the places and areas of the airport they need to access, in order to do their jobs, but it is also important that those people who shouldn’t have access to certain places can’t get in.

By using biometric access control methods, security personnel can be deployed elsewhere, and don’t have to be present at all times where and when staff enter or exit the building or the restricted area.

Could your company or building make use of biometrics to improve the safety and security of your staff and customers?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Biometric technology is probably the most exciting development. This technology reads information from a person’s body, such as their retina, fingerprint, hand shape or even their face and provides access based upon that information matching that of an authorized individual. This technology is still very expensive, though some fingerprint recognition technology is now available on laptop computers. Generally, the lower the price on this technology the less reliable it is. For a residential application, it still constitutes a bit of overkill.

Coded locks allow homeowners to forego the use of keys when entering their home. Most of these devices have a key backup system should the electronics fail. These devices are handy but do have some inherent liabilities. For instance, if one’s code happens to be 2-4-6-5, a thief can oftentimes determine this by looking at the dirt from repeated usage on the number pad. While they still will have a lot of combinations to try, luck does not always favor the just. Coded locks are interesting, to be sure, but offer little improvement beyond that provided by a keyed lock.

One must also consider the costs of an emergency. If a locksmith must gain entry and the hardware has failed, this oftentimes means drilling the lock or otherwise destroying the security hardware, in a way that does not destroy the door, to gain access. If one has spend hundreds of dollars on state-of-the-art locking technology, the costs of such an emergency could easily be very high. A simple deadbolt and key-in-knob lock can usually be replaced for under $100. Given the long history of usage of these devices and the fact that their mechanical technology is equally impressive when compared to the electronic technology of more advanced security devices, the world of spy movie type security is more of an emerging reality than a currently practical one.

One electronic device that does provide excellent security is the monitored alarm. Alarm technology has been in use since the 1800’s which has given installers enough history of playing cat-and-mouse with thieves to know how to apply their technology in ways that confound the efforts of even the most skilled burglars. This technology is oftentimes very cutting edge, using motion sensors, integrating fire and freeze detectors and so forth, while remaining established enough to provide reliability. Alarm technology is maintained by professionals, taking the guesswork out of the system, and ensuring that the hardware used is up to professional level applications. Compared to installing the latest-greatest gadgets for home security, it is more reliable and cost-effective.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

What if I told you that human error was more responsible for data breaches in 2008 than hacking? What if I told you that hacking was third on the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) categorized list of data loss methods? The reality is that cyber security is a people problem first and a technology problem second.

More Awareness, Less Reliance
I’ve come to a remarkable, if not depressing realization in my information technology career. Over the last 20 years of consulting, I’ve visited scores of clients in hundreds of facilities and I can easily count the number of times I was ever given any sort of cyber security orientation – exactly once. I’ve walked into propped-open back doors of more manufacturing facilities than you can shake a stick at, and more often than not waltzed right up to a machine control panel, hooked up my laptop, and started pounding away at the keyboard while smiling and waving at trusting operators I had never before met in my life. The realization is this; the vast majority of companies, large and small alike, is completely oblivious to the weakest link in the security chain; people.

The misperception that cyber security is all about technology is a serious mistake that is made by both small and large businesses. The small businesses often believe that they are not sophisticated enough to employ their own cyber security programs and, therefore, either ignore it altogether or simply outsource it to an IT subcontractor. The large businesses spend millions of dollars on intrusion prevention systems, biometric security, and other sophisticated technological countermeasures.

Hopefully by now I’ve made the point that cyber security is about much more than firewalls, Trojans, and keyboard loggers. So without further delay, here is a list of five no-cost practices every organization can implement that will go a long way toward securing their data.

Use Passwords, Use Them Well
OK, show of hands… how many of you are rolling your eyes? It sounds obvious, but password laziness and ignorance is still the number one vulnerability for computer systems. I understand how painful it is these days to maintain all of the user names and passwords in our lives these days. However, it is the world we live in and we must accept it and follow these bare minimum password practices:

* No shared passwords: This is especially common in process automation where there are many users of the same machine. Everyone must have their own unique user name and password.
* Complex passwords: Use combinations of letters and numbers, preferably composed of one or more words that are not in the dictionary. Why? Read this article about Dictionary Attacks.
* Change passwords: This is probably the most annoying of these three practices, and I confess that it aggravates me to have to do. However, changing passwords periodically is one of the best ways to prevent misuse of a password that is unknowingly (or even deliberately) disclosed.

Utilize Automatic Updates
Unpatched operating systems and out of date virus definitions are like the gimpy prey of a flock; they are the first to be targeted by the hunter. Many computer viruses and other exploits rely on software vulnerabilities that are typically patched within days or weeks. However, it is not at all unusual for me to see network servers out of date by more than a year. Another common problem is for antivirus subscriptions to expire, preventing the virus definitions from updating.

Clean House
Every program loaded on a computer is a potential vulnerability. The fewer of them there are, the better. A typical Windows PC has loads of “crap-ware” installed on them that can and should be removed using the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel. Additionally, there are Windows Components (e.g. Messenger, Media Player) that should be removed if not used. Finally, there are usually Windows Services running by default that are not used. This particular cleanup is generally left to computer professionals, as it is not always obvious which of these is required and disabling the wrong service can lead to “unexpected behavior.”

Create Policies
There are many reasons for establishing written computer and internet policies for employees. One, of course, is legal liability for the employer. The other is (or at least should be) educational. It’s not enough to write up these policies; they need to be presented and explained in an open environment to ensure that they are understood and appreciated. These policies go far beyond telling users they can’t surf porn on the company’s computers. They need to include things like proper care and usage of portable storage devices, remote access procedures and policies, e-mail policies, etc…

Protect Sensitive Information
Insiders and subcontractors are another major vulnerability and care must be taken to provide information necessary for them to do their jobs, but no more. This is especially true of subcontractors, of which I am one, who are frequently given and/or create sensitive documents, diagrams, lists, and other data. It is important to establish guidelines for its use to ensure that the information is handled with care and returned or disposed of when the job is complete. As incredible as it sounds, a subcontractor published a complete schematic of Pearl Harbor Naval Base’s power monitoring control system in a white paper available publically on the Internet (I just checked and the information has apparently been removed).

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

How? By using proven tools and methods to effectively overcome the challenges that come with subcontractors.>

Were you aware of the shift in the dynamics of construction projects in recent years? Perhaps you already understand that most main contractors, instead of undertaking to do most of the work themselves, have become more like managing contractors – something akin to project management companies.

Think about it: Is it not unusual for a main contractor to have 5 to 10 salaried employees on site overseeing multiple contractors with 500+ operatives? Of course, this approach provides benefits to main contractors, including:

•You don’t have to deal with industrial relations issues.
•You don’t have to deal with own labour variables by paying the subcontractor a fixed price for work.
•You can deliver quality as a result of using skilled specialists (e.g., groundworks, mainframe, mechanical and electrical).

Unfortunately, this approach also brings the main contractor challenges, including:

•Managing subcontractor attendance on site.
•Managing subcontractor health & safety.
•Managing and sharing project documentation.
•Dealing with subcontractor “claims” for additional payment due to unforeseen project issues.

You may be wondering how you can overcome these challenges or deal with them more effectively. And that’s a good thing to wonder… and to wonder what is important about that… what difference will it make when you do overcome these challenges and deal with them more effectively? How valuable would that difference be to you?

You’ll be happy to know that recent technology gives you what you need to overcome and effectively deal with each of the challenges listed above. I wonder if you can imagine how much more you can focus on the project at hand (and not on managing endless folders of raw data) once you have put the right technology to work for you. If this appeals to you, you’ll want to know about the two key technological developments as well as the solutions they offer.

Two Key Technological Developments:

1)Broadband Availability – Over the years as broadband coverage has grown and continues to grow significantly, so has your ability to have internet (datacards, wireless and satellite broadband) access on site.

2)Internet as a Shared Network – Not only can the internet be used in the same way as a traditional internal network drive, it also has the ability to be used by multiple organisations in uploading and sharing and viewing data in a secure environment. (And any part of it you want to be protected can be easily with a password.)

Solutions Available to You Now:

1)Managing Subcontractor Attendance – Solutions include, swipe/prox-imity cards, key fobs, finger, palm and facial biometrics. Biometrics improves the integrity of attendance information on site by eliminating “buddy punching”. You can also take advantage of mobile enabled biometric solutions which operate free from telephone lines or broadband. On site from day one these “plug-n-play” options provide you with a robust solution. Couple this with advancements in web-based technology and it’s possible to view attendance by operatives / by organisation / by site in real time from any internet-accessible location. This transparent view of hours worked by subcontractor organisation gives you more accurate information (re: contractor claims, future project pricing, etc.) as well as a live register of who is on site in the event of an evacuation.

2)Managing Subcontractor Health & Safety – If you’re a managing contractor then you already know that one of your biggest challenges is accurately tracking subcontractor Health & Safety documentation across multiple sites! The type of information that needs to be tracked includes:

•Company Health & Safety statement
•Employers Liability Insurance
•Public Liability Insurance
•Site specific risk assessments
•Site specific method statements
•Operative skills (e.g. CSCS cards)

Web-based technology allows subcontractors to upload required documentation remotely into a project through username/password access. The main contractor can easily track subcontractor organisations and retrieve any outstanding information.

