Athena Security, Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

Athena Security, a physical security and threat detection company specialising in AI-powered weapons detection systems, announced today they are working with MLK Community Healthcare, a non-profit healthcare system in South L.A., to improve security measures at their hospital. MLK Community Healthcare is utilising Athena’s Apollo 500 Weapons Detection System, an Al-driven walk-through concealed weapon detection system designed for busy entrances, such as those at hospitals and healthcare facilities. “Everyone deserves to feel safe going to work every day. Likewise, patients and their loved ones should feel at ease when seeking care at their local healthcare facility," said Lisa Falzone, Athena Security co-founder and president. Threat detection company Lisa Falzone, Athena Security’s co-founder and president, said the device offers peace of mind to healthcare providers and patients alike at a time when violence in hospitals and other healthcare facilities is rising across the country. “Everyone deserves to feel safe going to work every day. Likewise, patients and their loved ones should feel at ease when seeking care at their local healthcare facility,” Falzone said. “By leveraging our expertise in the security space and utilising emerging technology like AI, we’ve created a weapons detection system platform that is potentially saving lives while creating less disruption in the day-to-day activities at healthcare facilities.” Automated weapon detection systems The move comes ahead of a new AB 2975 California law requiring hospitals and certain other healthcare facilities to have automated weapon detection systems at key entrances. “When it came time to comply with California’s AB 2975 workplace violence prevention requirements and implement a weapons detection solution, we conducted an extensive evaluation of the available systems. Athena’s Apollo 500 Healthcare Weapons Detection System stood out as the best overall value, combining effective weapons detection with the operational capabilities and healthcare-focused workflows our hospital needed,” said Trenton Jackson, Director of Public Safety and Support Services at MLK Community Healthcare. Weapons detection platform “Throughout the installation and testing process, Athena has been a responsive collaborator. They’ve worked with us every step of the way to ensure that the weapons detection platform technology works as it should and integrates smoothly into our hospital operations.” Athena Security’s Apollo 500 Weapons Detection System has already been shown to improve security measures at healthcare facilities. A recent case study at an Illinois-based healthcare system found that Athena’s product successfully detected more than 200 weapons at their hospitals in 2025 alone.

Athena Security, a provider of AI-enabled physical security solutions, announces its Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System. Powered by a new Ambulance Bay AI Agent, the system automates weapons screening for patients arriving via stretcher or wheelchair—removing the need for hand-wanding and closing one of healthcare’s most critical security gaps. “The ambulance bay has always been one of the hardest areas in healthcare to secure,” says Lisa Falzone, co-founder and President of Athena Security. “Security teams are forced to choose between speed and safety. With our new Ambulance Bay AI Agent, they no longer have to. Our system brings automation, precision, and accountability to a part of the hospital that has historically been left exposed.” Complex screening environment Hospital emergency departments face a uniquely complex screening environment. Patients often arrive unconscious or in distress, on fully metal gurneys, making traditional metal detectors ineffective and manual screening both time-consuming and inconsistent. Historically, hospitals have relied on handheld wands to screen patients—an approach that is inherently flawed. Because stretchers are entirely metal, wands frequently trigger false positives, requiring multiple passes over the body. In emergency situations, where seconds matter, this process is often rushed or skipped altogether. High-pressure medical environments Instead of stopping to manually scan a patient, staff can simply wheel the patient through the system, allowing the AI Agent to conduct a full-body scan in seconds—reducing screening time by up to 30–60 seconds per patient while improving accuracy and consistency. Key Features and Benefits of the Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System: Automated weapons detection (no hand-wanding required) - Eliminates reliance on manual screening and reduces human error Fast, frictionless screening - Full-body scan completed in seconds as patients are wheeled under the scanner Built for gurney-based screening - Accurately detects objects on patients lying on fully metal stretchers without interference RedBox location-based alerts - Pinpoints the exact location of potential threats on the body for rapid response Improved throughput - Reduces screening time by 30–60 seconds per patient, helping maintain speed of care Consistent, repeatable process- Removes variability caused by rushed or incomplete manual screening Unlike traditional systems, Athena’s Ambulance Bay WDS is purpose-built to operate in high-pressure medical environments, delivering reliable performance without slowing down emergency workflows. Urgency of emergency care “Our job is to detect and show exactly where the object is,” states Chris Ciabarra, co-founder and CTO of Athena Security. “From there, each hospital follows its own policies on how to handle the situation. But we eliminate the guesswork. You’re no longer relying on someone manually waving a wand and hoping they didn’t miss anything.” The Ambulance Bay AI Agent replaces the need for manual hand-wanding entirely—automating a process that has historically been inconsistent due to time constraints, human error, and the urgency of emergency care. Delivering improved speed Athena Security’s Ambulance Bay WDS combines real-time detection with image capture, incident logging, and documentation within a single, unified workflow. The system performs the scan, generates alerts, and automatically logs each event, delivering improved speed, accuracy, and accountability. It also includes seamless chain-of-custody tracking for confiscated items, ensuring that every screening event is fully documented, auditable, and supportive of both compliance and operational oversight. By transforming ambulance bay screening from a manual, inconsistent process into a fast, automated, AI-driven workflow, Athena Security is enabling hospitals to improve safety without slowing down care. The Ambulance Bay Weapons Detection System integrates seamlessly with Athena’s broader entryway security platform, including visitor management, weapons detection, and AI-assisted X-ray, delivering a unified approach to facility-wide security.

