8 minute read
PORT SECURITY
:PORT SECURITY Intelligent port security
By Dr. Giovanni Milione, Optical Networking and Sensing Department NEC Laboratories America, Inc.
Physically securing ports against threats is not easy. Ports can comprise cargo that is worth billions of dollars, thousands of acres of land, populations in the thousands, and numerous access points that see thousands of entries and exits per day and at all times of the day. Physical threats could be anything, including theft, vandalism, active shooters, and domestic or international terrorism. As such, physical security requires situational awareness for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. While physical security budgets can be tens of millions of dollars annually, they largely fund boots on the ground, i.e., guns, guards, and gates. These resources must be predominantly focused on access points, where most port activity is, leaving perimeters vulnerable. While While perimeters can be secured via physical barriers, barriers do not provide the required situational awareness.
perimeters can be secured via physical barriers, barriers do not provide the required situational awareness. The cost of increasing boots on the ground to secure the entirety of perimeters can be prohibitive.
A perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS) comprises a combination of sensors and cameras that sense and enable visual verification of physical intrusions along a perimeter. A PIDS can provide the situational awareness required to secure a port perimeter. Many types of sensors and cameras can be used in a PIDS. Canonical sensors include radar, microwave, lidar, accelerometers, geophones, visible, and thermal. While each sensor has its advantages and disadvantages, canonical sensors are archaic. They are unintelligent and tethered to the physical environment, i.e., they require electrical power, wired or wireless communication, and line of sight. The greatest challenge to such sensors is the physical environment. PIDS are greatly affected by salty air, changing visibility due to precipitation, dust, fog, and daily and seasonal lighting conditions. Furthermore, inclement weather
events such as hurricanes and lightning can affect the system. Additionally, ports can be adjacent to public or residential areas. Also, effectively monitoring multitudes of cameras can be almost impossible.
These challenges can be overcome using intelligence. NEC’s Intelligent PIDS (iPIDS) uses state-of-the-art sensors in concert with artificial intelligence.
Optical fiber sensing is a state-of-the-art sensing technology where laser light is transmitted and received at one end of an optical fiber. When there is an environmental change such as sound within proximity of the optical fiber, the light inside the optical fiber changes. By analyzing the received light, the environmental change and its location along the optical fiber can be accurately determined. For example, if an optical fiber were mounted along a perimeter fence and an intruder were to cut, climb, or lift the fence, the intruder’s location could be instantly detected with an accuracy of a few feet. As optical fibers are made of glass, in contrast to canonical sensors, along the perimeter, optical fiber sensing does not require electric power, wired or wireless communication, line of sight, and is immune to electromagnetic interference. Furthermore, optical fibers sensing can sense over up to 50 miles of optical fiber. Additionally, the same optical fiber that is used for sensing can be used for communication, e.g., communication with video cameras.
Artificial intelligence (AI) comprises state-of-the-art computer algorithms such as machine learning, deep learning, and artificial neural networks. AI can intelligently analyze signals from sensors of a PIDS. For example, traditional sensor signals are analyzed using basic rules such as thresholds — if the signal is above or below a certain level, an alarm is or is not generated. AI can analyze and count the number of times the sensor’s signal is above or below a threshold over a period of time. Additionally, AI can learn complex signal patterns associated with environment and intrusion and then discriminate the environment from the intrusions. AI can be applied to both optical fiber sensing and video. It can give sensors intelligence to do the work of humans and do work that humans would otherwise not be able to do. Ultimately, AI can force multiply boots on the ground.
NEC’s Intelligent PIDS uses optical fiber sensing, video cameras and artificial intelligence which optimizes the probability of detection and nuisance alarm rate. Via visualization on a centralized dashboard in a command center, intrusions are shown on an aerial map, and an alert is instantly generated when the intrusion is detected. Further analysis can be done to determine whether the detected intrusion is a threat. Security officers can monitor the entire perimeter for alarms from one station. GIS tracking, automated alarms, two-way audio, incident reporting and live video streaming can be done from mobile applications that tie state-of-the-art security technologies into one unified solution and control center.
NEC’s system has undergone field trials at an airport in the southeastern United States where it was subject to seasonal Caribbean hurricanes, aircraft taking off, landing, and taxiing on an adjacent runway, vehicles on an adjacent road, and personnel and vehicles along the perimeter working, wildlife such as birds, cats, and lizards climbing on the fence. The system was also tested at an Asian seaport with 40-mile-perhour winds. The system was able to effectively discriminate intrusion and the environment.
In conclusion, port security is challenging but by using intelligence, security can be force multiplied. Intrusion can be identified over the entire perimeter and situational awareness can be provided for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year in extreme environmental conditions.
Dr. Giovanni Milione is a senior researcher in the Optical Networking and Sensing Department at NEC Laboratories America, Inc. in Princeton, NJ. He received his B.S. in Physics from Stony Brook University, M.A. in Physics from CUNY the City College of New York, M. Phil. in Physics from the CUNY Graduate Center, and Ph.D. in Physics from the CUNY Graduate Center/the City College of New York. He is also a U.S. military veteran, serving in the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars. For information about NEC’s PIDS, contact Dr. Milione’s colleague, Michael Mackesy at 858.467-7770 / michael.mackesy@necam.com.
PORT of PAGO PAGO
PORT OPERATIONS
• Naturally deep-water PORT harbor. • Dock Space o Container Dock: 1,112ftx55ft, D35ft OPERATIONS o Main Dock: 400ftx55ft, D35ft • o Inter-Island Dock: 90ftx40ft, D25ft Dock Space o o • Fuel Dock: 406ftx45ft, D40ft Service Wharf: 300ftx75ft, D25ft Container Dock: • • 4.5 acre Container Yard 40,000sqft Warehouse 1,112ftx55ft, D35ft • • Bulk Cargo: Fuel, LPNG Harbor Tug Assist Service• Main Dock: • • Tug Iseula, 3000hp Tug Sailele, 1500hp 400ftx55ft, D35ft • • Inter Island Ferry Services Inner Harbor Anchorage for Yachts • Inter-Island Dock: • • Yacht/Pleasure Craft Marina Facilities Dry Dock Facilities 90ftx40ft, D25ft • USDA Meat Inspectors • • Net Repair Yard Tuna Cannery/Docks –• Fuel Dock: Star Kist Tuna • Small Boat Harbors: Auasi, Aunuu, Faleasao, Ta’u, Ofu.406ftx45ft, D40ft • Service Wharf: AIRPORT OPERATIONS 300ftx75ft, D25ft • • Pago Pago International Airport 4.5 acre Container Yard (PPG) – Tutuila Island • o 700-acre public airport 40,000sqft Warehouseo Rwy 5/23: 10,000ft x 150ft o Rwy 8/26: 3,800ft x 100ft o Elevation: 32 ft. / 9.8 m o Distance From city: 6 miles SW of Pago Pago, AS AIRPORT o Time Zone: UTC -11 o Surface: Concrete/grooved o ARFF Station OPERATIONS o Hot Fire Training Ground • Ofu Airport (Z08) - Manua Islands o 18 acre public airport Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) – Tutuila o Dimensions: o Rwy8-26: 200 x 60 ft. / 610 x 18 mIsland o Elevation: 9 ft. / 2.7 m • o Distance From city: 1 mile SE of Ofu Village, AS 700-acre public airport • o o Time Zone: UTC -11 Surface: Concrete/grooved 6 miles SW of Pago Pago, AS o ARFF Station • Fitiuta Airport (FAQ) - Manua Ofu Airport (Z08) – Manua Islands Islands • o o o 34 acre public airport Rwy 12/30: 3200 x 75 ft. / 975 x 23 m Elevation: 110 ft. / 34 m 18-acre public airport • o Distance From city: .1 mile SE of Fitiuta Village, AS 1 mile SE of Ofu Village, AS o Time Zone: UTC -11 o Surface: Concrete/grooved o Weight bearing capacity: Fitiuta Airport (FAQ) – o ARFF Station Manua Islands • 34-acre public airport • .1 mile SE of Fitiuta Village, AS
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Locted in South Pacific Ocean, in the heart of
Polynesia, Pago Pago Harbor is one of the world's largest natural harbors, and it is also considered Located in South Pacific Ocean, in the heart of Polynesia, Pago one of the best and deepest deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean or in Oceania as a whole. Pago Harbor is one of the world’s largest natural harbors, and Pago Pago Harbor is over 400 feet (120 m) deep it is also considered one of the best and deepest deepwater and two miles (3.2 km) long, with over 2,700 linear harbors in the South Pacific Ocean or in Oceania as a whole. feet of dock space, and numerous anchorage Pago Pago International Airport is capable of accommodating sites for the over 1,000 ports calls consisting of cruise, cargo, military, fishing, workboats, any size of commercial aircraft. When combined, our seaports yachts and pleasure crafts throughout the and airports make the movement of cargo and people to and year. Pago Pago International Airport is capable of accommodating any size of from American Samoa easy because of its strategic midpoint commercial aircraft. When combined, our for several shipping and air routes between the U.S. West seaports, and airports make the movement of cargo and people to and from American Coast, Honolulu Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and other pacific nations. Samoa easy because of its strategic midpoint for several shipping and air routes between the U.S West Coast, Honolulu Hawaii, Austrailia, New Zealand and other pacific
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