L.A. County Sheriff Is Boosting Metro Security With Prescriptive Analytics
The Armorway platforms AI algorithm generates an unpredictable security plan after predicting what adversaries might do.
Startup Armorway launched its artificial intelligence security platform Tuesday and is already delivering prescriptive analytics to local law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles County Sheriff.
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense funded research into how to use data to optimize security tactics in the face of smarter adversaries and with limited resources.
Using the fundamentals of game theory, researchers developed an app that could learn from adversaries’ behavior and predict what they’ll do while simultaneously recommending an unpredictable security plan—prescriptive analytics.
“Prediction is not good enough,” said Zareh Baghdasarian, Armorway CEO and cofounder, in an interview. “Prediction is one of the flaws.”
The app was tested and employed by the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, local police departments, college campus security, and airports. And in 2013, Armorway commercialized all the research that had been done.
FAMS’ 3,000 air marshals can’t possible oversee all 20,000 to 30,000 flights in the U.S. each day. So Armorway’s algorithm deploys them in a randomized way that makes it impossible to tell which planes they’re on, while still routing them efficiently—adjusting with schedule changes.
Finite L.A. County deputies are allocated for continuous security to “reduce crime and provide more safety on Metro and to infrastructure,” Baghdasarian said.
Los Angeles International Airport relies on the algorithm to place checkpoints on incoming roads, the Coast Guard to manage its Sector New York boats and helicopters, and nuclear manufacturers to track the movements of personnel between buildings. The list goes on.
Cognitive intelligence and deep machine learning help the algorithm process historical and realtime data on everything from social media to security reports to better detect anomalies. Environmental and demographic factors are also taken into account.
Armorway’s platform ensures physical and digital resources are allocated for complete coverage and can include decoys to throw off adversaries. If one does get through, the algorithm can correct for it in the future.
Often threats to an agency are internal—an employee walking off with a memory stick—so the algorithm looks for sudden behavior changes.
“Video analytics, that’s one of the key things today,” Baghdasarian said.
Having the algorithm look for potential threats avoiding security personnel on camera is easier than relying on personnel that must be trained and, even then, might be overwhelmed.
With a funding round that includes private angel investors Aristos Ventures, as well as investment tech entrepreneurs and executives, Armorway will build out its marketing team to boost revenues—$400,000 in 2015 and on pace for $3 million this year. The company closed five contracts recently, a combination of subscription and and licensing and service options.
The L.A. County Sheriff finished its trial of Armorway’s platform and has moved to full deployment, and the L.A. Unified School District will follow suit in two weeks.
Dave Nyczepir is a News Editor at Government Executive’s Route Fifty.
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