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Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Reasons Facilities Switch to Mobile Credentials. 

Welcome to 2020. 

Year by year our dependence on mobile technology continues to increase. It is the start of a new decade and definitely technology will upgrade.  As our society becomes more reliant on mobile technology, adopting mobile credentials into your security system can make your facilities be more reliable, run efficiently and provide great customer experience. Here are three reasons why you should switch to mobile administration. 

Grant Guests temporary Access. 

Every organization encourages people to visit, and are open minded in welcoming guests. The only problem most facilities have is creating temporary access cards for guests. Creating access tags consumes time and effort, which is why mobile credentials should be adopted. With Millennium Mobile Connect credentials you are allowed to create temporary access for all guests. With these feature there is no cause for worry, guests are limited to based on your restriction. 

Convenient for both Administrators  and End users.

Granting access into secured places requires administrators presence. This can be frustrating for both the customer and the administrator. Mobile Credentials makes it easy to command readers.  Authorized personnel can log in, unlock doors grant or revoke access to specific location from their comfort zones. 

Prioritize Favorite locations. 

With Millennium Mobile Connect, users are allowed to prioritize most used and favorite doors. customization based on preferences is allowed on the app making the experience a unique individual experience.  
Mobile technology has continued to upgrade Access control and it makes authorization, permissions and control very flexible. Despite being on smart phone Mobile connect is very secure and its quite encrypted ensuring that all information are confidential and protected. 

 Secure your facilities with Millennium Mobile Connect. 


Friday, July 5, 2013

It’s all about the savings! – Daisy Chain Wiring



With copper prices higher than ever before and continuously rising, cabling has become an expensive procedure. Did you know Daisy Chain wiring in access control systems can save you time, labor, and money? It is estimated that the final cost of installation using daisy chain technique is 30% less than others.

What is daisy chain?

Daisy Chain is a wiring scheme in which multiple devices are wired together in a sequence or in a ring. I’m sure you’re wondering what distinguishes daisy chain from other techniques.  The term daisy chain can refer to a few things. The first reference includes large scale devices connected in series, such as a series of power strips plugged into each other to form a single long line of strips. Another refers to the wiring patterns embedded inside of devices. Using daisy chain technique with central power significantly reduces electrician costs because it saves on the need to use 110VAC locally. 

You may be thinking to yourself, what other type of wiring is there? The typical type of wiring you will see is called home run wiring. In home run wiring you take the wire from each component back to the control panel. The technique has been known as having a central location where all signals are distributed from.

There are some common misconceptions to daisy chain wiring:

·         “If one device goes down don’t they all?”
Some believe because of the wiring, if one fails they all will. This is just simply not true. Millennium’s daisy chain architecture consists of a blockage module and blockage sensors.  Each module and sensor displays on the virtual terminal indicating critical system parameters for the selected communication loop. There are advanced diagnostics as a value added feature, to assist in quick identification of system issues relating to sensor, communication, and power of the daisy chain wiring.

·         Aren’t the control panels now compromised because of the location?”
Some believe that because daisy chain wiring requires control panels to be in proximity of each door anyone can access them and break in. This is untrue with Millennium products. Millennium offers an electronic tamper-proof lock box system designed to securely house a control panel. Anyone trying to access the box will send a signal to the central workstation documenting the event.

Daisy chain technique means less wiring, resulting in more storage space.  The cost savings are a no brainer.

For diagrams and more information about Millennium Group’s daisy chain wiring visit:

You can also sign up to receive our white paper!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Combat Internet Crime - How to Save Yourself from Costly Attacks



Everywhere you go you hear talk of the increasing issues of cyber crime. What many people don’t know is that cyber crime does not just involve hackers. These crimes include any criminal act dealing with computers and networks. Traditional crimes such as credit card threats, hate crimes, and fraud are becoming extremely prevalent in the internet world.  The growing threat of cyber crime has become a great concern to people everywhere. You can alleviate your stress and control a majority of the risk when it comes to internet crime.

How can you protect yourself?

1.      Use preventative measures
All of your computers should be installed with spyware or antivirus programs. Viruses will always be present. You’ve probably heard “The best defense is a good offense,” this holds true when it comes to computer protection as well. These programs allow you to protect your property by being proactive. The installation of antivirus programs and active updating will allow for a secure computer.
 
