Articles

Access Control

Civil aviation defence can now materially benefit from a variety of new technologies that are increasingly cost-effective to implement, as well as reliable in operation. A number are proving ...

Accessibility and ease of circulation are central considerations in the management of any building but how do we balance the need for efficient and convenient movement with the needs of ...

How can airports possibly protect themselves against the sheer scale and span of 21st century security threats? Ashley Smith, BSIA Civil Aviation Security Section Chairman, explains how a mix of ...

Security risks challenge every business and none more so than scientific and research organisations which have to contend not only with the prospect of property crime but also with threats to ...

The threat level within the pharmaceutical industry has never been higher, not only to protect intellectual property within laboratories but to secure manufacturing areas from product tampering and ...

Electronic access control systems are increasingly being used to enhance safety and security in schools and colleges, but the technology has additional applications that can also cut costs and ...

As an analogy, backing up computer records has similarities with business continuity arrangements. Both tasks may appear a chore that’s easy to overlook, yet their importance and value become ...

The continued threat of terrorist attack has given a new impetus to the efforts of the public sector to more effectively control access to their premises. This is augmented by the growing awareness ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

The UK leads the world in the development of technologies such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance and access control systems for the protection of people and property, but proper ...

Airport security

Progressive security technologies and techniques, combined with added-value manpower services on the ground, are providing a range of tangible benefits to airports in the form of continually ...

Recent publicity over the release from custody of the convicted Lockerbie bomber has provided a potent reminder of the continuing importance of airline baggage and freight security. Chris Pinder, ...

Advances in technology and increasing risks are driving an unprecedented level of change in security and nowhere more so than in the application of closed-circuit television surveillance systems in ...

Civil aviation defence can now materially benefit from a variety of new technologies that are increasingly cost-effective to implement, as well as reliable in operation. A number are proving ...

Protection systems and procedures for safeguarding civil aviation staff and the travelling public, as well as securing a variety of sites and the facilities they contain, should involve a mix of ...

Alarms

For far too long we in the intruder alarm industry have allowed the debate about levels of false alarms to dominate and distract instead of looking at the very real successes that intruder alarms ...

Everyone’s home is at potential risk from crime - domestic burglaries occur at the rate of about 2,000 every day - but people in high income brackets may face particular risks to their property ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

On the 1st October 2005 the intruder alarm industry will embrace European Standards. This is a significant change in the industry as not only will installation practices change, but also the ...

Intruder alarms are positioned at the heart of security measures deployed by householders and businesses. They are a proven deterrent and can assist in catching criminals. Considerable improvements ...

Reducing false alarms - considering potential solutions'Looking ahead, the insistence on only BS 8418-compliant systems being eligible should pay dividends - making a huge reduction in false alarm ...

Architecture

Most of us are accustomed to thinking about home security on an individual basis but a combination of well established design practices and the advent of new technology is allowing builders to ...

As an element of any building's service infrastructure, security has traditionally received less consideration than other functions such as HVAC systems and IT networks, particularly at the new-build ...

There are many advantages to designing in security measures at the start of a new- build project. Hastily compiled and costly bolt-ons are avoided, insurance premiums can be reduced and the owners ...

Biometrics

The use of biometric systems to identify individuals is spreading rapidly across the defence and security industries, as well as creating opportunities for operational use by military forces.  ...

Business

With the introduction of regulation to the security guarding sector in Scotland having come into force on 1st November 2007, British Security Industry Association Chief Executive, David Dickinson, ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

Most businesses fall victim to crime at one time or another, resulting not only in financial loss but in a host of potential problems including difficulties with insurance and reduced confidence ...

In terms of building and estate management, one of the key issues that must be addressed centres around the question of how to adequately control access – but without impeding the legitimate ...

The issue of identity theft is becoming an increasingly significant concern to individuals and businesses. Simon Pearce, Chairman of the British Security Industry Association’s Information ...

