#security guard checkpoint software

[cyberbenb]

Massive data leak: Ukrainian IDs, other documents exposed by years of cyber negligence

Shoddy cyber security at Ukrainian vehicle inspections has exposed hundreds of thousands of personal documents for the past four years.

Largely scans of passports, taxpayer identification numbers, driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations, the documents span a broad stretch of Ukrainian geography and demography. Mostly, they identify people who were buying or selling used cars internationally.

Up until April 1, the documents were available, unprotected and unencrypted, on a server of one of the largest cloud storage providers in the world that, though tough to get to for regular users, is easy enough to find for bad actors.

“If it hasn’t already been accessed, it’s just a matter of time before it is and can be abused to ruin a lot of people,” says cybersecurity and access management specialist Jake Dixon, who spotted the documents. “And I know that there are teams of people in Russian intelligence and Russian cyber commands that are looking for stuff like this.”

The earliest documents date to the start of 2021. Dixon found them and informed Ukrainian authorities back in April 2022, but said it went nowhere. Only now, three years later, once contacted by the Kyiv Independent, authorities appear to have started securing them.

The documents in question currently number 992,978. They all seem to come from vehicle inspection sites, which check and certify used foreign cars sold into Ukraine. Ukrainians buy upwards of 300,000 such vehicles per year, per Interior Ministry data. Documents gathered for those vehicle inspections form the core of the database.

Many of the documents are relatively harmless, like photos of cars and receipts for transactions, or certifications themselves. But the database includes core identifying documents like passports and taxpayer cards (similar to a U.S. Social Security Card) for likely tens, and possibly hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, as well as foreign entities who sold cars into Ukraine. Unprotected, it was a ripe target for identity theft. There is no way of knowing the extent to which it has been accessed or what data has been taken from it.

As of publication, the most recent batch was uploaded on March 11. The earliest documents date back to the beginning of 2021. On April 1, 2025, what seems to be all of them were taken private.

Cyberwartime measures

The data leak comes as Ukraine has been — in theory — on high alert about cyber security for over three years.

Formerly public data for many Ukrainian services have gone dark since Russia’s full-scale invasion. This is in large part out of concerns that Russian intelligence or hackers will use information from sources like property registries to locate, blackmail and extort Ukrainians.

At the same time, personal data of thousands of Ukrainians have been endangered through what appears to be sloppy security at vehicle inspections centers. The centers are private businesses certified by the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories that provide inspections of the condition of a car — a government requirement when a car is brought into Ukraine from abroad.

Border security personnel stand guard at the Krakivets-Korczowa car checkpoint on the Ukraine-Poland border, about 70 km from Lviv, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP / Getty Images)

The cloud storage provider in question is regarded as a highly secure system for data management. However, that is not the case when the data collected is not protected by basic security like a password. For obvious security reasons, the Kyiv Independent is not including links to the cloud server containing the documents in question.

However, it’s relatively easy for individuals with fairly cheap specialty software to navigate it and find the documents. Dixon himself located the bucket using software that scans for sensitive data left vulnerable, software that he says certainly exists in Russia and elsewhere.

Scanning for unsecured personal documents has been “a risk since people started moving to the cloud. It’s something that threat actors actively watch,” says Dixon. “I would be surprised if it hasn’t been discovered by someone else in the frame of time since I discovered it. And they’re still uploading files to this container.”

The way the data in question is arranged makes it more complicated to use en masse, or search through for names of specific people listed. It is, however, easy to go through and find individual identifying information for random individuals.

“I think there was a drive for digitization and this (system) just got pushed because someone needed access to this data quickly, and then some connection got opened, some configuration got changed. It’s just been sitting there ever since, collecting,” Dixon described the exposed batch of documents.

Who’s responsible?

Dixon warned Ukrainian cyber authority the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine, or CERT-UA, of the exposure back in 2022, per emails reviewed by the Kyiv Independent. After responding to Dixon asking for more information, CERT-UA went quiet for, apparently, three years.

Anton Kobyliansky, a representative for the State Special Communications Service which oversees CERT-UA, told the Kyiv Independent that the responsibility for both was “cyber incidents,” which did not include this leaked data. Kobyliansky said this data was likely the responsibility of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and declined to comment.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation is the agency that launched Diia, a mobile application that digitizes government services and documents. Announced in 2019, Diia launched in early 2020 with passports and driver’s licenses the first documents to be digitized. Viktoriia Savchenko, a representative for the Ministry of Digital Transformation, similarly denied her agency’s responsibility for the data involved.

The documents come from a number of privately-owned Ukrainian vehicle inspection centers, almost all relating to government-mandated certificates for the import of used vehicles. A number of phone numbers for service centers listed including Center Auto and AutoTechnoServis were dead.

A staffer for Euro-Center, one of the inspection centers that appear most frequently in the leak, did not return a request for comment when reached. The contact number for another servicer, VK-Auto, hung up on the Kyiv Independent, when asked about the data leak.

The government authority licensing the vehicle inspections stations is the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, previously called the Ministry of Infrastructure. When reached, Ruslan Kyrychenko, head of the Technical Regulation Department of the Road Transport and Safety Department within the ministry, said: “We note that the vehicle inspection centers do not report to the Ministry of Development.”

Currently, Ukrainian government data is heavily centralized. A hack that came to light in December took the bulk of Ukraine’s federal government registries offline for weeks, stalling services ranging from incorporation to vehicle sales to marriage registration.

Responsibility for that government data is, however, thoroughly dispersed.

The Kyiv Independent contacted the relevant authorities on March 26 — including the above, representatives for Ukraine’s State Security Service and the Ministry of Justice.

All denied ownership of the data. Yet, after repeated follow-up, the data on the server began to go private on April 1, 2025 — just shy of three years after Dixon, an Irish national living in Estonia, first reported the problem to Ukrainian authorities. As of publication, none of the officials contacted would acknowledge involvement in taking the data offline, but someone was clearly responding to inquiries.

“Sloppy,” says fellow cybersecurity specialist and sometimes hacker on behalf of Ukraine Karla Wagner, upon reviewing the open data. “There’s a high probability that someone set this up in a hurry, perhaps even deployed a demo, with data replication turned on by default, and they didn’t take the time to secure it.”

It is not complicated to make one of these databases private, or guard it with a password.

“These days, whenever you go into that configuration, it comes up with a big warning saying, ‘do not leave this as public’ because of how many times this has occurred for people,” says Dixon.

“It shouldn’t be open like this, especially in a time of war.”

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Kollen, the author of this article. Thanks for reading. Ukrainians’ responses to Russia’s invasion showcase a society that is deeply resilient and inventive, despite pullbacks in aid. If you like reading stories highlighting those features from on the ground, please consider supporting our work by becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent.

’89 hours of non-stop work’ — Ukrainian Railways’ battle against a cyberattack by ‘the enemy’

When an “unprecedented” cyberattack hit the computer networks of Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) on March 23, the company’s staff gave up any idea of getting a good night’s sleep for the foreseeable future. “Everyone is working around the clock. This is no joke,” Anastasia Zolotaryova, Ukrzaliz…

The Kyiv IndependentYana Prots

[zkteco-india]

ZKTeco Hand Held Metal Detector Review

ZKTeco is a globally acclaimed provider of biometric verification algorithms and security/Time and Attendance solutions, with local support and stock availability here in South Africa.

ZKTeco handheld metal detector wands feature high sensitivity, making them the ideal choice for security checks in airports and other public facilities. Plus, they’re easy to operate and come packed with features.

High Sensitivity

ZKTeco products are widely praised for their exceptional sensitivity. Capable of detecting even minute metal objects, ZKTeco security devices are an ideal choice in environments where weapons or prohibited items are present. Furthermore, their operation requires no physical contact; multiple security staff members can use them effortlessly without disrupting operations.

An appealing feature of handheld metal body search wands is their compatibility with other security equipment, including walk-through metal detectors or door frames and x-ray baggage scanners. This enables security guards to perform more in-depth scans on individuals and their belongings when they become suspicious or suspect that someone might be carrying dangerous items.

Handheld metal detectors are convenient and lightweight, enabling security personnel to carry them with them around events as needed and deploy checkpoints quickly as situations change. This makes event security especially effective; situations may quickly change and necessitate relocation of checkpoints quickly.

This model offers a detection indicator that changes color with various forms of potential threats, making them discreetly and quickly identifiable to its user. Furthermore, its sound and vibration alarm modes enhance its sensitivity further; its rechargeable battery works for over 70 hours nonstop; additionally charging and low power indicators help avoid false alarms.

Easy to Operate

ZKTeco Hand Held Metal Detector is an easy and convenient security device, perfect for protecting in crowded or high-stress situations. This lightweight device emits either sound or light indicators to indicate when prohibited objects have been identified; you can simply press its button for activation. Plus, being lightweight and portable it makes carrying it around events easy for security personnel.

The MDS100 metal detector is a high-sensitivity handheld scanner designed for top-class security applications. Combining reliability, ergonomics and advanced detection and operator signaling features with compact portability and user-friendliness. Running for over 70 hours continuously on two AA batteries it features three alarm modes that can be activated via sound or vibration as well as charging and low power indicators to help prevent battery failure during security checks.

ZKTeco Brazil displayed many innovative innovations at Exposec 2023, such as underwater facial recognition and 360deg metal detection. Furthermore, they showcased video surveillance solutions such as their ZKBio CVSecurity All-in-One software for security management that includes facial recognition, people counting, forsaken/removed objects detection alarm and area analysis — all accessible from any internet-enabled computer or phone and making set up and use easy.

