According to a report by Bloomberg, Verkada, a cloud-managed and edge-based enterprise security software, was victim to a data breach that allowed an international group of hackers to gain access to 150,000 security cameras.

Hospitals, prisons and companies like Tesla and Cloudflare were affected by the breach, according to the report.

The hackers used “Super Admin” credentials found publically on the internet to access the camera data, which included video from inside women’s clinics and Verkada offices.

According to the Bloomberg report, a Verkada camera inside Florida hospital Halifax Health showed what appeared to be eight hospital staffers tackling a man and pinning him to a bed. Halifax Health is featured on Verkada’s website in a case study titled “How a Florida Healthcare Provider Easily Updated and Deployed a Scalable HIPAA Compliant Security System.”

Another video from inside a Tesla warehouse in Shanghai shows workers on an assembly line. The hackers said they gained access to 222 cameras in Tesla factories and warehouses.

Some of Verkada’s cameras use facial recognition technology to identify and sort people in the footage. The hackers said they have access to complete video archives from all Verkada customers, according to the Bloomberg report.

Tillie Kottmann, member of the hacker collective that previously claimed credit for hacking Intel Corp. and Nissan Motor, said the purpose of the collective’s action was to show the “pervasiveness” of the video surveillance industry and the ease of breaking into the systems.

Kottmann said their group was able to obtain root access on the cameras, meaning they could use the cameras to execute their own code. That access could, in some instances, allow them to obtain access to the broader corporate network of Verkada’s customers, or hijack the cameras and use them as a platform to launch future hacks. Obtaining this degree of access to the camera didn’t require any additional hacking, as it was a built-in feature, Kottmann told Bloomberg.

According to Kottmann, after Bloomberg contacted Verkada in regards to the breach, the hackers lost access to the video feeds and archives.

In response, Verkada said it has verified its system is secure and has already restricted administrator access as it conducts a review of its policies and permissions.

“We have disabled all internal administrator accounts to prevent any unauthorized access,” a Verkada spokesperson said in a statement. “Our internal security team and external security firm are investigating the scale and scope of this issue, and we have notified law enforcement.”

Verkada said it previously limited access to internal administrator accounts to engineers and support staff so they could address customers’ questions and technical issues. Verkada’s training program and policies for employees are both clear that support staff members were and are required to secure a customer’s explicit permission before accessing that customer’s video feed, according to the spokesperson.

Although unable to comment on the breach, the Security Industry Association has resources available on its site to help companies improve their cybersecurity and data privacy postures, such as a guide to product and system hardening and a report on the challenges and recommendations for connected physical security products.

Christian Morin, chief security office and vice president of integrations and cloud services at Genetec, a provider of open-platform software, hardware and cloud-based services for the physical security and public safety industry, says that there’s no “silver bullet” when discussing cybersecurity. However, taking steps like separating corporate networks and systems from the ones managing customer data can help mitigate the scope of a breach or prevent it altogether.

“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility,” Morin said. “All parties involved in the system development, implementation and operation have a critical role to play. It is important that manufacturers, integrators and end users embrace this fact and work together to address this risk.”

Verkada, based in San Mateo, Calif., was founded in 2016. It raised $80 million in venture capital in Jan. 2020, valuing the company at $1.6 billion.—By Amanda Reed, SDM Staff Editor //

The extra effort apparently worked — Palmquist says they retained their viewership very well over the two days, with almost everyone staying on throughout all of the sessions.

A main topic of discussion throughout the conference was “the new next,” Milestone’s twist on “the new normal.” This theme of innovation and preparing for the future was explored throughout a virtual city, where attendees could move from building to building for different sessions.

The future of video, and what that future might look like, was of particular focus. “Video is the new next of the 21st century, and we are the pioneers of the new next,” said Milestone Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Kenneth Hune Petersen in the first keynote. “We have an obligation to tell our end customers about the possibility of video, the possibility of tomorrow … because if we don’t tell them, they will miss out.”

The rest of day one included a presentation on the future of Milestone technology by Chief Technology Officer Bjørn Skou Eilertsen; a session about investing in the right partnerships by Palmquist; the exploration of a case study by Todd Brown of integration partner Affinitech; an interview with new Milestone CEO Thomas Jensen about the future of the company; and a second keynote by Peter Hinssen about thriving in what he called the “never normal.” Hinssen is an author and thought leader on radical innovation, leadership and the impact of all things digital on society and business.

“Companies need to keep a very keen eye on the day after tomorrow — new ideas, concepts and business models that change the game,” Hinssen said. “We don’t have to fear this uncertainty — we have to trust the opportunities in the never normal.”

There were also a number of on-demand sessions that attendees could (and still can) watch.

Day two was made up of three different tracks dedicated to the retail, cities and transportation industries. The first session of the day was a panel discussion focused on Milestone products and services, and what’s on the horizon for the company.

“We are in a time of disruption,” said Milestone Director of Product Marketing Anders Bo Rasmussen, who led the discussion. “It’s going to be a journey where we must balance technology, ways of working and business ethics.”

