Taking Flight

Taking Flight

  • By Cameron Javdani
  • Mar 22, 2023

Airport security is a complex system that incorporates multiple technologies to ensure the safety and security of travelers, employees and the facility itself. Sound-based technologies are integral pieces of this system, providing means of communication, notification and monitoring.

These uses help to enable airport security personnel to maintain an orderly environment, protect against threats such as theft, harassment, or assault, and to provide immediate instructions to evacuate or shelter in place in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

Specialized Systems
Security design is nuanced and specialized for an airport of any given size or location. Airport security systems will broadly ensure compliance with safety and security regulations, protect against crime or public safety threats, provide response capabilities in the event of a natural disaster and can improve passengers’ travel experience.

Most commonly, airports will use sound at security checkpoints, immigration and customs facilities, and along key perimeter locations. Technologies such as speakers or intercoms are used throughout terminals and access points to provide security announcements or notifications.

First, consider the use of sound at security checkpoints. Audio can be used in several ways to improve passenger safety and screening efficiency. Prior to arriving at the checkpoint, travelers are accustomed to hearing instructions on restricted items, items that need to be removed from bags, or screening policies that may have changed since the last time they traveled.

For their own operations, screeners may use audio as a tool to verify proper procedures and protocols are in place as they interact with passengers. Recordings used in conjunction with video of a security event assist with investigations and post-incident analysis by clarifying what happened before and during the incident.

The information will help determine the appropriate course of action. The recording provides a clear record of what transpired, removing elements of hearsay, incomplete information or baseless claims or allegations.

Checking the Checkpoints
Immigration and customs checkpoints are other areas where audio plays a key role in security. As with the general screening areas, audio can alert travelers on what to expect, and to ensure procedural compliance. Additionally, audio used in secondary screening rooms in resembles activities used by municipal law enforcement in their interview rooms.

When questioning a traveler, officers may discover potential security threats or illegal activity. Recordings are shared with other law enforcement jurisdictions, accelerating investigations and prosecutions.

Along perimeter lines, sound integrated with video surveillance can remotely deter potential threats. Sensors or camera analytics may detect unauthorized access or breaches of restricted areas. Loudspeakers or intercoms used alongside video can broadcast messages suspects that they have entered a restricted area and must leave immediately. This use reduces the need to dispatch security staff to the site and can protect staff from a face-to-face encounter with a suspect.

In airport security systems, sound performs best when used alongside other security technologies like cameras, lighting and mass notification equipment. Consider the following example.

A microphone placed in an airport public area picks up a loud sound thought to be an explosion or gunshot. A camera’s edge-based sound classification analytic alarms and sends an alert to security staff. Upon verification of the alarm, an announcement plays throughout the facility with instructions on what to do or where to go.

In this instance, the sound clip will verify the alarm and the audible announcement allows response procedures to begin before law enforcement may have arrived on scene. The verification and emergency announcements can take place in less than a minute.

Supporting the Audio
Most security cameras in use in airports today are capable of supporting one way or two way audio. Integrating sound into airport security systems can be as simple as connecting an audio cable into the camera’s audio input. IP cameras will add the audio feed to its video, enabling security personnel to observe both feeds simultaneously through the monitoring software they are accustomed to using.

Used comprehensively throughout airport security systems, audio advances security objectives by providing early detection of certain types of threats, accelerating communication with passengers and employees upon verification of a security risk, and providing an objective record of the context and circumstances leading up to an event.

Overall, sound in airports is essential for ensuring safety and security. From providing instructions and assistance to alerting staff of potential risks, audio plays a vital role in the complex system of airport security.

This article originally appeared in the March / April 2023 issue of Security Today.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.