For many criminals the mask could be off, with facial recognition technology developing at a rapid pace. A few years ago, facial recognition sounded like pure science fiction but not anymore.
In this blog post, Mercury Security & Facilities Management’s CEO, Frank Cullen, discusses the future of security in facial recognition.
While keys, codes, fobs and ID cards are all very reliable security solutions, facial recognition as a form of access control to unlock entrances adds a further dimension to security. This form of access control is made possible through Artificial Intelligence and CCTV. The system scans visitor’s faces and only ever allows entrance when it is confident that the facial features match the authorised personnel. The main advantage of this is that it can not be intercepted and since the AI system is constantly learning, it becomes faster and more reliable with increased use.
Facial recognition has come on leaps and bounds with new types of facial recognition systems that will help the Police identify the criminals committing a crime and secure successful prosecutions. The reason for this is that the new facial recognition systems don’t rely on traditional methods. Rather, they focus on a person’s thermal signature to determine who they are and instead of requiring light to function, this new system can function in total darkness. For years the one thing that caused issues for any modern facial recognition software was terrible lighting.
However, in terms of identifying criminals mid-criminal activity, many may think the solution to identification is as simple as wearing a mask. In the near future, this may not be enough. Facial recognition technology is well under development. For example, one facial recognition software has become much more accurate and can read faces wearing sunglasses, faces turned away from the camera and is set to recognise faces wearing masks. This is not good news for the criminals who go about their daily business of wreaking havoc on hard working people.
As recognised experts in the field of CCTV technology, remote monitoring, systems specification and installation to NSI Gold standards, Mercury Security & Facilities Management are very excited to be looking at new CCTV technology for facial recognition which may help identify those committing a crime even though their faces are covered. Going forward, this new technology will be remotely monitored by the Mercury NSI Gold Accredited & Approved Command & Control Monitoring Centre who will be able to identify people wearing facial disguises during criminal acts.
Who knows – sooner or later, you may not be able to hide in the dark!
Let us know your thoughts on facial recognition technology. Is it something you would incorporate into your security solution? Or is it best left to science fiction?