Cash and Property Marking

With estimates that crime can cost public sector organisations £1 million a week, property marking can be an effective deterrent whilst also ensuring that if a crime does occur, stolen property ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

Cash-in-transit

Cash is the lifeblood of the UK economy and so our nation's businesses are reliant upon the services of cash-in-transit companies that transport cash around the country, collecting and delivering ...

Attacks on security vehicles carrying cash and valuables pose a major risk to life and property that endangers not only security personnel but also members of the public who find themselves caught up ...

836 couriers were attacked whilst moving cash and valuables around the UK in 2005, a 10% increase in the number of attacks in 2004 and a 20% increase compared to 2003. 208 of these attacks involved a ...

In recent years, businesses of all kinds have been compelled to heed consumer demand for greater comfort and convenience but there are sometimes risks as well as benefits in improving accessibility ...

CCTV

In recent years we have witnessed the widespread adoption of powerful digital
video recording systems as the world of surveillance parallels the
digitalisation of all aspects of our lives, from ...

The value of CCTV has recently come under fire with concerns raised over whether it is being used effectively in the fight against crime. However, it is important to remember that CCTV plays a huge ...

When it comes to the front end of CCTV, certainly IP and IP-enabled CCTV cameras offer some advantages over analogue units including wider distribution and use of video images, plus potentially ...

As a main weapon in the security armoury, surveillance capabilities are continuing to increase as fresh new applications, operating methods and technological advances come on-stream.  The BSIA's ...

Civil aviation defence can now materially benefit from a variety of new technologies that are increasingly cost-effective to implement, as well as reliable in operation. A number are proving ...

Given the extent of our CCTV infrastructure it is important that we are able to maintain public acceptance of CCTV by promoting a best practice approach at every opportunity. Key considerations in ...

Britain leads the way in surveillance systems and has reaped the benefits this technology offers. The expertise built up, based on this experience, includes lessons learned as an early adopter of ...

How can airports possibly protect themselves against the sheer scale and span of 21st century security threats? Ashley Smith, BSIA Civil Aviation Security Section Chairman, explains how a mix of ...

By Pauline Norstrom, Chairman, BSIA CCTV Section, for Risk UK February 2009Focusing on the issue of maximising the safety and security of today's colleges and universit ...

By Pauline Norstrom, BSIA CCTV Section Chairman, for Risk UK (January 2009)While, according to recent media reports, some local authorities - in these economically challenging times - may be ...

Everyone’s home is at potential risk from crime - domestic burglaries occur at the rate of about 2,000 every day - but people in high income brackets may face particular risks to their property ...

Security risks challenge every business and none more so than scientific and research organisations which have to contend not only with the prospect of property crime but also with threats to ...

The requirements of security measures and associated procedures to protect the infrastructure of airports are significant and increasingly important. For, in addition to the airlines and other ...

The sad fact is that retail businesses across the globe have to combat the daily threat of crime from a multitude of sources, including burglary, vandalism, and theft by customers and even, ...

With the use of CCTV having massively increased over the last ten years, the recent publishing of the National CCTV Strategy has to be welcomed as an important step forward in developing an holistic ...

As an analogy, backing up computer records has similarities with business continuity arrangements. Both tasks may appear a chore that’s easy to overlook, yet their importance and value become ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

The UK leads the world in the development of technologies such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance and access control systems for the protection of people and property, but proper ...

This feature article appeared in the June edition of SMT.Given the proliferation of digital CCTV systems, on both sides of the Atlantic, and the increased reliance on digital video evidence to ...

By Adam Wiseberg, Chairman of the BSIA CCTV SectionHere in Britain, we lead the way in the development and application of CCTV (Closed Circuit TeleVision), with upwards of two million cameras ...

By Adam Wiseberg, Chairman of the BSIA CCTV SectionLife would certainly be much simpler if CCTV systems had the luxury of operating in splendid isolation, away from the trials and tribulations of the ...

Community

The outdated image of door staff in our pubs, clubs and restaurants is undergoing a transformation as the ‘bouncer’ of the past makes way for a new breed of professional door supervisor, ...

There is little doubt that CCTV plays an important role in the security and safety of the UK population, allowing, as it does, the police to reconstruct events, identify offenders and make high ...

