Page 58 - Security Today, October 2017

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BORDER SECURITY
Radar. Designed primarily to protect against ground targets, radar detectors ana- lyze the electromagnetic pulses bouncing off objects to determine their position, distance and velocity, as well as the direction of their movement (towards or away from the radar). Mid-range radar detectors can spot a mov- ing target up to 164 feet (50 meters) away. That’s almost half the length of a football field. Long-range radar detectors can distin- guish a walking target up to three-quarters of a mile away.
Another notable thing about radar tech- nology is that it can detect multiple targets simultaneously. The more advanced models can also provide important GIS data about the target. Geographic Information System (GIS) data is three dimensional in nature, encompassing latitude and longitude, speed and distance. If required, it can also provide the target’s altitude or elevation.
Drone detection radar. With the in- creasing incidents of drug traffickers using drones to drop ship contraband across the border, DHS is beginning to explore radar technology specifically designed to recog- nize and detect and small drones up to two- thirds of a mile in the sky. They continu- ously monitor the drone’s changing GPS coordinates and can transmit that data to video cameras to assist in the tracking of the object’s movement.
Generally these technologies can only de- tect an object of interest. But when they’re augmented with video they can be inter- rogated to provide recognition and identifi- cation affording operators true situational awareness of their environment.
Tying in Surveillance Cameras, Video Analytics and Biometrics
If you think of sensors and radar technology as the first line of defense, consider surveil- lance cameras and analytics as the second- ary. Sensors provide the early warning or detection. Cameras, now enhanced with an array of advanced features, provide the criti- cal verification, identification and recogni- tion. Here, too, DHS avails itself of a wide portfolio of tools in order to remain adaptive to evolving threats.
High-resolution network video cameras.
Because our borders encompass diverse terrain—from wetlands, grasslands, rivers and mountain to forests, deserts and urban sprawl—no one type of surveillance camera is ideally suited to monitoring every kind of environment. So a strategic mix is essential. That’s why you’ll find a mix of fixed cameras with variable focal lengths, PTZ cameras to track suspicious movement, cameras with wide and 360-degree fields of view, thermal cameras that can detect people and objects
in darkness, fog and rain and even camou- flaged in the background, cameras with wide dynamic range that provide critical details in both shadow and bright sunlight, day/night cameras, even lowlight-sensitivity cameras that can provide full color in near darkness, and more.
Advanced video analytics. Video analyt- ics have come a long way in terms of accu- racy and reliability. While motion detection and cross-line detection have been staples of border security for years, facial recognition is starting to gain traction as another force multiplier.
Fueled by advances in artificial intel- ligence and machine learning, the software measures distinguishing characteristics of a face—such as the distance between the eyes, skin tone, hairline, etc.—and cross-referenc- es them against a database of photographs collected by federal, state and local law en- forcement agencies. While countries like Chi- na are using the technology to monitor and influence the social behavior of their citizens, U.S. agencies are using facial recognition to augment screening at checkpoints. Consider- ing the complexity of border crossing—the need to verify country clearances, check for contraband and simultaneously iden- tify individuals on a watch list—introducing technology that can reliably match an image to a person of interest has the potential to greatly reduce the opportunity for human error while allowing those who are properly vetted to move through checkpoints more ef- ficiently.
Introducing Biometrics into the Mix
U.S. Customs is already testing the effi- cacy of other security tools like fingerprint scanning and hand geometry imaging to verify individuals pre-approved for entry into the country. In order to expedite pas- sage at ports of entry, programs like GOES (Global Online Enrollment System for U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler Program) along with its Canadian counterpart NEXUS are applying emerging technologies ranging from IDs embedded with RFID chips to iris scans and other bio- metrics. It’s a dual authentication procedure that links passport documents with other markers unique to the individual. Employ- ing these new screening technologies allow border agents to concentrate the bulk of their time on potentially higher-risk travel- ers and goods.
Of course, agents still conduct random screening interviews, but using technol- ogy brings a whole new level of efficiency to checkpoint processing. Additionally, there are emerging technologies that can examine a person’s facial expression and detect “sen-
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