In addition to Commission Bill Bratton joining the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Ceremony and Banquet Luncheon, New York’s Finest, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Department Kenneth Corey, came out to address Luncheon attendees, and shared some of his experiences and the changes in policing he’s witnessed over his more than three decades of service.

He spoke to his having ‘Learned from the Greats‘ in the business, especially former Commissioner Bill Bratton whom Chief Corey had the pleasure of having been promoted by twice while serving with him!

Furthermore, Chief Corey spoke about the selfless work of all of those who serve in uniform as well as those who support them.

Chief Corey particularly called out and recognized the work of the NYPD TARU Unit Plant 1 (Technical Assistance Response Unit), a Unit responsible for providing ground-breaking technologies and assistance in real-time to identify criminal activity, and in many instances, mitigate it before a tragedy occurs.

TARU enhances the NYPD’s crime-fighting capabilities and investigations by providing technical equipment and support.  They are tasked with assisting units within the department as well as federal, state, and city agencies by providing technical assistance in some of the most high-profile and confidential investigations.

TARU accomplishes its mission by providing video & audio surveillance as well as global positioning software (GPS) installations.  On occasion, members of this unit must perform court-ordered “breaks” where they are tasked to surreptitiously enter a location with a court-ordered warrant to install audio and video equipment without the knowledge of the owner or tenants of said location.

To ensure the department has all the tools necessary to fight crime, this unit is continually evaluating and testing emerging technologies to support the department’s crime-fighting efforts and give investigators the necessary resources.

That includes researching the latest video technologies and capabilities, along with building and maintaining all the equipment that they deploy.  These members are also tasked with protecting valuable assets with specialized video equipment.   

Undercover safety is of extreme importance to the department, so members of TARU install and maintain video and audio surveillance to ensure the undercovers can be remotely monitored during their operations by members of their team for their safety.

To support this mission, these members must utilize their wealth of experience, knowledge, and creativity, as well as a vast number of different technologies.

Video obtained from their cameras has captured numerous shootings, and narcotics operations, and has assisted in obtaining search warrants to seize firearms and narcotics.

Most recently, some of their work has assisted in obtaining and executing several warrants yielding Illegal handguns, heroin, cocaine, and cash.  Five defendants, including a father and son, were indicted by the Queens Grand Jury for Conspiracy and Criminal Sale of a controlled substance. 

Chief Corey lauded TARU’s speed and reach in moving major investigations forward using these new technologies, as well as TARU’s expertise in innovation and courage.

The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Presentation Luncheon was an exclusive event featuring well over two hundred representatives of law enforcement, public safety, and top industry leaders who came together to honor the selfless service of those who stand on the front lines, and those who stand beside them – providing the capabilities and technologies to create a safer world for generations to come. (Continued)

 

NEC National Security Systems (First of Six)

Best Biometric Reader Solution

• NEC Elastic Matching Service

• NEC National Security Systems (NSS), a Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI)-mitigated subsidiary under Special Security Agreement (SSA) with the U.S. Government, provides full-service solutions for large agencies using the intellectual property and resources of the global NEC brand. 

• NEC has partnered with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), and the Department of State (DoS) Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Digitus project in Mexico, to deploy our two most prominent matching engines, AIM XM and AIM-ES, to the AWS cloud environment.

• NEC now introduces the elastic matching capability based on containerized architecture orchestrated by Kubernetes, to provide the cloud-native computing solution for biometric matching.

• This cloud-native architected platform supports the characteristics of cloud computing noted in NIST Special Publication 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing—on-demand, self-service, broad network access; resource pooling; rapid elasticity; and measured services.

 

NEC National Security Systems (Second of Six)

Best Facial/IRIS Recognition Solution

• Expeditionary Identity Intelligence Prototype

• NEC National Security Systems (NSS) is a key solution developer in creating the Marine Identity Intelligence Prototype (EI2P) solution, which enables the collection and matching of a finger, face, and iris biometric data in a denied, degraded, intermittent, and low bandwidth (DDIL) environment.

• Face images are automatically captured using a helmet-mounted camera and submitted wirelessly to a lightweight, body-worn IoT device for matching, with operators being notified of the results, and the included mesh network allows for uploaded data and notifications to be shared across multiple operators within the team.

• NEC’s digital, body-worn solutions provide identity intelligence at the edge, combining NEC’s best-of-breed matching algorithms with cutting-edge wearable cameras.

• The EI2P is a lightweight and portable solution that constantly captures and matches biometrics locally and without the need for communications backend systems, expediting mission-critical information to users in the field.

• The EI2P supports live stream and still photo capture, has a capacity of up to 100K identity records, and is an ideal solution for expanding security perimeter at large gatherings, and identifying known threats (do not admit/bolo/ person of interest list) – all while on the move.

(Learn why NEC’s biometric face recognition technology is used worldwide for fighting crime, preventing fraud, securing public safety, and improving customer experience across a vast range of locations and industries. Courtesy of KKworx, Inc. and YouTube.)

 

NEC National Security Systems (Third of Six)

Best Mobile Security Solution

• Mobile WAY

• Mobile WAY from NEC National Security Systems (NSS) provides a unified cloud platform for rapidly searching federal, state, and local law enforcement biometric databases. Its subscription-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model makes Mobile WAY fiscal-friendly for any size agency.

• Running on the NEC Digital Platform (NDP), the device- and the system-agnostic app supports traditional all-in-one (AIO) biometric mobile devices and newer Android and iOS smartphones, including contactless biometric capture.

• The intuitive experience simplifies searches across systems, and the subscription service eliminates the hassle of license management.

• MobileWay offers Multi-Modal Capture of Face, Finger & More including Contactless Fingerprint Capture, multi-Modal Data Entry, and Reading, including Barcodes, Magstripe, MRZ and SmartCard, and mobile ID platform service for Data Exchange & Reporting.

• It is an agnostic Biometric Mobile App including Android and Apple iOS and multi-modal credential reading including mDL and eMRTD, and supports local WatchList and remote multi-modal searching with the state-of-the-art NEC Biometric Matching Algorithm proven by NIST.

• MobileWay technology can also be extended to support Self-Enrollment use cases with additional technologies such as active/passive liveness detection and issuance authority credential check for remote proofing capabilities.

 

NEC National Security Systems (Fourth of Six)

Best Perimeter Protection System

• Intelligent Perimeter Intrusion Detection System 

• NEC’s Intelligent Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (IPIDS) comprises optical fiber sensing, video camera surveillance, and the application of deep learning-based AI, and is deployed over perimeters, borders, and other boundaries of critical resources, to detect, locate, and prevent physical threats, such as active shooters, terrorists, and kidnappers.

• NEC’s IPIDS technical innovation is its provision of digital, real-time, ubiquitous, accurate, and robust situational awareness to security & safety stewards, while simultaneously saving valuable security resources, such as security personnel, and reducing maintenance, service, and total cost of ownership, even in adverse environments.

• For example, NEC’s IPIDS was recently deployed over the campus perimeter of a K-12 school in the U.S., which had increasing concerns about unauthorized perimeter breaches and the threat of violence.

• Having limited security resources and a vast and complex campus that comprises dense wildlife and foot traffic, the deployment of multitudes of electronic sensors was prohibitive, which would detract from the school’s primary mission: to educate.

• NEC’s IPIDS was selected, because of its integrability with the client’s existing optical fiber-based IT infrastructure, its ability to detect and locate perimeter intrusions to within a few feet via optical fiber sensing, automatically to cue nearby video cameras, apply deep learning-based AI to video, and send alerts to school security stewards via unified communication.

 

NEC National Security Systems (Fifth of Six)

Best Vehicle Security Entrance Control Solution

• Biometric Base Access Management (BAM)

• NEC National Security Systems (NSS) biometric Base Access Management (BAM) provides military installations with fast, accurate identity screening and verification using its award-winning face recognition technology.

• BAM can identify individuals—whether they are on foot or inside vehicles—as they approach Access Control Points (ACPs), secured installation facilities, or restricted areas, without requiring physical identification cards or fingerprints.

• BAM supports the efficient use of personnel and budget resources, as it can be deployed for a variety of uses across the military facility, including, vehicle gate access, pedestrian checkpoints, kiosks, and turnstile gates, as well as common- or restricted-area access and monitoring, office access management, secure/classified location access, watchlists and real-time threat monitoring.

• Additionally, NEC can integrate thermal sensing cameras into BAM to identify elevated body temperatures (EBT) at a distance. BAM can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud using the secure NEC Digital Platform (NDP), which enables remote solution management.

• The platform enables multiple ACPs throughout an entire military base to be managed simultaneously, ensuring secure, efficient base access.

• The accessibility and safety of entry/exit points, common areas, and offices—installation-wide—can be managed through a single system.

• Additionally, BAM can identify pedestrians or individuals through vehicle windshields at entry points of military facilities to help expedite base access and eliminate long wait times and lines, thus reducing soft-target opportunities for bad actors.

• BAM can streamline security operations at entry and exit points at military bases and other locations such as airports, seaports, and border crossings, for an identification solution that reduces long vehicle and pedestrian queues, and approved travelers can gain entry without consistent human intervention, allowing gate guards to prioritize other security interests.

 

NEC National Security Systems (Sixth of Six) 

Best Access Control & Authentication System (**Tie)

• Access Control ID

• In partnership with SIMS Software, NEC National Security Systems (NSS) has produced an Access Control ID solution supporting the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA).

• Each year, IDA hosts many conferences for researchers across the Federally Funded Research and Development Center community, and SIMS lobby software manages hundreds of attendees per conference with different security clearances for secure access.

• By adding NEC’s biometric and biographic capture capabilities, pre-registered attendees can check themselves into a conference at the correct clearance level via contactless methods at a fraction of the time it takes to check in at the security desk.

• The increased security throughout creates higher attendee satisfaction and allows conferences to start on time, all while maintaining the appropriate security posture.

