CrashDive
22nd Sep 2001, 21:17
Have a read of this BBC News link and then come back........ Pilots back passenger screening (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1557000/1557818.stm)
I've personally been involved with evaluating, and championing, the use within UK and EU airports of Imaging Automation (http://www.imagingauto.com/)s (IA) product (http://www.imagingauto.com/products.htm) called 'Boarder Guard' (http://www.imagingauto.com/bg.htm) (BG) .
Nb. I've actually visited (IA) in Boston/USA, and a smarter bunch of folks it'd be hard to find.
During my last visit to IA we discussed the ease and speed with which we could integrate a BG unit to the databases of other 'security agencies', and needless to say this is a technically easy thing to achieve.
E.g. When I worked for Go Fly, to prove the BG systems integration capabilities, the security manager (PG) actually purchased a BoarderGuard unit for evaluation. We followed this up by both PPRuNe Towers and I developing a pseudo passenger reservation system and interfacing it to that BG units internal Sybase database.
The three of us, plus IA's UK chap, then did a major presentation of how it could work (and it really does work !) to two dozen folks from various interested HMG security departments - literally 'men in black' - and most impressed they were too, e.g. they arrived full of speculation and pessimism, but ended up on the edge of their seats as the demo unfurled !
To give you some idea as to how BG works (and I wrote about this on PPRuNe about 16 months ago). The pax walk up to the check-in desk. They present their passport and the check-in person places it on the BG unit, which then scans / captures it to disk.
Once the capture is complete (which takes about 5 seconds) any 'interesting' features of the passport are noted and a warning can be generated there and then, or instead, forwarded on to 'somebody else' for further action a little later (e.g. it takes time to organise a relevant response to a threat); it also captures all the details of the passport, e.g. the photo & machine readable zone, etc, and these can be kept for use later on, if needs be.
Nb. You can actually limit the liability of an airline to fines, due to the carriage of illegal aliens, e.g. folks who arrive at immigration with either no passport - they've flushed down the bog of the aircraft, etc. or with incorrect visa / entry details - by showing due diligence as an airline that you did actually check them thoroughly at the check-in point. Indeed you can then present the details that the BG unit captured when the pax checked in.
As well as that, IA also have the ability to capture a pax's facial / mugshot, e.g. when the pax walk up to the check-in desk. The BG unit, if linked to a camera, can capture and compare that image with that of the passport picture (it uses 'key features' technology), and it can also be linked to any / all manner of retinal scan, finger print reader devices, etc.,.....IA call this 'Biometrics'.
Whilst I'm not saying that a BG unit would have stopped the WTC attacks, it might of helped to do so - and / or may do in the future.
Now I will publicly state that I AM NOT involved in any financial betterment or kick-back arrangement with IA, but I would just like to see this amazing technology implemented (soon) such that another atrocity is not so easily actioned.
So what does it cost ?
Well, last time I asked, a single purchase baseline Boarder Guard unit is in the region of $4000 - yes, just four thousand dollars !
Nb. That's about the same amount that an airline will get fined for the import of just two illegal entrants to the UK (to say nothing of their subsequent repatriation cost) , aka. **** all !
The harsh reality is that the financial cost to us all of the USA attacks could easily have equipped every check-in desk, at every airport in the world, with a BG unit.
As is oft' said, "If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident !"
Links:
Imaging Automation - Boarder Guard' (http://www.imagingauto.com/bg.htm)
Imaging Automation (http://www.imagingauto.com/)
Imaging Automation - News (http://www.imagingauto.com/news.htm)
Imaging Automation - Products (http://www.imagingauto.com/products.htm)
Boarder Guard - Questions and Answers (http://www.imagingauto.com/bgdemo/qa00.htm)
Boarder Guard - Demo (http://www.imagingauto.com/bgdemo/demostart.htm)
The above demo link in particular shows the 'Watch List' options, i.e. the bit which talks to other agency's databases, e.g. Interpol, CIA, MI5, FBI, MI6, KGB, MOSSAD, etc., either by downloading data, or in 'real-time', neat huh ?!
