Since 9/11, travel through the world’s busiest airports has changed dramatically. Now more than ever, extensive security investments protect these dynamic environments from threats of terrorist attacks, crime, theft and vandalism. Security professionals charged with protecting these facilities must comply with updated rules and regulations while addressing the needs of passengers and airlines. Physical security isn't the only focus in today's threat landscape, as network security is critical, as well. The approach to safeguarding these facilities requires security leaders to seek out investments in technology that offer greater protection, business intelligence, and IT efficiency.
A recent study co-sponsored by the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA) and the Airports Council International (ACI), in association with Airline Business, found that airports now place a higher priority on IT investments for physical, cyber and network security. The 2016 Airport IT Trends Survey found that 50 percent of respondents rated cybersecurity investments a high priority, up 37 percent from 2015. The result: Airport officials take a more proactive approach to security solutions.
Airports also continue to deploy advancements in passenger processing technology, such as self-service kiosks and mobile-friendly services. According to the survey, innovative technology will grow over the next five to 10 years. This technology will include wearables, biometrics, context-aware services and robotics. But none of this will be possible, without collaboration between operations, security and IT leadership.
Taking a Collaborative Approach
Security and IT teams traditionally operate in separate worlds. Security officials are responsible for keeping visitors, staff and assets safe from harm, while the IT department monitors and protects networks from bad actors looking to cause harm. Today, the two have converged, as more and more devices shift to the network, allowing communications between multiple systems that form a more cohesive approach to overall security.
Analog systems are going away, replaced by modern IP video surveillance solutions that deliver increased functionality, including system management and accessibility from smart devices and the ability to add new layers of intelligence. To build a comprehensive and holistic approach to security, IT, operations and security teams must collaborate in the design and implementation of security and surveillance solutions.
Collaboration between security officials and responding agencies is critical in the event of an emergency. Sharing video, alarm information and other critical data with police, government agencies, emergency services, and airport operations permits a more informed response, rapid investigation processes and greater awareness across the organization. A multi-disciplined, multi-layered security strategy augments personnel and enables operators to engage in real-time monitoring and situation management while supporting investigative and forensic needs.
Airports and IT Technology
Over the next five to 10 years, airports will spend significant amounts of money on transforming security and streamlining passenger travel through network-enabled devices. Biometrics, for example, help facilitate faster and more secure passenger processing, and according to the SITA study, more than one-third of airports will invest in single biometric travel token projects in the next five years. Additionally, customs officials have begun piloting programs that use biometrics to screen individuals upon entry, allowing smoother processing and a reduction in wait times.
Biometric technology uses physiological characteristics as identification, such as fingerprints, facial and hand geometry, and iris scan features. Using biometrics at airports can enhance security, speed-up clearance and alleviate delays, as well as increase passenger satisfaction. Combining this technology with video surveillance data, security personnel can more quickly gather relevant information about an incident to expedite investigations or mitigate a potential threat.
But to use this technology to its full capability, airports must provide the necessary know-how and flexibility to achieve integration, automation and interoperability. Therefore, involving the IT department at the project’s conception is critical to success.
Another piece of technology making its way into today’s airports is context-aware services, technology designed to combine mobile location data with services needed by passengers. For example, flight delays or congested security lines might be reported to a passenger’s mobile device as they move through the terminal, providing the latest information.
These kinds of technology investments are helping to augment airport services and increase security in today’s busy airports.
Creating Situational Awareness Through Analytics
There’s no question that coupling innovative security technology with traditional approaches, such as video surveillance, can provide officials with more data than ever before to help make better-informed decisions. The video surveillance solutions of today are capable of providing security departments with more actionable data and video analytics are creating business intelligence with this data to optimize operations. Analytics provide operators with unique information about an individual’s path through a terminal, as well as give operations managers a look into traffic flow within a specific area to proactively identify potential issues of congestion. Using this information, airport operations management can streamline operations and deliver greater capability and increased ROI.
It is critical, however, for the IT department to be involved in securing the networks on which this information is shared. The threat of data breaches, along with the rising cost of addressing these breaches and security incidents, are pushing more and more security strategies to the top of the operations agenda and security planning initiatives.
