Ideagen releases latest version of Pentana with improved user interface and browser-based risk management

Ideagen has released the latest version of its risk-based audit automation software which comprises a substantially enhanced user experience and new features to support browser-based risk management.

Ideagen Pentana Version 5 provides web access to audit findings, custom fields and user defined views to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assurance processes.

Building on the Web Actions feature introduced in Version 4.2, Pentana Version 5.0 brings several more important end user tools to the browser interface including Web Risks, Web Findings and Web Views.

User experience improvements include improved performance when producing reports, multilingual ‘pick lists’ to let users see UI and system messages in their own language and a new look and feel to bring it into line with other Ideagen-federated products.

Ken Ebbage, Ideagen’s head of products, said: “Ideagen Pentana is trusted and used by over 450 clients worldwide and offers a complete solution for risk-based auditing. The product leverages Ideagen’s enterprise risk management expertise and technology base to deliver ambitious organisational governance objectives and high operational performance.”

Ebbage added: “In Version 5, we’ve built in a host of improvements with the end user experience in mind, but perhaps the most important innovation in the latest version of the software is the ability to manage and assess entity risks and controls via a web browser. This affords business user departments a simple interface to self-assess their own risk registers without having to load the full software. This is invaluable for Sarbanes-Oxley and other internal control applications.”

Ideagen Pentana Version 5 will be supplied as a free upgrade to Ideagen’s existing supported client base, including those who upgrade from the company’s legacy Pentana Audit Work System. With the latest release, Ideagen has federated Pentana with other products in its portfolio, among them Q-Pulse.

Bosch launches VMS 7.0 for “higher quality and more secure” video streaming

Bosch Security Systems has just released its Video Management System 7.0 software (Bosch VMS 7.0), which will empower security operators to effectively manage high resolution video streams in their day-to-day work.

At the rate video cameras are evolving, keeping track of an ever-growing amount of high resolution video data is becoming even more challenging. In places like metro stations and airports where many cameras are needed, the burden on a workstation is very high. If a workstation’s overloaded, the client application will often lag. This is a great obstacle for security operators who need to view many cameras at once in order to maintain a complete and uninterrupted overview of a given location.

With the new Bosch VMS 7.0, however, the user is able to keep multiple Ultra High Definition ameras open without having to worry about slowing down the application. Bosch VMS 7.0 uses technology dubbed ‘Streamlining’. This technology automatically shows the optimal video resolution on the screen.

If an operator needs to view many cameras simultaneously, the Bosch VMS 7.0 automatically uses a lower-resolution stream. When enhanced pictures are required to zoom in or view on a full screen, for instance, a higher resolution stream is automatically chosen. This feature uses the multi-stream capabilities available on Bosch IP video cameras and runs on existing workstations.

Another new feature of Bosch VMS 7.0 is the encrypted communication between Bosch cameras and the VMS. A security manager can choose to encrypt all control communications and videos through a secure HTTPS connection, reducing the risk of the system being hacked.

Bosch VMS 7.0 also offers customers an IT Security Guide which explains how to set up a secure system. The document describes how to configure Bosch VMS for Windows operating systems and how to secure video cameras against unauthorised access.

Quadrant Security Group awarded Wavestore Enterprise Level Partner status

Wavestore, the British manufacturer of Video Management Software (VMS), has announced that Quadrant Security Group (QSG) has been awarded Wavestore Enterprise Level Partner status to recognise the close working relationship between the two companies.

Wavestore’s ‘Better Together’ Partner Programme is designed to provide maximum support and real-world advantages for systems integrators who are choosing to recommend Wavestore VMS solutions to their end user clients.

Iain Beadle, managing director at QSG, commented: “Our customers are increasingly looking towards the integration of devices and systems across their estates in order to deliver operational and management efficiency within their businesses, in addition to enhancing security. As technology continues to evolve, we need to make sure that we work with a range of supplier partners who can help us deliver cost-effective and future-proof solutions that benefit customers in our target markets.”

Beadle continued: “We’ve been working closely with Wavestore on designing and delivering large and complex projects, some of which have heavy bespoke elements. Its VMS is one that enables us to meet exacting system specifications in the here and now, while also safeguarding additional integration functionality over time.”

Glenn Fletcher, sales director at Wavestore, added: “Partnership is vitally important for our business, and we’re delighted to have QSG at the very pinnacle of designing, installing and commissioning Wavestore’s VMS. We’re very much looking forward to working with and supporting the team at QSG to deliver the best solutions for our mutual clients.”

Qognify receives Lenel factory certification under Lenel’s OpenAccess Alliance Program

Qognify has announced the completion of certification to the most recent versions of Lenel’s OnGuard 7.1 and 7.2 access control system. Situator, Qognify’s dedicated situation management/Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solution now interfaces with the OnGuard system, providing organisations with the added value of improved workflow between the two systems, including sensor configuration, alarm activation and deactivation and door access control: all through Situator.

“Qognify has completed the required factory testing at Lenel to validate the functionality of its interface to OnGuard,” said Zach Roth, OAAP product manager at Lenel. “Our mutual clients will benefit from centralised access security management and maintaining consistent levels of response. We look forward to their continued involvement in the Lenel OpenAccess Alliance Program.”

Moti Shabtai (pictured), president of Qognify, explained: “We’re proud to be certified by Lenel and to be able to make our complementary solutions even more accessible for our clients. Qognify is dedicated to openness and providing the security marketplace with a broad range of high quality, open integration products. This certification from Lenel further exemplifies this commitment, and simultaneously bolsters our clients’ ability to focus on managing security situations, rather than going back and forth between systems.”