2.      Passwords are important!
Passwords are of extreme importance on any site. They allow you access confidential information, while keeping unwanted users out. When it comes to passwords remember two key words- variety and strength. To make sure all your accounts are secure you should have a variety of different passwords for every account. This will assure you that just because an outsider gains access to one account, they won’t necessarily gain access to a separate account. The strength of your password is also extremely important.  Your password should be lengthy including upper and lower case letters as well as symbols.

3.      Wireless connections must be secure
You’re sitting at lunch, and the urge to interact on social media sets in. Or maybe you want to do some lunch time shopping.  You realize the there is a network you can have access to, PERFECT! Why not connect your laptop and spend your time on the web? STOP! Is this a secure network? If the internet is not secure anyone can connect to it. This poses a major problem because information passed from your computer to the wireless router can be intercepted by a third party. If the connection is not secure you might as well hand your credit card over to some stranger walking down the street, you are giving your personal information away for free.


4.      Protect your Smartphone
Phones are no longer bricks you use minimally for phone calls and occasional texting.  Your cell phone now acts as a mini computer you use to access email, conduct online banking, shop, and set your schedule. This diminutive object holds most of your life- protect it with a password. Phones are commonly stolen due to their value. Don’t let a thief have access to your personal information as well.

5.      Credit card numbers should not be saved online.
Those of you who are avid online shoppers, of course it seems easier just to save your credit card information on the website. Taking the easy way out could essentially cost you. The website you’re shopping on will more than likely guarantee your information is secure. There are many incidents of past hacking attempts on these “secure sites,” leading to stolen personal information.


6.      Online shop on secure websites
Security issues are becoming more prevalent with the increased participation of online shopping. It is important for consumers to verify they are submitting their information to a secure site. How can you identify a secure site from one that is not secure? All secure sites will have a padlock icon in the address bar, as well as an address that begins with Https.

Cyber crime currently has a higher payoff than drug trafficking. That being said, we can almost guarantee that the criminal activity will not stop anytime soon. Some specialists even estimate that crime involving the internet will begin to surpass all criminal activity. It is impossible for you to control the attacks, but you can control most of the outcomes. Being proactive and aware can help ensure a safe internet experience all around. Learn more at www.millennium-groupinc.com.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

The Employee Dishonesty Problem


Estimates reveal that between 40 to 50 percent of all business losses can be attributed to employee theft. Employers cannot afford to ignore this large-scale problem and should do everything in their power to create a workplace atmosphere that promotes honesty and encourages and rewards good behavior. This is the conclusion of a new Connecting Research in Security to Practice (CRISP) Report commissioned by the ASIS Foundation.
 
·         Employee theft and error can account for the majority of losses. A recent survey reports that retailers believe employees account for 47% of their inventory losses.
 
·         Employees have been known to damage merchandise intentionally and mark it out-of-stock, an indirect means of theft. Employees may shoplift or give away merchandise.
 
·         Frequent driving violations, criminal convictions, multiple worker compensation filings, and falsification of educational degrees or professional licenses are all risky behaviors and should be a red flag for a future employer.

The report, “Strategies to Detect and Prevent Workplace Dishonesty” by Read Hayes PhD, provides research-informed, practical strategies to reduce counterproductive workplace behaviors, including thefts and frauds of all types. It describes factors that can lead to these behaviors, describes common employee theft and fraud methods, and analyzes selected prevention techniques, policies and technologies.

“Regardless of their motivation, many employees are more likely to stray from acceptable behavior when the opportunity presents itself,” Read writes. “If an employee perceives little chance of being caught, he or she may be more inclined to steal.”

The report provides employers in all types of businesses with ways to discover counterproductive and criminal employee behaviors and to prevent employees from even thinking of swaying from acceptable workplace norms. When implemented, the numerous strategies documented through research can prevent problems from occurring—and reoccurring. Learn more at Millennium Group Access Control.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Analyzing Security Essentials

Developing a comprehensive security plan requires methodical and deliberate analysis. Starting with a macro understanding of an organization and progressing to micro security tasks, it takes structure to compile and analyze a security plan. The resulting series of recommendations are orchestrated to complement and support each other.

