“LOCATION”- The Super Weapon

~ Gopika S.R., 3rd year, B.E. Geoinformatics

We never know what happens behind the scenes Not in case of crimes! GIS, as we know today, uses geography and computer-generated maps as an interface for integrating and accessing massive amounts of location-based information It has found its application in crime mapping and crime analysis which is a powerful visualizing and processing tool for the professionals involved. This article will provide an interesting insight to the analysis of the dynamic nature of the criminal world.

In olden days pin maps were used to identify the crime locations With the increasing number of crimes recently all over the world, it is very hard for the conventional techniques to be followed GIS has played an important role in revolutionizing crime mapping and analysis techniques. With GIS, the ability to access and process information quickly while displaying it in a spatial and visual medium allows agencies to allocate resources quickly and more effectively.

Crime mapping gives a new dimension for crime analysis and proves to be invaluable in specific cases GIS can process huge amount of data simultaneously which also invariably finds relationships between the datasets. For example, finding links between the suspect and the victim which has proved to be one of the most effective techniques in criminology. These attributes can be linked to the crime to understand the crime scene better. Maps can be produced at any geographic level to aid in the analysis of crime patterns. Shade grid cell maps can be generated by differentially shading each region according to frequency of crimes. The darker the shade, the more frequency of events within the response area.

Crime analysis is a set of evidence-based analytical techniques and processes used to quantitatively analyse crime and security data to support the planning. GIS can be used to perform radial analysis to measure the extent of crime. We usually prefer radius to determine the extent so that it covers all directions around a particular point. When the threshold value for the radius is set, GIS eliminates all the redundant information. Crime hotspots can be identified using GIS, which are the places of high crime density which demand special police attention. These areas can be outlined on the base map. Hotspots of violent crime, robbery etc. can be calculated on a regular basis for each police station area. Hotspots of different offence types can be displayed to identify where they overlap

Relationships between the variables also play a significant role in the analysis which would indicate the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables. Regression analysis is used to predict the value of a dependent variable such as violent crime rate based on the values of independent variables such as the poverty level within an area The geographic area where the next crime is most likely to occur can also be predicted by models, the accuracy of which can be further enhanced using GIS.

From the discovery of exoplanets to the detection of microbial life on Mars, search for life beyond Earth is rapidly gathering momentum Planetary Remote Sensing has played a significant role in our understanding of the Red Planet and the search for life on its surface Scientists use spectrometry, Radar and high-resolution imagery to analyse the Martian surface In 2013, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered large deposits of water ice on Mars providing evidence of past presence of liquid water on the planet The Mars Exploration Rover has also found evidence of past habitability on Mars, including presence of minerals Titan, the largest moon of Saturn has been a subject of interest for planetary scientists for decades. To study the surface of Titan, planetary scientists rely on remote sensing techniques that use infrared, Radar and other methods to penetrate the haze and observe the moon’s surface and atmosphere The high-resolution images provided by Cassini spacecraft show a diverse landscape with evidence of lakes, rivers, seas fil led with liquid methane as well as dunes and mountains composed of ice. In this environment, Infrared spectroscopy has revealed the presence of organic compounds on Titan’s surface including ethane, acetylene and benzene Additionally, Titan’s stable climate and long-term stability of liquid methane raises question of whether life could exist in this environment. In conclusion, planetary remote sensing has greatly advanced our understanding of the potential for life beyond Earth. While we may not have found conclusive evidence of extra-terrestrial life so far, the data collected by these missions provide hope and continues to drive the search for life in our solar system and beyond With continued advancements in technology, we may one day answer the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe

Cybersecurity in Geospatial World

In today’s world, with such a vast expanse of data, a natural question arises: how safe is our data?

Each day, we are stepping towards an exponential advancement The onset of Internet and its subsidiaries has made human lives far easier than the realms of imagination. But is this ever-growing technology really safe? There has been an increasing number of data breaches across the world, raising concern among the public and leading to ask us questions related to internet privacy, means to safeguard it and what role Geo Informatics can play in dealing with cybersecurity

Geospatial data is being used widely in almost every domain Some companies use geospatial data to create a virtual boundary around an individual feature or device. For example, an authorized person might have permission to access a database of confidential information at work, but not from home or even five miles away from the workplace Geographic information system (GIS) influences cybersecurity When cybersecurity practitioners connect online activity to a geospatial layer, they get a clearer picture of network activity and its sources. Such information has proven to be vital for mission-critical networks, such as those associated with communications, energy supplies or disaster recovery

GIS alerts end-users regarding possible cyberattacks, helps in data recovery and even prevention of data loss. Moreover, they can reveal which aspects of a network have the most unaddressed issues, enabling cybersecurity professionals to prioritize their work. Hence geospatial data is an excellent tool for cybersecurity planning and can bring in a new era of ‘spatial cybersecurity ’