Transsec

T H E P U B L I C A T I O N F O R T R A N S P O R T A T I O N S E C U R I T Y P R O F E S S I O N A L S A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6

Global i z ingpor t secur i ty

U . S . M A R I T I M ES E C U R I T Y E X P O 2 0 0 65 T H A N N U A L E X P O & C O N F E R E N C E

U . S . M A R I T I M ES E C U R I T Y E X P O 2 0 0 65 T H A N N U A L E X P O & C O N F E R E N C E

Mix andmatch

Ready foranything?

Mix andmatchPa t t e r n t r a c k i n g n ew a n d o l d

Ready foranything?S im p l i f y i n g b u i l d i n g s e c u r i t y

Precise screening of passengers for concealed explosives in secondsIn the war against terrorism, even the tiniest clues arecritical and Syagen technology specializes in detectingthem. Syagen has designed the Guardian™ Explosives TraceDetection (ETD) Portal for people screening using themost accurate technology available.The patented mass spectrometry(MS) technology detects explosivescontamination as small as one-millionth a grain of sand.

MS has a resolution that’s 10 to10,000-times greater than ionmobility spectrometry (IMS).Thishigh resolving power enables MS toscreen for more than 30 explosivessimultaneously without compromis-ing accuracy and precision.Thisadvanced technology has been rec-ommended by the National Academy

of Sciences as the core technology for explosives tracedetection for aviation security.1

Incorporating the most advanced pre-concentration tech-nology,2 Guardian produces perform-ance levels unmatched in sensitivity,specificity and low false negative andfalse positive rates for the largestnumber of explosive compounds and is easily upgraded to search fornew compounds should the threatscenario change.

Guardian offers a comfortable envi-ronment during the brief screeningprocess, high screening throughputand occupies a small footprint. Formore information, contact SyagenTechnology at 714 258-4400 x28

1 National Research Council, “Opportunities to Improve Airport Passenger Screening with Mass Spectrometry,” National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2003.2 Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque) “Hound” technology.

Syagen Technology, Inc.1411 Warner Ave. • Tustin, California 92780 U.S.A.Tel 714 258-4400 x28 • Fax 714 258-4404 Email [email protected] • www.syagen.com

Guardian™ makes invisible tracesof explosives extraordinarily clear

Guardian Explosives Trace Detection Portal

When Britain’s police and security services arrested some24 persons for allegedly planning to blow up as many as10 transatlantic flights to the U.S., security experts

around the world worried about a new kind of terrorism threat.According to information released by the authorities, the sus-pects are alleged to have intended to smuggle on board theplanes chemical components for liquid-based bombs, disguisedas ordinary drinks and toiletries and undetectable by conven-tional security measures.

Dr. Jack Syage, president of Syagen Technology Inc. (Tustin,Calif.) believes that the news of this kind of concealed explosivedramatically underscores the inability of many security systemsto screen persons for potentially dangerous materials.

“The greatest vulnerabilities in securing airports and othervenues is the lack of a non-intrusive way to detect concealedexplosives on people,” Syage says. “Whereas baggage can beX-rayed and imaged, people cannot.”

Liquid-based explosives pose a unique challenge because they are‘invisible’ to many conventional security measures. But SyagenTechnology’s Guardian Explosives Trace Detection (EDT) technol-ogy, along with the company’s mass spectrometry technologies,could offer airports a way of detecting such terror methods.

Dr. Karl Hanold, principal scientist with Syagen Technology,says that detecting explosives requires a very accurate andprecise detection system in order to identify the unique ‘sig-nature’ of the materials that can be used in an explosivedevice. One way of doing this is to deploy mass spectrometry(MS) to detect explosive compounds. Current explosive tracedetection systems use ion mobility spectrometry “which is alow resolution device not capable of monitoring many com-pounds simultaneously,” says Hanold.

“Mass spectrometry offers 10 to 10,000 times more resolvingpower according to a recent National Academy of Sciencesreport and can meet the current and future requirements foreffective trace explosive detection,” he says. “MS is consideredthe gold standard in chemical analysis.”

The advantage of using MS is the technology can be calibrated soit zeroes in on the distinct detection signature of a potentially dan-gerous compound and not on any substance that is deemed safeor simply occurs naturally in the environment. This is oftenreferred to as “specificity” and helps eliminate “false positives,”where something innocuous is flagged by mistake. At the sametime, MS is sensitive enough that it doesn’t generate a “false neg-ative” where a dangerous substance is missed, giving rise to apotentially serious security problem.

Market-readySyage says his company’s MS technology and Guardian EDTportal are “at a commercial stage of development” and cur-rently undergoing acceptance testing with the TSA.

By incorporating MS technology into the Guardian EDT portal,an airport security screener can potentially detect some 30explosive compounds. According to Syage, the Guardian EDTworks by “literally sniffing people” for traces of explosives thatthey may have concealed.

“The individual walks into the portal and is subjected to air[currents] that will ruffle clothes and remove particles andcontamination from their person,” he said. “This contamina-tion is then collected, concentrated, vaporized and then ana-lyzed by the MS for the presence of threat compounds.”

Along with testing by the TSA, the company is also gettingfunding from the Department of Homeland Security.

Syagen Technology has now begun to successfully transitionfrom research and development to commercial products.Along with its Guardian EDT system, Syagen also has a line ofphoto ionization sources the company provides as an OEMproduct to such companies as Agilent Technologies, ThermoElectron, Waters Corporation and Shimadzu Corp.

But Syage admits that moving from research and developmentto commercial introduction of products can be a daunting hur-dle for many companies. “There’s huge gap in financing thetransition from R&D to commercial product,” he says. “Thisusually achieved from the company’s ongoing cash flow –which is generally insufficient in small, emerging companies– or from investment capital. We’ve used both sources tolaunch our commercial products.”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 TransSec 3

A D V E R T O R I A L

“There’s huge gap in financing the transitionfrom R&D to commercial product”

Jack Syage

The TSA is in the process ofacceptance testing Syagen’s

Guardian EDT portal

An Exact MatchSyagen Technology’s mass spectrometrysolution could be the key to improved airline security in the near future By Tom Venetis

4 TransSec www.transsec-magazine.com

C O N T E N T S A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6

INDUSTRY NEWS06 USCG Security Exercise ■ Prestwick

security foiled ■ Modern Terminalscharges for security ■ IBM takes onsupply chain security ■ Defenderhighlights explosives detection

TECHNOLOGY NEWS08 Anti-IED robot system launched ■

Anti-MANPADS use still distant

FEATURES & REPORTS

12 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYMix and MatchMachines are learning how to tellright from wrongBY ANDREW BROOKS

16 BUILDING SECURITYReady for anything?True facility protection is a matter ofmatching a broad range of systems,technologies and processes to anequally broad range of threatsBY ANDREW BROOKS

20 VIEWPOINTMaritime security: an inside viewBetter public-privatesector collaboration andmore non-intrusive containerinspection systems are essential toensure maritime shipping security,says a leading industry expert BY ROMA IHNATOWYCZ

CONFERENCES

22 EXHIBITION PREVIEWSecuring the WatersHailed as the definitive conference onmarine security, the fifth annual U.S.Maritime Security Expo turns thingsup a notch with more live simulationsand high-level restricted meetingsBY ROMA IHNATOWYCZ

26 EVENTSIndustry conferences, seminars,exhibitions and symposia coming upfor 2006 and into 2007

10

COVER STORY

10 Ports ApartTrade is globalized: Is port security keeping up?BY ANDREW BROOKS 12

16

23


E D I T O R ’ S L E T T E R

n the aftermath of the U.K. aviation security scare, it’s probablynot too surprising that we find ourselves in a discussion aboutsecurity technology and systems yet again. It happens afterevery major security incident – or near incident. And as far asI’m concerned, it’s completely understandable.

Quite a few news reports in the days following the breakup ofthe alleged plot focused on the possible commercial benefit it wouldbring to firms operating in the security arena. At least one report men-

tioned L-3 and GE, two heavyweights that will be familiar to readers of TransSec. But thereis a broader market populated by smaller firms with specialized systems that may now comeinto their own, some of which have also featured in our coverage.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it is about to begin test-ing a Guardian Technologies system that scans x-ray images to detect liquid or solidexplosives. Rapiscan Systems is working on a liquid explosives detector. Other compa-nies that say they have relevant explosives detection systems – liquid and otherwise –ready or under development include Ahura Safety Corp. (“First Defender”), AS&E(“Backscatter” systems), General Dielectric (“BCT 2000”), Electronic Sensor Technology(“zNose”), DefenderTech International (“Protadas”) and HazMat Management Systems(“CASS”).

