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Worshippers Cite Safety Fears as Violence Drives Security Reassessment at Religious Institutions
Rising concern about violence at places of worship is changing how Americans attend religious services and accelerating security upgrades across faith-based institutions, according to new survey findings. Nearly half of regular worshippers say they feel less safe attending in-person services, highlighting an operational challenge for religious leaders seeking to balance openness with physical security. In response to a Security Guys News query, Verkada shared findings from ne
Sarah o'Neill
1 day ago3 min read
From School Shootings to Stadium Safety: AI-Driven Screening Is the Next Layer of Physical Security
The new school year in the United States has opened with grim numbers: 47 shootings on K–12 grounds so far in 2025. That reality is driving districts to look for security measures that move faster than traditional checkpoints but avoid turning campuses into fortress-like spaces. Toronto-based Xtract One is one of the firms stepping into that demand. Its screening systems are designed to let students walk through carrying laptops and backpacks while software sorts routine item
Freddie Bolton
1 day ago2 min read
Borders Under Pressure: How AI Firms Are Now Redefining Screening
Travelers in the U.S. just got some relief: shoes no longer have to come off at airport security checkpoints, following a successful pilot that went live nationwide. But this small comfort comes at a moment of rising debate over how people are screened at borders. While efficiency is critical to keeping lines moving, lawmakers are raising alarms over the rapid expansion of biometric tools like facial recognition. The tension between flow, security, and civil liberties is res
Paul Epstein
1 day ago2 min read
Surveillance & CCTV
UK Supermarket Iceland Trials Facial Recognition to Combat Retail Crime
UK supermarket chain Iceland has begun piloting facial-recognition technology in two stores as part of a wider crackdown on theft and violent incidents. The rollout, first reported in trade outlets, uses systems from British vendor Facewatch to identify repeat offenders at the point of entry. The trial is underway at stores in Bradford and Salford , with plans to expand to six locations by October 2025. Under the system, faces of shoppers are scanned and compared against a
Ellie Goldman
1 day ago2 min read
Facial Recognition Breakthrough: How Greenwich Police Caught a SIM-Swap Scammer
In Connecticut, a SIM-swap fraud case took a surprising turn—thanks to facial recognition tech. Victims often never see their stolen banking funds again, especially when fraudsters hit multiple states. But in this instance, technology helped close the loop. Late last year, a resident in Greenwich was locked out of her bank account after a SIM swap—a type of scam where the perpetrator hijacks your phone number to reset passwords and drain funds. Over $37,000 vanished in Housto
Freddie Bolton
2 days ago2 min read
EU AI rules and fall travel surge put facial recognition under an audit spotlight
Across airport checkpoints and municipal CCTV pilots, NEC, SAFR and Thales are pitching upgraded facial recognition to speed lines and harden access, a push that matters now because compliance clocks are tightening while peak travel and event seasons strain watchlists and staffing. Buyers and operators will live with the results long after the ribbon cutting. Why this matters now Holiday traffic planning overlaps with new policy guidance and procurement cycles, which means sy
Paul Epstein
Jan 223 min read
Airport & Border Control
Paul Epstein
1 day ago
Paula Vettori
5 days ago
Sarah o'Neill
Jan 27
Emergency & Disaster Response
From School Shootings to Stadium Safety: AI-Driven Screening Is the Next Layer of Physical Security
The new school year in the United States has opened with grim numbers: 47 shootings on K–12 grounds so far in 2025. That reality is driving districts to look for security measures that move faster than traditional checkpoints but avoid turning campuses into fortress-like spaces. Toronto-based Xtract One is one of the firms stepping into that demand. Its screening systems are designed to let students walk through carrying laptops and backpacks while software sorts routine item
Freddie Bolton
1 day ago2 min read
Minneapolis School Shooting Highlights Critical Role of Tactical Maps for First Responders
The Minneapolis tragedy has once again pushed parents and educators to confront the ongoing crisis of school safety in America. During morning Mass, a 23-year-old gunman opened fire, killing two children and wounding more than 20 others before taking their own life. While many schools now look to sensors, cameras, and monitoring systems to detect threats, another piece of the puzzle is ensuring first responders have the right information the moment they arrive. Delays in loca
Sarah o'Neill
Jan 282 min read
K-12 Security Still Struggles With Fragmentation Despite New ANSI Standard
Schools in the United States face the same challenge year after year: how to keep campuses safe without turning them into fortresses. From physical access controls to behavioral threat assessments, districts are juggling budget gaps, political scrutiny, and community pushback over the right mix of measures. Into this landscape, ASIS International has released a new ANSI-approved school security standard, billed as the first comprehensive framework for K-12 in the U.S. The sta