Given the extent of our CCTV infrastructure it is important that we are able to maintain public acceptance of CCTV by promoting a best practice approach at every opportunity. Key considerations in ...

While some local authorities - in these economically challenging times - may be contemplating cutting back on their proactive CCTV monitoring provision, BSIA CCTV Section Chairman, Pauline Norstrom, ...

In the current tough economic climate, it is worth heeding lessons from previous recessions in the early 1980s and 90s - including the potential added risk from rising crime during such periods. This ...

With security guarding companies increasingly playing an important role in communities by supporting authorities in what were previously traditional policing roles, Mick Lee, British Security ...

Superintendents will be more than aware of buzz words such as the 'wider policing family' which are frequently referred to by the Government. But what does the 'wider policing family' mean in reality ...

Construction

The annual cost of plant theft is estimated to exceed £100 million, posing a major threat to owners, hirers and users alike.  In this article, Alex Carmichael, Technical Director of the ...

Construction industry theft in the UK is thought to produce losses in the region of between £600 million and £1 billion per year*. This may be due to lapses in procedure or the absence of ...

Construction industry theft in the UK is thought to produce losses in the region of between £600 million and £1 billion per year*. This may be due to lapses in procedure or the absence of ...

Virtually every construction business will suffer from crime to some degree and all are at risk from crime, yet the conflicting priorities of modern business leave many companies ill prepared and ...

Construction industry theft in the UK is thought to produce losses in the region of between £600 million and £1 billion per year*. This may be due to lapses in procedure or the absence of ...

Counter-terrorism

The British Security Industry Association's David Evans looks at how the private security industry can assist in supporting CONTEST – the government's counter-terrorism strategy.CONTEST and its ...

Education

Schools have long been major targets for a variety of crime ranging from minor vandalism and the theft of expensive IT equipment to risks to the safety of pupils and staff.  More recently, huge ...

Developments in security technology are allowing schools to find more affordable and effective ways to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and visitors, as well as delivering a variety of ...

Schools face a variety of risks, ranging from vandalism, to the theft of computer equipment and all these issues are superseded by the need to ensure a safe environment for children and staff. A ...

Electronic access control systems are increasingly being used to enhance safety and security in schools and colleges, but the technology has additional applications that can also cut costs and ...

Schools face a variety of risks, ranging from trespass and criminal damage to the theft of high value IT equipment and the overriding need to ensure a safe environment for children and staff.  ...

Identity fraud is an increasingly serious problem for the UK and one which can effect individuals, private companies and public sector organisations. Kiri Gray, British Security Industry Association ...

Kay Wright of the British Security industry Association examines the issue of security in schools, from the importance of professional risk assessment to the role of physical and electronic ...

Like many public buildings, schools and healthcare institutions face a variety of risks from crime and antisocial behaviour. However, in many respects that is where the similarity ends as the ...

Alex Carmichael, Director of Support Services at the British Security Industry Association, reports on how the development of new technologies is helping organisations protect their property, and ...

General

In the first of a series of articles exclusively written for Security Installer, British Security Industry Association Security Systems Section Chairman, Tim Geddes, outlines the section's new ...

The combination of valuable property and opportunities for theft - particularly during loading and unloading - makes warehouse security a key element in preventing breaches of the cargo distribution ...

Public sector organisations have vast experience of employing professional consultants across a wide range of disciplines, yet the value of timely security advice is sometimes misunderstood. British ...

The UK leads the world in the development of technologies such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance and access control systems for the protection of people and property, but proper ...

Hospital/GP

Modern access control systems offer versatile options for ensuring the effective security of people, property and sensitive data by denying unrestricted access to sensitive areas, whilst enabling the ...

The government’s recent announcement that £97 million will be allocated to tackle high levels of violence against health service staff is a timely reminder that crime is a major threat to ...

The health care sector necessarily holds vast amounts of sensitive confidential data and keeping it out of the wrong hands is a key element of security.   At a time of economic downturn ...