The sudden attention being paid to technology post-crisis is typical – and natural. It’snatural to look for a quick fix when security seems to have been nearly outflanked. Itwas sobering to realize that such security holes still exist, and that someone somewhereis sharp enough to figure them out. But despite a host of companies offering solutions,the TSA is taking a healthy, cautious approach, warning that systems capable of fore-stalling the kind of plot uncovered in the U.K. aren’t yet ready for prime time. And ofcourse there’s heated debate about whether the TSA is foot-dragging, or whether the rea-sons for the delay are legitimate.

In one way, the fact that technology is a step behind is actually a good thing, since itforces security experts to look at other solutions. And other solutions do exist. Amongthe flood of press reports you will find mention of how the TSA is now deploying offi-cers in airports who are trained to read gestures, behavior and facial expressions for signsof suspicious activity. Dubai International Airport is another example – behavior obser-vation techniques used by security staff there are reported to have helped reduce the inci-dence of theft. And behavioral observation techniques have long been one of the staplesof Israeli airport security.

By all accounts the training required to detect suspicious behavior isn’t rocket science,involved as it may be. The Israelis have for years recruited university graduates from abroad range of disciplines for such techniques – not, as you would have thought, min-ing the ranks of the military or security agencies for experienced intelligence officers.

Sometimes the best fix turns out to be a pretty simple one.

Andrew BrooksEditor

[email protected] 629 0007 ext. 35

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Abdulla Al Hashimi, senior

vice-president, Emirates Group Security

Michael Crye, Esq, president,

International Council of Cruise Lines

Theo W. Fletcher, vice-president,

supply chain compliance,

security and diversity,

IBM Integrated Supply Chain

David Forbes, president,

BoydForbes Inc.

Technologyone more time

I


I N D U S T R Y N E W S

MODERN TERMINALSCHARGES FOR SECURITY

Modern Terminals has implemented a port securitycharge on laden containers entering or leaving itsHong Kong terminals by truck or barge. The chargeis HK$20 (US$2.57) per 20-ft container and HK$30(US$3.85) per 40-ft and 45-ft container.

“The introduction of the charge follows the sub-stantial investment that Modern Terminals hasmade, and will continue to make, to ensure that itssecurity standards meet and even exceed today’sinternational level,” the company statement said.

The company says it fully complies with the ISPScode, and has collaborated with other partners invarious security-related programs, including theCSI, C-TPAT and ICIS.

USCG SECURITY EXERCISE

As part of Bay Sentinel 2006, a multi-agency exercise conducted in August to testthe area maritime security plan for St. Petersburg, Fla., a homeland security boatfrom the USCG Station St. Petersburg is shown establishing a security zonearound the cruise ship StarShip while a Coast Guard helicopter from Air StationClearwater, Fla., hovers overhead with a joint FBI/USCG boarding team ready todeploy. The cruise ship was playing the role of a vessel carrying hazardous cargothat attempts to enter the port with a suspected terrorist aboard. The boardingteam is preparing to lower from the helicopter and search for the suspected ter-rorist. USCG Photo by PA1 Donnie Brzuska.

PRESTWICK SECURITY FOILED

A group of activists protesting the use ofPrestwick airport in the U.K. as a trans-shipment point for U.S. munitionsbound for Israel was able to climbaboard a Hercules C-130 transport air-craft before security nabbed them. Theyaccessed the airport using an airportmap downloaded from the Internet andbolt cutters to cut their way through theairport’s security fence. The three pro-testors told press they simply headed forthe most likely-looking aircraft – agroup of several U.S. military trans-ports. Once aboard, the group simplyremained there, acting peacefully and

doing no damage. As it turned out, theactual plane they boarded was beingused as a troop transport.

After the incident, local police saidthey had contacted airport managementto ask them to undertake a full review oftheir security measures, and offered toprovide expert help. Prestwick sufferedtwo security breaches last year: one inJune 2005 just before the G8 summit,and the other in February 2005 when ajournalist walked across a runway andstood underneath a parked jet todemonstrate the laxity of security proce-dures at the airport.


IBM TAKES ON SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY

At a special news conference held on August 1, academics andindustry experts discussed the issue of supply chain security froma number of perspectives. On hand for the discussion, which wasalso broadcast via teleconference, were: Jerry Jasinowski, presidentof the Manufacturing Institute; Theo Fletcher, vice-president,import compliance and supply chain security at IBM; Dr. LesleySept, assistant director, Global Supply Chain Management Forum,Stanford University; and Arnold Allemang, senior advisor andmember of the board of directors of Dow Chemical.

The conference centered on a study conducted by the StanfordGlobal Supply Chain Management Forum together with TheManufacturing Institute and IBM. The study looked at innovationsin supply chain security with a view to demonstrating to businessleaders that security investments do have collateral business bene-fits, a case that’s historically been hard to make.

Titled “Innovators in Supply Chain Security: Better SecurityDrives Business Value,” the research was based on input from 11manufacturers and three logistics service providers, all of them con-sidered to be innovators in securing their supply chains. Some ofthe benefits demonstrated included:■ 37 percent reduction in tampering■ 12 percent increase in reported on-time delivery■ 50 percent increase in access to supply-chain data■ 26 percent reduction in customer attrition■ 20 percent increase in the number of new customers.

Not all of the measures that can be taken to improve the securityof supply chains are high-tech. Theo Fletcher of IBM told attendeesthat one way to examine a freight container for concealed contrabandis to record its inside and outside dimensions with a tape measureand compare the figures. “That may sound archaic,” he said, “but Ican tell you that in the past we have received containers at IBM thatdid turn out to have hidden compartments.” IBM also uses advancedtechnologies such as GPS and RFID as well as tamper-evident seals.

Arnold Allemang of Dow pointed out that one important partof his company’s supply chain security strategy is to get as muchadvance information as possible about the drivers who will bebringing rigs into Dow facilities. “You want to know somethingabout them, their background,” he said. “We also have two driverson every shipment so that the cargo is never left unattended.”

Jerry Jasinowski ofthe ManufacturingInstitute and IBM’sTheo Fletcherexplain the value ofthe supply-chainsecurity study

DEFENDER HIGHLIGHTS EXPLOSIVES DETECTION

One of the companies highlighting its explo-sives detection technology in the aftermathof the U.K. aviation scare is DefenderTechInternational (DTI, Saint Clair Shores,Mich.). DTI says that its Protadas can detectthe types of containers – plastic, composite,that might be used to carry liquid explosiveshidden under clothing to avoid recentlytightened airport restrictions. The systemcan also detect devices of the size and com-position most commonly used to constructnon-liquid explosives – materials that DTIsays metal detectors and other sniffer-typedevices normally can’t pick up.

DTO joins a growing number of compa-

nies whose technologies may come in forcloser attention in the current atmosphereof heightened security. Others includeHazMat Management Systems, which makesthe CASS chemical analyzer, a system thatcan determine a liquid’s chemical composi-tion without requiring the container to beopened by identifying its acoustic signature.

However, as noted in the August 31TransSec e-newsletter, the TSA has been slowto move on deploying these technologies on awide scale at airport security checkpoints. Theagency says many of the systems aren’t yetready for broad deployment, but cost andtime issues are likely as large a factor.

HazMat’sCASS system


T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S

AMTI TSG’s R-500 can detect IEDs,chemical and biological threats andother hazards

ANTI-IED ROBOTSYSTEM LAUNCHED

A remote-control robotic sys-tem that can explode impro-vised explosive devices (IED)and determine if a suspiciouspackage contains hazardouschemicals has been launchedby the Technical SolutionsGroup of AMTI (AMTI TSG,of Virginia Beach, Va.). The r-500 is AMTI TSG ’s newestrobotic system, designed forrepeated use in reconnaissanceand surveillance operations.Besides being able to destroyIEDs and other threats, theunit can affix a sensor to detectchemical and biological haz-ards and other dangers.

The system can be operatedwith a hands-free heads-updisplay (HUD) or with an LCDmonitor for collaborative view-ing. Both camera and truckhave an operating range ofabout 1000 feet and the truckcan move at speeds up to35mph.

