How to Improve and Strengthen Online Transaction Security

January 5, 2021

by Sonic Kuo with One Comment Post-Pandemic Topics Solutions

Less Time Outdoors Means More Time Online

While COVID-19 continues to spread, people continue to spend less time outdoors and are making fewer trips to shops in order to curb transmission. To circumvent outings, many have opted to conduct transactions online from home – things like online banking, mobile banking, and online shopping have all seen increases. There has been a 30-40% annual growth in people’s online transactions since the outbreak, which is significant in its wider implications.

Public health management awareness has increased due to COVID-19 and in order to reduce the number of outbreaks, banks have actively marketed digital access services such as more feature-rich online and mobile banking options. Multi-factor authentication instruments and systems in financial applications solve time & location restrictions and are also cashless. They can also help us avoid potentially dangerous contact and greatly increase the frequency of public use. However, this pandemic has changed life and our transactional patterns, causing some banks to focus on internet banking while closing some physical branches.

Online Transaction Security

As the public’s demand for online transactions has greatly increased, the importance of internet transaction security mechanisms has become more clear. Traditional verification mechanisms are still mainly based on password input, and are matched via mobile phone text messages or email dynamic password verification. However, the security of these users’ information is still at a very high risk of being cracked and obtained for misappropriation.

While fingerprints have been used as a type of multi-factor authentication, the hardware needed for transportable mass adoption is not available. Fortunately, there is another biometric technology available in our smartphones. Combining the camera and some edge AI software, we can use facial recognition as a secure and reliable second layer of authentication in order to access files, systems, or even make financial transactions.

Facial recognition used as a dynamic and secure form of verification treats each face as a unique access key password. Users can be effectively protected through using this unique biometric (their face) and a deep learning recognition engine. With FR-MOTP from Gorilla Technology, each time you need to access a system or make a transaction, your password is the first line of defense and your face is the second and more unique key to making secure transactions.

Considering the importance and frequency of the many online transactions we make, it’s apparent that multi-factor authentication should be used whenever possible. When facial recognition multi-factor authentication is used regularly, every transaction is made safe and the overall security level of digital transactions on the internet is improved.

New Disaster Shelters Use Edge AI to Manage Pandemics

November 13, 2020

by Kirin Lee with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics

As we all begin to live with the global aftermath of Covid-19, the challenge is in creating smarter and safer disaster shelters to alleviate the heavy loads put on hospitals when another infectious disease breaks out or when the next natural disaster occurs.

During any given season of the year, countries face the threat of natural disasters – typhoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Pain Points of Traditional Disaster Shelters

As Covid-19 has brought to light, creating and using impromptu shelters for disease control and prevention leaves much to be desired. Here are a few ways that traditional disaster shelters have failed in the wake of Covid-19 and taught us lessons about what we can improve upon:

Disaster shelters are typically set up in schools, gyms, public halls or community centers with little or no patient-to-patient or doctor-to-patient separation.
They require a large number of front-line staff to manage everything on the ground.
Due to the urgency in accommodating large numbers of victims in these places, these makeshift indoor spaces are often overcrowded and utilized as much as possible.

Due to the situations above, an unexpected and innumerable amount of group infections occurred when the first wave of Covid-19 hit. Because of that, however, we can learn how to improve on the idea of how a disaster shelter should be created.

New Disaster Shelter Criteria

In countries like Taiwan and Japan where natural disasters occur frequently, governments have come up with guidelines for new kinds of disaster shelters. For example, the Office of the Cabinet of Japan has formulated the following criteria for the creation of these new disaster shelters:

Prepare more sites in advance for disaster shelters in order to reroute much of the affected population.
To avoid gathering in large crowds, it is recommended that affected people seek refuge at the homes of relatives or friends.
All people entering the disaster shelter must be physically examined.
Disaster shelters should focus on maintaining good ventilation.
Disaster shelters must provide dedicated spaces for people with fevers or other symptoms, and provide a dedicated bathroom to people with abnormal health symptoms if possible.

In the past and under normal conditions, the government advocated that these items be strictly followed. Yet these key guidelines are quite difficult to maintain in an emergency situation.

