Security Focus Africa August 2019 by Contact Publications

www.securityfocusafrica.com | Vol 37 No 8 August 2019 The official industry journal for professional risk practitioners: security, safety, health, environment and quality assurance

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Security Focus Africa: Serving the South African security industry for 37 years

Contents

Vol 37 No 8 August 2019

14 Special Features Cover Story

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14 Alarms and intruder detection technology in 2019 “Today’s customers require integrated solutions with both indoor and outdoor intrusion detection, video or photo verification, fire detection and water leakage prevention. Smart home is also driving growth in this market with remote control of home appliances, lighting and climate control, along with features such as automation, remote maintenance, CCTV and access control,” says Valentine Hrytsenko, chief marketing officer for Ajax Systems. Cloud technology and smartphone penetration have boosted reaction speeds enormously, too, which he sees as another major advancement for the industry.

Script Technologies, a division of the 12 Safety and security at hotels in Gauteng Script Holdings Group, is a multifaceted company which specialises in addresssing Hotels are trusted by travellers the world over to keep them safe – but are the niche technology needs of modernthey delivering on their security promise? Following on from the findings day markets. Specialising mainly in of a study conducted in South Africa in 2016 to assess key security telecommunications and high-end requirements and challenges in Gauteng hotels, Nomsa Cebekhulu, surveillance systems, Script Technologies Lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Security Science, School provides both hardware and software of Criminal Justice, College of Law, UNISA, has released the findings in development. this report.

22 20 2

Security Focus africa August 2019

securityfocusafrica.com

Official Journal of the Security Association of South Africa

Published by Contact Publications (Pty) Ltd (Reg No. 1981/011920/07)

Vol 37 No 8

Tel: (031) 764 6977 | Fax: 086 762 1867 Publisher: Godfrey King | gk@contactpub.co.za

Managing director: Malcolm King | malcolm@contactpub.co.za

Regulars editor’s Comment 4 Farewell our mentor and inspiration Godfrey King.

ASSOCIATION NEWS 5 The benefits of being a SASA member.

Home security 6 A conversation about home security.

News in brief 8 News snippets from around the world.

PHISHING NEWS 11 Sextortion. Control Rooms 18 Security control room video walls: The choice between LED, LCD and DLP.

Dog Training 20 Leading crime-fighting through research.

Home Security 21 80% of house robberies result from informants.

Company Profile 22 The Mobi-Claw911 success story. Company News 24 Hennie Lategan joins Centurion as head of exports. 24 Regal recognises and celebrates women in the electronics security industry 25 Hikvision helps ensure the success of the African Union Summit. 26 New tactical crime fighting force hits KZN highway area.

Editor: Ingrid Olivier | ingrid@securityfocusafrica.com

On The Market 27 Pelco Introduces Sarix Professional Series 3 Fixed IP Cameras. 28 IDEMIA and RHB introduce Motion Code Credit Card. 28 AI-supported object classification in new Dallmeier Camera Series 5000.

Technology Update 29 Revolutionising security strategies and outcomes with AI.

Technology Update 30 How AIoT enables a smarter

production & design editor: Hayley Mendelow | hayley@contactpub.co.za

Junior graphic designer: Elrisha du Plooy | elrisha@contactpub.co.za

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie Goosen | jackie@contactpub.co.za

Head Office physical address: Suite 1, Fields Shopping Centre, Old Main Road, Kloof 3610

Postal address: PO Box 414, Kloof 3640, South Africa

Publication details: Security Focus Africa has 12 issues a year and is published monthly, with the annual Buyers’ Guide in December.

future.

Industry Opinion 32 Dashcams useful for so much more than just social media LOLs.

Case Study 33 Ensuring rider safety with intelligent video analytics.

cybersecurity 34 Cryptojacking: ‘compute to cash’ rises.

State Capture 35 Bold criminal justice reforms are needed to uncapture SA.

Law and Security 37 Estina Dairy Report and

Paarl Media KZN, 52 Mahogany Road, Westmead www.paarlmedia.co.za

Subscription rates: Annual subscription for magazine posted in Republic of South Africa is R650 including VAT and postage. Subscription rates for addresses outside South Africa can be obtained on application to the Subscription Department, Box 414, Kloof 3640.

Editorial contributions: Editorial contributions are welcome. For details please email editorial@securityfocusafrica.co.za.

Security Focus Africa is a member of

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38 Index of Advertisers 39 Calendar 40 Directory www.securityfocusafrica.com

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Security Focus africa August 2019

editors comment

Farewell our mentor and inspiration Godfrey King “To have, to hold and then to part, is the greatest sorrow of the human heart.”

odfrey King, founder and publisher of Contact Publications, passed away on Friday 23 August 2019 after battling with ill health since the beginning of the year. A leading voice in both South Africa’s private security and events industries, Godfrey founded the group in 1980. I remember the first time I met Godfrey, who was also fondly referred to as GK by staff and colleagues. He had a quiet calm presence that was apparent the moment he walked into the boardroom. It was in the early 2000s, and he’d asked me to come and see him with a view to writing articles for Security Focus Africa. That was the beginning of our long working relationship, one which taught me so much and which I will always value. Wise and well informed, he was a man of integrity and dignity, whose passing will leave a void in so many lives. Rest in peace, GK, knowing that you really made difference. For some reason, it’s the nature of human beings to focus on doom and gloom. We do it driving, around the braai, at work, at home. So political and trend analyst Professor JP Landman’s article (http://www. jplandman.co.za/Home/Read/540) was a breath of fresh air. In it, he addresses the widely held belief that nothing’s being done to bring the corrupt to book. Referring to an article he wrote in April 2019, saying he expected 2020 to be the year of prosecutions in South Africa, he says that the bad guys ARE losing. He goes on to list those who have already toppled from their positions of power and those whose futures are now in the balance. These include the former and acting heads of the Hawks along with two captains and a warrant officer, various mayors, councillors and civil servants from a host of municipalities, Tom Moyane, Jonas

Makwakwa and Mmamathe MakhekheMokhuane and three other “high-rankers” from SARS, some of the top brass in the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority), and a multitude of SAPS (South African Police Service) personnel. Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and Matshela Koko have been ousted from Eskom, and hundreds of Eskom managers and other employees are under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit. Hlaudi Motsoeneng is out of the SABC, as are three of his “henchmen”. The PIC (Public Investment Corporation), SAA (South African Airways) and Denel all have new boards, and Transnet has shed some of its executives and suspended others. Cabinet, too, has waved goodbye to eight ministers and five government departments.

The good news While I’m not advocating turning a blind eye to what’s wrong in the country, I am inspired by the many positives happening in South Africa today at all levels. From time to time, BizNews founder Alec Hogg says he asks his friend Alan KnottCraig, chairman of Herotel, for reasons to be positive about South Africa. In his latest response, Alan says: “In South Africa you can make a difference in other people’s lives.” According to an article in The Daily Maverick by Chris Yelland, investigative editor at EE Publishers, Eskom CEO Jabu Mabuza presented a turnaround plan to the Eskom Executive Forum on 22 August. The plan, writes Chris, is “based on a combination of debt relief and debt restructuring, electricity price increases, better collection of arrear debt, cost-cutting initiatives, restructuring the business and improved plant performance and security of supply.” Fin24’s article (https://www.fin24. com/Economy/gordhan-over-r21bn-

Editorial Policy Statements made or opinions expressed in articles in Security Focus Africa do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Security Association of South Africa (SASA) nor those of any of the other security associations listed in Security Focus Africa. Similarly, advertising in this publication does not imply in any way endorsement or approval by these security associations of any products or services. It is the policy of the Security Association of South Africa that any office-bearer who has an executive position in a company, or companies, which supply security products or services should on no account allow his position to be used to promote his company or its objectives in the editorial content of Security Focus Africa, the official journal of the Association. If, at any time, an office-bearer’s position has been quoted in relation to his company or product, this does not imply the Association’s approval or involvement.

Security Focus africa August 2019

recovered-in-overcoming-the-rot-of-statecapture-20190821, says that according to Public Enterprises Minster Pravin Gordhan, the country has recovered “more than R2.1 billion lost through contracts awarded irregularly to entities doing business with state-owned enterprises”. At grass roots level, there are so many positive initiatives, too. These include the largely elderly women-based New Horizon and Vukusebenza Neighbourhood Watches, which are patrolling some of the Western Cape’s most dangerous areas. Nine-yearold Rocco da Silva, one of the winners of the 2019 PET Recycling Company (PETCO) awards, formed his “The Future Kids Club” to get the youngsters in his community involved in cleaning up the beach. Over the last 14 months, says PETCO, his club has collected more than 950 kg of rubbish. Rhino Tears is supporting the fight against rhino poaching by donating R15 from every bottle sold to the cause. Retail investment company TFG’s SewGood training programme is bringing warmth and skills creation to thousands of under-privileged people. The Lake Farm Centre in Port Elizabeth, a home for intellectually disabled adults, has started recycling plastic bags and crocheting them into sleeping mats for the homeless. And the list goes on. In her “Editor’s note: What is left to be positive about in SA? , IOL’s Adri Senekal De Wet says recent data published by StatsSA “points to a slow but sure recovery of the South African economy,” with mining and manufacturing production and retail sales all up, and inflation down. “A financial depression is not just going to cure itself,” she says, adding (and I love this part) “South Africans have shown time and again that we have what it takes to get things done. We have the attitude when it counts. Now is when it counts.” Just saying…

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Association News

SASA UPDATE

The benefits of being a SASA member Nationally recognised by the government, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the country’s municipalities, SASA offers its members a host of benefits. The benefits of being a member include: • A Code of Ethics, by which members must abide • Discounted rates on training courses related to the security sector • Branch seminars and events at reduced rates • Industry representation at major local and international industry exhibitions • Contacts and networking opportunities with other security practitioners • Access to a comprehensive security library managed by UNISA • Updates from and links to government bodies to keep members informed of all proposed legislation and relevant statutes pertaining to the industry • Access to related bodies in South Africa and overseas affiliated associations to ensure the continuity of knowledge around the latest security developments • PR, media and marketing opportunities and exposure • Full access to the SASA national website

• Access to a central administration office, a personal contact with all members where you are a name and not a number • Free subscription to Security Focus Africa magazine, the official journal of SASA

Honorary life membership awarded to Costa Diavastos Costa Diavastos, National President of SASA (Security Association of South Africa), has been awarded Honorary Life Membership, the Association’s highest honour. The award recognises his contribution to both SASA and the private security industry as a whole, says SASA National Administrator Tony Botes. Mr Diavastos has played a major role as the leader of the employer team during industry wage negotiations. He has also been instrumental in concluding a Negotiation Framework Agreement (NFA) with the more than 20 trade unions active in the private security industry sector, which sets out the rules of engagement.

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• Representation at national and local government level • SASA has also recently launched a mentorship programme designed to guide and assist start-up security companies to attain the compliance standards required to qualify for the coveted Gold membership

Go for gold… A benchmark in the private security industry, SASA Gold Membership is the industry’s ultimate stamp of approval, granted only to compliant companies.

If you need any further information, please contact SASA: Office: 0861 100 680 Email: info@sasecurity.co.za The full SASA membership list is available at www.sasecurity.co.za

Security Focus africa August 2019

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Focus africa August 2019 Centurion | New Castle | Pietermaritzburg | Piet Retief |Security Lagos

news in brief

News snippets from around the world State capture to PIC: Judicial inquiries have cost SA almost R300 million so far

The four inquiries into allegations of wrongdoing within various arms of the state in the last two years have cost R297.1m so far. (Source: fin24.com)

Lt-Gen Jula said hot spots and problem areas in the province had been identified and would be targeted throughout the duration of the operation. Speaking at the launch, the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the government had declared war against crime, adding that the culture of lawlessness and impunity must an end. (Source: iol.co.za)

Ramaphosa appoints new head of domestic intelligence branch

500 cops deployed to hit crime hot spots

More than 500 police officers have been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal’s hot spots as part of a plan to combat crime in the province. The operation was launched by the newly appointed provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula. The justice, crime prevention and security cluster identified focus areas (including) crimes against women and children, trio crimes, taxi violence, police killings, illegal immigration, and theft and corruption.

