A Tale of Two Cities

Recently  two U.S. cities, a continent apart,  found their way into the news. Both are in the preliminary stages of putting together a policy that would allow them to tap into video footage from privately owned digital and IP camera systems in order to aid police in their investigations.

While the proposed laws appear similar at first glance, there are substantial differences. One is seeking voluntary compliance, and pertains to cameras already in place, while the other is mandatory, requiring certain citizens to install cameras or face a fine, or possibly a stint in jail.

But these cities, White Plains, New York, and San Jose, California, do have one thing in common. This author has called each home at different phases of her life.

San Jose
Back in January, the San Jose Mercury News reported that a city council member had submitted a proposal that would ask anyone with a security camera to voluntarily register it for inclusion on a security camera database to be maintained by the San Jose Police Department.  Should a robbery, assault, or any other crime be committed in the neighborhood, the police could then be able to remotely tap into the feeds of IP camera security systems, or if the cameras happen to be analog, owners would hand over discs containing the actual video.

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White Plains
In February, the White Plains Common Council  unanimously passed Ordinance 4.25 which requires certain merchants to install and maintain digital video and IP camera surveillance systems to record and store high resolution video of everyone who comes onto the premises, and to make it available to the White Plains Police Department should they need it while investigating a crime in the vicinity.

Affected businesses include

• pharmacies
• pawn shops
• businesses licensed to sell alcohol
• check cashing concerns
• licensed second hand dealers who buy and sell precious metals 
• bars and any business that stays open between midnight and 4 A.M.

A Bit of Background
San Jose, whose population has doubled since 1970 when the first seeds of Silicon Valley started crowding the almond and apricot orchards that dotted the city. Although, like all cities it had its pockets of  crime, overall, San Jose, not long ago, was reputed to be one of the country's safest cities.

 Recent years, however have seen crime rates soar. Accordingly many homeowners have equipped their properties with security cameras.

It was the footage from several of these cameras that was key in helping police identify a prime suspect allegedly responsible for the fires in Liccardo's district.  However, since they had to go knocking on doors to find people with cameras, who knows how many fires might have been prevented had police been able to access them immediately following the fire. This gnawing question  led  Liccardo  to submit the proposal whose fate has yet to be decided.

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White Plains, while nowhere near the size of San Jose, is the county seat for Westchester County, an

affluent northern suburb of New York City. White Plains' downtown business district had fallen on hard times in the 1970's and '80's due to the rise of shopping malls and big box stores luring customers to surround areas. In the past 15 - 20 years developers, including Donald Trump have built luxury high rise apartments and hotels,





and Mamaroneck Ave, once a shopping street is now lined with upscale sidewalk

cafes, restaurants, and lively bars and clubs.







One thing remains constant, however. The downtown area always was and still is plagued by crime. As in San Jose, it was a member of the Common Council who came up with a camera sharing idea. However this law is mandatory and gives business proprietors  until  February 2015 to equip their establishments with digital or IP camera security systems capable of recording quality video with resolution sufficient to distinguish facial features, and to share it with police upon demand

Citizen Concerns

Some critics of the San Jose proposal complain that the plan would set a precedent of privatizing surveillance. Others do not like that the police would have 24/7 access to the footage and while sorting through it would be able to monitor private areas.

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What makes White Plains' law more controversial than San Jose's is that it's mandated and only applies to certain citizens, namely the approximately 250 businesses who will have to invest an estimated $1,000 to $2,000 for cameras and digital or IP recording systems. The cost of non-compliance is a possible jail sentence of up to 15 days plus a fine of $250 a day until the system is up and running.

Official Take

Officials on both coasts have been quick to chime in with their support.

According to the McClatchy News Service, San Jose retired judge La Doris Cordell has gone on record saying she sees the proposal as a natural extension of existing technological advances that already provide the police with video. She cites the smartphones with which witnesses readily record and volunteer video to the police, and the body-worn cameras with which San Jose will soon be outfitting police officers.

As for the privacy issue, she discounts it, seeing it not so much an "intrusion on privacy" but rather as a way for San Jose residents to "know what's going on in their neighborhoods."

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Meanwhile White Plains Police Chief James Bradley was an early supporter, as evidenced by work-session remarks to the Common Council, ( reported by local paper, Journal News) saying that the use of video "is one of the growing trends in our profession. It has helped us solve a number of high profile crimes more quickly.......When a case is in court, juries ask for DNA and video."