• *AST is delighted to welcome NEC National Security Systems, a 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Multi-Award Champion, as the New PLATINUM Awards Sponsor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

• NEC National Security Systems is a subsidy of NEC Corporation of America (NECAM), which has been recognized for the last Five Consecutive Years in the Annual ‘ASTORS’  Homeland Security Awards Programs, respectively.

 

Netskope

Best Cyber Analytics Solution

• Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge (SSE) Platform

• Netskope, a global cybersecurity leader, is redefining cloud, data, and network security to help organizations apply Zero Trust principles to protect data and offer security that is ready for anything.

• Fast and easy to use, Netskope’s SSE platform provides visibility and real-time data and threat protection when accessing cloud services, websites, and private apps from anywhere, on any device.

• Over 2,000 worldwide customers, including more than 25 of the Fortune 100 and major government agencies, trust Netskope to address evolving threats, new risks, technology shifts, organizational and network changes, and new regulatory requirements.

(What is Security Service Edge (SSE)? Why are legacy security architectures no longer effective? Clear up the confusion and learn about this emerging category that helps improve user experience and security with help from Netskope’s Vice President and Chief Evangelist, Bob Gilbert. Intelligent SSE from Netskope is redefining cloud, network, data security. Courtesy of Netskope and YouTube.)

• Netskope Intelligent Security Service Edge (SSE) converges security capabilities into a single cloud platform and using this solution, enterprises have benefitted from up to an 85% decrease in security risks and exposure, 51% lower costs for appliances, bandwidths, and FTEs and a 19% increase in overall business through better agility (as reported by ESG).

• In a time when organizations are continuously adapting to ever-changing environments and hybrid work, Netskope SSE provides the context that security practitioners and decision-makers need to address those changes, enabling the future of work while empowering safe collaboration and secure agency missions.

• Netskope was named a Leader in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for SSE report, and the company was selected for the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) U.S. Federal Civilian Government contract led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

• As part of the SASE Cloud Infrastructure, USPTO will benefit from a data-centric, cloud-native, and fast security solution that will secure people and data in the cloud without degrading the user experience.

• *Netskope was also recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS; Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

New Jersey City University

Best Cyber Security Education

• NJCU Cybersecurity Program

• The New Jersey City University (NJCU) Cybersecurity Program is an interdisciplinary center for cybersecurity education, training, and research.

• The NJCU Cybersecurity Center aims to provide current and future professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to strive and compete within the cybersecurity community outreach.

• Their students’ foundation is built through their degree programs, certificates, and research opportunities. 

• NJCU is one of the few institutions nationwide to have federal designations in both cyber security and intelligence, having been named an Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) through a grant award from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

• NJCU was also recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

NICE Public Safety (First of Two)

• Best 911 Recording & Analytics

• NICE Inform Elite (Part of the Evidencentral Platform)

• With emergency communications getting more complex, 911 centers need a better way to make sense of growing volumes of incident data.

• In 911 response, every second counts, and delays can endanger lives. Real-time insight into what’s happening, what’s working, and what’s not, has never been more essential. Unfortunately, these insights are often hidden away in data stored in different systems.

(Explore the challenges 911 centers face every day, and the many ways that NICE Inform, one of the solutions in NICE’s Evidencentral end-to-end digital transformation platform, can help. Courtesy of NICE and YouTube.)

• Part of the Evidencentral platform, NICE Inform Elite brings these insights to the surface to help emergency communications center leaders get to the truth faster.

• By providing a single system of record to capture and make sense of growing data, NICE Inform Elite can positively impact service delivery to citizens and reduce staff turnover.

 

NICE Public Safety (Second of Two)

Best Investigation/ Surveillance/Detection

• Evidencentral (Including NICE Justice & NICE Investigate)

• The facts are hard to ignore, with a 4-million-plus backlog in court cases, and thousands of cases dismissed due to evidence problems. And with 90% of digital evidence created in just the last two years, the criminal justice system is struggling to keep pace. How can state, county, and local governments keep communities safe, arrive at the truth faster, and ensure just outcomes?

• The truth is – law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, public defenders, and courts all waste enormous amounts of time interacting with digital evidence – storing it, collecting it, copying it, analyzing it, sharing it, making it playable, even physically transporting it from place to place. They need a more efficient, effective, and fiscally responsive way. 

• NICE’s Evidencentral digital transformation platform can help government entities overcome these obstacles. Evidencentral also connects everyone together, so justice can flow more smoothly, from incident to court.

(Whether you’re prosecuting cases, defending clients, or administering justice, digital evidence is at the center of what you do every day. But as evidence volume and complexity grows, managing it the same old way is bogging you down. It’s creating inefficiencies and backlogs, and getting in the way of delivering timely justice. Whatever your role in the justice process, NICE can help you better manage growing volumes of digital evidence and get to the truth faster. Courtesy of NICE and YouTube.)

• NICE’s Evidencentral Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution digitally transforms how digital evidence is collected, analyzed, and shared, from the time an incident happens until cases are successfully closed and prosecuted. It overcomes the challenges of digital evidence silos and disjointed work processes by integrating systems and enabling justice process stakeholders who rely on digital evidence to work more efficiently on their own and more effectively together.

• *NICE has officially been recognized as a Multiple ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion in all Seven of the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards. Thank you for your continued confidence in AST!

 

Onapsis

Best Vulnerability Management Solution

• Onapsis Assess

• In today’s interconnected IT environments, one misconfigured system or vulnerability can put enterprises at risk, however, traditional vulnerability management tools don’t have specific or adequate coverage for an organization’s most critical applications – the applications supporting financial systems, human capital management, supply chains, supplier relationships, and more.

• Onapsis created a solution specifically designed for business-critical applications. These applications house companies’ crown jewels, touch roughly 77% of the world’s revenue and are extremely valuable targets for cybercriminals.

(Your business-critical applications drive the core operations of your organization, which means changes create risk, especially from cyberattacks. See how Onapsis helps you protect these systems through actionable insight, continuous monitoring, and automated governance. Courtesy of Onapsis and YouTube.)

• Over the last six years, direct attacks on business-critical applications have increased in frequency and severity, and to compound the issue, applications like SAP, and Oracle often contain custom code, making it unrealistic to have a one-size-fits-all security solution. Finally, because business-critical applications are touched by many business areas, security can become an arduous task with unclear ownership, even within sophisticated organizations.

• Specifically designed for applications from SAP, Oracle, and SaaS providers, Onapsis closes this gap by providing vulnerability management and shines a light on the most critical vulnerabilities (including within custom code), as well as how to prioritize them.

• Onapsis Assess – a vulnerability management platform that caters directly to business-critical applications and provides automated assessments, detailed solutions, and descriptions of associated risk, all while streamlining remediation via workflow orchestration and integration into key IT components like ServiceNOW.

• In close collaboration with SAP and CISA, Onapsis Research Labs has discovered over 800 zero-day vulnerabilities, and six U.S. Department of Homeland Security alerts have been based on their novel research.

• When minutes, hours, and days can matter, this is a primary reason why 20% of the Fortune 100, including 3M, Pfizer, Sony, Siemens, and Levi’s, rely on Onapsis to secure their business-critical applications and ensure that crucial routine processes remain up and running smoothly

• *Onapsis is a new competitor to the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Optimal IdM

• Best Identification Management Solution

• The OptimalCloud

• When it comes to identity management for federal governments, organizations need to manage a wide range of accounts with varying levels of access, and they need to be able to respond quickly without sacrificing security.

• Identity management for state governments and local agencies has similar requirements, and these groups often need to keep costs down to stay within budgets. Both require robust IAM systems, like that of the OptimalCloud, to protect organizational and personal data and ensure operational efficiency.

(The OptimalCloud is a scalable and affordable Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution built for the security and usability needs of small, mid-sized, and enterprise organizations. See how it can be deployed in workforce and consumer scenarios, and each feature-rich pricing tier comes with multi-factor authentication because proper security shouldn’t cost extra. The OptimalCloud is integrated with more than eleven thousand applications, simplifying setup and configuration, and also has 24x7x365 support with a guaranteed uptime of 99.99%. Courtesy of Optimal IdM and YouTube.)

• Advantages of the OptimalCloud identity management platform for government agencies include:

• Greater data security: Of course, a robust IAM program can keep PII safe, preventing data leaks and breaches from carelessness or intentional hacking. SSO eliminates the need to write down various passwords, while multifactor authentication adds an extra layer of security to whichever logins deemed appropriate.

• Full compliance: The OptimalCloud takes applicable government regulations in stride. For cloud-based, hybrid and on-premise solutions, we employ the right protocols to help you stay compliant.

• Centralized control: Managing a large staff with varying levels of access or clearance calls for an efficient, centralized method of management, and the OptimalCloud can deliver this, reducing fragmentation from disconnected programs and directories.

• Greater efficiency: By limiting the number of logins, automating provisioning, and improving ease of use for many other tasks, IAM can be a significant component of a more productive workplace and a faster, easier citizen experience.

• At Optimal IdM, they understand the challenges that face government agencies and take steps to address them to provide identification management that government agencies and their citizens can depend on.

• *Optimal IdM is a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Parraid

Best Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Recovery Solution

• Vector Iridium Data Link (VIDL)

• VIDL is an affordable military-grade tactical secure connectivity solution for emergency and disaster responders who require secure voice and data communications where cellular coverage is unavailable.

• Parraid’s Vector Iridium Data Link (VIDL), allows emergency responders to maintain situational awareness through text messaging, map icons, and event reporting.

• Designed specifically for Disaster Response, Emergency First Responders, Border Security, Maritime, and Public Safety, VIDL delivers no-fail real-time situational awareness, in a portable ruggedized, lightweight command and control system using the Iridium satellite communications network.

