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I was very excited to hear the news that Andrew Lanning, co-founder of Integrated Security Technologies, has been selected by the Security Industry Association (SIA) as the 2019 recipient of the Jay Hauhn Excellence in Partnerships Award, an annual distinction recognizing leadership in security industry collaboration.

As a personal note, I am not surprised at all as Andrew is everything that is right about the security industry. I have seen in just my 3-plus years in the industry how much he gives back to make this industry better and to raise the profession of security professional to greater heights. I am looking forward to celebrating with him and others when Andrew is recognized at SIA Honors Night Nov. 20 in New York City.

Congrats Andrew!

In addition to working tirelessly to help integrators within PSA, Lanning serves as a member of SIA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board, which guides SIA members ahead of potential cybersecurity issue related to physical security measures. He also holds a board of directors position with — and serves as the defense industrial base sector chief for — the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s InfraGard Hawaii Members Alliance.

“Andrew Lanning has consistently advocated for industry collaboration, including between SIA’s manufacturer members and PSA Security Network, best seen through his vocal support for joint programming like Cyber:Secured Forum,” SIA CEO Don Erickson said in the announcement. “SIA applauds Andrew’s leadership in fostering industry partnerships and looks forward to presenting him with this prestigious, well-deserved award at SIA Honors Night.”

Lanning also serves as a defense industrial base representative on the PSA Security Network’s Cyber Security Committee, participates in the UL Cybersecurity Standards Technical Panel for Software Cybersecurity for Networking-Connectible Products, previously served on the board of directors of the Hawaii Information, Communication and Technology Association and is a member of the Rotary Club of Hickam Pearl Harbor. He is an active member of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation and the host of Security Matters: Hawaii, a community-based webcast.

“I would like to accept this award and thank SIA, PSA and especially both organizations’ cybersecurity committee members, past and present, for continuing to drive our vision of the electronic security industry as a reliable cybersecurity supply chain partner to our country’s critical infrastructure operators, government agencies and the U.S. Department of Defense,” said Lanning.

Lanning has encouraged organizations such as InfraGard to participate in SIA’s cybersecurity education offerings and served as an active member of the SIA and Electronic Security Association task force that successfully recommended a joint strategy to help members identify, recruit and retain qualified employees for a variety of professional roles within manufacturer and integrator businesses.

The Jay Hauhn Excellence in Partnerships Award is named in honor of security industry veteran Jay Hauhn. During his tenure as SIA’s chairman of the board, Hauhn demonstrated a steadfast commitment to fostering cooperation among industry trade associations, and this award recognizes a leader who embodies that spirit of collaboration in the industry.

SIA Honors Night — held each year concurrently with ISC East, the Northeast’s largest security trade show — features a gala dinner reception, an awards ceremony recognizing industry leaders and engaging entertainment. Along with presenting the Hauhn Award, SIA will also honor industry leaders at the 2019 Honors Night with the George R. Lippert Memorial Award, the SIA Insightful Practitioner Award and the SIA Progress Award sponsored by SIA’s Women in Security Forum.
 

As a security journalist, I hate to admit that I’m a bit torn on the whole privacy vs. security of video doorbells and whether it’s unethical or not. I mean, I should take a stand, right? Either I support video doorbells or I don’t but, I really do see both sides of this hot debate. 

Here’s an example: My mom lives alone and is a very spry 73-year-old who is quite capable of looking through the peephole of her door to see who’s knocking on it. However, should someone cover her peephole, having a video doorbell, enabling her to see exactly who is at her door before she opens it, and record them, especially if they plan on causing some type of harm, I see is a must. 

But at the same time, let’s say a Girl Scout or Boy Scout rang my mom’s doorbell to sell cookies or popcorn. In my opinion, recording them, or any child for that matter, is very unethical and a huge invasion of privacy, unless, of course, the parents know and give permission. 

To my knowledge there isn’t a video doorbell (yet) that can – with 100 percent accuracy – distinguish between adults who intend to do harmful acts and children. At this point, it just seems video doorbells are an all-or-nothing device that are causing some major disruption.  

A recent ABC news story highlighted attorney, David Barnett, who specializes in privacy law. Barnett suggested letting people know they are under surveillance if using a video doorbell, and take into consideration that these cameras are aimed at property, with the expectation that places such as backyards, windows and bathrooms are private. But, even if the camera is aimed at the front of a home and let’s say children are outside playing in the camera’s recording range, recording them is wrong and what if that camera got hacked? Hackers would then be able to see those children. 

There are also the terms of service of the video doorbell manufacturers that puts a lot of the responsibility on the person installing the device. Ring’s, for example, says, “Privacy and other laws applicable in your jurisdiction may impose certain responsibilities on you and your use of the Products and Services. You agree that it is your responsibility, and not the responsibility of Ring, to ensure that you comply with any applicable laws …” (I’m quite sure people aren’t allowed to point cameras at public streets or into their neighbor’s yards, for example, which if done, can lead to privacy invasion, but where is the responsibility of the manufacturers of these products?)

Then, of course, there’s apps being connected to these video doorbells. Not to pick on Ring, but its new app, Neighbors – where most posts are captured videos – could expose people to a whole new level of privacy invasion, taking the old-school “nosey neighbor” to the extreme. Again, in Ring’s terms of service, it says: “You are solely responsible for all Content that you upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise disseminate using, or in connection with, the Products or Services …” And, again, I ask, shouldn’t the manufacturers of video doorbells take on at least some of the responsibility?

