ASIS Education Session Discusses The Layered Security Approach At O’Hare International Airport

An interesting panel at ASIS 2013 on Wednesday discussed the massive undertaking of providing a layered security approach at O'Hare International Airport.

One of the world's busiest airports, O'Hare covers more than 10,000 acres and sees an astounding amount of passengers per year - 66.5 million.

Kathleen Petrowsky, TSA's federal security director for the airport, said the layered approach to securing the airport begins when a passenger makes their airline reservations.

"The TSA is expanding the Pre-Check program for different levels of security," she said. "We're moving to a risk-based concept."

Thomas Herion with Chicago Department of Aviation Safety said the massive airport is difficult to secure.

"It's not a prison," he said. "People are moving around freely. It's a very difficult place to secure. We have to be aggressive with our cameras and preventive measures to make sure we don't have a disaster. We like to be proactive and get intelligence before hand so we can respond to it."

Both Herion and Petrowsky said coordinating good relationships with the various agencies tasked with securing the airport is important. Communication with other airports is also another way to improve security.

Herion also indicated that the key challenge in securing the facility is funding.

"We need money," he said "It's often a tough time to finance it. Who will pay for it? We have raised the bar after putting technology like biometrics and license plate recognition into play. We look for DHS to fund us through grants and other initiatives. We also go to the airlines for money to help modernize the technology."

Even though technology is a important part of providing security for the airport, Herion said that the human factor is more important.

"Our greatest asset are our people," he said. "You can have all the technology in the world, but it's the people that drive security. They are the intelligence aspect. You need to keep people engaged, letting them know how important they are and give them the tools they need to do their job. They are more important than any camera or alarm."

About the Author

Brent Dirks is senior editor for Security Today and Campus Security Today magazines.

Featured

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.