Incident Reporting System for Aldebaran Threat Consultants

Summary

ScienceSoft engineered a custom incident reporting system for a UAE-based physical security advisory company. The solution enabled real-time physical threat monitoring, trend analysis, and instant alerts.

About Aldebaran Threat Consultants

Aldebaran Threat Consultants (ATC) is a UAE-based company specializing in qualitative and quantitative physical security threat reporting and analysis. Catering to corporate, non-profit, and government entities operating in high-risk environments, ATC serves notable organizations such as UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), BP, ExxonMobil, Hitachi, ABB, and Halliburton. Recognized for its expertise, ATC continuously seeks to enhance its technological infrastructure to provide world-class services and establish itself as a leader in physical threat consulting.

Data Visualization Tool Needed an Upgrade

Historically, Aldebaran Threat Consultants used Power BI to visualize data about threat incidents and generate reports for its customers. However, like any platform-based solution, the tool limited the functionality that ATC could implement. At some point, this began hampering the company’s plans as Aldebaran Threat Consultants grew and extended its service portfolio.

ATC made a strategic decision to invest in a fully custom solution for incident reporting. The company’s objective was to eliminate future bottlenecks by creating a system tailored to its unique requirements and those of its customers.

Laying the Foundation for a Scalable and Efficient System

ATC initially partnered with another vendor for the project, but the early-stage development results fell short of ATC’s expectations. So, Aldebaran Threat Consultants turned to ScienceSoft for an independent assessment.

ScienceSoft conducted a comprehensive code audit and uncovered suboptimal design patterns and significant code quality issues that would hinder the solution’s scalability and performance. Given the extent of these issues, ATC decided to restart the project with ScienceSoft, ensuring that the software would be built on a solid foundation.

Discovery phase

ScienceSoft assembled a multidisciplinary team comprising a business analyst, a Python architect, and a test engineer to lead the discovery phase. The team worked closely with ATC to:

• Explore the previous vendor’s code.
• Analyze ATC’s existing Power BI system, its workflows, and user pain points.
• Define key solution functionalities and areas for improvement.
• Document a comprehensive functional specification for the new solution.

As a result, to ensure clarity and efficiency, we delivered the system description document, system architecture design, and permission matrix. We also provided detailed functional blueprints like the list of new functionalities planned and wireframes for key features, alongside comprehensive testing documentation (test checklist, test protocols, and test result reports). Finally, our project planning documents outlined defect-fixing and new feature estimates, along with the overall project roadmap.

Refactoring the initial code

While some elements of the previous vendor’s code were salvageable, they required significant refactoring. ScienceSoft optimized these components by:

• Eliminating technical debt that could obstruct future development.
• Addressing incomplete or malfunctioning features to ensure full functionality and alignment with the intended solution.
• Rebuilding the architecture to align with best practices for scalability and performance.
• Improving code maintainability and efficiency.

Developing a Web-Based Incident Reporting System

To effectively address ATC’s feedback and possible changes in requirements, we chose the Agile approach for the project. ScienceSoft’s dedicated team included a project manager, a business analyst, a UI designer, a front-end developer, a back-end Python developer, a QA engineer, and a DevOps specialist. Together, they implemented a comprehensive incident reporting system with the following features:

• Advanced filtering and search capabilities.
  • Users can filter incidents by country, state, date range, incident type, and other parameters.
  • Frequently used filters can be saved for quick access.
• Tailorable incident tracking.
• Incidents are displayed on customizable maps, offering a standard or satellite view for open-source maps and a standard view for Google Maps.
• Users can apply a range of filters to focus on relevant data, including but not limited to incident type, incident sub-type, target, target sub-type, state or governorate, and militant group.
• Users can manually define areas of interest (e.g., drawing polygons, assigning colors, setting permissions) and manage overlays, toggling visibility for a clearer operational picture.
• Users can explore zones linked to specific companies, gaining insights into incident patterns and affected areas.
• Real-time heat maps display current data with the ability to view historical trends.
• Access is managed through role-based controls, ensuring that users can only access features and data based on their permissions.
• Authorized users can collaborate through shared access to data.
• Tooltip feedback and guidance help users navigate missing inputs and item limits.
• Real-time incident alerts.
• When new incidents occur in areas of the client’s interest, they will visually alert users by flashing on the map.
• Users receive immediate notifications via email, SMS, or push notifications (WhatsApp) for incidents occurring within their monitored areas.
• Alerts are configurable, ensuring only relevant updates reach each user.
• Comprehensive incident summary.
  • Users can access detailed incident breakdowns, including incident type, location, date, images, and essence.
  • Incidents are linked to each other, allowing users to understand the sequence and relationships between incidents.
• Customizable reporting and data visualization.
• Users can generate detailed reports for specific monitored areas, selecting time frames (e.g., 30 or 90 days).
• Users can export general reports in PDF or CSV, with incident limits applied. For predefined areas of interest, a specialized PDF report is available and can be downloaded within 24 hours — or regenerated if needed.
• Visual analytics include pie charts, bar graphs, and line charts to illustrate incident trends and proportions.
• APIs for enhanced connectivity
• The system offers robust API access, enabling users to easily integrate with external systems and applications for streamlined data exchange and real-time synchronization.

Optimizing System Performance for Field Use

Recognizing that ATC’s clients often operate in remote or high-risk environments, ScienceSoft implemented optimizations to ensure reliability and convenience:

• Caching and compression (JavaScript and CSS files) to minimize load times, ensuring the system remains functional even with a slow internet connection.
• A fully responsive UI to provide high usability across mobile devices, tablets, and large monitors.

Key Outcomes for Aldebaran Threat Consultants

• ATC’s business users accessed the new system within just nine months of ScienceSoft joining the project.
• ATC and its customers gained powerful tools to monitor threats, analyze historical trends, and receive immediate incident alerts, enhancing decision-making and risk mitigation. ATC strengthened its relationships with existing clients, attracted new business, and reinforced its reputation as a trusted partner for high-stakes environments.
• With a fully custom solution, ATC can now evolve its services and reporting software without the limitations imposed by third-party tools.

Technologies and Tools

Back end: Python, Django 4.1, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, OpenAPI 3, Pytest, Docker, Docker Compose, Kubernetes, Amazon S3, Amazon RDS, Amazon EKS, GeoJSON.

Front end: React, Redux, TypeScript, MUI, Leaflet, Recharts.