On The Editor's Desk

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”...

In the category of “how could this happen,” combined with a tinge of irony, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's handbag was stolen by a brazen purse snatcher while dining at a Washington D.C. restaurant on Easter Sunday. Let me address my own question – with two Secret Service officials present in the restaurant, mind you, the thief somehow managed to enter the Capital Burger establishment, sit near Noem’s table, inch closer to the table and use his foot to slide...

It’s time to pack your bags, hop on the plane, and head over to the biggest security industry event of the year. That’s right, it’s ISC West week, which means that nearly 30,000 security professionals - covering access control, video surveillance, AI technologies, alarms, smart home, cybersecurity and so much more - will gather in Las Vegas at the Venetian Expo for a whirlwind couple of days featuring education sessions, awards presentations, corporate functions, a charity run/walk,...

I guess someone must have been reading my mind 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 session features...

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...