SubscribeMany people today talk about a security common operational picture (COP) that provides domain awareness for securing borders, airports, seaports, or military installations.
As traditionally defined, such systems include a map that tracks the movement of resources with feeds from multiple sensors or systems. Ideally, a COP must fuse sensor data and real-time location data in the same picture so security forces have a single view of the situation, and correlate sensors to provide intelligence before an event occurs. In reality, these capabilities are often provided in adjacent systems that lack the automation required to improve response. Thus, a true COP remains a dream that has not been fully realized. While there are many obstacles to a COP, technology exists that can overcome them.
Open systems also enable what is called a Common Relevant Operational Picture (CROP) or a User Defined Operational Picture (UDOP). While some individuals use these terms interchangeably, there are some key differentiators between the two. A CROP is a rules-based picture of the operating environment that presents data in a way that is relational to the user or the environment.
This promotes inter-agency and cross jurisdictional information sharing by giving each user access to the information that they need based on their security clearances and organizational needs. A UDOP is very similar to a CROP in that the user can set up access permissions in advance, and build them into the rules. However, a UDOP uniquely empowers users with a more customized and focused view by providing the ability to turn on and off features and views and presenting a drill down capability for greater data access.
Multiple factors have contributed to problems in building a workable COP. These include technical, organizational, and cultural factors. Although agencies at all levels are quickly addressing the organizational and cultural issues, these challenges are deeply ingrained and may take years to fully resolve. However, solutions to the technical factors are within our reach and in many cases, when correctly implemented, they can help resolve organizational issues. In a domestic security environment, an affordable solution requires commercial systems based on best public safety practices and open standards that promote interoperability.
Cost is likely the largest factor in delivering a solution that meets core requirements. Few out-of-the-box solutions support the complex requirements of providing security domain awareness. At the same time, built-on-demand solutions are expensive to develop and maintain. They are often proprietary and require considerable investment to make system changes over time. These problems can be mitigated through configurable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems. Such systems deliver a framework that contains basic functionality, standard interfaces, and tools for rapid configuration that provide a shortcut to system development. Updates to the system are mostly resolved within routine product maintenance, which reduces the cost over the long run. Configurable COTS builds in the flexibility needed to support all requirements while reducing costs over the system's life cycle.
Homeland security is largely a domestic issue. Although the military has responsibility in defending the homeland, public safety agencies from the federal to local levels participate in the response. A security COP must be interoperable with the tools and processes these agencies use. Too often, military command and control systems have been used for COP capabilities with little or no consideration of domestic first responders. Incorporation of or interoperability with first responder tools and systems ensures that the COP provides a view of both military and first responder environments.
For example, the incorporation of public safety computer-aided dispatch is critical to achieving awareness of incidents and resources on the local level. Best-of-breed dispatch systems include geospatial data and work on the concept of queued incident response. Instead of seeing a busy list of activities, dispatchers receive queued events that require their response. When this principle has been applied to video or sensor input, it has increased the speed of detection and response while reducing false positives and the cost of responding to them. The queued events and single computer interface also help improve ergonomics and eliminate the stovepipes created by having to monitor multiple alarm panels and displays.
The ability to interoperate with many systems is a requirement for any security system, and directly contributes to cost and interagency cooperation. A true COP must support standards such as the National Incident Management System (NIMS). A COP that also incorporates technology standards can achieve this by providing a communications framework for multiple agencies. Standards developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Association of Public Safety Communications Officers (APCO), the Department of Energy, and industry leaders such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Adobe provide the framework for open, network-based capabilities.
Many commercially available systems use open standards for geospatial data, sensors, and interfaces to other systems, including APCO 36, APCO 25, Global Justice XML (GJXML), Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL), SensorNet, OGC, and HSPD 12. By integrating data and data feeds at the enterprise level, a COP is possible without the time or level of investment past systems have required.
Interoperability can help to solve many organizational issues and reduce costs. Typically, different agencies or departments own different parts of responding to an emergency. This has resulted in different, often inconsistent, systems to support their processes. An interoperable COP allows multiple departments to share information, creating greater operational effectiveness in managing major incidents. In the long turn, this reduces costs that often result from maintaining disparate systems and platforms across many years.
It is relatively easy to control which services can be accessed by individual users, allowing the COP to be adjusted by user requirements, such as security or level of detail. This makes the system scalable to the individual data requirements of multiple agencies and jurisdictions. For example, national or regional operation centers may normally require only status information or key points of contact for a specific area, but they may need drill down capabilities when they hit the ground. A hospital will need to limit access to some data to protect privacy, and access to some military information may require a security clearance. A true CROP or UDOP must be able to adjust to these requirements while still delivering robust performance.
While many obstacles remain in building a COP, technical solutions already exist to automate detection and response. Additionally, best practices and standards are in place to improve processes and enable interoperability. All we need to do is embrace them. With partners that also accept these technologies and standards, we can start fulfilling the vision of a COP today while providing the best strategy for future growth.