2)Managing Subcontractor Project Documentation> – The contract team can share documentation securely online. Features such as version control, controlled access by organisation etc., ensure that information can be shared easily among all selected organisations meaning that the most accurate information is viewable at all times. By taking the decision to set up a system (see #1 above) you get an accurate point of reference to support claims for additional payments, stage payments or resources disputes across sites.

If you read the last article, you’ll already have a good idea of just how much time and money you can save by choosing to increase your efficiency. Why is that? Because this puts control of the project firmly back in the hands of the main contractor – back in your hands where it belongs – improving your effectiveness, overall efficiency, allowing more time to be spent on valuable activities rather than administration-based activity.

What would you do with extra time? Extra money? Less stress and hassle?

Now that you are aware that ~

•subcontractors can be managed more efficiently and accurately
•the technology is available to you
•the technology is proven in the construction sector

With increasing competition pushing down pricing, when now would be a good time to… increase project and contract team efficiency… deliver excellent projects with time savings… increase your profitability…

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. In future articles we will deal with subjects concerning time leakage, health & safety, traceability, budgeting and cost management.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

That would be a loss of €120,000 per year, not to mention the opportunity cost of 4,800 billable hours that you could have billed elsewhere. If you then add to this the time taken by the foreman and administrator managing timesheets, it’s hard not to agree that – for every 100 workers – you could be losing more than €150,000 through time leakage!. This equates to >2.5% of the annual labour cost. In an industry where there is often a 50/50 split between labour/materials and where net margins average 5%, 2.5% saving on labour would add 1.25% to your nett margin.

I’m not going to tell you that you can save that much or more – only you know how the figures add up for you, but I wonder what happens when you imagine yourself saving a small fortune?

TIME LEAKAGE – MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN

Let’s take a quick look at what time leakage is and how it happens. Time leakage is jargon for ‘time lost’, and there are many factors that contribute to it, including:

• Manually filling out time sheets

• Faulty short-term memory – when filling out a timesheet at the end of the week. People’s memories seem to err on the side of additional time

• Foreman review and sign off of timesheets

• Transport of timesheets to head office from remote sites

• Administrators -

- entering time into payroll systems

- reviewing timesheets

- calling individuals and foreman to validate before finally signing off

• Reconciling timesheets with trips to the dentist, sick time, holidays and other absences

• Time recorded on site but not actually spent on the site

I wonder if you are a main contractor with many sub-contractors on a site and whether some of the causes of time leakage may currently be beyond your control. Or, if you’re a sub-contractor, how some of these problems may be beyond your control as it may be that you don’t always have your own foreman on site or you can’t spend time on the site yourself as you have too many sites.

In either case, considerable amounts of money leak away with lost labour time.

In an environment where people and sites are transient, it’s fair to ask:

• Can this problem be solved?

• How can I solve this problem?

• How do I stop the leakage and save money?

When you think about it, it becomes clear that a solution would have to include the following capabilities -

• Accurately track people entering and leaving sites

• Cater for sites of all sizes

• Communicate with head office automatically

• Track clock-ins – in real time

• Integrate data to payroll systems

• Be reliable, robust and scalable

Surely, the technology exists… so why is providing this solution still such a challenge in the construction industry? Primarily for this reason: One size does not fit all.

At least, not until now.

Consider this: A business may be characterised by small numbers of people (1 to 5) going to many customer sites or by large numbers of people working on small number of sites. A business may have small sites or large sites. You may be a subcontractor or a main contractor that simply wants to control labour costs, or you could be a project management company tasked with controlling labour costs. You get the picture.

And you may already be aware that, thanks to advances in technology, all these disparate requirements can now be solved with a single solution.

YOU CAN CONTROL LABOUR COSTS ON CONSTRUCTION NOW

Experience shows that the key to how you can accomplish this is the front-end flexibility that allows multiple and differing requirements to be integrated to a single back-end application. And what if it also provided both main contractors and sub-contractors a single solution while still allowing you to be in control of your own labour data?

I’m not going to say that when you have the ability to gather (in multiple ways) accurate data in the field that integrates the information with the head office, you have the problem solved, because you’ll know that when you experience the savings for yourself.

• Large and small sites scan in using biometric devices that return data to the application in real time over the Internet or over the mobile network. No phone lines or broadband required. Such hardware can be easily moved from site to site.

• Individuals travelling to multiple sites can clock-in using IVR (Interactive voice response) or using their mobile device.

Because each method communicates with a central system at head office (ideally a web-based solution that is visible securely anywhere you have internet access), which means that head office gets a complete, real-time, integrated solution that gives you control to end labour leakage, you can start saving a small fortune.

As technology advances you will see the construction industry change, and while some companies will wait until forced to change to stay in the game, others will take advantage of the opportunity to evolve, to get the competitive edge now and put an end to ‘wasted time’.

Because this solution has only recently become possible – with the convergence of improvements in biometric technologies, mobile networks, voice over the internet, functional mobile devices, and the desire to cut costs – you may want to speak with people like you who are already enjoying the savings before you decide to arrange for an audit and discover how much you can save.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

They’d have to do the same thing when the whistle blew at the end of the day. In between, who was keeping track of lunch and bathroom beaks? Scenes in such movies as “Norma Jean” come to mind, where a surly shop foreman would rule the workers with an iron hand. Then again, films from the twenties and thirties, also show less oppressive working conditions. Corporate women, dressed for success, sing out a cheery good morning as they file past their boss.

Just think of all the time spent dipping pens in ink, methodically filling in charts, and keeping stacks of ledger books safe and accessible. Everything to do with employee management was done by hand including payroll, absences, and government data. Imagine the labor involved adding up those endless columns and the enormous potential for error.

A less labor intensive method of managing the comings and goings of workers was sorely needed, and in 1888 it happened. A jeweler named William Bundy, from Auburn, New York, designed and manufactured the very first employee time recorder.

His employee time clock was a success, and William teamed up with his brother Harlow to form the Bundy Manufacturing Company. They began churning out time clocks for a rapidly expanding market. Eventually they joined forces with two other time equipment companies to form International Time Recorders (ITR). ITR was the selling agent for Bundy Manufacturing.

The time clock would stamp data onto a time card. The time cards were printed with boxes indicating time in and time out. An employee would simply line up the markings in the proper spot, insert the time card, and press down on a lever. A hammer mechanism would strike an inked ribbon, imprinting the date and time onto the clock card. This way a timekeeper had an official record of the hours an employee worked in order to calculate the proper pay.

In 1911, ITR and two other companies merged into Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR), which would later become IBM. In 1958, the Time Equipment Division of IBM was sold to the Simplex Time Recorder Company.

In the late 1970’s, Kronos Incorporated developed a way for a punch card system to be linked to a microprocessor. Then in the 1990’s, the real move to computer based electronic time tracking began. These systems enabled an employee to enter an ID number, or swipe a magnetic stripe card, which identified the employee to the system. Then the worker could enter whatever information that needed to be recorded, such as punch in, punch out, lunch break, or leaving early. There was even room to insert a reason for skipping out early.

These days, Biometric time clocks are the industry standard, using technology that seems right out of Star Trek. A person’s biological attributes are used to identify them to the system, using a hand print, fingerprint, or even a retina scan. Biometrics make it impossible for a worker to sign in for a friend who is late or absent.

There are three basic access methods that an employee can use to enter the workplace that has a biometric time clock in place. The Identification method utilizes a person’s fingerprint that is stored as an algorithm. When the finger is pressed, the system searches to find the stored fingerprint template that matches the pressing. In the Verification method, a person swipes a card or enters a PIN as identification. Information is then scanned and checked against the stored data. This method is faster than the Identification method. Finally,there is the Smart Card which contains the individual’s fingerprint template within an electronic chip on the card. In this way personal data is not stored in the company’s computer system, only on the card.

The Biometric time clock system makes it possible to completely control access to buildings as well as simply monitoring employees. No one gets in unless they are recognized by the system. Records are retained showing all entries granted and even any that are rejected. Multiple entry points can be integrated as well. In the event of a fire, a report can be printed out, accessed on a computer, or sent to a remote site. Imagine being able to verify that all persons have exited the premises. What a boon to the fire fighting officials.

It’s been quite a ride from the handwritten ledgers of yesteryear to the amazing space age biometric clock technology of today. Big brother is definitely watching.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

In attendance recording system, an employee has to press his or her thumb on the small machine fixed on a wall to record their attendance. The impression of the thumb matches with the one already stored in a computer, and this enters his or her attendance. Some employees use identifying cards to punch in and out. Time and attendance recording systems lets the employees enter their own information directly into the system, including flex-time hours, vacation time, and sick day information.

By using attendance recording system you can make the attendance sheet into self-service attendance machine. Time and attendance recording machine has the following advantages : saves time and there is no need to manually take the attendance, provides authentication, eliminates errors, promotes employee self-service, manages and controls absenteeism, there is no way to check off someone else’s name by mistake. You also have the additional benefit of not having to issue cards, or replace lost ones. They can also cut down on time theft, buddy punching, extended lunches, and other time tracking problems. The systems reduce potential mistakes automatically by transferring information between company systems.

Time and attendance systems often have a Web version of the employee module, which allows workers to enter their time using a Web browser. Its flexible design runs on both PCs under Windows and UNIX workstations. Most systems are compatible with over 20 databases including Ingres, Sybase, and Oracle, and run on all major network environments, thus, providing instant access to all time and attendance functions. Time and attendance systems help companies to reduce and control costs by permitting employees to access non-critical information in a simple, secure, and safe manner. Most systems are Web-enabled and are integrated with current Internet technology.

