SSI launches new cybersecurity division

ROCKLIN, Calif.—Surveillance Systems Incorporated, a security integration company that specializes in system design engineering, project management, and system implementation for physical infrastructure based here, has launched a new cybersecurity division, SSI Threat Protect.

Todd Flowers, president of SSI, said the new division provides service solutions with consultation, management, and remediation for the security of its customers' networks as it aims to secure the technology infrastructure.

“It has become very obvious in the world we live in today that cyber attacks are becoming extremely commonplace,” Flowers told Security Systems News. “As we become more sophisticated, everything is connected, from your smart phone to the thermostat in your building to the refrigerator—these are all devices that are living on Wi-Fi networks and can be hacked.”

With the launch of SSI Threat Protect, Flowers said that the company now offers services that aim to protect clients' technology infrastructure as another layer of security to help IOT devices.

“I believe that within the next five years the physical side of what we do and the cyber side of security will converge, and I want to be there when it happens,” said Flowers. “So there is a ramp-up period of just understanding the market. The analytics and the software will exist where the cybersecurity side is not separate from the physical side. I want to be the type of systems integrator that is very IT heavy.”

Threat Protect adds a line of defense against vulnerabilities related to malicious backdoor access, Denial-of-Service attacks (DoS/DDoS), malicious eavesdropping, IP spoofing, data loss, malware, ransomware, etc., by providing 24/7 detection services to inform network managers about breaches and intrusions. Threat Protect prioritizes and responds quickly to assist in threat remediation, and can be added to legacy networks, adding a dual layer of protection to prior technology investments, said Flowers.

The launch of Threat Protect comes at a time when SSI is experiencing record growth, said Flowers. “We grew last year at a record pace—we were just shy of $25 million—and right now for this year we are tracking for about $31 million, so we are going to far exceed our goal, as we did last year,” he said.

One of the ways the company has achieved this growth, Flowers said, is by focusing on one area. “We still sell schools, and hospitals, and we are diverse in our market, but we are really heavy on the casino side, so we decided—let's be the No. 1 gaming integrator in North America,” he explained. “So we have really narrowed down our focus to gaming and other commercial industrial opportunities that are within Nevada and California. We also just opened an office in Texas with newly hired director of engineering Greg Stowers, who was previously at Honeywell Security Products. And a few months back we launched into Canada.”

Flowers said that this level of focus has allowed the company to streamline processes and “gain a lot of traction,” he said. As a result, SSI has landed some “very significant projects,” he noted, including a $2.1 million job with Cowlitz Casino in Washington, and a $2.2 million project featuring Synectics Synergy software for Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. “Our ability to handle the very large and complex project—it is in our wheelhouse now,” he added.

SSI is also having great success with its non-profit organization, Allegiant Giving, which supports disabled veterans by raising awareness and funding projects, such as the purchase of ActionTrac chairs—all-terrain wheelchairs that are made for the outdoors.

“We moved into a bigger headquarters last year and we made the building an Allegiant Giving Center, so we really built this building around our non-profit, and focus heavily on giving back,” said Flowers. “Since October, we have donated five of those amazing ActionTrac chairs to veterans and others in need.”