Airport security technology scrutinized By Dibya Sarkar, Federal Computer Week A task force charged with reviewing current and emerging technologies to=20 improve security at the San Jose, Calif., airport has prepared a report=20 that could have national implications. The report, which will be submitted= =20 to the city council and the federal Transportation Security Administration= =20 (TSA), focuses on promising technologies that could address passenger=20 convenience, security and cost, said John Thompson, chairman and chief=20 executive officer of Symantec and chairman of the task force, which was=20 convened by San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif.= =20 Although the group's first objective was to improve security at Norman Y.=20 Mineta San Jose International Airport, Thompson said local officials want=20 TSA to select the airport as one of 20 pilot sites to receive funding for=20 such security measures. TSA officials have already decided to study=20 security procedures at about 15 airports. He said other airports across the= =20 country also could adopt the task force's recommendations. "I think what's= =20 good about this report is that it frames the problem and gives a=20 prescription in application areas as opposed to just running on about=20 technology, retinal scanning, biometrics, and on and on and on and on," he= =20 said."What we concluded was that technology certainly can be applied to the= =20 issue of protecting the airports.... But it is as much about process as it= =20 is technology," Thompson said. "How do you respond when there's an=20 incident? That's not technology. That's as much about having policies and=20 practices that are well articulated, well understood by everyone involved=20 and rigorously adhered to." The report is divided into three broad areas, with technologies highlighted= =20 for each. The areas are: =95 Creating a trusted or validated facility by using technologies to secure= =20 the perimeter of the airport, its buildings, and access into and out of=20 certain sections. =95 Creating a trusted employee program using appropriate clearances and=20 authentication. Such a system also could be applied to a "validated=20 passenger" program, Thompson said. =95 Creating a trusted network. "Airports today operate somewhat in= isolation=20 and somewhat on open or unsecured networks," he said. "And so there's a=20 need to create a way to link airports and information about what's going on= =20 in an airport onto a digitized network." The group looked at current technologies to help "mitigate or solve the=20 problem today as we know it," he said, "and then we looked at concepts or=20 technologies that are further out that require further exploration for=20 which someone might want to have an ongoing vigilant look." To do this, the= =20 report recommended a research and development focus within TSA, the U.S.=20 Transportation Department or another appropriate agency "so systems don't=20 become stale," he said. Cost is another critical issue, he added. "Much of= =20 what happens in an airport is controlled and funded by the local=20 authorities from a security point of view," he said. "And so before we as a= =20 task force would mandate or suggest [that] these technologies could work,=20 somewhere along the way the process needs to be made clear as to where the= =20 money's going to come from to ensure that we do in fact improve the=20 security of the airport." Addressing the cost factor, Honda said, "Certainly the TSA and other=20 agencies involved with security will probably be participating in covering= =20 the costs. But the government cannot carry all the costs itself, and that's= =20 why public/private partnerships are going to be critical." Honda cited the= =20 task force itself as an example of public/private cooperation. "I think=20 that this blue-ribbon task force is a good example of applying=20 entrepreneurial spirit to protect a democracy that depends heavily on=20 public and private partnerships," he said. Task force members included=20 technology and airline executives as well as representatives from higher=20 education, law enforcement and the federal government. The task force held= =20 a public hearing that drew about 75 participants and received proposals=20 from more than 40 companies. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (RBTT) http://www.rbtt.com/ (RBTT Financial Group) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************