Rechargeable Battery

HMD100 is a hand-held metal detector wand used to detect hidden metal objects that pose potential threats. Equipped with a rechargeable battery for ease of use in any situation and boasting three alarm modes (sound, vibration and beeping), HMD100 makes metal detection simple.

The ZKTeco Hand Held Metal Detector offers quick and accurate scanning without body contact, making it suitable for event security, crowd control and other applications. Lightweight and compact design makes the detector easy to hold for extended periods while withstanding harsh environments.

Metal detectors come equipped with detection indicators that display sizes of objects detected and vivid colors to make it easier for security personnel to spot potential threats discreetly. Furthermore, this unit operates off a rechargeable battery power source and comes complete with sound and light alarm options for additional peace of mind.

ZKTeco provides security solutions that will protect both warehouses and office buildings alike. Their extensive product offerings include biometric access control and time management systems with their innovative fingerprint and RFID reader technologies designed for maximum sensitivity and ease of operation, perfect for access control, employee time and attendance tracking and visitor management applications. Plus their products feature user-friendly installations with intuitive interfaces making integration into existing systems seamless.

Password Protection

ZKTeco’s management software uses precise algorithms to apply biometric templates of all its users in an attempt to prevent illegal reorganization of their biometric features. Furthermore, all ZKTeco hardware products include various advanced electronic encryption techniques that protect user information as much as possible from leakage.

The device’s sensitivity can be easily customized to any environment. Once set, LED light mapping of the detection zone activates, helping exclude items like coins, keys, jewelry and belt buckles from false alarm. Furthermore, its excellent anti-interference capability protects heart pacemakers, pregnant women as well as magnetic floppy disks and recording tapes from interference.

Based on your facility’s needs and requirements, single or multi zone detectors may be selected. A single zone detector detects hidden metal in one area such as the head or ankles while multi zone detectors will scan multiple spots within an individual — making it easier to locate hidden weapons quickly and allow security personnel to respond swiftly.

The control unit and door panel are both waterproof, making them suitable for outdoor environments. Furthermore, the detector is easy to set up and connects directly with turnstiles; powered by either DC 24V or AC 230V and compatible with all eID card readers.

[lokiondisneyplus]

As film and TV sets reopen at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, home to big-screen juggernauts like "Avengers: Endgame," the biggest job is keeping the coronavirus off the Georgia studio's lot.

The several hundred producers, set designers, painters and carpenters working to get productions ready undergo tests for Covid-19 weekly, and sometimes more often. An app tracks workers' symptoms between tests, and a badge system prevents anyone without a negative test result from opening doors on the lot.

The regime of testing will cost more than $1.5 million a month once cameras are rolling and several thousand workers are on set, said the studio's chief executive, Frank Patterson, noting that is what is needed to stay in business.

Pinewood Atlanta is trying to solve a riddle facing a host of businesses, schools and universities headed into this fall: How much Covid-19 testing is needed to ensure people can stay safe and keep organizations functioning amid a pandemic. At many companies, tests for active infections or antibodies are becoming a condition of returning to the workplace, along with symptom checks and stepped-up cleaning practices, medical consultants say.

Mr. Patterson steeped himself in research on testing, viral transmission and air quality when the pandemic halted film shoots in mid-March. With streaming services and Hollywood studios relying on him to produce new content, he aimed to restart his company's shooting as soon as possible and become what he calls "one of the most secure and safest studios in the world."

That security doesn't come cheap. These days, around 200 workers each day get a nasal-swab Covid-19 test, costing Pinewood Atlanta about $200 each. When cameras are rolling later this year, 3,000 to 6,000 workers will be on set daily, compounding costs.

"We have to pay a premium just to get back to work. It's painful, but it's not stopping anyone," Mr. Patterson said.

Pinewood Atlanta has been involved in some of the world's highest-grossing franchises, such as "Avengers: Endgame," as well as content for streaming services. The production company believes testing expenses will eventually qualify for the state's film-production tax credits. A spokeswoman for Georgia's revenue department said it plans to put out guidance on allowed expenses soon.

Employers who want results quickly must hunt for labs that can guarantee speedy results and priority treatment.

Right now, testing in the U.S. involves a patchwork of public, private and academic laboratories that can offer their own testing services or partner with drugstores, doctors and other groups. That decentralized system has recently been plagued by supply-chain strains and a surge in demand that has led to delays in results for many individuals.

"We just don't have a real functioning market," where demand for testing can easily find lab capacity in the U.S., said Sean Murray, president of Eurofins's workplace Covid-19 testing program.

To run its tests, Pinewood Atlanta hired health-testing and software-company BioIQ Inc., which relies on a network of labs. The company offers results in 24 to 48 hours, and Mr. Patterson says his studio is also willing to courier or rapidly ship tests to labs for faster processing.

"The tighter your feedback loop the more quickly you can learn and adapt," BioIQ Chief Executive Justin Bellante said of the need for quick turnaround times in results. Weekslong waits for many people tested in the U.S. have slowed contact-tracing and containment efforts.

Workers at Pinewood Atlanta report for testing days before they are scheduled to be on the lot to allow time for results to come in. A nurse performs a nasal swab for their first test; if that first test comes back negative, subsequent tests are conducted via saliva samples.

All workers on Pinewood productions have to answer health questions via an app on their phones. A completed questionnaire and a negative Covid-19 result get an all-clear code on the app, which workers present at a checkpoint at the studio. To open doors on the campus, workers must scan a badge; the badges only work if the wearer has received a negative test result.

Security guards at the checkpoint on the lot issue cleared workers a different color wristband each day. On-site Covid compliance officers, as well as fellow workers, keep watch to ensure everyone has the same color wristband.

The frequency of testing for workers at the studio is determined by factors such as the level of person-to-person interaction in their jobs. The highest-risk workers are tested three times a week, and Mr. Patterson said some actors prefer daily testing.

Figuring out testing led to some friction along the way, Mr. Patterson said, but partner studios and unions have reached a point where some preproduction work has resumed. The film industry as a whole hasn't yet adopted formal testing rules and Pinewood Atlanta will adjust its still-evolving protocols as standards are established.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that testing workers without virus symptoms may be useful in areas with significant community spread, though employers should consider factors such as the availability of tests and rate of positive results in previous employee tests.

Siemens Healthineers AG's world-wide testing program for its 50,000 workers will rely on consistent rules for all employees and includes regular testing for active infections and viral antibodies.

Workers' testing will depend on their location, the state of infection in the area, how much they travel and their work setting, said Deepak Nath, the company's president of laboratory diagnostics. Those who report to a corporate facility or travel in areas where the virus isn't contained will be required to get weekly tests and monthly antibody tests, which Siemens Healthineers produces.

Public-health officials have given mixed reviews to antibody tests, which require a blood draw to detect the presence of virus-fighting cells. They warn that having had Covid-19 isn't a guarantee against future infections. Yet medical advisers who work with employers say the tests can give companies a sense of the prevalence of the virus among their workforces.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has partnered with the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard to test workers in the Los Angeles area and in Washington state for Covid-19 antibodies, said people familiar with the matter. SpaceX didn't respond to requests for comment.

Dr. Nath said he didn't expect needing such elaborate testing to keep workplaces open back in March, but the continued global infections make it necessary, he said. The company is self-insured, meaning it pays for all of its employee health-care costs. It declined to say how much testing will likely cost.

"We truly haven't used cost as a filter through which to say whether we test or don't test," Dr. Nath said.

Grocery-chain Kroger Co. has begun shipping at-home tests to workers that cost about $60 to process. Microsoft Corp. offers on-site testing to employees and their families if they want it, a spokesman said.

While workplace testing is a financial strain for businesses now, costs could fall as pooled-testing methods become available, Mr. Murray of Eurofins said.

"It really is about money. If it were free, I think there'd be testing all over the place," he said.

Employers are trying other tactics alongside testing such as new air-quality and circulation measures and additional cleaning. At Pinewood Atlanta, productions are likely to employ fewer extras, and intimate moments between actors will be simulated with visual effects, Mr. Patterson said.

"Will it actually be actors exchanging spit? Unlikely," he said. "If we can do characters traveling universes and conquering worlds [with effects], we can certainly have two lovers kissing."

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

House Sets Impeachment Vote to Charge Trump With Incitement (NYT) House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump on Monday for his role in inflaming a mob that attacked the Capitol, scheduling a Wednesday vote to charge the president with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” if Vice President Mike Pence refused to strip him of power first. As the impeachment drive proceeded, federal law enforcement authorities accelerated efforts to fortify the Capitol ahead of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s inauguration on Jan. 20. The authorities announced plans to deploy up to 15,000 National Guard troops and set up a multilayered buffer zone with checkpoints around the building by Wednesday, just as lawmakers are to debate and vote on impeaching Mr. Trump. Federal authorities also said they were bracing for a wave of armed protests in all 50 state capitals and Washington in the days leading up to the inauguration.

National Guard inauguration deployment (Military Times) The Defense Department has authorized as many as 15,000 troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. National Guard Bureau chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson said that there will initially be a deployment of 10,000 troops—an increase of about 4,000 from those in D.C. now. That figure is twice the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. The general declined to specify whether the guardsmen will be armed, stating that “we will work very closely with the federal agency, the FBI and law enforcement to determine if there is a need for that.” A D.C. National Guard spokesman told Military Times on Sunday that while some troops came to town with their weapons, carrying them on the streets had not yet been authorized.