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: CrashDive ]
I've personally been involved with evaluating, and championing, the use within UK and EU airports of Imaging Automation (http://www.imagingauto.com/)s (IA) product (http://www.imagingauto.com/products.htm) called 'Boarder Guard' (http://www.imagingauto.com/bg.htm) (BG) .
Nb. I've actually visited (IA) in Boston/USA, and a smarter bunch of folks it'd be hard to find.
During my last visit to IA we discussed the ease and speed with which we could integrate a BG unit to the databases of other 'security agencies', and needless to say this is a technically easy thing to achieve.
E.g. When I worked for Go Fly, to prove the BG systems integration capabilities, the security manager (PG) actually purchased a BoarderGuard unit for evaluation. We followed this up by both PPRuNe Towers and I developing a pseudo passenger reservation system and interfacing it to that BG units internal Sybase database.
The three of us, plus IA's UK chap, then did a major presentation of how it could work (and it really does work !) to two dozen folks from various interested HMG security departments - literally 'men in black' - and most impressed they were too, e.g. they arrived full of speculation and pessimism, but ended up on the edge of their seats as the demo unfurled !
To give you some idea as to how BG works (and I wrote about this on PPRuNe about 16 months ago). The pax walk up to the check-in desk. They present their passport and the check-in person places it on the BG unit, which then scans / captures it to disk.
Once the capture is complete (which takes about 5 seconds) any 'interesting' features of the passport are noted and a warning can be generated there and then, or instead, forwarded on to 'somebody else' for further action a little later (e.g. it takes time to organise a relevant response to a threat); it also captures all the details of the passport, e.g. the photo & machine readable zone, etc, and these can be kept for use later on, if needs be.
Nb. You can actually limit the liability of an airline to fines, due to the carriage of illegal aliens, e.g. folks who arrive at immigration with either no passport - they've flushed down the bog of the aircraft, etc. or with incorrect visa / entry details - by showing due diligence as an airline that you did actually check them thoroughly at the check-in point. Indeed you can then present the details that the BG unit captured when the pax checked in.
As well as that, IA also have the ability to capture a pax's facial / mugshot, e.g. when the pax walk up to the check-in desk. The BG unit, if linked to a camera, can capture and compare that image with that of the passport picture (it uses 'key features' technology), and it can also be linked to any / all manner of retinal scan, finger print reader devices, etc.,.....IA call this 'Biometrics'.
Whilst I'm not saying that a BG unit would have stopped the WTC attacks, it might of helped to do so - and / or may do in the future.
Now I will publicly state that I AM NOT involved in any financial betterment or kick-back arrangement with IA, but I would just like to see this amazing technology implemented (soon) such that another atrocity is not so easily actioned.
So what does it cost ?
Well, last time I asked, a single purchase baseline Boarder Guard unit is in the region of $4000 - yes, just four thousand dollars !
Nb. That's about the same amount that an airline will get fined for the import of just two illegal entrants to the UK (to say nothing of their subsequent repatriation cost) , aka. **** all !
The harsh reality is that the financial cost to us all of the USA attacks could easily have equipped every check-in desk, at every airport in the world, with a BG unit.
As is oft' said, "If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident !"
Links:
Imaging Automation - Boarder Guard' (http://www.imagingauto.com/bg.htm)
Imaging Automation (http://www.imagingauto.com/)
Imaging Automation - News (http://www.imagingauto.com/news.htm)
Imaging Automation - Products (http://www.imagingauto.com/products.htm)
Boarder Guard - Questions and Answers (http://www.imagingauto.com/bgdemo/qa00.htm)
Boarder Guard - Demo (http://www.imagingauto.com/bgdemo/demostart.htm)
The above demo link in particular shows the 'Watch List' options, i.e. the bit which talks to other agency's databases, e.g. Interpol, CIA, MI5, FBI, MI6, KGB, MOSSAD, etc., either by downloading data, or in 'real-time', neat huh ?!
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: CrashDive ]