Athena Security announced that it will showcase its unified entryway security platform at ISC West, highlighting how an integrated Hospital Visitor management system and concealed weapons detection systems can work together to help hospitals, schools, and public venues strengthen entryway security while preparing for emerging legislative requirements such as California’s Assembly Bill 2975. Single coordinated platform As organisations face growing pressure to protect staff and visitors while maintaining smooth operations, Athena Security’s approach combines hospital Visitor Management Systems (VMS) with Concealed Weapons Detection System (WDS) into a single coordinated platform designed to identify both who is entering a facility and what they may be carrying before access is granted. “Security leaders don’t just need to know that a threat exists — they need to know who is entering their facility and what they may have with them now or in the past,” states Chris Ciabarra, co-founder and CTO of Athena Security. “When Hospital visitor management and concealed weapons detection work together as one platform, organisations gain visibility, speed, security, and control at the entryway. Others stop at detection, but that’s where we begin.” Integrated system features Athena’s integrated system allows organisations to verify a visitor’s identity, cross-check Person of Interest (POI) lists in real-time, screen for potential weapons, and automatically associate prior events with individuals inside a single platform. This unified approach streamlines the process, simplifies reporting, and improves response coordination without requiring security teams to manage multiple disconnected systems. Athena Security’s unified entryway platform is a response and solution for the new state mandates being issued, such as California Assembly Bill (AB 2975), which requires hospitals to deploy both technologies to protect staff and patients. By combining these capabilities within a single entryway system, Athena enables organisations to address compliance requirements while simplifying operations for already strained security budgets and teams. Athena Security’s unified entryway security platform is designed to help organisations: Verify visitor identity before facility entry Screen individuals for potential weapons using advanced detection technology Automatically associate screening events with visitor records Enable rapid investigation through centralised reporting Coordinate security responses, such as alerts or lockdown procedures Product showcase at ISC West Athena Security will demonstrate its integrated entryway security platform at ISC West Booth #8140, where attendees can experience how concealed weapons detection and hospital visitor management operate seamlessly to identify risks earlier, while at the same time, improving the flow of visitors entering sensitive facilities. ISC West attendees can ask an Athena team member about the VIP private preview of its two first-to-market AI agent technologies launching in April. Athena Security continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in intelligent security systems.

Six months can go by in the blink of an eye. In 2022, it almost seems as if it has. Here we are already at mid-year after what has been an eventful six months for the security marketplace. There is still a lot ahead in 2022 for the industry, and our Expert Panel Roundtable has been considering what the coming months might hold in terms of technology change. We asked this week’s panelists: What will likely be the most important technology development in the security marketplace in the second half of 2022?

