What are the new security applications in colleges and universities?

Colleges and universities have unique security needs. Because campuses are always busy, it’s essential to have a watchful eye surveilling common areas at all times. Since budgets for security personnel are frequently stretched, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras are being used successfully to alert security teams of unusual behaviour proactively. This might include loitering in areas prone to vandalism at certain hours or doors being propped open for extended periods. New on-site learning analytics for AI-enabled cameras allow security teams to track and notify operators about unique objects of importance, such as shuttle buses or vehicles with the university logo. The latest applications integrate access control and video surveillance systems to create a more comprehensive awareness of safe student and staff movement. Mass notification systems that send alerts via text and email are also being integrated to inform staff and students of important events that warrant attention.

I’m seeing two advances in technology that are unlocking new applications for security technology in college and university markets: mobile credentials and wireless locks. One customer I spoke with shared how his university is working on creating a universal mobile credential for his students, specifically, a mobile NFC credential using Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Students love mobile credentials because they already carry their phones with them everywhere—they don’t need to keep track of an additional keycard or fob that they might leave behind or lose. Physical security administrators love mobile credentials because they’re secure, sustainable, convenient, and less likely to get lost. Customers taking part in Verkada’s mobile NFC beta program tell me they are excited about the benefits that mobile credentials will bring to their organisation. Additionally, colleges and universities are excited by the prospect of using new wireless lock technology to upgrade student residence doors from physical lock and key to digital access control. When held responsible for a physical key, students frequently lose those keys or leave them inside a locked room. Wireless locks provide a convenient and cost-effective way to bring the significant advantages of digital access control—including instant credential management and remote unlock capabilities—to student housing.

AI is undoubtedly familiar to higher education from which the discipline began. As Neil deGrasse Tyson said on Late Night TV, "It wasn't until AI started writing terms papers that the world took notice.” The importance of investing in AI now is not to be underestimated. In physical security, top concerns on college campuses range from weapons detection to crowd control, facial recognition, licence plate recognition (LPR), and the like. AI-driven, deep learning software can replace traditional solutions to provide more affordable, upgradeable, robust, and flexible solutions for a diverse set of campus challenges. For example, facial recognition can be used for building access control, alerting authorities to bad actors entering the campus and intercepting them before they can cause harm. Video analytics can also make every camera on campus a licence plate recognition (LPR) camera. By leveraging dwell alerts, security can be notified of a potential protest or even prevent illegal access to restricted areas. For on-campus events, video analytics can streamline operations by making stadium entry and exit times shorter, more efficient, and safer. Video analytics can save thousands of hours of investigative time, convert video into invaluable data, all while also helping campuses run more efficiently, safer, and while providing engaging college experiences.

With a duty of care to students, valuable equipment everywhere, and sensitive personal data to safeguard, the education sector presents a complex security challenge. Getting access management right is critical. Digitalising access with mobile technology – and devices that everyone is already carrying, remember – offers a straightforward, cost-effective step up from mechanical locks and keys. Digitalisation also has a positive impact on operational efficiency. With real-time mobile management, facility managers monitor openings at any time and from anywhere. They can unlock doors remotely or implement an emergency lockdown, for example, including from their smartphone if they are off-site. Because wireless digital devices powered by batteries or energy-harvesting technology can reliably equip almost any opening, everything from busy entrances and perimeter gates to server racks, drawers and cupboards can be integrated into a single, efficient digital access system. For example, the Openow app for SMARTair digital access systems offers several features that simplify the management of staff, students and visitors at a college or university. Security managers administer mobile digital credentials over the air, from anywhere. By issuing mobile keys ahead of time and allowing students to activate them on demand, security staff are freed from their desks. In addition, students are much less likely to lose their phones than a plastic card or badge. 

The practice of swatting, or falsely reporting a threat or incident, has plagued educational institutions across the country over the past few years, making false alarm fatigue a very real phenomenon. Advanced gunshot detection technologies can not only automatically detect an actual gunshot, but also autonomously notify emergency response personnel. This offers 911 personnel a solution to swatting by presenting operators with real-time evidence of an active shooter incident. This increases confidence and situational awareness for first responders when approaching an active shooter situation, as the sensors can also pinpoint the location of the gunshot and the direction of a shooter, in the event of multiple shots fired. These systems can also trigger other security assets like video surveillance and mass notification systems – for a more holistic picture for those responding to an active shooter event.

