Page 46 - Security Today, September/October 2022

Making the Most of your
Security System’s Insights
Many organizations mine and analyze already collected data from their physical security systems
BOy Fabiola Ruvalcaba
rganizations of every type and size often need to make informed decisions for areas of improve- ment, enhancement, and change. In order to review and discuss these opportunities, they seek to have as much relevant information as possible to guide
their decisions. Rather than implement a new system for gathering information, many organizations are now looking to mine and ana- lyze the data already collected by their physical security systems.
Traditionally, security departments used video analytics as a reactive tool. The system detects something in a live video stream and creates an event to which operators respond. However, or- ganizations have begun to use video, as well as related data from access control and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), for more than physical security.
Modern security software gathers an immense amount of data from cameras, sensors, databases and internet-connected devices. When all these data points are brought together within one unified system, they present new opportunities to gain deeper insights — not only relating to security, but also overall facilities management, business operations, marketing and customer service.
46
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 | SECURITY TODAY
THINK ABOUT THAT QUESTION YOU WANT TO ANSWER Extracting the data is the easy part. Understanding the necessary data in making decisions can be more challenging. Begin by defining your use case: what is the problem you need to solve? What data is most relevant to solving this problem? How will that data influence the decision you need to make or the next steps you plan to take?
True business intelligence requires being clear on your purpose. Are you trying to improve security? Safety? Operations? Customer experience? Narrowing your focus to the most relevant data will make it much easier to use that data in a meaningful way.
CONSIDER THE MULTIPLE WAYS
VIDEO ANALYTICS DATA CAN BE VALUABLE
If improving security at access points is your focus, you can re- view analytics such as intrusion detection or object classification to help you quickly identify what incidences are occurring most frequently, and take action. These analytics can help reduce nui- sance alarms and assist teams in the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure efficiently deployed secu- rity resources. You might also want to have an indicator on your
INTELLIGENT VIDEO ANALYTICS
ART STOCK CREATIVE/Shutterstock.com