ANTI-MANPADS USE STILL DISTANT

Researchers are making steady progress in developing and refin-ing missile defense systems for use on commercial aircraft, buta U.S. government report states that widespread deploymentcould still be decades away. The report, obtained by AssociatedPress, said that laser-based systems developed in a test programstill don’t meet Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reli-ability standards.

Security experts are still very concerned about the threat tocommercial aircraft posed by shoulder-fired missile systems,or MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems). The sys-tems are small, easy to use and inexpensive – and they’vealready been used against aircraft, as in the case of two MAN-PADS missiles that narrowly missed an Israeli passenger planetaking off from Mombasa, Kenya in 2002.

The U.S. Congress promoted the development of systemsby manufacturers, but so far has been unwilling to financetheir implementation on the U.S fleet of 6800 airlines, whichwould cost billions of dollars.

In 2004 DHS gave BAE Systems and Northrop GrummanCorp. US$45 million each to adapt existing military systemsfor civilian use. At the beginning of August both companiesannounced they had received follow-on funding for the 18-month Phase III of the DHS program, which involvesexpanded testing of systems mounted on cargo aircraft.Northrop Grumman said its contract was worth US$55.4 mil-lion. BAE did not disclose any figures.

In 2003 33 countries agreed to measures to control the exportand storage of MANPADS missiles. At the end of August,Australia joined Europe in calling for a crackdown on the illicittrade in the systems. The call came after Swiss authorities in Junearrested a group of North Africans who were allegedly planningto fire MANPADS missiles at an El Al airliner.

BAE researchers with the company’s Agile EyeII, a potential lower drag replacement for thecompany’s current JETEYE anti-missile system

A schematic rendering ofhow Northrop Grumman’santi-missile system functions


Nothing better illustrated the globalimplications of port security andthe changing nature of the securitythreats faced by ports than theDubai Ports World controversy.

When the global port operator acquiredanother major player earlier this year, theensuing debate highlighted the pace of cor-porate change among port operators world-wide, and demonstrated how murky theissue of actual port ownership has become.

In March, Dubai Ports World (DP), a

major port operator based in Dubai, UAE,announced its purchase of the U.K.-basedport operator Peninsular & Oriental SteamNavigation Company (less quaintly knownas P&O) for US$7 billion. The acquisitionput the operation of U.S. ports in New York,New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, NewOrleans and Miami in the hands of DP. Oncepoliticians and the media got wind of thedeal it quickly became controversial, withpoliticians noting that two 9/11 hijackers hadbeen UAE nationals. Ultimately, in spite of

high-level support for the deal from the U.S.Administration and an improbable chorus oferstwhile political foes, DP backed off to theextent of promising to transfer the acquiredU.S. port operations to a “U.S. entity.” Itbegan evaluating U.S. bids for those contro-versial operations in mid-August.

The controversy capped several years ofrapid-fire mergers and consolidations in theglobal shipping industry, but as HSTodaymagazine noted (“Ports after the Storm,”April 2006), “foreign ownership is an

accepted part of the business.” P&O itself isa U.K.-based company, and supporters ofthe DP plan were quick to point out that thiskind of foreign ownership didn’t seem totrouble anyone. Another case in point:Singapore-based PSA International, whichbriefly vied with DP for the P&O assets (itdropped out of the running in February),didn’t set off anyone’s alarm bells.

Another aspect of the deal that garneredspecial attention from security experts wasthe issue of sharing port security plans.

U.S. maritime regulations call for the for-mulation of security plans for all kinds ofwaterfront facilities. These individual plansare then consolidated locally and regionallyinto Area Maritime Security plans. Whilemany aspects of port operations are closelyheld for security reasons, these plans can beshared with port operators at the discretionof the local U.S. Coast Guard.

Tech troublesA major problem for U.S. port security is thefact that while technology is abundant andsecurity processes are advancing at a goodpace, there are few uniform standards forhow security information is handled anddistributed. This lack of clarity plays a largerole in making the issue of foreign owner-ship of port operations more sensitive. Italso seems to be playing a role in holding upthe implementation of the much-heraldedTransportation Worker Identity Credential(TWIC) program, a plan to issue foolproofsecurity cards to hundreds of thousands ofworkers at ports and other transportationfacilities across the country.

The technology behind the TWIC cre-dential is solid and would add a firm layerof security anywhere it is used. But tech-nology is always a two-edged sword. TheTSA has missed some important TWICdeadlines thanks to the difficulty of estab-lishing uniform standards for the card

M A R I T I M E S E C U R I T Y

“Terrorism is part of the threat to the supplychain, of course, but it’s more than that”

Fer van de Laar, IAPH

Trade is globalized: is port securitykeeping up?

readers that will have to be installed. Morerecently the agency announced it wouldpostpone the requirement for ports andother players to buy and install the readersduring TWIC’s Phase One – and the finan-cial burden that ports will have to bear con-tinues to be a sore point. The U.S. bargeand port industries have formally filedcomplaints with the TSA about the prob-lem of financing the machines. At presstime the agency extended the period pro-vided for public comment on this andother aspects of the program, but it says itstill plans to go ahead with distribution ofcard readers at the end of this year.

Financing security is also an issue on theother side of the pond. At the beginning ofAugust, the European Commissionannounced that it had adopted a report onthe financing of security measures for themaritime and aviation sectors. The report,according to the EC, warns that the costs ofsecurity can be significant and are typicallypassed on to users. Further, security financ-ing mechanisms are by no means as uni-form across the EU as they could be, whichcould distort competition, and the reportrecommends greater transparency inrevealing to supply-chain partners exactlywhat they’re paying by way of security taxesand surcharges. The report also states that

government funding of anti-terrorismsecurity measures does not constitute “stateaid,” a way of forestalling objections thatmight be based on the ‘distorting’ effect ofuneven security investment.

The EC notes that the EU has more than1200 seaports and 4000 port facilities, andthat some 9000 vessels sail under the flagsof member states. The study reports “con-siderable variation” in the amount spent onport security across the different types ofports, such as multi-purpose and containerports. But most of this variation, the reportsuggests, is due to the fact that many facil-ities already had different security measuresin place for anti-theft and other supply-chain reasons long before security againstterrorist threats such as dirty bombsbecame the stuff of headlines.

“For most ports in Europe, and for thecompanies that operate in them, the secu-rity that came in after 9/11 wasn’t a newthing,” says Fer van de Laar, managingdirector of the International Associationof Ports and Harbors (Rotterdam,Netherlands). “Five years before the ISPSwas adopted, it was as difficult to get intoa European terminal as it is now, and that’sbecause we care about our customers.We’re liable for the goods that come intoour care.”

The security standards on both sides ofthe Atlantic are fairly uniform, says van deLaar, largely thanks to the forward postureadopted by European ports before 9/11. Inspite of the difficulties noted in the ECreport cited earlier, the European Unionhas still had a large role to play in harmo-nizing standards, giving European ports aunified direction and impetus in much thesame way as the centralizing role of the U.S.government acts upon ports in that coun-try. North America, of course, also has itsown kind of EU-like transnational harmo-nization mechanisms, beginning with theNorth American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) and developed further in varioussecurity partnerships launched since 9/11.

The economic motiveSelling security to businesspeople can be dif-ficult. The payoff is that nothing happens,and “nothing” doesn’t rank very high as areturn on investment. But as has beenpointed out so often, increased port security– and increased maritime security generally– are virtually synonymous with more effi-cient supply chains. The goal of knowingexactly where a cargo is anytime and any-where, monitoring conditions in freight con-tainers, knowing exactly when and wherefreight is being moved and by whom, all addsup to a vastly more efficient supply chain.

Here, van de Laar says, a program likethe U.S.-led Container Security Initiative(CSI) has brought benefits even to the effi-cient and already security-savvy port oper-ators of Europe. “The CSI has had a posi-tive effect,’ he says. “It allows ports to dosome advance planning, because it involvesprofiling containers, cargoes, the flow ofgoods from all parts of the world.” The costof the advanced security is borne by ship-pers and port operators, which of coursepass the costs on to their customers, but theextra amount is negligible, says van de Laar.The EC report cited earlier backs him upon this: it says that an average of €100 perEuropean-registered vessel is invested insecurity, which constitutes between 0.0006and 0.0015 of total sector investments.

