In our previous blog, Enhancing Physical Security in Aviation Through Automation, we discussed how PIAM automation tools provide a comprehensive approach to addressing physical security, insider threats, and compliance within the aviation sector. Today, we take that discussion one step further by outlining how automation can also improve the often-overlooked aspects of physical security in aviation, including contractor management and device maintenance.
Reviewing the General Benefits of Automation
Those charged with maintaining physical security within airports and the aviation sector are tasked with juggling many challenges at once: meet regulatory compliance standards, keep customers happy, be thorough but not invasive, thwart insider and outsider threats, oversee the devices that manage security, ensure the safety of staff while also realizing them as a potential threat… the list could go on and on.
Addressing each of these challenges manually is intrinsically time and labor inefficient, which also means cost inefficient. In large system deployments, security personnel are also prone to oversights and mistakes. In an industry as highly regulated as aviation, simple mistakes can have detrimental consequences and process errors can cost a company more than just dollars.
The answer here is data-driven automation.
Ground-breaking automation solutions allow aviation operations to make the most of the labor resources that they have. For example, instead of operators chasing down false alarms, automated solutions aggregate both historical and live data from physical security devices to mathematically reduce false alarms. Automation can also help reduce the risk of human error in security procedures, such as screening the staff, crew, and contractors' background prior to them ever being on site.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to automation in aviation security. Yet, when outsiders think of airport security, they often think of long lines and intensive TSA screenings. The fact is, physical security within aviation is so much more than that. Take contractor management for example.
Automating Contractor Management
More than 63,000 people work at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic. About 40% of these workers are airline employees and 13% have government jobs from the city and federal agencies, but the remainder, or nearly half, are contract workers who do everything from restaurant to janitorial work. This is just one example highlighting the density of contracted workers working at some of the most secured, yet public, places.
Managing these contracted workers is a tall order, especially as this segment sees high turnover and general unrest. Ensuring that these workers only have access to the areas they need to work and for the period of time they need access for is also essential for airport security. If a contracted worker gains inappropriate access to secured areas within an airport, it is impossible to calculate the potential losses, human or financial, that could occur as a result.
Aviation operations can improve their management of contracted workers through smart workforce automation solutions. Such solutions are ideal for implementing an automatic process for on- and off-boarding contracted workers, including setting access permissions for all locations and timing, badging, and credentialing. Integrated web-based badge applications also make it possible to collect all pre-requisites (training confirmations, identity documents, background checks, etc.) that are needed to confirm work assignment eligibility and security checks related to contract workers. Other benefits of such a solution include automated badge application review and approval processes, automatic termination of physical access immediately upon expiration of pre-requisite criteria, and the creation near-instant access audits for real-time compliance as well as managing and reducing risk.
Automating Device Management
Another overlooked aspect of aviation security is the management of the devices that are deployed in order to help maintain physical security. As we, as a society, continue our digital transformation, security devices and solutions are more integral in the way we protect people, places, and assets. Airports are no different.
From security cameras to access control systems, there are potentially thousands of end point security devices being utilized within an airport. These devices are always in a constant state of flux, with unexpected device or network outages, firmware expirations, devices not behaving normally, power outages, devices approaching end-of-life, and more. Many of these challenges lead directly to false alarms, a time consuming and labor inefficient consequence. However, something as minute as an unexpected device failure can lead to a missed security risk or costly compliance infraction.
Automated device manager solutions are specifically designed to find trends in device health, perform risk and criticality assessments, identify failure modes, and automatically create service tickets if repair is needed. The intelligent solution provides detailed, data-driven remediation instructions to help service technicians know what parts are needed and where the device is located, enabling them to fix the device more efficiently. Not only does this eliminate operational disruptions and the associated risks (i.e., a critical surveillance camera in downtime), but also dramatically reduces repair costs.
Physical security automation in all aspects of aviation is critical for the industry as a whole. Automation solutions are ideal for those operations who are looking to use their labor resources more effectively, respond to evolving events more efficiently, and maintain continuous oversite of contracted workers and devices without doing so manually. By implementing physical security automation, effective contractor management, and proactive device maintenance, the aviation industry can ensure the safety and security of passengers, crew members, and the aircraft itself.
