Access SIA’s extensive informational resources about security technologies, including access control, alarms, asset tracking, life safety, identity management, information technology, integrated systems, unmanned systems, video surveillance.

Latest in Access Control

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The Keys to Electronic Access Control: How Security and Convenience Can Increase With Modern Lock Technology

Electronic access control is growing at a rate that outpaces other security technologies. This growth is driven by the desire to manage access and to know definitively which doors are secured and which are not. In addition, facilities are demanding security and safety features like lockdown, which is especially important for K-12 schools but is…

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Unlimited Access: How Cloud and Open-Source Solutions Allow for Greater Access Control Scalability & Efficiency

Jumping into the world of entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. In addition to managing finances, hiring competent employees and creating a sustainable business plan, there are many other important considerations to be aware of, such as ensuring the comprehensive protection of the people and assets inside a facility. Entrepreneurs are responsible for…

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Introduction to Cloud-Based Access Systems

As the security industry expands to keep up with modern businesses’ needs, new technology is modernizing and improving access control. While current access control solutions are still satisfactory for many companies, cloud-based access control systems are steadily growing in popularity. Many access control experts are predicting a sharp increase in the number of customers who…

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Women in Security Invited to Write for SIA Technology Insights

Fall 2018 issue of SIA Technology Insights Journal to be entirely female authored.

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Latest in Alarms

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Richard Brent
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Audio for Alarm Verification

Police departments across the nation have become overwhelmed by false alarms triggered by malfunctioning security systems. According to city statistics, of the 62,500 alarms the Memphis Police Department responded to in 2016, 99.2 percent were deemed to be false, as reported by Security Sales & Integration. In the end, it amounted to $1.7 million and…

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Offering More With Your Security Installs

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Most dealers are familiar wireless intrusion detection devices – motion detectors and door/window transmitters, and the like – and understand the advantages of wireless. Because wireless eliminates the labor costs running of cable and trenching, the economic advantages are clear. Likewise, wireless avoids the difficulties presented by traditional hardwiring. Wireless devices can be simply mounted…

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Technology Recommendations for Incident Monitoring and Investigations in Retail

The Security Industry Association’s Public Safety Working Group and Retail Security Interest Group have collaborated to develop detailed information on recommended technologies supporting incident monitoring and investigations in the retail sector. Here you will find a list of security solutions aiming to improve security for retail owners and assist law enforcement in conducting investigations against petty…

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Contribute to SIA’s Knowledge Center

There are many opportunities to contribute independent, non-commercial content to SIA’s online Knowledge Center as well as to our blog and to our SIA Technology Insights journal.

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Latest in Asset Tracking

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Indoor positioning systems beacons
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Applying Indoor Positioning Systems: A Primer for Integrators and Security Specialists

This paper reports on modern indoor positioning system (IPS) technologies that utilize personal smart mobile devices, or non-personal non-smart mobile devices (object tags and beacons),for purposes of locating and tracking people and objects. The greatest attention is given to technologies that incorporate smartphones. Smartphones are of special interest to IPS manufacturers, because smartphone users are…

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Lead the Industry: Volunteer for Technology Committees

SIA volunteers lead many committees focused on security solutions, including access, intrusion, video and more. The power of being involved is that you’re shaping the industry and staying ahead of the curve. Interested? We want you.

Volunteer

Latest in Drones and Robotics

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Robot Evolution: How Security Robots Can Enhance Security Programs

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New technologies are enhancing the security teamwork between man and machine In many industries, the introduction of machine learning, computer vision and robotics is changing the paradigm of security and facility management. Robots are more than a compilation of sensors and computation. They offer both innovation and adaptability, and they are, quite literally, computers that…

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person flying drone
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Observe and Report: Considerations for Evaluating Drone Detection Systems

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Identifying and locating drones and their pilots can mitigate threats Consumer-grade unmanned aerial systems (UAS), also known as drones, promise to enhance lives and operations in significant ways. As with many new technologies, though, safety and privacy concerns abound. Inexpensive and widely available, drones flown by clueless or careless pilots can create public safety hazards.…

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Latest in Identity Management

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SIA Testifies on Facial Recognition Before California State Assembly

As part of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA’s) advocacy work on the issue of facial recognition, Jake Parker, SIA’s senior director of government relations, testified on March 10 before the California State Assembly’s Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. Parker testified before the committee, led by chairman Ed Chau, at “Shaping the Future of Facial…

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Nominations Open for the 2020 Women in Biometrics Awards

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The Security Industry Association and SecureIDNews will recognize innovative women guiding the biometrics and security industry June 2 at SIA GovSummit in Washington, D.C. SILVER SPRING, Md. – Nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 Women in Biometrics Awards, a globally-recognized program co-founded by the Security Industry Association (SIA) and SecureIDNews and co-presented with…

