"Testing New Technology Keeps Airports From Installing Security Systems Now"

Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Testing New Technology Keeps Airports From Installing Security Systems
Now
Airline Business Report


Many airports are needlessly delaying a decision to deploy biometric
security features until they evaluate new and emerging systems that may
or may not work as well as established technologies, according to Martin
Huddart, chairman of the board of the International Biometric Industry
Association. He says results from ongoing testing to prevent
unauthorized access at airports probably will not be known for at least
a year. 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing biometric
and other systems at eight airports to restrict access to secure areas.
This is separate from a pilot program to test biometrics for a
registered traveler program. 

Huddart notes, for example, that none of the eight airports will be
using biometric hand geometry, which proved effective in airports prior
to 9/11. Hand geometry has been in use in airports at San Francisco,
Nevada, and Toledo. Huddart is vice president of business development
for the electronic access and biometric groups at Ingersoll-Rand [IR].
Recognition Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand, is the
developer and manufacturer of a hand geometry biometric system and also
offers fingerprint biometrics. 

TSA chose the eight airports early last month. Following is a brief
rundown of the systems being evaluated: 

Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field Airport is testing a system that combines
fingerprint biometric and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology to control vehicle access. 

Miami International Airport is testing a new defense system that will
incorporate intelligent video analysis and other technology to detect
intruders at the perimeter. 

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is demonstrating a detection
system using intelligent video analysis to differentiate between persons
who are authorized and not authorized access to secured areas of the
airport. 

Newark International Airport is testing a system using fingerprint
biometric technology to allow only authorized persons in secure areas of
the airport. 

Savannah International Airport is focusing on intelligent video
surveillance technology to allow only authorized personnel to operate a
cargo elevator that provides access to secure areas of the airport. 

Southwest Florida International Airport is evaluating wireless
fingerprint biometric technology intended to enhance the level of
security at gates used by vehicles serving aircraft. 

T.F. Green State Airport in Warwick, R.I., is focusing on controlling
access to a secure area via an iris biometric recognition system. In
addition, the entrance will employ anti-piggy backing detection to stop
more than one vehicle from gaining entrance at a time. 

Tampa International Airport is testing the viability of portable card
readers and fingerprint recognition technology at gates used by vehicles
serving aircraft. 

TSA has developed a two-phase pilot program. These eight airports are
testing various off-the-shelf biometric technologies. Based on this
testing, TSA will determine which systems will be evaluated in the
second phase, possibly at different airports. In October 2003, TSA
awarded a contract to Unisys Corp. [UIS] to be the systems integrator
for the pilot program. The contract has a maximum government obligation
of $17 million over 20 months. 

Most biometric applications do not store the actual image of the
person's physical feature being measured. Instead, the measurements are
converted into a biometric file that is generally encrypted. Without the
key to unlock the encryption, a biometric file cannot be
reverse-engineered to determine a person's name, age, sex, race or any
other personal information, according to Huddart. 

Contact: Amy Von Walter, TSA, (571) 227-2829; Martin Huddart,
International Biometric Industry Association, (202) 783-7272


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