Advocate Mahlodi Sam Muofhe has been appointed as the new head of the domestic branch of the State Security Agency (SSA). Muofhe, an activist lawyer and former adviser to ex-mining minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi, has been appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa with the concurrence of State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo. His appointment is in line with Ramaphosa’s announcement at his February State of the Nation Address to re-establish the two arms of the intelligence service – one focusing on domestic and the other on foreign intelligence. (Source: Mandy Wiener for news24.co.za)

When and where most vehicle crime occurs in SA Tracker Vehicle Crime Index reports an alarming increase in hostage taking during

Keeping Your Guard Up 8

Security Focus africa August 2019

hijackings. Most vehicle hijackings take place on a Friday between 11am and 1pm, and there has been a notable increase in hostage taking during hijackings. These are the findings of vehicle crime statistics for the period July 2018 to June 2019 released by Tracker. The statistics, from the company’s 1.1-million installed vehicle base, cover vehicle theft and hijacking, and provide insight into the time of day and day of the week when vehicle crime is most likely to occur in SA. (Source: businesslive.co.za)

New projects to help keep tourists safe from crime in South Africa

The Department of Tourism says it is working on a number of projects to ensure the safety of tourists in South Africa. In a statement, the department said that crime directed at tourists creates a negative perception and reputation about the country, and in turn impacts both the

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news in brief

visitor experience and visitor numbers. “Despite the few isolated incidents which paint South Africa negatively, our country remains a preferred destination for weddings, honeymooners, lifestyle, music and cultural events as well as filming industry with most of these drawing significant numbers of female travellers,” it said. The department said that it would: • Identify and analyse key tourism hotspots; • Establish a database of crime against tourists; • Enhance crime prevention initiatives; • Ensure the joint implementation of an optimised policing and security strategy in the tourism environment. (Source: businesstech.co.za)

Police take down multimillion-rand drug labs in Gauteng, Mpumalanga

Johannesburg which are, according to MTN, the worst hit areas by crime syndicates. General manager for network operations at MTN SA, Ernest Paul, said: “Cell tower battery theft and vandalism has been an ongoing issue but, lately, MTN has seen a drastic increase in this. “Recent data shows MTN had batteries stolen from 733 sites across the country in April 2019, with 1 127 batteries stolen in May, 884 batteries stolen in June and 903 batteries stolen in July. Compared to last year, which saw 596 batteries stolen in May and 764 batteries stolen in June, the problem is growing. This is a national problem affecting all mobile networks. The current hotspots are now moving toward KwaZulu-Natal, it would seem. However, proactive operations are in place to counter the impact.” (Source: citizen.co.za)

More than 1 000 arrested since army boots hit the ground in Cape Town: Bheki Cele

Police say they have taken down two multimillion-rand drug labs in Mpumalanga and Gauteng. “During an intelligence-driven multidisciplinary integrated operation, our teams simultaneously swooped on premises in Diepkloof (Soweto) in the Gauteng province and Middleburg in Mpumalanga province, where they uncovered large clandestine mandrax manufacturing operations taking place,” spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement. (Source: News24 / City Press)

Crime syndicates steal mobile service providers blind

MTN has announced its decision to shut down 53 of its cell phone towers in Gauteng due to the drastic increase in vandalism and theft of batteries. The majority of the towers in question are located in Tshwane and

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Police minister Bheki Cele says that more than 1 000 suspects have been arrested since the army was deployed to crimeridden parts of Cape Town. The crime and killings peaked on the weekend of May 31 – June 2 when 73 murders were recorded, he said. The army was deployed in midJuly. Since the military rolled into some of the affected areas, 1 004 suspects were arrested, 806 wanted suspects were traced and arrested, 45 firearms were confiscated along with 1 036 rounds of ammunition and an assortment of drugs and illegal substances, said Cele. He said 20 gang members were now on trial in the province and that troops were likely to remain on the ground for three months, emphasising that the intervention was temporary. “That’s not an ideal world, sending soldiers into communities, but communities welcome them,” he said. “The presence of soldiers can’t be a permanent solution. We are preparing for a time when the police can take over.” (Source: sowetanlive.co.za)

Fake goods worth R15m confiscated in Joburg CBD, more raids expected

A joint operation by the police and Johannesburg Metro Police Department has led to the recovery of R15m worth of counterfeit clothing in the Johannesburg CBD. The raid was conducted in the same area where police and JMPD officers were attacked on August 1 by a group of foreign nationals who pelted them with stones and other objects. The officers were later praised by the government for retreating and avoiding a “bloodbath”. On August 7, about 1 500 officers joined by Police Minister Bheki Cele and Gauteng Premier David Makhura raided the same area, which resulted in more than 600 foreign nationals being detained. The police brought in trucks to load the recovered goods, which included counterfeit items. Five vehicles that contained counterfeit goods were confiscated as well as automatic rifles, pistols and handguns. During the raid, seven police officers were arrested on charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice after they were caught allegedly trying to sell confiscated goods back to illegal traders. (Source: news24.com)

Lying on your CV – the new law that could land you in jail

The new National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act 2019, recently signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, means prospective students or job seekers could face up to five years in jail for misrepresenting their qualifications. (Source: fin24.com)

Security Focus africa August 2019

news in brief Arson suspected after St Francis Bay blaze

Eastern Cape police are probing a case of suspected arson following a devastating fire that gutted at least 13 homes in St Francis Bay recently. Police said they were looking for two men who were believed to have been calming bees with smoke when the fire broke out. (Source: sowetanlive.co.za)

Surge in violent crime in Barcelona prompts calls for legal reform

How London’s knife crime epidemic is putting terrified tourists off the capital’s hotspots

Victoria abolishes public drunkenness as a crime ahead of death in custody inquest Visitors are becoming more scared of venturing to Britain’s capital amid constant reports of violent bloodshed, TripAdvisor forums reveal. And statistics from VisitBritain show the number of overseas travellers who came to London between January and March this year dropped by 5.3 per cent, compared to the number who arrived in 2017. (Source: thesun.co.uk)

80 people charged in worldwide romance scam that defrauded $6 million from elderly women

The Catalan government has called for tougher penalties for violent crimes after a surge in knife attacks and violent robberies in Barcelona. Miquel Buch, the regional interior minister, said the law needed to be changed after it emerged that 90 per cent of those charged with violence in recent months had been released on bail. Though Barcelona has long been notorious for its pickpockets and bag snatchers, these incidents seldom involved violence. However, police officials say there have been 5 331 violent street robberies so far this year, a 30 per cent increase on 2018. Shopkeepers have also reported a sharp rise in violent robberies. Knives have been used in at least 100 crimes, including robbery, fights and homicide, although police say they have not confiscated more knives than usual. (Source: the guardian.com)

direct payments that funnel money back to themselves. The Federal Trade Commission has said scams that prey on vulnerable people cost Americans more money than any other fraud reported to the agency last year. More than 21 000 people were conned into sending $143 million in such schemes in 2018 alone, it reported.

Australia’s Victorian government has announced a plan to abolish the crime of public drunkenness ahead of an inquest into the death in custody of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, who was arrested on the summary charge. (Source: theguardian.com)

Twitter, Facebook accuse China of using fake accounts to undermine Hong Kong protests

US prosecutors have charged 80 people (mostly Nigeria) in a widespread conspiracy that defrauded at least $6 million from businesses and vulnerable elderly women. Of those, 17 people have been arrested in the US so far and federal investigators are trying to track down the rest in Nigeria and other nations. “We believe this is one of the largest cases of its kind in US history,” US Attorney Nick Hanna said. The scams were not just limited to romance, Hanna said. They included business schemes where fraudsters hack escrow company email systems, impersonate employees and

Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc have said that they had dismantled a state-backed social media campaign originating in mainland China that sought to undermine protests in Hong Kong. (Source: reuters.com)

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Phishing news

Sextortion As cybercrime hits a new low, experts share advice on how to deal with sextortion emails.

am shaking in shock... I have just received a mail from a blackmailer, saying that he has infected my system with Trojan malware, has been tracking me for months and has video footage of me watching porn. I need to pay him $500 dollars or he puts the video online.” “All nonsense, of course, but still very distressing. There is something so cold and predatory about this mail. What do I do? Who do I report this to? Should I engage him on the address he has given and beg and plead with him to give me more time to get the money together, so that I can create a trail for the cops? Do the cops even care? If this has happened to anyone else, I would love to know what they did. I receive thousands of spam mails, but this is the first one that threatened blackmail, and it was rather nasty.” This was the panicked response from a colleague of mine, who had just received a sextortion email, a particularly vindictive form of cybercrime that’s making the rounds.

What is sextortion? According to a press release by Cofense Labs, a global intelligent phishing defense solutions provider, sextortion is an emailbased scam that relies on emotion-driven motivators such as fear and urgency to extort a ransom payment in return for the scammer’s commitment not to leak sensitive information. Sextortion is an increasingly pervasive threat, says Cofense, which, on 5 August 2019, published a database of over 200 million compromised accounts being targeted by a large sextortion scam to ensure potential victims and their employers could address the threat of sextortion and prevent lost wages and productivity, says it has analysed more than seven million email addresses impacted by sextortion in the first half of 2019 alone. It has also assessed that more than $1.5M in payments were made to bitcoin wallets associated with sextortion campaigns this year. Poor password hygiene including infrequent changes and reuse across

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multiple sites, add further credibility to sextortion threats, says the company. In June 2019, Cofense says it discovered a ‘for rent’ botnet that was being used primarily to send sextortion emails. “This botnet is not infecting computers to acquire new data sets – it is a true “spray and pray” attack reusing credentials culled from past data breaches to fuel legitimacy and panic through sextortion scams,” says Aaron Higbee, Cofenseco founder and CTO. “If your email address is found in a target list used by the botnet, it’s highly likely you will receive a sextortion email – if you haven’t already.” Massive sets of email addresses and passwords are making their way to the criminal corners of the Internet as a result of ongoing data breaches around the world, notes Cofense further. The company’s research indicates that the hackers behind this sextortion campaign are recycling old email addresses and passwords, some dating back 10 years, for new monetisation purposes.” “If a sextortion email is received, we do not recommend responding to the email or paying the ransom,” says Mr Higbee. Rather, he recommends employing password managers to keep passwords strong and unique, enabling two-factor authentication

Don’t be alarmed by the threat in the email. Alarm and panic is precisely the reaction the attacker is hoping for with threats of public shaming if you don’t respond. Sextortion emails normally don’t have common phishing elements like a malicious link or attachment. However, if you see either, don’t click. Just delete the message. whenever this is an option for online accounts, and covering all computer cameras when not in use. “Don’t be alarmed by the threat in the email. Alarm and panic is precisely the reaction the attacker is hoping for with threats of public shaming if you don’t respond. Sextortion emails normally don’t have common phishing elements like a malicious link or attachment. “However, if you see either, don’t click. Just delete the message,” recommends Tonia Dudley, Director, Security Solution Advisor at Cofense. Source: https://cofense.com

Security Focus africa August 2019

Unisa special report COLLEGE OF LAW

DEPARTMENTand OF Safety security at hotels in Gauteng

Hotels are trusted by travellers the world over to keep them safe – but are they delivering on their security promise? Following on from the findings of a study conducted in South Africa in 2016 to assess key security requirements and challenges in Gauteng hotels, Nomsa Cebekhulu, Lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Security Science, School of Criminal Justice, College of Law, UNISA, has released the findings in this report.

itled “Safety and security at hotels in Gauteng”, her report contains feedback derived from the security managers of 20 Gauteng-based hotels, in response to the initial question: “What are a hotel’s most important assets and how does one protect them?” The findings were interesting, says Ms Cebekhulu. Seventy five per cent of the managers said that the most important assets of any hotel were its guests and their belongings with twenty five per cent emphasising the importance of guests’ credit card information and valuables. And the threat to guests’ belongings was not limited to outsiders. Insiders such as staff members (both contract and permanent) and other guests were also cited as potential threats, chasing after valuables such as cameras, jewelry, mobile devices such as laptops, cell phones and I-pads, bank cards and handbags containing important documents such as identity cards, drivers’ licences and passports. Another point raised during the interviews was who or what were the real targets? Some respondents suggested that the targets may not be the guests’ belongings but the guests themselves,

Security Focus africa August 2019

perhaps eliciting unwanted attention because of their status in the community. Participant 11 added: “Not only do guests need protection from intruders but also from other guests who check in with hidden, sometimes nasty and vindictive agendas.” Hotels also had to deal with carelessness on the part of guests who left their belongings lying around, making them easy targets for thieves. Participant 9 pointed out that: “Guests’ property would not get lost or be stolen if they used the safety measures provided by the hotels. Safety boxes are provided to safeguard their valuables,” he added, “yet many don’t put their belongings inside them.” This, says Ms Cebekhulu, raised the issue of proof. “What proof do I have that the guest even brought the ‘lost’ item with them to the hotel in the first place?” asked one security manager. “The rule in insurance policies is that someone has to first have an interest in the item that he or she wants to insure. By not putting the item into the provided safe, it shows they did not have an interest in the item. Why, then, must I care about an item that the owner did not care about?”

Another participant went on to say that there were dishonest guests who claimed for items that did not exist in the first place. “Not only does this make it difficult for security specialists to protect hotel guests adequately, but it also has the potential to prejudice other innocent people,” notes Ms Cebekhulu. Participant 9 supported this reasoning, saying: “In most instances, hotel employees are fingered for stealing with little, if any, supporting evidence. The hotel has a duty to conduct proper tests that will either exonerate or prove the employee guilty.” Added participant 11: “Staff members get searched when they leave work, knowing that if they steal from the hotel, they will pay.” Participant 4 had an issue with hotel bosses who put money ahead of security. “Every time we block suspicious people from entering the hotel, as we are trained to do, hotel management accuses us of chasing away business.” Calling it a ‘Catch 22 situation’, respondents said security personnel were often confused by the dual expectations of protecting guests against prospective criminals in an environment that allows these same criminals to book in as guests.

