AI Revolutionizes Perimeter Security: A New Era of Protection

Why Perimeter Security Matters More Than You Think

Think of your organization’s perimeter as the first line of defense, the gatekeeper that stands between you and potential threats. A strong perimeter isn’t just about keeping the bad guys out; it’s about creating a safe and controlled environment for everyone inside.

“Perimeter security … is about setting clear boundaries and protecting everything inside – the people, the property, the assets. A good perimeter doesn’t just keep people out; it also helps you manage and control who comes in, guiding traffic to the right entry points where you can easily observe them,” explains Todd Dunning, Director of Product Management, Video Security and Analytics at Pelco.

And the impact of a visible, well-maintained perimeter can be surprisingly significant. “It’s amazing how much a visible and well-maintained perimeter can do,” he adds. “A strong fence, a well-placed gate, and visible security cameras all send a powerful message to potential intruders. In fact, there’s a statistic out of the UK that really drives this home – sites with no easy public access points are almost 15 percent less likely to be targeted, showing how much of a deterrent a strong perimeter can be.”

The Perimeter Security Problem: More Than Just Fences and Cameras

But let’s face it, keeping that perimeter secure isn’t always a walk in the park. One of the biggest headaches is the dreaded false alarm.

“Conventional motion detection systems generate 50,000+ false alarms per monitoring station daily. Even at 90 percent filtering efficiency, operators still face 5,000 false alerts to process,” says Albert Stepanyan, President and CEO of Scylla AI.

These false alarms aren’t just annoying; they can have a real impact on your bottom line. “Above all, costly false alarms are a major concern as they drain budgets, pull teams off real incidents, and create alarm fatigue,” notes Mats Thulin, Director of AI and Analytics Solutions at Axis Communications.

Even with video surveillance, security operators can easily become overwhelmed. “Security operators miss up to 45 percent of screen activity after just 12 minutes of monitoring, and 95 percent after 22 minutes. This creates dangerous security gaps during critical threat windows,” Scylla AI points out.

Dunning adds, “Observing complex sites in real-time is tougher than ever. With modern systems, you can cover a huge area with remote cameras, but someone still has to watch those feeds. On a large or complex site, an operator might be responsible for dozens of cameras and a host of other duties. It’s a lot to manage.”

AI: The Smart Solution for Smarter Perimeters

So, how do you overcome these challenges and make your perimeter security truly effective? Enter artificial intelligence.

“A big advancement we’re seeing is the ability for AI analytics to move beyond simple detection. It can now leverage site-specific information to provide actionable security insights. This isn’t just about spotting an event, but understanding its significance and helping teams continuously enhance their perimeter security and access operations,” says Dunning.

AI can also streamline access management by factoring in credentials and behavioral patterns, “This allows for smoother, more efficient facility access for authorized personnel without compromising existing security protocols.”

One of the most significant benefits of AI is its ability to drastically reduce false alarms. “Advanced edge processing helps on two fronts – the picture and the interpretation. Enhanced image processing cleans up noisy frames and handles low light and glare, which cuts nuisance triggers from foliage, reflections, and headlights. That gives analytics a cleaner picture to start with. Then AI-enhanced object classification distinguishes between people, vehicles, and animals, so teams get fewer false alarms, clearer priorities, and fewer needless callouts,” Thulin explains.

Stepanyan highlights his company’s solution, “Scylla’s ScyllaNet architecture delivers mean time-to-alert of 0.78 seconds – 5x faster than competing systems. Our proprietary AI achieves 99.9999903 percent specificity (tested over 287 hours with only 5 false positives), eliminating the noise that drowns operators in conventional systems,” he said.