It is a formidable undertaking, because few industry models exist. Few security programs are products of a comprehensive analysis; most are developed on an ad-hoc basis in response to a security incident. In fact, many security operations are designed for investigations after an event occurs, not for prevention.

The object of a security analysis is to identify security exposures in a methodical and thorough manner so that a security program is based on broad analysis and not simply on the last security incident. Analysis ensures that expenditures for security are directed appropriately based on local needs, thus protecting critical resources while accepting the risks stemming from lesser concerns.

The goal, however, is not to develop a foolproof security plan. An underlying concept is that an asset cannot be protected completely, without absorbing extravagant costs and without inhibiting business operations. The goal instead is to make it difficult — but not impossible — for an adversary to breach security. The level of difficulty depends upon the value of the asset and the organization's tolerance for risk.

The analysis process is divided into five phases: asset definition; threat assessment; vulnerability analysis; selection of countermeasures; and implementation. The process is arranged for a deliberate analysis and requires completion of each phase before proceeding to the next.

Asset Definition

Asset definition begins with a broad understanding of the organization's operation, its tasks and functions, and its operating environment. At the beginning of an analysis, interviews are conducted with the organization's management and operating personnel to identify the resources essential for operations. This includes production equipment, operating systems, raw materials, finished product, inventory control and management systems, and the infrastructure of power, water, natural gas and telecommunications. Often, intangible assets are the most significant and are only discernible by examining the organization's operation beyond surface appearances. In effect, this step defines targets for attack.

Each asset may be further subdivided into micro components. An analysis may indicate that a particular asset must be defined in detail because of its criticality. Information technology is an example of the generally defined asset that may be further subdivided into an extensive list of system components, including equipment hardware, operating systems, applications software, database management systems, telecommunications and system documentation.

Both tangible and intangible assets should be categorized as vital (the loss would prove catastrophic); important (the loss would prove seriously disruptive but survivable); or secondary (the loss would be relatively insignificant).

Threat Assessment

A comprehensive security plan requires a broad definition of threats so that a range of exposures is considered. Through the analysis, the focus should narrow to target those threats that are deemed the most applicable.

Assessment begins by compiling data on past security incidents, including incidents at the site, within the company and within the industry. Determine if patterns of criminal behavior exist and define their nature. Review loss records, safety records and legal judgments involving the organization. Consult the company's legal counsel and examine court settlements to identify exposures with an implication for security.

Conduct interviews with management, insurance underwriters and local emergency management authorities to identify applicable threats. Review criminal data and compare crime rates for the nation, state, metropolitan statistical area, and the municipality.

Identify threats unique to the area and to the organization; locations where concentrations of hazardous materials are stored; and transportation avenues commonly used for transport of materials. Consider threats that may not have occurred yet, but are applicable because of the nature of the business and because of political and social issues.

A threat assessment is a qualitative analysis, although some quantitative techniques are used. It is important to emphasize that an assessment is a snapshot in time. As circumstances change, so does the threat environment. Consequently, the assessment must be updated to ensure that the security program is consistent with the needs of the time.

Each threat should be categorized as probable (expect the event to occur); possible (circumstances are conducive for an event); or unlikely (do not anticipate the event to occur). The severity of each issue should also be categorized as catastrophic (a disastrous event); moderate (a survivable event); or insignificant (relatively inconsequential).

Vulnerability Analysis

Security countermeasures represent obstacles in the path of a threat event. The objective is to make the event less likely to occur by making it more difficult for a perpetrator to accomplish the deed. Before introducing obstacles, however, the process for an event must be defined. Vulnerability analysis provides a mechanism for construction of security event scenarios defined in step-by-step detail.

Representatives of the organization with extensive knowledge of its inner workings should construct the scenarios. The team assumes the role of a criminal attacking the organization, which allows key points of vulnerability to be identified. Security plans designed to thwart the informed insider will be equally, if not more, effective when applied to the external criminal. This exercise highlights points of vulnerability and provides a framework for the subsequent phase, the selection of security countermeasures. The vulnerability analysis creates protection sets; meaning that it clearly establishes a focused problem to be resolved through application of security countermeasures. These protection sets are best illustrated by creating a spreadsheet correlating assets and threats and noting which assets are exposed to which specific threats.