A Rand Corp. study released in Augustsaid that the detonation of a 10-kilotonnuclear weapon at the Port of Long Beachin Los Angeles could kill as many as 60,000people, irradiate 150,000 and cause eco-nomic damages ten times greater thanthose caused by the 9/11 attacks. All shipsin the port, and much of the infrastructure– along with nearby oil refineries – wouldbe destroyed in the blast. The breadth ofpotential losses is a good motive for every-one involved in the supply chain to getinvolved in making ports more secure.

“IAPH is working with companies in thesupply chain to try to secure it,” says van deLaar. “Terrorism is part of the threat to thesupply chain, of course, but it’s more thanthat. It’s about the security of the supplychain, about ensuring that the goods reachthe customer.” ■


B Y A N D R E W B R O O K S

Emergency response simulation technologyis becoming increasingly sophisticated, andallows security staff to go through realisticscenarios step by step at minimal expense.Photo courtesy ETC

At its most basic, looking for signifi-cant patterns in large masses of datais a matter of numbers, whether it’sthe huge amount of mathematicalprocessing undertaken by comput-

ers in drawing concealed correspondencesbetween elements of raw data, or looking atthe often surprising, counterintuitive pat-terns that exist in numbers themselves. Buthuman activity always leaves traces, andthose traces can be found if you have thesmarts – and the tools – for the job.

Benford’s Law is a good example of howwhat belongs in a series of numbers can bedistinguished from what doesn’t. It’s amathematical maxim that sets down thelikelihood of given numbers occurring inlegitimately generated data. It has beenused in a wide variety of applications.Among other things, it enables tax account-ants to detect returns that have been filledout fraudulently, because numbers sup-plied solely by the imagination will tend tobe evenly distributed at random, whilelegitimately generated figures actually donot occur in an even distribution.

So, for example, the probability that theleading digit of any given legitimately gen-erated number will be a 1 is around 30 per-cent, while the number 9 is likely to be thefirst digit less than five percent of the time.It’s more complicated than that, of course,and the law’s validity can be nullified whennumbers are converted from one set ofmeasures to another or where the data itselfis such that numbers tend to occur withina narrow range. For example, 9 and 1 areboth ruled out as leading digits when thecategory is “height of an adult in inches” –outside of circus sideshows.

Several years ago Canada’s RevenueAgency adopted a software package thatuses Benford’s Law to help find suspiciouspatterns in the numbers provided on taxreturns that suggest they were generated byother than legitimate calculations.

Numbers also figure in the work of TradeTransparency Teams, special units set up byU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) to detect and disrupt the internationalfinancial networks operated by terrorist andcriminal groups. In the late 1990s the ICE

teams found trade figures indicating thatColombia was exporting more gold than itwas actually capable of producing. This was anexample of criminal activity, but the teams canapply the same software to intercept terroristfunding flows – although technology is also

helping nefarious elements to stay one stepahead, for example through “digital moneylaundering,” using commonly available toolslike PayPal and BidPay to escape outdatedfinancial reporting requirements.

On a more advanced level, the U.S.National Targeting Center in Virginia hasdeveloped a “targeting algorithm” to helpport security staff evaluate incoming cargo.Based on at least two decades’ worth of dataon incoming cargo, the algorithm looks foranomalies such as unusual weight for a givencommodity, or an unusual country of ori-gin. It assigns points to each anomaly andtriggers a physical examination when a cer-tain threshold is reached.

Calling cardsThe use of phone data has become contro-versial in the U.S. recently, with the judicialoverturning of a phone surveillance programrun by the National Security Agency (NSA),but security agencies continue to analyze vastquantities of phone call data to uncover pat-terns and explore the dynamics of suspiciousgroups. In one notable demonstration of thecapabilities of software in this field, pattern-tracking analytics were applied to the 9/11hijackers after the attacks, and were able todetermine which individuals played a leadingor central role by tracking their centrality inthe communications of the entire group.

Cogito Inc. (Draper, Utah) develops thesoftware used for such pattern tracking.

Cogito specializes in “graph-based relation-ship analytics” (GBRA), a software tech-nique focused on sorting through largemasses of data – phone records and otherinformation – to discover relationshipsbetween individuals and then depict them

in graphic form for analysts to interpret. GBRA can be useful in a number of

applications, ranging from financial analysisto database research, but one obvious appli-cation is security. The company’s KnowledgeCenter product is based on neural network-ing and can process a mass of apparentlyunstructured phone records to determinethe actual dynamics of the relationshipsbetween the people who made the calls toeach other. The real value comes when track-ing calls between members of a group whoare attempting to evade detection by com-municating as indirectly as possible.

“Really good analysts can use this tool tohelp them see how information is flowing,”says William Donahoo, Cogito vice-presi-dent of product marketing. Donahoo citesone example in which a customer had beenasked to track calls from members of Iraq’sgovernment to known figures in that coun-try’s insurgency. Phone call analysis cou-pled with human intelligence – tips, or sus-pects rounded up in counterterroroperations – could enable intelligence ana-lysts to decide where to focus their efforts.“There’s an immense amount of data outthere, and a huge demand for the ability toglean intelligence from it,” Donahoo says.

Another application of pattern recogni-tion is “intelligent video” surveillance, whereraw video footage recorded by CCTV net-works is closely analyzed for anything thatdeparts from predetermined norms. The


I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

“There’s an immense amount of data outthere, and a huge demand for the ability to

glean intelligence from it”William Donahoo, Cogito

matchMix matchandMixMachines are learning how to tell right from wrong


technology not only improves security: italso drastically eases the heavy workloadassociated with conventional video surveil-lance, where human operators have to stayalert for hours on end to detect anything outof the ordinary – or stay alert for hours onend watching hours of recorded footageafter an event has occurred.

Intelligent video analysis is also moreproactive, as the technology can be appliedto detect anomalies in real time, before orduring an incident. The systems haveadvanced to the point that they can be usedto detect increasingly subtle anomalies,

such as an object being left in an unusuallocation – or for an unusually long periodof time – or a person moving the wrongway in an airport queue.

A note of cautionA report on the National Targeting Center’scargo “targeting algorithm” in the June 19New Yorker noted that over-reliance onnumerical analysis had cut the experienceof dockworkers out of the security equa-tion. The former inspector general of theDHS, Clark Kent Ervin, also reported in2004 that more contraband had been

detected in incoming containers selected atrandom than in those separated out by U.S.Customs and Border Protection (CBP).Technology can’t work properly withoutexperienced human intervention, whichbrings to bear qualities that the digitalrealm so far does not have.

As a member of Port of New York andNew Jersey staff member said in the NewYorker report, “you’ve got to use your imag-ination” when looking for things out of theordinary. So far, imagination is one qualityno software developer has been able towrite into the code. ■


Different strokesA t the end of 2005, BioPassword (Issaquah, Wash.) dared attendees at a technology show in Las Vegas to crack a PC using its

security software – and was confident enough to offer a US$10,000 prize. It wasn’t asking people to crack 256-bit encryptionor spoof an iris recognition system. The PC only had a password, which BioPassword openly provided. 1200 people tried to log onand failed, even after BioPassword rubbed it in on the show’s final day by raising the purse to US$100,000.

The key to the authentication system is that it identifies an individual’s unique typing patterns and keystrokes to within millisec-onds, so that no one but the legitimate user, who registers their unique pattern by typing the password several times, can actuallyuse that password to log on.

“It measures the timing of keystrokes with respect to each other,” says Greg Wood, BioPassword’s chief technology officer. “Itgives a great view of the ‘cadence’ that is uniquely identifiable, to the point that it’s approaching the performance of a thumbprintreader.” Wood hastens to point out that so far the technology is employed to provide authentication as opposed to individual identifi-cation. However, he says, given that it does hinge upon the identification of one person’s unique typing pattern, it could be used tosupply firm individual identity across a reasonably large sample where every person in the group has registered on the system.

Wood says the software has a broad range of potential applications for any devices where a keyboard interface is used, such ascellphones and handheld PCs. The product is now in use by banks and credit unions, and also by a music rights management serv-ice that distributes tracks to radio stations over the Internet. The system can also be calibrated to allow greater or lesser precisionin matching keystroke sequences and timing, so that customer-facing applications won’t become inaccessible to the public, and canalso be set up to allow escalating levels of authorization depending on the precision of pattern matches.

