Handbook 2022 Residential Security mart iving L S
www.securitysa.com Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living 1 From the editor’s desk . ..................................................................... 2 Risk management Questions about risk assessments.................................................... 4 The human key........................................................................................ 7 Security risk and the sum of small things...................................... 8 Integrated security & risk Integrated, proven technology is the solution. .........................12 Seeking alternative power sources................................................17 Perimeter security Perimeter risks and solutions. ..........................................................18 Product Showcase JVA Perimeter Patrol 6.........................................................................23 Automation made easy. .....................................................................23 Access Portal from Access and Beyond. .......................................23 Thorburn Security Solutions is an industry leading security services provider that offers integrated, intelligence-driven safety and security solutions through an advanced risk mitigation approach. A proud division of the Tsebo Solutions Group, Thorburn is a qualitydriven organisation that delivers premium security products and services. Handbook 2022 Residential Security mart iving L S OUR COVER RESIDENTIAL SECURITY HANDBOOK 2022: SMART LIVING CONTENTS Smart home automation Locally designed lock designed to stay locked..........................24 Keeping your home surveillance private.....................................26 The smart home according to Astrel. ............................................27 Surveillance & analytics Kyalami Estates residents enjoy peace of mind from CathexisVision.............................................................................28 4 MP, 4G solar network camera........................................................29 4 MP eyeball and bullet network cameras...................................29 Directory of estate security product and service providers.......................................................................30
Andrew LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor should be addressed to Andrew Seldon at [email protected]. Sending material to this publication will be considered automatic permission to use in full or in part in our Letters column. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, city and postal code. We reserve the right to edit all letters. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd, Reg No. 2005/034598/07 A division of Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd 1st Floor, Stabilitas, 265 Kent Avenue, Randburg Box 385, Pinegowrie 2123 Tel: +27 11 543 5800 ISSN 1562-952X Editor Andrew Seldon: [email protected] Contributors Dr Craig Donald Advertising sales Tracy Wolter: [email protected] Heidi Hargreaves: [email protected] Subscription Services For address changes, orders, renewal status or missing issues, e-mail: [email protected] Subscribe online: www.technews.co.za Design and layout: Technews Production Department Disclaimer 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, inserts and company contact details are printed as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material. FROMTHE EDITOR’S DESK solutions www.securitysa.com Welcome to the Smart Living Handbook. While this handbook is not the normal size of our handbooks, it is still packed full of information about the security issues and solutions estates and homes in southern Africa face (with more published online). While there are still almost endless technologies that estates can use to improve their security, one of the trends that has become apparent is that estates want more from their security and their security integrators. We have talked about integrated solutions for years, and this has never been more important in a world where the public authorities are unwilling or unable to handle the crime situation (as the last official crime statistics show, as if we needed to be told that). However, not only are we seeing estates opting for more integrated solutions from a security perspective, they are also increasingly looking to get a ‘full service’ from a single supplier. Currently this applies primarily to the larger estates with larger budgets, but we will see the trend moving into smaller estates and complexes in the future – as long as the system integrators can deliver. Interestingly enough, some are also looking at their same security suppliers to provide other, non-security services in the same contract. One simply needs to look at some of the services offered by the big players in the market to see how operational functions are being bundled with security, often using the same technology for multiple purposes. What is interesting is to see how many camera manufacturers are making better use of the processing power within cameras to integrate more of these traditionally non-security functions into their cameras, to allow users to extract extra value from them without losing the security functionality they expect. On the technical front, we are seeing more devices being incorporated into the management platforms used by estates More and more and monitored on a constant basis. This ranges from surveillance cameras that are not only monitored for the video feeds they provide, but the system does automatic health checks on the cameras to provide early warnings of possible problems, reducing downtime. Of course, the IoT trend extends beyond cameras to electric fencing and other security systems, as well as other ‘things’ that estates need to keep an eye on, such as water levels, temperature fluctuations in generator systems and, increasingly, the status of solar installations. Having technology monitor technology has become more common and the results are, as noted, early warnings, more efficient delivery of SLAs, and over time the estates can gain a proper overview of how their technology performs and which brands are worth their price tag. These are some of the issues we will be discussing at the Residential Security Conference later this year (see www.resc.co.za for more Information on the conference). I hope you enjoy the handbook and, as always, comments, criticisms and ideas on how we can improve it are welcome at [email protected]. RESIDENTIAL SECURITY HANDBOOK 2022: SMART LIVING Published by