IP cameras for video surveillance has been a trending topic amongst enterprises across the world due to rising concerns for security and safety. IP CCTV cameras are revolutionising security measures, and technology has evolved to allow for a more diverse security monitoring system through high resolution, larger digital storage options and compatibility for integrated analytical software. According to Global CCTV Market Forecast 2022, analysts expect the market for global CCTV to grow at a CAGR of around 11% during 2018-2022.  Clearly, a successful hack of an enterprise security camera system could lead to a range of implications. Amongst the main ones is unauthorised access to video and audio streams of data, as well as to the archive, violation of confidentiality, HIPPA, PII and potential leaks of personal and corporate information, possible copying, unauthorised distribution and duplication of such data. “Most Enterprise video surveillance systems are vulnerable to hackers. According to our studies, more than half of companies and organisations, both large and small, do not take sufficient precautions when it comes to preventing their security cameras from being hacked. Be it ignorance or just careless approach to security of their network in general, the results of hacking can be disastrous,” says Chris Ciabarra, the CTO and co-founder of Athena Security. With the increasing number of surveillance cameras installed in homes, offices and public places, hacking incidents related to these devices happen more and more often.  The ease of hacking surveillance cameras It’s not a secret that surveillance cameras, like many other Internet of things (IoT) devices, are full of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.  A hacker can find hundreds of potentially vulnerable IoT devices to hack into Cameras, just like all other devices connected to the Internet, have IP addresses that are easy to find using Shodan, a search engine for Internet-connected devices. With this simple tool, a hacker can find hundreds of potentially vulnerable IoT devices to hack into, including cameras, especially when most companies use default passwords.  The solution Below are basic recommendations on how to protect your camera network, and what actions you should take to minimise the chance of hacking. Change the default username and password  You should start by changing the default password and username of your camera network. Even though this may seem obvious, not everyone does it, practically leaving the door for hackers wide open.  Use a strong password that is hard to guess. When setting up the password use numbers, symbols, both uppercase and lowercase letters. Do not use simple and commonly used passwords, such as the ones in SplashData's list of 100 worst passwords of the year. Do not use the same password you are already using for other online accounts. According to a recent survey on data privacy conducted in May 2019, 13% of respondents with at least one online account say they use the same password for all their accounts. Using a password manager to generate a strong random password may be a good idea.  Update your camera firmware regularly Keeping cameras firmware up-to-date is very important as it allows you to prevent hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities and bugs that are already patched by manufacturers in a new firmware update.  Despite the fact that most modern cameras will automatically download and install firmware updates, some require the user to check for updates and install them.  Set up two-factor authentication  Set up the two-factor authentication if your cameras support it. With two-factor authentication on, the camera manufacturer will send you a randomly generated passcode via text message or phone call, as an addition to username and password, during each log in to the account. Two-factor authentication prevents hackers from accessing the camera system even if they were able to crack username and password.  Not all surveillance camera systems support two-factor authentication, though.  Technical recommendations Prevent cameras from sending information to third parties Companies that use surveillance cameras very often do not put enough effort into protecting their cameras and the data they transmit, despite the fact that this footage is of great importance to many people. The firmware of most cameras from different manufacturers is programmed in a way to keep a connection with the manufacturer’s server without knowledge of the end-user. Most users, both private and corporate, are not aware of this and therefore do not take any steps to protect themselves from this potential vulnerability, which could result in footage leak to a third party or a successful hacker attack. To prevent your camera network from transmitting, the following steps should be taken. Step 1: Statically assign an IP address Statically assign IP address for each camera, subnet mask and leave gateway blank or 127.0.0.1, if this is allowed in gateway fields to be entered. If the firmware does not allow blank or 127 subnets, just point gateway to an unused dedicated IP address.   This way, cameras will not be able to send the information off the local company network. Step 2: Assign DNS servers Assign DNS servers that are local to cameras and force only your domain to be present with zero forwarding DNS servers.  This way, if a camera tries to do name resolution, it will come up blank. Not being able to find the IP address of the main server (mother ship), cameras won’t be able to connect to it.    To stay safe you can order your own DNS servers, locked down to your addresses only. Block your camera network’s access to the Internet  Blocking your camera network’s access to the Internet is a good way to make sure hackers won’t be able to get access to the footage and other confidential data. Any dual-homed system touching your camera network should be blocked from Internet access. This way all systems in the same subnet won’t have access to the Internet from that box. Always use DNS because firewall rules tend to be easy to hack, while DNS that is internal is not expected and stops systems from resolving names you do not wish to be translated, like talking back to the mothership of a bad program.  Monitor your system for traffic spikes  One of the tricky things about hacker attacks is that there are no warnings. In most cases hackers would penetrate your system without any signs or symptoms of an attack, and it isn’t until you face consequences (like leaked footage or hackers manipulating cameras) when you realise something is wrong. It may be days or even months between the hacker attack and the time you realise the system has been compromised.  Monitoring dual-homed systems for bandwidth spikes could be a good way to spot a hack resulting in the leakage of confidential data like images or video. There are a number of traffic monitoring tools available to private and corporate users that can manage and sniff the network or just monitor them. Facial blur in archived footage  Blurring people’s faces when archiving in surveillance camera video streams is a great tool, allowing you to comply with privacy laws and make the footage useless to hackers even if they manage to successfully hack your system. These recommendations will allow you to lower the risk of hackers breaking into your security camera network, detect the hack if it has occurred already, and to protect yourself from possible consequences if camera footage was stolen.

