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Security Industry Association

Abbreviation	SIA
Type	501(c)(6)
Legal status	Association
Purpose	Trade
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland
Location	Silver Spring, Maryland
Region served	United States
Official language	English
Chief Executive Officer	Don Erickson
Main organ	Board of Directors
Website	www.securityindustry.org

The Security Industry Association (SIA), based in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a U.S. trade association, founded in 1969, representing global security solutions providers. The organization today represents over 1,200 firms and organizations in the security industry, and in 2017 the association expanded membership to include an academic category open to students and faculty members.

SIA protects and advances the interests of its member companies by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through learning and development, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations.

In support of those goals, SIA is the premier sponsor of the International Security Conference and Expo (ISC) trade shows, ISC West and ISC East.

Since 2010, SIA has presented Securing New Ground (SNG), an annual conference for executives in the security industry. The organization also produces the annual government security conference SIA GovSummit, which has addressed federal and state security topics, as well as national issues such a school security, and AcceleRISE, an annual conference for young security industry professionals presented by SIA's RISE community.

The organization is led by a volunteer board of directors and an executive committee and is supported by a staff of nearly 20. In November 2011, Don Erickson became the chief executive officer SIA; Erickson previously served as SIA's director of government relations from 2006 to 2011.

SIA's industry activities generally fall under one of the following divisions of the association: Government Relations, Industry Relations, Learning & Development and Standards & Technology.

Learning and Development

SIA's learning and development team creates and presents training classes at various trade shows and conferences, including ISC West and ISC East. SIA develops professional development and industry training conference programs at ISC East and West each year under the brand of SIA Education@ISC. These educational opportunities include presentations, lectures, workshops and demonstrations led by industry leaders, public officials and other key actors in the security industry.

Each spring at ISC West (held annually at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada), SIA offers over 65 seminars as part of the SIA Education@ISC West conference program. The courses are designed for security dealers, installers, integrators, end users, architects and consultants.

Each fall at ISC East (held annually at the Javits Center in New York City), SIA hosts a high-quality conference program under SIA Education@ISC for show attendees on the most current business trends, technologies and developments.

SIA's learning and development offerings also include the Security Project Management (SPM) training program, the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) credential program and the Security Industry Cybersecurity Certification (SICC) program.

SIA's SPM seminars, which are offered both in person virtually, address the key requirements of security projects and presents learning on core security system technologies. The CSPM certification is a credential designed for security project managers, systems integrators, system designers and engineers, security managers and consultants and lead technicians that addresses the unique demands of a security project manager. The SPM class and the CSPM exam prepare project managers to develop a comprehensive project plan that includes realistic scope, schedules, budgets, reporting and processes. The course goes beyond basic principles and offers new and seasoned program managers a clear perspective on the importance of their role to stakeholders, and identifying risks that could hinder project success.

The SICC, developed by SIA with support from PSA Security Network and Security Specifiers, is the security industry's first credential focused specifically on cybersecurity for physical security systems. Becoming a designated SICC helps validate the skills required to support technical security installations according to industry best practices for electronic security and cybersecurity and aligning with clients’ organizational priorities and business objectives.

SIA offers review courses for both the CSPM and SICC programs to help prospective credential holders prepare for their certification exams.

Other SIA learning and development offerings include the SIAcademy LIVE! online course series, the Security Cornerstones e-learning modules on fundamental industry concepts, the SIA Grants Training Course designed to help security teams finance their projects and the SIA Microlearning Series of mini-webinar modules on key industry topics.

Government Relations

SIA Government Relations lobbies federal and state governments on measures that would affect the security industry while tracking and reporting on the progress of various legislative initiatives. SIA's government relations team organizes the participation of SIA members in government affairs through its main Government Relations Committee, five working groups (the Facial Recognition Working Group, the Global Commerce Working Group, the Identity Working Group, the Procurement Policy Working Group and the State & Local Policy Working Group), the Identity & Biometric Technology Advisory Board and SIA's work with the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS).

Through its government relations initiatives, SIA has accomplished some key legislative and administrative advances on behalf of the security industry. SIA successfully implemented the enactment of legislation creating the GSA Schedule 84 Cooperative Purchasing Program. The Local Preparedness Acquisition Act (Public Law 110-248), signed June 26, 2008, authorizes state and local governments to purchase from GSA alarm and signal systems, facility management systems, firefighting and rescue equipment, law enforcement and security equipment, marine craft and related equipment, special purpose clothing and related services, according to GSA.

SIA also supported legislation (Public Law 111-360), signed by President Barack Obama in January 2011, that exempts external power supplies for security and life safety products from federal energy efficiency standards that apply to devices in no-load mode. A SIA-led coalition that included both industry and environmental groups argued that, since security and life safety equipment must always be in active mode, an efficiency standard for no-load mode would make no sense.

