In the past two decades, technology has greatly impacted diverse industries including education, healthcare, transportation and security among others. The world has experienced significant changes, which have accelerated with the advancement of technology. The field of security, for instance, has realized major changes which have been influenced by technological trends like cloud computing, mobile, Internet of Things, smart data and social networking. The following is an outline of security operational techniques before and after the computer era.
Security Operational Techniques Before and After New Technologies
RFID badges
Accessing buildings today requires top notch security checks, which involve the use of RFID badges that bear the site code and an individual’s ID number (Hatchimonji, 2014). Individuals swipe these cards in a scanner for access to be granted. Before the computer era, companies relied on name tags to allow entry, which was highly unreliable since anyone could print a name tag.
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Video Surveillance
Modern security makes wide use of security surveillance, which has now advanced enough to incorporate facial recognition while recording HD videos. Traditionally, activities within an organization or any given setting could not be recorded, which encouraged more criminals who were sure of getting away with the crimes.
Perimeter security systems
In the past, companies relied on building walls and fences to mark their territories. With the advancement of technology, companies and homeowners can now perimeter security systems which use radio waves or microwave to monitor a protected area. The system alerts the owner whenever the protected space is invaded (Hatchimonji, 2014).
Security linked to mobile devices
Home security systems today can all be centrally controlled by a mobile device. Mobile devices can be used with smart sensors, remote control security and wireless deadbolts to access different places in a household. Before the explosion of technology, homeowners only relied on manual lockers whose keys could easily be mastered by invaders.
Fingerprint scanning
Fingerprints are unique features. For upgraded security checks, fingerprint scanning is used to identify a person and record information like entry place and time.
Facial recognition
Facial recognition, captured by video surveillance technique, can be used to reveal information about a person. This technique is usually employed when searching specific individuals from crowds or to determine whether the individual is up to no good. The system detects heart rate, facial action coding, eye and retinal changes to determine deception (Hatchimonji, 2014).
Iris recognition
Security teams can now identify individuals using the pattern of their eye. With the accurate and non-invasive iris recognition technology, eye patterns, which are more unique than DNA, according to Jay Hauhn, CTO and Vice President of Industry Relations at Tyco Integrated Security, can be easily identified to reveal a person’s identity.
Security guards and photo ID badges
Security guards use RFID cards to recognize who goes to a given facility each day and to be able to tell when one uses someone else’s photo ID badge, a function that machines can’t perform on their own.
Positive effects of security technologies
Technology has greatly improved modern security by making it more accurate, fast and efficient. With improved technology, organizations can prevent and reduce the number of incidents that can disrupt daily operations. Companies can predict harmful trends to which they can respond in time. A safe environment also offers employees peace of mind hence increased productivity (Hatchimonji, 2014).
Security technologies like the Explosive Detection Systems, Explosive Trace Detection and Laser Base Explosive Systems used in airports have helped to reduce and prevent terrorism by screening luggage to detect explosives or any other prohibited items. Companies also use security technologies like Octopus, a physical security information management system, to appropriately manage all security activities, safety and logistical demands from a central place (Hatchimonji, 2014).
Challenges of security technologies
Despite the major advantages of security technologies, there are significant threats to the field of security caused by these advanced technologies.
For instance, RFID badges can be cloned easily, and systems don’t give notifications when entry attempts are made. Additionally, some companies store their RFID systems to external cloud providers which can be easily hacked into (Hatchimonji, 2014). For video surveillance, it can be tricky to stream such high-quality footage through the network. By use of gelatinous materials, fingerprints can be lifted or copied. However, this challenge can be managed by incorporating heat sensors behind the scanners which can detect an individual’s vein structure. Lastly, facial recognition technique can be set back by criminals who can cover their faces with hats to avoid revealing their identity.
Advanced technology has put cyber security on spot since more cybercriminals are now using improved methods to attack most sensitive networks. Protecting data in the digital era has become a challenge due to weak security technology, social media attacks, malware attacks, outdated security software, and lack of encryption (Georgetown University, n.d.). According to Scientific American report in 2008, invasion of privacy, Phishing, cyber attacks and phone tapping have been on the increase in the 21st century, which are attributed to technology. The internet has made it easy for malicious individuals to spread information online aimed at hurting the other party. For instance, in China, a female blogger wrote about her husband’s infidelity before she committed suicide. The information was searched and read widely, which harmed the husband’s reputation (Greenemeier, 2008).
Security in the transport sector is also experiencing challenges due to technologies like autonomy, shared rides, connected vehicles and shared customer interface (Remick, 2017). With such emerging technologies, cybercriminals can monitor someone’s travel patterns and track their locations.
It is clear that security threats will increase as technology advances. This will require collaborative efforts of governments, security teams, other stakeholders and even citizens to improve security to keep attackers at bay. Despite the above discussed challenges, the opportunities for improved convenience brought about by technology conquer the challenges.
References
Hatchimonji, G., (2014, Jan, 21). The Eight most significant Ways Physical Security has Evolved. Retrieved from https://www.csoonline.com/article/2134326/fraud-prevention/the-8-most-significant-ways-physical-security-has-evolved.html
Greenemeier, L., (2008, Aug, 18). International Report: What Impact is Technology having on Privacy around the World? Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/international-report-technology/
Remick, L., (2017, Feb, 27). Security Challenges for Emerging Technology Trends in Transportation. Retrived from https://blog.hivint.com/emerging-security-challenges-in-transportation-9dabc397d9ca