Since San Jose has yet to yay or nay the proposal, and the White Plains Ordinance will not take effect until February 2015, the question of how it all will play out cannot be answered. Meanwhile, should you have questions about IP cameras, IP access control systems, or IP intercoms, you can visit the Kintronics website and fill out one of our information  request forms, or if you prefer to call, the number is 914-944-3425

Yet Another Reason Banks Need to Install IP Camera Surveillance Systems at Their ATMs

We can never cease to be amazed at the devious means ATM hackers use to get their hands on cold hard cash, or perhaps, since these are ATMs, we should say, cool, crisp twenties. However, installing IP camera security systems can stem the flow.

Respected blogging sites, Gizmodo and  ZDNet both posted entries this week, lamenting the fact that too many banks still run their core services on the soon-to-be-retired Windows XP operating system. (That's soon - as in this April 8!)  What this means is that come April 9 Microsoft will cease to issue patches and fixes. This is scary news for every facet of banking, but great news for hackers who can hardly wait. According to researchers at Symantec, over 95% of ATMs run on XP.

As for the hackers, it looks like a few couldn't wait.

Enter Backdoor. Ploutus

An XP vulnerability was discovered in Mexico, giving rise to Backdoor.Ploutus, a malware quickly written to take advantage of it. So fast has it spread, that the English language version Backdoor.Ploutus.B has crossed the border. The scheme involves using a smartphone to remotely control an ATM. Once the phone has been connected to the ATM, all the hacker ring has to do is text instructions to the compromised ATM and go collect the cash.

Enter A Fix - An IP Camera Security System
We interrupt this blog to point out that if  ATMs are monitored by an IP camera surveillance systems and  IP camera recording software, the hacker doing the grunt work of drilling into, or prying open an ATM to attach the phone can be detected, and authorities alerted. Failing that, at least an IP recording system can provide forensic evidence. And that would be the end of the story.

 But sad to say, that's not always the case. Not all ATMs are so equipped, so here's what happens.

The Logistics of Backdoor.Ploutus

The foot soldier hacker first  has to physically get  into the workings of the ATM to reach its USB port to attach the phone via a USB cable, thus creating a shared Internet connection through which it will send SMS commands to the phone, making the phone a virtual accomplice. The phone will then convert the SMS messages into network packets and send them through the USB cable to the ATM.

• The  first SMS will contain an ID code which will unleash Backdoor.Ploutus.B 
• The second will send a valid release command instructing the ATM to dispense the money. And of course, wouldn't you just know -  another foot soldier hacker will just happen to be there to take the money and run.

Meanwhile, Back to the Bank

Banks still running Windows XP still have time to do one of two things, or even better - both.

• upgrade to Windows 8
• install a covert IP camera

Whether you're a banker or not, Kintronics has all the information you need to help you choose the best IP camera systems to fit your needs. Ad if you're looking for  IP door access control  or PA over IP we can help there too. Give us a call at 914-944-3425 or fill out an information request form and a sales engineer will get right back to you.

IP Cameras and Commuter Trains

The title of our post last week posed a question, "Will We Soon See IP Camera Systems
on Metro North Trains?"








 Yesterday, we received the answer, and the news can be characterized as

• Good : Metro North will be getting video cameras
• Better:  So will the Long Island Railroad 
• Hurry up and wait.  A Request for Proposal must be issued

In the words of Thomas K. Prendergast, CEO and Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority which bears responsibility for the operation of  the Metro North and Long Island Railroads, NYC subways

and buses, as well as a good portion of the areas toll bridges and tunnels, "The MTA is committed to safety at all its agencies. We will be systematically implementing the recommendations put forward by the NTSB and other regulators to ensure the best practices are adhered to throughout the MTA family."

So what does this mean in terms of IP camera surveillance systems and the  railways? It means they will be installing 1,769 outward- and inward-facing video cameras in all their locomotives as well as  926 rail car cabs on the LIRR and 843 on Metro North. Since the primary purpose of the video cameras is to provide forensic data to aid investigators, should future incidents or accidents occur, all video will need to be recorded and stored, so they will also be including network video recorders as well.

You may have noticed we underlined systematically in Mr. Prendergast's quote. That's because it explains the hurry up and wait aspect.  In the majority of cases, before assigning a project to a vendor, a bid or Request for Quote (RFQ) goes out and the contract is awarded to the company who comes in with the lowest price.  However, due to the complexity of this operation, a more detailed procurement procedure, a Request for Proposal is called for. In the case of a RFP, the job is awarded based on  a vendor's technical expertise, performance on similar projects, company resources, and cost.