(Parraid’s VIDL, the first affordable military-grade tactical secure connectivity solution for emergency and disaster responders in need of secure voice and data communications where cellular coverage is unavailable, allows users to maintain situational awareness (SA) through text messaging, map icons, and event reporting with an intuitive on-screen operations management application. Courtesy of Parraid and YouTube.)

• VIDL is powered by the Iridium Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation that provides worldwide voice and data communication from hand-held satellite phones and transceiver units.

• By leveraging Iridium Satellite Push-to-Talk technology, VIDL provides situational awareness, data, and voice in a single product with continuous Global & Polar Region Coverage with short transmission paths, strong signals, and low latency. VIDL allows you to always be connected wherever you go.

• *Parraid is also a new competitor to the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

 

Xtract One Technologies (First of Two) 

Best Metal/Weapons Detection Solution (**Tie)

• Patriot One’s Gateway

• Xtract One Technologies (formerly Patriot One Technologies) Gateway solution is a next-generation weapons detection solution that is being used at high-traffic and ticketed facilities such as stadiums, casinos, and other entertainment venues for a secure and seamless patron entry experience.

• Replacing traditional walk-through metal detectors, the Gateway does much more than detect metal – it detects weapons to prevent mass casualty events.

• When placed at the entrance to entertainment events, such as professional sports games, the Gateway allows patrons to complete security screenings by just walking through the pillars, without needing to divest of personal items, and by using AI-powered enhanced target recognition and object position image sensors, it scans patrons for guns, knives, and other prohibited items and weapons, and then alerts security guards if a weapon is detected so action can be taken.

• This next-generation security tool not only enhances physical security at an event but elevates the patron and fan experience. Fans hate waiting in long security lines to get inside a venue, and they hate intrusive screenings even more. With the Gateway, fans don’t need to empty their pockets – they can walk in.

• Therefore the vast majority of the people who aren’t carrying weapons won’t need to stop at all, increasing throughput and decreasing the number of people waiting outside in lines.

(Say goodbye to metal detectors and invasive pat-downs. Patriot One’s unobtrusive patron screening system allows large facilities and locations with high-security requirements to facilitate faster entry security screening while enhancing safety beyond the capabilities of any other existing solution. Courtesy of Patriot One Technologies and YouTube.)

Xtract One Technologies (Second of Two)

Best Pedestrian Entrance Control

• Patriot One’s Gateway

• In multiple third-party assessments, it was found that Xtract One’s Gateway solution performed better than traditional walk-through metal detectors: detected more weapons than traditional detectors, showing a more secure, and safer experience for fans, staff, and all who attend a large event.

• Additionally, with the Great Resignation still leaving fewer security guards on job sites than before, it’s paramount to have a security solution that doesn’t require an abundance of guards to operate.

• Xtract One’s Gateway requires only one to two guards needed to monitor two lanes of the Gateway, and with fewer people needed to staff the technology, any extra guards can be redeployed to other high-value tasks, such as responding to security incidents around the venue. This optimizes staffing within these venues, and gives guards actionable information so their jobs are elevated.

(Patriot One’s newest Multi-Sensor Gateway, SmartGateway, has been designed specifically for stadiums and other large ticketed venues, to provide a smoother, safer, and more modern system to secure employee and patron entrances. Courtesy of Patriot One and YouTube.)

• Extract One’s Gateways are also very customizable because a one-size-fits-all solution is not feasible across industries, so Patriot One works with each venue and safety director to tailor the solution to fit these needs, even within the same venue. 

• *Extract One is a new competitor to the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards.

 

PlateSmart Technologies

Best License Plate Recognition Solution

• PlateSmart Mobile Defender

• Being an original and longest-running LPR company, PlateSmart brought the Physical Security market the first camera-agnostic LPR solution, which drastically reduced cost-of-ownership and promoted rapid adoption of this new technology to help law enforcement.

• Last year, PlateSmart became the first LPR company to provide powerful vehicle insights such as location-aware vehicle movements, travel time, congestion control/traffic planning suggestions, and many more, that are beyond the raw vehicle information such as vehicle make/color or license plate number.

• This year, PlateSmart introduced its newest product addition – ‘PlateSmart Mobile Defender‘, which extends the LPR capability as well as analytical insights into moving vehicles, to offer customers complete LPR coverage from fixed-mounted cameras at traffic intersections – to vehicle-mounted cameras at shopping malls, residential communities, parking lots and many other locations that either installing fixed cameras are not feasible or cost-effective.

(Learn how AI-based technology is making it easier for law enforcement to identify suspicious vehicles, from PlateSmart’s CEO. Courtesy of One America News Network and YouTube.)

• PlateSmart’s Mobile Defender™ is a purpose-built in-vehicle ALPR capture and alerting system for law enforcement that works seamlessly with PlateSmart ARES® 3 ALPR software as part of a complete enforcement, investigative and analytic solution.

• *PlateSmart Technologies has now been recognized as an ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion for its Seventh Consecutive Year in the Annual Homeland Security Awards Programs. Thank you for your continued confidence in American Security Today!

 

Probable Cause Solutions

Best Surveillance Camera Tracking Software

• Camera Canvass Tracker

• Camera Canvass Tracker, a patented pending technology used to simplify canvassing for surveillance cameras, a task done by investigators every day.

• Camera Canvass Tracker automatically builds a database of camera locations and other pertinent information that allows the investigator to calculate time differences, record the DVR/cameras, view the database on a list or on a map, and export the database when needed.

• With Camera Canvass Tracker you can:

• *Probable Cause Solutions has now been recognized as an ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion for its Sixth Consecutive Year in the Annual Awards Programs.

 

PureTech Systems (First of Six)

Best Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Solution (Tie)

• PureActiv

• PureTech Systems product solutions deliver a fully integrated, automated outdoor wide-area and perimeter protection system that delivers among the highest probability of detection at the lowest nuisance alarm rates.

• PureTech was recently issued a patent for nuisance alarm reduction in central monitoring operations. 

• PureActiv’s Auto-verify feature ensures only detections that are AI verified as targets of interest are alarmed upon, eliminating up to 95% of nuisance alarms. Additionally, PureActiv integrates with GPS for blue force (friend/foe) classification and tracking to aid interdictions.

• This extensible solution enables organizations to start small and expand the system capabilities as time and budgets permit, making PureTech a trusted leader in securing the most critical perimeters and borders.

(PureActiv Auto-Verify only alarms on AI-verified targets of interest, eliminating up to 95% of nuisance alarms from motion analytics, fence sensors, radars, and other perimeter sensors, providing a superior level of security for your facility, infrastructure, and border. Courtesy of Puretech Systems and YouTube.)

 

PureTech Systems (Second of Six)

Best Long Range Surveillance Solution Protection Solution

• PureActiv

  • Controlling national borders is an important part of a nation’s security, and the ability to effectively monitor vast areas in varied weather conditions and terrain, while accurately identifying potential threats at great distances is a complicated scenario.

• The solution calls for knowledgeable personnel and accurate sensors that work together to quickly assess a situation and enable border agents to effectively intervene.

• Ideal for Border Security, the PureActiv Automated Perimeter Intrusion Detection System enables detection, and classification of intruders up to 6 miles away.

• Once PureActiv automatically identifies an intruder, the system has the ability to automatically track them and quickly provide accurate intruder location on a GIS map to the end-user.

(The MVSS platform utilizes PureTech Systems’ PureActiv software as its central command and control, providing AI enhanced video detection and classification, user interface display, and sensor collaboration logic for the surveillance suite. The suite consists of visible and thermal cameras, laser illuminators and range finders mounted on telescoping masts located in the back of commercial pickup trucks. Courtesy of Fox 5, PureTech Systems, and YouTube.)

 

PureTech Systems (Third of Six)

Best Maritime Perimeter Protection Solution

• PureActiv

• Our nation and the world depend on the safe and efficient shipment of goods around the globe.

• Threats to seaports and the resultant potential loss of lives and economic losses due to service interruptions make it imperative that seaports worldwide are properly protected from terrorist and safety-related events.

• PureTech’s PureActiv wide area and perimeter protection solutions help Port Authorities improve the safety and security of seaports with a tangible return on investment, and automates the protection of land and water-side perimeters to help ensure the safety and security of personnel and critical assets.

• By detecting intrusion events at the perimeter before they result in more catastrophic events, loss of life, and operational downtime, port authorities, and law enforcement can intervene to deescalate situations and quickly return to normal operations.  

• The PureActiv system provides detection, alerting, and proactive deterring of potential safety and security events, which helps protect lives, cargo, and critical assets.

 

PureTech Systems (Fourth of Six)

Best Video Analytics Solution (Tie)

• PureActiv

• With almost 20  years of progressively sophisticated successful deployments, and continuous innovation, including 16 issued patents, PureTech Systems‘ patented geospatial AI video analytics provide users with the best-in-class probability of detection with the lowest false alarm rates for autonomously securing perimeters around facilities, infrastructures, and borders. 

• Key benefits of PureActiv AI Deep Learning Geospatial Video Analytics include:

• Automatically detects, classifies, geolocates, tracks and alarms only on Objects of Interest.

  

• Lower total cost of ownership when considering infrastructure cost and maintenance,

• Effective in the most challenging of outdoor conditions.

• Uses Convolutional, Neural Network Deep Learning, and Geo-spatial data for high-fidelity classification.

• Longest detection ranges in the industry (over 5 miles), requiring fewer cameras.

• Higher accuracy – Industry-leading Probability of Detection and low Nuisance Alarm Rate.

• Simplified configurations support rapid deployment.

• Image Stabilization, and Autonomous PTZ camera lock-on-target tracking enhances situational awareness.

• Object geo-location on map enhances situational awareness.

• Combines with other detection sensors (radar, fence, ground, etc.) for most demanding applications such as nuclear power plants.

• Seamless integration with market-leading VMS systems including Genetec,  Milestone, PureActiv AlertView, and others.

• Easily scales to fit your needs today and tomorrow.

