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New SPG Product in Focus – OSDP Mini Camera

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Not all work environments are the same; some require additional surveillance to maintain and complete the security work needed to protect and safeguard valuable assets. Additionally, remote sites may be subject to significant variations in temperature, humidity, power availability, and other services and variables. SPG’s latest hardware is ideally suited to these types of challenging requirements.
Ideal for mounting inside enclosures, racks, ATM’s, vaults, Telco cabinets, Utility facilities or any location where non-continuous monitoring is more economical.

Connected via the encrypted OSDP bus of the S1000 Smart Controller, the Mini Camera captures images at high speed and then stores them locally on the S1000 SD card.

Images can be uploaded to the ARCO Platform using Ethernet or via a 4G expansion card in the S1000 Smart Controller or directly connecting to a WIFI router.
Up to eight (8) Mini Cameras are supported on an S1000 Smart Controller. Minimal battery backup to an S1000 would ensure continuous availability of images from remote sites for alarm management or activity verification. All communications are encrypted end to end.

Some typical use cases are listed below:

Vehicle Fleet and Driver Security & Tracking Management

SPG’s fleet and driver monitoring solutions puts management within the passenger seat of each vehicle in the fleet with GPS, truck, trailer and driver monitoring
Add video, two-way audio and environmental monitoring and controls to your fleet and secure your driver’s and cargo’s safety end to end.

Cabinet Monitoring and Management

Providing early warning of failures, video and two-way audio and ensuring only authorized employees or contractors are permitted access are key attributes of our remote cabinet solutions. In addition, sophisticated monitoring provides the real-time condition of the cabinet and its key components.
This also helps control preventative maintenance, make informed decisions, and cut personnel and operational expenses costs. SPG’s sensor logs also provide for root cause evaluation to help mitigate future problems.

ATM Monitoring and Management

Persistent physical attacks continue on ATM’s resulting in theft, disruption, damage and poor customer service. Increasingly, explosive gases are used to destroy the integrity of ATM vaults, and the use of mechanical excavators and machinery still results in ATM’s being pulled from their building surrounds or free-standing locations.

SPG Controls offers a smart security system, which has been designed to protect ATM’s from theft or unauthorized access. Providing early warning of failures, video and two-way audio and ensuring only authorized employees or contractors are permitted access are key attributes of our ATM monitoring solutions. Standard battery backup and 4G connectivity provide ongoing operation in the event of a power or communications loss.

 

Remote Vault Monitoring & Management

Where physical security vaults protect cash, documents and assets, SPG Controls offers a smart security system designed to protect the vault and the personnel opening and closing vault and bookroom doors from theft, unauthorized access or duress. Providing early warning of failures, video and two-way audio and ensuring only authorized employees or contractors are permitted access are key attributes of our vault monitoring solutions. SPG enables both efficiency and security, our sophisticated monitoring devices providing the real-time condition of the vault and key components. This additionally helps to manage preventative maintenance, make informed decisions, and cut operational expenses. SPG’s sensor logs also provide for root cause evaluation to help mitigate future problems.

Data Centres – Monitoring & Management

Data Centers are among the most important components in modern IT infrastructures, hosting websites, web services, and web applications that we use on a daily basis. Social networking, media streaming, software as a service (SaaS), and other activities wouldn’t be possible without the use of these web servers. With cloud computing growing fast and moving more services online, web server monitoring is only becoming more important.

SPG Controls offers the perfect management system for Data Center temperature monitoring. Our ARCO Solution can easily be configured to send you and your team alerts when Data Center temperature and humidity values rise or fall with video verification using our OSDP Mini Camera.

What is GDPR and how does it affect you?

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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is often considered the strictest regulation in the world for securing users’ private data. It applies to all organizations that process the personal data of European Union citizens and residents, and the fines for non-compliance can reach up to €20 million.

This article explores the nature of this regulation, lists its fundamental principles, and offers a checklist for meeting GDPR compliance requirements. This article will be helpful for companies that already follow the GDPR and for those who are going to enter the European Union market.

What is the GDPR?

The GDPR is a data privacy and security regulation adopted by the European Union (EU). It imposes obligations on all organizations that collect and process the personal data of EU residents, even if these organizations operate outside the EU.