4 Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living www.securitysa.com RISK MANAGEMENT Risk assessments are a touchy subject in almost every industry. In the cybersecurity world they may be called vulnerability assessments, but the concept is the same. A risk assessment is meant to show where a customer, in our case a residential estate, is vulnerable to attack, and to suggest and collaborate with them on a plan to deal with these areas of risk. The ‘resolving’ part is the first touchy part of the process. Some say you need an independent risk assessor (or consultant) that is not connected to a company that sells products or installs solutions, since this will give an impartial overview of your risks. Using a system integrator or guarding company to do the assessment, some would say, is bad as they are biased and will often do the assessment (or audit or site survey) for free in order to get business from the estate. It comes down to the ethics of the companies and people involved, but with the economy only starting to show signs of life, it is quite believable that some would tailor their assessment to what they can provide. Of course, there are also those who say that the salespeople do the assessment for free, having an idea of what the estate can spend on security, and the result they suggest is Questions about risk assessments By Andrew Seldon. The benefits of independent risk assessments are clear; in some instances, so is the opposition to independence. remarkably close to that budget – in other words, they make decisions on behalf of the client without consulting them. Of course, that assumes all security companies and service providers are unethical, which is definitely not true. Some want to do their best to protect their clients, but sometimes the budget and stipulations from the home owners’ association (HOA) or body corporate ensure that a shoddy job is the best one can do, and the service providers do their best they can. Nonetheless, independent risk assessors are still in demand in many estates because of their impartiality and because of the overview they deliver of all the risks the estate faces – even if some of them are marked as less important and left for a year or two before budget is available. Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to two independent risk assessors to find out what their experience is in the estate market, and how successful they are in getting HOAs to accept risk reports and address them in some fashion. The two assessors are Andre Mundell from Alwinco, and Lesley-Anne Kleyn from Kleyn Consulting. Putting numbers to security When it comes to security risk assessments, Kleyn says the objective analysis – turning subjective concepts into numbers – done by an assessor is critical to a successful security strategy for an estate, as it provides a measured approach to help the HOA channel its budget into the areas where it is most needed. Kleyn says this is the one method by which the HOA can meet with the relevant people and make informed, objective decisions based on numbers and not on the flavour of the day in terms of technology or the installer’s most profitable field of operation. Unfortunately, in her experience many estates (or even most) don’t take that independent approach. Mundell agrees, saying many decisionmakers do not take their jobs seriously enough until there is pressure on them from residents after a crime. He says there are three types of estates in his experience: 1. The Sticker Estate: These estates are focused on getting a sign on the wall saying they are protected by ABC Security and that’s it. They also like taking a ‘patch approach’ to security instead of looking at it holistically. These are the estates that don’t take security seriously until a terrible crime has taken place and people have to cover their rears. 2. The Unbalanced Estate: These comprise the
www.securitysa.com Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living 5 RISK MANAGEMENT vast majority of estates out there and have different levels of security in different areas. These estates don’t really know what’s going on in terms of security because they don’t have a security manager – some may have someone with that title, but the person is just a resident who got ‘volunteered’ into the position. The key question in Sticker and Unbalanced estates is who takes responsibility when something goes wrong (which is where the security manager, or often the security service providers, suddenly become important). 3. The Balanced Estate: These are the minority of estates which, as the name suggests, take a balanced approach to their security posture as a whole. Those uncomfortable questions The way Kleyn and Mundell recognise the type of estate they are dealing with is by asking questions related to security. A balanced estate will have the answers quickly from the HOA and estate manager (or security manager) because they know what is going on. The other estates take a long time to answer, requiring meetings and more often than not calling their service provider to get answers about the estate security. They don’t have set processes which are implemented and managed by the estate. Naturally, an estate outsources certain aspects of security because the service provider is the expert in the field, but the HOA is made up of people who take responsibility for their estate’s security, and they need to know what the risks are, and oversee and approve the plan to deal with it. You cannot outsource responsibility or accountability. They should therefore be participating in the risk exercise, even though they may not have the knowledge to do the actual audit. Without an efficient audit/assessment, the HOA will not know the current state of the estate’s security and can’t make good decisions – irrespective of budgetary concerns. As Kleyn says, first audit, then educate with the results obtained, and then one can proceed to make informed and relevant decisions. The risk matrix is a common tool used in assessing risk in many industries, where the priority of a risk is plotted according to the probability or likelihood of it happening, and the expected impact or consequences. Mundell avoids this approach as he says if a risk has a probability of 1 out of 5 (a 20% chance of happening) it is considered a low risk. Even Lesley-Anne Kleyn. when the impact is extreme, the risk will only be rated as a ‘medium’ risk. When it comes to crime, he says you have to ask which crimes are in the ‘acceptable’ 20% and which fifth of your residents are the ones you are willing to expose to the risk. Another way he puts it is: “Which ten families are expendable?” It’s all about informed decisions Mundell admits he is always in trouble for his “direct speech” (he says asking your service provider to do a risk assessment is like asking your mom if you’re fat), but he says most HOA members are not qualified to make security decisions. They do more research into