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Fixes quick and otherwise Some news reports following the alleged U.K. plot to bring down transatlantic flights focused on the possible commercial benefit it would bring to firms operating in the security arena. At least one report mentioned L-3 and GE, two heavyweights that will be familiar to readers of TransSec. But there is a broader market populated by smaller firms with specialized systems that may now come into their own, some of which have also featured in our coverage. The Transportation Security Administration says it is about to begin testing a Guardian Technologies system that scans x-ray images to detect liquid or solid explosives. Rapiscan Systems is working on a liquid explosives detector. Other companies that say they have liquid explosives detection systems ready or under development include Ahura Safety Corp. (“First Defender”). AS&E (“Backscatter” systems), General Dielectric (“BCT 2000”), Electronic Sensor Technology (“zNose”) and HazMat Management Systems (“CASS”). The sudden attention being paid to technology post-crisis is typical, and understandable. It’s natural to look for a quick fix when security seems to have been nearly outflanked. It was sobering to realize that such security holes still exist, and that someone somewhere is 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 forestalling the kind of plot uncovered in the U.K. aren’t yet ready for prime time. In one way, the fact that technology is a step behind is actually a good thing, since it forces security experts to look at other solutions. And other solutions do exist. Among the flood of press reports you will find mention of how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the U.S. is now deploying officers in airports who are trained to read gestures, behavior and facial expressions for signs of suspicious activity. Dubai International Airport is another example – behavior observation techniques used by security staff there are reported to have helped reduce the incidence of theft. And behavioral observation techniques have long underpinned 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 a broad range of disciplines for such techniques – not, as you would have thought, mining the ranks of the military or security agencies for experienced intelligence officers. Sometimes the best ‘fix’ turns out to be a pretty simple one.
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