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Safety & Security
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Discovering the digital doorman In broad strokes, everyone will agree that the internet has been the single biggest invention of recent history. It has affected and changed everything and, in a very perceivable sense, it has given all aspects of life more dimensions. That is something that holds true for the modern security and safety sector as well. Not only has it raised the need for online security, it has also allowed for fundamental changes in classic security operations. TEXT: THOMAS SCHROERS
Prior to the technological world of the 21st century, there were considerably less ways to secure your home or property. A hundred years ago, to really feel safe you probably would have needed a person standing guard in front of your building. Technology has changed this; first through the development of alarm systems with cameras and presence detectors and lately with the invention of smart home systems that allow you to monitor all security items 62 | Issue 42 | September 2016
of your house with your phone or tablet. Your doorman has now become digital. This is an important aspect of modern security. People want to find individual solutions that cater to their needs and many companies are servicing this demand. In addition, people also like to be the one in charge of their security. Again, the internet provides this and makes a business, of which one could be sceptical,
transparent and trustworthy. It is just human to feel safer, when we ourselves can see and monitor our home or property and not be reliant on other parties. Through all these advances, security has become an integrated system. Of course, a fire blanket will always be a fire blanket and training for security personal will always be needed, but tools like locks or cameras had to be adapted to the internet. In that regard, these tools are now lined with software. However, and here is where it gets tricky, the following question arises: who secures the software? In a world where all aspects get integrated and connected, the answer to this question has opened up a whole new arm of developments and a field of business that is exciting to watch.