Edge AI Solutions in New Disaster Shelters

There are many governments and local authorities in countries that are paying attention to how AI technology can be used in shelters in areas at high risk for natural disasters. For example, using an access control system with contactless temperature detection combined with facial recognition technology can record body temperature and personal data when anyone enters the shelter. That data can then be linked to a specific face identity. Because the system is contactless, it can help avoid transmission between the front-line staff and the admitted person because the device replaces the front-line staff with technology.

Furthermore, physical methods have been used to block people from associating with one another. This is achieved by creating spaces separated by plastic or cardboard dividers. Video analytics can be used to confirm the number of people in each area is within limits. Using AI identification along with personnel management can work together to efficiently strengthen protocols and efficiency.

In addition, mask detection video analytics can be used to identify whether or not an entrant is actually wearing a mask. This cuts the common reliance on staff to check at entry and exit points, thus again reducing the need for front-line staff.

Loss or theft of relief supplies for disaster shelters is often a problem. It’s impossible to allocate people to monitor these materials 24/7. If there are non-staff wandering around the storage area, video analytics can alert the proper personnel and warn them to take necessary action.

Finally, in case an infected person does enter a shelter, focusing on contact tracing methods to effectively locate all the people they have interacted with to prevent further spread of the disease is important as well. Carrying out effective contact tracing, quarantines, and similar measures can benefit from technology and is being closely watched by governments and local administrations.

Transforming the Traditional with Edge AI

Covid-19 is a pandemic the likes of which the world has never seen and transforming traditional shelters into a more intelligent disaster refuge is an issue that all governments must address. Gorilla’s edge AI technology is leveraged in creating a variety of post-pandemic solutions that governments and countries can adopt. In the future, Gorilla Technology will continue to produce the most advanced video analytics and will continue to develop products that contribute to society.

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Digital Transformation in the Age of Covid-19

October 26, 2020

by Gorilla Technology with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics Technology

Only 16% of companies in the world highly depend on digital technologies to run their businesses, while the rest are hybrid-digital and non-digital models.[i] The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that and has forced companies to finally embrace digital transformation.

Digital transformation is the process whereby businesses adopt new technologies and fundamentally change the way they deliver services to customers. Namely, digital transformation is how enterprises integrate digital technologies into business operations.

Because of the lockdown policies and work-from-home guidelines from Covid-19, many workforces have had to shift their operations to the digital world in order to maintain stability/profitability. This unprecedented and unpredictable crisis has shown the world just how important technologies are to modern businesses. Enterprises now have to rethink their digital transformation strategies and the pace with which to roll them out.

But the barriers for companies to rapidly overhaul their business environments are many. No clear strategies and budget shortfalls are the two biggest challenges most companies face. Yet many businesses are taking the leap since the pandemic leaves them no other options.

Levi’s is an example of a company that has successfully reduced losses by accelerating their digital transformation. They automated most of their logistical processes, deployed an omni-channel e-commerce and delivery system, and invested heavily in data and artificial intelligence, thereby keeping them afloat. By strengthening their connection between digital technologies and operations has been beneficial for both customers and employees.

It’s not just retail—factories, hospitals and governments can also take an advantage of transforming digitally. To embrace a data-driven future, the following technologies are the key trends which we’re already seeing help people adapt to the new normal:

During this challenging time, companies should stay open to digital transformation. Not only the pandemic but also the development of Edge AI/computing are pushing companies to speed up their plan of digital transformation. Gorilla who has specialized in edge computing can really help organizations easily transition and make operations smoother in the long-run.

Click here to learn more about Gorilla’s post-pandemic solutions: https://www.gorilla-technology.com/IVAR/Post-Pandemic-Area-Management

[i] Harvard Business review

https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/microsoft/Competingin2020.pdf

5 Ways Video Analytics Can Help Manage Covid-19

September 16, 2020

by Mike Wang with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics Solutions

Since the pandemic began, wearing face masks and social distancing have been used as preventive guidelines for individuals, organizations, and governments to follow. Many governments have gone so far as to make those guidelines into mandates and laws.