buying a car or their house than they do in securing their estate where their lives, and those of their families and other residents, depend on the security solutions they choose (never mind the assets they also protect). A little more tactfully, Kleyn adds that this is why an independent consultant/assessor is required. Since the HOA does not have the security knowledge required, an independent person is needed to present it with the facts of its risk posture, without sweetening the facts. Then they are in a better position to make informed decisions. The reason independent assessments are not all that popular is because they take an holistic approach. In other words, it’s not about technology or manpower, it’s not about perimeter or visitor management, it’s about everything – including processes and procedures (the infamous standard operating procedures). They dig holes on the perimeter, open kiosks that haven’t been touched in years (except by bugs), check the network along the perimeter, check the power supplies, read through the procedure manuals and more. These days, they also look at additional digital issues such as POPIA, and more estates are asking about cybersecurity risks as well. It is therefore understandable that the first time an estate has an independent audit there will be shock at how badly its risk is managed – because it is an all-encompassing ‘big bang’ approach. The HOA’s job is then to drill down into the report – which our assessors admit is more like a book than a 5-page report full of checkboxes – and use the information to decide on a strategy going forward. The question of independence We’ve all heard about independent consultants that have side deals or ‘favoured’ suppliers or integrators, and tend to tailor their advice in support of those companies. When it comes to risk assessments, both Kleyn and Mundell are adamant that it is critical for them to behave ethically when it comes to the advice they provide. They can have no ‘skin in the game’ when it comes to solutions or service providers. The reason, apart from the ethical considerations, is that they are advising estates on how to protect assets, but most importantly the lives of their residents. Once the report is done, they work with their clients to find a solution that mitigates the risks in focus and need to guide them to find the best solution. Their reputation is on the line, as well as the lives of many people. The job must go to the company that is able to show it can deliver, whether it has a ‘connection’ on the HOA or not. As Mundell puts it, you can’t be the referee and a player in the game. The risk assessor can’t get involved in the operational plan or rollout (apart from the advice provided). It is always worth remembering that independent consultants work for the client (the estate), not the vendor or the SI. The focus is on putting the best solution on the table and then working with estates to make decisions. And while budgets are always a concern, this is not the assessor’s problem in the audit and assessment. The HOA is the decisionmaker and budget collection agency once it has analysed the report and decided how to proceed. A ‘secure’ estate or a secure estate Security is a key issue for South Africans, and as a result, people who are able to buy homes in an estate or even a smaller complex always want to know about security. The problem is, the marketing people and builders always say it is a secure estate because it has 24-hour guard patrols, an electric fence and Continued on page 6
“Asking your service provider to do a risk assessment is like asking your mom if you’re fat.” – Andre Mundell. Andre Mundell. surveillance cameras – or some form of security. Very few people know to ask more about how the security is run, and what the processes and procedures will be in an emergency. Kleyn ends by stating that there is a vast difference between estates – a secure estate and a gated estate, for example. A secure estate takes care of all the security issues from the perimeter inwards. A gated estate simply has security at the gate and the rest may be good or bad. A last note from Mundell is: where is the control? Who is controlling your security? Is it the guarding supervisor who lives 20 km away or the onsite security manager? No organisation, whether an estate or a bank, can afford to give away the control of its security. Outsourcing services does not mean losing control; you may outsource the operational aspect, but the estate needs to remain in control and know what is happening on the ground. Mundell says he has two types of customers from the estate market. The first is from an estate that is taking security seriously and doing its best to make its living environment as secure as possible; the second is from lawyers of victims of crime who want to know who was responsible for the security of the estate. Sadly, some estates only take security seriously when the second group starts making a noise. This article has taken a direct look at some issues independent assessors face in their daily lives, but both Mundell and Kleyn note that it’s not all negative. There are vendors, integrators, installers and HOAs that focus on getting the best outcome and are always willing to sit around a table and discuss issues such as alternative technologies that can do the job at a lower cost. These are the people and companies that deliver results and do make a difference in the safety and security of residents, working to ensure they produce the optimal outcomes required. For more information contact: • Alwinco, +27 62 341 3419, [email protected], www.alwinco.co.za • Kleyn Consulting, +27 64 410 8563, [email protected], www.kleynconsulting.co.za Continued from page 5 RISK MANAGEMENT
