Review: ISE London 2022

Providing the essential link between government, industry, the academic world and the end-user community, the 2022 International Security Expo exhibition and conference, which was co-located with International Cyber Expo 2022, filled the Grand Hall at London Olympia from 27th to 28th September. Thousands of visitors from more than 70 countries poured into London to see the 300 exhibitors. Meanwhile, over 60 packed conference sessions were completed over the two days, many with standing room only. The newly appointed UK Minister of State for Security, the Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MP, toured the event on the first day.
A number of exhibition stands caught our eye that were offering innovative solutions to current problems. How to reduce the vulnerability of public events to malicious vehicle threats by lone actors? Bringing fresh hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) expertise to ISE, Crowdguard of Altrincham, Cheshire is a specialist in event and public realm security and safety for the UK and USA. The company protects people and assets with a turnkey service that includes risk assessment, vehicle dynamics analysis, and the supply and installation of certified HVM systems to specification, along with maintenance and servicing of all equipment.
There is much talk today about the positive and negative impact of drones on security. The Retford, Nottinghamshire, company Drone Defence provides its CPNI rated AeroEye and AeroSentry products to protect the airspace around critical national infrastructure and other secure areas. It displayed its new Paladyne series of electronic countermeasure drone jammers. These are a man-portable and future-proof system to disrupt the command, video and navigation signals on the majority of commercial drones. Once the drone is detected, the Paladyne E1000MP can be activated to block its control, GPS and video signals, meaning that the drone returns to its start location, lands or drifts harmlessly away. With Paladyne’s operational range of a 1 km, if you can see a drone, then you can stop it.

Detecion of Explosives, Ergonomic Monitoring and People Screening

GreyScan Australia of Port Melbourne return to ISE with the ETD-100, its field-deployable, Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE) trace detection system. This is designed to detect homemade explosive compounds that other systems cannot.
The company’s stand showed this fast evolving ETD-100 inorganic detector, which aims to close the gap in detection capabilities by accurately and reliably identifying trace levels of nitrate, chlorate and perchlorate compounds, as well as other inorganic threat substances which present high risk to secure environments.
Control rooms play such an important part nowadays in security. Winsted of Bromsgrove featured their innovative ‘Future-proof Control Room’ on their stand shared with technology partners Weytec and Eizo, collaboratively demonstrating how the latest control room should look. Within the feature, Winsted showcased their new ergonomic console ‑ the Vue. A modular, configurable, connectable and adjustable workstation, it combines optimum functionality with clean-line aesthetics. The Winsted Vue is static or height-adjustable, with a choice of open design or storage under single or dual work surface, and multi-operator configurations. The company are happy to provide a helpful free design service and free 3D console design software downloadable from their website.
Vendor Apstec Systems headquartered in Stockholm announced the launch of a new version of its Human Security Radar mobile people screening unit. Version 4 of the innovative HSR system provides high-throughput, low-contact security screening and ensures a seamless security experience for people being screened. It delivers proven and effective functionality in an attractive, smaller and mobile unit which is easy to deploy.

Camera to Go

Elsewhere, Apex Vanguard demonstrated its Hecate ruggedized tactical camera system ‑ a specialized, IP 67-rated multi-platform camera system featuring a wide view day camera, IR night camera and FLIR thermal imaging camera. An all-in-one system, it can be pole-mounted or dog-mounted. It is supported by an integrated COFDM microwave transmission module, with all the video and data transmitted to a fully functional and ergonomic handheld receiver unit.
Demonstrating two new product launches, Linev Systems revealed its Proteus range of baggage X-ray security systems. The range is fully equipped with the latest AI features to help detect pyrotechnics, flares and smoke bombs. The company also showcased its Clearpass CI, a revolutionary X-ray scanner designed for smaller spaces. With a footprint of just 0.85 m², the technology provides exceptional mobility and claims the fastest scan acquisition time available on the market. It is available with advanced contraband detection software, designed to detect contraband on or within the human body. By allowing selective area focused screening, it also reduces screening and over-exposure to other parts of the body.
X-ray capabilities were equally the focus of Videray Technologies from Boston, MA in the Product Innovation Theatre, where it announced its new PX Ultra – claimed to be the most powerful handheld backscatter X-ray imager on the market. After nearly three years of development and testing, the PX Ultra uses the first 160 keV X-ray source, enabling operators to see through up to 10 mm of steel. It features the same ergonomic form factor and intuitive software used by the popular PX1, reducing its scatter and leakage measurements by a factor of two.

Online Threats and Better Security Checks on Borders

Canadian defense and security start-up Patagona Technologies of Toronto joined the event to demonstrate its Threatdesk analytics and investigations platform. It provides OSINT analysts with the tools to combat coordinated information operations by state and non-state actors. Equally the system allows analysts to gain deep insights into online threats, such as coordinated influence operations, online radicalization and information security threats by leveraging hundreds of online data sources from news, forums and social media platforms. Once collected, it uses advanced AI methods to identify and respond to coordinated non-authentic behaviors.
Finally, a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies, the Smiths Detection Group,  majored on its HCVM X-ray screening system for mobile high-energy inspection. Available as either a mobile cargo vehicle or a trailer, the HCVM system optimizes security checks at airports, ports and borders. Driven from location to location, it requires a minimal footprint and external infrastructure and can be readied for use in less than 30 minutes. A Smiths Detection HCVM XL inspection system assisted in a French Customs discovery of 514 kg of cocaine at the Port of Marseilles in January 2022, the largest cocaine seizure ever made at the Port, with a value of some € 36 million. The drugs were detected in several containers of a ship coming from Chile.
So, the stands on which we have focused in our review give you an appreciation of the more significant and innovative security technologies that attracted thousands of visitors from around the world to the Grand Hall of the Olympia exhibition center in September 2022. The eagerly awaited 2023 International Security Expo will be held from 26th to 27th September at the same central London venue. By that time, the security landscape in Europe will undoubtedly have changed significantly, and through important exhibitions like ISE we need to keep abreast of the technological solutions available in the marketplace to handle all those changes and challenges.

Author: Oliver Haines