European far-right politicians just stormed to victory in Italy, after achieving historic results in France and Sweden.
“Everywhere in Europe, people aspire to take their destiny back into their own hands!” said Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally Party.
But if you think there is a new wave of right-wing radicalism sweeping Europe, you’d be wrong. Something else is going on.
Analysis by POLITICO’s Poll of Polls suggests far-right parties in the region on average did not increase their support by even one percentage point between the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine in February and today.
POLITICO looked at the median and average increase of all parties organized in right-wing European Parliament groups of Identity and Democracy, the European Conservatives and Reformists or unaffiliated parties with political far-right positions.
Overall, the results indicate that if an increase in support occurred for far-right parties, it happened several years ago.
The Sweden Democrats’ first surge happened after the 2014 election, when the party grew from around 10 percent to 20 percent, the same one-fifth share of the vote they received in this year’s election. The far-right Alternative for Germany AfD in Germany grew fast in 2015 and 2016 reaching 14 percent in POLITICO’s polling tracker. In Italy, the Northern League overtook Forza Italia for the first time in early 2015, and peaked in 2019 at 37 percent before starting a downward trend ending on 9 percent in last month’s election. In the Italian election, voters mostly switched between rival right-wing camps.
The far-right has moved from the fringes of politics into the mainstream, not only influencing the political center but also entering the arena of power.
“There is a normalization of far-right parties as an integral part of the political landscape,” said Cathrine Thorleifsson, who researches extremism at the University of Oslo. “They have been accepted by the electorate and also by other, conventional parties.”
Cooperation between the center-right and the extreme-right has become less taboo.
“The rise of far-right parties is only part of the story. The facilitating and mainstreaming of far-right parties as well as the adoption of far-right frames and positions by other parties is at least as important,” tweeted Cas Mudde, a leading scholar on the issue.
This may risk destabilizing Europe even more than winning a couple of percentage points in the polls.
Italy’s far-right firebrand Giorgia Meloni is a clear-cut example. While her party draws its origin from groups founded by former fascists, she’ll now lead the EU’s third-largest economy.
Leader of Italian far-right party “Fratelli d’Italia” (Brothers of Italy), Giorgia Meloni | Pitro Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images
In Sweden, the center-right party has started coalition talks for a minority government which would have to draw on opposition support, most likely from the far-right Swedish Democrats. Far-right parties have also entered governments in Austria, Finland, Estonia and Italy. Other countries are likely to follow.
George Simion, the leader of Romania’s far-right party, Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), celebrated Meloni’s win in Italy, saying his party is likely to follow in their footsteps.
Spain heads to the ballot box next year and socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez may have a tough time winning re-election. The conservative People’s Party is between five and seven points ahead of the Spanish socialists in all the published polls, but it is unlikely to garner enough votes to secure a governing majority outright.
That means it may have to come to an agreement with far-right party Vox, whose leader, Santiago Abascal, is an ally of Meloni’s. While the People’s Party previously refused to govern with Vox, last spring its newly elected leader, Alberto Núnez-Feijóo, greenlit a coalition agreement with the ultranationalist group in Spain’s central Castilla y León region.
Tom Van Grieken, the right-wing Belgian politician, also pointed to Spain as the next likely example, especially because of the possible cooperation with the PP. “All over Europe, we see conservative parties who are considering breaking the cordon sanitaire,” he said, referring to the refusal of other parties to work with the far-right. “They are tired of compromising with their ideological counterparts, the parties at the left end of the spectrum.”
Chairman of Vlaams Belang party Tom Van Grieken | Stephanie Le Coqc/EFE via EPA
This didn’t happen overnight. The far-right worked hard to shrug off their extremist, neo-Nazi image.
“In some of the reporting on the Swedish Democrats, you’d think they’ll deport people on trains as soon as they’re in power. Come on, these parties have changed,” said one EU official with right-wing affiliations.
The far-right invested in “image adjustment and trying to tread carefully with some issues, while unashamedly catering to others,” said Nina Wiesehomeier, a political scientist at the IE University of Madrid. “This is particularly obvious in Italy right now, with Meloni sticking to the slogan of ‘God, homeland, family,’ as a continuation, while having tried to purge the party from more radical elements.”
In Belgium’s northern region of Flanders, the right-wing Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) explicitly dismisses the label “extreme-right.” Just like his counterparts in Italy, Sweden and France, Van Grieken, the party’s president, denounced the more extremist positions of his group’s founding fathers and moderated his political message to make voting for the far-right socially acceptable.
Overt racism is taboo. Instead, the rhetoric changes to criticizing an open-door migration policy. By carefully catering to centrist voters, the far-right aims for a bigger slice of the cake, while still riding on the anti-establishment discontent.
“There is a clear fault line between the winners of globalization and the nationalists,” Van Grieken told POLITICO. “This comes on top on the concerns about mass migration, whether it’s in Malmö, Rome or other European cities.”
Perfect storm
Now, the time is right to capitalize on that transformation.
As Europe is battling record inflation and Europeans fear exorbitant heating bills, governments warn about the political implications of a “winter of discontent.”
“It’s a massive drainage of European prosperity,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told POLITICO recently. “In the current situation, it’s hard to believe in progress, it’s very hard to make progress. So there’s a very pessimistic feeling.”
The current war in Ukraine is the latest in a succession of crises — in global finance, migration and the pandemic. Experts argue that this is key to understanding the rising support for the far-right.
“Such existential crises have a destabilizing effect and lead to fear,” said Carl Devos, a professor in political science at Ghent University. “Fear is the breeding ground for the far-right. People tend to translate that fear and outrage into radical voting behaviour.”
Migration and identity politics are less prominent in the media because of the Ukraine war and rising energy prices, but they’re still key issues in right-wing debate.
In Austria, the coalition parties fought over whether or not asylum seekers should receive climate bonuses. In the Netherlands, the death of a baby at the asylum center Ter Apel led to a renewed debate over the overcrowded migration centers.
The combination of those issues is likely to feed into more right-wing wins across the continent. “The far-right offers nationalist, protectionist solutions to the globalized crises, said Thorleifsson. “We see how the migration issue was momentarily off the agenda during the pandemic, but now it’s back.”
Aitor Hernández-Morales, Camille Gijs and Ana Fota contributed reporting.
The EU is seeking to reset its often testy relationship with Israel next week, convening a summit on Monday of senior political figures for the first time in a decade.
The meeting format, known as the EU-Israel Association Council, has essentially been dormant since 2013, when Israel canceled a gathering in protest over the EU’s stance on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Since then, the two sides have continued to clash over similar issues.
But the 2021 exit of hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the door for current rapprochement. His replacement, Yair Lapid, who also holds the foreign minister role, has embraced a two-state solution with Palestine — a position more in line with many EU countries’ approach, even if several countries are still expected to express disapproval of Israel’s Palestinian policies on Monday. Brussels is also eager to shore up energy supplies from Israel amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Lapid is expected to attend Monday’s council meeting.
“There’s a big hope that the upcoming association council between the EU and Israel will bring … a new wind into our relationship,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told POLITICO last week at the United Nations General Assembly, expressing optimism that the development will be one of the key achievements of the Czechs’ six-month rotating EU presidency.
Still, getting EU consensus on one of the world’s most notoriously contentious conflicts is not going to be easy.
Countries like Ireland and Sweden have traditionally taken a more pro-Palestinian stance — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stopped off in Dublin for a meeting with the Irish prime minister earlier this month en route to the U.N. annual gathering. On the other end of the spectrum, Israel has strong supporters within the EU. Hungary, for example, is a staunch ally with economic and ideological bonds forged over the years between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Netanyahu.
Before the EU-Israel council went dark, it had served for more than a decade as a forum for officials to regularly meet and discuss these issues. Now, with the council set to be revived, member states are tinkering with an official communique that needs to satisfy the spectrum of views regarding EU-Israeli relations.
Finding common language can mean weeks of fighting over a single word while backroom deals are cut to appease the myriad interests at play. Palestinian officials are also watching closely, demanding not to be left out of a similar diplomatic engagement with Brussels.
The EU’s complicated role in the Israel-Palestine conflict has played out in numerous controversies this year alone.
This spring, the European Commission was forced to delay funding for the Palestinian Authority over the content of textbooks, which critics say included anti-Israeli incitements to violence.
The decision to block the funds was led by Hungarian EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. As POLITICO first reported, 15 countries sent a letter to the Commission in April blasting the move. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen finally announced the money would be disbursed during a visit to the Palestinian city Ramallah in July.
EU commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement Olivér Várhelyi | Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
Further tensions with Tel Aviv emerged following an Israeli raid in July on the offices of Palestinian NGOs.
Israel had accused the groups — some of which received funds from EU countries — of being terrorist organizations. But numerous EU countries weren’t convinced.
In a joint statement at the time, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden all blasted Israel, saying it had not supplied “substantial information” to justify the raids. The bloc reiterated those “deep concerns” in August after further Israeli raids on civil society groups.
Another dynamic affecting the EU’s relationship with Israel is the Continent’s energy woes. As Europe scrambles to find alternative sources of Russian gas, furthering energy ties with Israel is one possible answer.
In a June visit to Israel, von der Leyen signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel and Egypt to boost gas exports. The EU is also Israel’s largest trade market and accounts for about a third of Israel’s total trade.
But while economic imperatives explain part of the new push for engagement with Israel, long-term observers say the outreach also reflects a new willingness to engage with Tel Aviv after Lapid came to power this summer. Lapid entered office as part of a power-sharing arrangement with Naftali Bennett, who held the job for a year prior to him.
“I think it is a genuine shift,” said Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, who helms the Israel-Europe Program at Mitvim Institute, an Israeli think tank. “The change of tone was made by Lapid, who shares much of the EU’s normative stance on the liberal democratic world order. It’s now much more positive than during Netanyahu’s government, even if Bennett and now Lapid government is not advancing the peace process.”
Sion-Tzidkiyahu said mutually beneficial scenarios are helping to replace “megaphone diplomacy” with closer dialogue.
“Disagreements on contentious issues such as the Palestinian or Iranian one will not disappear, but perhaps there are now better understanding for the concerns of each side,” she said.
Lipavský, the Czech foreign minister, is aware of the concerns some EU countries have about the Israeli’s government actions in the West Bank and towards Palestinians.
“We need to discuss [these concerns] openly, but I don’t think that one issue should block the debate about the others,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen poses for pictures with Israel’s Yair Lapid | Pool photo by Maya Alleruzzo/AFP via Getty Images
Officially, the EU supports the two-state solution that sees a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel — a vision also shared by the United States. But making that prospect a reality seems as far away as ever.
Sven Koopmans, the EU special representative for the Middle East peace process, wrote earlier this month that all parties needed to help identify ways to solve the man-made conflict.
“The current situation is increasingly seen as a structural human rights problem, in which Israel has the upper hand,” he wrote in the Israeli outlet Haaretz. “That negatively affects how the world perceives Israel, and holds risks for the long-term. It should not be that way.”
When it comes to resuming the peace process, Sion-Tzidkiyahu is not confident.
“Under the current political circumstances in the Palestinian Authority and Israel, such development is not foreseen,” she said. “At most, the EU can push for more practical steps by Israel to improve Palestinian’s condition.”
GENEVA, June 21, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Gathering on the sidelines of the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Yemen Coalition of Independent Women and its partner organizations, including The Washington Outsider, addressed the nexus between the human rights violations by the Iran-backed Houthi militias (Ansar Allah) in Yemen and the security risks to the region and the international community. At the June 17 symposium on human rights abuses in Yemen, Senior Director for Countering Extremism Dr. Hans Jacob Schindler discussed the Houthi threats to regional and global security by the use of ballistic missiles against Yemen’s residential areas and displacement camps, and attacks on economic infrastructure and vital installations in Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Addressing Iran’s arming, training, funding, and political support for Ansar Allah and the Houthi connections to other Iranian proxies in the region, Dr. Schindler confirmed that the Houthis had received material support and training from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, and that Yemen had become a testing ground for Iran and Hezbollah. Dr. Schindler asserted that the Houthis represented a real threat to international navigation in the Red Sea by transforming public ports into operational centers through which international shipping lines, commercial and humanitarian vessels were targeted, booby-trapped, and pirated.
In the June 19th seminar on Houthi violations against media freedom, Irina Tsukerman, who moderated the panel, stated that Houthis use cyberspace to raise funds and to block anti-Houthi websites, and to spy on citizens. She added that the Houthis used communications and information technology and infrastructure they controlled to support military operations. The Houthi punished the Yemeni people and cut off internet service in 2018 from 80% of the area of Yemen. The Houthi control of the main internet provider in the country gave them information monopoly and frustrated resistance. Tsukerman stressed that Houthi control of the internet isolates the Yemeni population from the rest of the world, citing the importance of helping Yemen restore internet access and end militia control as a necessary priority to end the war.
Keith Boyfield, Senior Fellow at the Euro-Gulf Information Centre, addressed the potential environmental disaster resulting from the ticking time bomb of the trapped FSO Safer oil carrier near the Hodeidah port. He also spoke of child soldier recruitment and hate indoctrination, which prolongs the conflict, creating generations of dedicated fighters.
The seminar also discussed the impact of the arbitrary detentions, torture, and assaults on journalists, the bans of media outlets, and the hacking and cell phone searches and seizures, as well as the impact on information flow about security and on digital rights in Yemen.