Whether guidelines or laws, it’s still the responsibility of society to maintain these and make sure a second wave of the pandemic does not accelerate out of control. But how can organizations or governments monitor or even execute these rules with limited human resources and no smart methodologies on hand?

We recommend intelligent video analytics — AI technology interpreting IP video sources. Preventive measures like mask wearing and social distancing guidelines can be easily monitored as well as executed. Below are five examples of intelligent video analytics from Gorilla Technology and their use cases that can help you make a proactive difference in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic:

1. Facial Recognition

Employing no-touch access control reduces physical contact with devices and people, which can drastically reduce transmission of the virus.

2. Mask/No-Mask & Eyewear Facial Recognition

Mask guidelines and mandates are in effect to some degree all over the world and leveraging edge AI to assist in enforcing these regulations decreases required manpower and increases efficacy in areas where personal protective equipment is required.

3. Crowd Detection with Occupancy Analysis

As social distancing is part of the new normal, people counting and crowd detection can help keep transmission risks to a minimum.

4. Crowd Detection

Once offices reopen, management can ensure break rooms and other gathering spots remain safe and not overcrowded with edge AI zone capacity alerts.

5. Heatmap and People Counting

Good air quality in high foot traffic areas is important and heatmap & people counting analytics can empower HVAC systems to circulate air appropriately to keep infection risks low.

We firmly believe in and see the benefits of implementing intelligent video analytics that can adapt to many situations — it saves time, money, and makes it easier to quickly solve new and unforeseen challenges, like what we are experiencing now with Covid-19.

For more info about this topic, refer to our solutions on Post-Pandemic Area Management. Also, if you’d like a deeper dive on the technology or specific cases, our whitepapers offer more details.

Minimizing Network Security Risks While Working from Home

August 11, 2020

by Thomas Lai with One Comment Post-Pandemic Topics Solutions Technology

WFH is Here - Probably for Good

More companies are transitioning from working at the office to working from home — it’s a fact. What started as a short-term workaround in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, just might turn into a long-term or even permanent change as more workers get used to the freedoms and slashed commute times that working from home affords.

Employees are not the only ones benefiting from this new normal of more employees working from home, companies are reaping rewards like lower overhead and increased productivity from employees.

Network Security Risks Involved in WFH

In the transition from the office to a home environment , laptops are now a major security risk to companies. Previously, most PCs and laptops rarely left company grounds. So, even if a device was misplaced, the chance of an outsider gaining access to the device, and thereby the entire network, was slim. Employees using laptops out of the office creates a high probability that a non-employee will have physical access to these off-site devices (and in turn, network access). In order to mitigate this security issue, two-factor authorization (2FA) can be used.

2FA with Facial Recognition

With Gorilla’s FR-MOTP (Facial Recognition – Mobile One-Time Password), companies can secure and control employee laptop access by allowing only designated employees to access specific laptops. FR-MOTP works by having the employee use facial recognition on their mobile device to obtain a one-time password in order to unlock their Windows laptop. After installing the app on the device and the software on the laptop, the employee can quickly obtain a password and gain access to their laptop in two steps.

Open the app and use facial recognition to display a temporary, one-time password to use on the company laptop.
Enter the password from the app into the laptop along with the employee’s Windows login.

With facial recognition included in the 2FA process, even if an outsider obtains the Windows login info and the user’s mobile phone, they will be unable to log into the laptop because they won’t have access to the employee’s face.

Post-Pandemic Area Solutions like FR-MOTP deployed by enterprises and other operations can ensure that everyone involved can stay safe while being as productive as possible.

For further reading, our recently published whitepapers are recommended as an insightful starting point. If you’d prefer to talk to someone about solutions like what was outlined above, please contact Gorilla.

Post-Pandemic Situational Monitoring with Big Data

August 11, 2020

by Mark Tsai with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics

The period of lockdowns around the world is coming to an end. It is inevitable that business and operations need to reopen for economic survival. However, the possibility of new waves of the virus after re-opening is an issue that requires close monitoring.

Balancing Economic Activities and Epidemic Control

The answer to this problem is actively sought out by various government agencies. From gradual re-openings within borders, to the conditional re-openings at borders (such as travel bubbles), these policies and measures are already starting to be implemented in many areas.