At the end of the two days, the fact that everyone in the industry — and world — needs to start preparing for the future was made clear.

“We see the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in many aspects of life, and now is a great time for the Milestone community to come together and shape the opportunities of tomorrow — that’s the new next,” Palmquist said. “We’re messaging that the future is speeding up and disruptions of the status quo are catalysts for change. It was a message to our partners that we are getting ready for this acceleration, and want to come together with them and get back into business in high gear.”

Reflecting on his first digital event, Palmquist says his team learned it is possible to keep people engaged online, and was happy that a broader audience was able to attend the virtual event due to its accessible nature.

Still, the company is looking forward to when they can host their next in-person event.

“I cannot wait to get back to a physical event, there’s no question about that,” Palmquist said. “But it is sometimes good to be forced to change and explore new territory.” —By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Managing Editor //

“We look forward to actively supporting the management and employees of ACRE as a stable owner by investing in the growth and development of the company,” said Peder Prahl, director of the general partner for Triton. “Our industry expertise and international network will further strengthen ACRE’s position as a leading global provider of intelligent electronic security solutions.”

“The combination of G4S and Allied Universal creates the global leader in security with revenues of over $18 billion, industry leading talent and expertise and unmatched market coverage,” said Ashley Almanza, G4S CEO. “This unique combination will offer customers exceptional service and provides employees with an exciting future. I would like to thank the board and our shareholders for their support and to thank colleagues across G4S for their outstanding contribution to the successful repositioning of G4S that has made this transaction possible. My team and I look forward to working with Allied to support a successful integration of the two businesses.”

Seventy-nine percent of G4S’s shareholders approved the deal, worth $5.3 billion.

“The G4S board believes that the offer provides shareholders with an attractive premium, while securing the future success of G4S for employees, customers, pension scheme members and other stakeholders,” said John Connolly, chairman of the G4S board. “I would like to thank Ashley and his team together with all employees for the successful transformation of G4S in recent years, which has made this transaction possible, and I would like to thank my fellow board members for their excellent work. Finally, I would like to thank all of our shareholders for their strong support.” //

“We heartily welcome Steve as chief executive officer,” Garner said. “We are confident that Steve brings the right balance of expertise and leadership skills to take Becklar through its next phase of growth. We have a deep and experienced management team and a formidable platform to continue to execute our proven business plan and consistently deliver outstanding results. Steve and I share a common vision for the continued growth of Becklar. I’m excited to continue to focus on our business strategy and M&A efforts while Steve assumes day to day leadership at the organization.”

Richards has experience across technology, media, communications, business process outsourcing and recurring services firms, marked by a consistent history of driving growth and client service.

“It is both an honor and privilege to be appointed chief executive officer of Becklar,” Richards said. “I have a great respect and admiration for the strategic focus, track record and uniquely positive culture that Josh and the team have built at Becklar, Avantguard Monitoring and Freeus. Josh is an exemplary business leader; I am confident that together we will seamlessly transition into our new roles and accelerate growth in the months and years to come.” //

“This is a milestone for our company and our industry,” said Mauro Silva, vice president of brand and strategic marketing, Securitas. “We reflected on our strategy, our world and what clients expect from us today and saw an opportunity for differentiation. Securitas is a knowledge-driven company where engaged and talented people make a positive difference every day. This brand expresses our confidence in the future, while remaining true to our heritage and people, and makes our leadership clearer than ever.”

Securitas’ new brand will be visible on Securitas’ personnel uniforms, vehicles, equipment and facilities, as well as its digital tools and online channels. The brand will be rolled out gradually across the company’s worldwide operations.

“Our new brand shows the world who we are and where we’re going,” said Magnus Ahlqvist, president and CEO, Securitas. “It builds on Securitas’ proud heritage and values of integrity, vigilance and helpfulness, and focuses on our unique people and high-impact technology. We work with many of the world’s most recognizable companies, and our new identity makes it clear how we can help create a more sustainable and inclusive future together with our clients and partners. It will open even more doors for our business and accelerate our strategy execution.” //

“I am honored to lead the SIA Women in Security Forum and look forward to applying my experience in technology to the outstanding foundation that has been built over the years,” Hanson said. “Diversity of experience and inclusion of the full community of security professionals is so important, and I look forward to working with SIA to bring more women into the industry to create an amazing and safe future.”

Hanson has served on the SIA Women in Security Forum’s education and outreach subcommittee since 2019. She participates in several industry initiatives to advance the use of AI and IoT in cities and sports, including the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, and served as a board member for Women of the Channel in 2017 and 2018. She also led the economic recovery team for Intel’s Pandemic Response Technology Initiative.

“SIA’s Women in Security Forum has made remarkable accomplishments over the last three years, and the valuable contributions of the WISF steering committee and forum members like Kasia Hanson have helped make these achievements possible,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We applaud Kasia for her leadership and service to SIA and the industry, congratulate her on her new role leading the Women in Security Forum and look forward to partnering with her in promoting the advancement of a diverse and inclusive security workforce.”

Founded in 2018, SIA’s Women in Security Forum works to engage all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry. //