The GDPR provides EU residents with control over their personal data and obliges organizations to:

  • Gather, collect, and manage personal data legally and according to strict rules
  • Protect data from misuse and exploitation
  • Respect the rights of data owners

What is personal data?
Under GDPR, this means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (Data Subject), an identifiable natural person can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as:

It’s also important to be familiar with specific terms the GDPR introduces to define roles associated with data handling: data controllers, data subjects, and data processors.

Who must comply with the GDPR?

Any organization that stores or processes personal information about EU residents is obliged to comply with the GDPR, even if the organization is located outside the EU.

Yet, there are some nuances. For instance, organizations that have fewer than 250 employees are free from the majority of record-keeping obligations (see Article 30.5), though they still have to meet other GDPR requirements.

However, even if your organization employs fewer than 250 people, you might be obliged to keep records according to strict GDPR rules in case of your processing of personal data:

  • is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of data subjects
  • is not occasional
  • includes special categories of data as referred to in Article 9
  • includes personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences described in Article 10

Why should you comply with the GDPR?

Meeting GDPR compliance regulations isn’t only about complying with mandatory requirements. It can also help your organization do the following:

Protect personal data

GDPR articles implement high standards for personal data security, obliging data controllers and processors to secure “any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.”

Maintain your reputation

Neglecting data privacy regulations may affect your reputation. It could be that a data breach will lead to investigations, fines, and potential lawsuits. Staying compliant with GDPR requirements helps you maintain a reputation as a trustworthy and professional organization. And ensuring secure data processing is a reliable way to minimize the risk of security incidents.

Increase customer loyalty

People want to know that their data is safe and control it, mainly since the GDPR has ensured their rights. Therefore, customers and businesses are more likely to choose a trustworthy and GDPR compliant service provider or subcontractor than a non-compliant one.

Avoid fines and penalties

Article 83 of the GDPR states that the maximum fine for non-compliance is up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million (whichever is greater). Fines for GDPR non-compliance depend on multiple factors, including:

  • the duration and severity of the violation
  • the degree of cooperation with the supervisory authority
  • the categories of personal data affected

Ensuring GDPR compliance requires a deep understanding of the regulation. So before proceeding to the checklist on GDPR compliance, let’s take a quick look at the key principles behind the GDPR.

Key principles of the GDPR

GDPR requirements are based on the seven principles laid out in Chapter 2. They embody the main ideas of the regulation and explain the key reasons for implementing all requirements.
Compliance with these principles is essential for good data protection in general and compliance with the detailed provisions of the GDPR in particular.

Contact us to learn more about how SPG Controls can help your business in GDPR compliance.

Facing Up to Contactless Biometric Access Control

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Thermal imaging and contact tracing technologies have garnered increased attention in recent days with the gradual reopening of some countries’ economy. These solutions are but one part of what portends to be a fundamental shift in how companies consider and use security systems. Access control, which has always been the first and foremost consideration in any security environment, will also be significantly impacted by the lasting effects of the pandemic. The adoption of biometric entry devices could be simultaneously improved and impeded over coronavirus concerns.

SPG Controls is pleased to announce the completion of its latest integration to biometric facial recognition technology. Growing customer demands to help verify the safe return to work for employees, contractors and visitors have accelerated SPG’s plans to include facial recognition, mask-wearing and thermal detection. The keys to the new integrations are high-speed performance, a flexible rules engine and an entirely contactless user experience.

For instance, an employee approaching their building’s main entrance access control doors will present themselves to the camera, the recognition algorithms verify the person, thermal sensors check the temperature, and AI verifies mask-wearing.

Any exceptional readings outside of the parameters implemented are notified to the user, and access may be denied depending on rules agreed by the employer. Recognition may take place either with or without a mask, but building entry may only be possible wearing a mask. In the case of an individual having a high temperature, physical access may be denied, and the employee will be directed to contact their manager or Human Resources department or follow other agreed protocols.

The underlying principle of no physical contact ensures a safe return to the workplace. Access may also be linked to digital health applications or “passports,” used to manage the status of vaccinations, COVID test results, whether through the uploading of results via an API or by uploading copies of documents for third party verification. Employees retain their health credential on their own device and log in on building entry using a dynamic QR code. An audit trail is held in all cases should track and trace for any incident be required.

SPG Thermal Biometric Reader uses next-generation AI facial recognition and body temperature detection technology. This ensures absolutely no surface contact access using high-precision temperature detection on mask-wearing users.

It integrates high-speed image acquisition, face detection, face tracking and face contrast, and human body temperature detection.