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Unisa special report COLLEGE OF LAW

DEPARTMENT OF

It’s a challenge that all hotels have to deal with: balancing safety and security while remaining hospitable to strangers, notes Ms Cebekhulu. Participants 5, 8 and 19 then suggested that security in some hotels went hand in glove with how deep guests’ pocket were. By way of explanation, they said that hotels were secretive environments in which staff were not allowed to divulge the details of the guests who were staying there. This, they went on to say, was especially true for prestigious guests, celebrities and politicians. “The guests who receive the best protection are those with power and wealth, while other guests are expected to provide their own protection.” Participant 19 said further that some guests felt so vulnerable in the hotel environment that they requested security guards to be stationed outside their doors to provide personal protection for them until they checked out. During the interviews, respondents said staff needed to be seen as important assets, too. “If they are seriously injured or involved in a fatal incident on the hotel’s premises, in transit to or from work, their lives cannot be replaced,” was the general feeling, with participant 5 adding: “Assets as far as the hotel is concerned include computers, equipment and company cars. To me, however, it’s the staff and company information.”

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Participant 13 concurred with this participant, saying: “We look after our staff because unhappy staff result in unhappy guests. Unhappy guests don’t come back, which accordingly means reduced income for the hotel. Negative word-of-mouth from guests plays an important role in potential guests’ choice of hotel, so it’s not something to be treated lightly.” Still on the subject of staff, some of the managers voiced concern over female employees, saying they were the most vulnerable individuals and accordingly needed more protection than their male counterparts. A hotel environment caters to strangers, both guests and non-guests who come into the bars or restaurants, to visit other guests or to scout around for nefarious reasons. This puts female staff at risk of sexual harassment, assault, human trafficking, kidnapping and even fatal attacks, they commented. The protection of credit card information was another concern. Paying by credit card was essentially a cash payment, they said, unlike a cheque payment that would take days to clear. Ms Cebekhulu, whose work experience includes 10 years in various banking institutions’ credit card divisions, says stolen or lost credit cards can go through on a merchant’s EFT machine without hassle

when the merchant’s floor limit is above the credit limit of the guest’s credit card. “Every merchant or hotel contracted-in as a credit card merchant is supplied with a floor limit depending on the size of the hotel (3, 4 or 5 star). When the floor limit of a participating hotel is more than the client’s credit card limit, the transaction will go through. It’s one of the loopholes of credit card merchant banks.” It can be concluded that the guests, guests’ belongings, hotel facilities, hotel personnel and the hotel assets should be protected at all times. Information of guests and hotels also needs to be protected because, if it is not protected, it can make either guests or hotels vulnerable to some risk. In summary, says Ms Cebekhulu, hotels have a responsibility to ensure that their security systems are relevant and effective. This goes beyond providing safety boxes for guest’s valuables and controlling hotel stock such as towels, linen, bath robes and irons – hotels need to ensure that their guests and staff are safe, too. Department of Criminology and Security Science School of Criminal Justice College of Law University of South Africa www.unisa.ac.za

Security Focus africa August 2019

Special Feature

Alarms and intruder detection technology

in 2019

The global alarm monitoring market, expected by some experts to be worth more than $60 billion by 2024, is being driven by demand from tech-savvy consumers buying into multi-functional, cloud-based, self-monitoring technology. The challenge, though, is to be able to separate the good from the bad, where equipment failure could well mean loss of life.

“T

oday’s customers require integrated solutions with both indoor and outdoor intrusion detection, video or photo verification, fire detection and water leakage prevention. Smart home is also driving growth in this market with remote control of home appliances, lighting and climate control, along with features such as automation, remote maintenance, CCTV and access control,” says Valentine Hrytsenko, chief marketing officer for Ajax Systems. Cloud technology and smartphone penetration have boosted reaction speeds enormously, too, which he sees as another major advancement for the industry. Ruaan Fourie, intrusion product manager for Regal Distributors South

Security Focus africa August 2019

Africa, says alarm technology has moved into a new realm that now includes wireless outdoor volumetric detectors with solar technologies at higher mounting heights which includes technologies in combination such as passive infrared (PIR), anti-masking, anti-cloak, and microwave. Smart home automation systems with video verification which includes instant security light activation on perimeter alarm events are also key features of the world’s leading systems. For Mr Fourie, today’s best alarm systems should have five layers: perimeter wall detection, volumetric boundary wall detection, indoor detection, video verification and automated security

lighting. Aside from preventing criminals from getting inside, a good alarm system should also ideally offer additional facets such as access control, fire detection, medical alert notification, smart automation and video verification, he believes. Layering in tandem in a single system is the way to go for not only homes, but business and industrial premises, too, he continues. Aside from the above musthaves, he suggests businesses include an access control component, too. Marius Du Preez, Business Development Manager for Dahua Technology South Africa, concurs. A proponent of video verification as well as outdoor motion sensors, he says two-

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“Personally, I think more needs to be done to protect the consumer and to keep installation standards at a professional level.” Marius Du Preez, Dahua Technology South Africa’s business development manager – Gauteng.

way communication and automation are also big talking points around modern alarm systems, as are video snapshots to cell phones. Blue Security spokesperson Darren Lategan says they’re seeing a distinct shift from traditional alarm systems to smart alarm systems which can be remotely controlled using a smartphone app. “Smart home alarm systems are the best option for homeowners to secure their properties with external and internal intruder detection systems. Quality CCTV surveillance cameras linked to smart alarm systems have also become popular for domestic use. Homeowners can now also use their home alarm systems to remotely control the lighting, heating and temperatures of their homes,” he says. Access control is another function of state-of-the-art systems, allowing for the remote opening of gates and doors, no matter where in the world people are. Then there are today’s highly advanced cameras, for two-way verbal and visual communication and increasingly popular with parents for monitoring children and their caregivers at home.

South Africa’s threat landscape South Africa recorded more than 20 000 murders, 228 094 burglaries and 22 261 robberies at residential premises, 20 047 robberies and 71 195 burglaries at non-residential premises, and 138 364 robberies with aggravating circumstances during 2018 as reported by Stats SA. A country beset by crime and with an underperforming police force to add to its woes, its citizens have no choice but to invest in their own security if they are to avoid becoming next year’s statistics.

The best and the rest The starting point for any security system is in the immediate neighbourhood, says

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Mr Lategan. “It’s vital to ensure that the community is adequately protected at street level with CCTV surveillance cameras and even Automated Number Plate Recognition Cameras (ANPR), which capture images of the number plates of vehicles driving through an area and then automatically check the SAPS (South African Police Service) database of stolen, hijacked and wanted vehicles. If the number plate matches that of a vehicle on the database, a high alert notification is circulated to police and security firm networks, enabling a swift response to the scene.” Smart alarm systems, which are becoming the go-to security solution for business premises as well as homes, have the added advantage of being able to control lights, air-conditioners, heating and the temperatures of fridges and freezers, he notes further. These systems also generate regular automated reports for auditing purposes, thereby removing the risk of manual intervention. Fire detectors are also commonly installed as part of the security system, as are quality CCTV surveillance cameras for both intruder detection and staff monitoring.

More than one communication channel According to Mr Hrytsenko, reliable alarm systems need to use several channels, both to communicate with the outside world and for the transmission of alarms to the user and the security company. These would include GSM, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. “Alarm systems equipped with a single communication channel are unreliable as they can stop functioning for any number of reasons,” he explains. “Your data balance on your SIM card account can run out; there could be a failure on your provider’s side, or the alarm system could be sabotaged.” Second-rate systems are relatively easy to sabotage, he warns, either by jamming the GSM frequencies (if a SIM card is used alone) or cutting the Ethernet cable (if only a wired Internet connection is used). When a security system has several communication channels, one is used as the main channel and the others as backups. This, he says, makes for a high level of reliability since a simultaneous failure of several channels is far less likely to occur, and, in the event of a natural failure, the system will continue to function normally. The more communication channels a

system uses, the higher the chances of it being able to inform the user and the security company of the threat in a timely manner. The channels must also be of different types, he continues. “Even if several GSM modules are installed in the control panel, if there are no other communication channels, you will, in reality, still only have one channel. And if the GSM frequencies are jammed, the system will be cut off from the outside world.” Something else to consider is the length of time a system takes to switch between communication channels. With cheap alarm systems, says Hrytsenko, the process can take “dozens of minutes”. “Meanwhile, an apartment robbery rarely lasts more than 5 to 10 minutes.”

Cloud servers As a rule, says Mr Hrytsenko, the cloud server represents a link between the control panel and the management application. “It enables the user to control all aspects of the equipment’s functionality via the Internet, even if the user is located a thousand kilometers away from the facility. In addition, the server sends informative push notifications about system events and alarms.” In professional systems, he adds, cloud servers monitor connectivity by polling the control panel. “The higher the polling frequency, the faster the server will be able

“Today’s customers require integrated solutions with both indoor and outdoor intrusion detection, video or photo verification, fire detection and water leakage prevention. Smart home is also driving growth in this market with remote control of home appliances, lighting and climate control, along with features such as automation, remote maintenance, CCTV and access control.” Valentine Hrytsenko, chief marketing officer for Ajax Systems

Security Focus africa August 2019

Special Feature

Alarm technology has moved into a new realm that now includes wireless outdoor volumetric detectors with solar technologies at higher mounting heights which includes technologies in combination such as passive infra-red (PIR), anti-masking, anti-cloak, and microwave. ” Ruaan Fourie, Intrusion Product Manager for Regal Distributors South Africa

to detect problems and warn the users and the security company.” Professional systems tend to operate at frequencies of 868 MHz and they use a frequency band rather than a single fixed frequency for communication between the control panel and the detectors, he continues. “This enables the system to change the operating frequency

Security Focus africa August 2019

automatically in case of accidental or intentional interference, a technology known as frequency hopping.”

Why not Wi-Fi? Despite its ubiquitous use throughout every industry in the world today, Wi-Fi is not suitable for communication between security devices, says Mr Hrytsenko. He explains: “In apartment buildings and offices, Wi-Fi frequencies (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are usually noise-contaminated and overloaded with devices such as computers, smartphones and home appliances. This leads to ‘domestic jamming’ or data loss during transmission. If the network equipment (routers and repeaters) is involved in the data transmission over Wi-Fi, the stability of its operation determines the operability of the security system. Wi-Fi has a relatively small communication range amounting to approximately 150 metres without obstacles.” Though it’s possible to reduce restrictions through the deployment of a multi-component network at the facility, each new unit reduces the reliability of the security system, he warns.

IP or wireless? A strong supporter of IP security technology, Mr Fourie is, however, quick to point out the rapid progress of wireless 2-way technology which he says is becoming increasingly smarter in terms of circumventing deliberate RFjamming. Adds Mr Hrytsenko: “Wireless technology has made huge strides in terms of reliability, with connection losses now in the past.”

Unilateral versus bilateral communication Communication between devices may be unilateral or bilateral, according to Mr Hrytsenko. Unilateral communication sees detectors communicating alarms and system events to the control panel, while the control panel does not communicate with the detectors. “If the device fails due to sabotage or equipment failure, or the connection is interrupted, the control panel will not be aware of the situation, he points out. “Both the user and the security company will then not be informed of the security breach.” In security systems with two-sided connection, the control panel and the

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Special Feature

detectors exchange information, he clarifies. “The detector keeps transmitting the alarm until the control panel confirms its reception. There is no risk of losing the data during a short interruption of connection, and further, the control panel can change device settings and poll the devices to check the connection and the statuses. The reliability level of such a system is several-fold higher than a unilateral one.”

Data encryption In the murky world of data fraud, it’s critical that data transmitted between the detectors and the control panel is encrypted, says Mr Hrytsenko, both to protect it from fraud and to prevent the overriding of equipment. “The more primitive the encryption, the easier it is to hack the system and gain access to its administration. For example, cracking a 128-bit AES encryption would take years, while an alarm system with old or primitive encryption can be accessed with a code grabber (a device for intercepting signals between a security system and a controlling device such as a key fob or a keyboard) within minutes.” Rather than using standard algorithms and solutions, Mr Hrytsenko recommends proprietary solutions that prevent systems from being disarmed with key fobs or the like.

Loopholes and problems In an industry which he believes needs more effective policing, Mr Fourie’s main concerns are incorrectly installed or commissioned systems, poor equipment placement and system design and

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inappropriate technology. For Mr Du Preez, it’s poor battery life, false alarms, poor animal detection capability and no video verification. Poor policing is also a serious concern for him. “Personally, I think more needs to be done to protect the consumer and to keep installation standards at a professional level.” The main problems encountered by Mr Lategan are consumers skimping on installation costs and failing to install critical elements such as infrared detectors inside roofs. Fly-by-night operators are another headache. Mr Lategan says they not only have a negative impact on the security industry as a whole but also place consumers at risk. Consumers, too, are sometimes swayed by price, he adds, and do not always check company credentials, which could have serious consequences if a certain level of competence isn’t met. He says reputable companies are inevitably members of SAIDSA (South African Intruder Detection Services Association), a self-regulating association of service providers of security systems, ranging from basic alarms to sophisticated electronic intruder detection systems and CCTV, and incorporating signal monitoring as well as the provision of armed reaction services. The desire to save money can lead to a lot of problems, says Mr Hrytsenko. Second-rate systems often have detectors that are prone to false alarms or that fail to respond to real threats. “They may stop functioning suddenly and the system will not warn you of the malfunction. Or it may be that the radio communication

range is barely enough to cover the premises, so the connection is constantly interrupted. Sometimes the app fails to work properly. The property and the lives of the people on it are then completely unprotected from attack by intruders.” Finally, before it gets to the consumer, Mr Hrytsenko believes that every piece of security equipment should have to pass a number of stringent tests in real-life conditions such as houses, offices and apartments. These tests need to include resistance to climatic and mechanical interference and external electromagnetic fields, quality of radio communication, proneness to external influences and false triggers, and the ability to detect threats correctly.

