Security guard industry lacks standards and training

The threat of terrorism after the 9/11 attacks raised awareness of the role security guards could play in intelligence sharing with law enforcement. But new research released from Michigan State University (MSU) has found that the security guard industry remains plagued by inadequate training and standards in many states.

Formal training of the nation's one million-plus private security officers is widely neglected, a surprising finding when contrasted with other private occupations such as paramedics, childcare workers, and even cosmetologists, said Mahesh Nalla, lead investigator and MSU professor of criminal justice.  More 

As more people use smart phones or tablets to pay bills, make purchases, store personal information, and even control access to their houses, the need for robust password security has become more critical than ever. Researchers from Rutgers, along with others from the Max-Planck Institute for Informatics and the University of Helsinki, have examined how free-form gestures -- sweeping fingers in shapes across the screen of a smart phone or tablet -- can be used to unlock phones and grant access to apps. These gestures are less likely than traditional typed passwords or newer "connect-the-dots" grid exercises to be observed and reproduced by "shoulder surfers" who spy on users to gain unauthorized access.  More

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have invented a promising green fire retardant using a dash of clay, a dab of fiber from crab shells, and a dollop of DNA.

Applied to polyurethane foam, the bio-based coatings greatly reduced the flammability of common furniture padding after it was exposed to an open flame. Peak and average rates of heat release -- two key indicators of the magnitude of a fire hazard -- were reduced by 48 percent and 77 percent, respectively, the NIST team reports.  More