Over 300 LiveSky Tethered UAS Sold To The U.S. Government With New Order For 43 Systems
Press Release –
Jun 8, 2022
SANFORD, Fla., June 8, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Hoverfly Technologies Inc. announced today another order for 43 LiveSky systems for the US Army, now surpassing over 300 LiveSky tethered drones sold to the U.S. government. LiveSky is a turnkey tethered UAS platform with infinite flight time, offering on-demand persistent ISR capabilities and communications relay solutions. National defense, intelligence, and homeland security customers have all benefited from LiveSky solutions as a force multiplier in mission-critical situations.
LiveSky Sentry and LiveSky Defender, often referred to as the Variable Height Antenna (VHA) for network range extension, have been deployed both domestically and internationally in all-weather environments. Hoverfly’s new LiveSky HL Spectre caught the eye of DoD and USG agencies in recent months due to its multi-payload capability. LiveSky HL Spectre can carry up to three payloads, offering both persistent ISR and broadband network communications relay solutions at the press of a button.
All LiveSky platforms are payload agnostic, allowing integration of a variety of third-party payloads. USG customers employ Silvus, Trellisware, Persistent Systems, and other tactical radios on LiveSky platforms for broadband network range extension, giving our troops unparalleled situational awareness on the battlefield. Equipping LiveSky with ISR payloads provides live full-motion video streams that can be viewed locally, by operators using Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK), and over networks anywhere in the world. LiveSky does not operate using any radio frequency (RF) signals, making it impossible for the data within the system to be jammed, hacked, or intercepted. Additional payloads are available for integration, to include 5G, C-UAS, and EW systems that are more effective at 200′.
USG customers have identified the ability to seamlessly integrate into any network as a key differentiator for Hoverfly tethered drone solutions. LiveSky platforms have been an integral part of multiple ground vehicle programs, enhancing both manned and unmanned on-the-move capabilities. Hoverfly President and COO, Steve Walters, explains, “Various surveillance, radio, and network achieve maximum performance at elevation. Hoverfly LiveSky systems continue to prove that seeking the high ground can be achieved in seconds. Hoverfly’s culture is entrepreneurial and encourages innovation and disruption to the legacy methods of achieving payload elevation, and we are proud to provide capability to the U.S. government, first responders, and foreign partners. “
More and more USG procurement requirements are including tethered UAS, and Hoverfly remains the industry leader with hundreds of units deployed to USG customers. More information on the different LiveSky platforms can be found at hoverflytech.com
Crypto.com announces multiple updates following a hack that resulted in millions in total losses, … [+] though the exchange said all affected individuals were reimbursed. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Crypto.com, one of the biggest and best known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world now backed by superstar actor Matt Damon, has admitted that 483 of its users were hit in a hack earlier this month, leading to unauthorized withdrawals of bitcoin and Ether worth $35 million. The company had initially said $15 million was taken in the heist.
“On 17 January 2022, Crypto.com learned that a small number of users had unauthorized crypto withdrawals on their accounts,” Cyrpto.com wrote in a post on Thursday. “Crypto.com promptly suspended withdrawals for all tokens to initiate an investigation and worked around the clock to address the issue. No customers experienced a loss of funds. In the majority of cases we prevented the unauthorized withdrawal, and in all other cases customers were fully reimbursed.”
The company said that on Monday it saw that for a handful of accounts, transactions were being approved without the second-factor of authentication (the additional one-time code beyond the password allowing access to an account) being entered by a user. As it investigated, all withdrawals across Crypto.com were put on hold, lasting 14 hours. It then required all customers to login again and go through a new two-factor authentication process.
As an additional measure, Crypto.com introduced a feature that means when a new address is added as a payee on an account, the user will get notifications and have 24 hours to cancel any payment if they didn’t authorize it.
Finally, it’s announced the Worldwide Account Protection Program (WAPP), promising to restore funds up to $250,000 for users who qualify. To qualify, users have to be using multi-factor authentication and have filed a police report that it can show Crypto.com. “While we are reminded of the existence of bad actors intent on committing fraud, this new Worldwide Account Protection Program, along with our new MFA [multi-factor authentication] infrastructure, gives our users unprecedented protection of their funds, and hopefully, peace of mind,” said Kris Marszalek, cofounder and CEO of Crypto.com.
There remains little in the way of an explanation of how the attack actually occurred, however. The internal investigation continues.
As commerce becomes increasingly global, the financial system grows and digital assets become more ingrained in our lives than ever before, governments and regulators are pushing back with even more restrictions to maintain control over the industry. Some would argue that they have gone too far, or are fighting the wrong battles. In light of the pace of innovation, especially in the cryptocurrency space, where privacy is often mandatory, these distractions are likely to keep them playing catch up and perhaps on the wrong side of history.
Key Background
In May 2021, the Treasury Department released the Biden administration’s revenue proposals for fiscal year 2022. They include a key requirement that would apply stringent reporting requirements to all business and personal accounts from financial institutions. Specifically the proposal covers, “bank, loan, and investment accounts, with the exception of accounts below a low de minimis gross flow threshold of $600 or fair market value of $600.” In other words, financial institutions will report any flows in and out of business and personal accounts of more than $600 regardless of whether they are based in fiat or cryptocurrency. Then in late October the Treasury offered an additional threshold of more than $10,000 in transfers in a given year.
All of this adds to a restrictive climate towards crypto, especially for ‘privacy coins’, a part of the industry that promotes privacy as its key value proposition. This sentiment has put them under the regulatory microscope and led several exchanges to de-list certain tokens to avoid regulatory ire.
Things are not stopping at US shores either. Internationally, in late October 2021 the global AML agency, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its updated guidance for firms that handle cryptocurrency and virtual assets. The guidance increased transactional reporting requirements for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), which are defined to include a lot more companies than just centralized exchanges.
However, rather than lying down, as governments continue to encroach on financial privacy, the cryptocurrency community is pushing forward with privacy initiatives to safeguard this basic human right. The most recent example came last week when Findora, a privacy-centric blockchain developed by Discreet Labs announced a $100 million ecosystem fund to be used for research, development of new applications, infrastructure such as staking, and liquidity so these platforms and ‘privacy coins’ offer similar levels of utility to more prominent blockchains such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Investors are noticing. Many privacy coins have proven to be solid investments in 2021, as several have quietly outperformed bitcoin during this bull market, which bodes well for the industry moving forward.
