Bits 'n bytes

April 2005 News & Events

Securex has come and gone, and what a show it was - by all accounts bigger and better than any Securex show before it. Exhibitors seemed happy with the visitors the show drew, and also went out of their way to show off their products on some pretty state-of-the-art stands - all very geared to attracting the attention of the visitors and I hope that those who exhibited get all the return on investment that they deserve, and then some!

From Securex to SecuTech, which is where I am off to as soon as I have finished penning this editorial. I will be on the lookout for innovative moves and products to report back on in next month's issue. And then on to Ifsec, which is the traditional launchpad for many a new product in the security industry. So much to protect and secure and so many new ways in which to do that.

But innovation and improvement clearly breeds cleverer criminals. With all the car-watch people in and around the streets and shopping centre parking lots as well as the availability of a range of vehicle tracking devices to suit almost every pocket, we can (sort of) safely assume our cars are safe. Then along comes yet another convergence of physical and logical security - a new virus that targets on-board car computers.

According to a report in the Tribune on 6 February ( http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20050206103 416386C152071&set _id=1&click_id =31&sf=) owners of such vehicles could be in for an onslaught of infections by such viruses following reports from the United States that the on-board computers of certain Lexus models in that country had been infected via cellphones. Figures quoted put the number of infected vehicles at around 150 000!

Glancing through this issue you will notice that we feature a fair amount of feedback from Securex, but we also have our usual dose of opinion pieces, news items and features.

The ever-insightful Dr Craig Donald looks at 'Deciding on the extent of surveillance coverage' and Will Klopper of Sony argues the business case for networked video monitoring. For this and a whole lot more, read on.

Till next month,

Lynne Larsen





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Woolworths attack raises bomb preparedness questions
News & Events
Two explosions have been reported at Woolworths stores in South Africa over the past week. SMART Security Solutions asked Jimmy Roodt, an experienced and accredited explosive ordnance disposal specialist from Gauntlet Security Solutions, for his insight into the events.

Read more...
Growing adoption of AI at work
News & Events AI & Data Analytics
AI adoption accelerates worldwide, with South Africa making gains amid uneven diffusion. Locally, South Africa ranks 46th of 147 economies measured, and its AI usage increased to 23,1% in Q1 2026.

Read more...
Enterprise AI hits the wall
News & Events AI & Data Analytics
Demands for AI privacy and sovereignty expose the limits of architectures built for centralised and borderless data flows. Organisations that redesign early are gaining a measurable edge in AI readiness and scale.

Read more...
71% of organisations suffered an identity breach
News & Events Information Security
The State of Identity Security 2026 report from Sophos finds human error and poor non-human identity management are the root causes of most attacks, as agentic AI accelerates the risk.

Read more...
From the Editor's desk: Security goes mainstream
Technews Publishing News & Events
      Welcome to SMART Security’s SMART Mining & Industrial Security Handbook 2026. While the world is focused on cybersecurity and AI, physical security has become a board-level concern across South Africa’s ...

Read more...
Global security in 2026
Editor's Choice News & Events Security Services & Risk Management Industrial (Industry) Mining (Industry)
The World Security Report 2026 states: “In a world of increasing volatility, physical security has evolved. It is no longer just a defensive measure; it is a critical driver of corporate value.”

Read more...
Industry perspective on industrial cybersecurity
Technews Publishing News & Events Infrastructure Industrial (Industry)
The Industrial Security Harmonization Group has released a joint industry perspective highlighting a critical truth in industrial cybersecurity: secure communication is not determined by protocols alone, but by how they are deployed and managed in real-world environments.

Read more...
Aerial firefighter training revolution
Fire & Safety News & Events
Sophisticated new flight simulation software capable of accurately modelling the performance of firefighting helicopters could help train pilots to tackle wildfires more effectively and safely in the future.

Read more...
PoPIA turns its attention to gated access
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
The Information Regulator has gazetted its proposed Code of Conduct for the processing of personal information at gated access points. At 65 pages long, the code signals a significant shift in how personal information is collected and managed at entry points.

Read more...
Surge in AI-enabled cybercrime and a 389% increase in ransomware
News & Events Information Security
Cybercrime no longer functions as a series of isolated campaigns; it operates as a system, with malicious hackers operating across an end-to-end life cycle and compressing the attack life cycle with shadow agents.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.