Companies cutting off Trump and GOP (Yahoo Finance) Marriott and Blue Cross Blue Shield are just a few of the companies that are halting donations to GOP lawmakers who objected to certifying Joe Biden as president, while other businesses move to cut ties with President Trump directly. The actions come on the heels of Friday’s permanent suspension of Donald Trump’s Twitter account and Amazon’s move to cut off social media platform Parler’s servers. (NYT) The backlash is part of a broader shunning of Mr. Trump and his allies unfolding in the wake of the assault on the Capitol. Schools stripped the president of honorary degrees, some prominent Republicans threatened to leave the party and the New York State Bar Association announced it had begun investigating Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, which could lead to his removal from the group. And the P.G.A. of America announced it would strip Mr. Trump’s New Jersey golf club of a major tournament.

Virus deaths surging in California, now top 30,000 (AP) The coronavirus death toll in California reached 30,000 on Monday, another staggering milestone as the nation’s most populous state endures the worst surge of the nearly yearlong pandemic. Newly confirmed infections are rising at a dizzying rate of more than a quarter-million a week and during the weekend a record 1,163 deaths were reported. Los Angeles County is one of the epicenters and health officials there are telling residents to wear a mask even when at home if they go outside regularly and live with someone elderly or otherwise at high risk. California has deployed 88 refrigerated trailers to use as makeshift morgues mostly in hard-hit Southern California, where traditional storage space is dwindling.

A never-ending scandal (Bloomberg) Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35, the fighter jet already being flown by the U.S. and eight allies, remains marred by 871 software and hardware deficiencies that could undercut readiness, missions or maintenance, according to the Pentagon’s testing office. The Defense Department’s costliest weapons system “continues to carry a large number of deficiencies, many of which were identified prior to” the development and demonstration phase, which ended in April 2018 with 941 flaws, Robert Behler, the director of operational testing, said in a new assessment obtained by Bloomberg News in advance of its publication.

Pompeo Returns Cuba to Terrorism Sponsor List (NYT) The State Department designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday in a last-minute foreign policy stroke that will complicate the incoming Biden administration’s plans to restore friendlier relations with Havana. In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited Cuba’s hosting of 10 Colombian rebel leaders, along with a handful of American fugitives wanted for crimes committed in the 1970s, and Cuba’s support for the authoritarian leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Mr. Pompeo said the action sent the message that “the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice.” The action, announced with just days remaining in the Trump administration, reverses a step taken in 2015 after President Barack Obama restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, calling its decades of political and economic isolation a relic of the Cold War.

Brexit sandwich problems (BBC) A Dutch TV network has filmed border officials confiscating ham sandwiches and other foods from drivers arriving in the Netherlands from the UK, under post-Brexit rules. Under EU rules, travellers from outside the bloc are banned from bringing in meat and dairy products. The rules appeared to bemuse one driver. “Since Brexit, you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, like meat, fruit, vegetables, fish, that kind of stuff,” a Dutch border official told the driver in footage broadcast by TV network NPO 1. In one scene, a border official asked the driver whether several of his tin-foil wrapped sandwiches had meat in them. When the driver said they did, the border official said: “Okay, so we take them all.” Surprised, the driver then asked the officials if he could keep the bread, to which one replied: “No, everything will be confiscated—welcome to the Brexit, sir. I’m sorry.”

Merkel sees coronavirus lockdown until early April: Bild (Reuters) Chancellor Angela Merkel has told lawmakers in her conservative party that she expects a lockdown in Germany to curb the spread of the coronavirus to last until the start of April, top-selling Bild daily cited participants as the meeting as saying. “If we don’t manage to stop this British virus, then we will have 10 times the number of cases by Easter. We need eight to 10 more weeks of tough measures,” Bild quoted Merkel as saying.

‘A Stalin with double meat’ (Foreign Policy) A Moscow kebab shop named after Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has closed after just 24 hours of opening after a string of complaints from angry residents. In its brief existence Stalin Doner served items like “Stalin with double meat” and “Beria with tkemali sauce”—a reference to Stalin’s notorious secret police chief. The shop’s owner, Stanislav Voltman, was interviewed by police for three hours following complaints. “They asked me if my head was screwed on straight,” Voltman told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “It’s not like I had Hitler as the face of my brand,” Voltman said. Despite public outcry about the kebabs, support for Stalin is on the rise in Russia. A Levada Center poll in 2019 found that 70 percent of Russians think Stalin played a completely or relatively positive role in the life of the country.

In Kashmir, Hopes Wither (NYT) Kashmir, the craggily beautiful region in the shadow of the Himalayas long caught between India and Pakistan, has fallen into a state of suspended animation. Schools are closed. Lockdowns have been imposed, lifted and then reimposed. Once a hub for both Western and Indian tourists, Kashmir has been reeling for more than a year. First, India brought in security forces to clamp down on the region. Then the coronavirus struck. The streets are full of soldiers. Military bunkers, removed years ago, are back, and at many places cleave the road. On highways, soldiers stop passenger vehicles and drag commuters out to check their identity cards. Conflict in Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority region, has festered for decades. And an armed uprising has long sought self-rule. Tens of thousands of rebels, civilians and security forces have died since 1990. India and Pakistan have gone to war twice over the territory, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety. Now, as India flexes its power over the region, to even call Kashmir a disputed region is a crime—sedition, according to Indian officials. Many say that the political paralysis is the worst it has ever been in Kashmir’s 30 years of conflict, and that people have been choked into submission.

India’s top court suspends implementation of new farm laws (AP) India’s top court on Tuesday temporarily put on hold the implementation of new agricultural laws and ordered the formation of an independent committee of experts to negotiate with farmers who have been protesting against the legislation. The Supreme Court’s ruling came a day after it heard petitions filed by the farmers challenging the controversial legislation. The court said that the laws were passed without enough consultation, and that it was disappointed with the way talks were proceeding between representatives of the government and farmer leaders. Tens of thousands of farmers protesting against the legislation have been blocking half a dozen major highways on the outskirts of New Delhi for more than 45 days. Farmers say they won’t leave until the government repeals the laws. They say the legislation passed by Parliament in September will lead to the cartelization and commercialization of agriculture, make farmers vulnerable to corporate greed and devastate their earnings. The government insists the laws will benefit farmers and says they will enable farmers to market their produce and boost production through private investment.

First came political crimes. Now, a digital crackdown descends on Hong Kong. (Washington Post) HONG KONG—The police officers who came to take away Owen Chow on national security grounds last week left little to chance. Determined to find his phones, they had prepared a list of mobile numbers registered to his name, even one he used exclusively for banking, said the 23-year-old Hong Kong activist. Officers called each number in succession, the vibrations revealing the locations of three iPhones around his apartment. By the end of their operation, police had amassed more than 200 devices from Chow and 52 others held for alleged political crimes that day, according to those arrested, as well as laptops from spouses who are not politically active and were not detained. The digital sweep showed how Hong Kong authorities are wielding new powers under the national security law, introduced last summer, far more widely than the city’s leader promised. Since the Jan. 6 raids, authorities have blocked at least one website, according to the site’s owner and local media reports, raising concerns that Hong Kong is headed for broader digital surveillance and censorship akin to that in mainland China. Hong Kong police have begun sending devices seized from arrested people to mainland China, where authorities have sophisticated data-extraction technology, and are using the information gleaned from those devices to assist in investigations, according to two people familiar with the arrangement who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their safety.

26 missing, at least 13 dead in Indonesia landslides (AP) Rescuers are searching for 26 people still missing after two landslides hit a village in Indonesia’s West Java province over the weekend, officials said Tuesday. At least 13 people were killed and 29 others injured in the landslides that were triggered by heavy rain on Sunday in Cihanjuang, a village in West Java’s Sumedang district. Some of the victims were rescuers from the first landslide.

Leading human rights group calls Israel an ‘apartheid’ state (AP) A leading Israeli human rights group has begun describing both Israel and its control of the Palestinian territories as a single “apartheid” regime, using an explosive term that the country’s leaders and their supporters vehemently reject. In a report released Tuesday, B’Tselem says that while Palestinians live under different forms of Israeli control in the occupied West Bank, blockaded Gaza, annexed east Jerusalem and within Israel itself, they have fewer rights than Jews in the entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. “One of the key points in our analysis is that this is a single geopolitical area ruled by one government,” said B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad. “This is not democracy plus occupation. This is apartheid between the river and the sea.” That a respected Israeli organization is adopting a term long seen as taboo even by many critics of Israel points to a broader shift in the debate as its half-century occupation of war-won lands drags on and hopes for a two-state solution fade.

Uganda bans social media ahead of presidential election (Reuters) Uganda banned social media on Tuesday, two days ahead of a presidential election pitting Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, against opposition frontrunner Bobi Wine, a popular singer. Internet monitor NetBlocks said its data showed that Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Skype, Snapchat, Viber and Google Play Store were among a lengthy list of sites unavailable via Uganda’s main cell network operators. Campaigning ahead of the vote has been marred by brutal crackdowns on opposition rallies, which the authorities say break COVID-19 curbs on large gatherings. Rights groups say the restrictions are a pretext for muzzling the opposition. At 38, Wine is half the age of President Yoweri Museveni and has attracted a large following among young people in a nation where 80% of the population are under 30, rattling the ruling National Resistance Movement party.