Colleges and universities are massive operations, and for those employing a Security Operations Centre (SOC), a major pain point can be managing alarms. These organisations receive large volumes of alarm notifications daily, making it difficult for operators to triage, manage, and escalate alarms in a timely manner. In a critical situation, this lost time can negatively impact the safety of students and staff on campus. Additionally, many campuses rely on multiple disparate systems to triage, manage, and investigate alarms which slows down operations and creates room for error. One of the newest applications of security technology in this space is through automation. This enables the even distribution of alarms across SOC staff through one centralised platform, ensuring no one individual is overly burdened with alarm triage and management. This not only reduces the workload and prevents operators from becoming overwhelmed, but also increases the speed with which alarms are dealt with and improves execution accuracy. In times of heightened error, like staff turnover or breaks, this new technology ensures high-priority alarms are redistributed among staff, even if a previous operator marks the alarm as acknowledged, ensuring alarms are not missed or overlooked.

Modern schools and campus environments require accessible, scalable, and flexible technology solutions to ensure security and safety. Cloud-based video surveillance services enable educational facilities to manage cameras, control access, and efficiently utilise video analytics while scaling on demand. The cloud also provides centralised, remote video management, leveraging existing video and Internet of Things (IoT) investments to reduce capital expenditures and hardware deployments. Additionally, cloud services automate upgrades and maintenance, freeing IT teams to focus on more critical tasks. The growing interest in AI is noteworthy due to its ability to enhance school security efforts. AI-powered automated threat detection and alarms for potentially dangerous situations are also valuable features. Educators should evaluate the benefits AI can bring to their campuses. When combined with the cloud, AI adds even more value and flexibility to deployments.

Where higher education facilities face a diverse set of security challenges day-to-day, the implementation of advanced access control systems can enhance campus security – both during and outside of term-time. Modern access control unifies security by employing different applications under one system, with contemporary functions ranging from high-definition video surveillance and visitor management systems to mobile safety apps and biometric identification. With identification and access rights tracked, in some cases, mass notification systems can be connected to a facility’s access control system, whereby a breach in security will trigger warnings to students and staff who may be on-site, helping to assure information is delivered quickly and egress is swift. Aside from protecting students, staff and visitors, many modern access control solutions can also assist in another key area, cybersecurity. With sensitive data and personal information often stored on-site at college and university facilities, access control can strengthen an institute’s cybersecurity by authorising access levels to verified users and restricting areas when it needs to.

In the college and university markets, the latest applications of access control revolve around three key features: scalability, integration, and usability. As educational requirements evolve, so do university security needs, and access control systems must adapt accordingly to offer scalable features that can be upgraded or expanded in the future to accommodate changing demands. Additionally, integrating cloud-based access control systems with other security measures, such as video surveillance and intruder alarms, significantly enhances their value and makes these systems a practical, versatile asset to the university's overall security posture. Cloud-based systems also come with a heightened level of customisation, making them more usable and accessible for operators managing secured sites.

The recent uptick in demonstrations and encampments on college and university campuses puts pressure on the safety department to keep everyone safe. In addition to increased tensions among the university population, they also draw crowds of people unaffiliated with the university. At this time, it is critical that all security measures in place work as expected and that officers can be efficient with their time. Today, there exists AI-based software that can automatically identify outages both in the network and with the surveillance system’s ability to produce evidence of incidents. This relieves officers both of a burden and of unpleasant surprises at a time when they are relying so heavily on their security system to perform.

For some time, colleges and universities have benefitted from a range of developments in the wider security market, including AI-driven threat detection, integrated access control and biometric authentication, and advanced surveillance technology. Now, we see a demand for fibre optic intrusion detection, which is particularly useful in this environment, as it can be used to detect unauthorised access along wider perimeters in real-time. Public safety and the need to safeguard vulnerable individuals is such a widespread issue as we’ve seen in recent years and these institutions are recognising the importance of detecting such threats earlier and enacting a swift response. Beyond this, smart building technology is also becoming increasingly prevalent, enhancing environmental monitoring and response capabilities, while visitor management systems ensure campus safety through digital check-ins and pre-registration.

Colleges and Universities are both drivers and recipients of security product development due to the all-encompassing ecosystem that’s inherent on campus environments. Campuses often have dedicated police departments that utilise security products for traditional needs, and they’ve enhanced their ability to be proactive rather than reactive by using analytics for things like weapons detection. Additionally, campuses have arenas and event spaces where line queuing analysis can lead to better venue experiences, and mass communication techniques can mitigate dangerous events. Campus environments have retail applications as well in the form of bookstores, coffee shops, or cafeterias, and side-by-side transaction data along with corresponding video can reduce or prevent losses. Higher education environments can, and do, pick up the very best from other vertical use cases and can layer on new technologies that become available to provide safety and operational efficiencies.