There are many companies jumping into selling temperature detection systems to the state, local governments, hospitals, airports and local businesses, but do they know how to drive one? Anyone can get behind a car and drive it into a wall by accident. The same can happen with a temperature detection system.  The first thing you should ask is “does my firm have a certified thermographer?”. If not, the firm are at risk of getting a low quality system that is being resold to make quick cash. Businesses that are doing this do not know how to operate it properly. Asking the right questions Secondly, you should ask whether the system is NDAA compliant. NDAA compliance means that your temperature detection equipment is protected by U.S. law. Does your system have a HSRP device (blackbody)? HSRP (Heat Source Reference Point) is a device that will allow the camera to detect the correct temperature a distance. Even if the room temperature does change throughout the day, treat it as a reference point for the camera to know the temperature at that distance. Can your system scan mutliple people at once? Can your system scan mutliple people at once? This is a bad question but often asked since most systems will say yes. For ease, everyone wants to scan many people at once, but the best practice according to FDA and CDC guidelines is to run one person at a time for best accuracy. Why? The HSRP (blackbody) device tells the camera what the correct temperature is at a given distance away from the camera. Every foot you are away from the HSRP device will be off by 0.1 degrees roughly. If you are in a room full of people, let's say 6, in view of the camera, every person that is not next to the HSRP device (5) will be given an inaccurate reading. Hence why it is so important to run the system correctly with just one person at a time. You will also need to follow the 6 feet rule. If you take that into consideration, one at a time at 6 feet apart, the device should tell you how you need to run the system. Sensitivity of thermal imaging Is your system’s sensor accurate enough? The FDA recommends an error of ±0.5°C or better. When looking for a system, make sure it is better than what they recommend. I would recommend ±0.3°C or better. Do not purchase a system over ±-.5°C degrees as you are doing yourself and your customers or employees an injustice.  Another thing to look at is how many pixels it can determine the temperature from. Some cameras can only tell the temperature of 6 points on the screen, whilst others can take a temperature reading from each pixel. Take a 384x288 camera, for example, which would be over 110,000 points of temperature taking on a single image.      Thermal cameras are very sensitive, so there are a lot of do’s and don’ts. For example, the system cannot see through glasses or hats. On the below image you can see a person with the visual camera on the right, whilst on the left side is through a thermal camera.  Both are pointing at the same area. It is clear the person on the left side is “invisible” to the thermal imaging camera. Demonstrating the sensitivity of thermal imaging If you are a company who wants to detect the temperature of customers or employees though the front door, window or a car window, the answer would be no. You need a clear line of sight without any interference to scan for temperatures. Other things you need to look out for is wind and distance away from the HSRP (blackbody) device. Air and distance away from the HSRP device will make the system less and less accurate the more space between the device. Air and distance away from the HSRP device will make the system less and less accurate Thermal imaging and COVID-19 If you have a clear line of sight, is there anything I need to know? The answer is yes. Reflective materials such as metal can interfere with your temperature readings. Reflective materials are easily picked up from the thermal side so pointing at a medal, glass or anything reflective can cause inaccuracies within the system. In the age of COVID-19, temperature detection systems are more important than ever. Organisations must get a system in place to help scan for high temperatures in order to reduce the spread of the virus.