Coronavirus-spurred changes to global workforce to be permanent (Reuters) Sweeping changes to the global labour market caused by the coronavirus pandemic will likely be permanent, policy makers said on Tuesday, as some industries collapse, others flourish and workers stay home. The pandemic, which has so far infected at least 90.5 million people and killed around 1.9 worldwide, has up-ended industries and workers in almost every country in the world as tough lockdowns were imposed. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that the impact of huge job losses worldwide is creating a fiscal gap that threatens to increase inequality between richer and poorer countries. The ILO estimated that global labour income declined by 10.7 per cent, or $3.5 trillion, in the first three quarters of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019, excluding government income support. India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the pandemic had created an “accidental challenge” under which the government delivered food on a regular basis to 800 million people and provided sustained business funds. Philippines central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno said it was clear some industries will not survive, others will not be as dynamic as before, and yet others will be boosted by the massive changes. The need for a more nimble and innovative approach to education will remain long after the pandemic ends, said Helen Fulson, Chief Product Officer at educational publisher Twinkl. “How many children today will be doing jobs that currently don’t exist?’ she said at Reuters Next on Monday. “We don’t know how to train for these jobs.”

[patrolpointsme-blog]

Top 5 Key Features in a Guard Tour System

Securing your business with the utmost care, fast and accurate manually is a critical process in this modern world. For the business owners, supervisors and managers, they need to see the daily activity reports that help improve the efficiency of their operation. Even the clients need to get the trust in your company that security contractors are worth for what they believe. Nowadays, patrolling can be made easy with a security guard tour software system.

So, for the people who are looking for the best security for their company, business or for any event, a guard tour system is an ideal choice. This is a cloud-based NFC technology app that helps your guards to patrol your building with certain fixed checkpoints. This software app is specially designed to automate the process of securing your building.

It allows to monitor your guards and maintains a high-security level. This ensures guaranteed protection for the most valuable assets in your company.

Here are the top 5 key features that a guard tour system must-have. They are as follows:

1. Real-Time Monitoring & Alerts:

Comparatively, what’s the best option than a real-time guard tour system? A guard tour system is designed to capture information that is sent to guards and property managers in real-time. This process eliminates the delay when compared with using manual devices to communicate from one station to the next. Without any delay, you can choose a real-time security guard tour system as you can monitor guard activities and also you can get real-time alerts.

2. Cloud-based Technology:

The future is completely based on a cloud system. This cloud-based guard tour system offers flexibility and effectiveness. This guard tour system has the capability to patrol in several areas and territories that are spread out in a large number of locations or even countries.

3. User Management:

You have to give your every guard their own account and tell them to manage each account from a centralized workspace. This has multi-branching user management that acquires different levels of access to the system.

4. User-Friendly:

The security patrol guard tour system aims to help users reduce cost and time without any special and expensive equipment. This app helps users to create like wonders which are as simple as easy to use and install. Even, it is very simple for your guards to use it. All the equipment you and your guard need is a smartphone to patrol your company where that can be carried wherever you want.

5. Reliability:

This is such a reliable software app that can able to work offline too. This can help gives you detailed information on pending check-ins, inactive checkpoints and GPS locations of each guard and employee on your property. In this process, there are no manipulations as this gives you accurate and reliable information about every employee.

Do you own a company and looking for the best security guard services? For any business owner, it is necessary to get a guard tour software system. Make a right decision of choosing the best and perfect guard tour system that suits your needs and demands.

Finally, a real-time, cloud-based, user management, user-friendly and reliable guard tour system is what you want for your business!

Install Patrol Points now and just tap a button to start your monitoring process.

[bountyofbeads]

Chinese border guards put secret surveillance app on tourists' phones

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/02/chinese-border-guards-surveillance-app-tourists-phones?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Post_to_Tumblr

Please READ 📖 and SHARE this article if you know anyone who travels to China and Hong Kong, especially Muslims.

Chinese border guards put secret surveillance app on tourists' phones

Software extracts emails, texts and contacts and could be used to track movements

Hilary Osborne and Sam Cutler | Published:11:00 Tue July 2, 2019 | The Guardian | Posted July 2, 2019 |

Chinese border police in Xinjiang are secretly installing surveillance apps on the phones of visitors and downloading personal information as part of the government’s intensive scrutiny of the remote region, the Guardian can reveal.

The Chinese government has curbed freedoms in the province for the local Muslim population, installing facial recognition cameras on streets and in mosques and reportedly forcing residents to download software that searches their phones.

An investigation by the Guardian and international partners has found that travellers are being targeted when they attempt to enter the region from neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.

Border guards are taking their phones and secretly installing an app that extracts emails, texts and contacts, as well as information about the handset itself.

Tourists say they have not been warned by authorities in advance or told about what the software is looking for, or that their information is being taken.

The investigation, with partners including Süddeutsche Zeitung and the New York Times, has found that people using the remote Irkeshtam border crossing into the country are routinely having their phones screened by guards.

Edin Omanovic, of the campaign group Privacy International, described the findings as “highly alarming in a country where downloading the wrong app or news article could land you in a detention camp”.

Analysis by the Guardian, academics and cybersecurity experts suggests the app, designed by a Chinese company,searches Android phones against a huge list of content that the authorities view as problematic.

This includes a variety of terms associated with Islamist extremism, including Inspire, the English-language magazine produced by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, and various weapons operation manuals.

However, the surveillance app also searches for information on a range of other material – from fasting during Ramadan to literature by the Dalai Lama, and music by a Japanese metal band called Unholy Grave.

Another file on the list is a self-help manual by the American writer Robert Greene called The 33 Strategies of War.

About 100 million people visit the Xinjiang region every year, according to Chinese authorities. These include domestic and foreign tourists, and most enter from elsewhere in the country.

The Irkeshtam crossing is China’s most westerly border and is used by traders and tourists, some following the historic Silk Road.

There are several stages to crossing, and at one travellers are made to unlock and hand over their phones and other devices such as cameras. The devices are then taken away to a separate room and returned some time later.

The iPhones are plugged into a reader that scans them, while Android phones have the app installed to do the same job.

It seems that in most cases the app is uninstalled before the phone is returned, but some travellers have found it still on their phone.

It is unclear where all extracted information goes and for how long it is stored.

While there is no evidence that the data is used to track people later in their journeys, the information it collects would allow the authorities to locate someone if used together with details of the phone’s location.

It appears with the default Android icon and the words 蜂采 (Fēng cǎi); the term has no direct English translation, but relates to bees collecting honey.

The Guardian spoke to a traveller who had crossed the border to Xinjiang this year with an Android phone and was disturbed to see the app installed on his phone.

He said he had been asked to hand over his phone at the checkpoint, and it had been taken into a separate room. He and all the other travellers at that checkpoint had also been asked to hand their pin numbers to the officials, and had waited about an hour to have their phones returned.

At no point were they told what was being done to the phones.

He had been told by an international travel agent and by tourist information in Kyrgyzstan that something would happen with his phone at the border.

“We thought it was a GPS tracker,” he said. “[The travel company] was pretty sure we were going to have this thing put in.”

He checked his phone when it was handed back and found the app immediately.

“There was another checkpoint about two hours away and I was thinking that maybe they had downloaded things and they would have all of their analysts going through it all while we were travelling, and then maybe they [would] send people back when they got to the next place.”

The traveller said he had not been asked to hand over the phone at any other point during his visit, nor when he departed from China. He said he had not been concerned about carrying the phone with him, as there was so much overt surveillance in the region. He added: “I don’t like it. If they were doing it in my home country I would be aghast, but when you are travelling to China you know it might be like this.”

All of the installations confirmed by the Guardian and its partners were on Android phones, but travellers report that iPhones were also taken by officers.

Omanovic said: “This is yet another example of why the surveillance regime in Xinjiang is one of the most unlawful, pervasive and draconian in the world.

“Modern extraction systems take advantage of this to build a detailed but flawed picture into people’s lives. Modern apps, platforms and devices generate huge amounts of data which people likely aren’t even aware of or believe they have deleted, but which can still be found on the device.”

Maya Wang, China senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “We already know that Xinjiang residents, particularly Turkic Muslims–, are subjected to round-the-clock and multidimensional surveillance in the region.

“What you have found goes beyond that. It suggests that even foreigners are subjected to such mass and unlawful surveillance.”

The use of the app came to light after travellers took their phone to reporters in Germany.

Analysis of that software by the Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ruhr-University Bochum and the German cybersecurity firm Cure53 suggested it was designed to upload information such as emails on to a server at the border office.

The Chinese authorities were contacted for comment but there was no reply by the time of publication.

Previously the Chinese government has defended its hi-tech surveillance of citizens in Xinjiang, saying it has improved security in the region.