“Smart home alarm systems are the best option for homeowners to secure their properties with external and internal intruder detection systems. Quality CCTV surveillance cameras linked to smart alarm systems have also become popular for domestic use. Homeowners can now also use their home alarm systems to remotely control the lighting, heating and temperatures of their homes,” Blue Security spokesperson Darren Lategan

Security Focus africa August 2019

Control rooms

Security control room video walls:

The choice between LED, LCD and DLP Control room video technology is on the move!

ccording to Dr Hennie Barnard of EEU Taltronics, modern 24/7 command and control rooms are steadily moving away from standalone, thick bezel LCD screens of various sizes to large-scale video walls. He explains: “Initially video walls were ‘created’ by front projection. Then, in the 1990s, DLP (digital light processing) cubes, which were developed by Texas Instruments, became the new normal.” DLP wasn’t challenged by other technologies, according to Dr Barnard, until LCD (liquid crystal displays) became bigger and their bezels narrower. In 2010, 42”-55” LCDs with ultra-narrow bezels came onto the market and started competing with DLP as the technology of choice for video walls. Most recently, a third technology in the form of LED (light emitting diodes) walls entered the marketplace. It’s not to be confused with DLP cubes, which use LEDs as light sources, or LCD displays with LED backlights, says Dr Barnard, adding: “When asked what my personal

Security Focus africa August 2019

technology choice for the video walls of security control rooms would be, my answer is that I appreciate the continued advances of these technologies. “However, preventable eye fatigue due to excessive brightness, the amount of LED units required to obtain full HD resolution and solutions that are super-economical with regard to power consumption, remain critically important for all in South Africa. Until these are addressed, DLP will be the way to go.” Here’s why...

Installation Although the height and width of a video wall is the same for all three technologies, DLPs have a deeper footprint than LEDs or LCDs, thus requiring more floor space.

Screen gaps/bezels LED display technology as well as DLP allow for virtually no visible screen gaps and deliver a seamless image, compared to LCD displays which have bezel thicknesses ranging between 0.8mm and 5.7mm.

Dr Hennie Barnard of EEU Taltronics.

Lifetime High-quality LED displays from reputable companies such as Mitsubishi Electric (MBE) have a service life of some 100 000 hours. That equates to over 11 years in a 24/7 operation and is approximately double the 50 000 – 60 000 hours service life of LCD display walls. The latest DLP products from MBE have an expected lifetime of 130 000 hours.

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Control rooms

and DLP display wall systems. The latter accommodates straight and concave installations, but not convex.

South Africa, LED video walls still consume too much energy when measured against its competitors.

Redundancy

Resolution

This is comparable among the technologies. The light sources (LED clusters) and input signals to DLPs are redundant, but not the power supplies. LEDs make use of redundant power supplies and dual input signals, while a few manufacturers of LCDs give you the option of separate, redundant power supplies for LCD panels.

Most control room owners require full HD resolution of the displays. DLP cubes come in sizes ranging from 50-80”, each cube’s resolution varying from XGA to full HD. LCD screens, typically 55”, also support full HD. However, for an LED video wall to obtain full HD, 18 x 28”, units in an array of 6 x 3 are required. This means that the screen size to obtain full HD is 2.88m x 1.6m for a 1.5mm pixel pitch.

Maintenance

Image retention One of the biggest drawbacks of LCD display walls is burn-in or image retention, which restricts it to 22/7 use instead of 24/7 use. Advanced LED walls equipped with sophisticated electronic circuits that counter unwanted image retention and standard DLP systems are warranted against image retention when used 24/7.

Flexibility Flexibility in installation of LED display walls allows for curvature or even corner designs, which sets it above both LCD

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Options for front and rear access allow for quick maintenance of both LED units and DLP cubes. Maintenance access for LCD screens is, however, restricted to the front only. This is important in instances where you cannot afford for maintenance technicians to obscure parts of the video wall while they are working.

Brightness and power consumption For a long time, power consumption, along with excessive brightness, kept LED technology out of most 24/7 control rooms. Newer LED technologies are now addressing these issues to a point, although not sufficiently in Dr Barnard’s opinion because, in an energy-challenged country such as

Associated cost of ownership The cost of an LED video wall is roughly 3,5 times higher than that of an LCD wall. A DLP video wall costs 3 times that of an LCD video wall. An LCD wall on price only is therefore the cheapest option. An LED unit’s lifetime is roughly twice that of an LCD. A DLP cube’s lifetime is roughly 2,6 times that of an LCD. The LED is therefore the most expensive to own, followed by DLP, while the cheapest is LCD.

Conclusion Although it’s clear to see the advances made by LED technology in terms of surpassing LCD display, there isn’t clear evidence that LED conquers the economical, reliable DLP as yet.

Security Focus africa August 2019

Dog training

Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy

Leading crime-fighting through research Based in South Africa, Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy is an internationally acclaimed supplier of purpose-trained dogs to governments, security companies and private sector clients throughout the world.

ounded in 1987 by its MD John Greyvenstein Snr, Braveheart offers a range of specialised services that include the training of dogs and handlers to the highest qualifications (DH5). The company also sells accredited K9 dogs for explosives and narcotics detection, and develops and supplies training aids for the detection of illegal substances. Braveheart ’s training aids enjoy the highest success rates, the result of ongoing research and development in the company’s state-of-the art laboratory. “One cannot over-emphasise the potential for destruction from explosives and narcotics today,” says Mr Greyvenstein. “They threaten the safety and security of countries and have a devastating effect on human life.”

Braveheart bio-based strips Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy specialises in training handlers and dogs on its Braveheart Bio-Strips, the latest in its stable of crime-fighting successes. It also makes the technology available to laboratories in other countries. Braveheart Bio-Strips are used to detect explosives such as TNT, PETN, RDX, nitrocellulose propellants, ammonium nitrate and sulphur. They are also used in the detection of narcotics including

Security Focus africa August 2019

cocaine, heroin, MDMA, methaqualone, cannabis, methamphetamine, methcathinone and combination drugs such as nyaope and whoonga.

What sets Braveheart’s training aids apart There are huge differences between conventional training aids and Braveheart’s products, explains Mr Greyvenstein, who holds a BSc (Zoology) (Hons) and an MSc in Genetics. “Many training facilities use pseudo odours to train detection dogs, which in real-life cannot be defined. Research has shown that pseudo odours deviate significantly from pure odours. The result is that the success rate of dogs trained on pseudo odours is very low as well as statistically significantly inaccurate.” At Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy, he continues, the focus is on communicating authentic odours to dogs using relevant substances that don’t have any competing additives. “Our products are research-based and highly scientific, using technology that deposits pure odour molecules onto Braveheart Bio-Strip training aids. It’s a major breakthrough in training aids for substance detection dogs – and it avoids potentially dangerous side effects for both handler and dog.”

Containing a small amount of the vapor of a target substance, dangerous materials like explosives and narcotics are “tamed” in a process that he says adheres strictly to the requirements of the Chief Inspector of Explosives and the Medicines Control Board. He notes further: “The aids are not dangerous to either trainer or dog, and cannot be abused by anybody. With proper precautions they can also easily be protected against contamination, and securely stored.” Braveheart’s training aids come with handling and non-contaminating techniques, training material, smell sensors and smell tubes. It’s this attention to science and to detail that sets Braveheart apart. “Our products are checked and updated on a continuous basis so that they allow the dogs to be 100 per cent efficient.” “It is widely agreed that sniffer dogs have the most acute and sensitive sense of smell of all domestic animals. With its millions of olfactory cells, the nose of a well-trained sniffer dog can detect odours at levels of one in one trillion!” “The technological breakthroughs achieved by Braveheart Bio-Dog Academy have propelled substance detection by dog and handler teams squarely into the 21st Century,” says Mr Greyvenstein. “

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Home security

80% of house robberies result from informants In 2016, UNISA’s School of Criminal Justice conducted research into understanding and preventing house robbery in South Africa.

ased on in-depth interviews with convicted robbers they found that a staggering 8 out of 10 residential robberies are committed using information from domestic workers, gardeners and former employees. Charnel Hattingh, national marketing and communications manager at Fidelity ADT, says this is particularly worrying as residents usually view their domestic staff as a home’s first line of defense and they play a critical role in security. “Homeowners need to be aware of the importance of vetting all staff very carefully. We recommend you use a specialist placement consultancy who can do the necessary background checks,” she says. Although the survey is almost 3 years old now, a number of the findings are still relevant: • Robbers will monitor the home for as long as two weeks. • Most attacks occur between 19:00 and midnight as people are relaxed, sleeping, cooking or watching TV and the security systems and beams are not activated. Robberies can continue until 04:00. • 97 per cent of robbers are armed. • On average, an armed robbery gang has four members. • The average age of a house robber is 19 to 26 years of age. • An average of 30 per cent of all house robbers have either committed murder or won’t hesitate to commit murder and of all arrested robbers, 90 per cent had no matric qualification or were unemployed. “In our experience we have found that

security measures like electric fences, detection beams and closed circuit television (CCTV) are still key deterrents to crime, as are pets. She says small dogs that sleep inside the house are seen as a deterrent. How secure your neighbourhood is, is also a meaningful factor. If robbers are scouting carefully they will view regular patrol and a strong neighborhood watch system as a good reason to move on,” she says. “It is equally important that domestic staff always keep security gates on doors locked – they may not hear an intruder over the noise of the vacuum or know that someone has entered the house while they are in the backyard. The alarm system must always be

armed when they leave the house; even if it is only for a few minutes.” “The bottom line is you always need to remain vigilant. Act as if you are being watched and take all necessary precautions. Your security starts with having the correct domestic and gardening employees who are well vetted and au fait with your security protocols, to having the right security measures around your home; to living in a community that supports and has good security protocols,” she concludes.

97%

of robbers are armed.

“The bottom line is you always need to remain vigilant. Act as if you are being watched and take all necessary precautions.”

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Security Focus africa August 2019

Company profile

The Mobi-Claw911

success story

Mobi-Claw911 was not born overnight. It was the result of four and a half years of planning by its CEO Mike Myers, in response to an armed robbery in his own home.

Security Focus africa August 2019

riginally intended to be just a crime fighting solution, MobiClaw911 quickly expanded to include a medical emergency component, which today represents more than 80 per cent of its alerts. Mobi-Claw911 officially opened on 1 February 2016. “We dreaded the first time a client pushed that button in case the system didn’t work,” Mike recalls. “But when the first call came through, from Nicola Meeding who heads up one of the Cowies Hill Neighbourhood Watches, the response was bang on the button! “The third time we received an activation was for a robbery and assault on the highway next to the Pavilion Shopping Centre, which led to our first arrest.” The challenge wasn’t the technology, says Mike. “It was putting the network together so that when someone pushed their panic button, the system would cope with an effective response.” From humble beginnings, with 84 clients paying R45 a month, Mobi-Claw911 has become a huge success story, looking after thousands of people throughout South Africa. Passionate about fighting crime and saving lives, Mike joined the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) when he was eighteen. He spent five years with the police, during which he became a detective. His mentor was the late warrant officer Koos van Zyl, a seasoned detective who took Mike under his wing, and tought him everything he needed to know.

