RFID Employed Against Terrorism
Pilots and programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security show how RFID technology can speed the movement of people across boarders while reducing the threat of terrorism.
By Bob Violino
Nov. 24, 2003—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security—a conglomeration of 22 previously separate and disparate domestic agencies—is charged with protecting the nation against threats to its safety. The department’s initial priority is to protect the United States against terrorist attacks similar to those of Sept. 11, 2001. To do this, DHS agencies analyze threats and intelligence, guard U.S. borders and airports, protect the critical infrastructure and coordinate the response to emergencies.
It’s a daunting challenge, and the DHS expects to lean heavily on emerging technologies to help perform these critical functions. One of the technologies being deployed is RFID, which the DHS sees as useful for identifying people, vehicles and objects, such as cargo shipments. This enables the immigration and customs officials to move low risk people and shipments across borders quickly and focus more time and attention on those that deemed to be a higher risk.
Tom Ridge, the Secretary for Homeland Security, has highlighted the need to use RFID to secure cargo containers. And last week, the Bush administration announced plans to require the nation's largest shipping companies to install electronic detection tamper sensors and use reinforced metal seals on millions of cargo containers to reduce the risk of terrorists shipping a dirty bomb or other weapons into the United States.
Nov. 24, 2003—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security—a conglomeration of 22 previously separate and disparate domestic agencies—is charged with protecting the nation against threats to its safety. The department’s initial priority is to protect the United States against terrorist attacks similar to those of Sept. 11, 2001. To do this, DHS agencies analyze threats and intelligence, guard U.S. borders and airports, protect the critical infrastructure and coordinate the response to emergencies.
It’s a daunting challenge, and the DHS expects to lean heavily on emerging technologies to help perform these critical functions. One of the technologies being deployed is RFID, which the DHS sees as useful for identifying people, vehicles and objects, such as cargo shipments. This enables the immigration and customs officials to move low risk people and shipments across borders quickly and focus more time and attention on those that deemed to be a higher risk.
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| Tom Ridge |
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