Intelligent videoanalysis enablessurveillance systemsto alert humanoperators to unusualitems or events in realtime. Photo courtesyCogito

Phone call patternscan help intelligence

operatives distinguishgroup leaders, and

figure out other groupdynamics. Photo

courtesy ObjectVideo

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A D V E R T O R I A L


“We have incidents every day.”That was the response ofBarbara Carley, managingdirector of the 110-storeySears Tower in Chicago, to

a reporter who asked about the intensity ofsecurity threats at the building. Securitymanagers at the Sears Tower are probablyamong the more forward-thinking any-where in the world, given the nature of thetargets attacked in September 11, 2001, butit isn’t just terrorism that managers of majorbuildings have to worry about. “There are alot of things that happen in a building of this

size, and we do talk to the police on a dailybasis,” Carley said.

The disparate nature of the threats facedby large structures is mirrored by the kindof security strategy that – ideally – is put inplace to prevent and cope with thosethreats. Access control, CCTV surveillance,perimeter security, biometrics, communi-cations, remote control of doors and locks,reinforced or bombproof/bulletproof glass,blast walls, anti-vehicle barriers, emergencylighting, evacuation routes, firefighting sys-tems, alarms, evacuation plans and drills,shelter-in-place capabilities such as rein-

forced rooms equipped with food, water,toilets and independent communications,public address and signage systems… thelist is a long one, and evolves as technologyand security awareness advance.

Under previous management, the SearsTower got a major security overhaul in theaftermath of 9/11, increasing staff numbersand adding metal detectors, keycard turn-stiles, upgraded communications systemsand new digital cameras. When CB RichardEllis assumed management two years ago itdecided to make some of the security sys-tems a bit less obtrusive, but also instituted

B U I L D I N G S E C U R I T Y

Advanced simulation technologies allow securitymanagers and first responders to rehearsebuilding security incidents. Images courtesy ETC

Ready foranything?

True facility protection is a matter of matching a broad range of systems,technologies and processes to an equally broad range of threats

Ready for anything?


an online visitor registration system andlaunched a security education programincluding fire drills, medical training andspecial seminars. Security at the building isnow described as equivalent to what you’dfind at an airport.

Is it all enough to stop a determinedattack? That question remains open. Morecould almost certainly be done, but here asin other arenas security eventually becomesa tradeoff between the attempt to be com-pletely foolproof and the need to keep afacility – buildings, airports, seaports, railterminals, what have you – open for busi-ness without too much inconvenience.

It all drives home the increasingly diffi-cult job security managers have in decid-ing how much to do, and where and whento do it, when they have to pick andchoose from an increasingly complexarray of human and technological solu-tions. But if technology is part of theproblem in making things complicated, itcan also be part of the solution in sortingthrough that complexity. One way this hasbeen happening recently is in the growingdeployment of Internet Protocol (IP) con-nectivity between security devices, systemsand staff.

IP connectivity is a leading driver ofoverall security system integration. OnceCCTV cameras, alarms, doors, locks, accesscontrol devices etc. all have ‘web addresses’of their own they become relatively easy tomanage and monitor from a networkedcentral location, either inside the buildingitself or even from a remote site.

When the Port of Wilmingtonembarked on a major security overhaul in2002, they opted for a blue-chip concoc-tion of the latest systems, including somespecialized ones of particular interest toports. But one of the most interesting

wrinkles they added is of direct value toany enterprise with multiple sites:Wilmington partnered its security and

control system with a similar one beingimplemented at its sister port, MoreheadCity, 100 miles away. The security of either


The same page:technology harmonizedThe necessary breadth of a genuinely integrated approach to building security reachesbeyond the four walls, as exemplified by network provider Global Crossing, whosesecurity strategy aims to protect infrastructure, data and people.

The strategy, as described in the April 2006 issue of Security Technology & Design,included hiring and HR practices, physical access control and data security. Notably,the strategy features a specially designated vice-president and a global “SecurityOrganization” that assesses risk and formulates security policy, handling some globalsecurity functions itself but leaving others to local management where appropriateacross Global Crossing’s worldwide network of facilities.

As an example of local involvement, the Security Technology & Design article notesthat when a Brazilian facility wanted to tighten security in the face of rising gang-related crime, local management worked with the Security Organization to come upwith a response, increasing the extent and technological capabilities of the facility’sperimeter fence.

At the same time, the company also places great weight on the adoption of uni-form technologies across its global network. For example, the use of identical digitalvideo recorder (DVR) technology throughout dozens of company facilities in four coun-tries provides security information to local managers while enabling global manage-ment to control and monitor the system from a central location.

Similarly, the use of a single technology platform for employee access cards meansthat the same cards can work on multiple access systems at different facilities. Thishas reduced the number of actual cards in circulation by a third, itself increasing thesecurity of the cards and making card management and assignment much simpler.

“Operators have more and more capabilities, moreand more different kinds of systems – but they’restill running the same old fashioned procedures”

Brian Hennessey, Adacel Systems

The new Beijing TV Center in China isslated to receive an advanced integratedsecurity and communication intercomsystem, provided by Zenitel and BeijingNera Stentofon CommunicationEquipment Co. Ltd. Photo courtesy Zenitel


facility can now be completely managedfrom the other. Thanks to the implemen-tation of wireless communication, thetwo-port network also includes a mobilecommand unit, and the same access cardsystem for both sites. Starting with a secu-rity system that was little more than“guards, gates and guns,” Wilmington isnow among the most technologicallyadvanced seaports anywhere in the U.S.

As real as requiredBut by increasing the number, type andcomplexity of security systems that can bemanaged efficiently, the availability of wiredand wireless connectivity also raises the barwhen it comes to choosing systems and put-ting them in place. Here again, technologyhas a solution, although it’s one that’semerging only very slowly for this particularapplication: computer simulations.

Event simulations are an increasinglywidely deployed variety, such as theAdvanced Disaster Management Simulator(ADMS) system offered by EnvironmentalTectonics Corp. (ETC, Orlando, Fla.). Thesystem – featured in the Sept./Oct. 2005

issue of TransSec – enables first respondersto walk through the entire sequence ofevents that occurs in the aftermath of amajor disaster, whether natural or deliber-ately caused. Potential applications from thepoint of view of building security includetriage of the injured, fire suppression, chem-ical and hazmat response, and the effective-ness of evacuation plans and routes.

But it’s at least as logical to use simula-tion technology before a security systemhas even been put in place. Adacel Systems(Orlando, Fla.) is one company that isheavily involved in building simulationwith a heavy specialization in security sys-tem design. Its VAST software enablesbuilding managers and security planners toset up a virtual security system consistingof all the elements such as sensors, accesscontrol systems and CCTV networks,which can be configured to simulate par-ticular capabilities such as camera ranges,infrared vision, etc. It goes a step further,however, in allowing actual attacks to beprogrammed in and worked through,including vehicles, aircraft, boats and othercraft as well as people. Alarms are sent in

XML, a widely used format that enablesVAST to interact with any computer sys-tem. And the ‘enemy’ can behave intelli-gently, for example abandoning an attemptto break through a perimeter at one pointif extra cameras have been positioned there,and moving on to look for a more vulner-able zone.

“You can learn how to operate a closedcircuit TV camera,” says Brian Hennessey,Adacel’s director, advanced programs.“Sure you may be able to point, tilt, zoom,whatever, but that doesn’t make you a secu-rity expert. For that, you also have to learnhow to react to an actual incident – andthat’s a whole different picture.”

Adecel originally arrived in the buildingsecurity market through its widely used airtraffic control simulator, which gives you agood idea of how complex a business secu-rity system management has become.“Security centers are starting to look moreand more like ATC systems,” saysHennessey. “Operators have more andmore capabilities, more and more differentkinds of systems – but they’re still runningthe same old fashioned procedures.” ■

B U I L D I N G S E C U R I T Y B Y A N D R E W B R O O K S

“Anytime there’s a large project, we always believe thatthe senior security specialist should be part of themaster team from the outset,” Dr. Neil Livingstone

says in a special webcast available at www.domesticprepared-ness.com. Livingstone is the CEO of GlobalOptions, a companywith a very broad mandate: it lists risk management, executiveprotection, investigation, litigation support and crisis communi-cations among its security capabilities.