• The Guardian worked with Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, the New York Times and Motherboard (part of Vice)

[mainsminds]

Project igi save games

PROJECT IGI SAVE GAMES SOFTWARE

PROJECT IGI SAVE GAMES PC

The graphics become more vivid with each new release. The popularity of the games resulted in a prequel called I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike followed the first release. The original edition of the tactical first-person shooting game is titled Project I.G.I.: I’m Going In. The developers have delivered updated versions of the nostalgic title. The authentic spacious setting could make up for the moments of fluctuation during the gameplay. The unrealistic reactions from the guards coupled with the lack of save points can make the title unappealing to play. The number of weapons that the opponents have will increase as the game progresses. Project IGI has been known for lagging, which results in rivals appearing out of nowhere. Additionally, attackers are stationed within the same areas after the game refreshes. The gameplay can feel repetitive due to the lack of stealth required to defeat opponents. If you get killed, then you will need to start the game over from the very beginning. The extreme gameplay can make Project IGI difficult to complete, especially since the game does not have checkpoints. Alternatively, the guards can quickly kill you. You can easily shoot enemies during a covert strike since the AI does not always hear close gunshots. While IGI is not filled with sci fi elements, the gameplay is unrealistic since the enemies are often unaware of nearby gunshot noises. Project IGI is infamous for the careless personalities of the AI security guards. The huge level sizes deliver attractive graphics with panoramic views for you to explore.Įnemies will be positioned outside of and within the military bases, offices, warehouses, etc. The background is set in a mountainous terrain with intense weather conditions: rain, snow, etc. You can choose between a variety of gun models that deliver various results. You will be equipped with gadgets and weaponry: binoculars, guns, knife, map, etc. Fans have requested a multiplayer mode because of the lack of social stimulation. The Project IGI narrative can be boring since the plot does not introduce additional characters, aside from the enemies. While Anya is a companion that assists in the assignment, Agent David Jones is practically a one-man show since there are minimal interactions between the two allies. The advice will appear on the screen in between missions or at random for you to read. Jones will listen to the strategic guidance through an earpiece. Anya is the heroic partner that is stationed within the large Institute of Geotactical Intelligence headquarters. You will not be completely alone in the journey.Ī woman named Anya delivers helpful objectives through a headpiece to guide agent Jones. The goal of the game is to capture Priboi to secure the whereabouts of the stolen nuclear warhead. You will play as a secret agent: David Jones. Project IGI has a well-known storyline that is based on the mission to get information from Josef Priboi about a nuclear weapon that went missing.

PROJECT IGI SAVE GAMES SOFTWARE

You can play the software on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems. Innerloop Studios developed Project IGI to release the title with Eidos Interactive in the year 2000. The video game is often referred to as ‘I’m Going In’.

PROJECT IGI SAVE GAMES PC

Project IGI is a free FPS action game for Microsoft Windows PC desktop computers and laptops.

[bcs-blogs]

5 Reasons to Support the Need for Guard Tour System

Anyone individual managing Security Guard Company is aware of the task of managing security personnel. It is not an easy task & requires a lot of effort.

From time keeping to employee accountability, there are quite a few factors that hinder the ability to offer streamlined & manageable services.

However, with the help of a contemporary security guard tour system, you can remain assured of gaining improved & improvised performance from the respective guards.

Here in this article, we will closely monitor the advantages you receive from the security guard management system. Read on to learn more.

(1) Guard Accountability-

• One of the major advantages of the guard tour management system is the accountability of the guards increases in a significant manner.

• Automatic time keeping along with GPS tracking, and electronic checkpoints ensure guards are following shift procedure and showing up for patrol on time.

• Technological advanced security guard tour systems can even send automatic alerts when a security guard fails to check in within the stipulated time frame.

• This particular accountability keeps the guard on track & offers the supervisors peace of mind.

• With guards remaining proactive, clients will feel more at ease & trust the effort.

(2) Real-Time Reporting-

A smart security guard tour system does not merely increase the team's accountability but allows real-time reporting & seamless communication.

It improves client offerings significantly. This is especially true when an incident needs to be reported.

Rather than waiting till the end of the shift till filing a report or attempting to describe the situation the system is tailored.

With proactive technological embedment, your guards get the chance to communicate through radio-enabled systems and upload photos & videos while patrolling.

The real-time communication of guard tour management can allow you to access quickly about the situation & thereby you can offer additional instruction or notify a client.

Real-time reporting allows you to resolve any matter quickly or get out of unforeseen situations & further illustrate your value to value to clients.

(3) Safety First Approach-

The tracking & reporting features of the security guard monitoring system can also ensure that guards & clients are protected.

For example with security guard management software a push notification indicating that a guard fails to arrive at the next checkpoint could alert you.

You can get an instant notification if a medical emergency is being experienced by a team member. As the guard's record video, it could allow law enforcement to identify & respond quickly to apprehend thieves who could break into a property.

From safeguarding & protecting employees there is always an additional layer of security for the clients.

High-tech monitoring can have an impact on physical & financial safety.

(4) Remote Management Capabilities-

Managing large teams of guards who work at various facilities can prove to be a task challenge. Be it scheduling shifts or sending a report there is a lot that goes behind.

Guard tour management software at times streamlines back office operations.

It is done through automation of these tasks & enabling improved communications between office & guards.

With seamless & effective scheduling & communication platform, your team gets the right to avoid shift scheduling errors, communication mishaps & other common issues.

All of it can disrupt your ability to deliver reliable services to your clients.

(5) Data-Driven Decisions-

It is not a secret that each & every company has its respective weakness & strength. All you need to do is identify the areas of weakness, especially in the security team.

With a remote monitoring system, however, you are gaining access to all relevant data that allows identifying top performers as well as guards offering quality work.

Instead of sifting through a plethora of paper to discover this information or wasting time on repetitive, mundane management tasks reports are generated automatically.

This makes it easier to plan for additional training as well as the need to hire the latest staff so that you can deliver proven results.

With quality guard tour system management software, you will remain better equipped than ever to get an improved guard work effort. It also helps create an efficient work ambience that allows superior services.

[startupappdevelopment]

TOP 5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR STARTUP BUSINESS FROM CYBER ATTACKS

If you are a startup, you would first be concentrating on achieving BEP in your line of business instead of playing around with cyber security and investing plenty of money there. But, sadly this is not 90s anymore!

It’s rather obvious that startups are working on edge and are in cash crunches mostly. Most of the startups are nothing but a high-speed internet connection paired with a high configuration laptop. What we need to understand is when the whole business is dependent on cyber world, cyber security should be your major concern.

Why is Cyber Security Service Essential for Startup Business?

Business is all about revenues and cyber business needs online portals to transact. Now, what if we tell you that you can lose all your hard-earned money to a hacker in just a matter of seconds if you don’t use appropriate cyber security services. Cringe!!!

Whether you are a hardcore manufacturer or an internet startup, if you have data stored online, you are vulnerable to the cybercrimes.

Consagous is Austin, Dallas, Houston and Washington, DC based IT solutions provider company to back you up for all your IT related needs. Take a tour of our services https://www.consagous.com/services/

Here are Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Startup Business from Cyber Attacks

1.     Avoid Phishing Attack

Have you ever come across a well-crafted email from your bank or Facebook asking for your login credentials?

This is exactly what is called a phishing attack. This socially engineered attack will contain a web link with urgent instructions to fill out your credentials and no matter how authentic these emails may look, never fill your details. Giving away your credentials is like empowering a stranger to exercise your powers. It doesn’t sound good, right?

To avoid such attacks, train your staff and create awareness for such attacks. The basic checkpoint is everyone needs to get skeptical about the emails they are reverting to.  

Solution: Mandate multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA demands additional authentication, like proof of possession of that user’s mobile phone by sending OTP (secret code) via text.

MFA curbs phishing quite effectively but still being skeptical is always recommended.

2.     Malware detection and prevention

To define it briefly, malware is a malicious software that you download from the web and run.

Now, the next question is why would you download a malware?

Attackers are very smart this way, they persuade the user to download a malware by presenting it as a legitimate and useful program.

This malware can pose a serious threat to your business because it can do anything that the user is permitted to do, and so lots of damage is done already.

Solution #1: Install antivirus

The prime defense to mitigate this threat is to install a legitimate antivirus.

If you are running a business and you are not using an anti-virus (AV), you are pretty much putting yourself out there.

AV is an essential ingredient to your IT security recipe. It will detect the malware just as you are about to run it and block execution if the program is a possible threat to your system.

Let’s sort it once and forever if you are using Windows 10, you have a default Window Defender enabled and hence you need not pay for other AVs.

And if you are not using Windows 10, you need a paid AV installed. It applies to Macs as well. I repeat it applies to Macs as well.

Get a paid version, to keep yourself secured and renew your subscription periodically.

Solution #2: Use latest web browsers

Latest browser like Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge are equipped with a download defense that checks for malware.

These browsers check download of .exe file & blocks the download if the program is a malware.

Solution #3: Try app-only platforms

If you are a risk-averse person, go for app-only platforms.

When AV lets everything run except for a list of known-bad-stuff, app-only platforms block everything except for stuff that comes from that platform’s app store.

Platforms that support only apps from an app store (iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows 10 S, and Windows Device Guard) are more secure against malware than other platforms. You are denied downloading from anywhere but the verified app store, which significantly reduces the risk of victimizing from social engineering attacks.

Additionally, app-only platform runs apps inside a sandbox which restrains the app from accessing the user’s files or other critical resources, without user permission.

3.     Survive ransomware

Ransomware needs no introduction after the mass sabotage it did. It is a malware that encrypts and ransom your data files.

Solution: Periodical offline backups

Keeping all your data online saves you from natural disasters but at the same time, you are vulnerable to the gruesome cyber-attacks.

Imagine the world where an intruder has equivalent rights as you do regarding your online data or payment gateways.

It’s prudent to keep offline backups for your data on a periodical basis to recover faster from damage done by cyber-attacks.

