CEDIA and InfoComm are combining forces at ISE 2017 to produce a joint conference designed to tackle the hot topic of cybersecurity. The conference is designed for integrators, consultants and end users who are keen to learn how best to protect networked AV systems against growing threats. “With AV systems now forming part of the […]

The Z-Wave Alliance has adding a security requirement to its long-standing interoperability certification. This addition to its certification program will require manufacturers to adopt the strongest levels of IoT security in the industry. The Alliance Board of Directors has voted to make the implementation of the new Security 2 (S2) framework mandatory for all products […]

On Fri., Oct. 21, a company in small Manchester, New Hampshire was the focus of a DoS internet attack.  While the city it is located in is small, the company, Dyn, is not. It provides DNS (Domain Name Server) service to a large part of the country. By attacking this company the hackers effectively shut […]

How the “New” industry security discussion really began Back in mid-January of this year, the AV world was rocked by a story that truly caught fire within hours after it was first reported. I watched it filter through the industry – the articles and podcasts – however I waited for the right moment to post […]

As I sit here in Cleveland during the Republican National Convention, I’m thinking about something I did not ever expect to happen in this current political climate — a recent bipartisan bill was introduced into the House of Representatives [Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) and Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA)] that aims to stop the flow of […]

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group today announced the USB Type-C Authentication specification, defining cryptographic-based authentication for USB Type-C chargers and devices. Using this protocol, host systems can confirm the authenticity of a USB device or USB charger, including such product aspects as the descriptors/capabilities and certification status. All of this happens right at the moment […]

Headline: Channel Partners – 3/10/16: Network Security Incidents High Among World’s Largest Companies Story: A new survey of IT and security professionals reveals that 72 percent of organizations have experienced five or more network security incidents in the past 12 months. Regardless of region or technology, IT and security administrators revealed that their networks have significant blind […]

By now you should have heard about Apple’s battle with the federal government over the unlocking of Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone for use in the investigation of the San Bernardino shootings. If you have not been paying attention and you work in the ICT industry, you should. In short, the Federal Government has secured an […]

As stated in my previous blog, “Baffling” Backdoor Cyber-Talks, numerous people in the industry through discussion as well as writing got right out and on top of a major story in the industry. Again, my hats off to them and this now leads to my next discussion on the matter of security. With the AMX […]

Recently there have been a few people who would have you believe that “Networked AV is the single biggest threat to cyber security today.”  Are the people who are saying this seriously stating that Networked AV poses a bigger threat to cybersecurity than social engineering or the other countless cyber security issues that end users […]

The AV industry received some unsettling news last week regarding a potential security vulnerability in Harman’s control processors. It was a rare moment when we as a group were all in the news, though not in a good way. For those who’ve not seen it by now, Ars Technica reported that AMX (now Harman) Netlinx […]

Before I begin let me first explain for those who may not yet be aware that the AV industry locked into a story on January 21st involving AMX by Harman and backdoors. Posts began to appear on Twitter, and I will say that prior to these tweets appearing I had already known what had taken […]

I wrote a blog recently So What Should Go Under the Tree This Year? The Drones Discussion Continues and yes while it was mostly targeted to (as it states) drones discussion, there was mention of one of the hottest toys currently on the market. In fact this was the blog’s ending with a link to a […]

Virtual Anatomy 101 Robert Hasel had an idea about how to change the teaching of human anatomy for medical, dental, and health science students which, instead of cutting into a real human corpse, involved wanting his students to get immersed via virtual and augmented reality. Hasel is associate dean for simulation, immersion, and digital learning […]

The Man in the “Iron” Machine Comic-Con returned to New York just this past week, which meant everyone from superheroes to cartoon characters were roaming the streets and subways. The multitude of costumes were awesome (as would be expected at one of the signature costume-based shows of the year), however one person in particular stood out — the one dressed as the Iron […]

