Federal Protective Service Recognized in 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

The new automated Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report (TAR), developed in conjunction between Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service (FPS), is a revolutionary, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) based threat assessment process that significantly enhances understanding of vulnerability and threat assessments, as well as the optimization of countermeasure recommendations.
The automated Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report (TAR), developed in conjunction between Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service (FPS), is a revolutionary, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) based threat assessment process that significantly enhances understanding of vulnerability and threat assessments, as well as the optimization of countermeasure recommendations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Protective Service, a recognized agency in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is pleased to announce the agency has once again been recognized.

The Federal Protection Service’s new Threat Assessment Report (TAR), has been selected as the Platinum Award Winner for Best Big Data Analytics Solution, in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

The newly developed automated Threat Assessment Report (TAR) is a revolutionary, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) based threat assessment process that significantly enhances understanding of vulnerability and threat assessments, as well as the optimization of countermeasure recommendations.

Developed in conjunction between Argonne National Laboratory, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service (FPS), the automated TAR is a new threat and vulnerability assessment framework that has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community.

The FPS Automated TAR is a new threat and vulnerability assessment framework which has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community.
The FPS Automated TAR is a new threat and vulnerability assessment framework which has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community.

The new process uses hundreds of data points, including facility-specific information; historical threat-incident data; and external, open-source data (e.g., census and income information).

The data inform a set of over 250 factors guiding the determination of a federal facility’s most likely threats.

Using structured interviews with Argonne’s and FPS’s subject-matter experts, the team assigned threat-specific relative importance scores to each factor and created a “likelihood score” using a weighted aggregation of the scores.

Using an unsupervised ML classification method, TAR is able to identify “most likely” threats to each federal facility.

If you are one of the 1.4 million people that visit any of the 9,000 federal facilities each day, the Federal Protective Service is there to keep you safe.
As the police force of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) is responsible for protecting Federal Facilities, their occupants, and visitors, ensuring a safe environment in which federal agencies can conduct their business. FPS does this by investigating threats posed against over 9,000 federal facilities nationwide.

Using the library of existing threat assessments, the team validated the results and generated a structured, threat assessment dataset.

Moving forward, this comprehensive dataset will be used to identify most likely threats using supervised ML classification methods.

Using both machine and human intelligence, the team will continually update the algorithm to account for additional factors and the evolving threat landscape.

The end state is a threat assessment framework that provides an objective, defensible, and repeatable way to identify threats, eliminating the use of a pre-determined formula and the subjectivity and possible biases of an inspector.

The threat assessment results then inform the design of optimal countermeasure and mitigation recommendations in order to minimize federal facilities’ vulnerabilities given constraints on available resources.

FPS in Collaboration with the ANL Win Platinum in Second Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Awards

Representatives of the Federal Protective Services, the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accepting the Labs's 2019 'ASTORS' Award at the 'ASTORS' Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.
Representatives of the Federal Protective Services, the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accepting the Labs’s 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Award at the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon held during ISC East.

  • Best Big Data Analytics Solution

  • Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report

  • The Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report (TAR) is an automated, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) new threat and vulnerability assessment framework that has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community. 

  • The Federal Protective Police was also recognized in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards.

2019 'ASTORS' Awards Program Banquet Luncheon
2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program Banquet Luncheon

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.

The ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William (Bill) Bratton, former police commissioner of the NYPD twice, the BPD, and former chief of the LAPD, on the history of policing in America and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Why the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?

2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Luncheon at ISC East

American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’

Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included: 

  • The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
  • United States Marine Corps
  • The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
  • Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
  • United States Postal Inspection Service
  • DHS S&T 
  • United States Marshals Service (USMS)
  • The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police (PAPD)
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
  • United States Border Patrol
  • AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.
AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.

The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

American Security Today

These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, Be on the lookout for the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.

The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually in December and includes a review of programs, feature details on many of the winning firms, video interviews and more.

To learn about advertising opportunities with American Security Today, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

To learn more, please visit the DHS Federal Protective Service at https://www.dhs.gov/topic/federal-protective-service.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

  • Provides named sources
  • Reported by more than one notable outlet
  • Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos

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