Contact us to learn more about how SPG Controls applies the science of biometric access control to help your business.

Monitoring Your System Anytime Anywhere

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24/7 Monitoring for Security Systems

Your Corporation’s security system should be something that can be easily monitored anytime and anywhere. Thanks to a lot of improvements in technology, it finally can!

What Are Security Systems?

Security systems help protect your place of business. They permit access, preserving privacy and establishing audit trails, they provide video recording and transmission of events, provide out of hours intruder detection and can be extended to include any number of environmental sensors enabled to control light, heat, humidity, flood, fire, power consumption and lone working. Depending on budget or demand for security, the system can be configured to suit all business types, from a single premise to a multi-location, multinational business.

Deciding what security system and security devices to purchase can be an intimidating responsibility. However, there are several sources of information from third party consultants, local expert providers and recommendations from Police Crime Prevention Units. SPG Controls would advocate the appointment of experienced and accredited companies as an installation and support partner, In addition, the enablement of remote control of your security solution is essential in today’s unique environment, where individual and remote working is an everyday occurrence.

There are some factors to consider when selecting a security system. For instance, what would best serve your Company, controlling access through the use of locking devices and readers, providing intruder detection during overnight and weekend closures, protecting remote and lone workers, protecting valuable assets from flood, fire, heat and humidity or misuse? Monitoring and recording CCTV or audio to enable verification of any event? Typically, an intruder alarm is connected to a third-party monitoring company who follow your instructions depending on the type and time of an alarm event. In today’s market, SPG Controls would recommend taking a further step forwards by enabling the control of your Company’s security systems through a mobile application, providing immediate data on your premise’s security system. Having the ability to check, verify and manage all aspects of your security solution as an authenticated user from your mobile device is essential.

Advantages of Security Systems

Security systems today have many benefits, thanks to advancements in technology. Many are now connected to IoT devices (Internet of Things) which makes them ideal for automating aspects of your Company’s security. For instance, by permitting both local and remote locking and unlocking of doors and gates.

Permitting the monitoring of your Company’s security system anytime and from anywhere. Additionally providing CCTV and audio content to enable remote verification. It’s much easier to decide on a course of action if management can see and hear what’s happening.

SPG Controls’ ARCO Enterprise Platform allows users to monitor data from thousands of remote sites. It is built with the latest web technologies for a faster and more secure experience. Support for unlimited connections also means that there is a huge potential for horizontal scalability. Every function supported is also accessible thanks to an open API. A dynamic server environment also ensures that there are unlimited redundancy and scalability

Product Specifics

SPG Controls’ S1000 Smart Controller manages access control, intruder alarms and any other applicable building management functions that can be remotely accessed by authorized users. It allows the monitoring and access of your security system whilst maintaining a secure remote connection. As an option, it can be equipped with a 4G connection as well as with Bluetooth Low Energy for setup and control. Other S1000 controllers can also be connected as slaves to expand the network in a building, compound, campus or over globally dispersed locations.

The SPG Sensor Remote Expansion Device provides analogue sensing information. These can be connected to the  S1000 controller, which processes information in real-time in order to decide the course of action based on the pre-programmed rules. The interface also has sensors for humidity and temperature, which can also be useful for facilities that have intensive cooling or warming systems.

SPG Sensor Remote Expansion Device

Contact us today to find out how an SPG Controls security system can help you protect your assets.

The Anatomy of a Unified System Integration

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How Automated Security Systems Work

Having a unified security system integration policy for your Company is a game-changer. It can help provide more security to property and assets but also brings additional benefits.

Unified system integration for security has a lot of advantages, and thanks to SPG Controls technology a lot more is possible.

Some advantages of automated security systems:

Monitoring

Every “event” is included in a system audit trail and can be monitored. For example, Companies can monitor anyone entering their properties, whether single locations or multiple locations, locally, regionally or globally and have data at their fingertips either to a control room, a security room or through a Mobile Application. Entrances and exits may be viewed in real-time, locally, at a regional headquarters, or remotely. Visitors, contractors and delivery personnel can be screened prior to being authorised to enter Company property, minimising the risk to Company personnel.

Regulation of Access for Secure Places

Most Companies have areas in their premises where additional access rights are required; An example could be an IT or communications room, a UPS room, a storage area for high-value items, Corporate policy may dictate that two personnel are required in certain locations or that an airlock controls access by only one person at a time,

Automated systems can be programmed to let only specified personnel or authorised contractors into critical areas within your property. Each event will be added to the audit trail within the SPG Controls system.

