A Rise in Security Concerns

Security operators tasked with monitoring multiple camera feeds have a difficult job. It’s virtually impossible for them to give their full attention to more than one camera at any given moment. Threat scenarios vary so operators must also be able to react swiftly and appropriately. False alarms could be costly and missed detections could be deadly, so control rooms are operating under tremendous pressure, which in turn increases the risk of errors.

That’s why the United Kingdom’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) recommends a 20 minute shift for CCTV control room operators because of vigilance decrement. Vigilance decrement is characterized not just by attention decreases but also by an increase in oversight for tasks requiring intense sustained attention.

How AI for Security Can Help

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence by computer systems and machines. Human intelligence in this context includes learning, reasoning, and self-correction. AI-powered analytics can facilitate security operations automation through continuous monitoring and the real-time detection of threats. This includes:

• Physical area – Scene analytics can identify and classify unattended objects/vehicles and suspicious patterns of movement. For example, an unattended clear glass bottle on a table in the middle of a room would have a different risk classification from an unattended backpack at a corner next to a high traffic entrance.
• Human – Face analytics can enable people-counting for crowd traffic control and identity verification. For example, a person on a watch list entering a public event can be identified and monitored.
• Vehicle – License plates, makes and models can be read and referenced against a central database. For example, suspicious vehicles with mismatched plates can be identified proactively.

Let’s look at one of the most common security breaches – tailgating. The basic courtesy of holding a door for a ‘fellow employee’ can have catastrophic consequences. With AI-powered video analytics monitoring CCTV feeds from entrances, any individual walking in but whose image does not have a match in the authorized personnel database would automatically trigger an alarm. To assist security intervention, the unknown individual can be automatically enrolled in continuous tracking with other CCTV feeds as they move across the premises.

While tailgating alone might not warrant a response as drastic as a lockdown, if other threats – such as an unattended backpack at the corner of a cafeteria or a parked vehicle with a license plate registered to a terminated employee – are detected at about the same time, a different conclusion would be drawn and more radical measures implemented.

We Can Help

Passive CCTV cameras will slowly become a thing of the past. Recording events and only going through them after the fact is reactionary and may be too little too late. Major strides in video analytics powered by AI techniques such as machine learning are ensuring computer systems can watch and interpret video content in real-time with human-like discernment. The AI for security technology makes it easier to automatically identify suspicious behaviors, unusual movements and anomalies in real-time. AI-powered CCTV can sense when an individual or vehicle has entered a forbidden area. They can detect when baggage is left unattended or when such unattended baggage is picked up and removed. They can detect if someone is walking, running, or lying down. They can distinguish between purposeful movement and aimless loitering. They can differentiate normal behavior from odd behavior.

AI enabled security operations aren’t encumbered by human issues such as fatigue, distraction, retraining, and remuneration. It is delivering a level of situational awareness and threat detection sophistication that was unimaginable just a couple of years ago.

Check out this video to learn more about how AI can make your SOC smarter.

Learn How to Improve Your Security Operations Automation

Find out more about how the Intelligent Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) can make a difference in your security operations. See how our AI-enabled Intelligent GSOC, a joint solution by Vidsys and Micro Focus IDOL, can turn each of your CCTVs into a 24X7X365 guard. Visit our joint solution site, and request a demo today.