The most important supporting measure after a lockdown – apart from wearing masks, social distancing, and frequent hand-washing – should be epidemic surveillance. This means monitoring those in home quarantines and self-isolation. For example, once a confirmed case is discovered, the history of who they came in contact with needs to be determined in the shortest time possible. Once those potentially infected people are discovered, monitoring them and possibly enforcing home quarantine and self-isolation is a high priority.

When monitoring is not automated, the staffing required will be massive and it may not be possible to execute quickly. A failure like this could cause a large-scale community-based spread of the virus that cannot be traced, which would then lead to the city needing to return to lockdowns yet again.

Considering automated monitoring, it can be applied via the deployment and use of post-pandemic area management solutions like big data analysis. From monitoring home quarantines and whether the monitoring device of a quarantined person strays from its designated location, to understanding the previous movements of a newly diagnosed person – automated big data analysis can be applied to identify possible connections quickly, accurately, and efficiently.

The monitoring devices used for quarantine and self-isolation are IoT devices that can report back to the big data platform at set times. Once an irregular report from the IoT device is recorded, the big data platform can immediately issue an alarm to notify personnel.

Understanding Contact History with Big Data

To accurately understand the contact history of a newly diagnosed person, data from multiple sources is required. For example, the logs from a telecommunication company’s cell tower, check-in/out times from locations using ID verification, CCTV recordings, credit card spending history, etc. would all be utilized in contact tracing. These data can ultimately be analyzed to find possible contacts with location/time crossovers.

For integrating heterogeneous data from multiple sources, Gorilla’s big data analysis platform provides real-time event notifications and space–time analysis functionality, making it an optimal solution for contact tracing.

Contact us to learn more about post-pandemic area management solutions like our big data platform. If you’d like to read more in-depth on the topic, please check out the whitepaper we recently published here: https://www.gorilla-technology.com/Edge-AI/whitepapers

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Post-Pandemic Workplace Wellness & Intelligent Building Automation Systems

August 10, 2020

by Jefferson Chu with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics

The Pandemic

The world was caught unprepared for Covid-19 and its profound consequences on public health and the economy. In just the first six months following its discovery, the highly contagious virus was able to infect over ten million people globally, and has been responsible for at least half of a million deaths around the world in as much time.

Since the outbreak, the pursuit of workplace wellness has dramatically accelerated. Workplace wellness encompasses the physical health and safety of its employees, also how they can successfully perform their jobs and how they interact with one another.

Workforce Vulnerabilities

Most jobs (office, engineering, construction, government, etc..) can be broken down into daily tasks that have at least some element of human interaction – this may act as a channel for the virus to spread. Jobs that involve these tasks not only expose employees to risk of infection, they can also increase the spread of the virus by acting as a distribution network for it.

The challenge is in reformatting these jobs to keep our workforce healthy and productive. Checking temperatures at entrances, maintaining social distancing during working hours, assisting health professionals with contact tracing – these are just a few examples of what offices will need to do in order to reopen safely.

Enhancing Building Automated Systems with Edge AI

Edge AI driven video analytics from Gorilla provide reliable solutions to slow the spread of the virus. Integrating and deploying facial recognition access control, attendance systems, and smart parking solutions with current building automation systems to automatically monitor compliance in many ways are now possible. To name a few:

Performing screening for fevers and masks at entrances and other key zones.
Using crowd detection in cafeterias and break rooms to ensure proper social distancing is followed.
Assisting health authorities with link analysis & contact tracing when positive cases come to light.

Post-Pandemic Area Management solutions from Gorilla can also help maintain public safety and order – something that will prove to be a challenge as lockdown measures result in closed businesses and greater economic hardship for many people.

Gorilla’s offerings of behavior analytics, intrusion detection, loitering detection, direction violation detection, fighting detection — these can all help minimize the prospect of looting, vandalism, robberies. Gorilla is reaching out to assist law enforcement in preserving public order during this trying time.

While the health crisis is far from over and the full impact of the virus and global lockdown is still to be seen, we know we will get through this. We will return to our workplaces as they are re-tooled into safer and smarter environments – and Gorilla will help get us there.