Each scenario should have spreadsheet entries focused on plausibility (Is the scenario too far-fetched?); consequences of the event; and the amount of risk the organization is willing to accept.

Selection of Security Countermeasures

Just as a patient may be harmed by improper medication, an organization's security posture may be weakened, if not compromised, by improper application of security countermeasures. The exercise is more art than science, requiring a collaborative effort of management and security staff to arrive at a program consistent with an organization's needs.

Security countermeasures can include electronic security systems, physical barriers, security personnel and policies and procedures.

Electronic security systems encompass access control, detection, surveillance and evidence gathering. Subsystems may include intrusion detection, access control, duress alarms, CCTV, intercoms, radios, public address systems, life safety and telephone systems.

Physical and psychological barriers are applied to prevent access to a target. Physical barriers include vaults, safes, vehicle barriers, fences and gates, bullet-resistant materials, barbed wire, mantraps, vehicle traps, armored cars, mechanical locking systems, vehicle speed bumps and curbing, bomb-resistant structures, lighting, shielding, penetration-resistant panels, and landscaping.

Security personnel perform a variety of duties including the operation of electronic systems, manual control of fixed post duties, and roving patrols. Most guard operations are designed to observe events and report incidents to law enforcement authorities. In some cases, officers are armed and trained to intervene in events.

Policies state management's position and philosophy on business issues and practices. Procedures define the means for implementing the policy. This is a critical part of a security program. It defines programs and processes that are essential for security mechanisms to be effective.

Implementation

In this phase recommendations are transformed into specifications for people, systems and policies. The objective is to translate the security plan into bidding and purchasing documents and procedures, and organizational programs and processes. Learn more at Millennium Group Access Control.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Avoid wasting your limited marketing dollars

Avoid wasting your limited marketing dollars on an expensive image-advertising campaign that won't affect short-term results. Instead, let the quality of your response materials and Web site do the job of enhancing your company's image.

Rather than doing less-effective "shotgun" mailings to rented lists, consider repeat mailings targeted at known prospects (such as past inquirers).

If you don't have your own e-mail lists to market to, consider renting e-mail lists from publishers or placing ads in other targeted e-newsletters or e-zines. These can be very economical ways to reach your market and generate a quick response.

Edit your releases with the magazine's editorial focus, style and readers in mind and you'll increase the chance the publication or Web site will publish your information.

Web sites


A few cost-effective changes can dramatically improve your corporate Web site's marketing return on investment. To increase inquiries from your Web site's visitors, Make offers or calls-to-action on every page. Work with other organizations to link your site to their sites, increasing the number of visitors to yours. Register your web site with search engines, selecting keywords carefully so your site will appear in the search results for your intended audience. Post articles and case studies on your site, then register those individual web pages with the search engines.

Strategy


  1. Determine the "pain" your products and services address
  2. Determine the "pain relief" your company can provide
  3. Determine your company's competitive advantages and how best to articulate them
  4. Determine the best companies and contacts to target with your lead generation efforts

Testimonial ads are king


Talk first person with the reader


Use words in your copy like "you" and "your" to focus on the readers' needs rather than boasting about how good "we" and "our" products or services are. For example, the statement "You will get the work done 25% quicker" is much stronger than "Our product is 25% faster than the competition."

The best way to boost direct mail response is to have a strong offer—that is, a targeted offer that will entice prospects to respond.

Successful direct mail marketers understand that campaign success relies on the list and the offer. Determine why you're mailing to people, and then ensure that your list and offer support your objective. Your response rate will be much higher in terms of "qualified" inquiries.

, it is much better to have in the database 10 individuals at each of 1,000 companies than to have one individual at 10,000 firms.

If you need additional demographic information about the contacts' or companies' industry, size, etc. for your direct marketing solutions, check with some of the business database companies like Dunn & Bradstreet (www.dnb.com) or InfoUSA.com (www.infousa.com). Or contact the publishers of the trade magazines you advertise in. They usually offer database services to their advertisers.