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What NIST Data Shows About Facial Recognition and Demographics

In December 2019, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published the most comprehensive report to date on the performance of facial recognition algorithms – the core component of facial recognition technology – across race, gender and other demographic groups. The most significant takeaway from the NIST report is that it confirms current facial…

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Latest in Information Technology

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Alice DiSanto headshot
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Ensuring Connectivity to Enhance Security

I recently conducted an interview with security industry veteran Michael Kemp about connectivity issues for the Security Industry Association (SIA). Many people may be familiar with initiatives, such as FirstNet, which bring public safety systems into the Internet of Things through a single wireless broadband connection. Still, they may not understand the other wireless options…

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Unlimited Access: How Cloud and Open-Source Solutions Allow for Greater Access Control Scalability & Efficiency

Jumping into the world of entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. In addition to managing finances, hiring competent employees and creating a sustainable business plan, there are many other important considerations to be aware of, such as ensuring the comprehensive protection of the people and assets inside a facility. Entrepreneurs are responsible for…

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facial recognition
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Who Am I, and Why Am I Here in this Database? Addressing Privacy Concerns With Security Technology

The definition of personal data, also known as personally identifiable information (PII), has expanded in recent years. Previously, personal data typically referred only to the most sensitive information, such as name, address, Social Security number, health records and date of birth. Today, it has expanded to include things like location data, IP address, MAC address,…

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Latest in Integrated Systems

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The Sharing Economy: Why Integrators and Manufacturers Must Work Together to Improve Customer Care

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For the past 30 years, a core set of assumptions has remained the same in the security industry, despite the fact that customer expectations, economic realities, technological complexities and the availability of skillful technicians have changed. The unchanged assumptions are that integrators “manage” and “control” the relationship with end users; manufacturers don’t have any direct…

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Smarter Cities Through Secure Data

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The first step to leveraging sensor and other information is ensuring that it is protected. Jason Bonoan As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, growing pains felt by large cities can be seen across a number of indicators, from rising crime rates to increased traffic to housing shortages. In 1950, only 29 percent of the global…

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Data, Data Everywhere: How Leveraging Information From Multiple Sensors Can Enhance Security and Efficiency

When thinking of data, it usually is not associated with anything of an artistic nature. Instead, images of spreadsheets, wires or dark server rooms often come to mind. However, true data integration must be more than that. It needs to combine pieces of information that come from a number of sources and display them in…

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Latest in Life Safety

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Crotega, ISC West
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New Member Profile: Crotega

New Security Industry Association (SIA) member Crotega – based in Minneapolis, Minnesota – was started after the Sandy Hook shooting by founder and CEO Jody Allen Crowe. As a former school administrator who had spent 25 years in school buildings, most of that time in high-risk schools, Crowe saw the need to protect school children…

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Tax Incentives for Security Systems and Fire Protection Systems
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SIA Explains Tax Incentives for Security and Fire Protection Systems in New Fact Sheet

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The Security Industry Association (SIA) today released a fact sheet, “New Tax Incentives for Security and Fire Protection Systems,” to explain how new U.S. tax reforms allow many businesses to deduct the full cost of security and fire protection systems as an expense for the tax year in which they are placed in service. Under…

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SIA to Testify Against Vermont Right to Repair Bill

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Montpellier, VT—SIA Government Relations Manager Joe Hoellerer will appear before the Vermont Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 7, as a witness in opposition to S. 180, the Vermont Fair Repair Act. The Security Industry Association (SIA) has concerns that requirements in the legislation would harm companies in the security industry, where SIA represents more than 800…

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Latest in Video Surveillance

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Thermographic aerial view of a photovoltaic park
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The Heat Is On: How High-Quality Thermal Cameras See Threats That Other Solutions Cannot

Thermal sensors capture something that the naked eye cannot see: heat. What distinguishes thermal cameras from other security sensors is their ability to use heat rather than light to produce images. By measuring the differences between heat signatures and representing these variances in high-contrast, monochrome images, thermal cameras can “see” even in total darkness, sun…

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Quality In, Accuracy Out: Applying Video Analytics to High-Quality Images for Effectiveness

For the past 15 years, the accuracy and range of video analytics have tremendously improved, from basic people counting to facial recognition. Indeed, what was yesterday’s imprecise line crossing has given way to artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning-based people and object recognition. Several factors directly affect the precision and efficiency of these applications, including…

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Gaining an Edge: How Embedded Analytics Enable Proactive Security and Business Solutions

During the past 10 to 15 years, a savvier video surveillance end user has emerged demanding solutions that feature high-performance cameras, versatile installation, flexibility to expand, cost efficiency in storage and advanced analytics to help realize a system’s full potential. Increased public and private security concerns have driven a technology shift and altered business models…

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