AVERT®: A Tool for Evaluating Your Security System's Vulnerability.
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The Automated Vulnerability Evaluation for Risks of Terrorism (AVERT) software tool is the premier tool for analyzing your facility's security posture in order to quantitatively understand vulnerabilities and evaluate the effectiveness of existing and proposed countermeasures. It helps users develop optimal security solutions within budget and security constraints.
Applications
- Airports
- Chemical & Petrochemical Facilities
- Military Bases
- Seaports
- Embassies
- Nuclear Facilities
- Sports Arenas
- Municipal Rail/Mass Transit
- Homeland Security Sites
- Government Buildings
Benefits of the AVERT Software
Fast and easy facility model development
AVERT's intuitive user interface helps users quickly create and view realistic 3-D site models based on satellite imagery and/or imported GIS data. Models include locations and characteristics of terrains, natural and manmade barriers, sensors and guards. In contrast to other technologies, users do not need to create complex logic models that significantly abstract the physical world. While a logic model framework can be very rigid and only approachable by subject matter experts and analysts, AVERT allows for the rapid development of detailed site models that are easily recognizable and transparent to analysts, force protection personnel, facility management and stakeholders.
An AVERT model developed from CAD/GIS data (click image to enlarge)
 
An AVERT model developed from satellite imagery
A Detailed AVERT Model in 3-D Display (click image to enlarge)
Consistent, end-to-end analysis of complex sites and scenarios
Whereas traditional vulnerability analyses rely on subjective judgment and checklists, the AVERT Software applies probabilistic algorithms and Monte Carlo analysis to identify and quantify security vulnerabilities. The result: consistent, objective, quantitative analysis of your security.
The AVERT Software simulates user-defined attacks against the site to determine worst case paths one or more intruders might take to specific targets. For each path, the AVERT Software estimates the intruders probability of detection, interruption, neutralization, and success. Users can compare the results of multiple possible defensive postures effectiveness to understand the best ways to improve security.
AVERT can consider multiple intruders and targets, diversionary tactics, insider threats, standoff weapons use, force-on-force combat, and more, plotting the most vulnerable paths onto the site map for easy understanding of vulnerabilities. AVERT uses a holistic approach to help users understand and prioritize all of a site's vulnerabilities and see how to most effectively improve security. It can also help users understand the ramifications of proposed security changes especially those that traditional methods would miss.
Visual and Concise Results
AVERT predicts which attack pathway an adversary should follow to achieve their objectives. These pathways are overlayed on the 3D graphical site model. With intuitive controls, the user can manually move along these pathways to see the site vulnerabilities from the adversary, guard or birds-eye perspective, or play back a resluts movie from one or more viewing perspectives.
 
Sample Adversary Paths (click either image to enlarge)
For each of the vulnerability pathways, AVERT provides straightforward summary statistics on the effectiveness of your security system:
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Detection Probability (Pd)
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Interruption Probability (Pi)
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Neutralization Probability (Pn)
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System Effectiveness Probability (Pe)
Additionally, very detailed quantitative results are provided for a step-by-step assessment of security.
Sample AVERT Results Histograms (click image to enlarge)
Prioritize security spending and upgrades
AVERT quantifies the effectiveness of existing and proposed security measures and equipment. The resulting reports facilitate quantitative cost-benefit analysis to help decision makers understand the value of each security resource and find the highest value security solutions within budget and security requirements.
Easily update and compare security models
Updating and comparing models is easy with the AVERT Software. Rather than starting from scratch each time security postures change, users can quickly update models and run them against the same threat scenarios. The AVERT Software's objective and quantitative results can then be benchmarked and continuously tracked over time.
ARES' AVERT® Training and Vulnerability Assessment Services
ARES Corporation provides a complete range of training opportunities on the use of the AVERT tool. The training curriculum includes:
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History, Logic, and objectives of AVERT
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Hands-on development of custom 3-D site models from photos and GIS data import
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Population of Library data with human, weapon, detector, and barrier capabilities
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Placement of guards, detectors, barriers, and targets onto the site model
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Set-up and simulation of adversary attack scenarios
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Optimization of defense with specified budget limits
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Review and interpretation of simulation results
A 2-day AVERT training course is available for basic users, while a 5-day modelers course is also available.
The Risk and Technology Solutions Group of ARES Corporation regularly provides security consultation services using the AVERT tool. AVERT enables ARES to assess the vulnerability of government and commercial airports, ports, facilities, and complexes to terrorist attack and damage by various weapons means and attack paths. Please contact us for examples of where AVERT-related security services have been provided.