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Company profile

Mike then applied for a post at the Sandton Housebreaking Unit, the first specialised housebreaking unit to be established in South Africa and spent his last year in security police. “It was a time of great turmoil for the country,” he recalls. Then came the heart-breaking event that was to change Mike’s life and career. “One night, as a favour, I offered to drive some new recruits back to their barracks. This is one of the saddest nights of my life. We had an accident with a motorcycle and the young girl on the back of the motorbike died in my arms as I held her.” In those days there were no cell phones, so he ran to a nearby restaurant to call the accident in. The restaurant belonged to a family friend, who subsequently encouraged Mike to enter the industry. Mike spent the next 30 years in a very rewarding restaurant career before an incident in 2012 changed everything. “We had a house robbery or home invasion,” he explains. Good friends with his neighbour Andre Laatz, who at the time was with the Scorpions (later the Hawks), they got together that same evening with other concerned residents and decided to start a Neighbourhood Watch in their street. That gave birth to the Dawncliffe Community Watch. It was this that rekindled Mike’s passion for policing, with the result that he was elected as Chairman of the Community Police Forum. “During this time, I became extremely frustrated that people didn’t know what to do in a major emergency. They either didn’t have time to react, or they relied solely on their Whatsapp groups, or they put all their eggs in one basket with their armed response companies,” he says. “Hardly any of them thought of calling the police in an emergency, and if you mentioned the word police to them their first reaction was inevitably “What are the police going to do about it?” That annoyed Mike, who says there are many good policemen in the SAPS. “Unfortunately, they are tarnished by the few bad apples, with the result that everyone generalises and says all policemen are like that,” he says. This got him thinking. “My first thought was that the fight against crime had to change. It had to become a multidisciplined approach rather than a one dimensional one that relied solely on

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From humble beginnings, with 84 clients paying R45 a month, Mobi-Claw911 has become a huge success story, looking after thousands of people throughout South Africa. people’s armed response companies. The criminal had evolved, using technology, armed to the hilt and coming in numbers, so we needed to step up the game.” His second thought was that the solution lay in technology, particularly smart phones and app development. Mike approached fellow Neighbourhood Watch member and friend Paul Stone with his idea and asked him if he wanted to get involved. Mike chose to approach Paul not only as a friend but because of his previous specialised military experience. Paul didn’t hesitate and so Mobi-Claw911 was born. As they spread their wings throughout South Africa, they broadened their network with the SAPS and the security industry. This was how they met emergency medical response role players such as Derrick Banks, who was at the time with ER24. Impressed with what they were doing and how effective their system was, he introduced Mike and Paul to the ER24 head office. This led to the launch of Mobi-Claw911’s premium ambulance plan which covers clients for stabilisation and transportation across the country, along with a host of other benefits.

It certainly hasn’t been an easy road, says Mike, and there have been lots of bumps and hairpin bends. “Our biggest challenge was engaging with the security industry, especially the large corporates, to try and convince them to work together with us. Even today, some still see us as a threat, which we are not.” Well on the way to achieving their goal of creating an effective security and medical co-op for people throughout the country, Mike credits the technology as well as the people. “Personally, I want to thank all those security operators who have kept an open mind and embraced what we do,” he says. “It’s about the safety of the client at the end of the day, and we need to work together if we are going to make an impact.” He adds: “At the age of 50 I decided to follow my passion and haven’t regretted one day. Times may have been tough and there are still tough times ahead, but I have loved every minute and wouldn’t change it for anything. “From my heart, a huge thanks to all of you in the emergency services that have partnered with us and believed in us – you are the real heroes. “Thank you, too, to the MOBI-CLAW911 team: Paul Stone, Teresa Davie and Ruth Edwards Prinsloo, and to Mark Ogilvie and Adriaan Bekker in the control room. And thank you to all my friends and family who supported me despite probably believing that I was absolutely crazy at the age of 50 to be making such a huge career change!”

From left to right: Paul Stone, Teresa Davie and Mike Myers

Security Focus africa August 2019

company news

Hennie Lategan joins Centurion as head of exports Centurion Systems is pleased to announce the appointment of Hennie Lategan as the head of the company’s exports department. With the support of his team, Mr Lategan will be facilitating and overseeing the company’s growth beyond the borders of South Africa, as well as evaluating market trends and identifying new possibilities for sales.

ennie Lategan, Centurion Systems’ new head of exports. Mr Lategan brings with him almost 20 years’ experience in the fields of sales and business development, and has held high-ranking positions with some of the world’s top brands. In addition, he has lived and worked in five different countries and has successfully collaborated with organisations from diverse cultures, backgrounds and points of view, making him a perfect fit for Centurion’s exports business unit. Mr Lategan describes himself as a “passionate, determined, goal-driven and dynamic person who continually tries to inspire others to achieve optimal results”. The access automation leader, who became part of the multinational FAAC Group in 2016, currently exports to over

seventy countries worldwide, boasting a vast and ever-expanding distribution network spanning most of Africa as well as South America, Australasia and the Middle East. Centurion has been instrumental in introducing access automation to individuals and businesses across the globe, and its innovative and reliable solutions have become a staple of security and access control technology in residential, commercial and industrial environments. About his new role as Centurion’s head of exports, Mr Lategan says, “It’s a real honour for me to be a part of the FAAC Group and to be associated with a South African brand as strong as Centurion. “Centurion’s people, products, and services are of international standard, and our ambition is to remain the market leader and be top-of-mind in the global access control industry”.

Hennie Lategan, Centurion Systems’ new head of exports.

Regal recognises and celebrates women in the electronics security industry

egal Distributors SA, the industry leader supplying access control, alarm systems, CCTV, gate and garage automation, electric fencing and network solution products has embarked on an initiative to recognise, celebrate and encourage women to keep pushing boundaries. In an industry that is male-dominated, women have been making strides in showing their commitment, passion and contribution to the trade. Women managers, business owners, industry experts and influencers each continuously

Security Focus africa August 2019

play an essential role in adding value to product innovation, manufacturing, distribution, training and aftersales support. “Regal has crossed the Rubicon in women empowerment, setting new standards in the industry. The leadership’s vision is to guard the value that women contribute to the development of the company and encourage more women to play an active role in all our operations,” says Kyri Michael, chief operating officer of Regal Distributors SA. As August is Women’s Month, Regal will

dedicate all communication channels to profiling a range of women in the industry who display passion and are resilient as they manage their businesses, run departments and develop solutions that inevitably protect South Africa’s citizens and economic assets. The campaign commenced on 1 August 2019, with 31 exceptional women sharing their views and experiences within the industry. Regal sees this campaign as an opportunity to encourage all women of any age, race or creed to join the industry.

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Company News

Hikvision helps ensure the success of the African Union Summit Hikvision, the world’s leading supplier of innovative security products and solutions, established a complete intelligent video solution to ensure the security of the 33rd African Union (AU) Summit held on 7 July in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

he summit was attended by African heads of state and other government leaders, the AU organisation leadership, officials of the AU Commission and auxiliary organisations, representatives of partner organisations, the diplomatic corps, and invited guests. With the arrival of the summit’s participants, Hikvision provided a customised solution to meet the significant challenges around urban security and traffic management, including front-end cameras,

transmission control displays, storage devices, mobile traffic command devices, central platform software, and more. In order to resolve the traffic congestion issues caused by the many visitors and their vehicles, Hikvision intelligent products were set to alert operators about traffic congestion issues in real-time, allowing them to take immediate action to keep lanes clear and to keep traffic flowing.

Additionally, high-definition cameras were installed at every entrance and exit as well as key areas of the main venue. With clear, real-time imaging, security personnel can discern situations on the spot and respond immediately. Hikvision also provided an Eagle Series industrial-grade drone to keep on standby, ready to provide high-altitude perspectives for the summit security if needed.

New sales manager for Axis Communications Axis Communications, the industry leader in network video, has appointed Brendon Hall as its new sales manager, Africa.

rendon, previously the founder and MD of Pentagon, has joined Axis to direct, develop and support the sales organisation in Africa. Philippe Kubbinga, Axis Regional Director MEA, comments, “This appointment reaffirms our commitment to attracting industry leading talent, developing our partner relationships and delivering the very best service to our customers.” With extensive management and security solutions experience at Pentagon – one of

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the first security distributors to embrace the world of IP video and large Tier 1 Enterprise projects in Africa – Brendon is the perfect leader to drive growth on the continent. “It is an honour to represent a brand like Axis, a fast-growing and entrepreneurial Swedish-based company with a strong company culture, employing over 3,000 people in 50 countries,” says Brendon. “Leading such a dynamic team where company culture and staff well-being is top of mind translates into great customer service, which is one of the key pillars of Axis’s approach to market.” Brendon is excited to support Axis’ loyal customer base and maintain growth targets for Axis in South Africa and Africa. No stranger to adventure sports, Brendon is an avid motorsport enthusiast and

Brendon Hall, sales manager, Africa – Axis Communications.

holds multiple regional titles as well as colours from Motorsport South Africa for achievements on the racetrack. He follows the national Warrior race circuit to keep fit and believes firmly in maintaining a healthy balance between his business and personal life.

Security Focus africa August 2019

Company News

New tactical crime fighting force hits KZN highway area Blue Security has launched a new tactical crime fighting force to ramp up the fight against crime and assist neighbourhood watch groups with proactive policing strategies in the highway area in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

lue Security operations director Brian Jackson said the security firm had taken the decision to invest in additional resources in the neighbourhood by introducing a new team of top security professionals to complement the firm’s strong armed response team on the ground. “We have invested both in human resources and in technology to ramp up proactive policing in the neighbourhood after experiencing success with similar strategic operations in other parts of the city. “We have introduced two new tactical team members who will patrol in vehicles fitted with high tech Automated Number Plate Recognition Cameras (ANPR) to assist our armed response officers, local neighbourhood watch groups and the police with crime prevention strategies,” Mr Jackson said. ANPR cameras capture images of the number plates of vehicles driving through an area and automatically checks the SAPS database of stolen, hijacked and wanted vehicles. If the number plate matches that of a vehicle on the database, a high alert notification is circulated to police and

security firm networks, enabling a swift response to the scene. “The tactical vehicles receive positive vehicle notifications directly from the camera linked database so that the officer can immediately track the suspicious vehicle and investigate together with the police,” he said. Mr Jackson said the new team, which comprises Russel Lawson, tactical community ambassador and Sbu Mchunu, tactical community officer, who recently started their strategic crime fighting operations in the area, have more than 25 years of combined experience in crime fighting. “Our tactical team will ramp up our existing crime prevention operations and also bridge the gap between neighbourhood watch groups, our armed response team and the police to further strengthen the existing crime fighting relationships in the community,” Mr Jackson said. Mr Lawson, who has 12 years of experience in the security industry working both for another security firm and for a vehicle tracking company, said he was looking forward to working closely with

Sbu Mchunu,tactical community officer and Russel Lawson, tactical community ambassador.

Security Focus africa August 2019

the local neighbourhood watch groups and residents. Having grown up with a father who worked as a policeman and in the security industry, Mr Lawson said law enforcement was in his blood, and he jumped at the opportunity to join Blue Security. Mr Lawson has also worked closely with the New Germany Neighbourhood Watch group over the years. Mr Lawson aims to build strong community and policing networks to build a stronger coordinated front to fight crime. “I want to strengthen relationships with both the community and the police while assisting neighbourhood watch groups and networks, so that we can work together with one goal in mind – to eliminate as much crime as possible and to flush out criminals, so that they find it too difficult to operate in the highway area without being caught. “I look forward to making a difference in the fight against crime,” he said. Lawson’s partner, Mr Mchunu, who has worked in the security industry for the past 15 years and has established relationships with police and community networks, is also passionate about crime fighting. He has gained experience working as an armed response officer and as a member on a tactical team for a top security firm where he was involved with strategic crime prevention operations. Mr Mchunu previously worked for Blue Security as an armed response officer and he is delighted to once again be part of the team. He described the firm as “the best security company I have ever worked for,” and said that he is dedicated to achieving its goals to reduce crime in the Highway area. “We are committed to working hard to protect the local community and partnering with neighbourhood watch groups and the police to bring about a big positive change in the crime level here,” Mr Mchunu said.

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On the market

Pelco Introduces Sarix Professional Series 3 Fixed IP Cameras Pelco, Inc., a global leader in intelligent video surveillance solutions, has released the Sarix Professional (Pro) Series 3 Fixed IP cameras.

ffered in mini-dome, bullet, box, and wedge configurations, these IP cameras deliver a balanced set of features and performance at affordable price points that allow for deployment across a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications, including low light and wide dynamic range capabilities with options of 1MP, 2MP, 3MP, and 5MP resolutions. Sarix Pro 3 cameras are ideal for industries such as commercial, government, healthcare, and education that demand a robust set of features, superior performance, and image clarity in an easily installed and maintained camera system. “The Sarix Pro 3 IP Camera Series solves real security video challenges in a broad range of industries by providing more security detail in challenging scenes with excellent low light and wide dynamic range performance,” said Kevin Saldanha, Principal Product Manager. “In healthcare and education verticals, where vandalism and bi-directional audio communication is required, this camera series has models with IK10 vandal resistance and built-in microphones that can meet those requirements seamlessly. For commercial industry-related needs that require several hundreds to thousands of high-resolution cameras with 24/7 monitoring on a limited budget, the Sarix Pro 3 Series delivers cost-savings with less bandwidth and storage requirements supported by h.265 video encoding and Pelco Smart Compression,” he concluded. Only the Sarix Pro 3 IP camera series offer these key features: • Clear detail in low light conditions. • Up to 120dB true wide dynamic range:

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These cameras can bring out detail in both very bright and dark areas to maximise visibility and are especially useful in environments that have both dark and light areas in one scene, such as entrances. • Adaptive IR Illumination (Up to 50m for dome cameras and up to 80m for bullet cameras): With capabilities that produce detailed images in zero light, the adaptive IR Illuminator avoids overexposure that can hinder detection as objects approach the camera. • One camera can provide wide, yet detailed coverage with resolutions up to 5MP at 30 FPS. This level of clarity allows customers to view license plate numbers and faces. • Capture fast moving objects in traffic, gaming, banking, and commercial industries: 5MP camera models can stream 60 FPS for up to 4MP resolution. • Conserve/minimise bandwidth and storage costs via h.265, the highest video compression standard, and Pelco Smart Compression technology. • Flexible recording and viewing of video with three streams and optimised streams to save on costs. All three independent streams are configurable with video encoding (H.265/H.264/ MJEPG), resolution, and frame rate.

