GSN 2010 Homeland Security Awards Dinner, Washington, DC

Captain David Baisden recounts the story of how the Sheriff’s Office was first advised by the Department of Justice to hire an additional 200 officers, which would have cost the taxpayers $10 million per year.  Instead, they explored replacing their antiquated PTZ camera system with a system of Avigilon high-definition megapixel cameras, which they ultimately installed themselves. In the first 30 days after the installation, the Sheriff’s Office was able to take 30 cases to the DA’s office, and 90% of the violence disappeared from the facility.

Ms. Castaldo describes Codebench as a software development company that focuses exclusively on physical security applications. Its PIVCheck product, which is deployed in the VA, seven seaports and a number of petrochemical companies, won the GSN Award for the second time in two years, as “Best Integrated Solution for HSPD-12 and FIPS-201 Compliance.”

Vidsys specializes in Physical Security Information Management (PSIM), according to Dave Fowler, and thus its software is designed to integrate all physical security into one technology, and to bring together multiple technologies as well as multiple agencies.  Because of the success of its PSIM software, the company has been “growing like gangbusters” in recent years.

Mr Hilliard and his team received their Trophy for work on the DHS Interagency Security Committee in completing the Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities document, and sister document, the Design-Basis Threat Report. He describes how risk management comes into the equation, as federal leadership has to decide if evolving site specific needs for their respective agencies determine they must exceed the baseline requirement, or if conditions permit them to deviate downward.

Intelagard was Winner of GSN’s 2010 Homeland Security Award for “Best Decontamination Products and Solutions”.  In this interview at the company’s headquarters in Lafayette, CO, Ms Cope describes the H1 Intercept, a multi-asset vehicle that can change from fire suppression to decontamination to hazmat remediation in less than 5 minutes. She also demonstrates the McCaw Backpack, the company’s first product, which uses compressed air foam in dryer or wetter form depending on the nature of the danger.

Following CHDS’s recognition at GSN’s 2010 Awards Dinner as a strategic national/international laboratory for the evolving discipline of Homeland Security, director Glen Woodbury describes the Center as a unique blend of practitioners and academics who encourage active discussion and debate of security challenges and sharing of the resulting solutions.

Ms Landis and USCIS, who received the Border Security Award for the New Permanent Resident “Green” Card, explains and demonstrates new features incorporated into the card, including the Optical Memory Stripe invented by LaserCard and the Radio Frequency Identification Device that allows Border Security officials to access biometric, biographic and case-related information associated with each cardholder.  She describes the partnership among USCIS, contractor General Dynamics Information Systems and subcontractor LaserCard as a great example of the public-private successes saluted in th

Vanguard Integrity Professionals specializes in data security and audit and compliance tools and services for large data centers. Its clientele includes Fortune 500 companies and large Federal agencies with large mainframes. Vanguard’s Enforcer Intrusion Management product was a repeat Winner in the 2010 GSN Award program, and its Configuration Manager scanning tool was a Finalist. Mr. Ringelberg says he is stunned when he sees an intrusion management tool on every computer except the mainframe in a data center.

Desktop Alert , says Mr. Ryan, provides mass notification software which is capable of running on an enterprise’s existing computational infrastructure, enabling end users to be reached in seconds with actionable intelligence. The company’s biggest customers are DOD, U.S Army and Air Force, FEMA and the DHS. Desktop Alert was recently selected by the National Guard for its first ever nationwide mass notification system.

GSN 2010 Awards: Bill Ross, Business Director, GDC4 Cyber Mission Assurance – General Dynamics C4 has a long legacy of information assurance, says Mr. Ross. The perspective is: Who’s on your network? Who’s in your enterprise? What are they doing there? The company’s secure voice and data products  and integrated architectures span the gamut from large scale DOD and intelligence applications to handheld products in first responder and community applications.