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Ivy League University Adds Analytics System to Campus Security Program

By AMAG Technology Director of Strategic Accounts, Nicole Palumbo

Government Agent is Tracking Fugitive with Her Computer in Big Monitoring Room Full of Computers with Animated Screens.

One of America’s top Ivy League universities is committed to improving the world through outstanding research and education. Its large campus is home to over 16,000 students, 4,700+ faculty, 450 buildings, and nuclear and biological research facilities, including laboratories conducting COVID-19 research.

Monitoring and knowing if the right people are entering and exiting the research facilities is one of the university’s biggest challenges. The team must also be able to identify if items are stolen or if sensitive equipment is removed without proper approvals. The university added AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Business Intelligence to its security program.

Symmetry Business Intelligence strengthened the university’s security program by using its existing Symmetry Access Control data via a risk score methodology to identify individuals who demonstrate anomalous behavior. Symmetry Business Intelligence enables the security team to define sensitivity settings around people, specific locations and times of the day and night. The tool collects the data, generates a rating based on the activity compiled determining if it is an anomalous event and displays it in a report for the security team to evaluate and action if necessary.

The security team runs a daily Symmetry Business Intelligence report and continuously communicates with the area owners of those facilities to flag and investigate anomalous behavior. Using Artificial Intelligence, as the system captures transaction data over time it becomes smarter. With 800,000 daily access card transactions, Symmetry Business Intelligence will help the university reduce thefts and improve campus safety overall.

How it Works

A risk score is associated with the location (reader), the person (cardholder) and the day and time. The system shows outputs of activity sorted by the score to identify risky or suspicious behavior on campus. Symmetry Business Intelligence shows why it made that determination, which provides more information for the security team to take action if necessary and to make better decisions in the future.

Security Challenges

• Need to track anomalous behavior in nuclear and biological research facilities and all sensitive areas.
• Electronic and physical theft on campus.
• The previous tool did not provide sufficient data and analytics to improve the security of sensitive information and equipment.
• Changes in government regulations required additional safety precautions be deployed.

Solution is Symmetry Business Intelligence

• Set risk scores around people, locations, and areas and times with Symmetry Business Intelligence.
• Provides data for police investigations and complements the public safety department.
• Ingests transaction data over time providing better results the longer it is used.
• Maintains a record of students who have tried to return to the dorms when they were closed, and identifies buildings that may need extra sanitizing due to people who gained access or tried to gain access.

Outstanding Results

• Flags individuals with abnormal behavior using a risk score methodology prompting the security team to take action.
• Helps prevent crime and investigations are completed quicker.
• Improved data collection over time helps the university make better decisions, improving campus security.
• Proper authorities can rectify situations where students attempted to gain unauthorized access, and additional sanitizing can be scheduled to remain compliant with government (COVID-19) regulations.

The analytics system demonstrates abnormal behavior on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis so the security team can investigate occurrences to prevent crime and ensure their people, property and assets are safe.

It helps identify weaknesses in the security system. Several areas of the university’s research facilities are highly regulated and require careful monitoring and protection. Symmetry Business Intelligence allows the school to establish sensitivity settings around people, locations and dates and times of these critical locations. If someone tries to enter a sensitive location during unusual times, Symmetry Business Intelligence alerts the security team in a report.

Adding an analytics system gives the Ivy League university an edge to identify areas where suspicious activity is occurring and help prevent crime on campus.

About Nicole Palumbo

With 12+ years of security industry experience, Nicole currently manages key and strategic accounts at AMAG Technology.  At AMAG, Nicole focuses on end-user success and national dealer growth.

Nicole began her career in the security industry at DVTEL (now FLIR) as inside sales operations and was an integral part of the forward-facing sales team that interfaced with new and existing customers.  Following her seven years at DVTEL, Nicole ran the sales division of FST Biometrics where she developed and presented sales and marketing material of their frictionless access control.