• Camera agnostic- deploys on edge devices and/or servers.

 

PureTech Systems (Fifth of Six)

Best Mobile Surveillance ISR Solution

• PureActiv Rapid-Deploy Autonomous Perimeter Surveillance System

• Scalable to small and large perimeters, the Rapid-Deploy Autonomous Perimeter Surveillance System (R-DAPSS) provides a temporary or permanent virtual perimeter protection system that requires very little deployment time. The smart and effective protection system uses a wireless connection to transmit alarms and video to a co-located or remote command and control center.
  

• The R-DAPSS is equipped with PureTech’s patented AI and geospatially boosted video analytics, PureActiv, which provides among the highest probability of detection while maintaining near-zero nuisance alarms.

(PureTech’s PureActiv Rapid-Deploy Autonomous Perimeter Surveillance System enables airports, borders, military bases, seaports, transit agencies, and utilities to quickly deploy a temporary or permanent high-fidelity virtual perimeter system at substantially less cost and time than a hard-wired solution. The PureActiv R-DAPSS provides the same best-in-class level of perimeter intrusion detection, auto-verification, and automated deterrence as a hard wired-solution. Security and facility managers can now secure their perimeters quickly without planning and executing a large construction project. Courtesy of Puretech Systems and YouTube.)

• The R-DAPSS is solar-powered, needing little to no backup fuel, thus providing an environmentally friendly protection system that does not require ground penetration and has little to no impact on local wildlife.

 

PureTech Systems (Sixth of Six)

Best Perimeter Protection System

• PureActiv

• PureTech Systems product solutions deliver a fully integrated automated outdoor wide-area and perimeter protection system with the highest probability of detection and lowest nuisance alarm rates for securing facilities, infrastructure, and borders. 

PureActiv integrates with a vast array of short- and long-range perimeter sensors such as radar, buried or on-fence fiber detection systems, and ground sensors either singularly or combining them to provide just the right level of protection to cost-effectively meet the most secure perimeter requirements.

(PureActiv’s deep-learning trained automated perimeter protection system includes intrusion detection, auto-verification, PTZ Auto-follow, and invoking non-lethal acoustic deterrents. Our enhanced capabilities detect, geolocate, classify and track intrusions, alerting only on verified threats ensuring near-zero nuisance alarms with market-leading detection rates. Courtesy of Puretech Systems and YouTube.)

• PureActiv is also successfully integrated with short and long-range Counter-UAS capabilities and simultaneously detects, tracks, and identifies land and aerial targets. In addition, the system offers automatic drone dispatch and flight to alarm locations. The system provides a bird’s eye view of the intruder and intrusion situation.
  

• PureActiv boasts of some of the longest detection ranges in the industry (over 5 miles), which reduces system infrastructure; thereby lowering the total cost of ownership.

• Combining of tracks from multiple radars and PureActiv AI Video Analytics, eliminates duplicate tracks on the GIS map and alarms from the same intrusion events; reducing clutter and improving situational awareness. Similarly, PureActiv Auto-verify feature ensures only detections that are AI verified as targets of interest are alarmed upon, eliminating up to 95% of nuisance alarms.

• Additionally, PureActiv integrates with GPS for blue force (friend/foe) classification and tracking to aid interdictions and Team Awareness Kit for Android (ATAK) – providing enhanced situational awareness to security personnel by enabling the exchange of actionable information with central command and law enforcement personnel on the ground. This extensible solution enables organizations to start small and expand the system capabilities as time and budgets permit, making PureTech a trusted leader in securing the most critical perimeters and borders.

• PureTech was also recognized as a Multi-‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion in the 2021, and 2018 Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

PWPORG

Excellence in Public Safety & Community Enrichment

• • • PWPORG.org Preparedness Education

• PWPORG (Preparedness Without Paranoia) is a 501(c)(3) built by law enforcement and security industry practitioners and educators to provide educational resources to kids, families, and communities on safety and emergency preparedness.

• PWPORG is proactively taking action to introduce the children and families in our communities, to skills and educational resources on safety and emergency preparedness, that when learned and practiced, will last for a lifetime.

• Guided by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement and President of NEC National Security Systems, the nonprofit PWPORG was created to educate, engage and empower families and kids on issues of preparedness and resiliency to create a safer world, free of active threats and human traffickers.

(Learn about how YOU can Make a Difference in the lives of our Nation’s Children and Families. Be a Superhero, Make a Donation and Make a Difference by helping to support Preparedness Without Paranoia and Parents with Preparedness Magazine. Courtesy of Kiernan Group Holdings and YouTube.)

• PWPORG was also recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

 

Quantum Corporation (First of Two)

Best Video Data Storage Solution

• Quantum Unified Surveillance Platform

• Maintaining physical and digital security has become an increasingly complicated and demanding task. Quantum, a leading provider of solutions to capture, store, protect and retain video surveillance data, developed its new Unified Surveillance Platform (USP) to alleviate the most pressing pain points in surveillance storage and security.

• The new solution offers organizations the ability to unify server, storage, and networking to provide the resilience, flexibility, and security required for capturing and storing mission-critical video and hosting other physical security applications in mid-size to large-scale environments.

• Quantum USP delivers flexibility by allowing system integrators and organizations to use their industry-standard server platform of choice, whether it be a new server or re-purposing an existing one and using a software-based subscription model to procure the software and support. This significantly reduces costs and disruptions to existing infrastructure strategies while at the same time helping SIs and physical security leaders establish a more modern infrastructure to support all their key security applications to lower risk and help them achieve their safety and security directives.  

• The Quantum USP combines various cutting-edge features designed to create a more resilient, user-friendly, and scalable infrastructure. Improved infrastructure can deliver better video surveillance uptime, higher resource utilization, and lower overall cost of ownership.

(Organizations are looking for ways to simplify their physical security environment while lowering costs, reducing security risks, and ensuring flexibility for future growth. The Quantum Unified Surveillance Platform (USP) provides a resilient, flexible, and secure platform for capturing, storing, and managing mission-critical video and hosting other physical security applications, such as access control, visitor management, or security dashboards. Courtesy of Quantum Corp and YouTube.)

• By delivering a software-defined infrastructure based on the SIs or organizations choice of hardware, the Quantum Unified Surveillance platform enables the physical security world to implement a modern surveillance infrastructure to support the ever-advancing physical security applications in use today and tomorrow.

 

Quantum Corporation (Second of Two)

Best Video Management Solution

• Quantum Unified Surveillance Platform

• The Quantum Smart NVR is a revolutionary new video recording server designed to lower the costs and complexity in physical security deployments by supporting multiple applications on a single NVR and providing data center-grade cyber security and remote proactive health and resource monitoring capabilities.

• The Smart NVR moves the physical security industry beyond conventional NVRs and creates a next-generation, integrated appliance that does more and delivers more value for small-to-mid size deployments including remote/branch offices and edge sites.

• By supporting any vendor’s Video Management System (VMS), physical security application, and other applications found in remote/branch offices or edge sites, the Smart NVRs reduce the amount of physical servers required and simplify the deployment and on-going management and maintenance of the infrastructure.

• The Quantum Smart NVR is available in various form factors, including 2U rack mount, and an ultra-dense 4U 60-bay rack mount server for recording and retaining footage from hundreds of cameras for months or years.

• *Quantum is a returning Multi-‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion, having secured Multiple Wins in the 2021, 2017, and 2016 Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

Rainbow Secure

Best IT Access Control & Authentication Solution

• • • Rainbow Secure Single Sign on

• Rainbow Secure safeguards user accounts for software applications and services and their digital assets.

• Businesses are under threat of cyber attacks and cyber frauds, and with stolen password dumps available on the dark web, hackers misuse these password dumps and launch automated attacks to take over user accounts, causing business interruptions, reputation loss, and monetary loss. Even cyber insurance won’t help them if a nation-state actor was behind a cyber attack.

• Rainbow Secure solves this user and business pain with innovative patented solution, by adding user interaction and new layers like colors and styles into its login solution.

• Now clients can create passwords multi-layer and stronger by just applying some color or font style to them, to provide 36 quadrillion combinations for just one character of a password. User interaction is the key to stopping hackers from launching automated cyber-attacks.

• Rainbow Secure offers cloud-based SaaS solutions for single sign-on, Identity and access management, and multilayer login security powered by this new technology, and also offers location boundary protection, AI Monitoring, and Risk Analytics for securing user accounts.

• Rainbow Secure has password, passwordless, biometric, QR code, and MFA solutions to handle all of your user authentication and verification needs, eliminates cyber liability of business related to stolen credentials in password data breaches, and reduces clients cyber insurance costs as well.

(See how Rainbow Secure can take care of your data, protect your files from cyber-attacks and data breaches, and ensure software compliance with privacy laws and regulations. Courtesy of Rainbow Secure and YouTube.)

• Rainbow Secure’s multilayer login solutions defeat modern authentication and ransomware-related cyber threats like phishing, credential stuffing, brute force, key logger, device malware, dictionary attack, Man in the middle, SMShing, device cloning, automated cyber frauds and DDOS ransomware. Rainbow Secure also solves insider threats related to login and MFA fatigue attacks.

• Rainbow Secure also provides an excellent user experience, and works with all devices and platforms, integrating with Azure AD, Google ID, IBM ID, and all major 3rd party identity providers.

• *Rainbow Secure is a returning ‘ASTORS’ Award Champion, having secured it’s first Win in 2018.

 

Rajant Corporation (Plus 2022 New Product of the Year Award)

Best Wireless Video Surveillance Network

• Peregrine LTE BreadCrumb

• The Peregrine LTE is part of Rajant’s initiative to develop deeply integrated solutions that securely combine data from connected people, vehicles, machines, and sensors, with machine learning (ML).

• This go-anywhere connectivity is ideally suited for first responder patrol vehicles and pop-up emergency command centers, and this BreadCrumb® radio offers multiple frequencies to avoid interference and network congestion.

