Acoustic Technology, Inc. (ATI Systems) proprietary system control software, MassAlert™ is designed to prevent intrusion and to secure the communication links to warning systems in the field, which includes Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), & modern Transport Layer Security (TLS), the successor to Secure Socket Layer (SSL), for protection of communication running over IP links such as Ethernet, fiber optics, Wi-Fi, or satellite.
An early-morning emergency alert warning of an incoming ballistic missile attack was dispatched to cellphones across Hawaii on January 13, 2018, setting off widespread panic.
It was later determined that the alert was a false alarm and resulted from human error.
(A false missile alert turned Hawaii upside down resulting in people crawled under tables in cafes, were ushered into military hangars and huddled around televisions to watch the news for the latest developments. Courtesy of CNN and YouTube. Posted on Jan 14, 2018)
To avoid such catastrophic errors, ATI’s MassAlert® software adopts a “two-point” validation concept.
ATI’s proprietary system control software, MassAlert™ is designed to prevent intrusion and to secure the communication links to warning systems in the field, which includes AES & modern TLS, the successor to SSL, for protection of communication running over IP links such as Ethernet, fiber optics, Wi-Fi, or satellite.
This design is to prevent accidental system activations by a single individual.
In practice, once one operator activates a system another operator is prompted to confirm system activation.
The second operator can be notified through various means including SMS, automated phone call, smartphone application, and others.
It is possible for a group of multiple persons to be prompted in case of system activation.
Any of these operators can respond to the request for confirmation of the alert.
In the event of a true emergency speed of notification is imperative.
Instead of depending on a single confirming operator, who may be unavailable, this option ensures an immediate response.
ATI’s sirens ensure that when an emergency management team sounds an all clear the message is heard by everyone affected.
Often cellphone networks will be overloaded by panicking people trying to reach their families to make sure they are safe.
In this situation, the use of traditional sirens is the best and most effective means of communication, and ATI Systems’ high-performance products are used by colleges and universities, cities and towns, ports, refineries, nuclear power plants, military bases and other homeland security locations to maintain the safety of their operations.