Improving Public Spaces at Transportation Hubs with Digital Transformation

August 4, 2020

by Silvia Kuo with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics

As cities and borders find ways to reopen, students, business people, and travelers are preparing to travel and catch up for time lost. However, we can’t ignore the risk of another outbreak before a vaccine is discovered. Airports, train stations, and metro stations are critical areas as we expect massive foot traffic. This article will look into how video analytics can assist people in getting adjusted to the new norms.

Staff at transportation hubs are not able to respond promptly to people not wearing their masks if there’s congestion or a long queue at the counter – if they even get noticed at all. Traditional CCTV systems can’t deliver actionable events. By utilizing the video source on site and implementing Gorilla post-pandemic area management solutions, we become capable of assisting transportation operators in keeping the area safe by ensuring passengers are wearing masks and are not gathering or getting jammed together in large groups in one area.

Common Challenges Facing Transportation Operations

Train cars, platforms, station halls, ticket booths and check-in counters – these are the areas where we expect congestion taking place when borders reopen. With a lack of human resources and an influx of heavy traffic, we won’t get clear visuals when a space becomes overcrowded. We have to rely on past experiences most of the time. Motion sensors are known as a common way to monitor how many people enter or exit. Unfortunately, with the lack of visual input, we can only rely on the number statistics sent by the motion sensor. However, with crowd detection video analytics, we can clearly tell which area is crowded and where we should send staff to assist in dealing with the queue in a timely manner. Gorilla’s post-pandemic area management solution offers an all-in-one solution in response to the current situation.

To adapt to the new normal, passengers in most areas are requested to wear a mask when taking mass transportation. It has become a must. In some countries, they have strictly advised their people to have their masks on throughout the entire journey. While at the turnstiles in stations and other hubs, it’s challenging for staff to monitor multiple lanes of passengers for masks. Gorilla’s mask detection solution is able to monitor if passengers are wearing masks before entering the facility. The intelligent video analytics does the detailed and challenging work of examining dozens of gates from different entrances/exits.

Post-Pandemic Digital Transformations Are The New Normal

Intelligent video analytics maximizes the use of video footage on-site. By running real-time video analytics, meaningful insight and action can be defined by users. Our post-pandemic area management solutions enhance workplace efficiency in many places – transportation hubs included – and assist in minimizing health risks for staff. For a more in-depth look, you should read the whitepaper we recently published regarding post-pandemic area management solutions.

Gorilla has built up a strong community and connection with global partners in many fields, e.g. system integrators, managed service providers, and hardware makers. We collaborate to find out the challenges our customers face, offer virtual training for certified partners, and deliver actionable end-to-end solutions.

A Tense Encounter at the Grocery Store

July 15, 2020

by Winnie Vinton with No Comment Post-Pandemic Topics

Any parent will understand that your kids are at home with you all day and every day. Every chore and every errand you have to run, your child is with you – there are no schools and no childcare available. This includes errands like grocery runs.

Last Wednesday morning, I geared up to go to the grocery store with my child. Masks? Check. Sanitizing wipes? Check. Hand sanitizer? Check. Snacks for cranky kiddo? Check. We got to the store and I noticed there wasn’t a security guard standing outside to ensure everyone abided by the ‘no face mask, no entry’ rule. I figured it would be ok because the store looked pretty empty – I had strategically chosen the morning to conduct this task because this shop is usually slow before lunch.

We entered the store, I grabbed a shopping cart and wiped it down with an alcohol wipe before putting my child in it – then went about my shopping.

Once I completed our shopping, we got in the checkout line and stood on the strip of red tape six feet behind the shopper ahead of us to follow the store’s social distancing policy – there was another strip six feet behind me, and so on.

There were only two of the ten cashier lines open, which is normal for mornings. Yet as I looked at the impulse buys in front of the register, the line behind us grew. My strategic plan of going shopping in the morning to avoid a crowd was crumbling.

I turned from looking at gum and noticed that the man behind us wasn’t wearing a mask and was mumbling to himself. Visibly agitated, he was muttering profanities about the slightly longer wait and had moved to within whispering distance of me. Did he even notice the red tape?! I think all parents, everyone for that matter, can imagine the fear and panic snowballing in the pit of my stomach as I hovered closer and closer to my child – hoping to shield her from harm with my body. Enough was enough.

At that point, I took a breath from through my mask, turned, and firmly told the man behind us that we’re all in this together and he should kindly withdraw to the red strip of tape six feet behind us and offered him an extra mask I had packed. He momentarily balked at my comment, but then begrudgingly took the mask and moved back to the strip of red tape. We got home without further incident, but it got me thinking – was that whole episode really necessary?

Since I work for an edge AI and computer vision company, I know there are better ways to manage and control situations such as the one I experienced. Firstly, deploying mask detection at store entrances can avoid the issue of not having security personnel on duty. If the store wants to invest further, they can include crowd density detection throughout the store as well as at the checkout. Computer vision is quick to implement. It isn’t complicated and there is no breach in privacy. In any case, if it can help protect my child without me having to step in and confront an agitated stranger, I really don’t mind a little bit of surveillance.

As an active member of the community, I do my civic duty whenever I can. I hope grocers and other retail shops will do the same by implementing extra measures to protect their shoppers.

To read more, click on what interests you below:

Post-Pandemic Area Management

Video Analytics

Edge AI

Whitepapers

The Woes of the Modern-Day Air Traveler – Could Facial Recognition Bring Back Some Measure of Joy?

June 8, 2020

by Justin Boothe with One Comment Post-Pandemic Topics Solutions

Remember years ago when travel used to be enjoyable? Friends and family could come inside and have lunch with you before your departure or meeting you at the gate as you stepped off the plane. Security wasn’t so picky as to what you could bring in your overnight bag. Plenty of non-stop routes. Lots of seating room on airlines? Remember when? I do. That’s how it was when I began my career in biometrics nearly 25 years ago.

Well, as we all know, the events that took place on 9/11 changed air travel forever. The last 19 years have been plagued by rules and regulations just to get inside security. Don’t get me started on trying to find a place to grab a quick lunch where you can actually sit down and eat. The airports are packed with people from all of the connections, you’re lucky to find a counter to lean on. Airlines now cram as many seats into one airplane as possible to maximize revenues using fewer planes which also means fewer direct routes. More connections, more security. The list goes on and on. Let’s face it, the fun has been taken out of air travel.

Now ring in the new year. Its 2020, air travel is simply a necessary evil of today’s global workforce. Then Covid-19 hits and the world realized that the 300,000+ flights daily from all over the world are helping to spread the disease like wildfire.

So – what are the CDC and industry leaders talking about now to further protect air travel? Mask wearing is being instituted by airlines around the globe. Some airports are also calling for it, handing out masks to travelers that forgot theirs at home. It seems we’ll be required masks from the time we step into the airport, till the time we leave the airport in the destination city. How will you have an enjoyable meal wearing a mask? How will you feel after breathing your own air all day? Imagine meetings with a customer or vendor in an airport wearing a mask? I’m annoyed just thinking about it. Then there is the potential for temperature screenings which no doubt will make the lines even longer.

The question on my mind is, could facial recognition bring back some convenience to air travel? What if you could check in using just your face? Go through security using your face without passing documents and germs back and forth? Could you use your face as your boarding pass to eliminate people fumbling with the screen brightness on their phones or for the old-fashioned sort who use paper passes, losing them in their luggage. For this to become a reality, facial recognition with mask detection will be required.

Many airlines have been thinking about how to make opt-in programs for frequent travelers to provide perks beyond what is available today as just another number. What if the gate agent could hold the door a little longer because they knew a diamond member was moments away? What about the many airline lounges welcoming you by name as they recognize you walking by? Could other services be brought to you if the store or restaurant knew you were nearby? Using facial recognition with mask detection – the possibilities are as broad as our imagination.

Given all of the inconveniences in today’s air travel, would you opt in with your face to make your day a little brighter? It’s all about personalization or picking the frequent traveler out of the crowd to offer special services that haven’t been previously available. It’s time facial recognition becomes a reality for those that want some relief from the modern-day inconvenience.

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Posts tagged: Covid-19