• Adding an LTE client to Rajant’s machine-to-machine enabling Kinetic Mesh® network brings connected mobility and mission-critical coverage anywhere that is high bandwidth and low latency for real-time intelligence exchange.

• The Rajant Peregrine LTE BreadCrumb® is Rajant’s latest quad transceiver industrial-grade, high-performance BreadCrumb. The Peregrine LTE supports a maximum combined data rate of 2.6 Gbps and up to 6X enhanced throughput performance over existing BreadCrumbs.

• It offers LTE capabilites, multiple MIMO radio interfaces, high throughput, and enhanced security performance with up to 256-QAM and 80 MHz channels.

• Rajant’s Peregrine LTE BreadCrumb was also recognized with a 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Best New Intelligent Communication Product of the Year.

(Introducing the Peregrine LTE, one of Rajant’s newest industrial-grade high-performance BreadCrumb platforms that offer dual MIMO transceivers, up to 1.7Gbps aggregated data rate, higher throughput, and enhanced security performance. Courtesy of Rajant and YouTube.)

• *AST is delighted to welcome Rajant Corporation, a Returning 2021 and 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Award Champion, as a New Premier Awards Sponsor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

RangeForce

Best Cyber Defense Team Training

• RangeForce Cybersecurity Skills Development

• Despite significant investments in technology, enterprises still struggle to adequately address cybersecurity defense challenges.

• RangeForce offers an interactive, on-demand, and highly scalable cybersecurity skills development platform that includes expert-designed cyber defense exercises for individuals and teams to build cyber defense readiness.

• RangeForce helps organizations orchestrate training and operationalize best practices for threat identification, response, and mitigation, ensuring individuals and teams can quickly and effectively respond to the next unexpected security incident.

• The RangeForce platform emulates real-world IT environments and security tools and uses modern malware and threats for realistic yet safe exercises. RangeForce incorporates online gaming techniques and competitive incentives to encourage self-guided learning, skills development, and certification, and hosts highly realistic team-based attack competitions designed to test the cyber readiness of the organization’s team, at both an individual and group level.

• Exercise scenarios include current, advanced attacks such as Ransomware, Credential Harvesting, Cloud Compromise, and adversary techniques such as phishing, lateral movement, and network reconnaissance.

(Hear from RangeForce CEO, Taavi Must, and former CISO Simon Hodgkinson on location at the Churchill War Rooms as they reflect on the unique challenges of developing world-class cybersecurity defenders in today’s digital landscape. Courtesy of RangeForce and YouTube.)

• RangeForce offers learners pre-built, role-specific learning paths for Security Operations Analysts (SOC), DevSecOps, Web Application Security, Penetration Testing, Threat Hunter, and more, and partnerships with leading vendors give RangeForce a broad, customizable, virtualized network infrastructure that features popular security tools including QRadar, Recorded Future, Cisco, Splunk, Palo Alto, Exabeam, Sentinel One, Fortinet, YARA, Nmap, Suricata, Powershell, and DevOps platforms like Docker and Kubernetes.

  RangeForce requires only a web browser and has always-on availability, which is a game-changer for staff. Learners can complete a module on business-critical security technology, cross-train in a new area, or brush up on current skills at any time that fits their schedule.

• RangeForce helps organizations with differing levels of cybersecurity defense maturity start where they are and improve their overall capabilities through guided skills assessment, hands-on exercises, validation of abilities, individual and group metrics, and refinement of the program for improvement.

• RangeForce offers team-based exercises for various threats across experience levels and cybersecurity functions. RangeForce provides a continuous, closed-loop process that results in individual upskilling, cross-training, and measurable improvements in the entire team’s cyber defense readiness.

• Elite, Enterprise, and Professional editions of RangeForce align individual and team-oriented content based on the organization’s security defense maturity level. 

• RangeForce helps organizations upskill individuals, close skills gaps and identify individual aptitude for cross-training in needed roles within the organization. 

(Refine your defensive capabilities against the latest threats with a continuous approach to cybersecurity skills development. See real threats in action and sharpen the skills needed to defend your organization with interactive modules, challenges, and team-based threat exercises that reflect the real world. Courtesy of RangeForce and YouTube.)

• Unlike other offerings, RangeForce combines both individual and team exercises, bringing a holistic approach to cyber defense readiness, and includes learner-specific plans in addition to group exercises. Learners select from hundreds of interactive skill modules, receive assessments, and participate in challenges.

• RangeForce was also recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Rave Mobile Safety (First of Two)

Best Incident Response System

• Rave Aware

• As the nature of active assailant incidents become more complex, it’s become abundantly clear that a holistic approach is an essential part of emergency management and hazard response.

• A recent survey by Rave Mobile Safety has confirmed that emergency personnel would like better interoperability regarding crisis communications.

• However, sharing incident data isn’t easily remedied with updates and new technology, as some towns and jurisdictions operate with older systems that cannot integrate with today’s innovative solutions.

• This is why having a one-stop solution that can communicate across disparate technologies, departments, and jurisdictions is essential for safety, and many officials are starting to realize the importance of data integration. By prioritizing collaboration, with a tool like Rave Aware, responding parties will be able to share emergency data across agencies, software, and borders.

• Rave Aware is a secure cloud-based data aggregation platform that allows agencies to publish live, real-time CAD data in their preferred format for rules-based processing, notifications, and permission-based cross-party sharing, and gives dispatchers, first responders, and other emergency services personnel the situational awareness and information they need to respond quickly and cohesively to critical incidents.

• The Rave Aware is built to function like a hub-and-spoke, facilitating and integrating different CAD systems, workflows, and software into a unified platform for emergency response, and allows different authorities to share life-saving information and cohesively participate in a unified response effort. 

• Rave Aware helps protect callers, responders, and their communities by reducing the time required to respond to events and better coordinating public safety’s response to 9-1-1 calls. The tool is also highly cost-effective so that even the most budget-strained agencies can improve their proactive and response strategies.

(Learn how to use Rave Aware and the Rave Platform to make comprehensive data-driven decisions thanks to situational awareness and real-time data sharing. Courtesy of Rave Mobile Safety and Vimeo.)

• Rave Aware offers web-connected incident mapping, real-time data searching, secure data sharing between agencies, CJIS-compliant cloud tools, and task management for improved collaboration. Users of the tool cite the value it delivers on streamlined communications. 

• Rave Aware helps communities seamlessly collaborate on critical communications and emergency response when every second counts and lives are on the line.

 

Rave Mobile Safety (Second of Two)

Best Mobile Technology Product

• Rave Aware

• The U.S. has experienced more than 2,032 school shootings since 1970, and these numbers are increasing.

• Alarmingly, over 948 school shootings have taken place since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. With these events, unfortunately, becoming more common, public safety officials and school administrators must be prepared to respond immediately in the event of an emergency.

• In the wake of Sandy Hook, Rave Mobile Safety worked with law enforcement and school safety officials to develop Rave Panic Button, and today it is the most widely used and trusted school safety app across the country, with implementations being used in nearly 50 states.

• When one of the buttons is pushed, 9-1-1 center dispatchers and first responders can view detailed caller locations, floor plans, entrance and exit locations, emergency contacts, and key procedures for a more coordinated and cohesive response, for a level of situational awareness that is paramount during adverse events.

• Additionally, Rave Panic Button can help designated school personnel respond to the emergency while waiting for first responders to arrive. For example, if someone needed CPR and the panic button was activated, a school nurse would be notified via an alert and could reach the student and begin medical response while waiting for paramedics to arrive – significantly improving the chances for a better outcome.

(Learn how the Rave Panic Button can enhance collaboration with 9-1-1, first responders, and authorized personnel for emergency planning and panic button drills. Courtesy of Rave Mobile Safety and Vimeo.)

• Rave Panic Button brings immense value to communities across the country, and saves precious critical response time, protecting students, teachers, and first responders by getting the right resources to an emergency at the right time.

• *Rave Mobile Safety has also been recognized as a Multi-‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion, having secured multiple Wins in the 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Regroup Mass Notification

Best Mass Notification Software – Application

• Regroup Mass Notification

• Regroup Mass Notification® empowers better mass communication to keep people safe and informed during critical and daily events and is used daily by thousands of organizations to save lives, improve safety for entire communities, respond to potential hazards, prepare for emergencies, and more.

• Regroup’s easy-to-use system enables administrators to send thousands of notifications per minute, rapidly alerting large groups of recipients to danger. Administrators can also expand their reach by distributing messages via websites, PA systems, digital signage, and more.

• Whether used for critical or routine communications, Regroup Mass Notification helps organizations across America communicate quickly to improve homeland security, strengthen operational resilience, mitigate risk, and thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world.

• Regroup Mass Notification is dedicated to making continuous service improvements, towards making our nation more resilient and secure, especially during the current pandemic that is still impacting so many American communities and businesses.

(See why Regroup’s award-winning platform is a top choice for emergency and day-to-day notifications for universities, hospitals, corporations, and venues across North America and worldwide. Courtesy of Regroup Mass Notification and YouTube.)

• *Regroup Mass Notification has now been recognized as an ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion for its Sixth Consecutive Year in the Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

Robotic Assistance Devices (First of Two, Plus 2022 New Product of the Year)

Best Robotics Metal/Weapons Detection Solution

• RAD Firearm Detection

 

Robotic Assistance Devices (Second of Two)

Best Alert Notification System

• RAD Light My Way

• RAD Light My Way™, is a first-of-its-kind facility and campus safety solution where users can control the lighting and security conditions of their environment.

• RAD Light My Way offers property management and campus security professionals a new and better way to address security.

• This breakthrough solution puts the power of security in the hands of employees, faculty, and students through the combination of affordable, smart, interactive technologies, a mobile app, and live remote monitoring and response services.