Telemedicine and the World’s First Virtual Care Center At first glance, it looks like the inside of any office with cubicles and computer monitors – with one exception – many of the employees are dressed in hospital scrubs. These workers are actually nurses taking care of patients, though there are no hospital beds, no waiting rooms […]

IoT Continues to Open Pandora’s Box According to a PricewaterhouseCooper’s report (from October 2014), more than 20 percent of U.S. adults own at least one wearable, and soon we’ll be using them at home and work for a variety of purposes, with as many as 50 billion new connected devices by 2020. The Internet of Things has of […]

As some may have noticed in the profile description on the webpage, as well as if anyone has checked out my LinkedIn profile, you’ll notice the Convergent Tech Project which I’ve described as one which leverages technologies in audio visual, IT, video conferencing, Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC), cloud-hosted and virtual machine technologies, mobility/BYOD, Internet of […]

When you look at certain individuals who have been influential in the audio visual industry, there are those who have contributed in numerous high level ways. Gary Hall is certainly one of those individuals who has made major contributions and continues to be held in high regard by many in the industry. Along with being […]

After a brief period of dormancy, the unified communications (UC) industry took a healthy jump to life last year. What will this year bring for the industry? UC experts are predicting the biggest trends and what they mean for enterprises and institutions looking to expand and improve their collaboration experience in 2015. A recent article […]

It was revealed yesterday, in an announcement from the FBI, that North Korea was responsible for the recent cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. The attack resulted in the public release of thousands of confidential (and embarrassing) email messages and documents involving Sony, its executives, popular celebrities, and many of the entertainment company’s business partners — […]

Since I put out the blog Sony-pocalypse Round 2 — Sony Pictures Fights Back… the other day, new major developments have taken place since it published. Thus a necessary edit to the blog. We’ll start from the top: If you haven’t already heard, Sony Pictures was recently breached, and it was brutal. If you need […]

By Tim Kridel Special to InfoComm International Videoconferences frequently include confidential information, so the last thing clients want is someone eavesdropping. Meanwhile, digital signage done right can attract lots of eyeballs, which actually makes it attractive to hackers looking to embarrass a company by putting inappropriate content on-screen. “Digital signage content is increasingly Web-based; the […]

For those who may remember Catch Me If You Can, the movie is based on the story of a young man, a clever forger, who becomes a lawyer, a doctor and a pilot — all while still in high school avoiding the FBI by continuously staying one step ahead. For those who don’t know the story, watch […]

A month or so ago, a participant in an upcoming article that I have written about Google Glass and wearables usage in higher education (coming in December) and I started another discussion, this one touching on beacon technology. I have to say that it was so enlightening, I decide that we should have a followup […]

We have seen numerous blogs and articles written defining IT terms (and in some cases coinciding AV terms) as well as some discussion concerning them. Some have been direct approaches and some a little more than that. But all in all many are trying to focus on helping the industry to understand more about what […]

Meet Google’s Security Princess. From an article published in Elle Magazine in August of this year, the header gives a unique description of her: As Google’s top hacker, Parisa Tabriz thinks like a criminal—and manages the brilliant, wonky guys on her team with the courage and calm of a hostage negotiator. Whoa. Weeks back I […]

When we think of convergence, we of course refer to how the industry’s two realms of technology potentially merge together to create seamless system implementation where all components, potentially including devices, form reliable AV/IT integration whether on-premise, in the cloud, or both. However, questions continue to arise about the convergence and if it indeed has […]

The interview — the power of the spoken word, the real sense of expression and feeling when one gives you direct response to something that you’ve been thinking and/or wondering about. In blogs previous to the last two that I’ve done on the title subject of AV/IT be they cloud, BYOD or cybersecurity, it was […]

In July of last year, I received an invitation to attend an event, one like I had never been to before. Now I’ve been to my share of AV events and even a few on IT, however this one was very different and brought on great intrigue as well. The event was the Cyber Security […]