In security risk assessment, we talk about a ‘human key’. This is the master key to all your safe areas, cash rooms and anywhere you think is safe. It is my belief that 95% of currently installed security measures will not stop a criminal. A key is used to open doors, and the same applies to a human key. The only difference is that the repercussions of a human key are often detrimental. A News24 video (located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnsoxCicq1Y) shows the human key in action. It also shows us that security is more than just hardware. The criminal incident in the video took place in Limpopo on 15 January 2022. When you watch the footage you will see the double door, presumably with bulletproof glass. The office also has video cameras installed, hence the availability of the video clip. Technically, this is a secure room. Then you will see a lady forced to open the door for the criminals. Three of them come through the door, while the last man is holding The human key someone, possibly the security guard (or human key) as a hostage. I believe that these criminals told the ladies in the office that they will shoot the guard if they do not open the door. This is what we mean by a ‘human key’. They used the security guard as a key to get into the area where the money is being kept (supposedly) safe. The problem is that people do not understand the concept of security risk as they should. Even though a lot of money was spent on installing a secure door, bulletproof glass, a camera system and so on, the risk was not eliminated and thus provided the opportunity for a crime. This also demonstrated a security system that was installed without a security risk assessment. The same type of risk is present at estates or businesses, in fact any properties where the criminals have access to the security guard. When a criminal has access to someone, I can assure you that even the most advanced security measures will not suffice. By Andre Mundell, Alwinco. “A ‘human key’ is the Master key to all your safe areas, cash rooms and anywhere you think is secure.” RISK MANAGEMENT • The human key is not limited to security guards. In a home environment, the human key can be your children, your wife, your mother or your father. • It can also be an employee, a financial manager, a CEO and even a cleaner. When it comes to corporate entities, these criminals mostly tend to target the more prolific roleplayers such as the CEO, finance personnel, IT employees and so on. The ‘human key’ can be anyone that a criminal has access to and can manipulate, blackmail, hold hostage or otherwise coerce. A security risk assessment is an in-depth investigation into your current security structure to identify the risks that provide the opportunity for crime. Security risk is where threat and opportunity overlap. Thus, risk is when your property provides an opportunity for a crime to occur. For more information contact Alwinco, +27 62 341 3419, [email protected], www.alwinco.co.za
8 Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living www.securitysa.com Security risk and the sum of small things By Dr Craig Donald. Small things can quickly scale to become serious threats to security and safety. Even the smallest things can trigger an alert when analysing criminal behaviour. A look back, a momentary pause in movement, a change in direction away from a security official are all signs that can be used, together with others, to spot a potential target. If we extend this concept to security, we find that small offences, or security not paying attention to small things, can impact far more extensively than we expect on core operations or the broader context. The broken window theory proposed by police commissioner William Bratton in New York has the basis that fixing small things like broken windows can help manage crime. This is because maintaining an ordered and clean environment sends the signal that the area is monitored and that criminal behaviour is not tolerated. Conversely, not maintaining or enforcing action sends a signal that the criminal interprets as a vulnerability, or a sign that they have little to fear from a response. The theory has created some discussion and debate, and Wikipedia does a good job of covering some of these aspects. For risk purposes, however, I’d like to examine this concept of small things from a few other perspectives. Small crimes matter The last year, and specifically the last few months, has seen an epidemic of smallgoods thefts from supermarkets, grocers and drug stores (pharmacies) worldwide. Shoplifting has always seemed a somewhat petty crime, and the UK police have followed a policy in recent years of not prosecuting such offences under £200. This has probably been due to a combination of reducing the load on police, and a feeling of not wanting to be especially tough on more disadvantaged or poorer members of communities. Since I have started visiting London some thirty years ago, I’ve found more and more security guards at the entrances to small grocers and supermarkets on the high streets, something that was very seldom noticed all those years ago. It’s not just the UK where reactions to these trends are happening. I was shocked to see in a CNN article this week that lower-priced groceries like Dawn detergent, Old Spice and Colgate are being locked behind glass in cabinets in some retail and drug stores like Walgreens in the US, and needing an assistant to retrieve them in order to reduce shoplifting. Items of relatively low value are increasing being tagged for electronic article surveillance across a range of retail establishments around the world. In an annual survey conducted by the British Retail Consortium, shoplifters cost retailers an estimated £770 million, while the cost of shoplifting and abuse of staff, as well as security measures besides the actual theft, is seen to cost retailers £2,5 billion a year according to the Consortium. Walgreens RISK MANAGEMENT
www.securitysa.com Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living 9 Dr Craig Donald. Dr Craig Donald is a human factors specialist in security and CCTV. He is a director of Leaderware which provides instruments for the selection of CCTV operators, X-ray screeners and other security personnel in major operations around the world. He also runs CCTV Surveillance Skills and Body Language, and Advanced Surveillance Body Language courses for CCTV operators, supervisors and managers internationally, and consults on CCTV management. He can be contacted on +27 11 787 7811 or [email protected] has attributed some shop closures to a cumulative increase in levels of organised shoplifting of ‘small things’ by criminal syndicates. The UK Home Office conducted a review of the abuse and physical violence faced by shop staff which, the Sunday Times reported, found that retailers and shop staff had lost faith in the police and justice system being willing to tackle thefts from stores and other retail premises. In the UK, this has led to calls from government on the police to once again investigate and prosecute offences under £200 in an attempt to control this rampant rise in shoplifting. Stealing to eat? The push for police to react to shoplifting offenders is occurring in the context of a tight economy, pressures on income due to global issues, and members of the community finding it difficult to provide some of the basic essentials for their families. There has been a return of what Dr Sinéad Furey has termed “stealing to eat” and along with this, there are calls of not criminalising people in poverty, which most people will probably have sympathy for. We need to distinguish between those who are affected like this, reflected in a scheme in Liverpool being set up to direct