• RAD Light My Way layers the capabilities of an easy-to-use mobile app on top of a “fleet” of RAD robotic security devices stationed on walkways, in stairwells, and throughout parking lots or structures.

• Via the app, RAD Light My Way subscribed users (i.e., employees, students, and tenants) can request live supervision and a virtual escort as they walk to their car.

• A button on their phone summons the attention of a live, remote security officer who has access to all cameras, two-way communication systems, and other integrated RAD technologies.

• Lights brighten, customized LED messages scroll across all RAD units, and the user can clearly hear and speak to the officer from anywhere in the protected area.

• The RAD Light My Way remote monitoring officer stays connected with the individual until the pedestrian safely reaches their car or destination.

(RAD Light My Way offers property management and campus security professionals a new and better way to address security. This breakthrough solution puts the power of personal safety in the hands of employees, faculty, and students through the combination of affordable, smart, interactive technologies, a mobile app, and live remote monitoring and response services. Courtesy of Robotic Assistance Devices and YouTube.)

• RAD Light My Way was also recognized with a 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Best New Safety Product of the Year Award.

• *Robotics Assistance Group (RAD) was also recognized with Multi-Award Wins in the 2021, 2018, and 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

RuggON (First of Two)

Best Risk, Crisis Management Solution

• SOL PA501 Fully Rugged Tablet

• When an emergency occurs, responding frontline organizations need immediate real-time coordination with each other.

• First responders and critical infrastructure providers must communicate seamlessly, and easily obtain firsthand information to maintain situational awareness, and provide enhanced public safety. Unfortunately, that coordination is woefully inadequate across the country. Witness the tragic incident this spring in Uvalde, TX.

• The unit provides a highly reliable vehicle connection to assist command centers in tracking a mobile fleet and improve the efficiency of idling vehicles. It helps identify key metrics, establish a baseline, determine criteria to improve utilization, streamline asset tracking to manage inventory better, and track in-vehicle equipment such as a computer.

• But having FirstNet capability is only part of the equation. The other part is, how dependable it is. The PA501 provides seamless connectivity, endurable battery life, and rich accessories integration for first responders. It offers both legacy and advanced interfaces, making it so easy for emergency personnel to integrate with their existing peripherals.

• Designed for emergency and security applications, the unit’s 2D barcode reader with optical character recognition (OCR), fingerprint reader, and NFC features assist users in performing accurate and fast biometric capture and identity validation. Additionally, advanced hot-swappable battery design and fast-charging capability assure first responders and other frontline workers are never without power.

(The RuggON 10.1″ rugged tablet SOL PA501 delivers a wealth of helpful features to enterprises, and more security and control for IT and users, and is FirstNet Ready™ with Band 14. Courtesy of RuggON and YouTube.)

• The RuggOn SOL PA501 rugged tablet is fully interoperable with the FirstNet system. Priority and pre-emption are two significant features of FirstNet that give public safety communications priority access to voice, data, and video communication. When commercial networks are congested, first responders are at the front of the lane, giving them access to all lanes during emergencies.

• Band 14 is the dedicated frequency spectrum for public safety in the 700 MHz band. The RuggOn SOL PA501 offers several key advantages: better building penetration and increased coverage in rural areas. In addition, Band 14 is designed to be reliable, functional, safe, and secure while providing optimal operational capability at all times.

 

RuggON (Second of Two)

Best Mobile Technology Product

• CHASER Rugged Monitor

• The cost-effective industrial-grade rugged RuggON CHASER monitor adds real-world functionality to in-vehicle mobile computing, as it brings a total PC experience inside the patrol car, ambulance, or any other emergency vehicle.

• By simply connecting a DeX-enabled smartphone to the unit, users have PC desktop capability and all their needed apps on a generous 11.6” monitor, which is larger than the phone’s screen, as well as the vast majority of tablets. And, at the same time, they never lose the ability to use the phone for any of its varied purposes.

• The CHASER earns its cost-effective status as it uses an everyday smartphone to be the brains of the operation, and the combination of phone and CHASER monitor is a much less expensive option for governmental agencies and private companies – especially during this ‘defund’ period – that provides emergency services rather than purchasing pricey rugged computers or tablets.

• The CHASER also boasts a large assortment of various I/O ports that support additional external devices – such as a mouse, keyboard, and other peripherals – assuring the combination is even more desktop-esque. There is also full multi-touch functionality for attached devices.

• While it is a given that patrol cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles are driven hard and fast – with many sudden stops and jarring impacts, and occasionally traversing rugged terrain that was never intended to be used as a road – the CHASER is not affected at all. 

(Suitable for in-vehicle applications, the CHASER rugged monitor optimizes workflow efficiency with functionality and safety in mind. Courtesy of RUGGon and YouTube.)

• The CHASER passes MIL-STD-810H testing, meaning it is shock and vibration-resistant, and the front panel is waterproof. Temperature is not an issue either, as the unit enjoys a wide operating temperature range of -4 to 140 degrees F.

• *RuggON is a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

SafeLogic

Best Encryption Solution

• CryptoComply

• A decade ago, SafeLogic successfully productized a FIPS 140 validated encryption module designed to drop into customer architectures seamlessly and painlessly.

• It became known as CryptoComply and was bundled with an accelerated turnkey certification, RapidCert, and SafeLogic’s support offering, which maintains both the module and the validation.

• It revolutionized the industry, and each component has won awards in the years since!

• Now, SafeLogic continues to innovate, releasing new CryptoComply bundles that deliver the same simplified experience with compatibility for even more architectures and implementations.

• If FIPS 140 stands between you and the Public Sector, call SafeLogic.

(See how SafeLogic simplifies and accelerates the FIPS 140-2 validation process. Courtesy of SafeLogic and YouTube.)

• *SafeLogic is a returning ‘ASTORS’ Award Champion, having been recognized for its Fifth Consecutive Year in the Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

SeeMetrics

Best Security Workforce Management Platform

• Cyber Performance Management Platform

• Cybersecurity workforces have too much data and too few insights. While the average global organization has at least 29 security monitoring solutions in place, over half of cybersecurity stakeholders don’t use them.

• This “tool sprawl” has created a tangled web of data, analysis and overlapping cybersecurity products. Deriving insights on stack performance currently relies on expensive consultants or static questionnaires that show a time-limited snapshot – not a real-time picture of the complex trends shaping security posture.

• SeeMetrics offers a new way to steer the cybersecurity workforce: an accurate, accessible, actionable Bloomberg-like cybersecurity dashboard, that provides security team leaders a birds-eye view of overall capabilities (for example, where are the gaps in our ransomware readiness?) while enabling them to zoom-in on the all-important details (for example, is our mean time to respond lower or higher than the KPI?).

• SeeMetrics’ Gartner-recognized Cybersecurity Performance Management (CPM) solution continuously harvests, correlates, and analyzes metrics from the many tools that make up today’s security stack. 

• Unlike other solutions, SeeMetrics derives insights directly from the stack, providing a continuous feed on how controls are actually performing, which lets security leaders establish a data-driven security posture baseline across all security platforms and organizational entities.

• Its metrics have significant implications on where security leaders allocate manpower, how they adjust their budget, and to which critical cybersecurity areas they channel resources, making SeeMetrics a cybersecurity workforce management game-changer. 

•  *SeeMetrics in a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Select Engineering Services (First of Two)

• Best Personal/ Protective Equipment Product

• Automatic Injury Detection (AID) System

• The Automatic Injury Detection (AID) system provides help in seconds when the sensing panel has been pierced by a bullet, knife or shrapnel.

• When an AID flexible mylar sensor panels (front & back, comfortably inserted into the wearer’s bulletproof vest) is pierced by either a bullet, knife or shrapnel from an IED, the communications module will sense the break in the circuit and automatically sends an emergency alert with GPS location to phone, radio or communication system.

• The automated and instant emergency alerts help save lives by improving the response from medics and backup personnel to stop, apprehend or contain the attacker, even when the officer is incapacitated.

 

Select Engineering Services (Second of Two)

Best Alert Notification System

• Automatic Injury Detection (AID) System

• The Personal Emergency Transmitter (PET) system is a very simple and affordable solution for personal safety.

• People at risk who struggle with complex technology or expensive subscriptions to elaborate security solutions can now improve their safety with PET.
  

• With a simple press of the button, PET provides immediate notification to your pre-selected contacts that you are in an emergency situation. During an attack or other emergency, it may be impossible to access your phone, fumble with unlocking and opening an app, or provide updates. An attacker will knock the phone away if the victim attempts to access it.

• Users can activate PET covertly, so an attacker does not even know that help is on the way, sending a precise location for your recipients so that they can find you and provide help as soon as possible. The location links the recipient receives can be opened in Google maps, and they can easily navigate directly to the scene.

• PET sells for a low, one-time cost with no monthly payments and no battery charging or maintenance required. It’s an ideal security solution for anyone at risk of attack or injury, including probation officers, realtors, social service workers, rideshare drivers, students, seniors, hunters, and off-road vehicle users.

• *Select Engineering Services has now been recognized as a Multi-‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion for its Sixth Consecutive Year in the Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

Seoul Robotics

Best Perimeter Protection System

• SENSR-I™ for Security

• SENSR-I™ for Security is a turnkey 3D perception security solution powered by Seoul Robotics’ proprietary deep learning AI software platform, SENSR-I, and is sensor agnostic between manufacturer and sensor type, a first for the industry.

• The powerful perception engine can detect, classify, track, and predict objects and their movement out of raw 3D point clouds, creating 3D models of the world not only with industry-leading accuracy but also with low GPU computational requirements

• This allows SENSR-I for Security to process 3D perception data quickly, locally, and more cost-efficiently, and does not collect biometric data, ensuring anonymity since no personal information is collected, and allowing the software to be deployed in densely populated settings that often face scrutiny over the collection of sensitive personal data.