Here is why we won't be seeing those IP camera security systems for a while:

• Railroad representatives must attend a  meeting  of the MTA board of directors, scheduled for Monday, March 24 to seek permission to issue a RFP.

• If approved, Metro North and LIRR project managers and their respective teams will then meet to work out the scope of the work to be done, technical specs, and the contract wording.

• Metro North's procurement department must advertise the RFP

• Interested vendors must submit their proposals

• Metro North must review the completed RFP packets in which vendors submit design and manufacturing details, costs, offer information  about their company, workforce and hiring practices, and project expected delivery and completion dates.

• Announcement will be made of the winning bid.

• Installations will be scheduled. 

So that's where it stands at present. Meanwhile, should you be in need of information about IP camera systems or IP recording systems contact Kintronics at 914-944-3425 and a sales engineer will be glad to answer all your questions. or if you prefer, fill out a request for information form and someone will respond promptly. 

Will We Soon See IP Camera Systems on Metro North Railway Trains?

Americans are turning to public transportation in large numbers.  According to a press release issued by  The American Public Transportation Association, more than 10.65 billion trips were taken in 2013. That’s the highest ridership since 1956 which coincidentally was the year Dwight D Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act, leading to the construction of miles of new roads and the subsequent rise of the suburbs.

Unfortunately, here in the metropolitan New York area, where public transportation is the choice of many commuters, this  news was tempered  by press coverage of numerous train incidents some resulting in multiple deaths and/or  injuries. The most serious and frightening occurred early in the morning of December 1, 2013 when a Metro North commuter train failed to negotiate a sharp curve and derailed, killing 4 passengers and injuring over 70.

It has been established that the train approached the curve in the Spuyten Duyvil sction of the Bronx at a speed of 82 mph whereas the speed limit at that point is actually 30 mph. Further questions involve whether the engineer night have dozed off, or as his lawyer phrased it “went into a daze.”

If we are to go by recent press events, it may be likely that one day soon we’ll see IP camera surveillance systems on board trains. The timeline of demands and recommendations played out like this.

December 8, 2013 

Posing the Question

Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut held a Sunday morning joint press conference in Grand Central Station. 

  (Personal disclosure – yours truly just happened to be passing through at the time and came upon them!)

The senators each beseeched the Federal Railroad Administration to require cameras be installed in train cabs, pointed at the train operator as well as at the tracks, Schumer saying“ Inward facing cameras may help railroad managers detect dangerous patterns amongst engineers ahead of time, and also help investigators determine the cause of a future rail accident."

Blumenthal’s opinion was

“Audio and video recording tools can help prevent operator error and equipment failure.”

This was not the first cry for IP camera security systems and IP camera recording software to be installed in an effort to improve rail safety. The national Transportation Board, the very agency conducted the investigation of the Bronx derailment had been petitioning the Federal Railroad Administration for on-board cameras since 2008 when a train accident in California took 25 lives.

January 12, 2014

Receiving an Answer

Senators Blumenthal and Schumer were back at Grand Central for another press conference in which they announced they'd received a letter from a Federal Railroad Administration official updating them on the measures that were being taken. 

According to NBC News4 in New York, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo said the Association of American Railroads initiated a safety camera pilot program in early 2013 and that his agency has been monitoring the benefits.Based on what they’d seen, the Railroad Administration planned to propose a rule that would require video cameras be installed in all trains.

Several railway systems including Amtrak have been using cameras to record crossings and signals but should another incident occur, even a minor one, data recovered using IP camera recording systems would provide forensic evidence that could be used to remedy unsafe driver practices or infrastructure insufficiencies.

  

February 18. 2014 

Recommendations Made

Regulators from the National Transportation Safety Board, based on its investigation of the fatal Metro North accident made a formal recommendation that new speed limit signs be posted along the tracks and that network video recorders be installed on every train.

 The New York Daily News quoted  NTSB Chairperson Deborah A.P. Herschberg as saying in a press release “The images and audio captured by recorders can be invaluable to our investigators…..Understanding what is happening inside the cab just prior to a crash can provide crucial information about how to prevent future accidents.”

With that Senator Schumer was back at Grand Central Terminal and we’ll let him have the last word.

 “With these recommendations, the NSTB is confirming what we’ve said all along. Inward and outward facing cameras will greatly improve safety on Metro North and all other railroads.

Whether you're a senator, business owner, school or hospital administrator or security director, if organization needs or is thinking of installing IP camera security systems, Kintronics can help you design one to fit your needs. Call 914-944-3425 to speak to a sales engineer or fill out a form to request information.

