Athena Security, a leader in AI-powered physical security and compliance technology, has announced the launch of its Cell Phone, transmitting device, and Smart Glasses Detection System — a solution designed to protect business processing and call centers from unauthorized recording, data theft, and compliance violations.

With Business Processing Outsourcing and call centers handling vast volumes of personally identifiable information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), sensitive, financial, and payment card data (PCI), and other sensitive corporate data, unauthorized recording devices such as smartphones and smart glasses pose a growing threat. According to IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average global cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million. The report also reveals that 83 percent of organizations will experience a data breach, underscoring the urgent need for proactive, privacy-focused defenses. Athena's new system automatically detects these devices in real time, proactively alerting security teams before data can be compromised.

"Call centers and BPO's are a high-value target for hackers and data breaches," says Lisa Falzone, co-founder and President of Athena Security. "By extending our AI detection technology to cover phones and smart glasses, we're helping companies protect their customers' confidential information and maintain full PCI and HIPAA compliance."

Advanced AI Detection Built for Privacy-First Environments
Using a similar proven technology behind Athena's Weapon Detection System (WDS), the new Cell Phone Detection System identifies concealed and visible electronic devices with location — ensuring that employees and visitors comply with no-phone or restricted-use policies inside sensitive zones.

Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics
Athena's Cell Phone Detection System integrates seamlessly with its security analytics platform, delivering the same powerful reporting and visibility as its WDS, including:

• Device Detection Reports:
  Every detection event is logged with timestamps, device classification (smartphone, smart glasses, smartwatch), and location. Reports can be filtered by zone, time of day, or frequency of detections.
  
  
• Access Control Integration:
  When a restricted device is detected, the system can automatically trigger access control actions, such as locking doors, to isolate the area, prevent entry, or secure sensitive zones in real time.
  
  
• Automated HR Notifications:
  In the event of a real time documented policy violation, an email alert is immediately routed to human resources or compliance officers to facilitate a swift internal response..
  
  
• Incident Reports (IR):
  Automatically generated alerts include captured frames, event video, and contextual data, giving compliance officers a complete record of every privacy breach attempt.
  
  
• Performance Dashboards:
  Real-time compliance metrics track detection accuracy, false positives, and behavioral trends across multiple facilities or geographies to validate process and controls with an audit trail.

Protecting Trust in Every Call
Unauthorized recordings can lead to millions in fines, data loss, social engineering hacks, and brand damage. Athena's technology allows call centers to take a proactive stance, ensuring their teams work in a secure, compliant, and trusted environment.