Features
AVERT 4.0
The release of AVERT 4.0 has further enhanced the capabilities of this already powerful tool. Some of the features and enhancements include:
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Automated path finding AVERT has multiple ways of analyzing adversary strategies when attacking a site. Adversaries utilize these strategies, categorized as Force, Hide, and Evade, to determine the most optimal pathways for attacking the site. In AVERT, adversary attack strategies can include fastest paths, least detection paths, and threshold paths. Additionally, AVERT enables such strategies to be compared to each other to ensure robust protection from adversary attack.
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Combat model In addition to standard Lanchester combat models, AVERT also features a sophisticated ballistics-based combat algorithm.
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Moving and multiple targets AVERT can model complex penetrations that attack multiple targets or targets that move, such as a vehicle transporting materials through hostile territory. Additionally, this improved treatment of targets encompasses potential diversionary or insider tactics during an attack.
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Security optimization Optimization automates some kinds of "what-if" analysis, such as determining the best use of a fixed budget or determining the cost of achieving a specific security system effectiveness. This cost-benefit optimization provides the decision-makers a defensible basis from which to address the often competing factors of security and the cost of the resources necessary to provide that security.
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Data management and integrity AVERT has enhanced tracking controls of input data. This is highlighted by the ability to rigorously track all changes to the data while providing key identifying information, such as the user who made the change along with the corresponding date and time.
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Improved Visualization This improvement adds textures and lighting to the 3-D models which are already a part of AVERT’s graphical user interface. Modelers can visualize the brick surfaces of a building, the gravel drive leading up to it, and the razor coil and chain link fence surrounding it. Features such as lamp posts with localized lighting can also be added to the model to increase realism. Depending on the time of day and the source of lighting depicted in the model, they will see the shadows cast by structures that could provide additional cover for an adversary’s approach.
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Multi-processor Support To take advantage of new computers which have dual or quad-core processors, AVERT will now take advantage of multi-processors for increased speed of simulations for very large or complex models.
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Playback for Outbriefs After a run, pick any simulation and replay it. All of the agents will move across the map, showing exactly what happened on that run. The playback can be captured in a movie and used with PowerPoint presentations for outbriefing of assessment results.
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Fly Through Pick any agent or sensor, or several of them, and watch a simulation from their point of view. Like playbacks, this animation can be captured in a movie and used in outbrief presentations.
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Agents Move in Incremental Steps Previously agents moved from node center to node center. This change allows them to move in smaller, time-based increments along the path, better representing the way people and vehicles move in real life, and decreasing the run time for most models.
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GIS Importer The user interface for import of Geographic Information System data has been completely revamped to create a simpler and more intuitive approach for using GIS files in the creation of a 3-D site model.
Additional core features
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Graphical User Interface
- Visualize facilities and defenses from top, side and 3D perspective views
- Zoom, rotate, and pan tools for detailed work
- Point-and-click model editing
- Playback movies of results
Model Tactics and Procedures
- Define guard patrol paths, response procedures, combat capabilities, and performance characteristics
- Define intruder performance characteristics, combat capabilities, available vehicles, equipment, and standoff weapons.
- Define assessment and sensor delays
- Model insider threats
- Model diversionary tactics
- Model multiple target/multiple intruder scenarios
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DoD-validated Performance Data
- Select from a customizable library of DoD-validated performance values for terrains, barriers, actors, and tools
- Easily create new terrains, barriers, actors and tools
Model Site Features
- Define terrains, defensive barriers, sensors and their locations
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System Requirements
System Requirements - Minimum
- 1GHz (or equivalent) processor
- 1 GB system memory
- 3 GB hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0-compatible video card, 128 MB video memory
- 1280 x 1024 Screen Resolution
- 3-button mouse with scroll wheel
- Sun Microsystems Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6
Recommended System
- 3GHz (or equivalent) processor
- 4 GB system memory or more
- 10 GB hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.1-compatible video card, 512 MB video memory
- 1280 x 1024 Screen Resolution
- 3-button mouse with scroll wheel
- Sun Microsystems Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6
Notes
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Automated Vulnerability Evaluation for Risks of Terrorism, The Guardian, Joint Chiefs of Staff J-34, August 2006.
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Technical support for current AVERT users is available through the support site.
To schedule an AVERT demonstration, please email us at avert@arescorporation.com or call us at (505) 272-7102. For further information, you can Contact us or use our online Feedback Form with AVERT Software & Services selected in the subject line.
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