On The Editor's Desk

I guess someone must have been reading my mind this week at PSA TEC, because a session I attended this week in Denver touched on the topic of our next Security Insights webcast (which is May 29, BTW. Details to follow). That topic – the collaboration among integrators, manufacturers, and end users – was addressed during the State of the Industry panel, a session which I always pay close attention to each year at PSA’s annual gathering of integrators. After all, this annual...

Hollywood just handed out the Oscars for excellence in film. Now it’s the security industry’s turn to showcase its finest. The next few weeks will be jam-packed with awards presentations for security professionals and companies that go above and beyond protecting people and assets. Let’s take a sneak peek at what’s in store on the security awards docket for the rest of the month and into early April. First, the Security Industry Association (SIA) will reveal...

It’s been a busy first month for the Oval Office pen, with President Trump’s arm likely experiencing tennis elbow with all the executive orders he’s signed in the first 30 days of his second term as leader of the free world. Just weeks after sending shockwaves throughout the nation, including in the security industry, by pausing federal grants and loans (though the order was later rescinded), the president made headlines, and heads roll again on Feb. 10, signing proclamations...

I never thought that the worlds of the security industry and professional wrestling would ever cross, until this past weekend! My son and I were watching the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Royal Rumble on Saturday, and one of the matches featured a World Heavyweight title match between the champion, Cody Rhodes, and one of the company’s top “villains,” Kevin Owens, aka KO. Well, much to my surprise, as Owens walked down the aisle for his match, he was sporting a t-shirt...

If you placed a bet that a social media app would be the most talked-about national security topic during Presidential Inauguration week, time to collect your winnings. In the days leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second nonconsecutive term as U.S. president, TikTok shared the spotlight with the incoming leader of the nation as the app’s China-based owner, ByteDance, was given a Jan. 19 deadline by outgoing President Joe Biden to divest itself of TikTok, based on legislation...

Two senseless vehicular attacks to round out 2024 and usher in 2025 made for anything but a happy holiday season for the families impacted by the death and destruction created by two perpetrators with intent to kill. The German Christmas market attack on Dec. 20 killed six people and injured more than 200 in the city of Magdeburg, while a suspected terrorist drove his pickup truck onto Bourbon Street in New Orleans and slammed into revelers on New Year’s Day morning, killing 14 and injuring...

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and over our house, four drones were stirring, with suspicions aroused. Like many of you who live in the northeast, these mysterious drones that continue to invade our skies are leaving me in an unsettled state of mind during the holiday season. And why federal authorities took so long to investigate the source of these drones really does not have me feeling festive heading into what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. This modern-day...

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and reached their destinations safely, without having to stow yourself on an airplane. Yes, New York City is once again the dateline for the latest security fiasco in the place I call home. This latest security escapade took place at JFK Airport on Nov. 26, when an unidentified 57-year-old Russian national miraculously made her way through multiple security checkpoints without valid travel documents or a boarding pass and somehow snuck her way on to a Delta...

After more than 14,000 miles in the air, three cities, three hotels, four train rides and four cab rides, I would say it was well worth the trip. My first journey across the world to Japan was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a mixture of business and pleasure that made for a truly unforgettable week in the “Land of the Rising Sun.” The reason for my trek across the International Date Line and all states, countries and bodies of water along the way was the inaugural Global Press...

More security - or in this case, lack of security - news this week coming out of NYC, and this one falls in the category of “Can’t make this stuff up” regarding the facility where New York’s Finest recruits are trained. This inexplicable blunder took place in the wee hours of the morning on Nov. 2 at the entrance of the state-of-the-art building that houses the New York City Police Academy, which stands a mere three miles from my home. Vandals not only desecrated an...