Computing Reviews
Today's Issue Hot Topics Search Browse Recommended My Account Log In
Review Help
Search
Recent advances in computational intelligence in defense and security
Abielmona R., Falcon R., Zincir-Heywood N., Abbass H., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2015. 752 pp. Type: Book (978-3-319264-48-6)
Date Reviewed: Jul 29 2016

While it is obvious that computational problems in defense and security are some of the most crucial in existence, involving the lives and homes of people across the world, it’s also true that they are some of the most difficult. Datasets are typically wide open, a priori information may be sparse or changing, the numbers of variables are large, and required decision times are often short. This volume aims to offer an introduction to today’s state of the art in the application of computational intelligence (CI) to such problems.

The book consists of 26 chapters in five parts: “Physical Security and Surveillance,” “Cyber Security and Intrusion Detection,” “Biometric Security and Authentication,” “Situational Awareness and Threat Assessment,” and “Strategic/Mission Planning and Resource Management.” The lead authors have done a good job of organization and selection; though the wide range of topics to be addressed limits the connections between chapters, the feel of the book is that of well-thought-out coverage of CI in defense. I found the chapters to be readable, at sufficient depth, and generally well referenced.

As an example from the “Physical Security and Surveillance” section, one chapter describes the use of kernel and deep learning (restricted Boltzmann machine) methods for identifying IEDs from vehicle-mounted cameras. This well-written chapter describes the fundamentals and key terms of the problem, lists the learning algorithms used, and presents comparative testing; the high quality of the work is characteristic of most of the book. Other chapters on physical security involve infrastructure protection, radar signal analysis, and a more abstract treatment of decision modeling, all using current CI techniques. A section on biometrics contains work on haptic analysis of signatures, a neuro-fuzzy approach for biometric identification, an efficient method of solving certain optimization problems, and a very good chapter describing biometric encryption of electronic travel documents. One of the most important works in the entire book proposes a framework for assessing risk in authentication machines (biometric kiosks and the like). An excellent, and likely popular, section treats the application of CI to cyber security. Chapters describe machine learning of network traffic characteristics, intrusion detection, software assessment and hardening using CI, and a benchmark study of active learning of network traffic.

The preface to the book asserts that it should be read not only by a technical audience, but also by policy makers and leaders. This especially applies to the final two sections of the work: “Situational Awareness and Threat Assessment” and “Strategic/Mission Planning and Resource Management.” While most chapters contain technical detail that readers new to CI will likely skip over, the capabilities and promise of the technology is well conveyed. For example, the chapter on the application of game theory to maritime privacy patrolling is approachable and describes the problem domain well, then briefly presents a formulation as a game with defined rules and payoffs. Similarly, the chapter on helicopter component lifetime estimation using CI begins with a basic description of the problem and definition of terms, before moving on to the methodology and learning.

The book is large (over 750 pages), but so is the benefit of applying CI to defense and security applications. It’s difficult to present complex technical findings in a way that readers unfamiliar with CI details, or the problem space, will find helpful: the majority of the chapters in this book have achieved this. I recommend the book to readers in the security and defense field, as well as CI practitioners interested in these critical application areas.

Reviewer:  Creed Jones Review #: CR144647 (1611-0789)
Bookmark and Share
  Reviewer Selected
 
 
Applications And Expert Systems (I.2.1 )
 
 
Military (J.7 ... )
 
 
Security and Protection (K.6.5 )
 
 
Computers In Other Systems (J.7 )
 
Would you recommend this review?
yes
no
Other reviews under "Applications And Expert Systems": Date
Control structures in expert systems
Laurent J. Technology and Science of Informatics 3(3): 147-162, 1984. Type: Article
May 1 1985
Knowledge-based expert systems
Hayes-Roth F. Computer 17(10): 263-273, 1984. Type: Article
Jun 1 1985
Expert systems and fuzzy systems
Negoita C., Benjamin-Cummings Publ. Co., Inc., Redwood City, CA, 1985. Type: Book (9789780805368406)
Aug 1 1985
more...

E-Mail This Printer-Friendly
Send Your Comments
Contact Us
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.   Copyright 1999-2024 ThinkLoud®
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy