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Connect the Dots.
It is such a simple concept - connect the dots. In fact, many children play this game early in their development process as part of learning their ABCs or numbers. Each correct connection between a set of points reveals more of a hidden pattern. As long as the correct sequence of numbers or letters is followed, the final diagram is eventually completed showing the "big picture."
How hard can it be?
As we have all heard from post 9/11 analyses, there were plenty of indicators to follow based on known processes or suspicious activities. For example, we learned that if someone enters the country on a student visa, then attends flight-training classes for commercial aircraft, and has indirect linkages to known terrorists; they are most likely a prime target for a follow-up investigation. Connect the dots - the picture is clear, right?
Unfortunately, to connect the dots would indicate that we already know the pattern and it would be a simple matter of generating a query to report on all known instances of the pattern. Hindsight plays an important role in exposing certain patterns that were previously unknown. Thus, we must constantly ask ourselves:
- What does a terrorist look like?
- What does a money launderer look like?
- What does a criminal look like?
- What does a fraudster look like?
- What does an insider trader look like?
The data available to answer these questions can determine what "dots" need to be connected. In many instances the data is not readily available, is controlled by a different group, or does not contain the proper information. So the question becomes: what is the sequence or order in which the dots are connected and what happens when there are missing dots?
Continued on VAI News page
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There are some excellent resources available on the VAI website and new materials are constantly being added. Our goal at VAI is
to help all aspects of the analytical community perform better analyses - whether you are involved in analyzing data associated
with terrorism, narcotics, money laundering, financial crimes, telephone tolls, fraud, or some other field. Our systems are
designed to help support the community and introduce new patterns, concepts, and results for all to use. We encourage you to
join with us and help spread the word by providing input, feedback, and success stories to our newsletter staff.
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VisuaLinks 4.0 development is in high gear. This month's VisuaLinks News page contains the first real discussion about the new features contained in this version.
In addition to improving the interfaces and making them even more intuitive, VAI has added the ability to perform text data mining (thematic, entity extraction, categorization) on memo fields and attributes. Visit the VisuaLinks News page to learn more about what 4.0 has to offer.
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DIG 2.1 is nearing commercial availability, with beta testing continuing at select client sites. We have received some great feedback so far and working hard to ensure that this will be the best release of DIG yet.
The 2.1 release will include a number of new features. Visit the DIG News page for a sneak peak at one of the new features – the ChoicePoint search.
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VAI recently spent time in the Middle East visiting companies and agencies in need of the Data Clarity Suite of tools.
Our staff visited Dubai (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar, Riyadh, and Jeddah).
Visit the VAI News page to see examples of the interface and data presented in Arabic within VisuaLinks.
Additionally, VAI has been working with our partner in Argentina, Systech, S.A.
(www.systechsa.com), to convert VisuaLinks to Spanish and Portuguese.
VAI is dedicated to providing world-wide support and distribution of our technologies - with a great deal
of effort focused on this area as version 4.0 begins beta testing.
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"VisuaLinks and DIG address a number of our needs - these are some great technologies."
-UN Analyst
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