Page 14 - Security Today, May/June 2020

COVER STORY
“With more data and a greater understanding, airports can make better-informed operational and management decisions while also mitigating risks.”
the world to mitigate the risk of in-flight terrorism. While these programs have been successful, there remain other security chal- lenges that are not yet being fully addressed. In fact, when look- ing at aviation terrorism more generally, research shows that there has been no decrease over the years in the frequency of ground attacks at airports.
Consider the 2016 attacks on airports in Belgium and Istan- bul. The Zaventem airport in Brussels was attacked on March 22, when suicide bombers detonated explosives in their suitcases while standing in the check-in line. Three months later, on June 28, gunmen opened fire at an X-ray scanner in the Atatürk air- port before detonating the explosives they were wearing.
In both cases, the attackers took advantage of an existing landside vulnerability, namely the fact that airport security es- sentially begins at the checkpoint well inside the building. Until a passenger is processed through that first point, there is no way for security staff to know who is coming through their front door.
The challenge of securing the perimeter is one that SAFR is helping airport operators and law enforcement address by aug- menting existing video surveillance systems with facial recogni- tion technology. For airports, facial recognition technology can help manage watchlists, alert personnel to unauthorized individu- als in secured areas, and locate and reconnect lost family members.
GREATER INTELLIGENCE
When it comes to responding quickly to terrorist attacks, facial recognition can support security staff by providing them with in-
creased visibility and situational awareness. When you consider that today’s airport security systems extend all the way to the edge of the parking lot, you can understand the potential benefits of facial recognition technology. If that system is able to identify and match potential threats to watch lists and other databases, it can prevent serious incidents from happening.
Facial recognition can also help prevent future attacks when it is integrated into the post-event investigative workflow. By work- ing at incredible speeds to quickly identify anyone who attackers have interacted with, this technology can provide investigators with new insights as well as identify possible collaborators and other persons of concern.
For example, during the investigation into the November 2015 attacks in Paris, the authorities were able to identify collaborators using facial recognition and prevent further acts of terror.
HANDLING INCIDENTS
WITH SPEED AND CONFIDENCE
If an incident occurs, it is crucial that airport security be able to quickly identify and find the individuals involved. This is where facial recognition can make a big difference. Working with AI al- lows security personnel to search for identified individuals both historically and in real time.
When combined with traditional video surveillance, facial rec- ognition technology allows security staff to ask the system for all video clips that include a person of concern. Being able to do this across multiple video feeds can provide a rapid view of every- where someone has been within the airport.
The ability to track and locate persons of concern quickly enables security personnel to respond decisively. Depending on the nature of the event, this can help stop or contain an evolving situation.
Once an incident is over, security personnel, law enforcement, and others shift their focus to investigation. At this point, facial recognition technology can provide a clear picture of where per- sons of concern have been, who they interacted with, and how
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MAY/JUNE 2020 | SECURITY TODAY
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