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TechVision Security Consultants Pvt Ltd has organized one day Seminar cum Exposition on 'Unite & Fight Terrorism' from 08:30 AM until 05:30 PM on Sunday, 26 Jul 2009, at Hotel Gateway, Ernakulum, (Taj Residency), Kochi, Kerala, India. The seminar was well represented by the three armed forces, Kerala Police, CISF, ex-servicemen community apart from several prominent experts in physical security, identity security and management, from law enforcement, DRDO, government and academia. TechVision seminar had high quality contributions from a variety of stakeholders ranging from experienced international terror/security experts, frontline security product manufacturers, system integrators apart from prominent personalities from Defence, Police etc.

The talks and presentations were focused and addressed the current and future security challenges and their possible solutions faced by government, commerce, individuals, organisation and others. Current and emerging solutions, counter measures, technology and research thrusts in the modern physical and electronic security environment were also discussed. Also, the event provided an ideal platform for professional interaction among top national and international security professionals, vendors, OEMs and integrators, working in the field of modern Physical and Electronic Security, with vast network of prospective end-user clients, law enforcement officials, government and major enterprises.

Shri Oommen Chandy Delivering the Inaugural Address - All speakers were in agreement that the 'War on Terrorism' cannot be won solely in the traditional police/military fashion. The effort is therefore, just an initiative to do something different to secure the world we live and do business with few innovative options provided by the information and technology. Everyone needs to remain more conscious of our limitations in protecting our people and assets rather than our capability. People will evolve more slowly in challenging their boundaries, both mentally and operationally. The public must be enabled proactive to respond to do things differently as the security situations that have yet to occur. It is our creativity, commitment and will that needs to be energized. We all can help in challenging old boundaries and setting new frontiers of partnership for Public and Private Partnership based Protection.

Leader of the Opposition Kerala Assembly Shri Oommen Chandy Lighting the Inaugural Lamp - To meet the modern-day security challenges, we need a new proactive and more systematic approach with the wider participation of general public. There is a need to reinforce the mission of the enforcement and investigative agencies charged with roles in defeating terrorism. The essential point in this Strategy is that every organisation, establishment and enterprise must contribute towards closely in on every security menaces and fighting terrorism. Amongst other things, this cooperation entails participation by private on terms which are an offer they cannot refuse. These efforts must codify, clarify and unify the wide ranging of counter-terrorism activities such as investigations, forensics, apprehension, prosecution of terrorists, enhancing response capabilities more effectively.

DGP M.G.A.Ramen, Chairman TechVision Welcoming the Participants - Terrorism is not a Law & Order problem. The mindset must be changed to understand that is an undeclared War staged by few stateless actors. Hence, the police and the intelligence machinery are not alone since, it is impossible to remain in high state of vigil always. Through Public Private Partnerships, the communities need to be prepared, trained and electronically equipped to combat the invisible enemy, who can strike at their will, whose stated objective is disruption, destruction and mass death. In this threat scenario, safety and security of private establishments, major organisations, enterprises, which also include hotels, malls, shops, educational institutions, religious worship places etc are, in fact, no longer viewed simply as the exclusive role of government.

Theme Speech by Shri Jacob Punnose, DGP Kerala - Director-General of Police Jacob Punnoose has said that a high degree of public vigil is required to thwart the designs of anti-national elements seeking to destroy the country's collective self-confidence. 'It is imperative that we have the correct perception of security. Coastal security, for instance, involves far more than the equipment we may put in place. The costal population must be sensitised to be always on guard,'. On the precautions to be adopted by the public to avert terror strikes, Mr. Punnoose said disorder and chaos in public places would render the State vulnerable. Lamenting that access control and asking for identification were traditionally frowned upon in the State, Mr. Punnoose said there should be a cultural shift in this regard.

Some of the private banks are keeping huge public money with just simple lock. Is Police to be blamed for thefts and robberies occurring if you decide to go out with your doors and almarahs open? Recent bank robberies and thefts at various places of worship is a pointer in this direction. Despite having enough policy guidelines and regulations, the organisations failed to either implement the same or did not ensure its operational availability. We will be filing charge sheets and cases, in future, against such erring organisations.

What should be remembered is that the common public will get attracted to safer environments. By providing a safer environment, you may actually notice an increase in the number of customers and repeat customers who come to your property as well as a decrease in employee turnover. It is an established fact that customers and employees are attracted to environments where they feel safe.

In certain cases, installation of modern gadgets probably requires huge investments and massive structural revamping to prevent any form of terrorist attacks; but in most cases, the reverse is true. However, once the battle is over, the investigating agencies need the much needed data to piece things together to get a clear picture of what exactly happened and how to fight this menace in future, and to bring the culprits and their mentors to task. Hence, one thing is for sure that to outsmart modern terror groups, the police and other professional agencies have to resort to proper investigations backed by human and technical intelligence rather than only rhetoric, false claims and complacency.


Shri Oommen Chandy Departs - Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, who inaugurated the seminar, said the resources and technology available with the private sector needed to be channelled in the fight against terror. The recent blast at the civil station here shattered the myth about the State being a secure place.

It would be a recipe to disaster, if we continue to handle terrorism and modern High-Tech crimes with the traditional tools of law, policies and tactics that apply to traditional criminal activities. We need to transform to meet the terrorists threat in ways that are not yet on our respective police screens, regarding training, surveillance, investigative techniques, disaster prevention and response. Most importantly, there is a dire need to develop collaborative relationships with various like-minded entities. Whether in Punjab or Pakistan, history shows that these types of modern terror and criminal activities can be effectively tackled by Public and Private Partnership.Let us fight the menace jointly and accomplish the mission of eradication of terror through recognition of merits, shared private assistance, intelligence, increased awareness and cooperation.

DGP Hormis Tharakan, (Retd), Ex Chief of RAW Delivering the Key Note Address - P.K. Hormese Tharakan, former Director-General of Police and former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, said the events last year highlighted the need for stepped up vigil against terror strikes. Expressing concern over a number of Keralites figuring in the Bangalore blast case, he said instead of panicking, the agencies should assess the threat in perspective.

We must not allow the high-tech crimes and terrorism to become our way of life. Therefore, there is a need to adopt a more comprehensive, proactive, and innovative approach to public security, encompassing wider Public-Private Partnership, internal cohesion, emerging technological processes and people education. However, given the security challenges confronting us, we need to maintain a desired level of preparedness to deter any aggression by non-state actors, and to enable our nation to contribute positively to the promotion of peace, stability and overall development.


Address by the Guest of Honour, Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command. - Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command, outlined the progress made in various marine and harbour security projects, and said the States needed to hire boats with stipulated endurance for agencies such as the coastal police to meet the challenges of coastal security till acquisitions would materialise. He called upon the industry to come up with cost-effective responses to biometric identification cards and satellite communication equipment to streamline security in the fishing sector.

Cdr Anuj Kapila Delivers a Talk on Maritime Security. - The Talk on Maritime Security by Cdr Anuj Kapila covered some of the important issues which will help in achieving a greater amount of surveillance and provide deterrence against anti-national activities. The sea borders by nature are porous and are difficult to seal. Sensitising the coastal sea faring communities, enhanced and effective intelligence sharing mechanism and coordinated anti-terrorism measures with enhanced synergy between Navy, Coast Guard and Coastal Police would be the way ahead to contain coastal seaborne terrorism.

Maritime and Coastal Security is critical for both regional states and the nation's economy. Given the importance of ensuring safe passage of cargo, the need for Navies and coastguards to co-operate to combat pirates, illegal drug trafficking and smugglers has never been more acute. The 26/11 attacks proved that terrorists can use virtually any vehicle and route to strike. Maritime Domain Awareness and Coastal surveillance is therefore becoming more and more crucial. Further, concerns over piracy and illegal trafficking of weapons, drugs and other security threats are on the rise. Concrete solutions need to be evolved to secure the vital national interests including its borders, EEZ, coastal waters, ports or other waterways.


Mr. Pavam Srinivasan from CISCO Systems Speaking about Integrated Security, Converge, Connect and Protect. - Interesting aspect of the seminar was that even the sponsors were focused on the subject of security with valuable and informative presentations. CISCO presented the subject 'Integrated Security: Converge, Connect and Protect' with live demo in their stall. While, Avaya covered the subject 'Intelligent Public Safety Communication Solutions' by which even a common man can give and get information on the lines of 911 of USA."> style="float:left; padding-right:20px "

Mr. Andrew Hays, Operations Manager, CCTV in Focus. - Andy Hays, Operations Director of CCTV IN FOCUS (CIF), actively assisted the UK Police and Home Office Dept narrated his experience and highlighted 'CCTV as an effective Tool' in his informative presentation. Similarly, Mr Firoze, the CEO of TOTEM International covered the subject of 'Corporate Participation in Security' in his talk. 26/11 served as a wake up call for the Indian industry and there is a need to have rethink on corporate security policies. The aftermath of global recession should not affect the nation's security and the corporate has to do their bit by projecting India as strong and united. Towards this the Govt must recognise and encourage Indian security industry and must give concessions and other benefits for its promotion. Incidentally, both CIF and TOTEM are the strategic partners of TechVision.

A talk on The Vulnerabilty of Websites to Typosquatters for Possible Terrorist Financing by Mr. Neelabh Rai. - Mr. Neelabh Rai, a Cyber Crime Investigator and Researcher covered the unique and thought provoking subject of 'Vulnerability of Websites to Typosquatters for Possible Terrorist Financing' in his presentation. Maj Gen Ashok Hukku, YSM, Vice Chairman, TechVision, presented the subject 'Building a Sustainable and Secure Environment' after which he delivered the concluding remarks.

Mr. Firoze Zia Hussain, TOTEM International Ltd, Speaking about Corporate Participation in Security. - Mr. Firoze Zia Hussain, CEO, TOTEM International Ltd spoke about the importance of Corporate Participation in Security. The 26/11 Mumbai attacks changed the way we think and deal with terrorism. For almost over sixty hours, the financial capital of India, witnessed a series of terrorist attacks, multiple hostage crises, mindless killings, fierce gun battles, and in the end, a disrupted life. The terrorists struck major targets including luxury hotels and a Jewish Centre frequented by Westerners and elite Indians, to be holed up later inside these buildings with innocent civilians as hostages. Prior to this, on that fateful Wednesday evening, they had targeted at least seven more places, and went on a killing spree.

There is an urgent need for defining which type of information the government can share with private stakeholders. This will enable them to play an important role in preventing terror attacks, and not just help in managing the crisis left behind by the perpetrators. For this purpose, it is essential to promote a common ground and strive to bridge the two sectors which, after all, have different priorities before them.


Mr. Madhukar from Avaya Global Connect Speaking on Intelligent Public Safety Communications Solutions. - Mr. Madhukar from Avaya Global Connect Speaking on Intelligent Public Safety Communications Solutions covered the subject of 911 converged technology and its relevance in India. Are you satisfied with the existing security protection offered by locks, guards and the CCTV systems, installed at your premises? This compelling question has been asked a lot recently and it seems the overwhelming answer is, in many cases, No. The fact is that every physical security controls can have technical weaknesses, often times ones that can be easily exploited. Heightening the risk is the fact that physical security controls also generally suffer due to poor security awareness and the human element is often the weakest link in security. How frequent you undertake the Risk Management of your establishment and revisit the existing policies?

The Mumbai attack on 26/11 not only changed the way we think but from an organizational perspective how we are to function in the future. These terrorist attacks have highlighted the need for heightened vigilance and coordinated response to new age asymmetric warfare being waged against the nation. It would be a recipe to disaster, if we continue to handle issues of terrorism with the traditional tools of law, policies and tactics that apply to criminal activities. Therefore, Law Enforcement procedures will at some point, transform itself to meet the terrorist threat in ways that are not yet on our respective police screens, regarding training, surveillance, investigative techniques, disaster prevention and response. And most importantly developing collaborative relationships various Public and Private entities. As a responsible citizen, each and every one of us has to play more responsible role in contributing towards the security of the nation.


Mr. Rajesh Jain, from Alcatel-Lucent India Ltd giving a talk on User-Centric Security Solutions. - In combating terrorism why is the role of the private security sector so important? It is because; terrorism is not a Law & Order problem. Our mindset must be changed to understand that is an undeclared War staged by few stateless actors. Hence, police cannot be alone in ensuring the safety and security of general public. It is impossible to always remain in high state of vigil by the police community and they are neither is prepared nor trained or equipped to combat an invisible enemy, who can strike at their will, whose stated objective is disruption, destruction and mass death.

In this threat scenario, safety and security of private establishments, major organisations, enterprises, which also include hotels, malls, shops, educational institutions, religious worship places etc are, in fact, no longer viewed simply as the exclusive role of government. One can make the argument as to whether government is the primary provider of protection given the research that a host of non-governmental groups have assumed responsibility for their own protection.


Maj Gen Ashok Hukku, YSM (Retd) Vice Chairman. - Employment of manpower is the costliest element in security. In many cases, modern physical security gadgets coupled with revised operating practices and programs can significantly improve the bottom line of any security environment. By providing a safer environment, you may actually notice an increase in the number of customers and repeat customers who come to your property as well as a decrease in employee turnover. It is an established fact that customers and employees are attracted to environments where they feel safe. Security measures should actually be viewed as an investment in any organisation, not merely as an expense. There may also be a corresponding reduction in other areas such as internal theft, armed robbery, criminal damage, liability costs and insurance premiums. In addition to that, you may even realize a much more productive use of budgeted employee hours, as our employee training programs can 'build-in' a significant level of security expertise, which could alleviate the need for expensive external security personnel. Because most people cannot see how additional security can directly generate income, it is often necessary to justify Risk Management in financial terms.

Mr Rohit Mahajan of KPMG Talks on Corporate India and Changing Face of Terrorism. - The traditional laws that were made to handle crimes are no longer effective against the terrorists. Similarly, we can no longer assume that the traditional SOPs can effectively handle, control and respond to terror threats and incidents. Is the Police machinery alone responsible for the bomb blasts occurring in public places? Technology has eliminated the distances that once clearly separated Public and Private. To combat the multi-layered, polymorphous terrorist threat, we must work together to build trusted Public - Private social networks by including all the key elements in governments, businesses, private citizens, organizations, and multilateral institutions. The law must unambiguously state that the individual organisations and the individuals are equally responsible for ensuring their protection.

The police is not responsible for a burglary at your house for your mistake of sleeping with your doors wide opened. Also today, the insurance tribunals have realised that the insurance companies are not responsible for the accidental deaths occurring due to the absence of seat belts and helmets. It must become the basic duty of every citizen to aid the police and the investigative agencies in providing the much required deterrence and the evidence.

Even after being a Sunday and a Holiday, some of the delegates/participants stayed back for the professional interactions and discussions.