4.     Startups= Outsource DBMS requirement

Being a startup, managing your server is not a good idea. Plus, you may not have enough resources to manage it. Misconfigured internet servers are a very soft target for attackers and can cause public defamation at times.

Solution: Leverage the cloud

Best bet for startups is to leverage cloud services, such as Azure, AWS, Google, Oracle, IBM, etc. It is cost effective and your data is relatively secured.

5.     Monitor BYOD

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a famous and cost-effective concept these days.

Before you opt-in for this option, get a perspective on the risks involved in it. Your data is with people who may or may not use a secured browser or may get conned in a phishing attack or may use an insecure network for daily operations.

Little savings can cost you a fortune if a hacker intrudes in your network due to inadequate IT security.

Solution: Enable mobile device security

Draft and implement a good IT security policy for mobile devices. Good policies for your minimum bar should include:

Require a PIN/Password: Mobile devices when accessing the company’s database should require a strong password.

Device encryption: Ensure that the device’s storage is encrypted. Latest OS has the feature of encrypting the device storage by default.

Still not sure about how to implement proper IT security solutions? Let our experts help you…!!

 Courtesy:

https://www.consagous.com/top-5-ways-protect-startup-business-cyber-attacks/

[qubemagazine]

New Post has been published on Qube Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.qubeonline.co.uk/city-security-services-selects-smarttask-to-enhance-customer-service-and-support-growth-strategy/

CITY SECURITY SERVICES SELECTS SMARTTASK TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT GROWTH STRATEGY

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

City Security Services has adopted workforce management software SmartTask to support its ambitious growth plans within the UK. The bespoke security solutions specialist will use SmartTask to better manage and safeguard its team of 650 officers that handle a wide range of static, mobile, reception and firewatch services at over 100 sites across London and the home counties.

“Our aim is to create a successful guarding business through acquisitions and organic growth, so it is essential that we have the tools in place to support this process,” explains Roberto Baldacci, Director at City Security Services. “SmartTask will become an important part of our IT infrastructure, providing a highly-scalable workforce management solution that ensures we continue to deliver consistent and quality security services across our expanding nationwide footprint.”

The lead company in the group recognised the need to upgrade its workforce management capabilities to reflect its aspirations moving forward. Its previous systems had lacked the flexibility and functionality to continue providing client-focused security services as the business grows. As a result, the company undertook a detailed review of the marketplace and opted for SmartTask based on the software’s ease-of-use, proven success in the security sector, and development roadmap.

SmartTask will be used throughout City Security Services’ operation, helping to streamline and automate employee scheduling, proof of attendance and live monitoring processes. Most of security team will have a SmartTask-enabled smartphone – allowing them to receive rosters, book on and off shifts, and make check calls – with the remainder using a dedicated IVR number to confirm status. Electronic forms will also improve incident reporting, enabling security officers to capture critical information and photo evidence through the app, which can then be quickly shared internally and with the customer.

City Security Services’ central control room will have a real-time overview of the status and welfare of all security officers, so it can have full visibility of performance and respond quickly to any issues. In addition, operations and HR managers will all have controlled access to relevant reports and operational data, while payroll will be able to take advantage of accurate timesheets and holiday accrual information to save time and avoid errors. The company has already enhanced its profitability reporting using SmartTask, making it possible to effectively review financial performance by client or individual site.

With growing demand for operational data from customers, City Security Services will be using SmartTask to differentiate its offering and win more business. A number of customer sites are already using checkpoint tags, which can be scanned with a smartphone by security officers on patrol to capture time and attendance details. Meanwhile, the company is working towards launching an online portal for clients to access real-time and historical information for their individual security service.

“We are always seeking to use advanced security technologies that benefit both our customers and the business. This helps us to provide a personal, proactive and adaptable service in the most efficient manner possible. SmartTask has everything we are looking for in a workforce management solution – backed by a great team, committed to ongoing development – so we are confident the software will enable us to improve transparency and continue to drive standards within the industry,” concludes Roberto.

  CITY SECURITY SERVICES SELECTS SMARTTASK TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT GROWTH STRATEGY

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

[architectnews]

Schwartz Besnosoff Architects creates entrance-gate bridge for Israeli university

Israel studio Schwartz Besnosoff Architects has completed the Technion Entrance Gate for the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, which also acts as a bridge that connects the campus with a city promenade.

Instead of designing the entrance gate as solely a barrier between two points, Schwartz Besnosoff Architects created a new public platform.

Top: the studio wanted the bridge to be a public platform. Above: the Technion Entrance Gate bridge connects the campus to the city

"The traditional campus gate has a significant role in the disconnection that criticises the university campus and the urban context that surrounds it," Schwartz Besnosoff Architects architects Gaby Schwartz and Omri Schwartz told Dezeen.

"After analysing the exiting potentials on site, we decided to offer a new interpretation to the idea of a 'gate' – not a barrier or a separator but as a bridge, a new public platform, that connects the city and the campus through a green promenade."

The bridge is elevated over a busy road

The studio was chosen for the project after winning an open competition held by Technion and the Israeli architecture association, and worked with Studio Rolka on the concept.

It identified a number of potential starting points when planning the project, including an existing campus promenade next to the entrance and an urban promenade that ended just outside.

The entrance gate now ties these two together in the form of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, which is elevated above an existing road and was designed using parametric software.

Metal, glass panels and bamboo decking was used for the bridge

Where the bridge widens, after the security checkpoint, the studio designed a new informal square where students can meet their friends.

"Sport and leisure are just some of the day to day activities that take place at the new gate both by campus students and nearby residents," said the studio.

"The bridge acts as a dynamic platform that enables the campus to host various types of events and to explore the potential of the new connection between the city and the campus."

The Technion Entrance Gate bridge has social areas where students can meet

Technion Entrance Gate was built from metal with added bamboo decking and glass panels, materials that were chosen partly for their sustainable qualities.

"The bridge structure is made from exposed metal using the basic structure as the finish exterior for the gate," the studio explained.

"In this way we reduced the use of cover materials to the minimum. The decking of the bridge is custom made from bamboo decking which is one of the fastest growing, renewable resources in the world," it added.

A glass pavilion contains security checkpoints

Even though the Technion Entrance Gate isn't a traditional gate, it still has to fulfil the functions of a gate.

A glass pavilion, which was placed to the side of the bridge and extends over it, contains an elevator and two checkpoints. Pedestrians and cyclists can also use automated speed gates that open with a magnetic card.

"The gate is equipped with the most advanced technological systems that enables the security team to seat in the centre of the campus with minimum guards standing outside but still to have a full control on the entrance gate," said Gaby Schwartz and Omri Schwartz.

Both cyclists and pedestrians can use the Technion Entrance Gate bridge

The Technion Entrance Gate has been shortlisted in the infrastructure project category for Dezeen Awards 2020, where it will compete against projects including the Bunhill 2 Energy centre in London, which uses excess heat from the London underground to heat buildings, and the Lille Langebro bicycle bridge in Copenhagen.

Photography is by Amit Geron.

Project credits:

Client: Technion – IIT – Israel institute of technology Architects: Schwartz Besnosoff Architects Partner in charge: Gaby Schwartz Project architects: Omri Schwartz, Nir Ovadya, Tomer Kopel Competition and concept development: Schwartz Besnosoff architects and Studio Rolka Competition and concept architects: Gaby Schwartz, Tomer Kopel, Noam Naveh, Omri Schwartz, Michael Hinitz Structure: Rokach Ashkenazi engineers & Consultants Landscape: Raviv Tal Traffic: Yehuda Eshed Lighting Design: Orly Avron Elkabetz Parametric modeling: Paragroup Electricity: Liebu Shtadlan Project Management: Nitzan Inbar Construction: Rolider Steel Manufactory: Isaa Houry

The post Schwartz Besnosoff Architects creates entrance-gate bridge for Israeli university appeared first on Dezeen.

[ladystylestores]

Watch Dogs: Legion hands-on: Play as anyone, care about no one

Enlarge / If you’re looking for an open-world adventure full of generic, unclear rebellion, Watch Dogs: Legion might hit the spot when it launches later this year.

Ubisoft

Last year, Watch Dogs: Legion emerged from Ubisoft’s coffers with an ambitious pitch for the open-world genre: play as any character in the game. Security guards, grandmas, and even members of rival factions can be “recruited” to become a playable character (with some being trickier to convince than others). It’s certainly a first for a GTA-like: why run people over with your car when you can sign them up to your cause?

But is this twist enough to boost the Watch Dogs series to a compelling romp, years after its “GTA with hacking” conceit was already wearing thin? After a delay from its original 2019 launch window, players across the world will find out October 29 on PC (UPlay, Epic Games Store), Stadia, Xbox One, and PS4. (The game will also launch on next-gen consoles “upon their launch,” Ubisoft reps have told Ars.) In the meantime, I got to play a preview build for nearly four hours last week to find out for myself. And while the play-as-anyone conceit really works as advertised and is impressive as a feat of engineering, its execution within a video game is currently hard to recommend.

Taking the “N” out of NPC

Look, it’s the hero of Watch Dogs Legion! No, I’m kidding. Every single person in the game can be your controllable hero. (Note: Every image in this article was captured from live demo gameplay.)

Ubisoft

Notice that each member of your crew has different perks in that right-hand sidebar. This construction worker, for example, can more easily sneak into construction sites.

And this tagger can access a graffiti side-quest chain more easily.

You can spend in-game currency to upgrade your range of skills, but a character must have a built-in proficiency in that skill or weapon before they can use it.