Estimates vary about the cost of crime to the National Health Service but everyone agrees that hospitals and similar institutions are exposed to a much wider and prolific range of risks than, for ...

Public sector breaches of security, coupled with an increase in identity fraud, mean that both public and private sector organisations need to ensure stringent security procedures are in place and ...

With a large amount of media attention around recent public sector breaches of security and the growing increase in identity fraud, it is increasingly important to ensure that data is handled in a ...

Healthcare workers such as nurses in A & E and secure units are among the highest risk categories for workplace violence, being up to four times more likely than other workers to experience ...

The NHS is now the largest organisation in Europe and its many components and sheer scale means that a huge amount of confidential information is held within the organisation. BSIA Information ...

Crime prevention in hospitals must always focus on the need to preserve essential healthcare facilities and provide a safe environment for staff and visitors.  These are daunting ...

Healthcare staff are often put at risk by violent patients and visitors. The serious nature of this risk highlights the vital role to be played by security in protecting staff, patients and visitors ...

Housing

Everyone’s home is at potential risk from crime - domestic burglaries occur at the rate of about 2,000 every day - but people in high income brackets may face particular risks to their property ...

Superintendents will be more than aware of buzz words such as the 'wider policing family' which are frequently referred to by the Government. But what does the 'wider policing family' mean in reality ...

The security of the family home is so important to most people that it is surprising how many of us are willing to neglect the issue in favour of the latest home entertainment system. The British ...

ID

Ensuring that data is correctly handled, stored and disposed of is paramount to public sector organisations. In order to assure the highest quality in the secure destruction of confidential ...

The past year has seen important developments in standards and operating practices, which will help service providers and their customers to assure the highest quality in the secure disposal and ...

Recycling of materials ranging from paper through to mobile phones and computers is increasingly popular in both the public and private sectors. The advantages include sustainability, carbon ...

Sustainable recycling is an increasingly popular, responsible and financially attractive practice, but it also presents security risks to organisations. Russell Harris, British Security Industry ...

The government’s decision to roll out the national identity card by enrolling key workers has placed airport staff at the centre of the largest biometric identity project ever undertaken.  ...

Intruder Alarms

Everyone’s home is at potential risk from crime - domestic burglaries occur at the rate of about 2,000 every day - but people in high income brackets may face particular risks to their property ...

For businesses across Greater Manchester, security should be a key consideration. Daren Wood, BSIA Northern Regional General Manager, gives an overview of the types of security measures that should ...

Legislation

Northern Ireland’s security industry is preparing to join the rest of the UK in coming under a new licensing regime. Daren Wood, the British Security Industry Association’s (BSIA) ...

Northern Ireland businesses need to be aware that from December 2009 it will become illegal to work in certain roles within the private security industry in the area without a licence. Daren Wood, ...

With the use of CCTV having massively increased over the last ten years, the recent publishing of the National CCTV Strategy has to be welcomed as an important step forward in developing an holistic ...

With the introduction of regulation to the security guarding sector in Scotland having come into force on 1st November 2007, British Security Industry Association Chief Executive, David Dickinson, ...

Miscellaneous

Security risks challenge every business and none more so than scientific and research organisations which have to contend not only with the prospect of property crime but also with threats to ...

Public sector organisations have vast experience of employing professional consultants across a wide range of disciplines, yet the value of timely security advice is sometimes misunderstood. British ...

Effective protection of a site, including its staff and visitors, premises, stock and other equipment, is of the uppermost importance. Improving site safety, raising staff morale, helping to reduce ...

Museum/Gallery

Building security always reflects a compromise between the needs of legitimate users and the protection of life and property and nowhere is this truer than in the context of museums and historic ...

Protecting often unique and irreplaceable exhibits from theft and damage is the core task of museum security.  The key is to find the right balance between security and the need for public ...

Nighttime economy

The outdated image of door staff in our pubs, clubs and restaurants is undergoing a transformation as the ‘bouncer’ of the past makes way for a new breed of professional door supervisor, ...

Physical security

How can airports possibly protect themselves against the sheer scale and span of 21st century security threats? Ashley Smith, BSIA Civil Aviation Security Section Chairman, explains how a mix of ...