Trail Records and Logs

The system creates an audit trail for every event, and a flexible reporting tool enables records to be presented for multiple uses, for example, contractor attendance records, payroll input through time and attendance reporting, fire muster lists in the event of a fire alarm.

Safely Manage Everything

As an authorised and authenticated system administrator, management of the automated security system is at your fingertips. SPG Controls provides an intuitive Mobile Application through which Company personnel can safely and securely manage any security event.

What makes an Integrated System?

Multi-Function Security Control Panel

At the heart of an SPG Controls security solution is the S1000, a multi-functional security control panel. This is typically located at every site and integrates with existing or new security equipment such as movement sensors, door contacts, building alarms, the fire system, CCTV or camera system, access control and locks, intercom, and other security components in the integrated system. In addition, the S1000 provides the capability to connect to multiple other inputs, such as but not limited to, temperature, light, heat and humidity sensors, refrigeration units, air conditioning units and lone worker monitoring with full backward control.

User Interface Devices

Keypads, biometrics, and other interface devices allow authorised security personnel to arm and disarm locks and alarms in Corporate properties. They also allow administrators to control parts of the automated system either locally through the Keypad or remotely through the Mobile Application

Central Software Monitoring System

The software part of the automated security system is crucial as it manages all of the access to all system components. It collects and records data from every input in the system.

SPG Controls offers these advanced parts of an integrated system for security.

S1000 Smart Controller

Remote access is possible thanks to the S1000 Intelligent control panel which can be connected to adaptor modules and network devices.

The S1000 Smart Controller can be installed to monitor and automate alarms and access control rights to areas and doors. There is automatic data collection from readers and other devices within each location.

Remote User Interface

The SPG Keypad supports a variety of features including local arming and disarming of the security equipment. Other components, such as OSDP readers, can provide access control functionality.

Remote User Interface

 

Security in each area can be fine-tuned using Scheduled Access, Anti-pass back, Duress Alarms and Dual Authentication options.

ARCO Platform

The ARCO platform is one of the most advanced management tools that can be used to operate a central security monitoring environment. It can provide access and records to all of the connected monitoring devices such as cameras, alarms, locks, and other sensors. It can also be used for multiple operator workstations for efficiency and redundancy. The platform handles all of the access rights for the areas and security components. The master audit trail is also managed by the ARCO Platform.

ARCO Platform

Software features of the ARCO Platform include alarm management, site configuration, database management, interactive dashboard, distributed workstations, a graphical user interface for site location and status, built-in reporting engine, artificial intelligence capability for programmable logic rules.

To know more about how SPG Controls can help you secure your property and premises, contact us.

 

News

S1000 Firmware 1.2.11 Release Highlights

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Audio Monitoring over IP

The S1000 Smart Controller now enables you to monitor and control Audio devices connected to the S1000 Smart Controller.
The SPG Audio Listen in Module (SD1-AUDIO4) and Audio Converter expansion card (SE1-AUDIOBUS) are required for the Microphone and Speakers to communicate with ARCO Platform.

When the Sip Call Center Service receives call a call from a User, it sends commands to ARCO requesting S1000 gateway to make a callback. When Sip Service receives the callback from the S1000 gateway, it looks for active incoming call and transfers the S1000 gateway’s call to the User.

Modbus over Serial/IP

The S1000 Smart Controller now enables support for Modbus device connection using RS485 and TCP/IP. The Controller can add a Modbus device and then allow mapping of analogue and digital inputs. This enables the support up to 8 analogue and 8 digital outputs on a Modbus device.

CRI Expansion Card

The SPG Card Reader Expansion card (SE1-CRI-PCB) provides an easy expansion for an S1000 Smart Controller, providing additional control of up to 2 doors. The board has built-in dual Wiegand reader support for In/Out readers on the door and has 2 relay outputs. There is also 2 additional digital or analogue inputs software configurable that can be used for Break glass and Door contact functions. Additionally, if the Wiegand inputs are not used, they can also be configured as Digital or Analog inputs for RTE or other general-purpose inputs.

Aperio Integration

The S1000 Smart Controller now enables the use of ASSA ABLOY Aperio devices. Multiple Aperio devices can communicate with one or more hubs using short-distance wireless communications. The hubs communicate with the S1000 Controller via RS485 Serial Data connection.