From a sleeping bag, a granola bar and a pair of binoculars to over 400 suspects in 60 seconds.

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From a sleeping bag, a granola bar and a pair of binoculars – to over 400 suspects in less than a minute. How one police department utilizes video surveillance to increase arrests, protect its officers and save time – lots of time!

You may have seen this video recently… it’s gone viral in the last few days.

The video is actually from 2018, but it does serve as a reference on how one department in Connecticut would spend days on top of a roof with a sleeping bag, granola bars and a set of binoculars in surveillance of drug houses in their neighborhoods. The dedicated and brave officers would put themselves in harms way to get any intelligence they could on these suspected locations. Once they had their observations complete, they would have to wait for safe extraction from the location as to not break their cover or get harmed in the process of leaving their post.

Sgt. Johnmichael O’Hare explains in the video link that what used to take him thirty-two (32) man hours now takes him less than 1 minute! It’s safer for the officer and can point out details an officer might overlook such as additional houses in the neighborhood tied to the drug house, as seen in the video.

Since 2018 the city of Hartford Connecticut has gone area-wide with BriefCam and Milestone.

So what benefits does this platform give municipalities and police forces?

BriefCam and Milestone SurveillanceOne of our local captains related, “It’s a force multiplier. One officer can run the entire system. This system will help with officer shortages.”

Other benefits of BriefCam and Milestone?

  1. Dramatically accelerates investigations
  2. Gives real-time situational awareness
  3. Real-time alerting – like having an officer watch video 24/7 (without the officer)
  4. Manage crowds in real-time
  5. Real-time License Plate Recognition and alerting
  6. Traffic optimization
  7. Real-time health management

Kenton Brothers Systems for Security is proud to represent BriefCam and Milestone and can help your organization explore this solution. Give us a call today!

WOW! Avigilon FIPS 140-2 certification in its H5A commercial camera line!

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers

With hackers and subversives becoming more technically advanced, it is critical to national and local security to stay one step ahead.

One of Kenton Brothers System for Security trusted partners recently announced that their new line of commercial IP video surveillance cameras is FIPS 140-2 certified! What this means is that the H5A camera line now meets or exceeds Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS).

The FIPS Standard

This standard requires that all information, including images and camera information, be encrypted to a minimum standard as it is being transported, processed or stored. This encrypted information can only be unlocked with a specific cryptographic key. So, if you don’t have the specific key, the images or information look like random ones and zeros, making no sense to a hacker that is trying to gain access to your system.

Of course, this is wonderful news as Avigilon has extended the encryption all the way out to the commercial security camera. If someone was able to gain access to a camera feed, it would still be useless to them. This is a WOW! for high security sites such as Federal Government, Municipal Government, Corrections Departments, Financial Institutions and the list goes on and on.

This coupled with the fact that Avigilon is manufactured in North America and is TAA and section 889 compliant, makes it an easy go to for any federal, state or local agency.

Next Generation Video Analytics

Avigilon H5A Camera LineIn addition to this high security update, the Avigilon H5A camera line also features next-generation video analytics technology.

The H5A line leverages the latest in AI-powered video analytics to detect and persistently track more objects – whether stationary or moving – with greater accuracy even in crowded scenes, detect unusual activity in a scene autonomously and apply facial recognition technology to alert off of face watch list matches. These advanced capabilities help provide detailed information on what is happening on your site so you can detect potentially critical security events faster and take responsive action, all while keeping the images and data secure.

The H5A line features unique object detection and self-learning video analytics, both of which allow clients to detect, confirm, and respond more quickly to incidents. These advances combine to create a smarter, more reliable CCTV system that utilizes the most powerful, intelligent technologies to ensure the safety of your people, property, and possessions.

We are very excited about this technology advancement!