shoplifters who have been caught to local food banks and debt advice services, versus those seeking to profit or live more extravagant lifestyles at the expense of others. This difference is probably reflected in the types of items taken, with essentials and food being the choice of those in extreme difficulty as opposed to the typical high-value items such as alcohol, razors and cosmetics which are associated with more professional criminals. We need to be understanding of those who are in more desperate states, but not everyone who is poor steals, and not all those who steal are poor. Also, members of poorer communities get taken advantage of to steal on behalf of others who are upscaling the level of theft. Increased requirements for protecting grocery store content are seen to go beyond casual shoplifting, to organised retail crime with syndicates who steal and resell though black markets or even legitimate online market channels. Evolving criminal goals Initially a concern over small thefts, shoplifting is changing in nature and the loss is causing a number of sectors of society to express concerns. It has got to the point where there is a counter-reaction to the tolerance of theft which held that ‘we can’t do anything about it, so let’s just ignore it for now’ because of the extent of losses. From a crime point of view, there are a few dynamics of concern. Shoplifters start gaining a perception that if they can get away with one thing, they can probably get away with others. Thinking potentially shifts from low-value items to demand for higher-value things, and in some cases, success may lead to greed. Getting away with it will likely cause people to repeat the theft, and we often find that people are caught not the first time, but during subsequent thefts. As those committing the thefts become more professionalised and accustomed to theft, they start looking at testing other high-value items or different opportunities within the store, or even moving up the supply chain. Criminals start studying the systems and how they work, and look for vulnerabilities, in some cases joining up with syndicates. The removal of staff from key points of the customer process, and automating things like checkouts and payment systems, have also been opening up opportunities for theft. Having fewer staff in stores also means fewer visible personnel to deter shoplifting. The risk in such incidents can increase not only in the value or volume, but the intensity of events. With a large-scale increase in shoplifting in the UK, the level of abuse or attacks on staff in groceries and supermarkets has also increased in frequency and the level of violence. With these comments, I’m trying to illustrate how the theft of small things can build into a critical mass. Whether it be items on a store shelf, a logistics warehouse, a casino with theft of chips, or a diamond mine, small things can build into a critical mass that impacts on the business operation and the broader society. Critical mass in business operations Similarly, smaller and seemingly unrelated criminal events at the periphery of core business operations may initially seem insignificant, but can impact on major value areas when pertinent enough, or when they get to critical mass. This building of critical mass may occur on a gradual scale over time, which can eventually create far more serious crime effects and syndicates. Alternatively, they may expose key vulnerabilities or happen at tipping points, which spreads and affects a whole system. The risks an organisation faces can usually be identified in an expanding set of perimeter rings which move further and further away from the core of the business, with a correspondingly lower risk as you move away from central, critical areas. An armed robbery, for example, may involve vehicles from surrounding areas moving through certain roads towards a property perimeter, a parking perimeter, a perimeter allowing access into the building, a production area perimeter, through to a collection point for production, and then the executive management offices or the key area where value is stored, such as a vault or safe. This applies whether the operation is a shopping centre, casino, university or gold plant. Where there is a weakness at a perimeter or penetration of outer rings, this can lead to greater penetration of vulnerable or exposed inner rings, and the weakening of security around the core functions. Failure to have the right level of people who are Continued on page 10 RISK MANAGEMENT
10 Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living www.securitysa.com equipped with the appropriate equipment at the periphery, such as searchers or reaction squads, can quickly lead to a major impact at the core. At a national level, the Taliban’s success in Afghanistan is probably a good example of this in terms of how they rolled over the country at a speed that surprised even themselves. Small things, big impact Something that may appear relatively minor in the greater scheme of things, and far away from the core, can have profound implications over time for the key operation. Carjacking that happens at the intersection of the main road leading past the shopping centre impacts on the way people perceive the safety and risk of the whole shopping centre environment, if it repeats. Robberies on people leaving a particular football ground or music concert venue after a show can threaten the feasibility of any subsequent event, with public perceptions shaped more by this news than enthusiasm for the event. Poor ticket protection, which leads to fake tickets being sold well before an event, can have a critical impact on the event itself, as the recent experience in France shows. With the chaos from ticketing and subsequent access control issues in the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France, headlines in the newspapers included “Stade de Farce” (The Sun) and “From party to fiasco” (L’Equipe) and led to queries over whether France is capable of holding the Olympics and the Rugby World Cup in the next couple of years. Ignorance or too little attention being paid by government and police of individual illegal gold-miner (so called zama zama) operations in some parts of South Africa has led to illegal mining criminal syndicates having violent armed confrontations with each other, security officers and the police. Small levels of illegal mining have grown, taken on characteristics of organised crime, and even extended into aggression against communities where they are operating, such as the recent assault and group rape situation in Krugersdorp. After years of doing nothing, Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, commented, “I am worried about the safety of