Whether it involves the calculation of overtime, variable or flexible work hours, or exchanging data from and to other applications, like payroll- or human resource systems, time and attendance recording system offers a complete and flexible solution. Employee time and attendance machines range in cost from less to very high cost. The requirement depends upon the number of employees to monitor, the number of locations to track, and the information reporting requirements. There are several time attendance equipments available in the market and some are manufactured as per the requirements of the particular organization.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

We are living in an era where problematic intruders are getting armed with more and more bold technology. But the advancement of technology is an incessant process. As we plunge into the times where the camouflage, which the burglars use, can no longer escape the eyes of wide-awake modern security system, there’s no reason why we cannot live with unruffled minds.

Biometrics is a form of access control. It is a method, which is used for recognizing humans based on one or more intrinsic physical or behavioural traits. It may also be used to establish the identity of individuals in groups that are under surveillance.

The two main classes of biometric characteristics are mentioned as follows:

1. Behavioural: As the name suggests, they are related to the behaviour of a person. For instance, an individual’s typing rhythm, gait and voice.
2. Physiological: They are related to the shape and structure of the body. Examples are face recognition, fingerprint, DNA, hand and palm geometry and body odour.

What’s a Face Recognition System?

Face recognition system is one of the physiological biometrics, which is used as one of the additional and mass security measure. It’s a computer program or an application which identifies a person from a digital image or a video frame from a source.

How it works?

The ability to differentiate between the background and the face is of high significance in a facial recognition system as this enables the system to identify a face within a crowd. Every face has numerous and distinguishable landmarks, the different peaks and valleys that add to the facial features. The person’s facial features are compared, by the system, with those of the one stored in the database. The system makes use of the eighty nodes or nodal points, comprising the face print. These nodal points are measured creating a numerical code that represents the face in the database. Some of them measured by the system are as follows:

1. Depth of the eye sockets
2. Width of the nose
3. Distance between the eyes
4. The length of the jaw line
5. The shape of the cheekbones

Face recognition system is now compatible with cameras and is in use in airports as well as banks. The incredible potential which a modern facial recognition system possesses doesn’t deter the manufacturers from striving to enhance the usability and accuracy of the systems.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Door entry systems can be defined as electronic or mechanical systems that control access to a property: as such, they can also be called door security systems or door access systems. Though in the past they have been most commonly installed by large companies or in large-scale residential developments, advances in technology have combined with increased efficiency in mass production methods to ensure that even a homeowner with a modest income can implement some form of door entry system, resulting in an ability to control access to his or her property, and therefore an increased feeling of safety.

As has been indicated, a door entry system can be installed in buildings or building complexes of various sizes. Simplest are the intercom systems that can be installed to protect single properties: these allow the individual homeowner to permit access after either talking to the visitor through an intercom, viewing them via a video screen, or a combination of the two. Next up the scale, low rise systems are appropriate for low rise blocks of domestic properties, or for medium sized company buildings with a number of entry points or offices. Finally, high rise systems are complex systems that allow access control for full-scale high rise housing developments and also large company buildings with multiple offices and entry points, or even sites with a number of company buildings in close proximity to each other.

No matter what size of property is being protected, there are a number of types of door entry system that may be installed. The most basic is a simple intercom system: this allows the resident to talk to the visitor though an intercom. Video entry systems are an extension of intercom systems which add the functionality of allowing the resident to observe the visitor, via a handily placed video screen.

For large organisations, keycard or keypad systems may be more appropriate as they allow more independence for the visitor: rather than relying on the resident to grant entry, access may be gained by punching a number into a keypad or swiping a card through a card reader. Not only does this leave the resident free to do other things rather than monitor access, the latter especially can allow varying levels of access, granting entry to some parts of a building but denying it to others. In this way different groups of visitors or employees can be controlled in their movement throughout a building with a minimum of fuss.

A new development in this field is the increased implementation of proximity sensors. Instead of remembering a code or carrying a keycard, visitors simply carry an object that grants access. When the visitor or employee comes close to the proximity sensor, it automatically detects the object being carried and opens the door. This method is especially useful in loading bays where it is desirable that drivers can gain access without leaving their vehicles, for instance in high security areas or in extreme environments.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Fingerprint Reader – A Boon to Earth:

To come up with a better feedback in the corporate world in terms of employee management, the finger printing technology has been developed. As soon as it entered into the market, it got publicized into a large extent. Within a very small period of time it targeted the global market.
How Are You Secured?

Any place where fingerprint reader is used for authentication purpose will have a small device which can be hung up anywhere. It consists of a small fibrous box with a sensor on top of the box which is sensitive to touch.

When a person touches the sensor for the first time it records the features that are important. Next time whenever the same person touches the sensor; the machine checks whether the person is an old or a new one. If he is the old one then permission is granted to access the resources otherwise it denies it. In case of denial, the person would not be able to access the requested resources.
It can be connected to the PC so that when a person will touch the sensor the details of that specific individual can easily be retrieved or if an individual is registering himself for the first time, his submitted details can get stored into the computer.

Areas Focused Towards Fingerprint Reader:

1) The foremost usage of fingerprint reader is in organization, corporate houses, and schools. Here this device is used to keep track of number of employees and students or teachers coming and going around the whole premise. As everyone’s clock timings are not universal therefore this fingerprint reader is associated with a digital clock that gives appropriate timings about the entrance and the departure of employees.

2) In hospitals, to mark the entry of patients, doctors etc. and also to keep track of the total number of leaves taken by the official employees, this system is used.

3) Apart from these, this technology is also used in access control. If a person is not allowed to use a resource or to enter a particular place then when touched the glass screen it will not grant the permission to enter into the restricted area.

The Other Side of the Coin:

Every coin has two sides. Since it is based on touch technology therefore it is sensitive towards metals. If it is punched by any metallic device then it would get hampered. In that case it would not be in a position to work on its usual way and would not be able to provide full security.

Famous Five:

1) It can be purchased at a very cost effective rate.

2) Due to its small size and shape it can be transferred easily in different places.

3) Low cost and higher security makes it unique.

4) It can be used for the criminal detection to check the crime rate.

5) Due to the above stated features it is very easily available in the market.

Thus, fingerprint reader is growing at a faster rate in the global market in order to provide security at a larger extent and securing home and other places in a way that has never been thought before.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If you are going to use the lock for exterior doors, such as the front door, garage door or patio door, look for a deadbolt for higher level of security. For the front door, choose one with a handleset that adds another design element to the overall appearance of the lock and the door.

Choose handlesets that are 100-percent solid forged and feature a rugged all-metal chassis for high level of security.

For side and back doors, a keyed knob or deadbolt lock is ideal.

Additionally, choose a finish that matches your door or décor. There are a lot of available finishes such as bright bass, satin nickel, antique brass, aged bronze and bright chrome.

If you are looking for locks for your interior doors, choose locks that are easy to operate and that match your home décor.

The following three biometric locks illustrate the three types of available biometric locks: deadbolt, latch and mortise locks. They differ in the depth of their installation and the operation of the locking systems. All of these are available in designs that match most doors.

1Touch XK Keyless Biometric Mortise Lock

With this mortise lock, you can enroll up to 99 users, guests and administrators and then set guest codes to automatic deletion on a certain time and date. It is a commercial-grade mortise lock with deadbolt and its optical sensor is protected from the elements with a sliding cover. Upon lifting the sliding cover, you will activate the fingerprint scanner. This lock and other biometric locks are available at axxisbiometrics.com.

1Touch Gold Biometric Tubular Latch Fingerprint Door Lock

This power-using lock, also available at axxisbiometrics.com, is one of Axxis biometric fingerprint door locks that use a sliding cover that acts as protection for the sensor and the lock and acts as a switch to turn on the digital scanner to accept your fingerprint and grant entry. It also offers pin code access and override key options.

Axxis Biometrics BD1-HS Biometric Fingerprint Deadbolt

This is the Axxis lock rated by Good Housekeeping as one of its best biometric door locks. It incorporates an enhanced motor, an ANSI Grade 1-rated deadbolt and a keyway resistant to bumping, picking or drilling. Just like other Axxis biometric locks, the sensor is also protected with a sliding cover. Other Axxis models have remote control devices.

To enable you to focus on looking at lock style and finish, look for lock brands that have proven performance through the years. These brands have experience, research and technology that back the quality of their biometric door locks.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Smart cards are also being used in the rapidly developing arena of identity management. Identity management’s goal is to uniquely identify an individual. It becomes most important when one is identifying an individual within a system as a means to control their access to resources or establishing their rights or limitations within the system.

Here are 8 ways smart cards – especially biometric smart cards – can restore trust, reduce costs and increase quality in health care.

1. Keeps the Genie in the bottle.

As more and more medical information is digitized and available electronically, the risk for data breaches increases. Intentional or accidental breaches of electronic medical data can cross the globe within seconds. Unlike banking and credit records where losses are generally capped by law or contract, once medical information is breached it can’t be undone. In short, since you can’t put the genie back in the bottle, smart cards provide a more secure method to store or access data.

2. With medical data increasingly becoming digitized, robust security is needed to keep it from unintentionally flying across the internet.

Once medical information is “out there” it can’t be undone, as a number of celebrities have discovered. Smart cards lock down these data bases providing encryption and secure transmission. The encryption and enhanced security, especially with biometric authentication, allows access only to identified and approved users.

