AnalysisPort security is about more than port management

The debate over handing over management in twenty-one U.S. ports to Dubai Ports World is important, but the issue of port security is deeper and broader than the question of operation management. Bolstering the safety of ports and maritime transportation is a vast enterprise, and it offers innovative companies many opportunities. Here are the main areas of concern to security experts — areas which also offer the most opportunities for business:

In terms of port security, the most critical concern begins at the other end of the journey with verification of the contents of containers in foreign ports where containers are loaded onto ships headed to the U.S. Today, programs including the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) offer some measure of protection, but there is need for more intelligence data about and sophisticated algorithms applied to information in the shipper’s manifest. Approximately 6 percent of containers bound for the U.S. meet high-risk criteria and are inspected in foreign ports. Several technologies are already providing some threat-detection and their use is likely to expand, while other technologies are yet to be developed and deployed:

X-ray and Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM): These technologies are good for ascertaining whether there is a threat, and the number of companies worldwide investing in these approaches is likely to increase

Intelligent video systems: Once containers arrive at a foreign port, they may not be loaded immediately onto ships, and it can be this ‘down time’ that is the weakness in the port security chain. Today’s new intelligent video systems can help ensure the integrity of the containers as they wait. Camera systems with behavior recognition software are essential. The intelligent software can detect anomalous events such as an unauthorized person walking in the vicinity of a container or the opening of a container’s door, and the technology allows security guards to be alerted and respond in real-time.

Crane-mounted sensors: The majority of the containers that come into the U.S. are trans-shipped. That is, a ship arrives in a port such as Rotterdam, and containers are off-loaded and put on a ship headed to the U.S. These containers do not pass through the gate of the port, and today, unless they are flagged by the manifest system as high risk, they are put on the ship and arrive at the U.S. port without inspection. One new technology to help address the inherent risks is a sensor that attaches to the end of the loading crane. Speed is important in crane operation, and this technology enables detection — of radioactive or nuclear material, for example — in a seamless manner.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags: Whether the container is on a truck, train or ship, RFID tagging can help authorities identify the current location and the transit path of the container. If an RFID tag is applied as soon as the cargo is loaded, the container’s position can be constantly updated. Similar technology is used today in the U.S. trucking industry to indicate whether a driver is in transit or has pulled off for a rest stop, and this technology can have dramatic implications for verifying container security.

Intelligent device management: In some high-end automobiles today, sensors united by intelligent device management can tell you whether tire pressure is low or an oil change is due. Intelligent devices with sensors on containers could indicate the presence of chemical and biological materials, the opening of a door, or the breaking of a container seal. This evolving technology offers powerful capabilities for detecting threats long before containers reach U.S. shores.

Maritime domain awareness: Currently, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) monitors all U.S. air space and air traffic; there is no parallel program for the maritime domain. There is a need to create a similar system for the oceans, combining an integrated coastal radar system that can also assimilate intelligence data; surveillance devices such as UAVs and satellites, and more

As we noted above, port security is about more — much more — than the question of terminal operation management.

-read more in David Stone’s SecurityinfoWatch analysis