Industry News

Industry News At A Glance

We cast our eye over the main stories impacting the security industry. Here's what's appeared on the radar since the last issue.

French medics need bodyguards for 300 metre commute after spike in violent attacks 04 April Paris, France

A PARIS hospital has resorted to hiring bodyguards to escort healthcare workers to their cars and the train station after work due to a spike in attempted muggings and attacks during the coronavirus outbreak.

The capital’s iconic station is just 300 meters from the hospital, yet employees do not feel safe enough to make the journey on foot alone between the hours of 6pm and 10pm.

France has 59,105 confirmed cases of the virus and 5,387 deaths have been reported. The epidemic has given way to a surge in violent incidents against hospital workers.

One hospital nurse told local media: “It’s true that we are often approached for money and things like that. “We don’t feel safe.”

A bodyguard recently hired by the hospital said he took pride in his work to protect those treating patients during the nationwide coronavirus outbreak.

He said: "They do not come to work to go through this kind of thing after a hard shift. "It's a pleasure for us to help others while they work to help the sick."

A second nurse said: "I think it's kind of reassuring to have somebody with us.”

One person who claims to live near the hospital said the neighbourhood has quickly descended into a place of chaos and has fallen under the control of drug dealers.

The coronavirus outbreak has put the country’s health system under significant pressure and overwhelmed hospitals in the Paris and eastern regions.

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Security Officers at Higher Risk of Death from COVID-19, Statistics Find 11 May London, UK

Male security guards working in the United Kingdom are at significant risk of dying from COVID-19, according to the U.K. Office for National Statistics (ONS).

“Men working as security guards had one of the highest rates, with 45.7 deaths per 100,000,” the ONS said on Monday. “Compared with the rate among people of the same sex and age in England and Wales, men working in the lowest skilled occupations had the highest rate of death involving COVID-19, with 21.4 deaths per 100,000 males.”

Family Dollar security guard killed after denying entry to woman without mask 05 May Detroit, MI, US

Police were hunting on Monday for two men accused of killing Munerlyn because they felt he "disrespected" the women by insisting Teague's daughter wear a mask in the store as required by executive orders designed to combat the spread of COVID-19.

"From all indications, Mr. Munerlyn was simply doing his job in upholding the governor's executive order related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the safety of store employees and customers," Leyton said.

"There is surveillance video that confirms the altercation," Leyton said. The video shows Sharmel Teague leave the store in a red GMC Envoy and return about 20 minutes later with two men, Larry Teague — her husband — and Bishop, her son.

ONS figures from 5 May adjusted the coronavirus-related death toll in the United Kingdom to 32,313—signalling the serious possibility that the United Kingdom could end the pandemic as the worst-hit country in Europe. Source >

"Witnesses on the scene said they saw two black males enter the store wearing dark clothing," Leyton said. "One of them started yelling at Mr. Munerlyn about disrespecting his wife. The other black male walks up and shoots Mr. Munerlyn. ... Witnesses identified Bishop as the shooter."

When police arrived, they found Munerlyn lying in the store, bleeding from a gunshot wound in the head. Munerlyn, a married father of six who also had three stepchildren, was taken to the Hurley Medical Center in Flint, where he was pronounced dead.

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Document reveals Secret Service has 11 current virus cases 08 May Washington, DC, US

Multiple members of the U.S. Secret Service have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to Department of Homeland Security documents reviewed by Yahoo News.

In March, the Secret Service, which is responsible for the protection of President Trump and other leaders, acknowledged that a single employee tested positive in March. However the problem is currently far more widespread, with 11 active cases at the agency as of Thursday evening, according to a daily report compiled by the DHS. This report comes as a pair of cases among White House staffers close to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have put the West Wing’s coronavirus security procedures in the spotlight.

According to the DHS document, along with the 11 active cases there are 23 members of the Secret Service who have recovered from COVID-19 and an additional 60 employees who are self-quarantining.

No details have been provided about which members of the Secret Service are infected or if any have recently been on detail with the president or vice president.

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Licence-linked qualifications postponed 13 May London, UK

In a further example of how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting public policy, the UK regulator the Security Industry Authority (SIA) says that it has decided to postpone the introduction of new licence-linked qualifications.