Moreover, as information is organized through electronic health records and other systems, more information is more easily accessed. So, if a breach occurs, it’s likely that a lot of information is exposed. Smart cards can be used to ensure that data is accessed only by authorized persons. The card also allows for pre-defined and assigned roles so sensitive data can be seen or acted upon on a “need to” basis.

3. Smart cards can provide speedy access to data when confronted with hurricanes like hurricane Katrina as well as other disasters.

Disasters have shown that medical information needs to be accessible. In the case of hurricane Katrina, medical records stored at hospitals and doctors’ offices were lost. People who escaped the disaster area had little or no means to access prescription drug or other medical information.

A smart card tied to a person’s health information allows access to medical information anywhere there’s a computer with a smart card slot. By using the smart card, with a password and user name or a biometric identifier, the medical records can be securely linked to the identification of the person seeking the information.

4. Provides access to data based on roles and responsibilities.

One of the problems identified in disaster relief efforts was that there was no sure way to verify that someone arriving to help was the expert or professional they professed to be. But, a smart card can either store a person’s credentials and permissions or be used to access a data base with this information.

5. Overcomes the vulnerability of passwords and the shortcuts people use to deal with passwords.

Most access to data, software, financial and other information relies on user names and passwords. Secure passwords should be at least eight characters with upper and lower case and symbols. Most people use passwords that are much simpler and then they keep a list or put them on “sticky notes.” Smart cards provide at least another factor of authentication by requiring that someone have the card and the password or the card and the biometric identifier for more security.

Reissuing passwords and technical support related to passwords is costly for every business. Resetting passwords costs between $10 and $40. A Siemens study estimated that a password related call averages $25 and an enterprise of 2,000 will see costs of as much as $152,620 per year for this purpose alone.

6. Ability to readily distinguish among every Nancy Smith.

When matching up records, the most common identifier is name. Since names are not unique, records can be easily misfiled. Even when additional identifiers are used, such as date of birth, social security number and the like, filing errors are commonplace. One study found that the cost of correcting a medical record averages $20 to $100 per duplicate. Hospitals spend thousands of dollars each year cleaning out duplicate records.

The registration process is a critical component in correctly identifying records. Of the errors leading to pending and denied claims up to 70% are attributable to the registration process. A biometric identification card at registration uniquely identifies a patient and eliminates this initial problem leading to fewer administrative headaches.

7. Prevent fraud caused by sharing of health insurance cards and access to health benefits.

A health insurance card is like a blank check worth millions of dollars. The incidence of people stealing someone’s identity to access either public or private health coverage is growing. Apart from the financial cost to the system, once someone has obtained services using someone else’s identity, future medical care can be compromised. If the thief had a medical condition, such as diabetes, the actual person’s records would indicate a diagnosis of diabetes. This could affect future care, to the patient’s detriment.

Current efforts to combat this medical identity theft are limited. Oftentimes, medical providers ask for a photo-id to further verify identity. However, these methods have proved to be inadequate. A biometric identity card ensures that the person presenting for services is who they say they are.

8. Eases compliance with HIPAA and other government mandates.

The need for security in medical record storage is a priority for the Obama administration, Congress, state legislatures and the healthcare industry. Smart cards provide enhanced security necessary to comply with HIPAA, the “Red Flags” Rules and other privacy and identity laws and rules. Moreover, steps to protect and secure medical information restore the trust and confidence of patients of the overall integrity of the healthcare system.

As healthcare providers reach outside of their own closed networks, the need to identify and authenticate individuals and assign roles and responsibilities that lead to authorized actions becomes even more important. As systems become interoperable, the need for smart cards to provide secure and private access to data, coupled with certainty of identity of users and their roles will take center stage. As importantly, smart cards are a technology that can reduce costs while also enhancing quality and safety. There are not many technologies applied to healthcare that can make these claims.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Identity larceny is the utmost nascent crime in the world, in United States of America only, it distraught more than 700,000 individuals in 2001. 60 percent of bank swindle cases concerned company employees, showing financial institutions are not only at jeopardy outwardly, but also from inside these establishments

Biometrics offer additional robust security than passwords, Pins, smart cards, tokens, or public key infrastructure (PKI) because they recognize people themselves rather than devices that can be misplaced or robbed and consequently positioned in the hands of unauthorized consumers. Such a system is ever more necessary as financial institutions progress toward a self-service form and try to move more and more of the majority of services to the Internet in an attempt to control costs and meet up customer demands. The propensity to verify completely and authenticate who is in fact at the other end of a transaction is currently a most important obstacle to financial institutions affecting their most dangerous and lucrative dealings online.

Biometric technologies can help the lot overcome this hindrance by providing a means to guarantee, with high certainty, that a remote user is who he or she claims to be. Thorough same level of sureness cannot be budged with a password. Biometrics can also be used by financial institutions to authorize in-house and external transactions, to preserve a review trail, to make safe entry to data centers, to log onto networks, and to ease customers to execute banking functions at ATM, over the Internet, and on the telephone, with superior security and not as much of hassle. There has been an elementary prototype shift in disposition of human beings. The income of a financial institution is the confidence people have in their safekeeping Systems. Seeing that the possessors of sensitive and private data, financial institutions are duty-bound to ensure the utmost levels of safety.

Financial Institutions have enough reason to investigate new technologies to augment current security methods and substitute those that are most vulnerable to handling fraud. Declining expenses of biometric solutions, superior accuracy levels, compact devices, and changing consumer outlook have placed biometric technologies as a very practicable option, an established market alert on criminal detection, a budding market to pay heed attention on authentication, and an overt market paying attention on surveillance. While popular media is boasting the option of biometrics to be used for surveillance, it is the promising authentication marketplace that will start most people to biometrics and indeed it has a place in a financial institution’s authentication policy. In malevolence of recent captions, biometrics is not a new-fang led science.

The first known take up of biometrics comes from 14th-century China, where prints of children’s feet, hands, and fingers were imprinted onto paper with ink to be used for subsequent detection. Modern fingerprinting for criminal identification was launched in 1901 when Sir Edward Richard Henry convinced Scotland Yard to engender and regulate a classification system to help in the paper record, searching, and evaluation of fingerprints.

Whilst the technology has been budding for years as part of the broad-based security industry promising the use of biometric authentication in financial services is in its early years. Early applications are just opening to emerge and financial organizations are just now launching to explore relevant deployment Biometric paraphernalia do indeed have a situate in a financial institution’s authentication stratagem and should first be scrutinized in the context of providing cost-effective employee authentication.

Biometric Options. Every biometric test is originated on quantifiable physical distinctiveness or behavioral character. Physical biometric distinctiveness is interrelated to physical body parts and include:

Finger Imbibed finger investigates the unique blueprint shaped by raised marks found on the tip of the finger.  Facial recognition scrutinizes the genuflects of the face and or the temperature on the face triggered by the flow of blood under the skin.

 Hand. Hand geometry processes and investigates the silhouette and added distinctiveness of the hand.

 Iris. Iris scanning examines the colored ring of tissue that surrounds the pupil.

 Retina. Retina scanning analyzes the exclusive sample formed by blood vessels positioned at the back of the eye.

 Handwriting analysis. Signature authentication analyzes the momentum, velocity, and force of the hand at the same time as an individual signs his or her name.

 Keystroke dynamics. Keystroke dynamics, measures the rapidity, pressure, and rhythm of a people keystrokes as he or she keys in on a keyboard. Biometrics are capable of also be an amalgamation of physical characteristics and behaving traits:

 Voice. Voice recognition, canisters acoustically derivative from the grouping of biological characteristics (oral cords, nasal opening, and the mouth) with behavioral characteristics (tone, cadence, and pronunciation). Biometric security systems can be contravened in numeral ways with obvious loom of imitating or copying the biometric .USB snuffle is common attacks on systems in general. Most of business systems are constantly evolving in terms of their ability to make a distinction among real and recreated biometrics, in ways that are cost-effective and do not significantly mortify the user understanding.

The following exemplifies how dissimilar category of systems can be fooled by duplicate or copied biometrics, VoiceIt is definitely possible to fool even sophisticated voice authentication systems with very high-quality soundtrack of the user’s voice.

Finger Images Attempt at hoodwinking finger image authentication technique orbits around hoaxing the reader with fake fingerprints.

Facial RecognitionWays to spoof all biometric systems include holding a picture of an enrolled person in front of an impostor’s face. All these issues also have the mitigation possible by using more sophisticated equipment and some best practices or two or three features used together Applications in Financial Services

Computer AccessSolutions to validate users’ fingerprint or facial features, before allowing access to the desktop and data.

Network AccessThis way is much like conniving right-of-entry to a fastidious machine. Companies can use expertise such as finger imaging and voice authentication.

Application AccessDual control setting can be cooperation by sharing or “shoulder surfing” users and passwords. Biometrics know how to be used to direct application access, with compulsory severance of duties and admittance to sensitive source code.

Physical AccessIn attended and unattended milieu, biometric authentication of physical facility access can provide much more effectual security and lesser operating costs rather than conventional one- or two factor authentication techniques such as badges, signatures, Pins, etc. Some banks boast of experimenting with hand geometry to allow patron access to safe-deposit vaults, and member of staff and purveyor access to data centers. Time and AttendanceHand geometry possesses to be a proven effective method to stop employees clocking one another in and out.