Key Actors
Treasury Department & Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) – Jon Blattmachr (Deputy GC of INX, former Virtual Currency Chief of NYDFS)
Zcash – Zooko Wilco and Josh Swihart
Monero – Riccardo Spagni
Cake Wallet – Vik Sharma
Findora/Discreet Labs – Warren Paul Anderson
Secret Foundation – Tor Bair
Broader Context
Contrary to the popular narrative, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do not provide a high degree of anonymity or privacy. Bitcoin is pseudonymous, meaning transactions are linked to your wallet address rather than your name. Bitcoin’s transactional records are stored on the public blockchain in plain view; so as a result, Bitcoin is one of the more transparent ways to send money. While someone’s full name would likely not be connected directly to a Bitcoin transaction, the network can see everyone’s public address and it doesn’t take much to pair an identity to a public key. This means transaction amounts, frequency, and balances are all open for the entire public to see. Many cryptocurrency exchanges also require their users to go through their anti-money laundering/customer due diligence (AML/KYC) to define customers’ identities before using the platform. Additionally, the growing cottage industry of crypto forensic and analytic companies led by Chainalsyis, Elliptic, and CipherTrace have proven adept at attaching identities to illicit transactions. In this sense, legal tender today is much more private than bitcoin.
According to Warren Anderson, VP of Product at Discreet Labs, the team behind Findora, “[w]hen someone exchanges coins or banknotes for a good or service, that transaction is only known to the two parties involved. . .Further, if you hand a $10 bill to the woman at the local farmer’s market, she can’t look up how much you have left in your bank account.”
Privacy coins are specifically designed to add a much needed layer of privacy to the benefits and functionality of cryptocurrency. A privacy coin can keep information about its users hidden, including identity, size of cryptocurrency transactions, or the amount of cryptocurrency a person holds. Most projects have some sort of “view key” in which a user, exchange or regulator can pierce through the privacy layer and access the encrypted information.
Examples of Privacy Coins
There are a variety of privacy coins that function in different ways. A few are listed below:
Zcash — Zcash was launched in October 2016 as a fork of Bitcoin and uses zero-knowledge proofs to provide a means for nodes on the network to verify that a transaction is valid. It accomplishes this feat without giving them any information about the transaction, including sender, receiver, or transaction amount. One unique characteristic about Zcash is that it not only facilitates fully private transactions, but it also offers public transactions similar to Bitcoin or the ability to make certain aspects of a transaction public or private. Zcash’s transparent setting is its default, not shielded and exchanges can reveal information to law enforcement. This makes it arguably more friendly to regulators than other options.
Monero – Monero launched in 2014 as a Bytecoin fork, a privacy focused cryptocurrency based on CryptoNote technology and launched in July 2012. Monero relies on stealth addresses and ring signatures to hide everything from the addresses of the sender and recipient to the full transaction amount. Privacy coins that use stealth addresses create new addresses for every single cryptocurrency transaction while Ring signatures group many public keys together in a transaction so that outside observers cannot determine the exact participants. Monero also offers optionality for users to reveal their transaction but it cannot be forced by law enforcement or an exchange. Only the key holder can reveal their transactions.
Findora — Findora is a public blockchain with programmable privacy. Findora utilizes zero-knowledge proofs and multi-party computation to allow users transactional privacy with selective auditability. Whereas some privacy protocols, namely Zcash and Monero, offer simple reveal keys to allow transaction auditability, Findora takes it a step further with selective disclosure agreements by supporting a variety of other compliance proofs to allow for more enhanced auditability without compromising privacy. Findora began as a research project in 2017, but mainnet beta launched March 2021 after a fund raise in late December 2020.
Secret Network – Secret Network is said to be the first blockchain to integrate privacy by default for Ethereum smart contracts. Smart contracts are self-executing pieces of code that are managed on a blockchain like Ethereum. Secret Network improves upon traditional smart contracts by supporting encrypted information within the contract.
“Regulators inherently dislike privacy. But that’s only because when they hear privacy, they think secrecy. These concepts are not one in the same.” – Warren Anderson, VP of Product at Discreet Labs
Financial Privacy – A Historical Review
The desire and need for privacy is a generally accepted concept that started long before crypto. Most people are very familiar with the Fourth Amendment, which originally enforced the notion that “each man’s home is his castle” that is secure from unreasonable searches and seizures of property by the government. The Fourth Amendment protects against arbitrary arrests, and is the basis of the law regarding search warrants, stop-and-frisk, safety inspections, wiretaps, and other forms of surveillance.
The Fourth Amendment’s protections apply to financial privacy as well. The Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 protects the confidentiality of personal financial records by creating a statutory Fourth Amendment protection for bank records. Generally, the Act requires that federal government agencies provide individuals with a notice and an opportunity to object before a bank or other specified institution can disclose personal financial information to a federal government agency, often for law enforcement purposes. The Act was in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1976 ruling in United States v. Miller, where the Court found that bank customers had no legal right to privacy in their financial information held by financial institutions.
The United States also understands the importance of privacy and encryption of transactions and payments on the internet. Once commerce became a large use-case for the internet, thieves made efforts to steal credit card numbers printed in clear text in the unencrypted HTTP traffic. According to Zooko Wilcox, founder of Zcash, the solution turned out to be encryption, though this was initially controversial. In the early days of the Internet, the National Security Agency (NSA) and others were concerned about the potential use of cryptography by terrorists and criminals. Today, HTTPS is a requirement for transmitting data on the internet and is mandatory for all US government agencies, including those which were initially against public access to encryption.
Privacy is fundamental to security and usability, and users deserve and expect strong privacy protections no matter where they’re active online.” – Tor Bair, Founder of Secret Foundation
Regulatory Mistrust of the Desire for Privacy
Like the days of the internet and the introduction of HTTPS, regulators are still uncomfortable with the concept of financial privacy and privacy coins. The Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 offers clear classes of exceptions in which certain financial records are not protected by the Act, for example as it relates to tax reporting, pursuant to other federal statutes or rules, administrative or judicial proceedings, and legitimate functions of supervisory agencies or if the subject of a suspicious activity report (see 12 U.S.C. §3403(c)). In these situations, disclosure by a financial institution is permitted, and no subpoena or warrant is required. In many ways, regulators seem to equate the desire for privacy with someone who has something to hide. This can be especially true when it comes to cryptocurrency, and was a key point of contention when the IRS submitted a John Doe summons to Coinbase in 2016 in hopes of identifying crypto tax evaders.
A primary concern of regulators is preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. Bank Secrecy Act (/BSA) Requirements require companies to implement KYC and transaction monitoring. Further, BSA rule 31 CFR 103.33(g) — often called the ”Travel Rule” — requires all financial institutions to pass on certain information to the next financial institution, in certain funds transmittals involving more than one financial institution.
Under the Travel Rule, all transmittor’s financial institutions must include and send the following in the transmittal order to the recipient financial institution:
The name of the transmitter,
The account number of the transmitter, if used,
The address of the transmitter,
The identity of the transmitter’s financial institution, The amount of the transmittal order,
The execution date of the transmittal order, and
The identity of the recipient’s financial institution;
and, if received:
The name of the recipient,
The address of the recipient,
The account number of the recipient, and Any other specific identifier of the recipient.