Paula Vettori
Jan 282 min read
Policing Tech
A Night with Drones and Digital Footprints: Two Policing Tech Stories That Hit Home
We've all seen the slick demos—hovering drones, predictive analytics, AI dashboards. But until you've watched one of those drones skip traffic jams and land a suspect in under two minutes, it’s all theory. I’ve seen two recent real-world deployments that remind security pros why relevance trumps hype. 1. The Drone That Lights the Way—Laredo, Texas In Laredo, I rode along as the local PD dispatched a BRINC drone before officers even draped on their jackets. Within 30–60 second
Freddie Bolton
5 days ago2 min read
Amnesty Gets It Wrong: Why NYPD’s Facial Recognition Network Is a Lifeline, Not a Threat
Amnesty International’s latest campaign against the NYPD claims that 15,280 facial-recognition cameras have turned New York into an “Orwellian city of surveillance.” The charge makes for catchy headlines—but it ignores the operational realities of policing one of the most complex, high-risk cities in the world. Facial-recognition cameras aren’t political props. They are tools. They help investigators cut hours off suspect identification, track organized retail theft rings, an
Paul Epstein
Nov 5, 20251 min read
Police Scotland Charts Careful Path on Facial Recognition
Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) are taking a deliberate, consultative approach to the possible use of live facial...
Paul Epstein
Sep 24, 20252 min read
HLS
Homeland Tech in Focus: Cell Towers, AI and Smart 911 Response
A fresh alarm has rung through U.S. government ranks: nearly two dozen FEMA IT personnel—including top CISOs—have been fired following a massive cybersecurity breach. The action was taken by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who blamed a failure to deploy basic safeguards like multifactor authentication. This stark reminder of systemic vulnerability throws homeland security tech providers into sharp relief—who they are, what they guard, and how they’re shaping resilience at the nati
Ellie Goldman
2 days ago2 min read
Homeland Alert: Israeli Tech at the Frontline of Security
The fallout from Israel’s recent use of AI-driven targeting in Gaza is still rippling through the security world. Supporters argue it proved the power of automation to deliver faster, more precise strikes. Critics counter that machines should never play a role in life-and-death decisions. Either way, the debate has pushed homeland security technology back into the spotlight, raising questions about how far governments should lean on emerging tools to manage threats. For Israe
Sarah o'Neill
Jan 152 min read
Who’s Hired and Who’s Fired: Key Global Moves in Security Leadership
From state governments to enterprise SaaS, the past two weeks brought notable security leadership changes. Organizations under pressure from rising cyber risks, AI-driven threats, and regulatory demands are reshaping executive ranks to strengthen resilience and compliance. Delaware – Aashish Patel, Chief Security Officer Patel is now the permanent CSO for the State of Delaware after serving in an interim capacity. He will direct statewide security policy, disaster recovery, a
Sarah o'Neill
Nov 2, 20251 min read
Schools Trial AI Weapon Detection Systems Amid Rising Safety Concerns
As incidents of violence in public and educational spaces climb, administrators are under pressure to deploy advanced technologies capable of detecting weapons before tragedy strikes. Traditional metal detectors and manual searches are proving insufficient. In response, several U.S. school districts are piloting AI-based weapon-detection systems that analyze video feeds and sensor data to identify threats—and notify authorities—within seconds. One such example is unfolding in
Paula Vettori
Jan 202 min read
Hospitals, Liability and AI: Athena Security Bets on Integrated Screening
Violence in healthcare facilities is on the rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies hospitals as having the highest rate of workplace violence, and the American Hospital Association estimates the annual cost of related incidents exceeds $18 billion. With California now requiring hospitals to install weapons detection systems by 2027, regulatory pressure is accelerating adoption. Athena Security is positioning itself as a beneficiary of that trend. Co-founder and CTO C
Paula Vettori
Nov 4, 20252 min read
Portable Screening Gains Momentum as Fixed Checkpoints Show Their Limits
Security managers are increasingly questioning the limits of traditional fixed checkpoints. Recent incidents at schools, stadiums, and public meetings have underscored the vulnerabilities that appear during high-traffic transitions—morning arrival, dismissal, or pre-event surges—when static lanes create bottlenecks or miss risks altogether. In a written reply to Security Guys, Luca Cacioli, CEO of CEIA USA , said the demand is being driven by three forces: simplicity, mobilit
Ellie Goldman
Nov 3, 20252 min read
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