But building and facility security is one theme thatLivingstone touches on especially frequently at conferences andin articles. His webcast is a schematic breakdown of the variouselements that go into securing buildings. Here’s a look at a fewof the elements and vulnerabilities that Livingstone addresses.

Mailroom – In the aftermath of 9/11, a rash of anthrax scaresoccurred, with suspicious white powders mailed to various indi-viduals and facilities around North America. The atmos-phere was such that icing sugar that got brushed off adoughnut was liable to be enough to shut down anoffice, but there were legitimate instances. Anthraxaside, there are enough good reasons to move a mailoperation into a separate part of a building – if not off-site entirely – that this was a regular part of Livingstone’srecommendations to customers well before 9/11. Thatturned out to be prescient when the State Capitol ofWyoming’s mail operations received a ‘white powder’envelope. The mailroom had to be shut down, butbecause GlobalOptions had already persuaded the gov-ernment to move it into a different building, state busi-ness continued uninterrupted.

Landscaping – Federal authorities recommenda 350-ft. offset from any thoroughfare for optimumsecurity – an option that’s clearly out of the question ina practically infinite number of cases. The alternative:use natural contours such as ponds, hills and gullies tolimit building access and visibility. Similarly, heavy secu-rity fencing and bollards are available in designer for-mats, so that the protection they offer doesn’t have tomake a facility look like the Tower of Doom. Some bol-

lards can be lowered below ground level when not required,eliminating the aesthetic dimension entirely. “We want to getaway from Jersey Barriers,” Livingstone says.

Atriums – Atriums are a nice idea, design-wise, but they alsogreatly magnify the potential damage caused by an explosion.Huge open areas in the center of a building enable shock wavesto travel farther, increase the risks posed by flying glass, andreduce structural integrity. The floors of a building are one of itsbuilt-in defenses, and anything that reduces floor area increasesvulnerability. The U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, wheremore than 240 Marines were killed by a truck bomb in 1983, fea-tured a large internal atrium.

Glass – Another widely used architectural element – andagain, a bad idea according to Livingstone. In the 1998 attackson U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, flying glass was

responsible for about 90 percent of the casualties. Aswith other building materials, blast-resistant varietiesare now available, although they tend to be quite a bitheavier and can’t simply be swapped in to replace reg-ular plate glass (see next item).

Security ‘designed in’ – For a building to betruly secure, the security elements have to be factoredin from the beginning. “You have to ascertain and meas-ure the threat environment before you can understandhow much security any building needs,” Livingstonesays. As you might expect, he isn’t a fan of retrofittingfor security, recalling one case with a customer in LatinAmerica. The previous security contractor had addedheavy laminated security glass windows to a building,but without reinforcing the window frames to take theconsiderable added weight. GlobalOptions arrived on-site only to find that the glass was literally falling out ofthe windows.

Livingstone admits the Pentagon’s security retrofitseveral years ago was a good idea, but notes that plan-ners had luck on their side: the 9/11 attack happened tohit the only one of five sections that had been com-pleted at that point.

Brick by brick: the many elements of building security

Bollards don’thave to look likesecurity add-ons.Photo courtesySureGuardSecurity Products

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1. There must be a concentrated focus onthe frequency and quality of public-pri-vate sector collaboration.

All parties including competitors, serviceproviders and economies must worktogether. The supply chain is a complexweb of many actors from many differentcultures, speaking different languages withdifferent interests and capabilities.Orchestrating cooperation is therefore noteasy. This requires like-minded economiesto huddle together to determine how bestto make international trade more secure.In this regard, effective communicationand joint planning and practice are key.

By way of example, in the event of a ter-rorist attack, joint contingency planning iscritical in restarting the network. Key ques-tions need to be answered before an actualevent occurs, such as: ■ What standards will be used in restarting

the system? ■ What will governments expect from

their trading partners? ■ What will be expected of terminals/

ocean carriers? ■ What will be expected of shippers?

The public sector needs to develop acomprehensive crisis response and restartcapability. The private sector must beincluded in this important planning.Similarly the public sector needs to under-

stand the private sector’s plans to helpensure the continuity of the supply chain.

The private sector owns and/or operatesmuch of the supply chain infrastructurethat may be a target. The private sector canalso serve as a resource in the event of anattack. So understanding where roles andresponsibilities overlap is critical.

An example of the importance of col-laboration involves a company’s plans toredeploy highly skilled workers to anotherlocation to keep international trade mov-ing. But this plan would obviously notwork if these experts could not clear immi-gration due to last-minute border controlchanges. Setting up communication proto-cols to advise the private sector of suchchanges is critical.

2. The public sector must expand the perti-nent information required for the effec-tive targeting of suspect containers.

The key security challenge is knowingWhat’s in the Box. The key task is the securestuffing and sealing of the container at thepoint of load and the transportation of thatbox to the ISPS-compliant marine terminal– what we refer to as the “first mile” of thesupply chain.

Aside from the cost, physically inspectingevery box is impossible. Consider infrastruc-ture issues such as marine terminal conges-tion, warehouse space shortages, truckingdemands and road congestion. And don’t for-get: not only would every container need tobe opened, but every carton in every con-tainer would have to be inspected as well. Thekey isn’t how many boxes we inspect, butwhich ones. Therefore, we must conducteffective container targeting prior to vessel

load with the purpose of identifying the riski-est containers to inspect.

Even though the “24-hour rule” has beenin place for some time, the U.S. continuesto collaborate with the private sector toimprove targeting of suspect containersdestined for the U.S. Additional informa-tion that is currently being considered to

V I E W P O I N T

Earl Agron, vice president security

at APL Ltd., shared his views on inter-

national supply chain security with an

audience of industry representatives at

the recent APEC Symposium on total

supply chain security, which took place

July 6-7 in Singapore. In a special

address at the event, Agron outlined five

key steps he felt were required to

secure maritime trade. The following

excerpts from his speech summarize

the recommendations.

“The public sector must avoid the rush tocreate regulations without careful

collaboration with key stakeholders.”

Maritime security:an inside view

improve targeting includes: name andaddress of buyer, seller and consolidator;container stuffing location; ultimate con-signee; country of origin and more detailedcargo descriptions.

3. An intelligent regulatory frameworkbalancing security and trade is required.

One reason we welcome intelligent regula-tions is that they help to ensure that com-panies do not become non-competitive.This might happen if one company adoptsrelatively expensive security practices whileits competitors do not. A second reasonwhy we would welcome intelligent regula-tions is to help ensure that investment intechnology would not be rendered obsoletedue to a subsequent mandate.

A third reason why we welcome intelli-gent regulations is that a port and itsmarine terminals are only as secure as itsweakest link. A terrorist incident at one ter-minal will likely result in all terminals being

shut down even though some of those terminals may have invested more in secu-rity than others. Regulations will helpstrengthen the weakest link.

A fourth but less discussed reasonaddresses the nature of the competitivestructure of our business through the useof vessel sharing alliances with our com-petitors. Alliances allow ocean carriers tocooperate by sharing space with competi-tors, so it is very common that our con-tainers will be on our competitors’ shipsand their containers on our ships. In fact,it would not be unusual for almost half ofthe space on some ships to be allocated toother ocean carriers. Therefore in today’soperating environment, one ocean carriermay adopt robust and costly securitystandards voluntarily based on industryguidelines but another alliance partnermay not.

However, we caution against regulationsthat are solely a result of political pressureor trendy ideas. The public sector mustavoid the rush to create regulations withoutcareful collaboration with key stakeholders.Threats can be ever-changing and ourresponse to those threats should always beconsidered in any new regulations.

4. Non-intrusive container inspectiontechnology and related procedures mustbe further developed and deployed atkey points prior to vessel load.

The public sector should accelerate the roll-out of non-intrusive inspection equipmentsuch as radiation portals and gamma raymachines, including related procedures atkey load ports. Implementing these tech-nologies will increase the probability ofdetecting a WMD prior to vessel loading.Research and testing of more sophisticatedradiation portals that can perform isotopicanalysis should be prioritized, improvingthe reliability of such container cargoinspections.

But I emphasize that this should be apublic-sector responsibility. Generally theownership of radiation portals and gammaray machines at the ports today belongs toindividual countries. While private-sector

ownership and operation of this equip-ment might help public-sector budgetsand improve the financial health of somemarine terminal operators, it is inappro-priate for a private entity to perform tasksnormally assigned to customs or other lawenforcement functions.

