Wednesday, November 30, 2011

CONTEST!!! Decipher this and win....



Okay, so I've decided to do another contest.  Some people may be wondering what coded messages and ciphers have to do with security.  Quite simply, none of your secure electronic communications could get done without them.  Plus, who doesn't enjoy a little mental exercise particularly when there is money involved - a $25.00 Amazon.com gift card.  Come on, folks.  It's the holidays.  If you guess wrong, it costs you nothing.  Win and you can use it towards any purchase at Amazon like that book you've been dying to read on your Kindle.

Enough talk.  Here's the message.  Decode it and email the text to scrivenlking@gmail.com.  If you're the first person to solve it, I'll advertise your name as our only winner thus far and email you the gift card.  Easy peasy.  Here's a hint: It's a simple substitution cipher.
jdc9)c9)4ds)9sz21x)z2xs)z214s94!))ud25vx)-25)es4)4dc9)8ced4)q1x)zq1)stqcv)ts)q4)9z8c6s1vfc1e[etqcv!z2t)wc894@)-25)7cvv)es4)q)}+&)ecw4)zq8x)42)Gtq=21!z2t!))jdq1f9)w28)3vq-c1e!

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO: How to Conduct Effective Bag Searches

I've decided to finally post the video I made on how to properly conduct a bag search.  I wanted to do a video to highlight some areas I feel are commonly neglected during these kinds of searches.  Most seasoned professionals won't neccessarily need to watch this video but I do believe it provides a great overview of some of the basics.  This all came about from a search I was subjected to during a recent visit to an amusement park.





Here are some of the pics I promised during the presentation on which illustrate how much insight a proper light and probe can provide.

View of the "concealed carry" partition...The bag comes with a
"universal" holster.
View of a small exterior zipper.  Using the probe to push down
on the anterior nylon aids in revealing more.
View of what I affectionately called "a big gaping hole".  This
is the largest interior portion of the bag.  I have packed
cameras, wallets, books, diapers, etc. ALL in here before.
Here's another link  to the article that started it all:

http://blog.thesecuritydialogue.org/2011/09/nominee-for-worst-bag-check-is.html

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Top 10 MORE Questions To Ask Your Prospective Alarm Company




Not too long ago, fresh out the military, I was an alarm system salesman.  It was a wonderful learning experience that taught me many things.  One of those lessons was "All security companies are not created equal."  People assume, like they do with all major purchases, the most popular or cheaper brand is in fact the better brand.  The majority of the time they learn this is not case.  So, I decided to post some questions for prospective customers to ask when they begin their search for a security company.  (Please note this doesn't just apply to alarm systems.  You can apply these questions to camera systems, access control, locks, etc.)
  1. What areas will this alarm system not cover?  There is an implied belief among some customers that an alarm system protects their entire property.  Have you ever considered what would happen if someone broke into your neighbor's store and punched a hole in the drywall you share?  Do you have a sensor that will pick up the noise or vibration?  Chances are you don't.  The problem with modern security systems is they advertise exactly where you have coverage and where you don't.  Don't believe me?  Walk into a small storefront and notice how many infrared sensors you set off.
  2. What's your apprehension rate in my area?  This is particularly important if you're in an area where burglaries happen a lot.  If someone breaks into nearby businesses who use the popular name brand security service without getting caught, should you be buying from them?
  3. What's your response time to service issues?  What happens if some drunk rams his car into a nearby power pole and kills your alarm system?  Does your system have battery backup until service is restored?  If not, how soon can your company arrive to remedy the issue?
  4. How much do you charge per service calls?  Some companies make a living by selling a crappy installation and billing you every time it breaks and they have to come out and fix it.  You want a company with a good reputation for service and who makes house calls on the cheap.
  5. Can I cancel at anytime?  One of my first sales lead I had was a lady who was opening up a small Internet cafe.  She knew she had a need for the system but was concerned about our price and contract obligation.  The economy was rough and she, like many small business owners, didn't know if she would be in business for 5 days let alone 5 years.  Pick a company who is sympathetic to that.
  6. Are you developing original product lines or selling me something made by the lowest bidder?  I can't tell you how many companies I see selling all sorts of "new groundbreaking technologies" that were developed by a previous competitor just marketed differently.  If they'll lie about the product's origins, they'll lie about anything.
  7. Can I manage my account all in one place online?  Some of you aren't real tech savvy nor like to handle business online.  I totally understand that and encourage you to do what's comfortable for you.  However, if you like doing everything online as much as possible, inquire if they offer online account management.  If you're responsible for a large system and want to track multiple alarms or trouble alerts, it would be extremely helpful to have this capability.
  8. What kind of redundancy do you have for your alarm centers?  Do they transfer alarm monitoring to another facility if the original is affected by natural disaster?  Wouldn't it be a shame if where your building is at there are sunny skies, but the alarm center which is another state several thousand miles away was hit by a blizzard with no power for weeks?  What happens to your alarms?
  9. How much familiarization do your sales personnel get with the product?  Wouldn't you hate being sold a car the car dealer never drove?  How can someone tell you about the quality of their installation and service components if they've never seen them in action?  I would be highly impressed by any company who had new sales personnel going out on these calls with their experienced technicians.
  10. What separates you from everyone else?  Most salesmen will attempt to answer this but usually fail.  Why?  Because they're focused on what their company told them makes them different.  If he or she gives you an honest answer such as "We charge a higher price", he's good to go because he'll follow up with "You get what you pay for in life.  If you want a free root canal, I could give it to you but you won't sleep easy.  We charge more because we're worth more.  We provide better service, a better product that we developed, and a commitment to protecting your business rain or shine.  It took you a while to build this business.  We want to ensure you have a while to enjoy it."

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