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Integrating physical and cyber security into security operations

A key problem developing in perimeter security systems is sensory overload for security monitoring personnel. The more threats are identified by homeland security professionals the more sensors are required to monitor the perimeter for those threats. People may be staffing a 4-8 hour shift attempting to monitor hundreds of cameras, door and gate alarms and radio communication systems.

Technological breakthroughs to assist in improving physical security.

· Video analytics – the reason for putting cameras in place is typically twofold. First is to provide remote sensing so security personnel don’t have to make rounds or stand guard at various locations. Second is to use cameras to validate an alert that some other sensor system identified as a threat. In the first instance the security system is looking for behaviors that violate a security policy. A breakthrough in video analytics allow certain behaviors to be implement in software such that the software is continuous staring through the camera looking for the behaviors a human would normally be trained to look for. The obvious benefit is that software alleviates the staffing and training costs associated with people and, once calibrated, doesn’t miss detection events. Now it is reasonably to have hundreds of cameras monitored effectively by a few security professionals.

· Geospatial Information Systems – GIS systems allow security monitors to be able to see the big picture around their facility. Layers of information can be added and displayed to provide total situational awareness during high stress times associated with security breaches. The GIS system presents data from any and all sensor systems in a manner applicable to the interest of a particular user so the view is not overcrowded but still comprehensive. It can also be parsed in web services to send to remote users with PDAs or tablet PCs when in a first responder role.

· Automated reporting – an important factor in any complex security environment is to make sure the security policies and rules are uniformly applied. Implementing a rules engine that creates the interoperability of communications across various first responder platform is essential. Some responders have PDAs, cell phones, pagers, PC, etc that may be operating on different frequencies or protocols making communications very difficult for the dispatchers. Technology has now matured to where rules engines acting like knowledge switches can be implemented to filter sensor alarms for presentation to users as desired. Also, the rules can be implemented to automatically notify first responders based on the alarm and the try of communications device the first responder owns.

· Wireless networking – distributed computing and installing sensors to the edge are easier in a wireless environment especially where you have a big campus environment with little installed infrastructure. Wireless networking extends the existing network and allows any IP compatible device to be included easily.

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