 |
The CTO's Corner: Reaching New Vertical Heights with the Quantum Secure SAFE Suite
One question that is often asked regarding our technology: "Exactly how is it that the SAFE suite is so customizable for so many industries?" The answer lies not just in our modules or vertical domain expertise, but especially in the architecture of the Quantum Secure SAFE software.
When we set out to create the SAFE suite of software, we believed that the architecture should incorporate the following criteria:
- Design of SAFE components the based on service-oriented architecture (SOA)
- A robust integration layer that allows for the easy connectivity to disparate physical security & IT systems
- An easy-to-use workflow engine that enables customized policy creation and management with a visual-based, drag-and-drop interface
- Framework flexibility to achieve desired results without custom programming or additional systems integration work
- Commercially Off the Shelf (COTS) approach, not only to reduce costs, but also to allow physical security departments take advantage of emerging technologies
With these tenets in mind, the SAFE suite of software has quickly become the industry standard for integrated physical identity and access management. And at the very heart of this is the SAFE Platform.
The SAFE Platform enables organizations to connect diverse physical security devices and applications, as well as IT & HR systems so applications can communicate to each other via intelligent policy-based interchanges This approach brings a simple, yet standard way to automate physical security operations such as manage and monitor the data transfer, devices and applications. The fascinating thing about all the security technology is that it's always changing, and pace of change is only accelerating—hence SAFE Platform provides a stable platform for organizations to focus on security policies and avoid changing core systems every time new technology is introduced.
To achieve this, the SAFE Platform utilizes Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and eXtensible Markup Language (XML). SOA is an architectural concept in which all functions, or services, are defined using a description language and where their interfaces are discoverable by any other service. The interface is defined in a neutral manner that is independent of the hardware platform/vendor, even the operating system and the programming language in which the service is implemented.
One of the most important advantages of a SOA based approach is the ability to get away from the proprietary technology sold by most physical security vendors. Most vendors builds a proprietary system and hardware without complying with any industry standard or best practices. This "siloed" approach creates inefficient and costly situations for physical security managers when the same physical security process functionality is developed, deployed and maintained differently across multiple buildings.
The SAFE platform connects and mediates all communications and interactions between physical security systems, IT/HR applications systems and human interactions using SOA approach. Hence, SAFE provides most effective way to address complex integration challenges and is the technical solution that provides the greatest business flexibility and efficient connectivity between dissimilar applications.
SAFE platform's SOA approach ensures whatever format a message arrives in, it is always converted to a native-XML document after it is received. Similarly, if the recipient of a message cannot accept that document as XML, the SAFE Platform converts it into the format native to the target application (such as Access Control, Fire, HVAC, LDAP, background check, credentialing application such as OCSP or FIXs, etc).
Even though more and more applications understand XML documents, most physical security devices and applications do not. The SAFE Platform talks to a wide range of other proprietary devices and applications, and relies on a range of custom built SAFE agents and off-the-shelf adapters to make this possible.
The SAFE Platform also allows for the easy creation of policies, enabling for the easy creation of custom processes and the automation of manual efforts across the security organization. Identity management, zone creation and temporary card management are all aspects of our policy engine. Workflows can quickly be customized to meet the needs of a particular situation or vertical, creating a versatile tool that can be built for almost any application.
Additionally, our reporting engine contains pre-defined operational and historic reports, providing security practitioners with filtered reports and customized dashboards that can provide immediate insight into the health and efficiency of their security operations.
Leveraging SAFE Platform, SOA and XML, we have built an application specific to vertical markets such as healthcare, government, airports and ports, and universities. For example, SAFE for Airports solution solves many challenging credentialing and data interoperability problems for airport security and airport tenants, including TSA "no-fly" check, FBI criminal history checks, parking, tenant insurance, state and local government regulations, document management and individual airport worker biometrics. As we have worked with so many deployments across key vertical markets, we are able to provide industry-best practices for the unique security requirements of highly regulated and complex industries.
And if that is not enough for our customers? What if they need to deploy a solution that is even more customized to meet their needs? That is where the flexibility of the SAFE suite comes into play. With a drag-and-drop interface, security practitioners can create and modify their own policies, creating a vertically focused solution that is tailored to their exact organizational and vertical needs.