FATF recently released its updated guidance to include firms that handle cryptocurrency and virtual assets. Since 2018, FATF has issued a series of draft papers that sought to define VASPs and virtual assets, and also recommend how countries implement the Travel Rule for cryptocurrency transfers.
Comparison of requirements under BSA and Travel Rule
CipherTrace
More recently, FATF has tried to account for transactions to and from “unhosted wallets,” decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
The above requirements appear to stand in conflict with the goal of privacy coins which can shield potentially identifying information about transferors, transferees, and holders. Regulators are worried that these features can enable money laundering and terrorist financing by preventing their ability to track the movement of the coins.
Privacy coin laws vary by country, as with any other cryptocurrency. Some ban them outright, while others leave them in a legal gray area. South Korea and Japan, for example, have decided to make the use and possession of privacy coins illegal.
Josh Swihart of Zcash noted to me, “The categorization of some coins as ‘privacy coins’ is going to lead to brittle regulations with regulators trying to play privacy whack-a-mole. Policy makers should be pushing for privacy rather than fighting against it in order to protect civil liberties as well as national security.”
New York Department of Finance Services As a Microcosm Of Privacy Coin Scrutiny
Perhaps the competing priorities of privacy and regulation are no better exemplified than what is happening in New York. Privacy coins are especially limited for New York residents as a result of the New York Bitlicense. Section 200.10 states that any Bitlicensee “must obtain the superintendent’s prior written approval for any plan or proposal to introduce or offer a materially new product, service, or activity, or to make a material change to an existing product, service, or activity, involving New York or New York residents.” In New York, for many years this meant that exchanges like Coinbase and Gemini who have the Bitlicense still needed to obtain approval from New York on a coin-by-coin basis.
“At NYDFS, we had presentations that helped folks understand that there are many existing methods by which most cryptocurrencies, even BTC and ETH, can have their transactions masked. This masking can lead to transactions that make them as private as the privacy coins we’re discussing. This engagement didn’t lead to DFS’s backing down from its position on privacy coins, but the more regulators know, the more they can make rational, informed decisions about policy.” – Jon Blattmachr
As Bair told me, “Regulators are often nervous about centralized exchanges listing privacy coins because it breaks the link between fiat onramps and Web3 activity. Control and oversight of onramps and offramps is critical to extending the control and surveillance regulators already exert over the traditional financial system.”
In 2019, NYDFS responded to years of complaints that the Bitlicense slowed adoption of new products and services in New York by proposing a token approval procedure. The new procedure allows exchanges to bring their token listing policy to New York and, once approved, there is an automatic approval of tokens that the exchange puts through their process. This removed NYDFS involvement in approving coin by coin basis.
NYDFS Coin-Listing Process
NYDFS
There is just one problem. NYDFS explicitly stated, “Consistent with the intent and purpose of 23 NYCRR 200.15(g), a VC Entity cannot self-certify any coin that may facilitate the obfuscation or concealment of the identity of a customer or counterparty. Thus, for example, no privacy coin can be self-certified. A VC Entity also cannot self-certify any coin that is designed or substantially used to circumvent laws and regulations (for example, gambling coins).” (emphasis added).
NYDFS also offers a green list of tokens for New York but no privacy coins are included.
No privacy coins appear on the NYDFS pre-approval list
NYDFS
As Vik Sharma, founder of Cake Wallet, a noncustodial wallet for Monero, told me, “As NYDFS slightly opened the door for Bitlicense holders to more quickly list additional assets, they kept the door closed for ‘privacy coins.’ The issues with this decision remain: 1) ‘privacy coin’ is ill-defined, meaning it is applied based on optics instead of actual money laundering and terrorist financing risks, and 2) the vast majority of money laundering and terrorist financing risks remain on the Bitcoin network.”
“If a regulator were to allow the coins to be listed on its regulated exchanges, the regulator is endorsing the use of these coins and opening them up to many more users. Ironically, of course, if people are using privacy coins on an exchange, they’re far more traceable than between unhosted wallets.” – Jon Blattmachr, Deputy General Counsel of INX and former Virtual Currency Chief of NYDFS
Privacy Coins Outperform As Investments
While over the last two years the outlook for privacy coins appeared bleak from a regulatory perspective, and some such as Monero and Zcash were delisted from certain exchanges such as Bittrex and ShapeShift, privacy coins have still turned out to largely be strong investments. Especially so when compared to bitcoin.
Privacy coins are holding their own against bitcoin
TradingView
There are a couple of reasons for this. First, like most cryptocurrencies, privacy coins tend to move in the same direction as bitcoin. Second, many of these platforms have loyal followings that see these assets as more than just a transactional opportunity, but as a higher calling for a basic human right.
That said, because of their thinner trading volumes, and smaller usage rates, privacy coins may be more volatile than the base asset. Privacy coins are arguably an important tool of asset diversification in any portfolio provided that the regulatory climate does not tighten due to increased concerns about ransomware or other factors.
Outlook
What does the future of privacy coins look like in the US and internationally? Many would argue it will be similar to HTTPS and how the government eventually agreed with the need for privacy and encryption.
Industry groups and companies must continue to engage with regulators to discuss privacy coins, eliminate misconceptions, and responsibly articulate the value of financial privacy. These issues are unlikely to be solved anytime soon.
In Jon Blattmachr’s words, “Engagement with the regulators is paramount. Regulators are always going to be behind the curve when it comes to new technologies and iterations using those technologies. Regulators are understaffed and are not focused on what’s next, but what’s in front of them right now.”
That’s why industry engagement with regulators is so important. It allows the industry to show regulators that privacy coins are not as detrimental to AML efforts as perceived and alo explain how regulators can oversee in the space while still allowing for innovation.
NEW YORK, July 1, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– NightRide partners with Team One Network, LLC on their revolutionary thermal camera systems for night vision and safety. The cameras offer high-resolution thermal imaging and are purpose-built for mounting on first responder vehicles for the public safety industry. Team One Network Regional Sales Managers will be demonstrating NightRide’s PRO, Scout, 360 and Sentinel camera systems to federal, state, and local first responders across the Mid Atlantic region. With the new collaboration in place, Team One Network – Training Division will be showcasing NightRide products in all the Officer Survival courses, Counter Ambush Instructor course, Rapid Response Workshop and Low Light Instructor to name a few. NightRide thermal camera systems will help to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers from deadly incidents such as ambushes.
