Gs4 Security: Airport Security Game

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Airport Security Game

Can mathematical modelling and game theory be used to make airport security less predictable to aggressors? Teamcore,a US research team working with the TSA and Los Angeles Airport,is working to prove that it can. Chris Lo talks to Teamcore principal investigator Professor Milind Tambe to find out more.Securing airports is a mighty challenge for any security agency.Complex security layers have to be stacked,like a Russian doll,from an airport's outermost perimeter to the inner sanctum of its boarding gates to identify,analyse and remove potential threats.As such,even with the most stringent measures in place,airport security organisations have to deal with a perpetual challenge:with the ability to observe and study an airport's security layers,the ball is always in the court of terrorists and other security threats.The staff and systems that safeguard the world's airports simply have to be ready to react if and when an attack comes.