How do we grow your WDL troops> By enlisting their services in the wild. Some people are agreeable by default.

Some have a red thumbs-down icon and must be persuaded…

…by helping them with any worrisome issues in their itinerary. (Which you can scan and spy on.)

Yes, even this gun-toting guard can be swayed to Dedsec’s ranks.

Sadly, because every single NPC in the game can become playable, their dialogue is all quite generic.

I heard this specific speech from two different new recruits.

Sadly, I was unable to convince this cranky woman to join my team before my demo’s time ran out.

This version of Watch Dogs is set in a near-future version of London (with most of its historic landmarks intact) on the eve of a terrorist attack. A spate of explosions goes off across the city, and the evil mastermind behind it frames a vaguely anti-government, anti-corporation group called Dedsec. A privatized, automation-minded security firm wrests control of London’s police forces, then ramps up body-scanning checkpoints and security drones. Dedsec’s ranks are arrested and otherwise detained, but their message—of, uh, fighting the power, but not in any specific or controversial way—lives on, carried in part by an AI entity.

Though Ubisoft didn’t show us the game’s intro, the intro appears to revolve around a single converted Londoner starting a grassroots Dedsec revival. One citizen takes up the mantle, then does someone a favor (in WD:L‘s case, a series of open-world video game missions) to convince someone to join the group. Do that again and again to enlist more strangers.

In my demo, Ubisoft was clearly proud of this core play-as-anyone functionality, as I was told to recruit whoever I wanted. Like in Watch Dogs 2, players can use a supercharged smartphone to scan anybody walking past, revealing deeply personal information. Now in WGL, you’re expected to leverage this information for the sake of Dedsec recruitment. If the person is already sympathetic to the cause, then it’s a matter of asking them what favor they might need done, at which point you take on a chain of two to three missions.

Thumbs-down

More stubborn Londoners will have a red “thumbs-down” icon on their scanned profiles, which means you’ll need to study their entire itinerary (yes, your phone can reveal all of their calendar data). Find a moment in their schedule that looks sensitive, like dealing with a debt collector, then show up at the listed time and location to help them out (usually with brute force). This will unlock a similar “please do me a favor” chain of two to three missions.

Ubisoft compels you to recruit strangers by locking specific perks and abilities to different NPCs, instead of offering a robust skill-tree system. Some characters can wield certain weapons. Others have location-specific disguises that let them blend in and temporarily stealth-walk through areas (like a construction worker for the game’s seedy construction sites). And others have specific abilities, like generating new drones on the fly, having faster stealth-kill moves, or going temporarily invisible. Each can have up to two weapons and up to two active abilities, along with a few passive perks.

Before you choose to recruit anyone, their specific abilities appear in their background scan, so you can choose whom you bother to help and/or enlist. Once you have a roster, you can freely swap from one Dedsec member to the next—in fact, new ones warp exactly wherever your current player already is, as if your HQ has a working transporter from Star Trek.

Disposable lives, imperative exploding vans

In related news, WD:L doesn’t sport any sort of quicksave system, and neither does it have “lives.” If your current character dies, they’ll either be “arrested” or “injured”—meaning, they’re in video game timeout. An in-game timer begins ticking until they can come back to the action (about 10 minutes). Once they’re back, they’re good as new: no penalty, no hospital bill, no posted bail.

This allows players to cheat their way out of certain challenges. One example: nearly all of the missions I played during my preview test ended with some form of “escape the enemy-filled zone,” which you can do either via combat or stealth. One time, I died by foolishly rushing into a mess of enemies. I expected the game to rewind upon my death and make me try again, but instead, I became one of my other comrades, who warped into the zone to replace my “injured” character. That new comrade happened to spawn into the zone’s exterior, away from the baddies. “Mission complete,” the game told me. Ubisoft reps said that worked as intended. Really? Hmm.

However, some deaths will cancel an entire chain of missions in progress, particularly the multipart missions you must undertake to conscript new Dedsec-heads. Twice during my session, I got to the final portion of a mission, only to fail; in my case, both failures were thanks to vans exploding for seemingly no reason. This was unfinished software, of course, and I was assured that spontaneously combusting vans aren’t slated to launch in the final game.

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from World Wide News https://ift.tt/307dnn2

[destinypatrolsoftware-blog]

Security Guard Tour System To Enhance Guard Tour Processes And Protocols

A guard tour system allows commercial offices to seamlessly integrate activities, reporting and checkpoints of their security guard team in real-time. A checkpoint is a designated area that a security guard is responsible for scanning during their patrol. All the locations that are identified by the security company and the client are what consist of the guard tour.

A well-built guard tour system keeps the checkpoints in place and tours are fully customizable and can be completed in real-time, and are also interactive. Even if a guard’s mobile device loses signal while they are scanning a checkpoint, no data gets lost. It will be immediately uploaded when they are back in a service area.

How Can Checkpoints Be Used?

In a guard tour system a checkpoint cab be used for various purposes. Logging when an area has been inspected, displaying a message, or asking verification questions, to name a few. With these systems, companies are capable of setting up an unlimited amount of checkpoints and customize them as per their business needs.

What Is The Difference Between Wand And Guard Tour System?

Generally, there are two different types of guard tour software that security companies use — a wand guard tour system that collects and stores data to be uploaded once the tour gets finished, and a mobile guard tour system that allows companies to monitor and interact with their teams in real-time.

Consider all these options and employ a security officer tour system software to ensure guard tour compliance with protocols, SLA’s and client requests.

[qubemagazine]

New Post has been published on Qube Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.qubeonline.co.uk/om-security-boosts-operational-performance-and-workforce-management-using-smarttask/

OM SECURITY BOOSTS OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT USING SMARTTASK

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

OM Security has achieved a host of benefits having consolidated its employee scheduling, patrol monitoring and mobile workforce management software requirements into a single system. Since the adoption of SmartTask, the company has gained increased visibility and control over 200 security officers, significantly freeing up management time, reducing operating costs and enhancing service delivery. The cloud-based solution has also enabled OM Security to launch a new 24/7 control room, further expanding its offering to customers.

“By automating and streamlining our workforce-based processes using SmartTask, we are able to make best use of our resources while providing complete transparency for customers,” explains Jay Jagatia, Director of OM Security. “The software delivers a comprehensive management, rostering and reporting system that is giving us a clear edge and competitive advantage within the security sector.”

SmartTask is helping manage the team of security officers – across the OM Security and Premier Services operations – that provide a range of services including manned guarding, mobile patrol and alarm response at over 1,000 customer sites nationwide. SmartTask-enabled smartphones monitor proof of attendance, completed patrol checkpoints and lone worker welfare, with GPS location tracking for added accuracy and peace of mind. Security officers are also using SmartForms to capture electronic data and photos for inspections and incident reporting.

OM Security’s new 24/7 control room, based at its office location in Ascot, Berkshire, is underpinned by SmartTask’s live monitoring features. The interactive dashboard provides a real-time overview of how the business is performing, with at-a-glance visibility of the attendance, status and safety of all security guards. This allows the company to quickly identify where critical issues are occurring and respond quickly to any operational issues and incident alerts.

SmartTask’s advanced reporting is also enabling OM Security to simplify billing and payroll by accessing highly accurate timesheet and activity data. Not only is this streamlining financial procedures, but also dramatically reducing incoming calls from customers and staff including a 98 per cent and 80 per cent reduction respectively in invoice and wage queries. Meanwhile, clients can access service delivery details through a web-based customer portal for total transparency of their individual security operation.

“With SmartTask, we have everything needed, right at our fingertips, so we can maximise performance, operate efficiently and share vital information both internally and with customers. However, the team at SmartTask are continually looking at new ways to update and improve the software, developing new features based on our feedback and their detailed understanding of the marketplace,” adds Jagatia.

Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask commented: “The unrivalled functionality of SmartTask means businesses within the security sector are now able to bring together a wide range of business and operational requirements into a single system. This is why a growing number of SME, mid-sized and top 30 security companies are already benefiting from the strong return on investment, delivered by the most comprehensive employee scheduling and mobile workforce management software currently available.”

  OM SECURITY BOOSTS OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT USING SMARTTASK

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

[architectnews]

Schwartz Besnosoff Architects creates entrance-gate bridge for Israeli university

Israel studio Schwartz Besnosoff Architects has completed the Technion Entrance Gate for the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, which also acts as a bridge that connects the campus with a city promenade.

Instead of designing the entrance gate as solely a barrier between two points, Schwartz Besnosoff Architects created a new public platform.

Top: the studio wanted the bridge to be a public platform. Above: the Technion Entrance Gate bridge connects the campus to the city

"The traditional campus gate has a significant role in the disconnection that criticises the university campus and the urban context that surrounds it," Schwartz Besnosoff Architects architects Gaby Schwartz and Omri Schwartz told Dezeen.

"After analysing the exiting potentials on site, we decided to offer a new interpretation to the idea of a 'gate' – not a barrier or a separator but as a bridge, a new public platform, that connects the city and the campus through a green promenade."

The bridge is elevated over a busy road

The studio was chosen for the project after winning an open competition held by Technion and the Israeli architecture association, and worked with Studio Rolka on the concept.

It identified a number of potential starting points when planning the project, including an existing campus promenade next to the entrance and an urban promenade that ended just outside.

The entrance gate now ties these two together in the form of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, which is elevated above an existing road and was designed using parametric software.

