Physical Security Just as Vital to Our Infrastructure as Cyber Security
A great deal of money is spent worldwide on cybersecurity. This is as it should be; the technical sophistication of terrorist groups such as ISIS, not to mention that of the Chinese, represents a constant threat to many public and private organizations, including the utilities and other necessary services that make up our infrastructure. The thought of some foreign hostile power hacking into our power grid, for example, should send chills down anyone’s spine. In our increasingly interconnected world, it becomes more of a possibility with each passing day.
Besides, let’s face it, anything happening in cyberspace is sexy right now. The computer wizards who design our complex computerized systems—and those who devise ways to protect them—almost attain the status of rock stars, because they have a unique understanding of these inscrutable machines that most of us don’t.
But while we are rightly focused on protecting our infrastructure from electronic attacks, let us not neglect its physical security. After all, it takes a lot less knowledge and talent to strap on a bomb and blow yourself up than it does to hack into a computer network.
Unfortunately, many if not most terrorists operate either alone or so well under the radar that they are virtually impossible to find before they act. This is why PlateSmart exists. Our ALPR-based video analytics technology can help Homeland Security officials detect such people, either by finding them on terror watch lists, or by detecting vehicle movement patterns that point to the need for closer investigation. These patterns are what we call Indicators of Intent, and they are some of the most valuable data points we have in this fight against terrorism. Additionally, PlateSmart can recognize many vehicle identifiers such as make, type, and country or region of origin. It’s also the most affordable ALPR-based analytics solution, able to work with existing cameras and hardware.
There is still time, but not much. We need to mass-deploy this technology so that the people who protect us can root out these enemies of freedom before there is an attack that makes 9/11 look like child’s play. An attack on our infrastructure would be just that.
By: John Chigos, CEO & Founder, PlateSmart Technologies