Here are a few of the other highlights from the H5A Video Surveillance lineup:

  • The H5A line has camera image sensors with resolutions ranging from 2MP to and AMAZING 61MP and a few with 10K HD option
  • The camera line comes with a 5-year warranty standard
  • FIPS 140-2 CERTIFIED CRYPTOGRAPHY
    Enables the camera to be deployed at sites requiring FIPS-compliant cryptograph
  • NEXT-GENERATION VIDEO ANALYTICS
    Expanded object classifications and more accurate detection in crowded scenes so you can detect faster
  • Once mounted and aimed, the cameras zoom level can be adjusted and image can be focused remotely
  • LIGHTCATCHER™ TECHNOLOGY on board
    Offers exceptional detail in areas with low lighting
  • AUDIO CAPABILITIES
    Available ports for external audio including sirens, microphones and/or loudspeakers for audio talk-down situations

Want to learn more? Please schedule a demo with us today!

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SAMS Recap: 27th Annual Kansas Sheriffs Administration Management Seminar

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Kansas Sherriff Badge

By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

Thank you to the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association for a great outing in Topeka this week at the 27th Annual Sheriffs’ Administration and Management Seminar (SAMS).

Everyone was happy to be with their peers and share camaraderie. We appreciate our partnership with Gallagher Security. They create solutions that make law enforcement and jail administrator’s lives easier and more efficient! Brinton Hallum, our detention specialist, works with the jail administrators and sheriffs to create a seamless solution that makes the correctional officers happy for many reasons.

Gallagher Logo

27th SAMS EventThe new solution begins with a card access control system by Gallagher. This system is tied to a custom programmable logic controller for general jail control, including lighting and water control. We also implement a Milestone commercial video surveillance system with Axis cameras and intercoms for verbal communication. All systems operate over the detention centers network.

Please check out the solution we installed for Sheriff Murphy in Allen County, Kansas.

Special thanks to Alex Wojcik from Gallagher for lending his support and expertise at the event!

For more information send the problem solvers at Kenton Brothers a note or call 888-536-8661.

Cannabis Focused Vertical Enterprises Opens in St. Joseph, Missouri

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers

How the KB Advantage™ helped save the day.

Vertical EnterprisesAs the Missouri Cannabis market hits full throttle, many of the early adopters are coming on line. Kenton Brothers Systems for Security is honored to be partnered with Vertical Enterprises, led by CEO Chris McHugh. Vertical Enterprises grows and manufactures Grade A flower and extracts in St Joseph Missouri.

Vertical’s state of the art facility employs the most current technology to insure purity and yield. We are most impressed by Vertical’s attention to detail when it come to the high standards they’ve brought to the Missouri Cannabis industry.

McHugh said they will provide patients the best quality indoor marijuana grown without the energy ravenous methods traditionally used for growing indoor marijuana.

Instead of using high-pressure sodium lights and retrofitting a warehouse with 30’ tall ceilings that have to be climate controlled, our facility will be 100 percent purpose-built and LED. We care about marijuana, but we also care about the planet we live on.

Vertical EnterprisesKenton Brothers Systems for Security partnered with Vertical to create a holistic security plan for the grow site as well as the dispensary locations. The goal was to keep the same attention to detail and quality as seen throughout the Vertical platform. Vertical recognized Kenton Brothers’ quality of installation and the process we take to create solutions that are not only highly secure but take into account the regulations and oversight required by the State of Missouri.

Kenton Brothers would design and integrate Access Control, IP Video Surveillance and Intrusion Detection into the Vertical Manufacturing and Grow site as well as the Dispensaries.

Kenton Brothers selected Gallagher Access control, a worldwide leader in Cannabis Security, and Milestone X Protect Digital Video Management System as the basis for the security solution. Based on Vertical’s feedback and high standards, we knew this would be the best fit for their needs.

With this solution comes the ability to manage multiple locations through one administrator and allow the State of Missouri the oversight it has regulated into the industry. It has the capability to tie into power and environmental sensors as well as track key personnel certifications and clearances thereby automating checks and balances in the spaces.

Explosion proof?

Explosion Proof CameraOne of the unique situations that came up during the integration phase was an unforeseen requirement placed on Vertical by the State to have cameras installed in an extraction booth. The unique thing about this requirement was that the cameras had to be explosion proof as the extractor uses a combustible gas as part of the process.

For this to happen, two explosion proof cameras had to be installed with only two weeks left for final inspection. Chris McHugh called Kenton Brothers and asked, “What do we need to do to make it happen?” Our answer was, “We are on it.” We needed to make some calls fast because these cameras usually take six to eight weeks to receive.

