CIO Bulletin

Actuate helps organizations be more secure—in the face of high risk, budget limitations and privacy concerns

The threat surface in modern enterprise environments is massive, and it’s continuing to grow rapidly. This means that analyzing and improving an organization’s security posture needs more than mere human intervention. AI and machine learning are now becoming essential to security, as these technologies are capable of swiftly analyzing millions of data sets and tracking down a wide variety of threats — from malware menaces to shady behavior. These technologies continually learn and improve, drawing data from past experiences and present to pinpoint new varieties of attacks that can occur today or tomorrow. At Actuate, the goal is to keep people safe in any environment, without compromising privacy. Actuate builds threat detection systems using computer vision software and artificial intelligence, turning any security camera into a smart camera. Actuate aims to accelerate security response time and improve safety outcomes during crisis scenarios while giving organizations the ability to protect against more daily concerns like theft, overcrowding, and loitering. Actuate Co-Founder Sonny Tai’s passion for prevention comes from his upbringing in South Africa, where family friends were part of the country’s high gun violence statistics. As the gun violence epidemic has swelled here in the U.S., Sonny’s background as a Marine Corps Captain led him to create Actuate. By sourcing key feedback from major stakeholders—law enforcement, educators, other veterans—Sonny and Actuate’s team understood that early, real-time threat information would help achieve Actuate’s vision of a safer, more intelligent future. Actuate works with educational institutions of all types to provide their communities with improved security and peace of mind. Actuate’s technology turns any existing security camera into an intruder and gun-detecting smart camera, enabling instant, real-time responses to trespassing and brandished weapons. The system increases school administrations’ ability to react to threats without adding a visible layer of security, which could discomfort students.

Consider an AI Integration with Actuate

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the U.S. is largely open for business and organizations have been welcoming employees back to the office as part of a hybrid model. But after such a turbulent 18 months, this return to a new normal comes with an uptick in violence and physical threats that are top of mind for security decision-makers, according to a new report commissioned by the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence. With the manned guarding services market expected to reach $220 Billion by 2024, clearly many organizations are opting for traditional methods of security. However, manned guarding may not be the best one-size-fits-all approach to security. One of the biggest barriers to manned guarding is the cost. It’s a dangerous job performed by a qualified individual, and as such, organizations on average pay $36,000 a year for every guard employed. Larger organizations will need to hire dozens of guards to effectively secure buildings and facilities, so the annual payroll expenses quickly add up. Although few technologies can replicate human intuition and reasoning, there are physical limitations to what humans can do. Guards can only be in one place at a time, doing one thing at a time. It’s possible for guards to become distracted or otherwise preoccupied when a security breach occurs. Or a crime could be taking place at multiple areas of a property at one given time. In these cases, it’s very possible that a guard will miss the issue and won’t be able to respond accordingly in time to prevent a crime or safety incident. For companies with multiple large sites, scaling up security guard teams to ensure adequate coverage is necessary but also extremely costly. With so many manned security challenges, the question remains: what can businesses do to improve their physical security? For those looking for an easily scalable solution, remote video monitoring might be the most viable option.

Is Remote Video Monitoring the Solution?

Thanks to advancements in computer vision technology and broad acceptance of connected devices to enhance security, AI-based remote guarding solutions have emerged that effectively prevent crime and improve organizations’ security posture. While manned guards are still important to ensure the safety and security of people and property, remote guarding solutions complement human efforts and greatly enhance organizations’ security postures. With the latest advancements in AI and computer vision technology, remote guarding ensures fewer false positives; fewer missed threats and can greatly reduce security costs for organizations, while also alleviating the burden on law enforcement. Actuate’s remote guarding solutions are backed by industry-leading AI software developed by former Microsoft and Amazon engineers and reduce over 95% of false positives.

Sonny Tai, Co-Founder & CEO