In 2021, SIA’s government relations team greatly expanded its outreach to federal lawmakers on behalf of the industry, including conducting 130+ meetings with members of Congress, staff and federal agencies regarding legislation and agency initiatives important to the industry. On the state and local level, SIA monitored and engaged on 50 bills in 2021 and testified at 17 hearings across nine states and six major cities regarding legislation impacting the deployment of security solutions and business operations within the industry. Over the course of the year, SIA also grew its network of coalitions to include partners using security technologies and professional law enforcement organizations.

SIA’s outreach and advocacy in 2021 resulted in Senate approval of legislation adding U.S. biometrics technology developers to a new grant program supporting advanced technology development, as well as House and Senate approval of legislation providing significant new funding for federal testing and evaluation activities that support development of key industry technologies. Additionally, SIA’s engagement contributed directly to the defeat of proposals to unnecessarily restrict use of security technologies in at least five states.

In 2021, SIA members also gained access to more robust advocacy resources and benefits through SIA’s government relations efforts. SIA published helpful analysis for members on infrastructure legislation, new Buy American requirements, Federal Communications Commission rules, biometrics legislation, federal contractor vaccination rules and many other issues and worked with members to develop industry comments regarding these issues. Additionally, SIA updated its Guide to School Security Funding to include information on new federal and state grant programs for K-12 school security solutions and released a new version of its Guide to Cannabis Security Requirements that includes requirement details for three new states, as well as an analysis of the impact of 2020 elections on cannabis policy.

The annual SIA GovSummit, hosted by SIA and organized by its government relations team, is a premier public policy and government security conference connecting government, security and technology. Each year, the conference brings together government security leaders with private industry technologists in the heart of Washington, D.C., for networking, information sharing and education on key security topics relevant to federal, state and local agencies.

Standards & Technology

SIA's standards and technology team produces, maintains and advocates for technical standards that enable interoperability between security devices. SIA develops American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited standards that promote interoperability and information sharing in the industry.

SIA's Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) standard is an access control communication standard developed by SIA to improve interoperability among access control and security products. OSDP was approved as an international standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission in May 2020 and has been published as IEC 60839-11-5. SIA OSDP v2.2, which is based on the IEC 60839-11-5 standard, was released in December 2020. SIA OSDP is in constant refinement to retain its industry-leading position.

SIA Standards developed and maintains the ANSI/SIA CP-01–False Alarm Reduction Standard. The standard generally specifies the design for controls of security alarm systems at the control panel. The specification focuses chiefly on the arming and disarming process, which is responsible for generating many false alarms. The standard is chiefly used by manufacturers and security system installers. SIA last revised the standard in 2019 to add some clarifications.

SIA also manages AG-01, the Architectural Graphics for Security Standard, which is a collection of architectural graphics for security intended for use by architects, building contractors, system integrators, electrical contractors and security managers who use CAD to produce construction drawings, shop drawings and installation/as-built drawings, and physical security system layouts.

Industry Relations

SIA's industry relations efforts include overseeing member groups focused on data privacy, drones and robotics and public safety, developing security industry workforce development initiatives, producing publications such as the semiannual journal SIA Technology Insights, delivering trusted industry research and analysis and liaising and collaborating with other associations and organizations.

Events and Networking

In addition to serving as the premier sponsor of the ISC West and East trade shows each year, SIA organizes and presents a variety of in-person and virtual events for its members and the security industry. These events include the executive conference Securing New Ground, SIA's AcceleRISE conference for young professionals in the security industry, the SIA GovSummit public policy and government security conference, the SIAThere! series of free industry networking events, the SIA National Capital Region Security Forum networking events for professionals in the Washington, D.C., area and the Vertical Insights series of virtual symposiums focused on key vertical markets.

International Presence

SIA is not associated with distinct international security associations that may have similar names, such as the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the Irish Security Industry Association or the Australian Security Industry Association.

References

1. "About SIA | Security Industry Association". Security Industry Association. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
2. "Academic Membership | Security Industry Association". Security Industry Association. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
3. Security Industry Association, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
4. About SIA, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
5. ISC East, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
6. ISC West, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
7. Security Industry Association, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
8. GSA Schedule 84 Summary, Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.
9. "SIA Files Comments with DOE on Energy Efficiency Rule". May 30, 2012. Retrieved Sept. 3, 2013.

External links

• securityindustry.org, the association's official website

• 1969 establishments in the United States
• Organizations established in 1969
• Trade associations based in the United States
• Organizations based in Maryland
• Security organizations
• Montgomery County, Maryland
• Physical security
• 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations