Trusting technology

SECURITY

Trusting trending technology

What is the current state of play regarding facial recognition technology and AI solutions and how can you be sure you can trust the systems on the market?

Last month we asked a panel of experts to give us their predictions for the year ahead. There were a number of differing viewpoints however two areas that cropped up on regular occasion were the subjects of AI and facial recognition, and not always with security purposes in mind and sometimes, with some concern.

Using video surveillance systems for more than security monitoring has become an added bonus of the analytics software that developers have brought to market and we have often advised installers to look beyond the security angle when pitching for business. After all, sharing the budget between the security department and the business development team softens the blow of the initial install cost to those looking at the numbers and if you throw in potential business and performance benefits then there is another ROI on the table.

Facial recognition itself has been a hot topic in the world of surveillance experiencing increased interest in its potential uses as new systems and analytics come to market. So what do the next twelve months hold for the technology and what is the importance of building trust in the systems that are being deployed?

Facial recognition

Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is playing an increasingly key role in global urban development and improving the lives and experiences of citizens. Identification of individuals solely for surveillance is only one of the range of security applications that the technology offers according to Rob Watts, CEO of Corsight AI.

One such application is for seamless customer experiences when it comes to payments. “With your face as your credit card, citizens no longer have to leverage cash for payments or worry about a stolen/lost wallet,” says Rob. “A secure biometric system makes paying for goods or services effortless as being pioneered by Amazon Go stores.”

During the pandemic when contactless access control and people counting came to the fore, workplaces began to understand the value of FRT for access control purposes as it enables the seamless flow of people and facilitates the protection of sensitive locations by restricting Identification of individuals solely for surveillance is only one of the range of security applications that the technology offers

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access to approved visitors only. Spaces such as building sites, maternity wards and critical national infrastructure can all benefit from this software.

“Facial recognition can also be used in smart cities to help identify those at risk,” explains Rob. “In the case of searching for a missing child or Alzheimer’s patient, FRT can significantly speed up the process.”

There is a particular concern in the media today about the safety of public streets, especially for women. In 2022 FRT could prove useful for recognising unusual behaviour and identifying and tracking known offenders throughout the city environment, thus extending its uses in security surveillance.

Standards in 2022

As with any technology, there are potential risks to using facial recognition, such as threats to privacy, violations of rights and potential data theft. These concerns are of significant importance and have even forced the hand of some public and private organisations to limit the use of the technology. This calls for thoughtful government regulation moving forward and heightened responsibility for FRT vendors and operators to comply.

Currently, regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are in place to set industry standards and provide ways for individuals to protect their personal data, and by extension their privacy and other human rights, which we are seeing enforced.

“Although the industry continues to demand greater certainty from lawmakers it is evident that best practice is emerging from application of GDPR and its core principles,” says Rob Watts. “The use of Privacy Management Programmes and Data Protection Impact Assessments demonstrates the willingness to protect the data rights of citizens and maintain trust and confidence across our communities. A combination of these policies and their application will continue to ensure FRT can be used as a force for good.”

As with any technology, there are potential risks to using facial recognition, such as threats to privacy, violations of rights and potential data theft. These concerns are of significant importance and have even forced the hand of some public and private organisations

Cybersecurity concerns

As data processing becomes more central to operations in 2022, organisations will need to be more responsive to the evolving cyber threat landscape. For FRT end-users, in particular, securing biometric data will remain a top priority.

“Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, and typically seek the most sensitive data to hold at ransom. Vendors must therefore implement the most stringent security measures to protect sensitive data and ensure end-users are working hard to keep on top of the threat,” advises Rob.

“Customers will also demand more transparency from organisations about how they are using their biometric data – how it is being stored and protected. To garner trust, users of FRT must be more explicit in its use and set clear measures on individual privacy and data protection.”

SMOKE DETECTION

In 2022 and beyond, we expect to see further commitment from policymakers and industry to develop even higher standards to levels not seen before. The move towards trustworthy AI, greater regulation and genuine commitment to Human Rights will support the development of this software so that it can be used as a force for good.

Trusting technology

As we look ahead it’s clear that matching the ongoing pace of technological innovation to an equal evolution in building trust in the use of technology is imperative. Trust is becoming increasingly important for individuals, organisations, and legislators, so it’s interesting to see how many of our technology trends for 2022 can be linked to the need to build a trusted technology ecosystem, and ultimately a smarter, safer world.

To the end user, the architecture being used to deliver services has become invisible. Whether processing takes place on a device, local server or in a remote data centre, everything is connected.

“As a security solution vendor, it’s up to us to provide the tools and flexibility to help people decide on the best solution for their unique situation,” says Johan Paulsson, CTO at Axis Communications. “Given that ‘connected’ has become the default, we do believe that most surveillance solutions will ultimately be hybrid; combining cloud, on-premise server and edge technologies.

“While we foresaw the rapid acceleration towards Zero Trust network architectures a year ago, we now believe it to be a default approach. The Covid-19 pandemic has played a role here too, as flexible working has seen more devices connected remotely over the public internet. Taking a Zero Trust approach involves evaluating the security profile for each device each time it connects which has significant implications for the video surveillance industry, with various checks and validations moving from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’.”

Authenticate everything

The ability to establish the authenticity of video footage is fundamental. Tampering with video after it is captured, along with increased sophistication in creating manipulated images, means that we may see the authenticity of video surveillance footage being more regularly questioned. As this is an issue for the security industry as a whole it’s imperative that the sector aligns to standardise its approach, ideally based on open-source software and initiatives.

Many would also argue that AI is no longer a trend. Indeed, we’re all using and being exposed to valuable AI and deep learning-based services on a daily basis.

“Our view remains that technology in itself shouldn’t be regulated, but that legislation and regulation relating to the development and use of AI-based technologies and applications should be adhered to by every organisation employing AI,” says Johan. “We expect to see a greater focus on initiatives to ensure that AI is being implemented ethically and without bias.

“For us, a new technology only becomes a trend when we start to see valuable use cases appear in the security and surveillance sector,” says Johan. “This is starting to happen with 5G, for example. While much of the hype around 5G has been focused on improvements in network performance for consumer applications, 5G networks show genuine potential for video surveillance solutions and could bring particular benefits from a cybersecurity perspective.” “Customers will demand more transparency from organisations about how they are using their biometric data –how it is being stored and protected”