Everyone’s home is at potential risk from crime - domestic burglaries occur at the rate of about 2,000 every day - but people in high income brackets may face particular risks to their property ...

Police and Public Services

With security guarding companies increasingly playing an important role in communities by supporting authorities in what were previously traditional policing roles, Mick Lee, British Security ...

Superintendents will be more than aware of buzz words such as the 'wider policing family' which are frequently referred to by the Government. But what does the 'wider policing family' mean in reality ...

Ports

Good security is good for business and ports can quantifiably benefit from protective measures more than most. As complex operations housing large quantities of valuable goods in transit, they ...

Retail

It is perhaps not surprising that retailers are one of the biggest users of CCTV technology as they strive to combat the daily threat of crime from a multitude of sources, including burglary, ...

The subject of retail security often focuses on the prevention and detection of shop theft and the importance of technology such as electronic tagging and CCTV but burglary is just as real a threat ...

As CCTV plays an ever more critical role in the retail environment, it is important that retailers maximise the potential of their surveillance solutions and avoid the temptation to cut back during ...

The concept of property marking as an effective deterrent to thieves has been around for a long time and involves uniquely marking items using permanent marking. For retailers this may mean marking ...

Identity theft is an increasing problem that impacts both consumers and retailers. When it comes to the economic impact of identity theft, retailers could well reap the financial burden if their ...

The oldest established aspect of retail security is arguably still its most important. Whilst electronic systems such as product tagging and closed-circuit TV have greatly enhanced the ability to ...

The sad fact is that retail businesses across the globe have to combat the daily threat of crime from a multitude of sources, including burglary, vandalism, and theft by customers and even, ...

This feature article appeared in BRC Solutions magazine.Cash is the lifeblood of the retail industry but also the source of one of its most serious security threats. David Dickinson, Chief Executive ...

School security

Schools face a variety of threats from crime and antisocial behaviour, ranging from theft and vandalism to more serious risks to the wellbeing of pupils and staff.  Good risk assessment is an ...

Crime against schools continues to pose a multi-million pound threat to scarce educational resources, whether it involves the wholesale theft of valuable IT equipment by professional criminals or the ...

Standards/legislation

This year sees the implementation of the first of a number of European environmental equipment directives that will affect product costs. The first directive is the Waste Electrical and Electronic ...

The electronic security industry is getting ready for the introduction of European standards, this in itself is a change of direction as all installers are used to and feel comfortable with BS 4737 ...

This feature article appeared in the June edition of SMT.Given the proliferation of digital CCTV systems, on both sides of the Atlantic, and the increased reliance on digital video evidence to ...

Transport

The continuing threat of terror attacks against civil aviation sites has seen a huge international focus on new methods and regulation in areas such as passenger and baggage screening, as well as ...

Post 9/11, protection of airport facilities including cargo security areas has been high on the agenda. Yet terrorism-related risks are only part of the picture in terms of the vulnerabilities of ...

The new measures to protect critical infrastructure and buildings announced in the wake of the 2007 attack on Glasgow airport are necessary precautions but how do we provide a degree of physical ...

The prime minister’s announcement of new measures to protect critical infrastructure and ‘harden’ public buildings following the 2007 attack on Glasgow airport led to a predictable ...

The private security industry has welcomed a recent statement from the Department for Transport outlining a number of changes to current aviation security measures.  Martin Aggar, British ...

Controversy has long dogged the practice of passenger profiling. However in a society increasingly concerned by the threat of terrorist attacks at aviation sites, is this a practice that the airport ...

Transport operators are under threat from a variety of risks, yet must maintain open access to their networks for passenger use of bus, tram and rail facilities. Kay Wright of the British Security ...

Quality is the central focus of the BSIA philosophy, with companies having to meet rigorous criteria to become members. We remain the only security trade association that requires independent ...

Like all large organisations, public sector agencies face risks to their transport fleets that can prove both costly and disruptive.  Alex Carmichael, British Security Industry Association ...