Adoption of biometric technologies by financial institutions are expected to go through three major phases:

Phase 1. The majority use and direct programs are using biometric technologies within for employee access to physical data centers and to demonstrate one’s identity when logging onto net and retrieve secure information. On Wall Street, many brokerage organizations have begun inspect systems that allow companies to confirm the identity of stock traders

Phase 2. Inadequate numerals of financial institutions have enthused into phase two by making biometric technologies accessible for patron use. Apprehension about customer adoption and privacy issues are key in factors restraining adoption, but whatever the concerns they are slowly dying since September 11. As a result, financial institutions will move into this phase much sooner than one may have expected.

Phase 3. Final stage of the technology progress will be for customers to exercise the technology for tasks, such as home banking and day trading, operate from their homes and from remote locations. This way will require customers to have right to use of their personal biometric devices. This phasewill take to be time-consuming if the financial encumber is left to the customer. As a result, it is to be expected that financial institutions will attempt to encourage usage by either providing the technology to their customers free of charge or at deep discounts.

A need for understanding and apprehension about privacy has prohibited wide scale adoption of biometric technologies by financial institutions in the past. In the present day, by means of greater attention paid to enlightening the public and a strong desire for security, large financial institutions and card companies encompass biometric pilots in place. Finger examination has been greeted with the maximum success in provisions of number of deployments as a consequence of simplicity of implementation, superior public recognition, and low cost.

Convention is still in its infancy, however, and the technology’s progression is still mainly in the first phase. Financial service organizations are infamously late embracers of promising technologies but as far as their protection criticality is concerned, financial Organizations should assertively accept these new biometric technologies the faster the better.

The typical use of biometrics inside financial services seem to be on a deliberate path towards extensive adoption. As the ranges of successful deployments multiply, so too will industry placate with consumer approval. The breadth and depth of submission will expand as biometrics resolves no doubt to become an ever-present constituent of our financial services infrastructure. As of authenticating high security multimillion-dollar inter-bank reassign, to admission of our local savings bank accounts to the daily purchase of groceries at the superstore, private identification and transaction processing in the course of biometrics will become as common and have the faith in as displaying a driver license or making a purchase with a Credit card

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

As the systems improve by leaps and bounds the basis of identification is fundamentally the same but greatly improved. Standard systems comprise of the sensor (or eye) for scanning a fingerprint and a system of storage. The two usually are both on the same device.

Inside the database, the stored fingerprint is a “key” to more details about the user. The act of matching the fingerprints usually allows the user access or entry. Also the systems can be greatly enhanced to track time for payroll purposes, etc.

Companies are realizing they can operate more efficiently with such systems in place.

The cost of implementing biometric scanners in large organizations still quite costly and demands a lot of time, planning, resources and general acceptance before and during implementation.

Contrary though, smaller devices aimed at the home office, small business and home user are now very affordable and, given their level of security very cost effective.

These home and small office products are designed to protect your hard drive, flash storage, laptop/notebook from intrusion. Also these inexpensive none invasive security devices remove the need for the user to remember and periodically update multiple passwords.

The unfortunate thing about fingerprint scanning is its close ties to law-enforcement and criminals. The general feeling is one of “big brother” amongst the newer system users. The ink prints have been replaced with there digital offspring.

How does digital scanning work ? It relies on the fact that a fingerprint’s uniqueness can be defined by analyzing the so-called “minutiae” in somebody’s fingerprint.

Minutiae include sweat pores, distance between ridges, bifurcations, etc. An individual’s fingerprint is scanned to identify 10 to 26 unique points of the finger, and a unique number is assigned to it creating a “template”. Only this template is stored.

The template can not be reverse engineered to provide a fingerprint. This negates the ability of law enforcement or National Security being able to access everyone’s fingerprints in all systems. So Big Brother really ISN’T watching.

It is estimated that the likelihood of two individuals having the same fingerprint is less than one in a billion. <1:1,000,000,000 Pretty good odds your system is as secure as secure can get.

As an access control device, fingerprint scanning has already been implemented and accepted by such high level places as the Pentagon, and military research facilities.

Banks are also among the principal users of this technology, and there are efforts of major credit card companies such as Visa and MasterCard to incorporate this finger print recognition into the bank card environment.

Large corporations, especially financial services see the cost of implementing far outweighing the cost of litigation should a major security breech ever show it's face.

Because of the ability of the Biometric Solution to be customized for individual business and institution needs, these systems can be the key to business that is more efficient in many ways. No longer will we need to carry I.D's. Scanning in and out will negate time disputes. Client confidence will be high due to strict security etc.

Biometrics is ushering in a new level of security for both business and its clients. The goal of the systems is to improve security first with improved efficiency a friendly side effect.

No we aren't assumed to be criminals nor will we be treated as such.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

What are biometrics?

Biometrics are devices that identify people by one or more physical characteristics. This process is automatic, and could involve a fingerprint scan, eye scan, hand scan, or even voice recognition. Biometrics are important in Time and Attendance software, since it would be very difficult for one employee to clock in and out on behalf of another (except for the James Bond/Spy Movies). The most commonly used biometrics are Fingerprint Scans, which we will talk about later in this article.

Biometric Identification vs. Biometric Verification – What is that?

If you have been shopping around for a biometric system for your time and attendance software, you have probably come across these terms. If you haven’t, this should be one of the questions you asked when purchasing since it deals with how hard your database has to work. There are two different ways a record is compared to a database, by identification or by verification.

Biometric identification compares a biometric signature (in this case, a fingerprint) to all the records stored in a database, to determine if a match was found. The problem is that because the entire database has to be compared for a match, it can slow your system down if the database is large. This wouldn’t be good for real-time applications such as access control or time and attendance software. This is the type of biometrics that law enforcement applications use, for example, the comparison of a fingerprint from a crime scene to a database of prints collected from convicted criminals.

Biometric verification is what many time and attendance software applications have used. This involves comparing a newly-scanned biometric signature (fingerprint) to a measurement previously collected from the same person to verify that individual’s identity. For example, in our TimeKron software, you can assign a badge ID to each person, which would be used to identify a fingerprint template. When an employee clocks in, their fingerprint will be compared to their fingerprint that was enrolled in the company’s system. If it is a match, then the employee’s punch will be recorded.

Because of this one-to-one comparison, this system of biometrics is much faster than biometric identification systems. If you have a real-time application, such as TimeKron, you would want this type of biometric system.

Understanding Fingerprint Biometrics

You may be familiar with Fingerprint Biometrics, but how do they work? When an employee enrolls in a Fingerprint-based biometric time and attendance system for the first time, the software records a template of the employee’s fingerprint and associates that template with the employee’s ID number. This template measures the relationship between various points in the fingerprint.

Each time the employee clocks in or out, the time and attendance software verifies that the newly scanned fingerprint matches the fingerprint on file with that employee’s ID number. If there is a match, the punch is recorded. Some employees will have concerns with privacy about their fingerprint being scanned. The biometric system that TimeKron uses never stores the fingerprint, only the location of certain data points on the fingerprint. Fingerprint biometric readers have a lower cost than other biometric readers, making them economical.Other benefits include low maintanence and no lost badges/cards, which means less hassle for your company.

If you are a company having problems with buddy punching, or you just want to increase your security, I suggest that you look into purchasing a biometric system. If you are an existing customer of TimeKron, you can purchase a biometric system directly from us. The fingerprint-based biometric system is easy to use, easy to setup, and easy on your budget.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Utilizing the unique nature of human fingerprints while accessing the information systems, the fingerprint images of the authorized users are verified and validated by the fingerprint reader system. In comparison to text based passwords, weather it provides single or multiple authorization checks, the fingerprint reader system is more accurate and robust. Apparently, such techniques give rise to the common idea of high cost of development and maintenance but with the open source software movement it is no wonder that such systems are now within the reach of small scale business organizations as well.

Today, when new security threats evolve regularly, it becomes necessary that the proposed system shall be developed in order to meet the changing requirements, and therefore, the salient features included in the fingerprint reader system includes easy updates, monitoring of defaults, and also scalability to integrate new users.

Although the algorithms which are used to implement fingerprint recognition are efficient enough to improvise with minor changes in the original fingerprint of the authorized user, but certain physical factors like heavy injuries that may cause damage to the finger is an issue, and such instance have created a concern for the developers of such system. An idea to overcome this situation has been considered by our team, and the proposed software not only provides alternates to such conditions but it also provides a dual security mechanism which is based on dual checks during access.

Precisely, multiple scans of a particular fingerprint are stored in the system, and in case, a mismatch occurs with one of the images, the system automatically rematches the finger print with the other images.

In view of the security policy which depends on the nature of business organization, this system provides the user to set various security priorities as per the specific requirements. Logs of successful access and entries of defaults are preserved in the system for monitoring the entire access control system. An important features which is a part of this system is to restrict the number of login attempts, that is to say, after a certain number of unsuccessful login attempts, the systems prohibits the user to make another login attempt. This number can be set by the authorized user, and that apart, login accounts can be created for guest members which lapse after single usage.

A fledgling attempt to deliver security oriented software which satisfies the demands of a vast section of users, this system has been tested in various environments and platforms. Minimal hardware requirement for deploying the system is a low cost fingerprint reader machine which is compatible with the system, and for the sake of making it easy for our clients we do provide certain recommendations for such machines.

