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DHS plan to use RFID for PASS program sparks controversy
Decision allows border guards to screen travelers while they wait in line, but critics say privacy is at risk from digital pick-pocketers; DHS will issue protective sleeves, and no private information will be stored on the cards; Smart Card Alliance says the decision to store data on government computers magnifies, not mitigates, the risk
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ImageWare to show off biometric product suite at D.C. border conference
Company is a leader in the field and a major player in the HSPD-12 market; packaged systems allow for easy adoption; 2nd Annual Border Management Summit opens tomorrow
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Predator B to return to the Arizona skies
Six months after a crash cast doubt on UAV reliability and cost, DHS is ready to try again; Predator B a government favorite despite problems, and two others are scheduled for delivery soon
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Northrop Grumman decides to enter Navy UAV competition
Company proposes its Global Hawk for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program; cost remains an issue for widespread UAV deployment, but Navy sees much to gain in a technology with a long flight time and a high ceiling
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Montana inaugurates new anti-illegal immigration air facility
Predator B UAVs to join the Grand Falls Air Branch soon; development a triumph for embattled senator Conrad Burns; two other branches to open next year
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Israeli team helps LAX security planners with terminal redesign
2002 shooting prompted anxiety by both Israeli and LAX officials; physical layout of particular interest; preventing crowd formation and pushing back parking lots top the agenda
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Homeland Integrated Security Systems's Cyber Tracker to monitor NY school buses
GPS-plus devices include sensors that monitor everything from internal temperature to vehicle speed; school districts want to avoid another Chowchilla while keeping eyes on their drivers
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LoJack enters the cargo security market
Licensing deal with SC-Integrity allows the latter to market products under the LoJack in Transit brand name
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TWIC program bad news harbor trucking industry
Experts expect a large drop-off in truckers when the government begins registering port workers; 25-50 percent are illegal, and few others want these jobs; wages are down, yet demand is high as foreign trade booms
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Cory Lidle's death recalls similar historical events
Small planes crash into buildings far more often than one would expect; episodes at the Empire State Building, and in Tampa and Milan, show danger
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AS&E received $4.2 million CBP order for backscatter vans
Deal just a small triumph in a seties of successes in the federal sector; ZBV vans have a unique “drive-by” capability that security planners adore; device was recently deployed to protect the Dalai Lama; radiation detectors useful for border screening
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RFID suggested as solution for airport passenger tracking
A British research center is testing a method of attaching tracking devices to airline passengers; cards or tags, not implants, envisioned; system would be networked with cameras to provide comprehensive security awareness
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California creates Maritime Security Council
Comprised of federal, state, and local officials, as well as business and union interests, the council will help coordinate recovery and communications efforts; with $4.5 billion in annual cargo, state is extremely vulnerable to economic disruption
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National retailers applaud SAFE Port Act
Signed into law last week, the final language excludes foreign port screening requirement; retailers feared increased costs without a measurable increase in security; compromise that mandates U.S. port screening welcomed by trade association
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BearingPoint completes Irish e-passport project
Effort involved modifying existing Automated Passport System to accomodate facial recognition biometrics; project completed by 26 October U.S. visa waiver deadline
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The long view
Calls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.