Just as a note, ocean carriers have gener-ally structured their controls so cargoanonymity is maintained. Because thethird-party terminal operators generally donot know the identity of importers or thecontents of the containers, they are not in aposition to do any risk assessment. Sharingimporter/cargo content information withterminal operators could have other unin-tended consequences from both an anti-terrorism and theft perspective.

5. Long-term security technology solu-tions need to be developed through col-laboration of supply chain stakeholders.

There is an avalanche of solutions lookingfor a security problem to solve – electronicseals, container security devices, smart con-tainers, supply chain visibility solutions andso on. We need to pause and look for theright technology in a more systematic way.In particular, we need to recognize that thecritical issue is what’s inside the box.

Electronic container seals, for example,can’t guarantee that a bomb will not be in abox that is securely sealed. Visibility toolshave little chance of being justified either ona return-on-investment or security basis.

To find the right answers, the publicsector and private supply-chain stakehold-ers need to collaborate. It is up to the pub-lic sector to define the risk in sufficientdetail so that both sectors can worktogether to define optimum solutions.Once those solutions are defined, technol-ogy companies, universities and nationallabs should be given the challenge todevelop the end product that satisfies thesecurity needs.

When integrated carefully with the sup-ply chain, technology can have an impor-tant role in improving security. But people,processes and training are equally – if notmore – important. ■



APL ata glanceAPL is known as an ocean carrier, but itis also a marine terminal operator, and itssister company, APL Logistics, is a globalthird-party logistics provider.

Security is central to APL’s businessand all three member companies are C-TPAT certified.

APL manages approximately 500 ves-sel calls per week around the world andhas services to 25,000 locations in 140countries. It operates around 100 ves-sels and manages a fleet of 400,000containers.

APL Logistics has operations in morethan 50 countries and an especially largepresence in Asia.

As a marine terminal operator, APLhas an interest in nine terminals in Asiaand the U.S.

A port and its marine terminals are only as secure as its weakest link. A terrorist incident at one terminal will likely result in all terminals being shut down even though some of those terminals may have invested more in security than others. Regulations will help strengthen the weakest link

For years now, the U.S. MaritimeSecurity Expo in New York City hasproven a valuable trade gathering forsecurity professionals tasked withprotecting North America’s ports

and maritime trade. This year’s event, tak-ing place Sept. 19-20, is expected to draw2000 attendees and up to 200 exhibitorsfrom altogether 30 nations. Keynote speak-ers include Senator Robert Menendez ofNew Jersey and deputy secretary at the U.S.Department of Homeland SecurityMichael Jackson.

In addition to the cutting edge technol-ogy displayed on the trade floor and confer-ence sessions on timely issues, Expo visitorswill have the chance to view two excitingsimulations. The first will re-enact, at port,an attack on a U.S. Merchant MarineAcademy training vessel. The second willrecreate, via a U.S. Army multi-mediademonstration, an explosive attack by some-one carrying a remote-controlled bomb intheir backpack. The simulations will takeattendees through both the attack and thepost-incident command and control.

“What we’re hearing from our attendeesis that they want to see actual simulationsin a live setting, see what would happen inan incident and how to deal with that,”explains Michael Rosenberg, vice presidenthomeland security division at E.J. Krause &Associates, organizers of the event. “So we’llbe doing more of these types of demon-strations in the coming years.”

Also in high demand are invitation-onlysessions allowing senior personnel to dis-cuss security issues more openly, includinga session on interoperable identificationsystems. “It allows senior port personnel tobe more open about discussing their con-cerns and in turn allows the governmentofficials to be able to be more open aboutprograms that they’re coming up with,”says Rosenberg.

In other developments, E.J. Krause is con-sidering organizing a sister conference for themaritime security sector in Europe, possiblyin Marseille, France in 2007 or 2008. ■

Securingthe WatersSecuringthe WatersHailed as the definitive conference on marinesecurity, the fifth annual U.S. Maritime SecurityExpo turns things up a notch with more livesimulations and high-level restricted meetings

E X H I B I T I O N P R E V I E W

Some of the vendors presenting their wares and services atthis year’s U.S. Maritime Security Expo are highlighted below.

[ TOTAL IDENT IF ICAT ION SOLUT IONS ]

The DSVII-SC handheld ID verifier by Datastrip is a hand-held device designed to provide identityverification by reading smart cards and proximity cards. Designed to support evolving identifica-tion document standards, the unit reads numerous card formats used for ID cards and driver’slicenses.

The compact hand-held unit weighs approximately two pounds combining a contact/con-tactless smart card reader, a 500 DPI fingerprint sensor for instant biometric verification and alarge touch screen display that can be read in direct sunlight or low light conditions. It also offerscommunication via CompactFlash, Serial, USB, and Ethernet with optional features supporting802.11 and Bluetooth wireless communication.

Datastrip is a leading provider of biometric verification devices and 2D bar code software with asso-ciated hardware. Together with its integration partners, it provides total solutions for production of IDcards, passports, national ID cards, driver’s licenses, voter registration cards, health cards, financial cards,birth certificates and other identity documents, as well as mobile AFIS and biometric verification systems.



E X H I B I T I O N S H O W C A S E B Y R O M A I H N A T O W Y C Z

[ 3D IMAGES IN REAL T IME ]The Coda Underwater Inspection System (UIS) from CodaOctopus is the world’s only fully integrated high resolution 3Dinspection system, delivering precise and intuitive 3D images in realtime. Designed to inspect large areas with 100 percent coverageand 98 percent probability of detection, the UIS is ideally suited toport and harbor security applications.

At the heart of every UIS is the unique Coda Echoscope real-time 3D sonar. Incorporating cutting edge phased array technology,the Echoscope simultaneously generates over 16,000 beams, result-ing in an instant three-dimensional sonar image where the positionof every data point is accurately known. Producing detailed imagesfrom a single sonar ping, it is capable of updating at up to 15 times

per second allowing rapid coverage oflarge areas: up to 20,000 linear feet perhour in the murkiest of waters. Usingpatented 3D ‘mosaicing’ techniques,data is integrated into an intuitivegeo-referenced visualization of thewhole underwater scene in realtime.

Coda Octopus specializes inunderwater technologies for imag-

ing, mapping, defense and survey.

Coda Echoscope mounted on an ROV

[ STERN DR IVES THAT PROTECT WATERWAYS ]Konrad Marine designs and manufactures stern drives that protectwaterways around the world. At this year’s Expo, it offers its Konrad520 and 540 models, which feature thicker castings, oversized bear-ings, super alloy gears and the industry’s largest U-joints. Both arecooled by a continuous flow of oil and require minimal maintenance.

The Konrad 520 is the only commercial rated stern drive fordiesel engine applications, says the company. It was engineered withheavy-duty applications in mind and is currently being used by theCanadian Coast Guard, Panama Canal Authority, and the U.S.Army, Navy, Border Patrol and Coast Guard.

The Konrad 540 was designed for lighter boats, both gas anddiesel, that require higher speeds. Forces such as the Hong KongMilitary Police depend on the Konrad 540 for their interceptor craft.

Konrad Marine is a Wisconsin-based boat propulsion systemsmanufacturer.

[ ENHANCING WORKER SAFETY ]EDO Corporation has developed its next generation gamma-raydetection technology. The new GammaCam LT27 version repre-sents a completely new dimension in assessing nuclear radiationfields by producing accurate two-dimensional images of gamma-ray-emitting objects.

The new LT27 is an upgrade to the GammaCam M31. It’ssmaller and lighter and the user can be trained in about 30 min-utes. The portable system provides real-time pseudo-color gammaray imagery superimposed on a conventional black and white videopicture. Remote operation of the sensor head allows safe acquisi-tion of gamma ray images in high radiation environments whileminimizing worker exposure.

Headquartered in New York, EDO Corporation designs andmanufactures a diverse range of products for defense, intelligenceand commercial markets, including defense electronics, communi-cations, aircraft armament systems and undersea warfare.

[ INTEGRAT ING SECUR ITY ]Backed by a powerful team consisting ofIsraeli Aircraft Industries and SentryTechnology, 4D Security Solutions Inc.(New York, NY) supplies security tech-nology, interoperable communicationsand infrastructure development to differ-ent sectors. It provides technical, financialand strategic resources in the areas ofSensor Fusion, video analytics and fullyintegrated Command & ControlPerimeter Intrusion Detection Systems.This includes ProtectZone, the company’sfull turnkey end-to-end solution for secu-rity and communications.