Overall, this topic is a tough one, filled with “ifs, ands and buts,” amazing use cases where lives were saved and the possibility of privacy invasion. This makes me want to subscribe to the old-school method of using the peephole, and if it’s covered, asking “who’s there,” and if there’s no answer, not answering the door. 

What are your thoughts on video doorbells and privacy? Let’s talk about it on Twitter @SSN_Ginger or email me directly at ghill@securitysystemsnews.com. 

There’s been a lot of activity with ADT Commerical lately and it looks like the commercial side of business continues to grow organically and through acquisition. ADT Commerical recently acquired Design Systems Group and purchased Systems Group and Fusion Fire Protection to further broaden its commercial presence. In fact, ADT's commerial side of the business now accounts for nearly $1 billion in revenue.

Here’s a little bit about each of the acquired companies and what each company’s president has to say about the acquisition.

Systems Group is headquartered in Denver and provides commercial fire alarm detection, installation, inspection and maintenance services in Colorado. It was founded in 2004 and specializes in installation and service of integrated fire alarm, fire sprinkler, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and mass notification systems. 

“The team here at Systems Group has built a company admired and respected by the industry and customers alike,” John Ballman, Systems Group president said in the announcement. “Becoming a part of the ADT Commercial organization takes us to a higher level, both in terms of delivering for clients, and further achieving professional status for our employees.”

Fusion Fire Protection is headquartered in Hanover, Md. and serves the fire sprinkler systems needs of customers in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Established in 2015, in its short run, the company has earned the respect and loyalty of commercial customers. 

“Aligning with ADT Commercial reinforces our customer-centric commitment by strengthening and expanding our ability to deliver the most advanced technologies while still maintaining our agility and responsiveness,” Joe Roberts, Fusion Fire partner and president, said. 

Both companies are staffed by NICET-certified professionals enabling them to assist customers with design, project management, system installation, and testing, service and maintenance. 

“Systems Group in Denver and Fusion Fire Protection in Maryland represent the very best of the best in the fire alarm, fire sprinkler, and life safety arena, and illustrate our consistent dedication to best serve the needs of our mid-market, national and large-scale commercial customers,” Dan Bresingham, executive vice president, ADT Commercial, expressed.

Existing customers of both Systems Groups and Fusion Fire Protection will continue to work with the same people they know and trust to manage their accounts, now with ADT Commercial’s added resources and reach. 

“The addition of these tenured, well-trained professional teams furthers our aim of offering an advanced suite of end-to-end solutions for security, life safety and fire,” Michael McWilliams, senior vice president field operations, ADT Commercial said. “Backed by the strength of a nationally recognized organization, these teams will be empowered by local leadership, and will continue to provide the level of service expected by their customers.”  

I wonder what ADT’s next move will be? Rest assured that you will be the first to know as I keep my eyes and ears open and on the pulse of this company.

The global smart home market is forecast to grow by nearly a factor of five to reach more than $192 billion in 2023, up from $41 billion In 2018, according to the latest Smart Home Device Database from IHS Markit.

The research firm noted that the United States led all countries in 2018, representing about 35 percent of global market revenue. China was second, accounting for an 18 percent share.

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“The brilliance of the smart home is that it can be molded to suit the requirements of any kind of consumer, from the strictest demands of power users to the simplest automation needs of dabblers,” said Kozak. “Irrespective of consumer tech-savviness, the smart-home market has bourgeoned into a consumer technology heavyweight, eager to move beyond the basics of security and single-family homes and into uncharted opportunities. However, these uncharted opportunities are coming with concerns about privacy and the technology’s readiness for primetime. The remainder of 2019 and start of 2020 will be a pivotal time for the smart-home market as companies and service providers fine-tune their strategies and reposition to compete with the smart home juggernauts — as well as newcomers looking to upend the status quo.”

Smart-home companies look to future opportunities

Kozak pointed out that companies looking to make waves in the smart home market include IKEA and newcomers such as Wyze, which offer ultra-low-cost devices.

He added that major players also will make pivotal strategy changes to enhance their competitiveness, with examples including Google, which recently ended its  “Works with Nest” program. In another example, he pointed to Amazon Alexa, which achieved compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

“For its part, Ring is launching into the small-medium businesses (SMB) segment,” said Kozak. “Comcast will focus on its Xfinity platform and hone its strategy around content deployment. Meanwhile, Centrica, which offers the Hive smart home, plans to focus its platform on energy and services.

Software, analytics and partnerships

A brief hiatus in hardware development has prompted smart-home companies to make advancements with software, analytics and acquisitions/partnerships, according to IHS. However, Kozak noted that another hardware push is set to arrive soon, with the arrival of new smart speakers from Google, Apple and Samsung as well as offerings for insurance companies and apartment complexes.

US smart-home penetration rises, despite privacy concerns

Although the U.S. smart-home penetration exceeded 38 percent in 2018, IHS said the market’s further progress could be impeded by privacy concerns, which is why IHS is advising technology providers to take steps to alleviate consumer apprehension.

“Rapid innovation often breeds speculation and mistrust,” Kozak said. “Because of that, smart-home companies should be as transparent as possible regarding data usage. They also should focus on edge-based processing, which reduces the need for cloud-based computing systems that send private data over the internet. The smart home should also make greater efforts to comply with standards and regulations for sectors such as security, healthcare and senior care. By having more standards and regulations in place, innovation in the smart home will be less a source of anxiety for consumers and instead become a cause for optimism and a fulcrum for peace-of-mind.”

The IHS Markit Smart Home Device Database assesses the market for smart home devices including unit shipments, installed base, housing type, route to market, system type, connectivity type, network controller, country/sub-region and market shares.