news and insight laptop

Our latest guidance 

The BSIA produces a vast array of guidance for the industry and the end user, developed by the Association and its members.

These cover many key areas of security, from best practice and user guides in video surveillance, cybersecurity, access control, lone worker solutions, facial recognition and property marking. These guides are exlusive to our members unless otherwise stated.

Take a look at our latest releases - you can also browse them by section (e.g. video surveillance, access control).


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Exclusive to members 

Video Surveillance

Introduction to video content analysis - an industry guide: buying a video content analysis (VCA) system is slightly different from buying any other piece of technology and the emerging nature of VCA has only become a reality in the last three to five years.

Our new guide focuses on the benefits of VCA, the key technology challenges, how the analysis works, AI, ethical standards and many more key areas on getting the most out of this product.

Video Surveillance

CCTV Privacy Masking - a guide: VSS privacy masking is an essential technique for protecting the privacy rights of individuals and complying with privacy regulations. It involves the selective blurring or obscuring of some regions of the video feed to prevent the identification of individuals or the disclosure of sensitive information.

While privacy masking has some limitations, it is an effective tool for safeguarding privacy in various settings.

Security Systems

Preparing to switch to an IP telephony service - abbreviations & acronyms: as the UK embarks from analogue to digital in IP, the transition itself is causing some confusion due to terminology and messaging.  It is therefore important that terminology used by the whole supply chain is used.

This  is a great acronym-busting guide aimed at anyone working within security installation and working on and around the digitalisation of the telephony network.

Security Systems

Mitigating risk protecting your customers - a call to installers: as part of our All-IP campaign, we have produced a handy guide on how to mitigate risk, reminding the industry to act now to embark upon a transition to equipment and solutions that meet the needs of the All-IP transition and to take positive action before it is too late.

This is a guide designed for members involved in the process of ensuring that that all UK analogue lines are successfully transitioned between now and the end of 2025.

Lone Worker

Guidance note for the production of the Lone Worker device/appplication technical file: these guidance notes are to aid in compiling a technical file to ensure that a lone worker device and/or application meets the relevant requirements listed in BS 8484 Section 5.

This is a great guide for anyone responsible for developing lone worker devices.

Alarm Receiving Centres

ARC considerations when utilising a data centre or cloud services:  the storage, sharing and security of data is vitally important and its is becoming more commonplace to use the latest technology to provide ARC services, and as such locate ARC equipment outside of the ARC shell. This new guidance will assist ARC operators when utilising the services of a datacentre to house ARC equipment.

This a great guide to use for ARCs choosing to use the services of a data centre or cloud services. This should assist in deciding how much of the ARC should/could be safely and securely be hosted (or partially hosted) in a cloud environment.

Asset Property Marking

Manufacture, application & data recording of asset marking systems code of practice: this code of practice has been prepared in consultation with companies supplying product marking and/or asset database services to safeguard the interests of consumers in the United Kingdom regarding the services provided by those companies.

The principal aim of the code is to set out clearly for companies a best practice document to promote and maintain a high standard of products.