Utilizing Mapping for robust Security Operations

Arpit Shah
Dec 20, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Dec 9, 2025

2024 Update: The workflows covered in this post were already compelling in their own right, but a recent tragedy—averted purely by extraordinary fortune—highlighted, in the starkest manner possible, the critical role that geospatial technology can play in mapping sensitive sites.

Video 1: Donald Trump Assassination Attempt — a perfect reference event underscoring the need to map out sensitive public locations

Section Hyperlinks to the Security Workflows covered in this post-

Line-of-Sight Analysis for VIPs at Public Events
Viewshed Analysis for Rescue Operations
Terrain Change Detection around Sensitive Sites

Credits: Esri Learn ArcGIS and RUS Copernicus

Workflow 1 - Line-of-Sight Analysis for VIPs at Public Events

A dignitary is hosting a political rally at a public park in your city. Adequate security arrangements must be made—sniper placement, rooftop coverage, ground patrol routes, and aerial surveillance paths.

How does one design such a layout efficiently and rigorously?

This is where Geographic Information System (GIS) proves invaluable. By analysing the VIP’s position and the geospatial characteristics of the surrounding terrain, GIS provides actionable insights to security planners.

The videos are best viewed in HD mode. Adjust the play speed as per your viewing preferences.

Video 2: Video 2: Terrain Visibility Analysis using Line-of-Sight Tools for VIP Security Planning

Police and military agencies worldwide use terrain visibility extensively—to plan missions, provide protective cover, conduct clearing operations and run other surveillance workflows. Modern Line-of-Sight algorithms can incorporate complex geometry, automate security design, and drastically reduce the time needed for mission-critical planning.situations.

Workflow 2: Viewshed Analysis for Rescue Operations

While the previous workflow focused on preventive planning, this one deals with real-time tactical operations.

Imagine four terrorists with sniper rifles positioned at the corners of a rooftop (purple building) in a dense urban neighbourhood. Before engaging them, the army must stealthily evacuate civilians from the surrounding buildings to reduce casualties.

Four terrorists armed with snipers are located on the roof of a building (purple) within a dense urban area. Before proceeding to engage with them, there is a pressing need for the army to stealthily evacuate the civilians in the surrounding buildings (numbered) to minimize casualties from cross-fire — **Figure 1:** The terrorists occupy a rooftop vantage point; surrounding buildings house civilians requiring evacuation.

Each sniper’s exact position (four dark blue points) must be considered, so the Viewshed Analysis includes visibility in all directions from each corner.

The terrorists have taken position at each of the four corners of the roof as represented by the blue dots. Hence, the Viewshed Analysis (Line-of-Sight in all directions from a vantage point) analysis needs to factor all four locations — **Figure 2:** Sniper positions (dark blue dots) forming the basis for all-direction visibility computation.

A high-resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM)—representing elevations of buildings and natural features—is essential for precise visibility analysis. The output below shows areas visible to the snipers (green) and obscured from view (red).

Having a high-resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM), which is an Elevation map of all the natural and man-made features in the Area of Interest, is key to performing precise Viewshed analysis - absolutely vital from this civilian rescue operations. The image depicts the Viewshed output generated using GIS on such a DSM - green zones are visible to the terrorists from their positions while the red zones aren't — **Figure 3:** Viewshed output — green zones visible to snipers; red zones obstructed.

Once civilians are evacuated, they need safe passage out of the area. Therefore, the road network must be analysed separately. Here, each dot represents 10 metres of road. Red dots denote road sections visible to snipers; green denotes concealed escape paths.

The evacuated civilians would also need to be escorted out. Hence, performing Viewshed analysis on the surrounding road network specifically is essential. In the rendered output depicted above, each dot represents 10 metres of road. The symbology is reversed here - red dots imply those road sections that are visible to the terrorists from the roof whereas the green dots are obstructed from view — **Figure 4:** Road network Viewshed — identifying safe and unsafe segments.

Isn’t this powerful?

The model can be enhanced further—determining ideal army firing positions, adjusting for sniper movement, evaluating aerial engagement options, and more. Esri has built specialized GIS modules for military and crime intelligence operations with precisely these use cases in mind..

Terrain Visibility Analysis isn’t limited to security. It can also be applied to real estate design, telecommunications tower planning, urban studies, and more.

If another application comes to mind, feel free to share.

Workflow 3: Terrain Change Detection around Sensitive Sites

The video demonstration below was created for a proposal to build a Geographic Early Warning System for the Physical Security Head of a large Indian conglomerate with 100+ manufacturing and mining sites—many of them huge and situated in remote locations. These sites require continuous 24×7 perimeter protection. However, terrain directly influences how security personnel are deployed.

For instance:

Marshy zones are naturally harder to cross
Dense vegetation can provide cover for intruders
Sudden changes in the terrain may indicate suspicious activity

Knowing how such features evolve over time is crucial for efficient resource allocation.

Video 3: Terrain Change Detection using Remote Sensing for Security Planning

In the demonstration, I have used an NDVI-based Vegetation Index on multispectral satellite imagery to track changes in dense foliage around the perimeter. The same approach can be adapted using:

Water Indices to monitor marshy areas
Radar-based Urban Footprint extraction to detect new structures

Since satellites prioritise temporal coverage (wide swath, frequent revisits) over spatial detail, drones equipped with multispectral payloads often provide superior clarity and flexibility for sensitive-site surveillance.

ABOUT US - OPERATIONS MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Intelloc Mapping Services, Kolkata | Mapmyops.com offers a suite of Mapping and Analytics solutions that seamlessly integrate with Operations Planning, Design, and Audit workflows. Our capabilities include — but are not limited to — Drone Services, Location Analytics & GIS Applications, Satellite Imagery Analytics, Supply Chain Network Design, Subsurface Mapping and Wastewater Treatment. Projects are executed pan-India, delivering actionable insights and operational efficiency across sectors.

My firm's services can be split into two categories - Geographic Mapping and Operations Mapping. Our range of offerings are listed in the infographic below-

Range of solutions that Intelloc Mapping Services (Mapmyops.com) offers

A majority of our Mapping for Operations-themed workflows (50+) can be accessed from this website's landing page. We respond well to documented queries/requirements. Demonstrations/PoC can be facilitated, on a paid-basis. Looking forward to being of service.

Regards,

Arpit Shah

Credits: Esri, EO College