• Enhanced detection and faster response ability by way of bi-directional audio with audio line-in and line-out. A built-in microphone is also included in the indoor dome camera. • Flexible deployment in challenging environments with IK10, IP66, and IP67 ratings and a wide operating temperature. The cameras’ housings are built using metal construction and select camera models are ideal for areas prone to tampering and vandalism, like correctional facilities, hospitals, and schools. IP66 and IP67-rated models are available for water and dust protection, while environmental models can operate in extreme temperature environments (between –40° to 60°C). • Faster, easier, and lower-cost installation with a single-wire PoE connection. 24VAC and 12VDC power options are also available for flexibility in installation. • Integrated and industry standard compliant. These cameras work with VideoXpert on both H.264/H.265 and with Endura and Digital Sentry along with VxToolbox. They are also ONVIF Profile S, G, Q, and T compliant and work well with third-party video management systems that conform to these ONVIF profiles.

Security Focus africa August 2019

On the market

IDEMIA and RHB introduce Motion Code Credit Card IDEMIA, the global leader in augmented identity, has announced its partnership with RHB bank to offer the MOTION CODE™ card option to its Visa Rewards Motion Code™ credit card in Malaysia. It is the first time such a card is available in Southeast Asia.

eveloped by IDEMIA, the Motion Code™ credit card is a high-tech payment card with a dynamic security code, CVV2, that automatically changes regularly. Instead of a static security code printed on the back of a bank card, the Motion Code™ CVV2 is displayed on an e-paper “mini-screen”. The RHB Banking Group that provides financial products and services through its headquarter in Malaysia has chosen to work with IDEMIA due to its expertise, technical knowledge and strong references around the world. IDEMIA has indeed already experienced the whole deployment of such

projects and will be able to provide highly technical abilities for this cutting-edge banking technology. This solution brings for RHB customers a powerful acquisition tool and reinforce security of transactions while fighting against online fraud. “At IDEMIA, we ensure privacy and trust and we guarantee secure and authenticated transactions. At the same time, we never stop innovating for our international clients from Financial sectors and today we are proud to be the market leader in powered cards to provide end-to-end solutions for our clients,” says Vincent Mouret, senior

vice-president of the Asia Pacific region. “We believe that even the strictest security measures must be convenient and user-friendly for customers. Our main objective is to deliver simple and seamless experiences to our customers. With Motion Code™ technology, cardholders will have a secure platform to enjoy e-shopping with peace of mind, concludes Nazri Othman, acting head of group retail banking, RHB Banking Group.

AI-supported object classification in new Dallmeier Camera Series 5000 The Dallmeier 5000 series single sensor cameras are equipped with a new encoder technology. The new versions of the dome, IR and fisheye cameras support H.265 HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) and offer improved object classification with camera-based, AI-enhanced VCA.

y its nature, the constantly improving resolution of video images demands high bandwidths and large amounts of memory. With the new generation H.265 encoder in the Dallmeier cameras, data rate can be reduced by up to 50 per cent compared with an H.264 stream without sacrificing resolution or image quality. When used in conjunction with the latest Dallmeier

Security Focus africa August 2019

recording systems, a significant reduction in network and memory capacity can be achieved. Another advantage of the new 5000 series cameras is the new generation of Video Content Analysis (VCA). Neural networks are implemented in the camera, supporting the classic VCA and thus enabling significantly more efficient object classification in the camera itself. After a short learning phase, the system

is capable of delivering still more precisely defined analysis of the recordings and more effective use of automatic video analysis functions such as lossless and multiple auto tracking. The camera models DDF5250HDV-DN and DDF5450HDV-DN (dome), DF5250HDVDN/IR and DF5450HDV-DN/IR (box IR) and SDF5450HD-DN (fisheye) can be ordered now and will be ready for delivery from 19 August 2019.

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Technology Update

Revolutionising security strategies and outcomes with AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows machines to do jobs previously done by people. When it comes to security and surveillance, this technology allows cameras and control room equipment to identify a wide range of threats automatically and in real time across hundreds or even thousands of cameras – allowing security teams to take immediate action to protect people and assets.

ideo surveillance cameras are the electronic eyes of any security operation. In the past, human supervision was needed to make sense of the images captured, and to assess whether certain events posed a security risk or not. With some organisations using hundreds or even thousands of cameras to protect their people and assets, manual review of footage is simply impossible – potentially leaving them vulnerable to security breaches. To help organisations overcome this challenge, and to optimise their security, Hikvision has built advanced AI technology into our surveillance solutions. This means that our cameras, control-room equipment and back-end infrastructure can now ‘learn’ about potential threats for themselves by recognising people, vehicles and even behaviours. Improving all aspects of security with ‘proactive’ detection and prevention The manual interventions needed with traditional security systems mean that teams were frequently reacting to breaches that had already happened. AI changes all this by recognising potential threats before they impact company’s people or assets – allowing security teams to react immediately to neutralise any potential threat. For example, Hikvision AI solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area, or when a vehicle with a blacklisted number plate enters a site. With alerts delivered in real time, teams can identify and react to security threats and protect people and assets more effectively. And because alerts are automated, potential threats are hardly missed or overlooked

people who are caught on camera. Hikvision’s AI technologies use advanced algorithms based on Deep Learning to distinguish between different kinds of security events and threats. Technologies incorporated into the Hikvision portfolio include: • Facial recognition, which allows law enforcement personnel to identify suspects and commercial teams to identify VIP customers in real time. • Vehicle identification, which can be used to identify vehicle number plates, and recognise different types of vehicles (even down to make and model), or to trigger alerts when vehicles enter restricted areas. • Perimeter protection, which helps organisations to identify real threats by distinguishing people and vehicles from other moving objects and keeping false alarms to a minimum. • Business intelligence, which employs people counting, queue detection, and heat mapping technologies, so that organisations can enhance operational efficiency by making use of the data report.

How does AI work?

Why is AI great news for businesses?

AI systems become more intelligent over time, building databases of potential threats and reacting to new events accordingly. This allows systems to ‘think for themselves’ and to alert teams of any suspicious events or

AI isn’t just useful for identifying security threats – although this is a key strength of the technology. It can also help organisations increase their competitiveness and commercial success.

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For example, VIP customers who opt to participate in special marketing promotions or other incentives can be identified so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. This gives organisations the opportunity to personalise the service experience, foster loyalty and maximise customer lifetime revenues. In the same way, AI can help organisations to better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively – leading to more commercial opportunities. One feature – called People Counting – allows stores and commercial centres to map footfall at peak times, ensuring that staffing is optimised to meet demand. At the same time, stores can see which areas of the building customers visit most, and adjust their merchandising and product positioning accordingly to maximise the sales opportunities.

Hikvision: an AI pioneer Hikvision has created a family of AI products to maximise the benefits for organisations, such as the DeepinView network cameras and DeepinMind NVRs. The products help to tackle security with facial recognition; monitoring and counting of people; and recognition and detection of vehicles, to name a few. These features all depend on AI technology to recognise, classify and respond to security threats.

Security Focus africa August 2019

How AIoT enables a smarter future “The AIoT evolution for security industry has come but still has a long way to go. In the current stage AI is more about advanced perception, but it is expected to be an advanced brain that can deal with highly complicated situations.”

efore the new garbage-sorting regulations took effect in Shanghai in July, residents of Shanghai were confused by complicated garbage classification standards. To solve these hassles for those who live in or visit Shanghai, companies are developing intelligent trash cans that are smart enough to identify garbage types through information gathered from camera and sensors. This is just a glimpse of life empowered by IoT, which can benefit us to an extensive degree. The city, traffic, the home; none will be as safe as we know it if, for instance, a wanted man shows his face without being identified, triggering an alarm, or sending a heads-up to the police in time. IoT has been a buzzword in the tech world for many years, and is an even hotter topic today, permeating laymen’s conversations. IoT is now, literally, a big deal. The global market was valued at $190 billion in 2018, and is anticipated to reach $1111.3 billion by 2026, according to a recent report by Fortune Business Insights, titled Global Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2019-2026. The analysts in the report predict that the global market will expand at a ferocious

Security Focus africa August 2019

CAGR of 24.7 per cent throughout the forecasted years.

AIoT Rises The rise of IoT requires multiple advanced technologies, including 5G, cloud computing, big data and AI, with AI being perhaps the most important. IoT is now often directly referred to as AIoT, perhaps a more precise term since it is not just about connecting things and machines, but about connecting things and machines that are smart enough to operate on their own, in a swift and spontaneous manner, when put to work in a complicated system, such as a security system. AIoT smart security solutions not only save manpower, but also in various ways outdoes man’s work. Security cameras, for example, have sharper eyes than security guards when connected to a database. Each day, a huge amount of visual information is collected by high definition cameras and transformed, through advanced AI algorithm, back into structured data, which can be computed and compared. In this way, AIoT makes it possible for cameras to not only record what a person does, but also immediately recognise who that person is.

In addition to convenience and efficiency of crosschecking afterwards, AIoT security systems can also deal with an emergency when, or even before, it occurs. In short, it expands protection into prevention through pattern analysis. Since cameras are connected to other devices in AIoT, such as alarm ring and access control, the security system is in fact endowed with the power to take actions according to the information gathered and analysed. Nowadays, cameras often work with various types of sensors that can provide instant information other than images and videos, such as temperature and wetness, which are crucial to the safety of places like museums, drug stores and farm houses. The AIoT solutions in those cases will also simultaneously take care of these situations by automatically adjusting the equipment, such as an air conditioner or humidifier.

AIoT and smart solutions in the security industry In more complex situations in which there are more variables, AIoT, though still far from replacing the majority of human labour, offers great help in terms of saving time and cost, and rearranging resources

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Technology Update

to the most efficient degree, resulting in various smart solutions like Smart City, Smart Traffic, Smart Retail, Smart Home, etc. The city today is a very complicated organism consisting of many elements and departments, which, if not connected in the most efficient way, could handle neither an unexpected event nor daily operation. Since the police force as well as other manpower is limited, it’s critical to use them smartly, which is why Smart City solutions supported by AIoT becomes inevitable. The concept of a smart city was first proposed by IBM in 2008. Since then, countries began to develop smart city projects worldwide. But a city is a complex and huge system in which it is impossible to realise sustainable development overnight. Different cities have their own unique features and spatial layouts due to the differences of economic development level, political systems and culture, so patterns of success cannot be replicated. For example, Sao Paulo is the biggest industrial city in Brazil, and Hangzhou is an e-business centre in China – we cannot just apply the same solution to these two cities. With its rich experience from hundreds of smart city projects, Dahua Technology put forward a concept in 2018 called “Dahua Heart of City (Dahua HOC)”, based on 1+2+Narchitecture. “1” refers to a big data platform. All data in the city level will be integrated into this big data platform for smart analytics. “2” means two centres – operation and management centre and security centre. Based on this architecture, Dahua Technology can serve “N” applications for smart city development. For example, safe city, smart traffic, smart banking smart industry park and so on. The same real time information collecting and sharing also applies to smart transportation solutions. For example, many cities around the world suffer from insufficient parking spaces. In China, there were 80 million parking spaces, with 50 per cent unused or vacant according to a report co-released by China Business News Business Data Centre (CBNData) and ETCP Intelligent Parking Industry Research Institute. If, through the AIot smart traffic solution, real time information collected and big data from various departments shared and analysed and resource rearranged accordingly, it is estimated that the vacancy rate could be reduced to 10 per cent, which would be of great help to urban traffic controlling. Aside from the parking lot scenario, many

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other complex traffic scenes are in great need of AIoT solutions, such as bus, road traffic, airport, harbour, subways, etc. Dahua Technology smart solutions have been applied to Yarmouth Harbour in UK, Recife’s Subway in Brazil, Ulaanbaatar city road in Mongolia, etc. The AIoT smart solutions can certainly be adopted by private sectors as well, such as Smart Retail Solution, which, for example, can automatically calculate the customer flow by security cameras that can differentiate people from objects and backgrounds and thus optimising employee scheduling. With more information, the store can make smarter business decisions.

“Since the police force as well as other manpower is limited, it’s critical to use them smartly, which is why smart city solutions supported by AIoT become inevitable.” Smart home solutions While safety remains the top priority for family users, it will not be the only application. Smart home solutions make cameras useful for more than just surveillance when they are connected with other house appliances through AIoT, such as locks and the telephone. Users can remotely authorise other people to enter simply through their cellphone. And the video recorded will not just be about safety, but also for entertainment purposes, such as checking out the live performance of your pets.

AIoT vs cybersecurity The arrival of the AIoT era has brought unprecedented attention to network security and privacy protection. On May 25, 2018, European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was officially implemented to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union, imposing stricter requirements on the data processing by controllers and processors. Companies across the world, including security vendors, took various active measures, such as conducting assessing data protection impact assessments, strengthening data protection training, upgrading data protection technologies, and standardising organisational compliance requirements. As a result, business is booming for global third-party certification companies. In order to minimise the negative influence of GDPR to their business, companies like

Dahua Technology, Hisense and Deutsche Telekom have been actively working with companies like TÜV Rheinland, making sure that their related products and services are in compliance with IoT data security and privacy protection requirements as set out in GDPR.