The SIA – whose head offices in Canary Wharf in London Docklands are shut, meaning that staffers are working from home – says that it has spoken to industry, exam awarding bodies, and training providers who have outlined their difficulties during the pandemic.

Hence the SIA says that its September 2020 launch date for the new qualifications is unachievable.

The regulator has set a revised target date of April 2021. As background, the SIA has worked on this subject for a couple of years, having consulted the sector. The regulator’s motive was to see whether its competency requirements for qualifying to apply for an SIA badge were ‘fit-for-purpose’, to quote Tony Holyland, the SIA’s head of quality and standards, pictured speaking at SIA’s March ‘skills summit’ in London in March.

EMINEM CONFRONTS HOME INTRUDER WHILE BODYGUARDS SLEEP 30 APRIL DETROIT, MI, US

Eminem came face-to-face with a home intruder who slipped past his own security -- which was sound asleep -- and the guy made it into his living room.

Police sources, as well as sources connected to Em, tell TMZ ... the break-in went down earlier this month at around 4 AM at Em's Detroit-area home in a gated community.

According to law enforcement... the suspect, 26-year-old Matthew David Hughes, used a paving stone to smash a kitchen window and climbed inside the house.

We're told an alarm went off and it woke Eminem. Em got up and found the intruder in his living room. The intruder was detained and the guards came a-runnin' and grabbed the guy.

Police were called and rushed to the home ... Hughes was taken into custody and booked on charges of first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of a building -- both felonies.

It didn't appear the intruder was trying to steal anything ... seems he wanted a faceto-face with Em.

Hughes is still being held on a $50k bond at the Macomb County Jail.

After posting the story the source later clarified that when they said security was "sleeping" they meant figuratively. We're told his security team was on the front of the property, and the intruder snuck through the back.

Celebrity bodyguard Matt Fiddes' world record attempt on hold after breaking hand 24 April Devon, UK

Matt Fiddes, who was once the bodyguard to stars including Michael Jackson, was hoping to host a virtual online Martial Arts session in an attempt to break a world record but Devon’s celebrity bodyguard has instead broken his hand.

Matt Fiddes, who was once the bodyguard to stars including Michael Jackson, was hoping to host a virtual online Martial Arts session, and break the record for the largest of its kind ever held.

He had hoped the record would inspire everyone to stay positive and use their time wisely during isolation by raising funds to help key workers and the hardworking NHS staff.

Matt Fiddes, a world leading Martial Artist was aiming to host the 30 minute class on May 2 from his Devon HQ with children and families coming together from the UK, USA, and even as far as Australia to highlight the work the NHS and health workers are doing.

Posting on Instagram, Mr Fiddes said: “Sadly we have to postpone our world record attempt and fundraiser for the NHS.

Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Global Cyber Security Market 11 May Dublin, Ireland

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“I was training in the garden on a ‘beat me up Bob’ trying to stay in shape while in lockdown. Instead ‘Bob beat me up’. “For now, I just need to keep it in place and take painkillers until the COVID-19 virus is well out the way and hope it fuses back in some way, as it looks rather odd. “Thanks for your support and money raised via GoFund me for the NHS will be refunded back to you. I will keep you posted.”.

The global cyber security market is forecast to grow at a slower average rate of 6.2% per year to 2023 due to the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

The cybersecurity market grew strongly to 2019 due to strong underlying factors including the continued cyber threat and changing attitudes to risk driven by a combination of regulation and improved awareness. Additionally, the growing global economy provided the capital for organisations to invest in new digital processes and the security needed to improve resilience. However, there will be consequences on cybersecurity budgets and reduced expenditure in 2020 even though cybersecurity has evolved significantly since the last recession in 2009. Today, regulation mandates tighter controls on data and privacy, approaches to risk have evolved in digital enterprises, and business models are transitioning to cloud-based or managed services. As a result, security has become an increasingly strategic issue and enterprises are less able to dispense with it when cost-cutting.

Nevertheless, enterprises will struggle with cash flow and budget freezes in 2020 and project postponements are likely to be widespread, delaying investment in new cybersecurity projects.