Security Systems Technologies and Innovation: A Comprehensive History of Advances in the Industry examines the past 50 years and the expansion of the security industry, security technologies, and the field as a whole. An overarching theme throughout is that advances in security technology run parallel to developments in computers and telecommunications. The coverage emphasizes that the foundational “nuts and bolts” intent and tactics that preceded today’s electronics don’t change, although the methodologies, challenges, and threats do morph and change over time.
This encyclopedic work begins in the 1970s with a foundational background of the monopoly‑controlled industry at the time, which relied on mechanical devices and people. Understanding these precepts not only puts present technology in perspective but also equips readers with the tools to creatively approach unique security problems. This reflects the reality that the true role of any security decision‑maker is to provide situational awareness and decision‑making, since almost every security problem is nuanced and context‑based. Out‑of‑the‑box solutions – including technology – though popular, are rarely the answer. Security is about protecting people and property from highly motivated criminals – a constant chess game in which only one side follows the rules.
Rapid technological developments in the last 30 years, in particular, ushered in an unprecedented period of growth. Over this time, the industry developed into a goliath, evolving in step with the transformation of the American criminal justice and law enforcement communities, with almost complete technical revision and advancement every three to five years. Concurrently, countering terror threats began to supersede the industry’s original focus on trespassers and property theft. This book chronicles this ever‑changing corporate, technological, and threat‑based landscape. This book proves fascinating reading, providing insight to those currently in the field and offering a glimpse of future security threats, and those current and emerging technologies that will shape the next 50 years of the industry.
Table of Contents:
Section I: The Early Years of Private Security 1: Evolution of Communication – Devices in Security 2: Leased Telephone Loop Circuits 3: Security Alarm Cartel 4: Security Practices and Changing Technology Section II: Motion Detection to Surveillance 5: Volumetric Motion Technology – Short Life Cycle 6: Home Entertainment B&W TV to CCTV Surveillance Section III: Caught on Surveillance 7: Video Images Worth a Thousand Arrests 8: One Nation Under Surveillance Section IV: Controlled Access with Audit Trails 9: Not Just Card Readers 10: Contactless Card Access 11: Innovative and Programmable Access Control Systems 12: Biometric Identifiers 13: Realm of Fact and Fantasy Section V: Analog to Digital Revolution 14: Digital Communication in Place of Personal Contact 15: Advanced Communication Technology 16: Bandwidth, Broadband, and Single Compression Section VI: Video Recording and Storage 17: CCTV Recorders and Digital Conversion Section VII: Wireless Communication 18: Laptop Computers Exposed 19: Traffic Hazards Section VIII: Gadgets in All Aspects of Security 20: Innovation Fatigue 21: Social Network Phenomenon 22: Decoding E-mail and Personality Traits 23: Low Battery Anxiety Section IX: Network Insecurity 24: Domain Names 25: Open Networks 26: Network Oddities Section X: Built-In Obsolescence 27: Limited Life Cycle 28: Perimeter Protection 29: Bollards and Other Portable Barriers Section XI: Locking Arrangement – Life Safety Rules 30: Locking Hardware 31: Lock Picking for Fun and Profit 32: History of Electromagnetic Locks Section XII: Fire Safety and Code Compliance 33: Reconciling Fire Safety and Security Protection 34: Smoke Detectors and Sprinkler Heads 35: Major and Notable Fires in American History Section XIII: Explosives in Major Conflicts 36: Nuclear Threats 37: Explosives, Chem-Bio Threats, and Drone Warfare Section XIV: Deadly Weapons of Apparent Mass Appeal 38: Guns and Active Shooters Section XV: Non-Lethal Weaponry 39: Temporarily Debilitating Weapons 40: Armored Courier Services Section XV: Lie Detectors and Truth Detection 41: Truth Seeking Techniques Section XVI: Odd Detection Devices 42: Devices of Mass Annoyance
About the Author :
Charles Schnabolk E.E., MBA, P.E., PSP, Lic. Elec. is a recognized industry pioneer with credits including security design for the original World Trade Center. As a successful consulting engineer, he also designed and implemented security systems for major hospitals, schools, high‑rise commercial buildings, and large residential complexes. This book is a compendium of his unique knowledge on almost every aspect of modern security – from its 1970s conception to the modern, high‑tech industry that it had developed into over the last half‑century and more.