Through Kenton Brothers relationships, we were able to find two cameras and mounts that met the criteria of explosion proof on a shelf in Chicago. They had been ordered for a project that was cancelled and were available immediately. The cameras and mounts were installed in time for final inspection.

The KB Advantage™

Vertical EnterprisesKenton Brothers utilizes the KB Advantage™ process to walk customers such as Vertical Enterprises through the systems for security Integration process by taking the time to clearly understand their needs, creating the right solution and then creating the plan for installation and training. This allows us the time, energy and attitude to manage the surprises in every project.  In this case we are able to leverage our nationwide relationships to solve our customers problem in record speed.

It is a lot of fun to see projects of this size and scope come to fruition and to see our customers realize their goal of creating a world class manufacturing facility.

We love what we do at Kenton Brothers.

Our Mission is to protect People, Property and Possessions. Our Project manager Eric Searcy and our foreman Jeremy Shinneman asked that we share the following images as a testament to their craftmanship. They did a fantastic job delivering the KB Advantage™.

Vertical Enterprises Vertical Enterprises

Vertical Enterprises Vertical Enterprises

Vertical Enterprises Vertical Enterprises

The Convergence of Cyber and Physical Security: Best Practices for Your Security Systems.

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By David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers

Convergence of Cyber and Physical SecurityYou see it in the headlines all the time. “ABC” Company was hacked today. The extent of the breach is still undetermined. They have begun notifying customers that have been compromised. In just the last year alone, hacks of banking and financial institutions are up 238%. Forbes magazine reports that on one day in 2020 there was over 2,500 attacks.

One of the most common attacks facing companies is a DDoS attack.

Plainly speaking, this is where you overwhelm a firewall by flooding it with thousands of attacks until the server can’t keep up anymore. This kind of attack is very effective even against the largest most secure networks in the world. In 2017, Google was attacked for over 6 months and Amazon Web Services for three straight days in 2020.

What we are seeing in these attacks in that IP video Surveillance, heating and air conditioning controls, routers and other IoT devices (Internet of Things) are being taken over and used to send these DDoS attacks. This is done by a Mirai Bot. A Mirai Bot (server) scans the internet and looks for these devices that have not changed their default password. It then logs into those devices and takes them over. So yes, your security camera can be taken over and used to hack your system or another system connected to the internet – Especially if you don’t take the time to change the default password.

These attacks don’t just show up in the private sector. In February of 2021, a Florida Water Treatment plant was attacked by a coordinated effort using remote access credentials that were shared between employees.

One thing is for sure, hackers will continue to adapt their attacks to be more successful, you must adapt your preventative measures to effectively defend your systems.

Convergence of Cyber and Physical SecurityHere are some tips for defending your systems:

Control what you can control. The majority of network security breaches are due to human error, negligence, misconfiguration and poor maintenance.

  1. Always change the manufacturer’s default password on any security device (or any other device for that matter) connected to your network. Require all vendors to do the same.
  2. Always stay up-to-date on your current system OS (operating system). This sounds basic, but over 58% of systems running today do not have current updates applied. Every commercial IP video surveillance camera is a small PC. Be sure to update manufacturer’s firmware as soon as it’s published.
  3. Do not share common company passwords and never post them on the internet for easy access.
  4. Turn off the discoverability feature once your security devices are installed.
  5. Periodically (quarterly), cull the IoT devices that are no longer necessary. Get them off the network as they become easier to exploit the longer they exist on the network without updates.
  6. Remove old employee log ins and passwords as a part of your exit interview process.
  7. Conduct quarterly penetration testing. Ask someone to try to utilize what they know about your system to break in.
  8. Attend manufacturer or vendor partner training. Stay up to speed on the most current best practices and firmware updates.
  9. When interviewing integrators and manufacturers ask about their cybersecurity hardening techniques.

When it comes to the convergence of Cyber and Physical Security, it’s important to remember that they’re often one in the same. Every device on your network, whether it be an access control door, IP video surveillance camera or an intrusion detection panel, must be hardened against attack. Don’t be an easy target!

Additional resources:

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency