CRIMINALS DON'T STAND A CHANCE

Dec 1, 2002 12:00 PM, BY DON GARBERA

Sept. 11 changed the way companies view security requirements in New York. Virtually every major New York City business has improved security procedures and/or systems in the last year.

JP Morgan Chase and Co., a leading financial firm, is no exception.

“Because of Sept. 11, we have reviewed our security operations in the U.S., and have implemented a variety of policy and system improvements,” says Ed Ludemann, senior vice president and director of Global Corporate Security (GCS) at JP Morgan Chase. “We are also in the process of reviewing all our security procedures and systems throughout the world. New design standards have been implemented for security projects that are going forward on major renovations, and new construction.”

“For example, loading dock procedures have been improved to the extent that delivery vendors must have background checks prior to being admitted to any of our facilities,” says Michael C. Forlenza, JP Morgan Chase vice president of security technology services, Global Corporate Security. “And, all vehicles entering a building are now searched before access is permitted.”

Ludemann and Forlenza report that the firm's security forces have been provided with additional electronic systems such as Optical Portals (card reader turnstiles) from Automatic Control Systems, Port Washington, N.Y., as well as visitor photo badging systems and improved CCTV coverage of perimeter and entry areas.

Also, because of Sept. 11, security officers have been trained on specific functions related to their posts. Examples are performing inspections prior to vehicles entering a building, inspecting packages through the use of Perkin-Elmer X-ray machines, and investigative inquiry functions for visitors at reception areas.

JP Morgan Chase was recently created through a merger of Chase Manhattan Bank and J.P. Morgan — forming the second largest U.S. financial firm. Prior to joining Chase nine years ago, Ludemann's responsibilities were expanded to far greater bank holdings and supervision of a larger security force, when Chase Manhattan Bank merged with Chemical Bank, and Manufacturers Hanover Trust in 1997.

Today, with the formation of JP Morgan Chase, Ludemann's responsibilities have become even greater, and his security operation is even more impressive. Not only has he taken on the security requirements for the J.P. Morgan merger, he has also taken on the responsibility for security at the firm's retail branches in the Northeast and Texas.

Forlenza is Ludemann's assistant director for technology and joined the firm 20 years ago.

As a result of the merger with J.P. Morgan, the firm has adopted a “one global card” initiative. A DuoProx proximity card from HID Corp., Irvine, Calif., is used throughout the firm's holdings around the world.

The card enables an executive from New York to use his or her card in the firm's Hong Kong facility, for example.

Five years ago, the firm was using Casi-Rusco's card access control system which uses barium ferrite technology. Today, it has developed a common platform using proximity readers, and has changed J.P. Morgan's mag-stripe system to proximity technology.

In the Americas, Casi-Rusco is still providing security capabilities for the firm. Their Access Vision technology, which replaced the Picture Perfect/Portrait Perfect system, is used throughout the firm's multiple facilities.

In Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, J.P. Morgan used the Geoffrey system from Geoffrey Industries, Parsippany, N.J. “When we merged, the predominant system internationally at J.P. Morgan was Geoffrey. We decided not to change it because of the financial and disruptive aspects of such an endeavor,” Forlenza says. “However, through database management, we did make all access cards global.”

The GCS department is also in the process of eliminating VCRs throughout the firm's 1,400 buildings and branches. They are being replaced in the corporate sector with the NICE digital video system, and NAVCO/Kalatel digital products are taking over the retail side.

“The overall goal is to establish the capability to centrally monitor activity over the firm's intranet network,” Ludemann says.

GCS is also relocating the firm's proprietary retail security monitoring center, and taking the opportunity to combine multiple systems onto one common automatic platform. This is being accomplished by working with Diebold, and MAS — a California-based systems manufacturer.

“All ground-level entry points, parking facilities, elevator lobbies, loading docks, currency centers, trading floors, LAN rooms, data centers and other areas requiring restricted access by lines of business (are covered by the system),” Forlenza says.

Although the New York offices do not incorporate parking facilities, many of the firm's suburban locations do. A Code Blue emergency communication system is used at these locations, in conjunction with Pelco pan/tilt/zoom cameras and Aiphone intercoms for patrolling parking areas.

CCTV cameras throughout the corporation are manufactured by Sony and Silent Witness.

Currently, there are several security control centers throughout the firm's holdings; however, plans are in progress to consolidate regional monitoring and create a global control facility.

The New York control center features NICE digital storage units, Pelco multiplexers, flat-screen IBM CRTs, Casi-Rusco Access Vision monitoring, the Aiphone intercom system and a Motorola radio-base station.

The security operation consists of more than 1,000 security officers stationed throughout the firm's holdings. Currently, supervisory personnel are proprietary, and most officers are contract, however, GCS is considering a greater mix of proprietary officers in the future to create an even stronger security presence.

Recently, through the use of live-scan technology provided by Lockheed Martin, GCS eliminated the need to subject newly hired employees to traditional black ink fingerprinting. Supplied by Cross Match Technologies Inc., the system scans a person's hand and records their fingerprint, which is then submitted to the FBI through the New York Clearing House. Ludemann reports that this program has dramatically improved the response time from the FBI.

A few months ago, GCS handled an incident which attests to their investigative abilities, and the competence of their state-of-the-art security systems, when a motherboard disappeared from one of the data centers — causing a computer system storage failure.

“Since the data center was a restricted area, it was determined that an unauthorized technician, from a vendor, had entered the center an hour prior to being scheduled to begin work. The technician removed the board, took it back to his vehicle, and returned at the proper starting time. We apprehended the perpetrator through the use of the Casi-Rusco system's history of transactions, and associated captured video,” Forlenza says.

FOR THE RECORD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don Garbera is a Stamford, Conn.-based writer and regular contributor to Access Control & Security Systems.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES

For information, please circle the appropriate Reader Service number (listed below) or visit www.securitysolutions.com.

Aiphone	20
Automatic Control Systems	21
Casi	22
Code Blue	23
Cross Match Technologies	24
Diebold	25
Geoffrey Industries	26
HID Corp.	27
Kalatel	28
Lockheed Martin	29
MAS	30
Motorola	31
NAVCO	32
NICE Systems	33
Pelco	34
Perkin-Elmer	35
Silent Witness	36
Sony	37

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