Blogs

Nineteen years of security precedent are overturned this week as the TSA repeals the rule requiring passengers take off their shoes for security screenings. Foul things are afoot with this recent ruling that much is sure. I can’t say it hurts my feelings to not have to go through the extra effort of removing my shoes every time I go through airport security anymore. Any frequent flyer can recognize the TSA line for the inconvenient quagmire of human misery that it appears to be. However,...

As Americans get ready to celebrate the nation’s 249th birthday this Fourth of July weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warn law enforcement officials to be on alert for what the agencies call “lone wolf attacks” in light of recent attacks at home and abroad. Intelligence bulletins released this week by the FBI and DHS say that these lone wolf attacks pose the biggest threats to July 4 celebrations across the U.S.,...

This week the security industry showcases the latest in theft protection and prevention at NRF Protect 2025. Judging by how eye watering my last grocery bill was I’d say retail entities attending the National Retail Federation's (NRF) conference have a lot of expensive merchandise to protect. The battle to deter theft has two front lines as well now, thanks to the explosion of online retail. We should also consider that the rise of AI-assisted tools has...

Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw spent his entire career looking to avoid getting picked off, but he could not avoid getting intercepted by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. The 76-year-old FOX NFL Sunday broadcaster was the “chosen one” to get screened prior to boarding a flight on June 16. Bradshaw’s traveling companion decided to film the entire TSA screening process to share on social media,...

Drones are in the news this week, and while not as much as some other topics, I had a fool’s hope that they would remain separate. They didn’t obviously, but we’ll get there. Last week the White House issued two executive orders aimed at expanding commercial and public safety use of drone operations domestically and establishing a drone task force to evaluate drone threats. That preceding sentence is as innocent as it could possibly be written and if you can’t...

It appears that federal immigration authorities are utilizing state and local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. as a conduit to help their mass deportation efforts, and a manufacturer of license plate readers is caught in the middle. A report released by independent website 404 Media on May 27 revealed that state and local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigations by using AI-powered automatic license plate reader...

No news is good news as they say, but "they" are wrong, and I think we could use some exciting developments to shake things up. Okay, that came out slightly more cursed than I was intending, I realize that things are a little too exciting all the time right now, but I mean in a fun way, not a log into my email and see just what went wrong today way. There have been a couple of high-profile acquisitions of course, but I see that all the time now. Show me the exciting new tech! Show...

Ah yes, I’m channeling Timbuk 3 and the band’s only hit from 1986 to represent the excitement I’m feeling after the recent unveiling of the second annual Security Systems News Emerging Leaders Under 40 digital yearbook!   This stellar Class of 2025 features 16 of the most talented, dedicated, hardworking security professionals in the industry right now, each of whom has already made quite an impact not only on the companies they work for, but also the industry as a...

This week in Monitoring Matters, we look at all the money flowing through the border, namely out of our pockets and toward the border. That’s right, President Trump’s recently released discretionary budget has no room for science, art, or education, but a blank check for so called border security enforcement. Towards which end the administration has called for 20,000 new ICE agents who, according to current events, don’t answer to the courts. To say the situation...

After Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement this week restricting phone use in K-12 schools throughout New York State, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, it’s time to revisit a topic I addressed in a blog almost a year ago.  Hochul’s decree, which will take effect in the fall as part of the agreement on the FY 2026 State Budget, will see the implementation of bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones throughout the entire school day. As a result, Hochul envisions “distraction-free”...