Mastering Data Management

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Vetting security staff and enabling them with real-time information is crucial

Imagine all the dots that must be connected in order to make an event like the Olympics a "non-event" from a security perspective. Imagine how much information must be accessed, correlated, matched and securely exchanged for everything to run smoothly.

Imagine the number and types of organizations and technologies involved in this information exchange -- local, national and international law enforcement and security agencies, regional businesses, venues, media outlets and many more.

And this information must be highly accurate, or else it all falls apart.

A successful strategy involves three critical aspects: pre-event information analysis to uncover potential threats, personnel vetting, and a coordinated real-time reaction to any threat that may emerge.

Preventive Analytics

Pre-event preventive analytics is the first critical piece in securing an event such as the Olympics, beginning with "securing the area". Security agencies must know the activities happening in and around the event -- focusing specifically on the people who are coming and going.

Is there unusual movement among persons-of-interest within, to or from the area? Are there travel or immigration patterns that might indicate suspicious group activity?

This is the first place where secure information sharing among a vast number of law-enforcement and intelligence agency databases, watch lists and other information stores plays a critical role. Intelligence analysis must compare and contrast records, connecting the dots between the known and the unknown to prevent threats.

For example, while a person of interest may be in contact with someone unknown to national authorities, local law enforcement may have extensive records on him. Intelligence analysts do not look for only "persons of interest" or their connections; rather, they look for "entities of interest" -- whether a vehicle, a weapon or even a coinciding event.

During preparation, organizers must ensure the different law enforcement and intelligence agencies are sharing and exchanging information, providing the analysts with the data they need integrated with the accuracy they require.

Vetting Personnel

Another critical pre-event task is ensuring that the personnel with the greatest access to the event -- staff, contractors and volunteers -- are trustworthy. Performing background checks is standard procedure, but proves difficult for an event of such large magnitude.

First is the classic "entity resolution" challenge. Any individual’s information is likely scattered across numerous databases. While one database may contain a red-flag item -- a pending drug charge or a secondary connection to a known terrorist -- another database may not.

The challenge is bringing this information together to create a single record -- a "single version of the truth" -- about the individual or entity.

The second challenge is time. Performing background checks on thousands of individuals can be daunting -- so much so, that the people involved in the process may look for shortcuts.

The key to success in vetting personnel is the ability to gather information from many organizations in a way that is comfortable for each of them, and to deliver it quickly and accurately.

Analysts must uncover and understand relationships they may have to other known individuals or groups, establishing connections that are not otherwise obvious.

Again, accuracy in resolving entities and relationships is essential to providing actionable results.

Reacting in Real Time

Law enforcement and security personnel on the ground must have ready access to knowledge about individuals they may encounter, in a useful format.

The officer on the street does not have time to search through databases and make his own connections and analysis. That officer needs a "single version of the truth", on the spot, on his wireless device to enable a quick decision about how to approach a situation or individual.

This requires data integration and entity resolution technology on the back end, such that a quick search of an individual, vehicle or location brings up all relevant, related information in seconds.

Even if the information store is restricted to law enforcement data, it can still cross city, county and federal jurisdictions, as well as departmental jurisdictions.

The best way to ensure the security of an event like the Olympics is to connect the dots. The most effective way to connect the dots is secure, accurate and "comfortable" information sharing early on in the process.

By building an information infrastructure that puts essential data in the hands of security analysts, planners and officers in the field, security agencies can significantly lessen the need to be reactive. With the information they need in advance, security, intelligence and law-enforcement professionals can proactively prevent potential threats before they develop into life-threatening situations.

This is excerpted from a ComputerWorld piece by Scott Schumacher, originally published on February 28, 2010.