Gauteng residents. Zama zamas are huge contributors to violent crime in the country. They have moved beyond mining operations. They are stripping electricity infrastructure. They are interfering with underground infrastructure. The security of the state is at great risk.” Such is the impact of ignoring small things which could have been addressed far more comprehensively if the state had taken the time to be concerned, and worked in partnership with the private sector which is bearing the brunt of the impact of illegal activities. What is also clear is that there are criminal elements that foster such activities in their own interests, to the detriment of broader communities, a trend reflecting in different sectors and different countries. Identify and manage the small things Risk management is about trying to avoid being hit by this critical mass of activity, to identify it in its small form and anticipate where it is going to lead if not addressed, and to set up ways of dealing with things before they get to the point of a crisis. We are entering into a more uncertain and difficult world with political, economic and financial threats such as inflation, and community unrest and frustration. Those who ignore the small things, whether in CCTV, security or management, do it at their peril. The same way that a CCTV operator should be capable of picking up the small behaviours that show signs of a coming incident, security and risk managers need to be working out what signs and activities are of concern, how they are likely to play out, and what backup they have when the situation becomes critical. In many cases, there is no need for radical treatment. A steady and consistent resolution of small things – through approaches such as enforcement of standard procedures, policy and consultation to diffuse issues – may address many problems before they become critical. For those areas outside your domain of influence, networking, common strategies with others, and working out broaderbased contingency plans may assist in dampening flare-ups before they become conflagrations. Continued from page 9 RISK MANAGEMENT
INTEGRATED SECURITY & RISK Integrated, proven technology is the solution By Andrew Seldon. The gap between installers and system integrators is widening, with larger estates looking for integrated solutions that add value, more often than not from one service provider. The systems integration market is divided into many levels of service providers. Some SIs focus on specific areas of expertise while others have a broader range of skills and solutions to offer clients. The market is further divided these days in terms of SIs who are focused on getting the job done and moving on to the next customer, and those focused on working with clients to add value and enable them to get the most out of their security spend over the long term. When it comes to estates, all levels of SIs and installers are engaged in this market, meeting the security needs of estates and complexes. A trend in larger estates is to standardise on one service provider that can provide a full solution, from guards to technology to maintenance, and even offsite monitoring services. And while the old cliché of the guarding division and the technology division hating each other is still evident, working together is more important than ever as technology and humans are forming a more integrated approach to security. Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked four of the large SIs, which are part of larger companies offering a range of services (including guarding), about what they are seeing happening in estates in terms of the security services they provide and how they are adapting to the ever-evolving requirements of estate security. We had four companies around our virtual table: • Fidelity Services Group, represented by Ian Loubser. • G4S, represented by Leonie Mangold. • Stallion Security, represented by Kevin Monk and John Evans. • Bidvest Protea Coin, represented by Alex Penhaligon. Starting out, we asked the panel what their experience is in terms of their estate customers’ biggest focus area, and what their biggest risk factors are currently. Sustainable precincts Loubser says the traditional crime issues are naturally still a focus area, but at the moment there is a greater concern over the possibility of civil unrest as well as a potential strike by security officers in the future (although negotiations are still in progress, so a strike is not certain). In addition, more clients are taking the approach that the service provider must take responsibility for more proactive risk management, letting the estates know what risks they face and how to deal with them. There is also a growing trend in which estates are concerned about service delivery – more pronounced in some provinces, but still a general trend – where the providers need to look beyond a single estate and manage risks and services in a precinct. One example is providing fire services in many areas where the Fire Department can’t provide a service to the community. Mangold concurs that estates are more inclined to want added value in terms of proactive risk management advice, but also in providing more to residents. Smart Continued on page 14
14 Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living www.securitysa.com services, like fibre to the home or home automation, are examples of the added value being asked for. All this is while there is a drive for cost savings, including some procuring their own hardware and only asking the SI to install and maintain it. Monk agrees with the need for added value and the precinct-level services where estates are looking to become more self-sustaining. He says part of this move has seen more of the larger security companies expanding their services to include more facilities management offerings from the same company, as part of a package deal. Self-sufficiency, or autonomy, is a key issue for estates. Monk says Stallion is pushing autonomy as there are many estates that have spent millions on security technology, only to find it useless when load shedding happens. All security installations need to ensure they have their ‘eyes and ears’ fully operational in emergencies. Increase in informed customers Monk also notes that the estates are becoming more knowledgeable in terms of what is available out there and how it can benefit their security operations, for example, understanding the value that AI-enhanced analytics can provide. They therefore know what they want as they have ‘done their homework’ and security assessments, and are able to ask better questions and demand more from their providers – which actually makes the SI’s job easier and cuts out many ‘fly-by-night’ companies