It tends to appear in the baffling tangle of security threats that merely electronic mechanism are inefficient to guarantee total information security, and combining biological techniques like fingerprint recognition is highly recommended. We have endeavored to deliver a product which takes care of this fact, and this product is before you to test and evaluate.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Why is it then, that when we are at work, security is often not given a second thought?

We’re often happy to let anybody in the building behind us, and direct strangers to various departments, and provide maintenance staff with access to different areas of the building

Nearly all of us leave our passwords attached to monitors, or written at the front of our diaries, or in our drawers. It wouldn’t take a determined intruder very long to access a computer in the vast majority of workplaces.

We even leave the keys to filing cabinets or to other offices lying around on desks. We wouldn’t do the same in our homes, but it seems to be much more acceptable to do these kings of things in the workplace.

Traditional forms of access and security has involved using something you carry, such as a key, a fob, or a swipe card. Biometrics uses a part of the body, such as a fingerprint, or a scan of the face, retina or iris to grant or deny access, and to confirm identity. Biometrics uses something you are, that won’t change.

As well as fingerprints, and iris and retina scanning, vein recognition is becoming more widespread. Hand recognition is also being used more often, but hands are not necessarily unique, and so are more likely used in conjunction with another form of access control, such as a swipe card, or a key to confirm identity and grant access.

Single user devices such as fingerprint readers can be used to provide access to computers. In fact some laptops and USB memory sticks are already fitted with fingerprint readers which will mean that the laptop or memory stick is basically useless unless the correct fingerprint is used to access the computer.

Iris and retina scans are highly effective, and as they are unique, they can be used to allow access, and to confirm identity. This type of biometric access control can be more appropriate than fingerprints, when people have are wearing gloves, or have objects to carry between departments, or in a busy warehouse or factory production line.

For those who aren’t wholly sold on the idea of biometrics, the argument is usually that biometrics can often result in a slow throughput, especially at busy times, such as first thing in the morning, when people are arriving for work. It could also be argued that biometrics can be invasive. However, with the increase in security, and the fact that unauthorised people won’t be able to access either the building, department or computer systems, and so the data, a slight delay is normally well worth it.

In addition to more effective security, and reduced security costs, there are other savings to be made. These can include staff spending more time working as there is no need to reset passwords, or change passwords if a colleague leaves. For IT staff, there will be less time spent resetting passwords and the associated maintenance and paperwork that goes with it.

For some companies, implementing biometrics as part of the security system won’t be cost effective at all. Perhaps the time, money and effort would be better spent educating staff not to leave passwords lying around, and to make sure that they question people who are trying to enter the building.

For other companies, perhaps dealing with personal details, medical records, or other sensitive data or products, or high value items, biometrics can be a very efficient way to eliminate intruder access using somebody else’s swipe card or password.

Now you know more about biometrics, and how they can improve the security and safety of your office and data, isn’t it time you thought about a biometric control system in your office?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Here are 5 reasons you must use biometrics:

1. Biometrics can dramatically improve Identity Management, and knowing who is trying to get in and out of a building or other location, and where people are within the building. In addition, modern biometric systems remove the risk of tail gating (following somebody into a restricted area), and hostage or theft situations, whereby a person is made to give their ID card, PIN number to somebody who is not authorised. It also means that time and attendance fraud will be a thing of the past.

2. Because staff, visitors and premises can be monitored more closely, and in greater detail, without needed addition security staff, biometrics can improve security. This can be especially important in high traffic areas such as airports, where there is a huge amount of people passing through various areas of the airport. As well as airports, biometrics can help in places where goods or data is highly valued and at risk from fraud or theft. Factories, banks, offices, and government buildings are obvious choices. In addition, schools can implement biometrics so that only authorised people can have access to the school, and the pupils.

3. Using biometrics as part of a security system is cost effective, and can provide much more protection than just using ID cards, or access codes alone. Fewer security staff are needed to monitor entrances and exits, and to physically check people as they pass from one area to another. This means that they can be deployed elsewhere, and perform other duties, safe in the knowledge that the security system will alert them if there is an attempted breach of security.

4. Biometrics can also be combined with other security, such as video analytics, to effectively and efficiently track the movement of people, using CCTV footage. This can be invaluable for shopping centres, airports, sporting events and other large crowds. Being able to identify a person from a photograph, or CCTV footage and then informing security personnel of the identity of that person, means that security personnel don’t need to intensely study banks of CCTV monitors.

5. Modern security systems are designed to be much more effective, yet less intrusive. It’s no longer necessary to have to remember passwords, or be physically checked by a security officer before entering or exiting a building. This can speed up queues, and eliminate bottlenecks.

If you’ve still not seen the benefits of biometrics, and biometric access control for yourself, isn’t it about time you did?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Here’s how.

1. Biometric access control involves using parts of the body such as fingerprints, iris or retina scans as well as face recognition to authorise entry into buildings, into relevant departments and on to computers.

2. Because only people, rather than keys or swipe cards, are recognised by the security system, it’s possible to know exactly who is and isn’t on site, at any one time.

3. It’s also possible to know exactly where people are on site, based on where they were last authorised to enter. In addition, you can determine where unauthorised people are trying to access.

4. Biometric fingerprint readers are already available on laptops, and USB memory sticks, to help make data more secure, and to prevent unauthorised access. This means that if a laptop or memory stick falls into the wrong hands, or an unauthorised person tries to use it, it won’t work. Fingerprint readers are also available for desktop computers too.

5. Using video analytics of CCTV means that people and situations can be recognised, such identifying that an unknown person is trying to enter the building, or that a known shoplifter is in your shop. The systems also use meta data, so that they can be tagged in detail, and made even more effective at identifying people and their behaviour.

6. Time and attendance monitoring systems, perhaps for production lines, or other areas where clocking on and off is used will become much more accurate by using biometrics. This is because it will no longer be possible to log in for somebody who isn’t there, or log in using somebody else’s details.

7. Using biometric security systems will stop theft and fraud using the unauthorised use of passwords or swipe cards. A dishonest employee won’t be able to access a restricted area of the building or a computer by using somebody else’s swipe card, or even a genuine key.

8. More sophisticated biometric security systems mean that staff can’t be threatened, hijacked or kidnapped into providing passwords or their swipe cards. This is because the system can be fitted with facial recognition technology, as well as additional motion sensors that detect the number of people, so that only one person at a time is granted access.

9. Biometric systems mean that security staff can be used for other tasks that can’t be automated, perhaps to check doors and windows are shut and locked, to physically search staff and visitors, or to be aware of suspicious behaviour on or off the premises.

10. Effective and efficient biometric systems will mean that less time and money spent on security in the long run, as there won’t need to be down time due to breaches of security, replacing lock, or having to wait for a password to be reset.

Now you know how biometrics can make your office safer, reduce your security concerns and increase productivity, isn’t it time that you found out more about biometric access control systems?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

You have a room or a complete building that you need to limit access to and you do not the latest and greatest security out there a card access system might fill your need. Hiring a real person to observe a door or a lobby costs more than wage ; you’ll to consider benefits, vacation and all of the other things that go along with hiring a real person.

A card access system incorporates the software to run the system, door controllers, card reader and access cards. These card systems do not just limit themselves to doors. They can be employed with turnstiles, as well . These access systems are usually used with other security devices, such as closed circuit cameras.

By using a card access system, you can manage a complete building with hundreds of employees and at the same time, can micromanage down to a single worker. This is not just about letting someone in a door, you can set the software to permit or deny someone at a work station. If you have several buildings in your company, these card systems can handle all that, as well.

Employees will be employed and fired. Rather than having to wade thru diverse settings, you absolutely remove an employee at the time of separation and not need to remember every single area they had access to. As workers get promoted or demoted, their access to selected areas may change. Rather than having to make up a new card, you’ll only have to have your security chief go into the program and make the suitable authorization changes.

Another benefit to employing a card access system is the software is highly compatible with payroll software. Employees will not need to fill out time sheets or punch a time card. This will also reduce any disputes when a person arrived or left their position. And it gets rid of any issues of workers fudging time sheets or having employees punching each other out at the end of the day. This should also reduce the quantity of people needed for payroll functions.

If you decide on the smart card access system, this could give you further security if use the smart cards to log staff on and off your network. An IT office will tell you that one of the largest issues they have is getting employees to log off at the end of the day.

Another would be people forgetting their passwords or writing them down in apparent places around their desks. These issues can lead to unauthorized access to your network and the delicate files that reside there. A card access system isn’t just about opening a door; it can provide physical and logical protection to your corporation.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Even if a building has some security protocol in place, it can be worthless in front of the most modern techniques of burglary. They now use very high-tech equipments to break into buildings and a simple lock cannot turn them away.

The most important issue in security control system is the lack of responsibility on part of the owners or security guards. In the case of homeowners, they think that just an old style lock will be enough to ward off any criminals. As for the buildings, many still use the locks. Another situation can also be created where a person can lose the keys and the whole office or department comes to a standstill.

The best solution to this problem is the installation of modern access control systems. These systems are manufactured to ensure a complete safety of the buildings. The electronic devices mean that it is almost impossible to break the security codes and arrangements.

If a burglar does try to break into a house or building, alarms will go off. Some systems also used direct connection with the police station that can alert the authorities in case of any untoward incident. This is actually a very effective tool against the burglars.

High quality access control systems are taking the lead over ordinary electronic devices for security. These systems use a number of methods to ensure security. Some use especially identifiable codes that are etched on cards. Each person is issued a different number that can be recognised by the system. Subsequently, only authorised persons are allowed to enter in a building.

Biometric solutions go a step further in this case. They utilise the unique natural characteristic of fingerprints. Every person in this world has a different fingerprint and this phenomenon is used in allocating security codes. The fingerprints of each employee are fed into the computer and identification cards are generated. When a person wants to enter that building, he can swipe his finger to gain entry. The card can be used if the fingerprint reader is not working.

There has been a constant innovation in the field of high quality access control systems. Some new systems have even started using the identification systems that use the image of retina in the eye. This system, however, is very costly and only some high-profile companies can afford it. As for the home security system, burglar alarms provide a good security in most cases. Fingerprint reading system is also gaining popularity in some homes as the prices are coming down and more people can afford it.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

This might seem a bit extreme but companies loose millions on people being late, leaving early and what is known as ‘buddy clocking’ people clocking for other people. Biometric access control is growing quickly large organizations such as banks, airports etc tend to set the trend with this type of technology and I am sure if you go into any of these you will find some kind of biometric scanner whether it is clocking or access control or simply to log computers on/off.

What’s wrong with swipe cards or pin numbers you might ask, these can be copied or obtained covertly where as a biometric scan is a lot harder to copy in fact almost impossible.

When people hear biometric they instantly think of fingerprint technology but this is only one of several biometric systems.

Fingerprint is the most common and least expensive to implement in to any organization, readers such as the iclock take several pin point readings of ridges and dips in the fingerprint then using a complicated algorithm store these as an individual code. In most cases it is always a good practice to store more than one fingerprint code in the reader just in case a finger gets a cut or blemish on it which can affect the reading.

Other types such as hand recognition require big bulky readers. The terminal captures a three-dimensional image of the hand each time the employee places their hand in the reader. The hand’s size and the shape are used to verify their identity. These types of systems are almost double the cost of fingerprint systems. Face recognition is a growing technology but requires powerful computer processing is slow and is not as reliable as other biometric technologies but is improving as CCD cameras and software improves. Iris recognition which uses infrared to look at the pattern of blood vessels in the back of the eye is also a very fast growing biometric technology. Iris recognition is a secure system but again requires powerful processing and is slow to read with a high failure rate not very good for access control with a lot of traffic.

With all biometric systems the biggest battle of all when implementing them is how to win the confidence of the people who will be using them. They need to be reassured that the information will only be used for what it is intended and it is safe to use. This is probably the biggest stumbling block to over come when introducing biometric readers.

All of these biometric technologies have a place in today’s security and business’s but for time and attendance fingerprint technology is more than enough due to the low cost and reliability and for most security applications the dual method of fingerprint and card offers a very high level of access control. This is where a media card such as RFID (radio frequency Identification) and the fingerprint must tally together to gain access.

Using barcode technology is also widely used but has its problems the main one being the ability to clock other people in or out ‘buddy clocking’ obviously this can not be done if biometric readers are used. On a plus side for barcode over other media technology is the cost, as most barcodes 3 of 9, EAN, Code128 etc can be printed on most laser printers and then laminated creating a clock card or job card for a very little cost. Other media that can also be used for ‘buddy clocking’ are magstripe and proximity but these media cards are more expensive than barcodes. Magstripe can be produced in house but an expensive encoder and printer are required to produce a good quality card. RFID tags are purchased with a ID code already programmed into it, the benefit of this is it is more difficult to copy the tag and also the reader requires no optical or any contact with the media reducing any routine maintenance.

So which one to choose? Biometrics can be just as cheap and just as reliable as other media types but has limitations. Each has a place in today’s world if all you require is to clock employees in and out and low security access then fingerprint is the option low cost no media to produce or buy.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Almost every home and office is secured with a lock and a key. Most people have a key chain to help them keep track of these important symbols of modern society. House keys, office keys, garage keys and several car keys usually rattle around in most people’s pockets or purses.

Even though lock and key mechanisms incorporate many modern security features they are still susceptible to being lost, stolen or copied. Another inherent weakness in lock and keys is that anyone with a key can enter your building any time they want.

Each year, companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars re-keying buildings because someone lost a set of keys or an employee was fired who did not return a set of building keys?

Do you know how many grand master keys have been issued in your building? Can you reasonably say with confidence that none of your keys have been copied by less than ethical employees? Do you have employee’s entering your office at odd hours? Has your building ever been left unlocked?

If you have experienced any of the preceding issues, perhaps and Electronic Access Control System is the “key”. An Electronic Access Control System can provide you with an effective solution to your key management nightmare while providing a very potent tool in your overall security management plan.

Take back those keys! A properly deployed electronic access control system will allow you to secure your facility and deter crimes by limiting access to authorized personnel and separating public from private areas.

The capabilities of electronic access control systems vary greatly. They range from single door stand alone systems that you program through a keypad, to medium sized computer based systems, to the top of the line “enterprise” systems that have the ability to communicate control thousands of card readers on multiple continents.

Electronic Access Control Systems have some very basic things in common. Each of them will allow you to control who goes where and when in your facility by requiring the presentation of a unique credential at a Card Reader or a PIN pad and they can be set up to provide you with a report of who has entered your building.

There are several manufacturers that provide 1 to 4 door solutions that are programmed through a keypad or a remote software package. Some of the higher end burglar alarm systems can also control access on up to 4 doors.

These smaller systems provide fully controlled access to individuals based on the door, the date and the time. Some of them allow you to hook up a form feed dot matrix printer directly to the controller in order to get reports. Most of these systems are limited to less than 4 doors and a couple of hundred users/credentials.

Many people who use the 1-4 door systems will usually program cards to work 24 hours a day because it can be difficult and time consuming to manage multiple time groups or limit an individual’s access.

That’s not to say that you cannot provide full date and time limited access control with a 1-4 door system, but if your application requires periodic updates and multiple users, you may want to consider a more sophisticated solution. A good application for a 1-4 door system would be a remotely managed multi-tenant building without an on site manager.

Lower to mid range P.C. based solutions can be provided that control access on 1 to 32 doors of access. Systems in this range can provide controlled access to several thousand users. They are a good choice if your intention is to allow keyless entry on a limited number of doors at a single site and run some limited reports.

Most electronic access systems in the low to mid range are Windows based software applications that use MSDE or other off the shelf database software; therefore the reporting features are fairly limited.

In addition, the low to mid range systems have limited abilities to monitor alarms, provide video badging, integrate with 3rd party databases or interface with other systems such as CCTV or Burglar Alarms.

There are literally dozens of manufacturers flooding the small to mid range market and their offerings vary greatly. You would be wise to perform some due diligence and ask for local references from any vendor that you may be considering.

Enterprise Level Access Control Systems occupy the top tier of entry control systems. There are only a handful of manufacturers that can truly call themselves an “Enterprise Level” solution. These highly sophisticated systems are true security management systems that can easily and effectively handle thousands of card readers, hundreds of thousands of cards, and a multitude of workstations spread all across the globe.

An Enterprise Level Solution has integrated single point of entry video badging, seamless integration to CCTV systems and Digital Video Recorders, true real time alarm handling with live on line graphics pages and full blown database solutions like SQL Server or Oracle.

Enterprise Level Access Control systems utilize door processing units or access control panels that can communicate via RS422/485 and TCP/IP Protocol. Enterprise Level Systems are only sold through factory trained and authorized systems integrators who have a proven track record and fully staffed service departments.

If you need an Enterprise Level Access Control System, I highly recommend that you perform your due diligence on both the manufacturer and the security companies that you are considering. Make sure that you choose a reputable Security Company or a Systems Integrator that has a strong computer networking background to perform and support the installation. Ask for several references of projects of a similar size and scope from both the manufacturer and the Systems Integrator. Interview each reference thoroughly before you make a purchasing decision.

You will thank me later!

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Access Control is the term used generally to indicate all the provisions that can be deployed to deny free admittance to a building, to an apartment, or to the content of a safe.

The purpose is to make sure that only people having the right or the clearance required for getting through can in fact cross the threshold.

Essentially the same procedure, however simplified, takes place when you open the entrance door of your home with one or more keys. You don’t leave it unlocked, even when you are at home, do you?

Unfortunately not always a locked door is a guarantee against burglary and theft. Burglars need not look for the right key. They may use other means to force and destroy the door without bothering with the lock.

Why a sturdy door with a solid lock should however be in place? Mainly for deterrence. One should always convey the notion that it will take burglars too long to crush the door down, longer than what they may be willing to spend in the task.

When the arms are full of parcels it maybe a nuisance to open a door with keys. In the dark it may be hard to locate the keyhole, unless you use a key ring with a small light included. Furthermore keys can get lost or stolen and copied, and then locks have to be changed.

Therefore, to limit the bother and to save on workforce, new means were devised, especially for institutions where employees have frequent need to go through controlled entrances but where keys would be a burden.

The most used means are plastic cards, possibly with a name, a photo and a magnetic strip to be inserted in the controller slot. A code to be typed on the keypad may or may not be requested.

Voice recognition systems are operated hands free, a feature that may be welcomed sometimes. They are smart enough not be cheated by recorded voice.

The ultimate devices for individual recognition are biometric identification units.
Every person has individual traits different from those of anyone else. Those most used are fingerprints and iris scans (the colored ring of the eye).
A catalog of prerecorded data, relative to all authorized persons, permits to screen rapidly crowds of people even in busy airports.