About NightRide
NightRide™ is the leading brand in vehicle-mounted thermal cameras, manufactured by Wesa LLC, a WOSB located in New York. NightRide cameras offer high-resolution thermal imaging purpose-built for mounting on first responder vehicles. Select models accommodate remote-controlled 360 pan/tilt capability to be paired with a laptop, tablet or phone for wireless heads-up display. All models include NightRide’s rugged casing and intuitive controls to be ready to go wherever and whenever needed. NightRide’s cameras are designed for the unique requirements of public safety, security professionals, hunters and outdoor sporting.
NightRide cameras are military-grade, built to order in the U.S., and rated for use in all weather.
Team One Network – Public Safety Division is a dedicated manufacturers’ representative group that provides first responders with the best products in the emergency vehicle equipment market. Team One Network proudly represents SoundOff Signal, Troy Products, American Aluminum, Angel Armor and now NightRide. Team One Network has the most up-to-date fleet in the industry in order to show their cutting-edge products on the latest emergency vehicles.
Team One Network Public Safety Division provides a full range of services to manufacturer clients for marketing to public safety organizations, end users, dealers and distributors in the Mid Atlantic territory.
Team One Network – Training Division is dedicated to providing law enforcement, military and commercial ranges with the most current and technologically advanced training courses available. Team One Network’s professional instructors and consultants are recognized as subject matter experts both nationally and internationally.
The forum will examine Central America’s Northern Triangle security, governance and socio-economic challenges, as well as recent commitments by the Biden Administration and multilateral development banks for expanded aid to the region.
Press Release –
updated: May 25, 2021
LA JOLLA, Calif., May 25, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– The Institute of the Americas will convene a two half-day, virtual forum June 2-3, 2021 to examine Central America’s Northern Triangle region’s (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) challenges and opportunities. Admission is free but registration is required.
Central America’s Northern Triangle countries are experiencing a historic diaspora to the southern border of the United States and to neighboring countries. The exodus is precipitated by an unprecedented economic contraction. Back-to-back Category 4 hurricanes, a historic pandemic, heightened crime, violence, official corruption and weakening democratic institutions, have produced desperation feeding unprecedented migration.
The United States is a primary destination for Central American migrants. The Northern Triangle diaspora is also regional, affecting neighboring nations. The search for solutions and/or relief is multi-national and increasingly urgent. The Biden Administration’s recent four-year, $4 billion commitment of direct foreign assistance and a renewed focus from the IDB, IMF and World Bank hope to provide pandemic relief as well as support to strengthen democratic institutions and the economies of the region. If effective, they could help stem regional diaspora and, importantly for U.S. foreign policy, diminish the increasing attractiveness of investments from China. These commitments face equally historic challenges due to the region’s steadily weakening rule of law, rise of autocratic rulers, collapsing economies, insecurity and rapidly rising public needs at a time of steeply declining government revenues.
A consensus has developed that only a regional multi-pronged strategy to strengthen both democracy and the economies of Central American countries provides plausible hope for relief. Meaningful progress could take years, comes with risks and will most likely require a sustained commitment by multilateral partners providing foreign aid, funding from multilateral development banks, private foreign investment as well as support from the philanthropic sector.
The objective of the Institute’s forum is to discuss ideas on how to get from here to therewith sessions focused onaddressing security, justice & governance issues in Central America; COVID impact & regional economic outlook; the Northern Triangle’s regional business climate and the role of direct foreign assistance, philanthropy and impact investing towards catalyzing community development, economic opportunity and social enterprise.
Keynote speakers include Congresswoman Norma Torres, Co-Chair of the House Central American Caucus representing California’s Inland Empire and Congressman Juan Vargas, Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee representing the border region of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Other speakers include: Alan Bersin, former Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; former Vice President of INTERPOL for the Americas Region; Adriana Beltrán, Director of Citizen Security, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); Eric L. Olson, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, Seattle International Foundation; Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov , Regional Resident Representative, Office of Central America, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Fernando Quevedo, Manager, Central America, Panama, Haiti, Mexico & DR, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB); Pedro Luis Rodriguez, Lead Economist-Central America, The World Bank Group(WB); Juan Carlos Zapata, Executive Director, FUNDESA; Juan Pablo Carrasco, President, American Chamber of Commerce, Guatemala; Claudia Kattán de Jordán, President, American Chamber of Commerce, Honduras; Claudia Romero de Ibañez, President, American Chamber of Commerce, El Salvador; Caroline Boyd Kronley, President, The Tinker Foundation; Eliza Brennan, Senior Program Officer, Migration & Education, International Community Foundation; and Richard Ambrose, Managing Partner, Pomona Impact, Antiqua Guatemala.
Established in 1981, the Institute of the Americas (IOA) is an independent, nonpartisan Inter-American institution devoted to encouraging social and economic reform in the Americas, broadening communication and strengthening political and economic relations between Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada. For more information: https://www.iamericas.org
Contacts:
Richard Kiy, President & CEO, Institute of the Americas: rkiy@iamericas.org
Ernesto Grijalva, Practitioner in Residence, Institute of the Americas: egrijalva@iamericas.org
Florida school security company will loan metal detecting devices for free. Any Florida school facing a threat can take advantage and get the $4,500 system at no cost.
Press Release –
updated: May 17, 2021
PARKLAND, Fla., May 17, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– Over the years, schools have faced an increase in gun violence and explosive threats. Five months into 2021, schools in the United States have seen 29 incidents of gun violence. Just recently in Florida, an individual was arrested for threatening Lauderdale Lakes Middle School.
Based in Parkland and having donated bulletproof glass to Stoneman Douglas High School following the tragic events in 2018, Ballistiglass demonstrates its longstanding commitment to the safety of Florida schools by introducing a loaner program for its discreet metal detecting system, BallistiSCAN.
To ensure the safety of your institution following the recent gun violence and bomb threat in Lauderdale Lakes Middle School, if there is any indication of the threat of attack to your school, Ballistiglass will provide you with its low-profile metal detector unit via overnight shipping.
With several units set aside for the purpose, Ballistiglass’ mission is to help keep your students and staff safe.
The metal detecting system, valued at $4,500, is available to any Florida school facing a threat for one week (or longer, depending on the circumstances), at no cost.
With the ability to detect rifles, handguns, knives, as well as e-cigarettes, the entire system is portable and can be set up anywhere within five minutes. BallistiSCAN is inconspicuous and discreet, with two hockey-puck-sized sensors that attach to stanchions.
The system’s stealth appearance maintains a welcoming atmosphere as most people are unaware that they are passing through a metal detection system. Utilizing magnetic noise filters and advanced signal processing algorithms ensures that there are no false positives.
Steve Steinman, Vice President of Growth and Strategy said, “Being a Parkland-based company, Ballistiglass is keenly aware of the trauma that school violence or even a threat can cause. We wanted to create a no-cost program that allows Florida kids, parents and staff to feel a little more secure when their school is facing the risk of attack.”