DHS and a National License Plate Tracking System: Gearing up For A Monumental Database

It looks like the Department of Homeland  Security  is moving quickly toward adopting “recognition technology” throughout its various agencies. In our last post we discussed how its research arm, the DHS Science & Technology Directorate, was in the midst of a project to determine how and what type of Facial Recognition Technology could best serve U.S. airports and other high risk venues.  Well now we see that another DHS agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),  is moving forward with implementing License Plate Technology (LPR).

Last month, ICE issued a request for bid for a national license plate tracking system. They are looking for a private company that will be able to compile and store a data base containing copious amounts of information culled from license plate readers used by police departments, parking violations bureaus, and car repossession companies nationwide.

A typical License Plate Recognition system consists of

• ·         A high speed digital camera such as an IP camera with a fast shutter speed to minimize blur.
• 
  
• ·         Infrared (IR) light, since it can illuminate the license plate day and night yet remain invisible to the eye.
• 
  
• ·         A computer to run the LPR software
• 
  
• ·         LPR software with algorithms that dictate a sequence of instantaneous processes starting with seeking out the license plate from all the other shapes of the vehicle, isolating the characters, and finally translating them into an alpha-numeric form the computer can recognize (Optical character recognition).

According to The Washington Post, the bid specified that

 “The government would prefer a close-up of the plate and a zoomed-out image of the vehicle”   which would go into a case file report that would include maps and registration information, as well as the car’s make and model.”

When the proposed database is in place, all an ICE agent  need do is snap a shot of a license plate with his smartphone to gain immediate 24/7 access to information which can link the plate to relevant lists and information concerning the car and its owner.  Since a database linked to a national license plate tracking system  could ostensibly contain upwards of one billion records,  it has raised privacy concerns.

 ICE emphasizes that the use of the database will reduce the time it takes to conduct  manned surveillance operations and will be strictly limited to cases under ongoing investigation or to searches for wanted individuals. DHS hopes that the way the system will function, with a commercial entity doing the actual data collection and storage rather than a law enforcement or government agency will further assuage privacy fears.

If you’d like to read more on the subject of License Plate Technology, head on over to Technology Notes Kintronics' monthly e-newsletter and check out

  License Plate Technology, a Twenty-First Century Way of Life 

and 

Speed Cameras, There’s More Than Meets the Eye.

If you're in the market for recognition technology or an IP camera, please call and talk to a Kintronics sales engineer who will be glad to answer all your questions. Call Kintronics at 914-944-3425 or fill out an information request form and we’ll get right back to you.

Facial Recognition Technology May Soon be Part of Your Travel Plans

Now that the 2014 Winter Olympic Games have passed into history, we can exhale in relief that they passed without any of the fears of terrorism coming to fruition. Some credit should be given to the Sochi

International Airport’s use of Facial Recognition Technology  (FRT) to screen the thousands of athletes, spectators, and employees entering secure areas.  Several other Russian airports employ the technology, and airports around the world are mulling over how they can use it as well.

Here in the U.S, the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate, which oversees all R&D, tests, and evaluations is gearing up to make Facial Recognition screening a permanent part of our travel plans as well.

 The Directorate serves on two fronts. 

• On the one hand, they gather input from DHS agents, law enforcement  and other emergency responders on what can be done to best prepare them for the risks they face day in and day out.
• With this information in hand, they set out to find who in the private sector, research labs, or academic world has the technology to make it happen.

To this end, the Directorate has commissioned an initial FRT evaluation project with the intent of determining  how and which:

• ·         how FRT can be put into place, not only at airports. but at all levels of government, and
• ·         which software companies employ algorithms that can best aid first responders .  

Since the intent of the study is more to evaluate the technology than to pinpoint a setting or application, the first step they took was to gather neutral video footage, choosing to film attendees at minor league hockey games in Washington State. 

The hockey arena fits the bill, in that it offers crowds of people funneling through ticket collection areas or milling about at refreshment stands; a similar milieu to airports, cruise ships, transportation hubs, inaugurations, and other functions that could be targets.

Attendees were given the opportunity to opt out. Only a handful did. The next step was to pair the actual images with fictional profiles of the volunteer participants to be used to compile a database. This is all part of the how stage, and as of this writing, that's where they remain.

However, once they have the data standardized, and know exactly what test methods they will use, DHS will begin the which stage, sending out a call to selected manufacturers for the algorithms their FRT software products use.  The various algorithms will then be applied to the collected data to test the strengths and weaknesses of each of the FRT products. 