4D Security Solutions, Inc, a division ofSentry Technology Group, is a systemsintegrator dedicated to providing end-to-end security and communication solu-tions for a wide array of homeland secu-rity applications.A 4D Security Solutions command center

The U.S. Navy uses these SeaArk 34’Dauntless patrol boats, each equippedwith two 380 hp diesel engines andtwo Konrad 520 stern drives

[ CUSTOM-TA ILORED SERV ICES ]

Adesta is a systems integrator that brings flexible thinking tothe design, construction and maintenance of stand-alone orintegrated communication networks and electronic securitysystems. The company provides electronic and physical secu-rity solutions, installations, upgrades and additions for crit-ical assets including ports, dams, locks, reservoirs, hydro-electric facilities, airports, power generation sites and more.

Adesta’s engineering expertise moves design from thedrawing board to the field, culminating in a fully operatingsystem or network. The integrator provides engineeringservices for project development, site surveys, installation,testing and training. Its engineers identify user and systemrequirements, develop conceptual designs and analyze anddetermine proper products and system configurations tomeet customers’ needs. The company provides custom-tai-lored services in SONET, IP/Ehternet, ATM, wireless, last-mile and broadband networks.

Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Adesta is managedby executives from the telecommunications, constructionand security industries.

[ MOBILE ID VER IF ICAT ION ]

Lowry Computer Products (Brighton, Mich.)will exhibit Be.U Mobile, a rugged device thatallows for mobile ID verification in harshenvironments and extreme temperatures.

Under terms of a recent partnershipagreement with Labcal Technologies,Inc., headquartered in Quebec,Canada, Lowry became the U.S.Master Distributor of Be.UMobile. This biometric readerprovides agents with the abilityto authenticate employees withthe help of their smart card suchas the CAC or TWIC. The Be.U Mobilealso allows connection to large central sitedatabases (AFIS, for example) for accurate ID information in thefield, making background checks very easy and reliable. This solu-tion is used for applications such as Positive Identification, TravelDocuments, e-ID and Employee ID.

Lowry Computer Products is a provider of wireless, RFID, barcode and security solutions to the U.S. Government andDepartment of Defense.

[ INTERACT IVE TRA IN ING ]

OverNite Software specializes in interactive training courses for U.S.ports navigating the high seas of homeland security compliance. Its30 MTSA-focused security courses address everything from facilitysecurity assessment to dangerous cargo to MARSEC levels. PortFreeport, Port of Lake Charles and Port of Beaumont are just someof the ports already utilizing this powerful online product.

OverNite Software is also promoting its ExxTend Learning, a web-based solution that creates,schedules, assigns, delivers andtracks an organization’s train-ing. Management headaches arerelieved as the system automat-ically grades tests, stores resultsand prepares reports on the fly.

OverNite Software, Inc. is aleading creator of learningmanagement and deliverysolutions. The company spe-cializes in providing interac-tive multimedia training prod-ucts and performance supportto its clients.

[ ALL IED TUBE & CONDUIT ]Allied Tube & Conduit (ATC) will present its SS-40 highstrength, galvanized fence pipe at this year’s U.S.Maritime Security Expo. The SS-40 pipe meets therequirements of the Federal Specifications and theUnified Facilities Guide Specifications. Another recentaddition, the SS 30T, will also be highlighted. This isATC’s domestic alternative to import Schedule 40 pipe.Allied Tube & Conduit’s family of framework products isavailable in POLYKOTE, a polyester color coating.

The company’s barbed tape products that will be pre-sented include Razor Ribbon, Instabarrier and DetainerHook Barb, which are GSA listed. All three products aresupplied to security installations on six continents and,says the company, are recognized as the industry standardin both quality and design. Allied Tube & Conduit is oneof the world’s leading manufacturers of fence frameworkand barbed tape products. All its products are manufac-tured in the United States.


E X H I B I T I O N S H O W C A S E B Y R O M A I H N A T O W Y C Z

An Adesta command center at work

Barbed wire fencing from Allied Tube & Conduit

Change is shaking up the physical security

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HOT! – ALL NEW FEATURE AREASUrban Security • IP Institute

2006

SEPTEMBER

■ Annual Technologies for CriticalIncident Preparedness Conferenceand Exposition.Organized by U.S. Departments ofHomeland Security, Justice andDefense, Sept. 6-8, Atlanta, GA.www.regonline.com/eventinfo.asp?EventId=88623

■ Digital ID World 2006.Organized by Digital ID World LLC,Sept. 11-13, Santa Clara, CA.http://conference.digitalidworld.com/2006

■ Biometric Solutions 2006.Organized by Access Events, Sept. 12-13, Brussels, Belgium.www.biometricsummit.com

■ Air & Port Security Expo Europe 2006.Organized by Simply Events,September 13-14, Brussels. www.aps-expo.com

■ BC 2006 – Biometric ConsortiumConference.Organized by the BiometricConsortium, Sept. 19-21, Baltimore, MD.www.biometrics.org/bc2006/index.htm

■ U.S. Maritime Security Conferenceand Expo. Organized by E.J. Krause, Sept. 19-20, New York.www.maritimesecurityexpo.com

■ TechNet North: An International Forum on Defense, Public Safety and Security.Organized by AFCEA Canada,Sept. 19-21, Ottawa, ON.www.technetnorth.com

■ ACI-NA Annual Conference andExhibition. Organized by Airports CouncilInternational – North America,Sept. 25-28, Reno, NV. www.aci-na.org

■ ASIS San Diego. Organized by ASIS International, Sept. 25-28, San Diego. www.asis-sandiego.org

OCTOBER

■ Homeland and Maritime SecurityAsia 2006. Organized by Defence DirectoryConferences, dates TBD, Singapore.www.defencedirectory.com/conference

■ Homeland Defense Symposium.Organized by National HomelandDefense Foundation, Oct. 2-5,Colorado Springs, CO. www.nhdf.org

■ Global Fair and Congress for Securityand Fire Protection.Organized by Messe Essen, Oct. 10-13,Essen, Germany. www.nhdf.org

■ Terrorism Awareness and PreventionConference.Organized by Applied RiskManagement, Oct. 12-23, FoxwoodsResort, CT. www.arm-security.com/conference_061013.htm

■ AVSEC World 2006. Organized by IATA, Oct. 18-20, Sydney, Australia. www.messe-essen.de

■ Biometrics 2006. Organized by Biometric TechnologyToday, Oct. 18-20, London, U.K.www.biometrics.elsevier.com

■ 2nd Annual Border ManagementSummit. Organized by IDGA, Oct. 23-25,Washington, DC.www.bordermanagementsummit.com

■ ISC East 2006. Organized by Reed Exhibitions, Oct.24-25, New York. www.isceast.com

■ RISCON: Security & Safety TradeExpo 2006. Organized by Tokyo Big Sight Inc., Oct.24-26, Tokyo, Japan. www.kikikanri.biz

■ Security China 2006. Organized by E.J. Krause, Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, Beijing.

NOVEMBER

■ Cartes 2006. Organized by Exposium, Nov. 7-9, Paris.www.cartes.com

■ International Aviation SecurityTechnology Symposium.Organized by Safe Skies Alliance, Nov.27 – Dec. 1, Washington, DC.www.sskies.org/symposium.htm

■ ID World International Congress 2006. Organized by Wise Media, Nov. 28-30, Milan.www.idworldonline.com

DECEMBER

■ APTS Europe 2006 (co-located withCounter Terror World, Event & VenueSecurity and Infrastructure Security).Organized by International BusinessEvents, Dec. 5-6, London, U.K.www.apts-expo.com/ME/

2007

FEBRUARY

■ Fourth Annual Worldwide SecurityConference. Organized by EastWest Institute, Feb. 20-22, Brussels, Belgium.http://wsc.ewi.info

JULY

■ 92nd International EducationalConference – The InternationalAssociation of Identification (IAI).Organized by IAI, July 22-27, San Diego, CA.www.theiai.org/conference/2007

Eventround-up

Industry conferences, seminars, exhibitions and symposia

C O N F E R E N C E L I S T I N G S 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 0 7
