Gallagher’s Electronic Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (E-PIDS) now boasts an extra seal of approval having achieving the latest Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) standards, with the Z10 Tension Sensor added to the Catalogue for Security Equipment (CSE) for the first time.
Meeting these latest standards further demonstrates Gallagher’s commitment to delivering high-security solutions for Governments in the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance.
The CPNI is the UK Government’s National Technical Authority for physical and personnel protective security. To gain approval, systems must go through rigorous testing to ensure they meet the required standards outlined by the CPNI and provide the protection needed for the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure.
Gallagher’s latest range of perimeter technology solutions has once again successfully achieved the latest standards and remains in the CPNI’s CSE, with the addition of the Z10 Tension Sensor. The CSE is designed to help organisations choose appropriate physical security equipment that will then protect the assets for which they’re responsible.

Assurance for customers
“To be listed in the CSE provides assurance for all customers, not just those in the high-security and critical infrastructure space,” explained Richard Huison, regional general manager for the UK and Europe at Gallagher. “Businesses of all sizes and industries are adopting the attitude that: ‘If it’s good enough for the Government to use, then it’s good enough for my business as well’.”
Two variations of Gallagher’s Monitored Pulse Fence were tested. Both passed the CPNI’s stringent alarm threshold and full attack testing in an external environment over an eight-month period.
Huison has explained that the results of the false alarm testing over this period demonstrated the reliability of Gallagher’s Monitored Pulse Fence.
“We received a report every month,” affirmed Huison, “and there were no alarm activations that couldn’t be accounted for (ie adverse weather or wildlife interfering with the fence). For the majority of PIDS, these kinds of results are pretty much unheard of and validate precisely why our Monitored Pulse Fence is the ultimate in both deterrence and detection, providing outstanding performance levels for our customers.”
Huison continued: “Gallagher protects more than 800 UK sites with its perimeter technology. A large number of these sites are critical infrastructure or military-focused. Across the UK and Europe, we’re helping to keep the lights on, water flowing and the gas lit. Having a robust and resilient system in place with minimal false alarms is key to a successful solution for these customers.”

Z10 Tension Sensor
Gallagher’s Z10 Tension Sensor was included in the latest round of CPNI testing and proved to be pivotal in achieving the latest standards. The Z10 Tension Sensor measures the mechanical disturbance of a tensioned fence wire to raise an alarm whenever a wire’s deflected during an attack. It continuously measures and reports wire tension in real-time to identify when maintenance is required, or if the security fencing has been damaged in some way.
“Our Z10 Tension Sensor is an absolute game-changer for perimeter detection,” observed Huison. “It adds an extra layer of security to the system that increases the probability of detection over and above the high probability of detection our Monitored Pulse Fence solution already provides.”
Also, the Z10 Tension Sensor takes cyber resilience to the fence line with the HBUS communication protocol, which itself protects against attacks, including sophisticated cyber attacks, between edge devices and control hardware, duly raising alarms if communications are tampered with in any way.
“If an attacker touches a Gallagher Monitored Pulse Fence, it gives them a compelling reason not to touch it again,” noted Huison. “While safe, people are inherently afraid of an electric shock. Over the years, monitored pulse fencing has proven to be the best and most effective intrusion detection and deterrent an organisation can choose at the procurement stage.”
‘Five Eyes’ nations
Gallagher has delivered systems to meet Government compliance standards, particularly so across the ‘Five Eyes’ nations, for more than 20 years now.
“As a responsible manufacturer, we’re committed to attaining the correct approvals and standards across all the markets in which we operate,” explained Kevin Godfrey, strategic business development manager for the UK and Europe at Gallagher. “It’s one of the things we do extremely well.”
Godfrey went on to state: “Achieving CPNI approvals and meeting national standards is recognised and valued by our customers and provides critical infrastructure and Government agencies alike with the assurance they need. It’s Gallagher’s investment in meeting these standards that has given us the longevity and continuity of business here in the UK for more than 25 years.”
Richard Huison concluded by observing that Gallagher is the only manufacturer that sits across multiple categories in the CSE, providing CPNI assurance across the various components that make up the Gallagher system.
“No other manufacturer sits across Access Control Equipment, CAPSS Approved and Detection and Tracking Systems which benefits customers with one robust, assured system from the perimeter to the core. This, along with the fact that Gallagher was invited to work with the Cabinet Office in the development and testing of GovPass, a new functional standard developed to provide one access credential for all Government buildings in the UK, is what sets us apart.”