Genes Lock and Key earns 2016 Angie's List Super Service Award

Genes Lock and Key has earned the home service industry's coveted Angie's List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.

Genes Lock and Key has been awarded the Angie's List Super Service for eight consecutive years since 2009.
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Cyber security readiness study finds widespread shortcomings

By Owen Gough

A study of 3,000 companies in the UK, US and Germany, conducted for specialist insurer Hiscox, reveals that more than half (53 per cent) of businesses in the three countries have ill-prepared security to deal with cyber-attacks.

The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2017 assesses firms according to their readiness in four key areas - strategy, resourcing, technology and process - and ranks them accordingly. While most companies scored well for technology, fewer than a third (30 per cent) qualify as 'expert' in their overall cyber readiness.

Marks USA locks earn Miami-Dade County component approval for proven strength, reliability

Marks USA, a division of Napco Security Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce its cylindrical and mortise locks have received a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) from the Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources Board and Code Administration Division, and have been tested to comply with Florida Building Code, including the High Velocity Hurricane Zone - known to be some of the toughest standards in the country.
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Ex-FBI man spills on why hackers are winning the security game

Comfortable illusions about how security is working are crippling the ability of government and industry to fight the threat, a former member of the FBI's netsec team has told the BSides San Francisco 2017 security conference.

Society is operating under the illusion that governments and corporations are taking rational choices about computer security, but the fact of the matter is that we're drowning under a sea of false positive, bad management, and a false belief in the power of technology to save us.

Two-position closer certifies Briton as among the best in class

Allegion's Briton brand once again shows why it is a leading pioneer in the door hardware industry with its newest overhead door closer - the Briton 131.

Developed to serve busy buildings with medium to high footfall like education facilities, hospitals, commercial buildings, hotels and transportation areas, the Briton 131 retains the brand's hallmark association of high engineering and quality.
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Hotel returns to locks and keys after ransomware attack

One of Europe's luxury hotels plans to get rid of its electronic key card room entry system and install old-fashioned locks with keys after it was hit by a ransomware attack that resulted in guests being locked out from their rooms.
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EU impedes European security services

Sweden's top security and intelligence official has issued a stark warning about Brussels' latest intrusion into national affairs. Security head Johan Olsson complains that his agency's ability to react to terrorist atrocities has been massively impaired by a recent EU law that allows telecoms companies to delete or withhold data.
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Money magazine asks: Is your locksmith ripping you off?

By Kaitlin Mulhere

Ask a group of people to describe their memories of paying for a locksmith, and you're likely to hear a series of adjectives along the lines of "too much," "expensive," "hundreds," or "rip off."

Paying to be let back into your own car or house, like coughing up your hard-earned cash on a parking ticket or a water heater replacement, is a special kind of nuisance. But are locksmith prices really so bad? Professional locksmiths, perhaps unsurprisingly, don't think so. But even the professionals admit that the service is ripe for ripoff artists.

Pitch-er this - your business name up in lights at Wembley

Checkatrade, title sponsors of the Checkatrade Trophy, support and raise the profile of over 23,000 professional Trades across the country every day. On Sunday April 2nd, two new members will have the chance to see their business name up in lights at the home of English football.
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Google, Bing, Yahoo sued in class action Anti-Trust Lawsuit for alleged use of false information

A group of thirteen locksmith operations from eleven states and Washington DC have joined Baldino's Lock & Key of Newington, Virginia in US District Court in DC in an amended complaint alleging that the three major search engines, Google, Bing, and Yahoo which together dominate the search market, flood their search results with false listings and fictitious map business addresses.

LOCKEXPO : IMITATED BUT NEVER BETTERED

SATURDAY 4TH 0930 - 1730 AND SUNDAY 5TH MARCH 0900 - 1530

We've already had 500th, 750th, and the 1000th Visitor Registration prize winners, but remember there is a door prize as well, sponsored by 3D Group the show sponsors. It is still not too late to register for a free entry pass here: https://lockexpo.co.uk/visitor-registration/

There are also a number of give-aways at the show sponsored by Locks and Security Magazine - If you subscribe a neat pocket knife key ring and anyone saying 'where is my free pen' will be given a superb touch screen pen with black biro inside. - Renew your subscription at the show.
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Police forces' body-worn video achieves Surveillance Camera Code of Practice

SSAIB, the UK and Ireland's leading security, fire and telecare certification body, announces that two police forces have pioneered the introduction of body-worn video (BWV) technology in accordance with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.

Following certification to the Code, completed by SSAIB auditors, the Greater Manchester Police and Metropolitan Police Service are now using devices for a variety of innovative and beneficial applications.
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Irish distribution partnership for IEVO

A new distribution partnership between ievo Ltd, the Newcastle-based manufacturer of biometric recognition systems, and Dublin's Northwood Technology looks set to open up the potentially lucrative Irish market.

Founded in 2003, Northwood Technology are now one of Ireland's leading distributors of security products, specialising in the design and installation of bespoke security systems for their customers, advising and providing the most innovative technology within the industry.
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UK government launches cyber security unit

By Saim Saeed

The British government officially launched its National Cyber Security Centre on Tuesday, designed to protect the authorities and companies against cyberattacks.

The unit, which has been operating since late last year but gets an official launch Tuesday, is part of GCHQ, the U.K.'s security and intelligence agency. Its job is to discover vulnerabilities in public sector websites, help government departments better protect their email, and take down phishing sites that could harm users. It has already taken down "tens of thousands" of such sites, a government statement said.

Locksmith known for cracking safes as well as jokes remembered

By Mary Ellen Godin

Phil Hobbs got his nickname "Drill Bits" after he successfully cracked a bank vault called the "Mosler Monster" at the former Permanent Savings & Loan, Meriden, Connecticut, USA.

The 83-year-old founder of Phil's Lockshop Inc. was also a practical joker. Hobbs died Friday after spending a lifetime helping others unlock doors, crack safes, share a laugh, and understand God.

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3D Group celebrates 10 years of being auto locksmith suppliers

3D Group has been exclusively providing auto locksmith parts to the trade for 10 years and pride themselves on the quality of their products, as well as their service.

In order to maintain the excellent quality that they have become known for they ensure that a sample of their products are tested that comes into their stock room. They test remote cases for build quality and durability; key blades for the quality of metal; they test programming machinery so that they can vouch for its usability.
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UNION exhibits at Lockexpo 2017

UNION, part of ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions, a UK division of ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions, will be showcasing its leading range of locks, cylinder systems and door closers at Lockexpo 2017, reinforcing why the brand is trusted by professionals and known for its quality, reliability and expertise.

Taking place at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on the 4th and 5th March, visitors will be able to discuss and trial UNION's latest product innovations on stand B21.
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Drill with Skill

by Geraint Jones GJ Locks

Sister-publication Locks and Security Magazine has some amazing articles in this premium Pre-Lockexpo edition

Drilling mortice locks has always been frowned upon by most, described as "The Cowboy" method or what an unskilled locksmith would do. Despite what the keyboard warriors on the many locksmith social media groups might have you think, it is how most of us started. But if you learn how to do it properly, you will soon see that it is a skill worth taking more seriously.

www.lasm.co.uk

Mitie's security management business launches inaugural thought leadership event

On Thursday 9 February, Mitie's security management business held its first thought leadership event at the Institute of Directors in London.

Titled The Kurtzman Club - after Joel Allen Kurtzman, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Strategy + Business magazine, who first coined the term 'thought-leader' - the event brings together leaders and influencers from the security sector to look at the future of security and challenge the status quo, to steer and future-proof the industry.
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Sister-publication Locks and Security Magazine has some amazing articles in this premium Pre-Lockexpo edition

By subscribing you are going through a vetting process as we don't want just anyone gaining access to the articles.

Going Dutch - Our Legacy from Holland

By Brian Morland

This being the show issue of the magazine and as we have been invited to bring along some of the collection, hopefully to inspire and interest, it seems appropriate to talk about some of the locks we will be exhibiting. Firstly though and although we have exhibited at shows many times before this exhibition will be a first for us in several respects and we are grateful to the organisers for providing us some space.
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3D Group are delighted to launch their NEW website!

After listening to their customer's feedback the new website boasts several new features and we believe this is their best version yet! After 3 years of development, the new site will be a complete re-fresh of the existing website which will vastly improves the functionality of the site. It is easier to navigate, easier to manage your trade account online and now features a superb search function.

It is has completely modernised the way that the website works and communicates with the warehouse and despatch systems in order to further improve the level of customer service that 3d group can offer their customers.
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Smart buildings remain vulnerable to cyber attacks

By John Hatcher

Almost four in 10 clients (39 per cent) say that they don't take any steps to protect smart installations in buildings from cyber threats, according to new survey findings from the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and Scottish electrical trade body SELECT.

Half of respondents to the survey (49 per cent) said that the risk of hacking, and its impact on unsecured networks, was a potential barrier to installing connected technology, highlighting the inherent cyber threats to buildings in the modern era.