A major determining factor will be the percentage of successful matches made vs. false positive matches. After all, isn’t that what’s it all about?

For information on facial recognition technology or IP cameras, call Kintronics at 914-944-3425 or fill out an information request form and a sales engineer will contact you. 

Capturing the Heat of the Sports Moment

It looks like television has discovered thermal imaging technology. Last post we reported on how NBC News used a thermal camera to illustrate how much heat can escape from even the warmest winter clothing during the “Polar Vortex”. Well, on February 2, also known as Super Bowl Sunday, Fox Sports hopped  on board the thermal  imaging train.

Thermal Imaging Cameras At Super Bowl XLVIII

 In addition to the 79 cameras that brought viewers action on the field, they installed  one more, a high-definition, military grade thermal imaging camera to demonstrate just how much body heat players were losing to the field, and how wind chill affected their flexibility, range of motion, and stamina. 

Fox/Flir Image

IR Cameras at The World Series
Super Bowl XLVIII was not the first time Fox Sports has called in thermal imaging. Last year, during the World Series, they also used  the technology to see temperatures in warm weather. IR cameras caught the heat of the friction generated when bat collides with ball, or ball with a player or his protective gear. 

The way Fox set up the cameras – one on each side of home plate to cover right-handed, as well as left-handed batters, plus one in the front, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to see how thermal imaging might pick up things an umpire’s vision could miss. For instance, whether the pitch that almost hit the batter's arm wasn't an almost at all. Friction is friction and the camera would pick it up. So, might thermal imaging be part of  the instant replay of the future?

Take a look at this sequence of pictures capturing Adrian Beltre "striking out."  When it careened toward third base, both the umpire and Fox announcer Joe Buck agreed it was a strike. But watch the IR friction-heated ball as it leaves the bat. 

 Was it a strike or did he foul it off his foot?

Thermal Cameras at the Daytona 500

It certainly would seem that when Fox latches on to a technology it likes, it spreads the wealth. The network first brought thermal imaging cameras to NASCAR races in 2011 at the Daytona 500 with the intention of illustrating that the heat from the engines of a pack of cars  forces the cars behind to back off a bit lest their engines overheat.

But let's here it in their own words as found in their Daytona 500 on Fox Broadcast Guide

Infrared Cam

Introduced in 2011 during Fox Sports Coverage of the 53^rd Daytona 500, the network unveiled an infrared cam , a special camera designed to register variations in the heat signature of objects in its line of site. A unique feature during the race-cast demonstrates extreme temperatures that develop during typical racing conditions. Additionally, the Fox Sports infrared camera can reveal  the on-track grooves cars are using, as well as the difference between tires about to be changed compared to fresh replacements.

IR Cameras and Security

But there’s a time for fun and games and a time for safety and security, and this is where IR cameras come in to their own. Since they rely on heat rather than light they are perfect for monitoring dark areas and serve as a perfect companion to your conventional IP camera surveillance system.

Let's pause for a review.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Not all energy in the electromagnetic spectrum is visible to the human eye, only visible light. Light is actually energy, and although all light travels at the same speed, 186,000 miles per second, wavelengths and frequencies differ, accounting for the different levels of energy in each of the seven divisions of the spectrum.
Visible light is but a small portion of the entire spectrum, radiating about midpoint between Gamma Rays , X-rays, and Ultra-Violet light, all having shorter wavelengths and  longer frequencies. On the other side we have Infrared light, Microwaves, and Radio waves all with increasingly longer wavelengths and shorter frequencies.  Infra-red’s longer  wavelengths and  shorter frequencies lack energy sufficient to stimulate the cones in our eyes, responsible for processing visible light.

A conventional IP cameras is similar to the human eye. Its lens works only with visible light, capturing and focusing it on the image sensor which processes a digital image  But an Infrared camera is able to detect heat or thermal energy, convert it to an electronic signal and process it into a thermal image that  shows a range of temperatures. And it bears mentioning that everything on the planet gives off a degree of heat.

An  IR illuminator is used in conjunction with infra-red cameras and serves a dual purpose. It floods the dark area with sufficient infra-red light needed by the camera’s IR len and IR sensor, and thanks to IR light's invisibility as far as the human eye is concerned, allows surveillance monitoring operations to remain covert.

Should you have need for infrared cameras or conventional IP cameras, visit us at www.kintronics.com, call Kintronics at 914-944-3425, or fill out an information request form and you’ll be contacted promptly so we can answer your questions and give you all the info you need.