Resilience of Cyber-Physical System: A Case Study of Safe School Environment

Modern critical infrastructure includes a combination of computational and physical components, known as cyber-physical system (CPS). Often, urban built infrastructures represent a critical node within the intertwined networks of an urban area. Current school environment are examples of Cuss including automatic access controls (AACs), guidance and alarm systems (GASs), digital clocks, heat and motion identification sensors, and remolding spaces such as classrooms. A safe school environment can be created using parallel methods such as preventive, proactive and readiness for reactive resilience. Espoo City is constructing a new school campus Opinmäki and Laurea University of Applied Sciences acts as a safety and security consultant within the project. This paper focuses on needs for improved understanding of school security solutions, mainly covering readiness for reactive methods of security. The paper presents two technical security solutions: 1) technical control and reporting emergency incident and 2) design of security room. AAC tags can be identification cards, wristbands, necklaces, and others. The person who has a tag can be identified. These persons can be teachers, staff, students or someone who need access. This solution allows an access in building facilities to only identified authorize people. Students can move around without tags during the day in the public area that is not locked, like most of the classrooms or they have identification cards to get access to labs and other facilities. Children in the daycare wear a special wristband that helps identifying them, enhancing cost savings with automating routine operations. The heat and air conditioning systems can automatically set correct working level when system identifies a number of people in the building. AAC is linked to video surveillance working in public areas and entrances. Video surveillance being used for two purposes: 1) in crisis situations recordings can be explored and hand over to the police, 2) to count the number of people in the variable areas. Normally classes are not monitored as teachers have control on accessing student spaces. However, there can be provision of class monitoring on major events or bigger classes. During off-hours, all the safety measures are active, and all persons should have their identification cards and all movements in school will be registered in the system. Doors cannot be opened when the video surveillance system detects more than one person tries to enter in 'only one person' at a time entrance. Analyzing software counts the number of people that enter or leave the area. Camera must be positioned almost perpendicular on top of the doorway. Another option is to install thermal cameras in every room, to count the exact number of people in a room. This technology does not reveal the identity of people in the room, hence nobody's privacy will be compromised. The school has heat and movement sensors installed in every room's roof structures. Sensors can identify the number of people in every room. Digital clocks being used for dual capabilities exist in all rooms. In the normal situation, they display time, but within problematic situation they show the alarm code. Alarms can be set automatically or manually. Manual setting has addition feature of identifying problematic space. The alarm shows various codes for alerting people to hide or leave the room, also alerts about required help in the space. The alarm is displayed in all spaces, classrooms and corridors of the problem situation. The alarm system can be monitored and controlled from the safety room and from each teacher's desk using touch-screen computer. The system can be used also by the specific application that is installed to a laptop computer and mobile phones. The software will be planned as simple and user friendly. Security aspects must be taken in to account when designing the software. There must be specialized security applications to ensure a safe and automatic control of the school. Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) is used when checking the information security management process when designing the software. In imminent threats, teachers press the alarm button under the table. This kind of alarm will be activated immediately. In emergencies, use of the exit is controlled by emergency escape lighting technology and voice control. The school should build in such a way that it is easy to exit compare to entering access. Leaving from indoors must be easy and accessible. There are addition benefits of lighting technology including alerting, escorting and rescuing from dangers. Another part of the technical monitoring is a security room concept. The room should be very safe in emergencies, and you can monitor and control security from there. The security room can be accessed and reached only by limited staff members such as set teachers and the janitor. It is protected using layered security so that staff can work and control any dangers without any fear. The security room also functions as the control center for surveillance and live stream cameras in real-time security measures. The security room can be useful for many other security controls like door locks, access controls and treatment area.