'20 under 40' Class of 2018—Kevin Didden

Kevin Didden, 37

Senior manager, security programs and administration, MTA

New York

Prior to joining the internal security department for MTA Bridges and Tunnels just over a year ago, Kevin Didden spent most of his security career as an integrator. “The MTA is the first time that I have worked for an end user, being the customer rather than the guy trying to sell services,” he said.

Coming from the integrator community has helped Didden in his current role where he handles all of MTA Bridges and Tunnel's security programs and project management, including managing approximately 100 internal security-related projects on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, he oversees the MTA Bridges and Tunnels security sensitive information initiative, which includes things such as document control for all drawings and specs for the transportation agency and its vendors.

“I also oversee and manage the security department's interests in capital projects,” he said. “A big one right now is a $73 million electronic security overhaul on two of our suspension bridges, the RFK bridge and the Bronx-Whitestone, so I am overseeing the internal security departments' interests in those projects.”

As a program manager, Didden is intimately involved with threat vulnerability risk assessments for all of MTA Bridges and Tunnels facilities, which is “all-encompassing, touching a lot of areas within security,” he noted.

One area that Didden sees great promise in is artificial intelligence-powered analytics. “With the advent of AI and a better processing power that is being packed onto these cameras out on the edge, we are able to do a lot more real-time analytics in the field rather than just your traditional, object-left-behind analytic,” he explained. “We are starting to see more where it is behavioral-based, seeing trends over time, which is very useful, especially in my environment.”

The use of Lidar within security is another area where Didden said he sees promise.