Terrorist groups continue to target mass gatherings, but technological innovations such as high-definition video, facial recognition and AI are allowing security personnel to better handle such threats. These new technologies can help to identify suspicious individuals and other anomalies in real time as well as for post-event investigation. Sensors mounted at entry points and event perimeters can detect attempted intrusions and hazardous materials. Information from these sensors can then be passed to a command center or to security personnel on the ground for a prompt response.
Izvor: a&s International
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Kategorije za web: Man guarding, Video surveillance, Software, Perimeter Protection

Machine Learning Enhances Video Surveillance at Outdoor Events

Video surveillance plays a critical security role at large outdoor events. Advances in AI and machine learning can offer enhanced tools for spotting potential threats.

Facial and behavior recognition technologies are improving video analytics, providing invaluable new tools to security professionals. Stephanie Weagle, CMO of BriefCam, a company that specializes in using cameras and video analytics for security, said video- analysis technology could be trained to recognize “signs of problematic behavior,” as well as keep an eye on unauthorized entry, exceedingly high foot traffic or loitering.

Such video technology can be integrated with other services to trigger follow-on actions after potential threats are detected. Proactive alerting, triggering calls to action in response to suspicious or unusual behavior, can enhance the overall efficiency of a security team. Advanced video surveillance tools increased “situational awareness,” Weagle said. By mounting cameras with behavioral-recognition technology in various locations, security personnel can have a better grasp of what’s going on in the area. Weagle added that the continuous, ongoing surveillance provided by cameras also minimized the risk of “human error and distraction.”

Facial recognition played a critical role in video analytics, and prolif- eration of better-quality cameras and advances in video analytics had helped to improve the accuracy of facial recognition, Weagle said.

One such advance is the ability to store photos of suspects or past offenders on a video-analytics engine and alert security personnel when such individuals are spotted by a camera. Security personnel can then be dispatched quickly to deal with the potential threat. Weagle noted facial recognition technology could not only be used to identify criminal suspects but also VIP guests, “to ensure important visitors are being properly engaged and ushered around as needed.”

As facial recognition is still relatively new and not yet widely adopted, countries have different policies and rules on the technology’s use. Nonetheless, event organizers should consider “how the technology can be used in ways that ensure fairness, transparency, accountability and privacy compliance, while maximizing public safety,” Weagle said. Data collected by video sensors could also help to “map out activity trends and discover insights” to improve security readiness and response, she added. One challenge facing event organizers is vehicle and crowd congestion creating bottlenecks at entry and exit points. Video analytics could address this problem by collecting traffic flow data, before coming up with optimized pedestrian or vehicle navigation routes to ease the traffic. This would improve the guest experience and enhance security, Weagle said. She added it would also enable “evacuation and security dispatch routes to accelerate emergency responses” to be planned in advance.

“This information can also be used to understand staffing requirements, ensuring that crowds are guided through the event, queues and bottle- necks are prevented and employees are upholding safety regulations,” Weagle said.

How Advanced Video Surveillance Can Combat Terrorist Threats

Terrorist attacks on large crowds are a reality security professionals need to be prepared for. Deep learning-based video surveillance technology can help counter these types of threats.

Advanced surveillance camera technology can be used to investigate suspicious behavior and prevent terrorist attacks on public places. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security lists some out-of-place scenes that security cameras should be set to identify: vehicles parked near areas with high pedestrian traffic, individuals wearing unseasonably bulky clothes and individuals attempting to enter restricted areas or entrances as patrons are leaving.

After receiving a bomb threat, the standard security practice is to initiate a search of the entire event space to locate the potential explosive device. If a suspicious package is detected, event operators can use camera footage to determine if the package has been deliberately placed or is merely unattended.

Security professionals are realizing the importance of advanced video surveillance. IHS Markit figures show global shipments of network camera reached 108 million in 2018. IHS Markit estimates sales will go beyond 120 million in 2019 and 140 million in 2020. The share of high-megapixel cameras is expected to increase as well. “As the number of camera shipments increases, a better way of analyzing and assessing the captured video is needed,” said Oliver Philippou, Research Manager at IHS, in a report.

As conventional methods fall short of enabling the needed analysis, deep learning — which mimics the human brain to learn from and understand the world through a hierarchy of concepts — offers a potential solution.

Deep learning allows security personnel to intelligently search through large amounts of recorded video for a crucial piece of information that may be contained in only a few frames. “In a police investigation, this has the potential to save hundreds of hours of officers’ time. Searchable analytics are therefore penetrating markets such as city surveillance, which historically searched video manually,” IHS’ Philippou said.

BriefCam is one such company using deep learning to provide enhanced video analytics. BriefCam’s video technology can distinguish between people and objects on the basis of different factors. “Security personnel must be able to quickly review and understand incidents that have occurred and rapidly locate suspects and perpetrators,” said Stephanie Weagle, CMO of BriefCam.