In order to anticipate emergencies when large numbers of people must evacuate a place for safety in a hurry, emergency exits with one way locks have to be prepared, to be easily opened from the inside.

In conclusion one should know enough of Access Control to be able to select practical and proven provisions for the security of every place one is responsible for.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Access control systems can be integrated with the management software, sometimes referred to as accounting software. This integration allows for a single point of entry for customer information. When you “move in” the customer in the management software, the information is automatically transmitted to the access control system, setting the customer code and allowing access to the facility. If the customer becomes delinquent or past due, the management software automatically notifies the access control program and the guilty tenants are automatically locked out. This feature increases your opportunity to collect the past due rent, helping to prevent customer move-outs, especially after the office has closed.

To ensure tighter security, individual door alarms can also be employed. An alarm device mounts in or outside of each unit. One unique approach to alarming each door includes the use of a Latch Switch. It mounts on the door rail and detects the latch as it passes through the switch. This offers a higher degree of security, is an easier and quicker installation than standard track mounts, and it eliminates many false alarm conditions that can occur with other methods. When a customer uses the keypad to enter the facility, their specific alarm is turned off or disarmed. When they exit the facility, their individual alarm is turned on or re-armed. This allows the detection of unauthorized entry to specific units.

For example, individual door alarms protect a facility from the “inside job.” This would be in a case of a person renting a storage space to gain access to the facility. They then take their time cutting locks on random units and moving the selected items to their rented space. Since individual door alarms track the unauthorized entry and the opening and closing of units, this type of crime is very easy to detect.

Why use access control and security? There are many answers to this question including more control of your property and more time for managers to rent storage space, maintain your property, etc. But perhaps the biggest reason is that many self-storage customers want better security. They’re voting with their feet by choosing more modern facilities. Because of this, more owners are discovering that security features provide a valuable differentiation that brings more marketing power and more profit, a sufficient incentive for any owner.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

#1 – What Is Your Objective?

The first step is to determine your goals. Access control solutions come with different levels of control. Your business or organization may only need minimal controls. On the other hand, you may want to deploy a system that offers a scalable solution that grows as your needs grow. Think about what you’re trying to protect. How many entrances will you need to block entry? What level of security will you need to use? Will you allow those who have entered restricted areas to easily exit? Or, will the exits be controlled (requiring authentication before exiting is granted)? It’s critical that you decide upon your goals upfront.

#2 – Type Of System

Next, you’ll want to consider the type of security elements to use for identity verification. Some access control solutions use card readers. In this case, authorized personnel are given cards equipped with readable magnetic strips or a bar code. When swiped or placed in front of the card reader, access can be granted or denied. If the cards are misplaced or stolen, they can be disabled and replaced.

Other solutions use keypads and require the input of a code to gain entry. This type of access control system is less expensive than other systems. That being said, the codes can be easily compromised (intentionally or accidentally). Many newer systems use biometric data to validate identity. Fingerprints, voice, facial features and a person’s iris can be used for recognition. A biometric solution is among the most expensive.

#3 – What Features Do You Need?

Most access control solutions can be customized with features according to your needs. Some provide timing flexibility to grant or deny access depending upon the time of day. Most systems provide robust tracking capabilities to output detailed reports. If you need the ability to quickly modify permissions throughout your system, many access control solutions have templates from which to work. Also, consider the value of having a standby battery that can maintain control in the event the power fails.

Efficient Implementation

When investing in an access control system, try to hire a service which will provide support. Many people who have never used this type of system often find that they need assistance in programming their controls, resetting modules, or simply making use of certain features. Once installed, begin programming permissions and documenting procedures. This documentation can be useful in the future when modifications become necessary. Controlling access to sensitive data, restricted areas and other resources used by your organization should be a high priority.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Your building is secure at night, but during the day there are several doors that have to be open. Anybody could walk in. What can you do?

The Solution

You need an Access Control System.

What is an Access Control System?

Access Control is an electronic security system which permits or restricts access to specific areas of a premises. It not only protects property against unwanted visitors but ensures the safety of both the property and of the people inside.

In simple terms, an Access Control System provides control of entry (or exit) through nominated doors via a control panel and some form of electric locking facility.

An Access Control System can be as simple or as complicated as you wish but in each case, the solution will always provide an easy passage for permitted persons around the building.

Door Entry or Access Control?

Door entry is commonly associated with a single door or gate, whereas access control is more suited to multiple doors or entry points.

Access Control can also incorporate a host of other features which enhance other areas of the business.

Access Control / Door Entry Technology

There are a number of ways that a permitted user can open a door that is fitted with a system.

PIN Code Entry

The most common unit is the keypad system. This comprises a control unit with a series of numbered push buttons, or a touch-sensitive pad, connected to the lock release mechanism via a control unit located at the entrance.

Magstripe (also called Swipe Card) Readers

Each entry point has a card reader and the user “swipes” an encoded card similar to a credit card to gain entry.

This technology is widely used and there are many choices of manufacturers.

Proximity Readers

Rather than swiping the card or tag, it is simply presented to a reader which typically will see the card at a distance of about 100mm. This is a fast, non-contact, method of entry.

Long Range Readers

Long range proximity readers (of approximately a meter or so) automatically unlock or open a door when it detects the card.

This is particularly suitable for compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) as no action is required by the card bearer.

Smartcard Readers

For systems that use cards or tags, these cards can also carry additional information which can be used for other building services – – for example, time and attendance functions, integration with payroll systems, car park management and even vending machine applications.

Biometric Readers

A Biometric Reader system uses unique human characteristics – such as finger prints or a retina scan – to clearly identify those who are permitted access.

As there are no cards or tags which can be stolen or lost, or open to misuse, this type of system significantly increases the level of security.

What about Visitors?

You will want to welcome most of those who visit your premises, so it must be easy for them to let you know they are there.

The three most common means of attracting attention are:

• A simple door bell system which alerts your staff to the fact that there is someone waiting outside.

• An audio intercom panel which allows the visitor to have a direct conversation with a member of your staff and, if appropriate, the door can be remotely released.

• An audio intercom panel with a camera facility which allows your staff to see who wants to enter the building before permitting access.

Once access has been permitted, the visitor can either be escorted around or issued with a card or pin number for the duration of their visit.

Things to Consider

When planning an access control system, you should consider the following:

• How many entry/exit points

• Where are these located

• Level of security desired

• The movement of staff around the building

• Method of operation

• Future growth of building

• Turnover of employees

• Disability access

• Interface with other systems – for example, the fire alarm

As with any type of security system, it is sensible to employ a company that you can trust. Make sure you use a NSI (NACOSS) approved organisation; this will ensure that your system will be designed and installed by professionals.

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Biometric solutions can be used to prevent this from happening. By using a person’s physical traits (either as a uniquely identifiable characteristic or a combination of several), their identity can be verified with an extremely high level of confidence. Below, you’ll learn about some of the ways in which biometric access is applied. Plus, we’ll describe 5 types of systems that are commonly deployed to validate identification.

Applications Of Biometric Access

There are countless ways in which biometric access measures can be applied. Their use spans commercial enterprises, non-profit organizations and even the military. For example, many businesses only allow a few employees access to certain areas. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies grant scientists access to test labs. Schools have been using biometric access to register its students. Governments across the globe have begun relying upon such measures for identification. For example, Germany uses the ePass, a small chip implanted into a person’s index finger. The chip contains a photograph of the individual along with an entire set of fingerprints.

5 Types Of Biometric Access Systems

People have a variety of unique traits that are identifiable. They can be used with varying levels of success for identity verification. Many biometric access systems use only 1 of several traits for identification. Here are the 5 most common:

#1 – Fingerprints: Each individual has a set of fingerprints that is exclusive to that person.

#2 – Iris Recognition: An individual’s iris can be analyzed to authenticate known patterns for identification.

#3 – Facial Recognition: The features of an individual’s face can be compared to verified features that have been recorded in a database.

#4 – Voice Recognition: Once an individual’s voice is recorded, a voice print can be used for future identity verification.

#5 – Hand And Finger Recognition: An individual’s hands and fingers can be used to verify identity. While hands and fingers aren’t unique, their respective curves, varying thicknesses, joint positions and structure can provide valuable data.

Using Biometric Access Models

Of the 5 common traits used to validate a person’s identity, fingerprints are the most reliable due to their individuality. Biometric access models often use fingerprints exclusively for identify verification. In the absence of fingerprints, the other traits mentioned above are frequently combined to provide a higher level of security. By deploying biometrics, organizations can verify a person’s identity, restrict access and maintain confidence that security won’t be compromised.

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Moreover, the office building also acts as storage for many vital documents like land titles, car logbooks and other important certificates, all of which carry serious legal implications, and most of which carry the potential for fraudulent use. This is more alarming with the recent growth of organized crime syndicates. To ensure the safety of all these resources, many organizations find investment in office building access control systems justified and worthwhile.

Access control systems vary in sophistication and effectiveness. At the most basic level, there is the manual access control system, which is essentially the employment of personnel (such as guards) to control access to a building or other resource. As an office building access control system, manual access control works well where the threat is not too sophisticated, or where not too much is at stake. Then there are mechanical access control systems, effected through devices such as padlocks and car barrier, which may be automated to varying degrees. And while these are potentially more effective than manual access control systems, with the recent advances in fabrication and other mechanical engineering technologies, there are relatively easy ways to circumvent mechanical access co