More players – challenges or opportunities? One analogy to AIoT might be water: it is practically everywhere, it is about everything and it is essential to life as we know it. It is no surprise that the security industry, which is about guarding life itself, is one of the pioneers of exploring AIoT technologies – and, as a result, is one of the first to benefit from it. Boosted by AIoT, the security industry sees ambitious new players coming into the game from telecom, IT, AI or chip manufacturing industries, like HUAWEI, Alibaba, Sensetime, Megvii, etc. The battle for the trillion dollar market in the very near future will, in fact, be a total war with many front lines. For the more traditional players who have gone through two major transformations of the security industry, first from hardware manufacturer to solution provider and then to the operator of platform, the new era once again, brings more challenges as well as more opportunities. The main challenge is to integrate data. Due to the lack of top level design and immaturity of technologies, data is isolated from each other in different stages like collecting, storage, processing and application, resulting in information silo and fragmentation of data. The opportunities for traditional players are based on the competitive advantage in audio/video technology and core intelligent algorithms. The huge amount of videos produced every day are important data sources if they can be calculated through AI, in which traditional players like Dahua Technology could ensure the continuous improvement of product quality and provide corresponding solutions tailored to customer requirements. The AIoT evolution for the security industry has come but still has a long way to go. In the current stage AI, is more about advanced perception, but it is expected to be an advanced brain that can deal with highly complicated situations. That said, it’s consensus of major players that AI would be the golden mine in the industry. As in each and every golden rush in the history of mankind, the biggest winners of the AIoT era are likely to be the most experienced and the bravest ones.

Security Focus africa August 2019

Industry Opinion

Dashcams useful for so much more than just social media LOLs Social media networks are saturated with video footage shared from dashboard cameras. Whether for educational purposes to demonstrate how hijackings occur or for laughs by documenting ‘instant karma’ incidents, dashboard cams have become a fixture inside many vehicles. By Laurence Smith, Executive at Graphic Image Technologies

owever, this technology was originally and still is implemented to ensure that drivers, particularly those employed by logistics and transport companies, have proof of incidents such as hijackings, road rage incidents, and motor vehicle collisions. Although, dashcams today are used for lighthearted humour, there is a more serious side to this technology. Logistics companies need to make sure that they have a complete solution that allows real-time driver monitoring and event notifications as they happen, providing vehicle owners and fleet managers with greater visibility and control over their vehicles from the minute they leave the depot, until they return.

So much more than expected When most people think of a dash cam, they think of a simple set up with a recording device that saves to an SD card which must later be removed from the dashcam so that footage can be downloaded. This might be sufficient for individual use, but when dealing with a fleet of trucks or vehicles, such a simplistic set-up is ineffective. However, this is no longer the case now that dashcam technology has advanced to the point where it has become effectively an off-site vehicle DVR (Digital Video Recorder) system, combined with front and rear dash cams built with multiple sensors and 4G connectivity to provide real-time cloud-based vehicle tracking and monitoring. Add easy scalability to the mix thanks to a cloud platform, and today’s dashcam system is everything that logistics companies, shuttle services, taxi associations and car hire corporations have been waiting for, and more.

Security Focus africa August 2019

and criminal cases. Fleet managers are now able to see exactly what is happening inside their vehicles, and with access to hard evidence of driver behaviour, they’re better able to monitor fleet performance and driver safety.

Complete visibility into every journey

Smart management through visibility Like all other industries, the transport and logistics sector is under huge pressure to reduce the risk involved in moving goods and people, and that’s where modern dashcam solutions shine. Now fleet managers and operational managers have access to a live stream on any device, as well as the ability to view multiple vehicles on a single screen. The latest dash cams are equipped with smart sensors that are capable of registering and recognising trigger events, such as sudden stops, sharp acceleration, or collisions, to automatically send a 10-second video clip of the event to be stored in the cloud, while simultaneously sending email or SMS notifications, allowing operators to respond directly to vehicle incidents timeously. When it comes to post-event investigation, no longer will fleet managers have to trawl through reams of footage to isolate an incident because all event footage will be easily managed through a central events dashboard that logs events by description, date, time and type. This also means that such footage cannot be tampered with or destroyed. This makes dashcam footage exceptionally useful for evidentiary purposes in insurance claims

Today’s smart dash cam solutions will offer full GPS tracking of single or multiple vehicles, in real-time, to deliver total transparency into each vehicle’s trip with deep contextual information. For example, point-by-point location information, time, and travelling speed, all of which make it simple for the operator to locate the necessary footage relating to a specific event. Such solutions have a distinctive edge in that they offer intelligent analytics and automated reporting for true visibility into driver behaviour and vehicle treatment, which is exactly what fleet managers and car rental companies need.

Scalability and affordability To get the most out of such cloud-based dash cam systems, fleet operators must look for offerings based on low upfront hardware costs and affordable annual subscription fees. Such solutions provide scalable, reliable vehicle monitoring and tracking services that will be ideal for everything from small applications (such as securityconscious families) right through to largescale applications like fleets of trucks, taxis and buses. Useful for so much more than footage to share on social media for a laugh, today’s cloud-based dash cam system is a game-changer, giving business owners and fleet operators the peace of mind that comes from complete visibility into every driver, every vehicle and every trip made.

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Case study

Ensuring rider safety with intelligent video analytics Opened in 1972, the Misano World Circuit near the Northern Italian town of Misano Adriatico is one of the world’s most famous racetracks for motorcycle racing.

he track, with a capacity for 108 000 people, hosts several high-ranking motorcycle racing events per season, including the San Marino and Rimini’s Coast motorcycle Grand Prix as part of the World Motorcycle Racing championships. Every year, the Misano World Circuit attracts more than 600 000 visitors, and generates an estimated €62 million in revenue. Ensuring the safety of competing motorcycle riders – including the world’s best MotoGP pilots – is the highest priority for circuit owners in Misano. During races, the race controllers in the circuit’s Race Control Room need to respond quickly to crashes on the course and keep an eye out for rule violations, as these are punishable by Grand Prix rules. But with around 25 racers on the course simultaneously and top speeds exceeding 300 km/hour during the 27-lap Grand Prix races, ensuring track control proved overwhelming for the team. In search of a solution to support personnel in monitoring race activity, officials in Misano called on Bosch with a 15-year track record as a technology vendor for the circuit. “Bosch is perceived as an industry leader, and was selected because of earlier work on the circuit’s public security system. It was natural to think of Bosch to guarantee quality and technical support in what is not an easy environment,” said Andrea Albani, managing director, Misano Circuit. To safeguard the entire Misano World Circuit with its 16 sharp turns, the Bosch experts installed 20 DINION IP starlight 6000i IR cameras at strategic locations around the track. The IP-based cameras capture high-definition video of the fastpaced races in the special 60-frames-persecond mode. Images are streamed live

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to the circuit’s Race Control Room, where operators monitor the action on over 30 wall-mounted HD-screens. The smooth and crisp images, enhanced by High Dynamic Range technology for more details in shadows or backlit areas, allow for close-up views even at high racing speeds. Despite this high video quality, the cameras maintain a small storage footprint – thereby saving cost on data storage – through Intelligent Dynamic Noise Reduction and intelligent streaming combined with H.265 video compression. Depending on the scene, this reduces bitrate by up to 80 per cent. Another camera which is installed is the AUTODOME IP starlight 7000 HD. This solution offers great benefits thanks to built-in Intelligent Video Analytics. This intelligent technology from Bosch is customised in Misano to automatically follow racers around the track, allowing control staff a detailed view even at speeds of around 300 kilometres/h. The technology also offers seamless handover from one camera to the next, so that operators never lose track while following drivers across 4.2 kilometres of racing track. In the event of a crash, the intelligent Bosch cameras automatically trigger alarms thanks to built-in video analysis. Even without a crash, the system notifies staff when riders violate race rules. Thanks to customised software, these automatic alerts appear in the form of red, green, and yellow flags on the display monitors in the Race Control

Room. Operators can then zoom in on the live view using joysticks to control the camera closest to the scene and, having understood the situation fully, delegate the appropriate response. As one of the world’s first racing facilities to adopt IP-based, high-definition cameras for monitoring racing activity, Misano World Circuit has seen significant improvements on several levels: Thanks to automated alerts and high-definition videos of crash scenes, the staff can now provide fast and coordinated assistance, for instance, by dispatching ambulances and alerting other racers accordingly. Rule violations are instantly flagged by video analytics, ensuring fairer and safer races. On the backend, integration between high-definition cameras and third-party video management software from Bosch partner Milestone, allows for analysing the cause of accidents and driving constant improvements, as one of the motorsports world’s most iconic racing circuits leads the way with a future-proof solution.

“To safeguard the entire

Misano World Circuit with its 16 sharp turns, the Bosch experts installed 20 DINION IP starlight 6000i IR cameras at strategic locations around the track.

”

Security Focus africa August 2019

Cybersecurity

New study reveals cybercrime

may be widely underreported ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity Report has found that only one in three organisations are highly confident in their ability to detect and respond to threats.

hile attack vectors remain largely the same year after year, attack volume will increase and cybercrime may be vastly underreported, according to the 2019 State of Cybersecurity Study from global IT and cybersecurity association ISACA. “Underreporting cybercrime, even when disclosure is legally mandated, appears to be the norm, which is a significant concern,” said Greg Touhill, Brigadier General (ret), ISACA board director, president of Cyxtera Federal and the first US Federal CISO. “Half of all survey respondents believe most enterprises underreport cybercrime, even when it is required to do so.” Equally concerning, only 1 in 3 cybersecurity leaders (34 per cent) have high levels of confidence in their cybersecurity team’s ability to detect and respond to cyberthreats. The highest levels of confidence are correlated with teams that report directly into the CISO, and the lowest levels are correlated with teams reporting into the chief information officer (CIO). According to the study, 43 per cent of respondents say their teams report to a CISO, and 27 per cent report to a CIO. “What we can conclude from this year’s study is that governance dictates confidence level in cybersecurity,” said Frank Downs, director of ISACA’s cybersecurity practices. “When the cybersecurity team reports directly to a designated and experienced cybersecurity executive, cybersecurity teams report having significantly more confidence in their team’s capability to detect attacks and respond effectively.” These findings indicate the confusion enterprises experience when structuring cybersecurity with information technology. A CIO’s main goal is managing and implementing information technology,

Security Focus africa August 2019

which is substantially different than securing and protecting it. In this reporting structure, cybersecurity can fall to a secondary consideration, leading to a team’s lack of confidence to be cyberready. In fact, a higher per centage of respondents are confident in cybersecurity reporting to the CEO than to the CIO. ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity Study, sponsored by HCL Technologies Ltd., captures the perspectives of more than 1,500 individuals who define the field— cybersecurity managers and practitioners from across the globe. Part 1, released in March, highlighted workforce trends and challenges. Part 2, released at Infosecurity Europe, covers attack trends. According to State of Cybersecurity Part 2, the top three threat actors remain cybercriminals, hackers and nonmalicious insiders. Phishing, malware and social engineering top the list of prevalent attack types for the third year in a row. Ransomware is significantly down from 2018, with 37 per cent of organisations reporting that they experienced ransomware in last year’s study, compared to 20 per cent this year. Just under half of organisations report an increase in cybersecurity attacks on their organisation this year, and 79 per cent say it is likely they will experience a cyberattack next year. “The cyber landscape is complex. Cybersecurity, though in focus today, suffers from a siloed and static approach,” said Renju Varghese, fellow and chief architect, CyberSecurity and GRC, at

Only 1 in 3 cybersecurity leaders (3%) have high levels of confidence in their cybersecurity team’s ability to detect and respond to cyberthreats. HCL Technologies. “Many teams are missing the attacks that significantly impact organisations because they don’t have the size or expertise to keep up with the attackers, and are overwhelmed. “Moreover, their existing security tools and processes are segregated and seldom work in tandem, leaving the teams staring at multiple consoles and drowning in alerts and incidents.” However, by carefully analysing the variables that contribute to incident susceptibility and team inefficiency, organisations can better prepare themselves for the dangers presented by cyber miscreants, says ISACA’s Downs. Specifically, analysing key organisational attributes identified in the State of Cybersecurity, such as cyber reporting structure, prevalent attack methods and team readiness through a culture of continuing professional education, organisations can increase their resilience to potential incidents. State of Cybersecurity 2019 parts 1 and 2 are available as free download. The report is the latest research from ISACA’s Cybersecurity Nexus, which offers credentials, training, guidance and research for security professionals.