The company offered robust video analytics, allowing security personnel to “rapidly review video across multiple cameras and pinpoint people and vehicles,” Weagle said. Security personnel can search suspects in the footage based on attributes like gender, clothing and direction and speed of walking. With the help of deep neural networks and computer vision technologies, moving objects, like someone riding a bicycle, can also be separated and tracked.

Sensors Critical to Perimeter Security for Outdoor Events

The first security step for organizers of outdoor events is the establishment of a clear perimeter. Common physical barriers for this purpose include bollards, blockers and fences. However, they don’t provide intrusion monitoring and detection capabilities. To meet this requirement, a sophisticated perimeter intrusion detection (PID) system is needed.

A robust PID system should meet the three Ds of protection: defend, detect and deter. Richard Huison, Regional Manager for Gallagher Security (Europe), notes not all systems meet these standards. “A physical fence offers defence and deterrent, but no detection. Video with complex analytics are great at detecting, but do not provide any deterrent,” he said. Gallagher recently partnered with CLD Fencing Systems to launch a monitored pulse fencing (MPF) solution called FenceSafe-E. MPF delivers controlled electronic pulses that last a millisecond, ideally enough to deter intruders from making a second attempt at breaching a perimeter. FenceSafe actively monitors attempted break-ins and deters potential intrusion with warning signs every 10 meters. Tension detectors trigger an alarm that sends a notification to the smartphones of security personnel. The system also briefed security personnel on “precisely what threat they will encounter,” Huison said.

During the 2018 NFL draft at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive detectors were hidden in the entryways to the stadium. They sent smartphone notifications to those in the command center and security personnel on the ground if hazardous materials were detected. This same technology is also being used at border crossings and ports. Light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) sensors can similarly aid security. LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that uses laser pulses originally designed to create 3D models or maps to track the movement of people and objects. “Retailers can track customer’s behaviour with LiDAR, following their route through the shop, and monitoring hand height and direction, so they learn exactly what customers pick up and put down,” Huison said.

He added event organisers could use this technology for “counting people, studying and controlling traffic flows, queueing and pinch points and making real-time decisions to stick within Health & Safety Executive licence-limited numbers in specific zones or areas.” A perimeter control system works best when the full spectrum of inputs, including cameras, sensors, LiDAR, biometrics data, etc., are centralized within a single command. Ideally, “all sensors, systems and metrics are controlled and managed centrally” and images and instructions are relayed to patrol personnel to enable “smart, proactive and efficient” protection, Huison said. According to reports, the Super Bowl used this approach in 2018, with computer vision taking center stage. Data was collected from multiple sources and aggregated for processing, providing real-time information on what was happening in and around the stadium.

Deploying various types of sensors for perimeter security allows security personnel to promptly respond to anomalies through mobile alerts. By displaying aggregated security data on a command center, professionals can also proactively evaluate what is going on at the event in real-time and coordinate a suitable response.

Recommended Practices for Preventing Terrorist Attacks

As extremists show more interest in “soft targets,” organizers of large outdoor events at temporary venues need security that can be rapidly assembled.

Mobile surveillance cameras are preferred to more permanent CCTV cameras at temporary sites. Mobile surveillance cameras not only help to secure outdoor events, but also enable employee oversight, visitor traffic optimization and demographic analysis of visitors.

The FenceSafe-E by Gallagher and CLD Fencing Systems uses pre-assembled modular units for speedier setup. “Fence lines of over 30 meters with 45-degree corners, ends and 90-degree returns were erected and commissioned with full pulse fencing within 90 minutes,” said Kevin Godfrey, Strategic Business Development Manager at Gallagher Security, in a press release. Given the large footprint of outdoor events, Richard Huison, Regional Manager for Gallagher Security (Europe), suggests “limiting the most secure and costly solutions to smaller ‘priority zones’, such as VIP areas or generator compounds.”

A security team should allocate resources in order to ensure the physical safety of patrons, as well as secure valuable assets and the event’s brand reputation. Besides standard security hardware, e-ticketing provides another line of defence. Huison said e-ticketing not only reduced the risk of forgeries and unauthorized reselling, but also helped to spot watched individuals, known troublemakers and other security risks in advance.

Thanks to the growing use of mobile payment methods such as ApplePay, it is now possible for organizers to hold ticketless and cashless events. Secure QR codes allow organizers to establish what Huison calls as a “virtual electronic perimeter” within which mobile credentials serve to provide security. When working with third-party security staff, it is recommended that company staff report all suspicious behaviour to the main security contractor and avoid engaging in security related actions themselves. The First Responder’s Toolbox, published by the U.S.’s Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team (JCAT), suggests that “regardless of the event size, venue, or location, continuous and ongoing efforts to improve interagency coordination and information sharing with event stakeholders will enhance security and improve emergency response.”

Security personnel should maintain constant communication with one another, either through the use of walkie-talkies or other means, so that they can stay informed with the latest development without leaving their area of duty.

According to JCAT, “to prepare for any potential terrorist attack against open-access events and mass gatherings, organizers and security officials are encouraged to establish partnerships with first responders and private sector stakeholders in advance. This will enhance information sharing, coordination, and potential emergency response concerns.”