“Our community, schools and children deserve peace of mind and a safe atmosphere. If your school has received word of a threat, please contact us. The Ballistiglass team is more than happy to help.”
For more information and inquiries, please get in touch with Ballistiglass at +1 (800) 960-4097.
ATLANTA, October 10, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– School systems all across the country are always looking for new ways to increase the safety and security of their students and staff. One particular method that is gaining popularity is adding a security vestibule, or mantrap, to the entrances of the school buildings. Prefabricated entry vestibules are often utilized as a way for a facility to save on energy costs, especially during harsh weather seasons. They keep the facility closed off at all times by creating an enclosed buffer-zone between the outside environment and the inside of the facility, helping the facility maintain a more constant temperature by keeping outside air out and inside air in. This way facilities can save a lot of money in the long run by not having their HVAC systems running constantly. This can be especially helpful in facilities with a lot of foot traffic in and out, leading to the entrances doors being open and closed often.
However, having this barrier at the front of your school system can create a benefit for the school’s security as well. The additional room that the entry vestibule creates at the front of the school creates what is known as a mantrap. The rooms are referred to as such because they quite literally can be used to trap a man (or woman) from entering into your facility. The vestibule does this by keeping the all door sets in the room locked whenever a person is inside.
How Would Students Gain Entry?
Typically, these systems operate in a couple of ways. First, they can have what is essentially a two-step verification for the entry of the facility. In this case, the building would use two different forms of Identification (so an ID card and PIN code for example) for each of the doors. This a very high level of security and is typically utilized in places like a government facility.
So How Do These Entry Vestibules Protect Schools?
For most schools, a simple, single-step verification with one or two sets of locked doors would likely be fine. In this case, the first set of doors could either be unlocked or locked. If unlocked, the first door would immediately lock once a person entered. From there, the person could exit the vestibule using a form of Identification. If the outer door is locked, it would have the ID verification and once the person entered, the inner door would remain locked until the outer door was closed. A form of vestibule monitoring (either manual or technological) should be employed in these vestibules to ensure no more than one person enters at a time.
ORLANDO, Fla., February 20, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– Past and present Digital Rights Management systems have repeatedly failed consumers, content creators, and distributors. In the face of these struggles, the need for such systems has never been more necessary. Emerging technologies, such as Spatial Computing, rely on the creation of high-value digital assets in order to support the booming demand in Augmented Reality. Unfortunately, modern technology had not presented the tools required to protect and facilitate the transfer of such content…until now.
NeoWare Inc. is creating a decentralized and democratized platform for digital content management and distribution via public blockchain networks. The blockchain will be optimized specifically for the secure ownership and access management of any digital asset using a non-fungible based token, giving users and content creators methods to securely initiate, store, and manage access permissions to their content and IP.
“With Web 3.0 on the horizon, blockchain technology has the ability to cure the symptoms that have plagued the current iteration of the Internet: the absence of security and rapidly disappearing privacy. Data is quickly becoming the most abundant resource on the planet and our DCM tools will empower every user to protect and control their digital assets.”
-Caesar Medel, CEO
Components of the NeoWare DCM System include major advances and improvements on present-day technology. The ZIP file standard was conceived in 1991 to provide a standard method of packaging files and directories into a single file primarily for distribution over the Internet. NeoPak will build upon this functionality by introducing blockchain supported secure Public Key Encryption, Identity Management, Digital Rights Management, and Zero Knowledge Proof support. These capabilities are important for support of a decentralized web (Web 3.0) where user information and proprietary data is directly controlled by the user.
NeoWare Inc. specializes in the creation of Spatial Computing software and Digital Content Management systems. White labeled applications utilizing augmented reality facilitate the creation of 3D-digital assets that serve as the initial use case for all blockchain-based content management systems. These Custom AR-Applications drive engagement, build brand loyalty, and boost consumer education through immersive augmented reality interactions.
Best Safety Practices and Liabilities for Your Houses of Worship – Trinity FL, October 14th
Press Release –
updated: Sep 28, 2017
TRINITY, Fla., September 28, 2017 (Newswire.com)
– Trinity Security Allies is pleased to announce their Inaugural Church Safety & Liability Conference to be held October 14, 2017 at Generations Christian Church in Trinity, Florida. This training is designed for pastors, staff, volunteers and those that are interested in the safety of their church. Experts of church safety will bring relevant insight to better prepare your church in the event of an incident and educate your church on avoiding foreseeable lawsuits against your organization.
With the recent shooting in Antioch, TN and disruptive attendees creating disturbances more and more frequently during church services. Domestic violence isn’t kept at home anymore, but rather bleeding into the churches at an alarming rate. Is your church prepared? With the increasing number of attacks against churches, all houses of worship must train and network with one another. Further, churches must share best practices along with potential community threats with one another and just as important, with local law enforcement agencies. Churches must ensure all procedures are in place to best protect their house of worship.
With the alarming number of attacks against houses of worship, these experts will bring relevant insight to better prepare your church in the event of an incident and educate you on preventing avoidable lawsuits against your organization.
James Howard, Executive Director, Trinity Security Allies
This conference brings together national and local resources offering valuable information and best practices to protect your church including Rev. Jamie Johnson, Director Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Corporal Alan Wilkett from Pasco Sheriff’s Office and several other experts. Also, an interactive attorney panel will provide solutions to questions covering OSHA, premise liability and personal injury. A key topic is how to lower the risk of losing a lawsuit in the event of an incident.
A MUST-ATTEND event for pastors, church staff, volunteers or any individual or group with a heart to protect their church.
For more information:
For more information about the Church Safety & Liability Conference, Trinity Security Allies, or the latest news, photos, videos, and much more, go to http://www.trinitysecurityallies.com
About Trinity Security Allies:
Trinity Security Allies, is a non-profit organization offering education, training and consulting to churches using their own resources to build and implement a safety plan. Trinity Security Allies provides a platform for local community churches to network, share best practices and potential community threats.
Philanthropic program provides budget-conscience schools desktop emergency notification at no cost
Beltsville, MD, September 7, 2017 (Newswire.com)
– As students return to class, Alertus Technologies, a leader in providing emergency mass notification solutions, today announced new features to the Alertus Desktop™ Donation Initiative are available for the 2017-18 school year. The philanthropic initiative provides the Alertus Desktop™ Notification at no cost to higher education institutions and K-12 school districts.
The new features, part of a recent software update, includes the capability for users to receive alerts through a locked computer screen.
The Alertus Desktop Donation Initiative offers schools the financial flexibility to improve their systems and better safeguard their campuses.
Miles Harriger, Director of Higher Education, Alertus Technologies
“The Alertus Desktop Donation Initiative offers schools the financial flexibility to improve their systems and better safeguard their campuses,” said Miles Harriger, Director of Higher Education for Alertus Technologies. “The new unlock feature will save our donation recipients valuable time during an emergency.”
When activated, the Alertus Desktop Notification can immediately reach students, faculty, and staff spread across campuses of any size—even multiple affiliated campuses spread miles apart—with a full-screen pop-up alert message on all or select PC and Mac screens. The tool is activated through the Alertus Activation Software (included in the donation) or can easily integrate with existing third-party mass notification software.
Higher education institutions and K-12 school districts that have benefited from the Alertus Desktop Donation Initiative include North Carolina State University, Gordon College, Daemen College, Randolph Macon College, the College of William and Mary, Louisiana State University, Vanderbilt University, Burke County Public Schools, Grossmont Union High School District and the Chartwells Ottawa School District.
“At Daemen College, our primary method of emergency notification was text and email alerts,” said Greg Nayor, Vice President of Student Affairs at Daemen College. “However, I want to reach as many people as I can and was able to add desktop notifications from the grant made possible by the Alertus Desktop Donation Initiative.”
Today’s announcement comes as college and universities across the country acknowledge and participate in National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Initiated by the Clery Center in 2008, the public awareness campaign encourages public conversation on important topics in violence prevention at colleges and universities.
Current donation recipients can access and view all update features by logging into their customer portal at my.alertus.com.
To apply for a grant, schools and select non-profit organizations can visit www.alertus.com/donation.
Alertus Technologies is a pioneer and market leader of emergency mass notification systems for large-area, high occupancy facilities. Since 2002 Alertus has engineered groundbreaking solutions for unified mass notification, in-building notification, outdoor notification, and personal notification. Alertus solutions have been implemented worldwide by thousands of organizations in multiple industries for any number of emergency situations. www.alertus.com.
Beltsville, MD, August 29, 2017 (Newswire.com)
– Alertus Technologies, a leader in providing emergency mass notification solutions, today announced the company will exhibit at ASIS 2017. Alertus will be located at Booth 2246.
“We’re excited to once again exhibit at ASIS to showcase the innovative Alertus Emergency Mass Notification System,” said Amanda Sassano, National Commercial Sales Director for Alertus Technologies. “Our interactive booth will feature live demonstrations of the system for all attendees who visit.”
“We’re excited to once again exhibit at ASIS to showcase the innovative Alertus Emergency Mass Notification System. Our interactive booth will feature live demonstrations of the system for all attendees who visit.”
Amanda Sassano, National Commercial Sales Director, Alertus Technologies
The Alertus Emergency Notification System is a comprehensive solution that focuses on unified mass notification and in-building, outdoor, and personal notification. It provides organizations a cost-effective way to enhance their emergency communications efforts and is deployed in more than 1,500 organizations worldwide, including critical infrastructure, colleges and universities, K-12 schools, corporations, medical centers, military bases, and government organizations.
The Alertus System’s seamless compatibility and integration with a wide variety of existing mass notification systems enables security and emergency personnel the flexibility to implement it almost anywhere at their facility. The Alertus System can also provide a single point of activation to ensure a quick and effective activation during an emergency situation.
With a wide array of emergency notification products available, organizations can tailor the Alertus System to fit their specific communication needs. A key component is the Alertus Alert Beacon®, a wall-mounted device that can be installed almost anywhere and provides notification coverage where other systems may be impractical or cost-prohibitive. In the event of an emergency, the Alert Beacon produces bright flashes and loud sounds to capture the attention of building occupants at a distance and displays a custom message about the nature of the emergency and how to respond.
Other products include the Alertus Desktop™ Notification, Alertus Mobile App Suite, digital signage override, text-to-speech interface module for public address and giant outdoor speaker systems, high power speaker arrays, fire alarm control panel interface, VoIP phone notification, panic buttons, cable TV override, and LED marquees.
Recently, the company updated the Alertus Desktop™ Notification with new features including the ability for users to receive alerts through a locked computer screen. Also new in 2017 is a USB panic button with the capability to activate and send an alert even if the connected computer is locked and is equipped with a recessed button to avoid accidental activation.
For more information on the Alertus Technologies visit www.alertus.com.
Alertus Technologies Media Contact
Greg Smith, Public Relations Manager
866.425.3788 x784 | gsmith@alertus.com
About Alertus Technologies
Alertus Technologies is a pioneer and market leader of emergency mass notification systems for large-area, high occupancy facilities. Since 2002 Alertus has engineered groundbreaking solutions for unified mass notification, in-building notification, outdoor notification, and personal
notification. Alertus solutions have been implemented worldwide by thousands of organizations in multiple industries for any number of emergency situations. www.alertus.com.
Waynesville, NC, June 8, 2017 (Newswire.com)
– Are you prepared for the dangers that your house of worship faces today? Threat profiling – ways to make your church a safer place.
Jim Howard, a 35-year police veteran and principal with Trinity Security Allies, will make a presentation this Saturday, June 10th at Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 224 Barber Hill Drive, Waynesville, NC 28786. Mr. Howard started his law enforcement career in 1975 with the Norfolk Police Department in Norfolk, VA, and has been in law enforcement either sworn or working for the private sector all his adult life. Jim was with the Norfolk Police Department for 26 years, retiring from there as a Sergeant.
“There is so much value in raising awareness about an everyday threat facing our churches.”
Ed Klaameyer, Congregation President
How do you determine a threat has walked into your church?
Jim’s focus on church safety is that everyone must understand that the church’s key role is to enlarge the Kingdom of God. Jim explains how, by using a combination of time-tested, current trend profiling and behavior-patterning analysis staff, volunteers and members will be able to determent if a person needs help or is a threat to the church. Jim teaches churches to be prepared in today’s uncertain times for every dangerous situation that may come into their church, business, their home and their everyday life.
After becoming the safety team coordinator for Generations Christian Church, Jim started offering safety training to other churches for no cost throughout the Tampa Bay area. Right now, Jim is still working with over 40 churches in the Tampa Bay area, several in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jim holds monthly meetings where he and the other churches talk about current events that would affect a church’s safety and best practices on keeping churches safe.
Jim’s training educates church members, staff and volunteers in situational awareness, where they will look for warning sign, or red flags. He trains them to recognize the danger signs of a disruptive attendee, domestic violence or the possibility of an active shooter, and to alert others that may be able to stop something before it happens. Jim works through ways on how to prepare for those types of situation, to be able to slow down the threat until help can arrive. This threat profiling training is valuable for their staff, volunteers and members of the church and gives them the tools to see a threat before it turns dangerous, and ways to survive during the incident at the church, work, home or at play.
“Our church brought Jim in to educate our church staff, and we learned so much more that 6 weeks later, we opened our facility to the community with Jim as the main presenter. There is so much value in raising awareness about an everyday threat facing our churches,” states Ed Klaameyer, former congregational president of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lutz, FL.
