Surveillance Systems and the Unseen Battle with Physical Adversarial Attacks

Physical adversarial attacks on surveillance systems aren't the sci-fi plot twists we hoped they were. They're very real and incredibly complex. Forget about those isolated image benchmarks. In the real world, where surveillance systems live and breathe, things are a lot messier.

The Real Story Behind Surveillance Attacks

Here's what we're dealing with: person detection, multi-object tracking, and dual-modal sensing, where both visible and infrared inputs matter. Imagine trying to hide in plain sight while a system tracks you in different modalities. That's the challenge.

The real kicker? A single frame's perturbation might not mean much if the system gets its act together over time. Think about it. What's the use of fooling a system momentarily if it can bounce back and recognize you the next second?

Systemic Challenges: More Than Meets the Eye

Let's dig deeper. An RGB-only system might go blind when the sun goes down. Night-time systems rely not just on visible, but also on thermal inputs. And those conspicuous patches attackers use? They might work on paper, but in reality, they're too obvious.

We can't just look at each component separately. Surveillance is a system-level problem that unfolds over time and across sensing modalities. It's about the entire workflow.

Why Should We Care?

Surveillance robustness isn't something we can judge by looking at isolated frames. It's not child's play. It's about time persistence, real-world constraints, and evolving threat models. The internal Slack channel might call for more resources, but the real story is how systems adapt and evolve.

Here's the hot take: If your surveillance system isn't considering the full spectrum of challenges, you're simply playing catch-up. This isn't just about technology. it's about understanding the practical deployment constraints and the system's ability to adapt and overcome.

So, what's the takeaway? Surveillance systems shouldn't just be strong on paper. They need to be battle-tested in the real world. Ask yourself, is your system ready for the multidimensional threat landscape it faces?