from tenders. Loubser adds that in some cases, estates are recruiting their security managers from security service providers in order to bring that additional knowledge into the estate and into future discussions on security tenders and solutions. This may not be ideal for the service providers, but it brings a lot of experience in the broader security market into the estate’s decision-making processes. An interesting comment fromMonk is that this has led to a situation where Stallion is finding itself shortlisted for tenders ‘with the right people and companies’, those who have the ability to provide a turnkey solution and are not in it for a quick buck (this is generally in larger estates with bigger budgets). More are also not seeing value in owning infrastructure or technology, and are looking at a rental or leasing model where equipment is built into the contract. Evans notes that more integration and access to data is also becoming a norm among estates with significant technology infrastructures. Moreover, some are even talking about whether the service provider will accept responsibility for any security failures and possibly even take liability for losses. This can be quite a contractual minefield and the stipulations of who is responsible for what need to be carefully documented – with more than one service provider it becomes even more complicated. Penhaligon says that traditional security requirements have not declined in any way, but estates are also wanting more assistance in dealing with contractors and daily or ad hoc workers coming onto the estate. It seems there is an increase in ‘inside jobs’ as syndicates find ways around increasingly effective security controls. Bidvest Protea Coin is also seeing a move to smart city technologies and services. While estates are not cities per se, the larger ones include many of the features and functions one finds in a city, and have realised that the smarter their ‘city’ is (with all the accompanying benefits) the safer it becomes. There is a drive to IoT devices, automation and integrated solutions in this respect. Budget blues and clever decisions It’s no secret that budgets are under pressure, and one of the outcomes is a reduction in manpower requirements in favour of technology. Penhaligon says it’s not really about reducing headcount as much as it is about looking at new technology to supplement people instead of getting new human resources. The value frommonthly spend on technology is seen as worth more than what is gained by the monthly spend on additional manpower. The cliché of a guard only being able to be in one place, while technology can simultaneously cover many places, applies. Estates are not always looking to cut costs but to increase the value they can get from the same spend through technology. Fewer are prepared to spend money on cutting-edge or the latest and greatest technology, looking instead to use proven, integrated solutions – based on their track record, not lower costs. Mangold says this is due to many estates having ‘paid their dues’with technology purchases and coming to the realisation that there is more value to be gained over the long term from‘tried and tested’ integrated platforms that can deliver for years, while transferring the maintenance and replacement costs to the SI. Loubser additionally notes that while the number of security staff onsite may decline, the level of people employed (i.e., the guarding grades) is higher in order to get people who can make better use of the technology. Longer contracts are also being preferred, according to Loubser, because of the cost savings and value-add that can be gained through a longer-term contract (including equipment). Continued from page 12 INTEGRATED SECURITY & RISK
INTEGRATED SECURITY & RISK New technology is not being ignored, however, as drone services are becoming more popular (slowly). He says these longer contracts are incorporating the new technology as well as additional services (mentioned above), like fire, ambulance, home automation or even cleaning services, all from one supplier – one person to take responsibility (or one throat to choke, or perhaps we should say one person to contact and one invoice to pay). Monk again echoes the sentiment that more estates are trying to avoid the big capital expenditure (capex) costs of buying technology and the onerous task of keeping it running for a number of years. More are opting for rental or leasing contracts over a number of years, where the monthly fees come from operational expenditure (opex), which sees the service provider buying the technology and taking full responsibility for maintenance and replacement over the term of the contract. Conversely, small- and medium-sized estates are struggling with budget concerns and Mangold says they are more inclined to want to sweat their assets and make use of them for longer, integrating new purchases into the old. This can be a problem in the long term if the original purchase was not carefully made to ensure integration capabilities. G4S is also seeing estates reducing their manpower slightly, but opting for more highly-skilled officers to better interpret and use the technology, and more importantly, the information the systems provide. Bring your own kit Following on from her initial comment, Mangold expands that in the quest to control budget more, some estates are asking SIs for quotes to only do the labour of installing equipment they have bought. It goes further, with some even asking for a more ’dissected’ quote so the customer can compare the equipment, installation and maintenance costs as separate items, which doesn’t really work for SIs offering a complete solution. In addition, in these scenarios the clients may opt for cheaper products which may not meet the standards the SI requires. Monk makes the point that Stallion would probably walk away from deals where clients want them to provide their IP to install a system and make it work, and possibly take on remote monitoring as well, since the question of liability and responsibility becomes complex. Who is responsible for the warranty on the equipment in a case like this? If an SI is going to propose a contract that includes maintenance and replacement of kit, they need to know the product they supply will match their expectations. If a client wants to use cheaper or less reliable brands, the costing and labour required over the contract termwould be a risk. Get security involved at the start While on the topic of IP, Loubser agrees with Monk’s views and says it is an industry-wide issue everyone has to deal with. He also notes that security IP (or simply experience) is something developers of estates should bring in at the design phase. He has found that many estates and complexes cut corners and/or don’t pay much attention to the security portion of the development, using the cheapest materials and brands, etc. In some cases he has even seen guardhouses that have doors that open out onto the street. These issues become costly when they are noticed or when a more experienced company takes over the security contract. They can easily be avoided by including security experts in the design phase, ensuring these environments have a decent level of security at the start that won’t cause Continued on page 16