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State Capture

Bold criminal justice reforms are needed to uncapture SA

Testimony before various commissions of inquiry has provided South Africans with a sense of the massive scale of corrupt practices that occurred in government and the private sector under Jacob Zuma’s presidency. However, few are aware of the cost that the state capture project has had on their By Gareth Newham, Head, Justice and Violence Prevention Programme, ISS Pretoria. public safety.

rom when state capture was well under way in 2011/12 and at the end of 2017/18, the murder rate has soared by 19 per cent, resulting in an additional 4 782 deaths than was the case six years earlier. Moreover, armed robberies increased by 38 per cent, resulting in 37 595 more attacks last year than in 2011/12. The deterioration of the criminal justice system during this period certainly contributed to this situation. The state capture project started early on with an attack on the independence and capacity of South Africa’s criminal justice agencies. The only way the theft of hundreds of billions of rand of funds meant for the public could occur, was if those involved could be sure they wouldn’t be investigated or prosecuted. Before Zuma took office, his supporters ensured that the highly effective anticorruption agency the Directorate of Special Operations (the Scorpions) was shut down. Once he assumed the presidency, Zuma actively used his authority to appoint to key leadership positions people whose lack of integrity and ability led to the deterioration of the criminal justice system. The South African Police Service (SAPS)

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was severely damaged by Zuma loyalist appointees such as recently convicted crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli and former disgraced SAPS national commissioner Riah Phiyega.

Few South Africans are aware of the cost that the state capture project has had on their public safety. Similarly, Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza caused massive damage to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), and former National Directors of Public Prosecutions advocates Menzi Simelane, Nomgcobo Jiba (acting) and Shaun Abrahams played no small part in the deterioration of the performance of and public trust in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The Institute for Security Studies partnered with Corruption Watch to provide the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, chaired by Judge Raymond Zondo, with details of how organisations like the SAPS, Hawks and NPA were manipulated for political and financial gain.

As the capacity to investigate and prosecute complex commercial crimes and corruption was slashed, the looting of state resources soared. Unfortunately, so did serious violent and organised crimes that have a direct impact on the daily safety of the public. Our submission exposed structural and legal weaknesses in the criminal justice system that enabled it to become severely compromised in the interest of state capture. A key shortcoming is the substantial authority given to the president to unilaterally directly appoint the police and prosecuting service heads, while influencing the appointment of those of the Hawks and Independent Police Investigative Directorate. Zuma exploited these flaws to appoint compromised people to powerful positions, arguably motivated by maintaining control of the African National Congress and protecting his loyalist cabal enriching itself at the expense of South Africans. Our analysis led to a series of robust recommendations that aim to drive renewal and reform in the police, prosecuting authorities, crime intelligence and police oversight agencies. For example, to recover from state capture, all those who occupied

Security Focus africa August 2019

STATE CAPTURE

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or were promoted to senior management positions during this time should be independently assessed in terms of their integrity and performance. Those appointed or promoted without due process and oversight should be prioritised. Only once compromised individuals are replaced with people of exceptional integrity and expertise will criminal justice agencies be able to deliver on the rule of law and their values of accountability, fairness and impartiality. We also recommended that government produce an annual report detailing progress in the investigation and prosecution of all corruption cases, with an update on all major cases. South Africans can then assess the response by criminal justice agencies to corruption. Agencies should also report on the progress of investigations into allegations and disciplinary matters against senior managers.

New legislative provisions are recommended to ensure greater transparency in relationships between the executive and senior leadership of the criminal justice system. Already under President Cyril Ramaphosa there has been some progress. These green shoots of criminal justice reform must be nurtured. In 2018, Ramaphosa set up a panel to advise him on the appointment of the new National Director of Public Prosecutions, leading to that of committed reformist Shamila Batohi. We must continue to strengthen legislative mechanisms to ensure the best possible candidates are considered for appointment to the most important criminal justice roles. This should include a vetting process to ensure unsuitable candidates don’t even make the shortlist presented to the president. We make further recommendations about eligibility for political office. In the past,

people facing well-founded allegations of serious wrongdoing have been elevated to positions where they were able to subvert the rule of law. Political parties should change their codes of conduct to ensure that individuals facing such accusations are regarded as unsuitable for political office until they are formally cleared. Zuma and his state capture allies kept senior people in acting roles, creating uncertainty of tenure which enabled their manipulation for political or personal gain. We propose a six-month limit on acting appointments for leaders of agencies such as the SAPS and NPA. The anti-corruption investigation and prosecution capacities of criminal justice agencies should be strengthened, and a review should be conducted of the SAPS crime intelligence division to enhance its performance, transparency and accountability. State capture was designed for personal enrichment and to protect the Zuma faction while targeting its enemies, but had the severe side effects of making all South Africans less safe and setting the country’s development back 10 years. SA won’t get back on track until criminal justice agencies are demonstrably professionalised and independent, and able to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who undermine the high potential of the nation. We have identified the systemic weaknesses and recommended new safeguards. Progress will require great political will and dexterity, but to stall or fail carries far greater risks for the future of South Africa.

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Law and Security

By Peter Bagshawe

Estina Dairy Report and implications Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has again been found responsible in her personal capacity for the payment of legal costs relating to an adverse finding of a High Court in respect of her report on what has been referred to as either the Vrede Dairy or the Estina Dairy matter.

his Report was published in April 2018, and was allegedly based on an altered or redacted version of a draft report compiled by Advocate Thuli Madonsela, Mkhwebane’s predecessor as Public Protector. It was taken on review by the Democratic Alliance and The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), to the North Gauteng High Court, where it was heard by Justice Ronel Tolmay. CASAC seeks to advance the Constitution to ensure clean and cooperative democratic governance. The Estina Dairy report delivered by the Public

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Protector related to her investigation of the background to the failed socio-agricultural scheme to establish the Estina cooperative dairy. Situated on a farm in Vrede in the Free State, the scheme was to uplift the local community. In a simplified overview, 100 black farmers were promised five cows each in the interests of empowerment, and to give the envisaged cooperative critical mass. However, the cows were never handed over to the identified farmers. It was further alleged that some R200 million of allocated public funding meant for the farmers was paid to the Gupta family through the Free State Provincial Government via the scheme, and that a portion of

this was used to fund the 2013 Gupta family wedding held at Sun City. The Public Protector’s Report found procurement irregularities, gross negligence and maladministration related to the project, and recommended that then Provincial Premier Ace Magashule initiate disciplinary action against implicated officials involved in the Vrede project. The review was based on the failure of the report to identify all responsible parties of the various transactions, as well as the lack of investigation and findings against higher ranking political figures (with both Ace Magashule and Mosebenzi Zwane being referred to

publically at that time). CASAC stated in their supporting affidavit their contention that the Report’s findings and remedial action were deliberately curtailed in an effort to protect department officials. It also stated that Mkhwebane had acted for an improper purpose and in bad faith. The Democratic Alliance further asserted that Mkhwebane had not acted prudently in the preparation of the Report, recommendations and findings. Justice Tolmay made her initial findings on the review in May 2019, but reserved judgment on the costs awarded pending the decision of the Constitutional Court on the personal costs order against

Security Focus africa August 2019

Law and xxx Security

Mkhwebane for her handling of the ABSA/Bankorp bailout investigation. The ABSA matter was also heard in the North Gauteng High Court, and an award of costs in an amount estimated at between R 800,000 and R 900,000 was made against Public Protector Mkhwebane in her personal capacity in respect of the applicant’s costs. Mkhwebane took the award on appeal to the Constitutional Court, and the Court found that her behavior and investigation fell egregiously short of the required standard of a public official, that superior courts do not lightly overturn decisions of inferior courts on cost awards and confirmed the order that Mkhwebane should personally pay 15 per cent of the applicant’s legal costs. On 15 August 2019, after studying the Constitutional Court’s ABSA decision, Justice Tolmay delivered the portion of the judgment related to the awarding of costs. The ABSA judgment has been previously referred to in an article, and as was the case in this judgment Justice Tolmay was robust and direct in the language used in her summation and judgment. The judgment referred to failures and dereliction of duty by the Public Protector in the Estina matter as manifold, and highlighted Mkhwebane’s failure to execute the duties imposed on her by her office in terms of the Constitution and the Public Protector Act. More particularly, she failed to act without fear or favour. Taken further, her report was found to be unconstitutional and invalid with all recommendations made by the Public Protector set aside. Justice Tolmay variously held that the

failure on the part of the Public Protector to investigate the third complaint lodged by the Democratic Alliance, the failure to interview the intended beneficiaries who had been deprived of the chance to create a better life for themselves, her dereliction of her duty impacted on the rights of the poor and vulnerable in society who are the people for whom the Public Protector’s office was essentially created, were manifested. Turning to the action taken by the Public Protector in appointing two sets of counsel to defend the same matter was wasteful of the taxpayers’ money, and wrong on the part of an institution that professes to have budget constraints which impacted on the ability of her office to perform its functions. In her decision, Judge Tolmay said “The Public Protector has immense power, but with that power comes great responsibility. If she fails, as she did in this case (to execute her duties), she must take full responsibility.” This statement appears to encapsulate the view of the Court, and the upshot of this was an order in terms of which the Public Protectors office was ordered to pay 85 per cent of the DA’s costs and 85 per cent of the costs of CASAC on the attorney and own client scale. In addition, Mkhwebane was ordered to personally pay 7.5 per cent of the DA’s costs, and 7.5 per cent of the costs of CASAC on the attorney and own client scale. It is significant to note that this cost scale is substantially higher than the party and party cost scale that is usually used by courts in fixing cost awards. The Public Protector has advised that

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she intends to take the Estina Dairy judgment and award on appeal with the stance of her office being a punitive cost order can only be made where it is proven that a public official has acted fraudulently, recklessly and engaged in gross dishonesty and further, that section 5(3) of the Public Protector Act affords the Public Protector immunity against personal costs orders. Given the stance of the Constitutional Court in the ABSA decision, these arguments may not be of assistance in advancing Mkhwebane’s argument and appeal. As an aside, while this article was being written, evidence was being led in the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture (the Zondo Commission) portion of which related to there being, immediately prior to the signature of the second agreement which established the Estina project, R16 in Estina’s bank account. Due diligence appears to have been absent here. In addition, evidence was led that the Provincial Legal Advisor advised that the initial version of the agreement was illegal and its consequences would have amounted to financial misconduct. In summary the Estina Dairy matter seems, from establishment to review, fraught with difficulties, tainted and symptomatic of lack of control. The office of the Public Protector has been further damaged as a result of the review and judgment of Justice Tolmay, which has been widely published and commented upon. PETER BAGSHAWE holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the former University of Rhodesia and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.

August 2019

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Security Focus africa August 2019

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Calendar

Conferences, events & exhibitions of interest to the security industry LOCAL EVENTS: 2019 SEPTEMBER 15-18: Camprosa conference 2019 Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth Email: huebsch.derek@gmail.com www.camprosa.co.za

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS: 2019

September 24-26: Securex East Africa Venue: Visa Oshwal Centre, Nairobi www.securexpoeastafrica.com OCTOBER 2-3: Finnsec Venue: Messukeskus Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Email: customer.service@messukeskus.com www.finnsec.messukeskus.com OCTOBER 17-20: Isaf Venue: Istanbul Expo Centre Hall, Turkey Email: marmara@marmarafuar.com.tr www.isaffuari.com/en OCTOBER 22-25: Interpolitex Venue: All-Russian Exhibition Centre VDNH, Moscow, Russia Email: eshatrova@mvkexpo.com www.interpolitex.ru/en OCTOBER 28-31: CPSE Venue: Shenzhenb Convention and Exhibition Centre, Shenzhen, China Email: overseas_market@cps.com.cn www.cpse.com.cn

OCTOBER 28-30: Bidec Venue: Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, United Arab Emirates Email: ahmed.jarakji@clarionevents.com www.bahraindefence.com November 13–15: Sicurezza Venue: Fieramilano – Rho, Milano, Italy Tel: +39 02 4997 6241 Email: fierasicurezza@fieramilano.it www.sicurezza.it/en November 18– 20: DSEI Japan Venue: Makuhari Messe, Tokyo, Japan Tel: +44 (0) 20 7384 8274 Email: alex.soar@clarionevents.com www.dsei-japan.com/welcome November 19–20: Sectech Sverige Venue: Stockholmsmässan, Stockholm, Sweden Tel: +46 8 556 306 80 Email: deniz.baykal@armedia.se www.sectech.nu November 20–22: All over IP Venue: Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre, Moscow, Russia Email: skochko@groteck.ru www.all-over-ip.ru/en December 3-4: International Security Expo Venue: Olympia , London, United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 8947 9177

Email: info@internationalsecurityexpo.com www.internationalsecurityexpo.com

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS: 2020 January 19–21 Intersec Venue: Exhibition Centre Arena, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4389 4500 Email: intersec@uae.messefrankfurt.com www.intersecexpo.com March 8-13 Intersec Building Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany Tel: +49 697575-0 Email: intersec-building@messefrankfurt.com www.intersec-building.com October 14–16 Perimeter Protection Venue: Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg, Germany Tel: +49 911 8606 8499 Email: perimeter-protection@ nuernbergmesse.de www.nuernbergmesse.de/security October 20-22 Skydd Venue: Stockholm Fair ground, Stockholmsmässan) Tel: +46 8 749 4100 Email: info@stockholmsmassan.se www.skydd.net

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Security Focus africa August 2019