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| A Prism Business Media Property | |
| January 12, 2006 | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
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Table Of Contents Biometric entry completed at borders Balancing privacy and biometric identification Connecticut emergency responders create communication device DHS uses risk-based formula for urban security grants Nuclear detection system tests scheduled in Nevada ADVERTISEMENT Hirsch's reputation for reliability and high security is legendary. Hirsch's Velocity Security Management System delivers access control, alarm monitoring, video, badging, and interoperability into a single, integrated solution. Please contact Hirsch today to learn why Velocity won SIA's Product Achievement Award a remarkable five times. 1-949-250-8888 x140 or www.WeSecureBuildings.com In the News Biometric entry completed at borders The Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program has completed installation of biometric entry capabilities at 104 land border ports, as mandated by Congress. Biometric entry capabilities are now deployed at all fixed ports of entry open to US-VISIT travelers. "The U.S. Government's efforts to strengthen our nation's immigration and border management system have taken a giant leap," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says. "US-VISIT is making America safer by enhancing our border management system with next-generation technologies and processes." US-VISIT installed biometric entry procedures at the 50 busiest land border ports along the U.S. Canada and U.S.-Mexico land borders as of Dec. 29, 2004; meeting the Dec. 31, 2004 deadline. The deployment of biometric entry procedures to each of the remaining 104 land border ports of entry also finished ahead of the congressional deadline of Dec. 31, 2005. US-VISIT is a continuum of security measures that collect biometric and biographic information from visitors at U.S. visa-issuing posts upon their arrival and departure from U.S. air, sea and land border ports. The program enhances security by verifying each visitors' identity and by comparing their biometric and biographical information against watch lists of terrorists, criminals, and immigration violators. "There was a lot of fear and paranoia about US-VISIT, in terms of how it might increase processing times at the borders," the program's director, James Williams, says. "At airports and seaports, processing time has slightly decreased. At land ports, processing time has been decreased, in some cases, from 10 to 11 minutes down to two or three." Since January 2004, US-VISIT has processed more than 44 million visitors, which makes the program the largest-scale application of biometrics in the world. Biometrics have enabled US-VISIT to intercept, at U.S. ports of entry, more than 970 people with histories of criminal or immigration violations, including federal penitentiary escapees, convicted rapists, drug traffickers, individuals convicted of murder, and numerous immigration violators. ADVERTISEMENT 
Balancing privacy and biometric identification The National Biometric Security Project (NBSP) has completed two studies that assess the impact of biometrics on U.S. and international Privacy laws. "United States Federal Laws Regarding Privacy and Personal Data and Applications to Biometrics" demonstrates how, under the current U.S. legal system and state of the law at the federal level, use of biometrics as a system to verify identity in virtually any situation is consistent with the law. The report also illustrates how, under certain circumstances, using biometrics to identify individuals through the use of databases is acceptable without sacrificing the objective of maintaining and protecting personal privacy. The report highlights the distinctions in biometric recognition between identification and verification techniques and discusses how each method relates to privacy laws and issues. Generally, biometric "identification" does a "one to many" search of extensive databanks to find a match. Because such databanks may contain or be linked to personal information, and because identification applications can be used without the subject's knowledge or consent, such as in surveillance, the privacy concerns are intensified. Biometric verification systems that use a "one to one" match are generally designed to be used on a voluntary basis. "The increasing reliance on biometrics in large-scale identification applications such as watch lists, enrollment eligibility and border control applications will require a greater sensitivity to privacy issues to ensure that the rights of individuals are not unduly compromised in the name of security," says John E. Siedlarz, NBSP chairman and CEO. There are clear steps that can be taken to make all biometric systems privacy-sensitive, he says. The second study, "Report on International Data Privacy Laws and Application to the Use of Biometrics in the United States," assesses a broad sampling of international laws that address the subject of privacy and the possible U.S. role in international cooperation in this area. The purpose of this report is to understand international privacy law and its impact on the use of biometric recognition technology on both the United States in isolation and as well as on a global scale. Visit www.nationalbiometric.org for more information. Connecticut emergency responders create communication device Connecticut emergency responders say they have created a first-of-its kind device that will allow rescue crews from several agencies to talk to each other at the scene of an emergency or disaster, The Associated Press reports. If the invention proves successful, it could help clear one of the biggest obstacles Homeland security officials have been trying to overcome since the 2001 terrorist attacks: the inability to communication across radio frequencies. Dubbed STOC, for "on-Scene Tactical Operations Channel," the device combines a radio and receiver into a single box that instantly receives a signal from one frequency and sends it onto another frequency, officials say. Neighboring towns typically handle rescue communications on different radio frequencies, hindering communication in a crisis. Many municipalities around the country are trying to solve the problem by buying new radios to get regional agencies on one frequency. "The beauty of the device is, we don't have to buy more radios," says Wayne Sandford, the state's deputy Homeland security director. A prototype has been developed, another is in the works and state officials have allocated nearly $2.1 million to build a box for towns across the state, Sandford says. Sandford adds that he believes Connecticut is the first state in the nation to develop such technology. He said the state should know within the next few months whether it is successful. DHS uses risk-based formula for urban security grants The Department of Homeland Security has announced $765 million in direct funding for high-threat urban areas as part of the fiscal year 2006 Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). But those urban areas are being awarded money based on their individual risk of a terrorist attack. "The department is investing federal funding into our communities facing the greatest risk and demonstrating the greatest need in order to receive the highest return in our nation's security," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says. "We will continue to champion funding on the basis of risk and need, and we urge Congress to do the same to ensure that our finite resources are allocated and prioritized successfully." In 2006, DHS identified 35 areas eligible to apply for and receive funding. These 35 areas encompass 95 cities with populations of 100,000 or more. In addition, 11 urban areas from the fiscal year 2005 UASI have been identified as eligible to apply for sustainment funding in fiscal year 2006, to ensure that strategic investments made thus far can be completed. The 35 eligible areas were determined through a risk formula that considered three primary variables: consequence, vulnerability and threat. Factors such as the presence of international borders, population and population density, the location of critical infrastructure, formal mutual aid cooperation, law enforcement investigations and enforcement activity are considered in correlation with the risk formula. Nuclear detection system tests scheduled in Nevada The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) will be testing current and prototype next-generation handheld and mobile nuclear detectors at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) from Jan. 9 through Feb. 3. While handheld detection technologies have been available for some time, the performance of these technologies can be greatly improved, particularly in the areas of detection range and threat identification capability. The testing will subject detectors to a series of realistic materials and threats encountered in legitimate commerce, as well as those that occur in potentially illicit activities. Following the test series, DNDO will make these evaluations available to state and local agencies to aid their selection and acquisition of preventive nuclear detection equipment using Department of Homeland Security grants. DNDO, established in April 2005 to coordinate and improve the ability of the U.S. Government to counter the threat of terrorist nuclear attack, is responsible for all DHS acquisition of nuclear detection equipment for domestic use. DNDO and Customs have deployed more than 650 portal monitors at U.S. ports of entry. Procurement Watch
Events Jan. 24-26 Performance Measurement for E-Government Washington, D.C. Organizer: Advanced Learning Institute Information: (888) 362-7400 or (312) 362-9100 www.aliconferences.com Jan. 25-17 Jan. 28- Feb 01 Jan. 30-Feb 1 Feb. 2-3 Feb. 3-4 Feb. 6-10 Feb. 7 & 9 New Announcements from GOVERNMENT SECURITY magazine Now available on www.govtsecurity.com: December 2005 issue Cover story: Government Security Technology Roundtable |
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