Metal, glass panels and bamboo decking was used for the bridge

Where the bridge widens, after the security checkpoint, the studio designed a new informal square where students can meet their friends.

"Sport and leisure are just some of the day to day activities that take place at the new gate both by campus students and nearby residents," said the studio.

"The bridge acts as a dynamic platform that enables the campus to host various types of events and to explore the potential of the new connection between the city and the campus."

The Technion Entrance Gate bridge has social areas where students can meet

Technion Entrance Gate was built from metal with added bamboo decking and glass panels, materials that were chosen partly for their sustainable qualities.

"The bridge structure is made from exposed metal using the basic structure as the finish exterior for the gate," the studio explained.

"In this way we reduced the use of cover materials to the minimum. The decking of the bridge is custom made from bamboo decking which is one of the fastest growing, renewable resources in the world," it added.

A glass pavilion contains security checkpoints

Even though the Technion Entrance Gate isn't a traditional gate, it still has to fulfil the functions of a gate.

A glass pavilion, which was placed to the side of the bridge and extends over it, contains an elevator and two checkpoints. Pedestrians and cyclists can also use automated speed gates that open with a magnetic card.

"The gate is equipped with the most advanced technological systems that enables the security team to seat in the centre of the campus with minimum guards standing outside but still to have a full control on the entrance gate," said Gaby Schwartz and Omri Schwartz.

Both cyclists and pedestrians can use the Technion Entrance Gate bridge

The Technion Entrance Gate has been shortlisted in the infrastructure project category for Dezeen Awards 2020, where it will compete against projects including the Bunhill 2 Energy centre in London, which uses excess heat from the London underground to heat buildings, and the Lille Langebro bicycle bridge in Copenhagen.

Photography is by Amit Geron.

Project credits:

Client: Technion – IIT – Israel institute of technology Architects: Schwartz Besnosoff Architects Partner in charge: Gaby Schwartz Project architects: Omri Schwartz, Nir Ovadya, Tomer Kopel Competition and concept development: Schwartz Besnosoff architects and Studio Rolka Competition and concept architects: Gaby Schwartz, Tomer Kopel, Noam Naveh, Omri Schwartz, Michael Hinitz Structure: Rokach Ashkenazi engineers & Consultants Landscape: Raviv Tal Traffic: Yehuda Eshed Lighting Design: Orly Avron Elkabetz Parametric modeling: Paragroup Electricity: Liebu Shtadlan Project Management: Nitzan Inbar Construction: Rolider Steel Manufactory: Isaa Houry

The post Schwartz Besnosoff Architects creates entrance-gate bridge for Israeli university appeared first on Dezeen.

[jobsearchtips02]

A CEO who manages 8 airports exposes how the airport experience will likely alter

Jorge Roberts, CEO of AvPORTS, told Company Expert that he believes the function of airports will be broadened to assist ward against the spread of COVID-19

See Service Insider’s homepage for more stories

After a two-month-long decrease in guest numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic, airports in the United States are finally beginning to see an increase in taking a trip travelers going through their doors, according to recent stats from the Transport Security Administration May 8 saw the very first time airports throughout the nation saw over 200,000 travelers given that March 26, a little sign that travel is on the uptick.

Most aviation experts concur that the demand for travel exists, but factors such as proximity spread on airplanes, travel limitations, and unpredictability about airline company schedules have actually significantly reduced the variety of reservations. When exactly it will rebound to 2019 levels, however, remains up for dispute.

During this period of decreased passenger activity, some airports have actually re-examined their function in the travel system and are presently devising strategies to assist restore consumer trust in the industry once the infection subsides.

In his capacity as CEO of AvPORTS, an airport management firm charged with running the behind-the-scenes at eight airports across the United States, Jorge Roberts has actually been considering the future of his airports. Some industrial airports in his purview include Westchester County Airport, Albany International Airport, and Newburgh’s Stewart International Airport.

Speaking With Organisation Insider, Roberts envisioned a new function for airports and described how he anticipates the coronavirus will change the airport experience.

Broadening the function of the airport in the post-pandemic world

Daxing global Airport in Beijing.

Nicolas Asfouri/AFP by means of Getty Images.

Airports exist to help with the transfer of passengers to and from aircraft, working primarily with airlines, ground provider, and government companies to carry out that goal. They play a big role in air travel, their task is largely to support the operations of others.

In a post-pandemic world, that work would mostly remain the same however its duties would need to be expanded to further help airline companies and public health companies looking for to avoid a more spread of the virus.

Roberts noted that airport-performed temperature level screenings will likely play a more noticable role in the airport experience till the pandemic subsides, with technology that he states can spot heats without a manual screening. It hasn’t yet been implemented in AvPORTS facilities, Roberts described that his current facilities can be “modified” to monitor high temperature among airport customers.

” We have not released it yet and we’re still type of tweaking the software application and the innovation,” Roberts discussed, when asked if airports could use electronic cameras to determine body temperature level levels. He said, “there are a few US airports that are already beginning to check with some other innovation.”

As a placeholder, some airports have actually been carrying out manual temperature readings on passengers. Fever is among the signs of COVID-19 and spotting it prior to a flight is a manner in which airports can help stop the spread.

The rights of guests

Guests are contacted a thermo scanner.

Marco Cantile/LightRocket/Getty Images.

The question then turns to air traveler rights. Strolling into an airport with a high temperature level or even boarding an aircraft while ill is not currently controlled versus.

Loading Something is packing.

Frontier Airlines is among the few airline companies that have stated guests with a high temperature, which the provider considers over 100.4 degrees, will be rejected boarding. If a guest was to go into an airport with a heat, Roberts admitted that the airline companies would need to be included because they ultimately decide who gets to board the aircraft, unless a federal government company actions in.

” If we discover somebody that is displaying irregular temperature levels, then we could isolate that person pretty rapidly and then likewise inquire the right concerns to understand where they’re headed, where they’re originating from, and whether they require to get evaluated or not,” Roberts mentioned.

Airports themselves can’t control who flies however they can supply as much information as they can so the airline companies can make the decision.

Contactless and self-governing technology will lead the charge in restoring client self-confidence

A Delta traveler utilizing a mobile boarding pass.

Erik S. Lesser/AP.

Advances in airline technology, like the introduction of airline mobile applications and mobile boarding passes, have made it easy for many tourists to move through an airport with really little human interaction. Some chokepoints do stay, including security checkpoints, airport shops, and other aspects of the airport experience that need human contact.

The couple of staying speed bumps, according to Roberts, can be conquered with existing innovation, with a few business already using contactless and self-governing options to existing airport functions. Among the examples discussed by Roberts was CLEAR, an identity verification business using a biometric option to the basic security experience.

The business’s scanning devices can be found surrounding to security checkpoints and use travelers the capability to recognize themselves not by their ID but by biometric data such as finger prints and eye scans. When their identity is validated, a CLEAR agent provides an escort to the TSA agent responsible for checking tickets and IDs and verifies that they are who their boarding pass claims them to be.

A presentation of a CLEAR machine at airport security.

PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty.

The service is not low-cost; there’s an annual charge of $179 on top of existing relied on tourist programs like TSA PreCheck, though discount chances are frequently offered to frequent leaflets. Unlike TSA PreCheck, however, CLEAR is currently only offered at 33 airports and just choose terminals within those airports, normally those house to CLEAR partner airline companies like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

CLEAR did not respond to Company Insider’s ask for discuss how it will adapt its cleaning treatment for the machines in the future.

In the field of autonomy, British Airways just recently unveiled autonomous wheelchairs, being checked at New york city’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, that can be programmed to carry travelers from place to place without external assistance. The brand-new tech, if broadened across the country, would help safeguard wheelchair-bound guests by lowering their distance to airport staff.

British Airways recently started evaluating autonomous wheelchair technology at JFK Airport.

British Airways.

Airlines are likewise investing in self-bag-drop technology where passengers pay for their checked baggage at a self-serve kiosk, print their own baggage tag, and drop it straight on the conveyer belt. Spirit Airlines just recently revealed its variation of the system at LaGuardia Airport and JetBlue Airways enables the exact same at its JFK Airport 5 center.

Biometric boarding processes are also changing the normal procedure of physically scanning a boarding pass to board for some airline companies. Certain nations have also embraced biometric systems to take the place of border guards, functioning as automated passport control in nations like the UK.

Wearing a mask and gloves will likely be the norm at airports until a vaccine is produced

Even with additional implementation of airport innovation, Roberts believes that using facial and hand coverings will be the new short-term pattern for passengers. A vaccine, Roberts said, will be the only foolproof way to really re-instill confidence in air travel.

” I believe more [immediately] people are going to be forced to use a mask and possibly gloves and I believe individuals are going to continue to take precautions as we are seeing this right now in everyday life,” Roberts stated. “I think over the medium term, once we have a vaccine and also people begin feeling more just comfortable in their lives, I think things will normalize.”

An airport visitor wearing a face mask.

REUTERS/Chris Helgren.

Even if a vaccine is available in the future, Roberts anticipates that more innovation is put into location that eventually helps increase airport effectiveness and make the airport experience much better for all.

” However, I think by then ideally we’ll have a lot of these technologies in location that will just stay that not only were not just for health or sanitary steps however likewise improve the [airport’s] performance and ultimately the passenger experience,” Roberts said.

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/a-ceo-who-manages-8-airports-exposes-how-the-airport-experience-will-likely-alter/