Big Data – Fighting Pirates (on the High Seas) and Graffiti

Big Data is having a significant and wide-reaching impact on our lives. And, it can be found in quite unexpected places. Nate Silver’s prediction of 2012 US Election has been making headlines on the web for quite some time. The accuracy is surprising, using Big Data to achieve it, probably not so much. However, following are two scenarios where Big Data’s application is less obvious. The first one shows how Big Data analytics has been used and the second one demonstrates the potential of Big Data for dealing with minor urban crime and benefitting communities.

Pirates (on the high seas)

Although we’re now in the 21st century with advanced technology and military hardware at our disposal, piracy still remains a significant problem. Oceans Beyond Piracy, a US-based consultancy, estimated that losses from piracy reached $7Bn¹ in 2011.

However, in 2012 the International Maritime Bureau reported a 54% drop in piracy incidents in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period the year before. The reason for this drop was the fact that law enforcement agencies turned to Big Data to try and prevent piracy. The amount of data available to Government agencies is analysed in order to predict where the incidents may occur in the future. The information is then plotted on a map using advanced mapping software by Esri and used by the relevant maritime and Government authorities².