• These traits enable end users to create smarter and safer spaces while addressing common challenges to perimeter security, and the added capabilities of 3D perception provide a more accurate and holistic approach to security. Furthermore, since the cost of 3D sensors has decreased to nearly the same price as 2D cameras, 3D perception has become just as accessible as 2D cameras.

• Those who deploy SENSR-I for Security gain broader visibility while significantly reducing the number of false alarms for security systems to near-zero, and violation events are captured in full 3D, providing one cohesive, real-time images of a security system, rather than relying on multiple disjointed video streams.

(Seoul Robotics is a 3D computer vision company that uses its core technology, SENSR, to solve problems related to mobility, automation, and new opportunities for security. Courtesy of Seoul Robotics and YouTube.)

• By dramatically reducing the number of false positives, security teams not only feel more confident in system alerts, but they also are assured that they will only be deployed in the event of a true security breach. This is especially critical in remote locations where deploying personnel would require significant amounts of travel time.

• Seoul Robotics is seeing tremendous global interest in adopting this system, and is currently deploying its SENSR-I for Security solution with a number of government agencies and private organizations, including mines, airports, and event spaces.

• *Seoul Robotics was also recognized in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Seraphic Security

Best Cyber Security Risk Management Solution

• Seraphic Security

• In today’s corporate world, the browser is the main access tool connecting distributed users and distributed resources, yet browsers lack the required security and governance capabilities and thus expose enterprises to exploitations and sensitive data loss.

• While browser security is addressed by many cyber defense products and categories, existing solutions fail to provide sufficient security and policy enforcement, in light of the complexity of this new paradigm of users everywhere that need to connect to organization data and applications everywhere.

• Seraphic is offering a completely new approach, based on innovative disruptive technology, that addresses the new paradigm of the modern digital business.

• Seraphic is a light browser agent that operates within the browser, only during the session, with no impact on performance.

• The solution works across any browser (including Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, etc.) and any device (both managed and unmanaged, on-premise and off-premise), ensuring safe browsing and enforcement of corporate policies across public sites and corporate applications, both SaaS and internal.

• Seraphic technology brings security into any browser the employee uses, without the need to migrate to a different browser or make any changes to the user’s browsing experience, which is a huge advantage for end-users, ensuring uncompromised productivity and substantially reducing complexity for the security team.

• Seraphic provides robust protection against zero-days and unpatched n-days and also provides effective and unique anti-phishing capabilities and comprehensive protection against clickjacking, XSS, HTML smuggling, and other web-based attacks.

• Seraphic’s solution is based on proprietary patented (and patent pending) technology, enabling it to stop attacks that others cannot, like zero-days, sophisticated spear phishing, and other web-based attacks.

• In addition, Seraphic provides unique runtime telemetry, and fine-grained Data Loss Protection policies and enforces compliance with Zero Trust security models.

• A solution offering security throughout the vulnerability’s lifecycle—before it is disclosed, before a patch is made available, and before the patch is applied—is Seraphic.

• *Seraphic is a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Awards Program.

 

Shooter Detection Systems (SDS)

Best Gunshot Detection Solution

• Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection

• The Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System’s dual mode acoustic and infrared gunshot detection technology filters out false alerts by validating live gunshot events, allowing end users the confidence to automate the delivery of critical, lifesaving information and integrated security actions for effective active shooter response.

• While other systems rely on acoustic-only detection with database matching, and in some cases, human interpretation, before reporting shots, which delays reporting time and raises the likelihood of false alerts, Guardian is one of the few solutions on the market that provides third-party laboratory testing to validate its capabilities.
  

• Guardian Wireless sensors utilize a proven long-range, low-power wireless technology, a star network topology, and sub-1GHz spread spectrum radio communications with AES encryption.

(See a brief technology overview and live integrated gunshot detection demonstration so you can learn how the Guardian System works, and learn how it operates in response to gunfire in real time. Courtesy of Shooter Detection Systems and YouTube.)

• Combined with the successful information security and penetration testing SDS’ global customers have done on the Guardian Software, and the library of certified integrations with the industry’s leading security technologies, Guardian Wireless stands alone against all competing offers.

• New for 2022: The US Patent & Trademark Office awarded a patent to SDS for “cable-free gunshot detection,” which is SDS’s 8th patent in the field of indoor gunshot detection.
  

• The Guardian system is still the only indoor gunshot detection system SAFETY Act certified (Red Seal – full certification) by the Department of Homeland Security.

• *Shooter Detection is a returning ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion, having secured Wins in the 2018 and 2017 Annual Awards Programs.

 

Siklu

Best Wireless Video Surveillance Network Solution

• Siklu MultiHaul TG N366

• As the traditional wireless network spectrum becomes saturated with competing business and residential wireless networks and mobile devices, the physical security industry seeks a network video solution that can provide the low latency, high bandwidth, and guaranteed uptime required for mission-critical deployments.

• Millimeter-wave systems use narrow beams that traverse your streets impervious to all other signals. That means no jamming, no interference, and complete security.

• These price-competitive radios have proved to be ideal for networks requiring fast, simple deployment of secure, fiber-like, and future-proof connectivity.
  

• Siklu’s MultiHaul™ TG N366 delivers Multigigabit fiber-like reliability and performance to wireless video surveillance networks using the 60 GHz millimeter wave spectrum to transmit information across security networks, providing interference-free (signal immune) and secured communication infrastructure that is separate from traditional wireless networks.

• The MultiHaul™ TG system can stream many different devices simultaneously, such as HD and 4K video cameras and IoT sensors.
  

• The MultiHaul™ TG system marks the release of Siklu’s 3rd generation point to multipoint 60GHz products, with Terragraph certification. The N366 provides 360 degrees Point to Multi-Point Connectivity for Physical Security and Smart City applications.

• The solution consists of Nodes operating over millimeter waves in a redundant mesh topology that connects a suite of Terminal Units (TU). The MultiHaul™ TG family of products brings the advantages of mmWave spectrum – multi-gigabit capacity, immunity to interference, and massive amounts of the available spectrum – to an easy-to-deploy solution with the addition of L2 SDN mesh, enabled by Siklu’s SmartHaul™ Runner application, for stress-free coverage extension and multi-path reliability.
  

(Learn more. Siklu delivers multi-Gigabit “wireless fiber” connectivity in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Operating in the millimeter wave bands, Siklu’s wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services. Courtesy of Siklu and YouTube.)

• Siklu’s MultiHaul™ TG N366 offers high reliability in a cost-effective point-to-multipoint form factor that makes installation by a single person a reality for system integrators and reduces the total cost of ownership for end-users.

• *Siklu is a Returning ‘ASTORS’ Award Champion, having secured Wins in the 2020, 2019, and 2017 Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

SIMS Software (First of Two)

Best Security Workforce Management Platform

• Security Information Management System

• SIMS Software is the leading provider of industrial security information management software to some of the world’s most renowned government agencies, defense contractors, high technology giants, academic institutions, and research facilities.

• For almost 40 years, the flagship product, Security Information Management System (SIMS), has been the most trusted solution on the market to protect classified and high-value information.

• As the role of a security professional continues to transform with increased responsibilities, evolving compliance requirements, and multifaceted, aggressive threats towards their organization, having a complete solution has never been more imperative.

• SIMS Software provides security professionals with powerful management-level metrics and a 360° view of their organization at their fingertips: reducing data calls, allowing for tracking of assets specific to the organizational requirements, and providing on-demand trend analysis for early detection and insider threat prevention.

• Purpose-built, SIMS provides all the features and functionality necessary to run a powerful, paperless industrial security program with a single system of record, and includes 17 fully integrated modules for a fully automated 360° view of every physical, virtual and human asset inside your security domain.

• SIMS manages visitors, classified contracts, information tracking, and control as well as personnel security clearance monitoring at all levels, and supports all National Industrial Security Operating Manual (NISPOM), Special Access Programs (SAP), and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) requirements.

• SIMS is a robust solution that supports the development costs and interoperability issues associated with in-house developed solutions, which are often more expensive and require in-demand IT resources, and has been designed to meet the hosting needs of all sizes and types of organizations offering both on-prem and cloud hosting options.

• Focused on evolving customer needs and government regulations, SIMS Software combines proven performance, consistent innovation, and unmatched customer service to deliver a uniquely powerful security information management system. By equipping security stakeholders with the tools to protect the lifeblood of their organizations, SIMS Software is proud to play a vital role in advancing the interests of our nation and its allies at home and abroad.

• SIMS provides all the features and functionality necessary to run a powerful, paperless industrial security program with a single system of record, so clients can escape the development costs and interoperability issues associated with in-house solutions.

 

SIMS Software (Second of Two)

Best Insider Threat Solution

• SIMS Insider Threat Tool Management System

• The proliferation of insider threats is a complex and persistent challenge for all national security stakeholders. From the surge in super-malicious personas to simple carelessness on the job, insider threats are pervasive and elusive and are increasing at an alarming rate.

• As the leader of industrial security information management for almost four decades, SIMS Software has elevated insider threat detection into a science, providing a fully automated 360° view of every physical, virtual, and human asset inside a security domain.

• Customers are provided with the technology tools necessary to see the risk landscape, so they can detect, deter, and mitigate insider threats, stay compliant with government requirements, and protect their high-value information and assets.

• Companies often operate in siloed cultures and practices across their organization which may interfere with information sharing, however, SIMS helps to break down those silos to harmonize data and see the patterns for a unique system-of-record for any compliance program where security operations, cyber security, and other functional areas such as HR and Risk Management can work together, share information and track insider threat cases.

• SIMS includes an Insider Threat Utility that empowers organizations to establish proprietary threat models based on their existing data and the risk indicators that matter most to each unique organization, so security professionals can view key metrics across the enterprise, track and catalog cases, view what was reported, investigated, and adjudicated to help the enterprise reduce risk and spot trends.