Situator allows organisations to create a common operating picture from Big Data collected by their various sensors and systems, bringing fast situation awareness and facilitating effective processes in response. The solution includes an analytical engine that enables converting the data into operational actionable intelligence.

Advanced’s Lux Intelligent emergency lighting testing system shortlisted for Lux Awards

Lux Intelligent, the emergency lighting testing system from global fire and life safety company Advanced, has been nominated for this year’s prestigious Lux Awards. The system has been shortlisted under the ‘Emergency Lighting Product of the Year’ category.

Lux Intelligent is an addressable, automatic test system that shows all emergency lighting is compliant and functioning, with no engineer intervention required. It offers a host of unique technical features and proves compliance with BS 5266. It will work with any light source, be it fluorescent or LED, allowing it to be a genuine site-wide solution that offers real economies of scale.

Cloud monitoring via mobile and web apps also makes the system even easier and more cost-effective to manage. All test data is stored safely and securely in the Lux Intelligent cloud for as long as it’s needed, with all test reports accessible at any time and automatically shared with relevant contractors or maintenance partners.

“I don’t believe there’s another system out there that can match Lux Intelligent for performance and ease-of-use,” enthused Dave Henderson, emergency lighting product manager at Advanced. “The combination of zero time testing, data integrity and quick resolution of problems and maintenance needs are what make Lux Intelligent so reliable and cost-effective. Add to this the fact that your system can easily scale to cover any site anywhere and work with just about any light or LED fitting, and you have a system that’s unbeatable and future-proofed.”

Henderson added: “We’re absolutely delighted that the organisers of the Lux Awards have recognised these benefits by including Lux Intelligent on this year’s shortlist.”

Banking fraud rises by 13% as criminals continue to wreak havoc

Crime figures just issued by the Office for National Statistics show that banking and credit fraud has risen by 13% in the year ending June 2016.

John Marsden, head of ID and fraud at Equifax, commented: “Companies have stepped up their fraud protection with multiple layered fraud defences, but this often moves criminal activity to those channels that are less well protected. Fraud is a surprisingly professional industry. The number of cases continues to rise as criminals find new ways to access information, often fuelled by a deep understanding of their target’s identity. Underlying this is the sharing of knowledge and consumers’ personal information across marketplaces on The Dark Web.”

Marsden went on to state: “Consumers must take steps to protect themselves from falling prey to fraudulent behaviour. People are without doubt confused about where to store and share confidential information like their bank account number, sort code and even their date of birth. As consumers seek the convenience and speed offered by digital correspondence, so they potentially position themselves in front of fraudsters who will steal this information to gain access to accounts and financially exploit individuals.”

According to Marsden, data shared on The Dark Web cannot be treated as a one-time event. The data never truly vanishes and can spread globally in a short amount of time, enabling criminals to fraudulently takeover accounts and identities.

“To reduce the risks and damage associated with fraudulent activity,” observed Marsden, “more needs to be done to educate the public and give them a stronger chance of protecting themselves. The advice is very clear: remain vigilant and only share your details when you’re sure the channel is secure.”

It’s worth bearing in mind the following guidelines when handling personal information:

1. Do not do your online banking in public places and definitely do not use public Wi-Fi (criminals can set up bogus public Wi-Fi ‘hotspots’ to access devices and information)
2. Never respond to unprompted banking messages unless you are absolutely certain the request is genuine (ie when you have spoken with your bank to confirm)
3. Be very aware of domain names online and the security signs visible in a browser. Make sure you log on to a banking website at a web address you know and not via a link
4. Never provide any banking details to a third party you don’t know or are unsure about (in part or as a whole)
5. Avoid unnecessarily sharing details such as your name, address and date of birth

Advent IM outlines detail for ‘Cyber for the C-Suite’ Breakfast Seminar

A breakfast seminar created exclusively for business leaders and senior Board members seeking guidance on the present cyber security threat is to be run by security consultancy Advent IM at the company’s Training Centre near the M5, Birmingham on 7 December.

With many years’ experience in senior level consulting, training and mentoring, the seminar will be delivered by Advent IM’s managing director Mike Gillespie, who’s also director of cyber strategy and research for The Security Institute. As a director, Gillespie understands the place of senior leadership in cyber resilience and risk management.

The seminar is designed to promote and enhance understanding of the organisational threats that Boardrooms need to factor into resilience strategies. Attendees will also have first access to places on the forthcoming training course, again exclusively for senior leaders and the C-Suite, which will start in March 2017.

Gillespie informed Risk UK: “The cyber threat landscape is high on the agenda of all Boardrooms. Many businesses have felt the impact of cyber attack, either directly or through supply chain partners. No size of business is immune and no kind of service spared the attackers’ attentions, with even hospitals being struck by ransomware.”

He added: “Recent research suggests that 82% of businesses say security is a CEO or Board-level concern, with two-thirds suggesting that they’re increasing cyber security spend. The additional spend is great, but without leadership and solid strategy it may not achieve anything near its potential, and cyber risk may not be reduced. We absolutely have to make sure Boardrooms are well briefed and understand how to go about effective cyber risk management.”

*Details of the seminar and how to book can be found at: http://www.advent-im.co.uk/breakfast-seminar-7th-december-cyber-security-awareness-for-business-leaders/. Alternatively, telephone 0121 559 6699 or 0207 100 1124 or send an e-mail to: bestpractice@advent-im.co.uk