All leads and business cards go into your CRM system ASAP


Think about offers you can make that will entice visitors to identify and qualify themselves. Can you create a free guide for selecting your kinds of products or services? Can you offer a white paper that explains how their kind of operation is successfully using your product or service to solve problems? If so, use it as bait for having your visitors share their names, titles, company names and contact information.

Email


If you have email addresses for your prospects and customers, but they haven't expressed interest in hearing from your company by email, be sure to politely ask their permission before starting a campaign. I recommend that you ask them how they prefer to be contacted. By email? Fax? Snail mail? Telephone?

Directories


Print directories are handy, and online directories are always up to date. Most directory publishers are publishing both, frequently offering you exposure in both mediums for the same price. Keep in mind that directories are often where buyers look when they are seeking new suppliers and have immediate needs.

Web site

  • The size of organizations your company serves? large? medium? small?
  • The geographies you serve? local areas? states? countries? regions of the world?
  • Explain why your company is a better choice than the competition?
  • Address your prospective customers' needs from their point of view?
  • Did you include the more popular keywords and phrases in your
  • URLs?
  • Page titles?
  • Headlines?
  • Body copy?
  • Text links?
  • Are you loading your text before your graphics and Flash animations in the source code of your various web pages?
  • Are you giving your graphics file names that include relevant keywords?
         Are you including keywords and phrases in <alt> tags for each of your graphics?

  • Have you included a site map on your home page, pointing to all of your site's individual pages?
  • Does your site map include lots of keywords and phrases in the page links and descriptive copy for each page of your Web site?

Add privacy

  • Have you included a link to your Web site in every appropriate online directory you can find?
  • Adding new pages to your site that include in-depth content related to the most popular relevant keywords and phrases?
  • Consider using pay-per-click ads as a temporary solution while you work to optimize your Web site for organic searching.

First, I believe you should focus on optimizing your website for visitors, helping them move from awareness to consideration to inquiry to purchase, before you worry about search engine optimization (SEO). Learn more at Millennium Group Access Control

Friday, June 8, 2012

Helpful Safety Tips

TIPS FOR ENSURING PERSONAL SAFETY
• Always be aware of your surroundings, especially at night.

• When parking, walking or returning to your car, travel in well-lit and populated areas.

• Wear sneakers or shoes that allow for added mobility.

• Be watchful and aware. Keep your head up. Make quick eye contact with those around you and be observant of passing vehicles. Don’t become distracted by talking on a cell phone or listening to an iPod/similar device.

• Avoid walking alone late at night. Walk with friends and people you know.

• Keep a whistle within reach. If threatened, use the whistle to signal residents for help. Yelling “Fire!” “Help!” or “Rape!” are ways of drawing attention and alerting people of your situation.

• Hold your car keys in your hand to use as a weapon against an attacker.

• Carry a cell phone and call ahead to your destination to alert them that you’re on the way. Make sure you’re expected at a certain time, so in the event you fail to show up, those expecting you will know enough to begin looking for you.

• Walk with confidence. Don’t let anyone violate your space. Trust your instincts. Anyone at anytime can be a victim of crime so never assume, “IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME.”

• If an unarmed attacker confronts you, believe in your ability to defend, distract, or even incapacitate the attacker enough to escape.

• If you think that someone is following you, switch direction or cross the street. Walk towards an open store, restaurant or residence.

TIPS TO PREVENT MOTOR VEHICLE BREAK-INS
• DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR CAR WHERE OTHERS CAN SEE THEM. Valuable items, such as your laptop, iPod, etc. should never be left in the front or back seat of your vehicle. Always take your valuables with you, or move them into the trunk.Lock your doors and windows.

• Even if your window is only slightly open, it makes your car an easier target for thieves. A thief will insert a wire into a slightly open window to pop up the door lock.

• Replace your standard door lock buttons with tapered ones. Tapered door lock buttons make it more difficult for a thief to hook a wire or device onto the door lock button to pop it open.

• Invest in an anti-theft device. When you buy a new or used car, checking to see if it has an anti-theft device is as important as checking the engine. If there isn’t one, you should have one installed.
• If you observe any unusual activity or observe a car theft or a break-in, call 911. Learn more at Millennium Group Access Control

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