• From negligent or disgruntled employees to hostile nation-state actors, the costs and consequences of insider threats can be staggering. SIMS Software offers a strategic opportunity to deliver a genuine ROI for businesses, and saves organizations costly expenses by providing security stakeholders the opportunity to deter and mitigate, protect the company brand reputation, and retain customer trust.

• Focused on evolving customer needs and government regulations, SIMS Software combines proven performance, constant innovation, and unmatched customer service to deliver a uniquely powerful security information management system.

• SIMS supports all National Industrial Security Operating Manual (NISPOM), Special Access Programs (SAP), and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) requirements, and equips security stakeholders with the tools to protect the lifeblood of their organizations, speed detection, improve accuracy and stay ahead of the threat.

• *SIMS Software is also a Returning Premier Sponsor for their Second Consecutive Year, and was recognized as an ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion in the 2021 ‘Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

 

Singlewire Software (First of Three)

Best IT Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Solution

• InformaCast Incident Management

• InformaCast Incident Management is a centralized location where users can group certain notifications under the umbrella of an emergency scenario.

• This takes every step of the alerting process, including initial alert, follow-up messages, and “All Clear” messages and puts them in one place. Organizations no longer need to search through all of their created messages to find the right ones to address a particular type of incident, and notifications can be ordered to follow the steps of their emergency response plan.

• Organizations are also able to upload relevant resources into the incident hub to help give safety team members all the information and assistance they require to easily manage the situation, and can include safety checklists, building floor plans, and links to external resources like security camera feeds, reducing the need to navigate long lists or complex menus.

• When the incident is over, a report is created that allows users to review how the event was managed and inform future adjustments to ensure the most effective response possible. Scenarios are surfaced within the homepage of the InformaCast interface and can be customized with colors and icons to make them instantly recognizable to whoever needs to launch a scenario.

• Customizable text also allows organizations to prepare for any situation they might encounter, whether it’s an active shooter, severe weather, medical emergency or some other type of incident that impacts safety and operations.

• Scenarios created using InformaCast Incident Management are part of InformaCast’s full mass notification capabilities, and messages can be sent with text, audio and visual cues to a wide range of devices and systems, including desk phone, IP speakers, mobile devices, desktop computers, and digital signage, offering organizations the best chance for reaching all their intended audience with critical information.

• Organizations can also utilize InformaCast’s virtual collaboration capabilities to invite people to join video meetings via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex, which helps gather people quickly who can share information in real-time, assess the situation and determine the best course of action.

(InformaCast Incident Management is a mass notification and critical event management solution that offers organizations the tools they need to prepare for and manage any emergency. This includes all the alerts and resources they need to handle an event as well as reporting features to assess how well they responded to an event.. Courtesy of Singlwire Software and YouTube.)

 

Singlewire Software (Second of Three)

Best Mass Notification Software – Application

• InformaCast Fusion

• InformaCast Fusion is a hybrid-cloud based mass notification and critical event management platform, and one of the only mass notification systems that offers the ability to reach all of an organizations on-site and mobile devices with critical messages in a variety of ways. Live and recorded audio, SMS text, email, visual alerts and more can be sent to mobile devices, desk phones, speakers, overhead paging systems, desktop computers, digital signage and more.

• Customer messages can be built to provide clear instructions and groups can be defined so the right people receive the right messages, and messages can include to links to join virtual collaboration spaces like Webex, Microsoft Teams and Zoom so key stakeholders can quickly gather, assess a situation and deploy a response.

• InformaCast Fusion also offers one of the widest arrays of triggering options so mass notifications can be sent the instant something goes wrong. Panic buttons available as hardware devices, virtually programmed on phones and computers, and mobile apps offer one-touch solutions for sending out alerts. Monitored RSS and CAP feeds can be configured to automatically trigger alerts when certain criteria are met, and IoT devices with contact closures can be integrated so when the contact closure is tripped messages are activated. This helps organizations leverage every channel available, so notifications get sent out quickly and the widest possible audience receives the message.

• Using messages that include text, audio, and visual cues also help make messages intrusive so no matter where someone is or what they are doing they see or hear the message, stop what they are doing, and take action to stay safe.

• These alerting features form the core of InformaCast, which is also adding incident management capabilities that do more than just send out messages because while alerting people is important, it’s only one part of a safety plan.

(InformaCast Fusion is one of the only mass notification systems that allows organizations to reach all of their on-premises and mobile devices with critical messages, in addition to offering critical event management features that help handle an incident from start to finish. Courtesy of Singlwire Software and YouTube.)

 

Singlewire Software (Third of Three)

Best Mobile Technology Product

• InformaCast Mobile Panic Button

• The InformaCast Mobile Panic Button is the latest addition to the InformaCast Mobile app, giving organizations an easy way to provide personalized protection for all their people.

• End users that download the InformaCast app will have access to a mobile panic button they can activate if they find themselves on their own in a dangerous situation, and once the button has been pressed, the app will provide the user with instructions on what they should do to remain safe as well as offer the ability to connect directly with the security team via a phone call to receive further assistance.

• InformaCast sends a notification to the security team with information about who pressed the button and where they are located on a map, and even if the user moves, the security team will be able to track their new location.

• The security team also has the ability to send follow messages or connect directly with the sender, and knowing users’ locations during an emergency can aid in assisting them to safety, as first responders will know where to send assistance, how many people are involved, and what kind of situation they’re walking into.

• This functionality is ideal at college and university campuses for students walking home alone at night, in manufacturing for lone workers, and in federal and healthcare industries that might have workers walking alone to their cars late at night. The mobile panic button is just one of the many useful features available within the InformaCast app that makes triggering notifications and managing incidents easy no matter where a person is. 

• Messages can be sent in multiple formats including SMS text messages, push notifications, emails and audio messages, and the more formats used the more likely it is that someone sees the message quickly and takes appropriate action.

• Notifications can also be sent with the option for recipients to respond to the message, to give system administrators and safety team members real-time insight into ongoing incidents.

• InformaCast Mobile also offers geofencing capabilities to alert everyone within a certain area and even trigger alerts when users enter or leave a designated location.

(InformaCast Mobile mass notification software is a great solution for navigating reopening and a return from the coronavirus pandemic shut down. Courtesy of Singlwire Software and YouTube.)

• *Singlewire Software has now been recognized with Multiple Awards in its Fifth Consecutive Year in the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

Siren Operated Sensors (SOS)

Best Fire & Safety System

• • • SOS Silent

    • SOS Silent Emergency Gate Access Systems are the fastest way for emergency vehicles to gain access to gated facilities, campuses, and residential communities.

• This pure and simple system allows responders to focus their attention on driving and the emergency ahead – without having to push a remote, look up a code, stop to use a key, or change the channel on their radio to trigger the gate.

• Using RFID the SOS Silent System will open gates quickly, silently, and automatically when emergency response vehicles come within range of the gate and can be adjusted from 10 to 600 feet to customize each gate entrance.

• The SOS Silent also has a backup entry system to open with the “YELP” siren.

• SOS Silent ensures first responders can get to community members in need without life-threatening delays. No stopping, no getting out of the vehicle, no codes to remember, no remotes to push, no keys to lose, and no cost to the municipalities.

(The Bexar County fire marshal’s office began routine inspections of siren-operated sensors in 2015 after a Defenders investigation revealed problems with how the equipment was being used or not used. Courtesy of KSAT 12 and YouTube. Posted on Apr 6, 2018.)

• *Siren Operated Systems has now been recognized for Six Consecutive Years in the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Programs.

 

SlashNext

Best Phishing Defense Solution

• SlashNext Complete

• How people work today has left users more exposed than ever to cyberattacks, and using multiple devices for both work and personal use to communicate and collaborate, combined with the rise of remote work, means millions are regularly working outside of traditional enterprise security defenses. As such, phishing threats – already at record numbers – continue to rise across multiple channels.

• SlashNext Complete is a digital channel phishing protection platform for users across email, web, mobile, and API that helps stop spear phishing, legitimate service compromise, BEC, rogueware, smishing, social engineering, and other human compromise attacks across many highly used messaging platforms including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, LinkedIn, SMS/Text, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, and others.

• SlashNext Complete delivers next-generation, digital channel phishing protection through patented AI-powered detection for 99.9% accuracy and a 48-hour time-to-detection advantage to offer patient-zero protection in real-time.

• The new integrated cloud email service stops 65% more spear-phishing, BEC, malware, and ransomware link threats than all other cloud-native email security services, and SlashNext protects organizations from malicious threats launched from legitimate, trusted sites that easily evade current SEG, proxy, SASE, and endpoint security tools.

(SlashNext Complete – a multi-channel phishing protection platform for users across email, web, mobile, and API, that stops up to 65% more spear phishing, legitimate service compromise, BEC, rougueware, SMiShing, social engineering, and other human compromise attacks in Microsoft 365, Teams, Zoom, Box, SMS, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and other messaging channels. Courtesy of SlashNext and YouTube.)

• In addition, SlashNext has on-device Natural Language Process machine learning and an AI database to detect and block SMS phishing attacks like Business Text Compromise (BTC), smishing, and all other link-based attacks.

• SlashNext’s patented technology uses millions of virtual browsers to detect unknown threats with unmatched accuracy. Outdated threat intelligence is not useful for protecting against new zero-hour threats, so SlashNext provides up-to-the-minute intelligence to properly defend organizations against new and emerging phishing attacks, regardless of attack vector.

• *SlashNext is a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

View Part 1 Winners A – Da                     View Part 2 Winners De – M     

NEXT Part 4 Winners So – Z          View Part 5 Government Excellence 

Part 6 Innovation & Leadership

 

The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by NEC National Security Systems (NSS), ATI Systems, Automatic Systems of America, guardDog AI, Fortior Solutions, IPVideo Corporation, Rajant Corporation, RX Global, and SIMS Software!

• **IN A RARE TIE Event (thrice occurring) is a result of either extremely differing objectives and/or very similar technology applications.