ARES Security Corporation: Guardians of the World's Most Critical Assets

Robert H. Scott, III, SVP of Business Development & Marketing

At the heart of ASC’s product portfolio is the AVERT security optimization software tool. AVERT enables users to create 3D models of their facilities, then employs Monte Carlo simulations to defeat security systems, resulting in a comprehensive understanding of possible vulnerabilities for those facilities. A major advantage of AVERT is its cost-effectiveness. As Robert H. Scott, III, ASC’s SVP of Business Development and Marketing, ASC, explains, “A performance-based tool like AVERT can add value by providing a means to run thousands of attack simulations with the ability to vary defense, DBT, and many other parameters to provide a probabilistic-based objective outcome as part of the risk informed decision-making process.” An established provider of security solutions to the government, AVERT is claimed to be the only Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Certified Software to conduct vulnerability assessments.

AVERT 8.0, released in 2016, advances the modeling and simulation tool to a new level of capability. “We now have AVERT Physical Security that supports a relational database and a new model called the simulation controller,” Scott explains. With the simulation controller, users now have the ability to utilize a single AVERT model to create an unlimited number of simulations from that single model.

A performance-based tool like AVERT can add value by providing a means to run thousands of attack simulations

In January 2017, ASC announced that it will soon be rolling out a new update, AVERT 8.1, which will greatly expand on 8.0’s capabilities, including enhanced reporting across different system and threat scenarios, post-combat pathfinding improvements, and increased advanced tactics and behaviors during combat.

Built in collaboration with one of the company’s commercial nuclear customers, AVERT All Hazards is ASC’s newest product. The AVERT All Hazards wind module simulates the effectiveness of physical security and the effects of damages caused by tornados. A soon-to-be-released update will add seismic and flooding modules, as well as increased physical security processing, to the current wind module.

ASC has additionally developed ASSURE, a suite of products that includes ASSURE CommandBridge, designed to aid in situational awareness and incident response; ASSURE Mobile, a mobile application that allows a user to share his position and post status messages to CommandBridge; and cyber environment monitoring solution Assure Cyber. “ASC has built a portfolio of products that support solutions to the Prepare-Prevent-Detect- Assess-Respond lifecycle,” states Scott. “We see the AVERT family supporting the first two and the ASSURE family supporting the latter three.”

ASC’s current standing in the commercial nuclear market is substantial, with nearly 40 percent of nuclear reactor facilities in the U.S. employing the company’s AVERT products. Recently, ASC closed a significant round of investment which will allow it to expand its geographical base and product portfolio. “Currently we are in the defense and energy markets, and are looking at the Critical Infrastructure domain at large,” Scott states, adding, “We will begin increasing our channel internationally.”