Security solutions

An Executive Interview with Optosecurity Inc.

EU Infrastructure asks Eric Bergeron, President and CEO of Optosecurity, about the challenges of critical infrastructure checkpoints and what makes his company unique.

EUINF. Please tell us a little about the company and its unique technology.
EB. Optosecurity was founded in 2003, as a technology spin-off from the Canadian Optics Institute – one of the world’s largest and most respected optical R&D labs. We’ve developed a very unique product, the OptoScreener, which connects to legacy checkpoint x-ray equipment to detect undesirable or dangerous liquids as well as weapons and weapon parts. The OptoScreener is very unique because it is the world’s only inline system – meaning it does not require additional or secondary screening processes to improve checkpoint security. Our solution is a decision support system that improves the probability of detecting threats, therefore increasing overall security.

The OptoScreener is a multidisciplinary solution, it can be deployed in both aviation security and critical infrastructure checkpoints, and our threat database can be customised to focus on specific threats for different locations.

In addition to our talented R&D and business teams, the company has a world-class board of directors, including our Chairman, the Honourable John Manley, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.

EUINF. What challenges do critical infrastructure checkpoints commonly face?
EB. We’ve identified three leading and universal challenges to critical infrastructure checkpoints. A significant challenge for security professionals is improving threat detection without disrupting or restricting the throughput at a checkpoint. An additional challenge is improving threat detection within budget and operational realities – frequently new solutions require major changes to the checkpoint, in-depth training or new skill sets for the screeners.

Finally, and most importantly, is the complexity and challenge of the sheer volume of prohibited items or threats. Consider the vast amount of information, screeners need to process on an hourly basis, yet ultimately, as human beings, they can only be expected to process so much information efficiently. Therefore, a key challenge is to improve the tactical decision making ability of the screeners and help them deal with the volume of possible threats, so they can improve the efficiency and consistency of threat detection at checkpoints.

EUINF. Why is the OptoScreener unique?
EB. The OptoScreener was specifically designed to resolve the current checkpoint challenges we’ve just discussed.

We improve the level of threat detection at checkpoints while maintaining throughput – we can do this because we are an ‘inline’ solution, which means we do not require additional or secondary processes we process data simultaneously with the host x-ray system. This is incredibly important at infrastructure deployments where you frequently have peak hour high volume throughput – for example shift changes at a nuclear power plant, or visiting day at a prison, or even security at public event, a concert at a stadium. The automated detection of liquid threats and weapons through material analysis and intelligent vision, occurs in real-time, and screeners are notified of any threats – this inline added intelligence maintains throughput, while increasing overall security .

The OptoScreener is designed to improve existing legacy systems, therefore we are an extremely budget friendly solution. Although our system is very sophisticated, it can be quickly field deployed to existing x-ray machines, and training of the screeners on the friendly user interface is very swift. We do not require changes to the infrastructure of checkpoint, nor to protocol or footprint - the system is mounted and connected directly onto the x-ray machine.

The volume and complexity of threats, not to mention how cleverly some threats can be disguised, are the ultimate challenges at the checkpoint. We support the principle that the most effective and valuable resource at the checkpoint is the security screener – but we believe they require additional tools to counter these complex threats.

The OptoScreener revolutionises the checkpoint because it provides the screener with additional, sophisticated decision-making tools to help improve the accuracy and the consistency of threat detection. Another major advantage is our threat database, which is customisable and dynamic – it can be updated remotely. In addition to weapon detection, Optosecurity is the only company in the world to offer an inline liquid threat detection system. All of these features bolster the overall performance and confidence of the screeners and allow them to effectively deal with the vast and complex list of prohibited items. It is truly a mission-critical enhancement for today’s checkpoints.

Eric Bergeron, President and CEO of Optosecurity Inc., has over 20 years of global international management experience in high-tech industries, including business development, sales, technology and finance. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) and was recently appointed member of the Canadian Government's Science, Technology and Innovation Council.