16 Residential Security Handbook 2022: Smart Living www.securitysa.com problems or huge cost increases as soon as the builders are offsite. Mangold agrees that developers are concerned with costs and selling their houses or apartments at a profit. They therefore often install the bare essentials in terms of security while claiming it’s ‘state of the art’. When an experienced security provider takes over the contract, the estate in question is expecting a ‘shoestring budget’ but is often shocked at what it will require to get its security solutions up to scratch in terms of a high-tech, secure environment. Offsite means IoT and data collation The question of whether control rooms should be offsite or onsite is still a matter of preference and budget, but Penhaligon sees more people opting for an offsite component as more IoT devices (for facilities management or fire alarms, as an example) are included in the data collected. The offsite environments have the capacity to not only collect this data, but also to analyse and collate it into actionable intelligence for security and operational requirements of an estate – and the broader community. He does note that there is usually some form of onsite control room in any case; the scope of the onsite facility would vary according to each estate’s requirements, but an offsite facility is more common today. This is also linked to the higher reliance on event monitoring (or black screen monitoring), where technology catches anomalies and pops it onto the screen of an operator instead of having people watching screens for hours on end. Monk agrees that offsite monitoring facilities are undergoing a shift into data collection facilities for IoT devices (without losing the video monitoring aspect). The ability and skills to collect and analyse data to deliver valuable information is a growing requirement among clients, although different industries are moving at different speeds in this regard. Areas, demographics and clients differ, and each has different SOP requirements and risks; the collation and dissemination of crime intelligence and accurate data is therefore of critical importance. Offsite monitoring facilities need to be geared to deliver these service levels and information. Dealing with more data, as well as the ability to rely on operators with higher skill levels, is also driving the move to offsite monitoring (whether event-driven or SOP-driven), adds Loubser. Offsite monitoring is not a ‘cheap’ option, but it is cheaper as it avoids the human resource costs of training and maintaining an onsite operator crew. Mangold believes intelligence is a critical assistant to security service providers and their customers. Data collection in control rooms forms part of this, which includes social media trawling as well as the traditional information gathering exercises (talking to people), and analysing it all acts as an early warning system. To varying degrees, this is part of every company’s modus operandi. Information on civil unrest and strikes, for example, can help to reduce the impact of the chaos South Africa saw only a year ago. This intelligence is another reason to avoid the ‘knock and drop’ suppliers, says Evans – they do not have the ability or reach to collect valuable intelligence, which is critical for effective, proactive security solutions, especially when it comes to planning and provisioning for major events. Onsite, but above Drones were mentioned earlier in this article, and they are becoming a key element of security services. Loubser states that drones are a critical component of Fidelity’s services since, if there is a breach on a perimeter, for example, a drone can be dispatched immediately to find the perpetrators and track them. He says far fewer would-be criminals are getting away now that drones are being deployed in some areas. However, the precinct concept also comes into play here. Due to the cost of drones and the legislation around how and when they can be used, and by whom, it’s not a cheap option for the provider or the customer. Sharing the services between estates in a precinct is just as effective since drones don’t have traffic to deal with and the costs are then shared, making it more affordable. Loubser says it is definitely effective and a worthwhile addition to a security service. Penhaligon echoes Loubser and says Bidvest Protea Coin is also seeing communities collaborating to have drone services available to them to keep costs down and improve the effectiveness of the ’camera in the sky’. Following criminals not only leads to more being caught, but also allows the company to learn more about how the criminals operate, which adds to the information used for risk mitigation. Of course, automated drone patrols are still some way off in the future because of the legislation in South Africa, but Penhaligon says he expects the ‘autonomous drone’ to become legal and quite a popular option in the future. It seems that the future of estate security will see many more of the larger companies, which can provide complete solutions covering more than just security, dominating the field. There are always jobs for the smaller players, but to harness the integration of technologies and people requires a significant investment in skills and technology, combined with experience. One threat that the industry has to face is unregistered companies that hire illegal immigrants, pay in cash and do basically anything to offer a cheaper (and illegal) service. The regulator seems unable to curb this abuse so it will be up to the customers to make sure they hire registered companies with registered employees who receive the appropriate pay and benefits. This is one scenario where a winwin deal really benefits everyone. For more information contact: • Bidvest Protea Coin, +27 12 665 8000, [email protected], www.proteacoin.co.za. • Fidelity Services Group, [email protected], www.fidelity-services.com / www.adt.co.za • G4S Secure Solutions SA, +27 10 001 4500, [email protected], www.g4s.co.za • Stallion Security, +27 11 533 8888, [email protected], www.stallion.co.za Continued from page 15 INTEGRATED SECURITY & RISK
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